Burns My Bacon: Where’s My Tomato?
There’s no denying it. When I come across a burger on a restaurant menu I’m tempted: a big fat juicy slab of meat always makes for a great dinner. I’m so tempted that even when I’m in no particular mood I always make sure that whichever restaurant I choose there is a good burger available. We all have our downfalls. I’m still seeking a gym buddy.
A nice fresh tomato and onions along with a little ketchup are what I look forward to on my burger, but you know what Burns My Bacon? A crappy tomato that’s what. I get it, tomatoes are expensive, always have been and always will be, but don’t skimp on the tomato on my burger or any other dish for that matter, slice it off and throw it out, just don’t ever serve it. If there are any other uses for ends of tomato then let us know in the comments.
I can’t tell you how much I hate this, one of my biggest restaurant pet peeves… I’ve seen some places consider tomatoes as an “extra” so those places better step up to the plate
i actually have a totally different take on the tomato debate. don’t give it to me. if it’s not (in the mid-atlantic) between june/july and september/october then i just don’t want it, i don’t even want the sexy middle slice. the tomato will have been shipped from across the country and not taste a sliver as good as when it was grown close and fresh. i love the tomato so much that i’m only willing to eat it at its best.
i know where I work, with the ends of the tomoto we just chop/dice them and put them in a shallow container, and use them for omeletts that have tomato in it..
In an ideal world, I like to think that the person that invented ketchup did it so he/she could avoid bad tomatoes, but something tells me that’s not the case.
i agree with gansie… it’s not tomato season, so they have to pick them long before the tomatos are ripe to be shipped from mexico. if you’ve ever grown tomatos, you know that they just never really bounce back when picked too early. they get all pruney and weird by the time they ripen, and just don’t taste anywhere near the same.
Mealy tomatoes are my nemesis. They spoil everything (salads, burgers, pasta, etc.), and they are painfully ubiquitous. How can any self-respecting chef or cook let his/her dish go out with a mealy tomato? Heresy to the food gods, that’s what it is.
I third Gansie and Erica. I’ve been avoiding tomatoes since last fall. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt like a picky little kid because I’ve shoved my tomato aside at a restaurant. It’s not worth consuming the calorie if it’s blah. I shall resume BLT-eating in July.
this also drives me CRAZY!!! If a restaurant can’t get their hands on good tomatoes, they shouldn’t serve them!