Designing The Perfect MenuDesigning The Perfect Menu


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Designing The Perfect Menu

Those brand new area rugs and that spiffy dining room paint job might look great, but all customers will remember about your restaurant is the food. Unfortunately, if you design a lackluster menu, your guests might not be tempted to try some of your best dishes. In my twenty years in the restaurant business, I have made some mistakes and had more than a few successes. I want to share the things with you that really work, so that you can enjoy your early days as a restaurant owner. Operating a restaurant is hard, but by heeding the right advice, you can enjoy the journey.

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A Great Pizza Is About The Details

What makes a really good pizza? Ask people this question, and you'll get answers like "A good crust" or "good sauce." These answers are definitely true, but they lack some detail. What makes a good crust? What makes a good sauce? If you're looking to improve your pizza, either at home or in a restaurant setting, you should know that a good pizza is really all about the details. Here are the key details to focus on.

A Crunchy Yet Chewy Crust

When people say a good crust makes for a good pizza, they usually mean they want a crust that has that perfect balance between crunchiness and chewiness. That texture combination comes down to a few things. First, you should use a high-protein flour, such as bread flour, as this allows your dough to develop the high levels of gluten needed for this ideal texture. Second, make sure you're making a dough with a long rising time. A recipe that stays in the fridge for a day or two is best.

A Simple Sauce

Pizza sauce has to have a balanced flavor, but you actually don't want that flavor to be too complex. You want it to leave room for the flavors of the cheeses and toppings. There are lots of good jarred sauces out there, but making your own is also pretty easy. Use crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt, and just a few Italian herbs. Add things a little at a time, tasting as you go and letting the sauce simmer for several hours – this also intensifies the flavors.

Complementary Toppings

When customers choose their own toppings, it's really on them to choose combinations they like. However, when you design your specialty pizzas, you want to make sure the toppings you combine balance each other out. To do this, you want to aim to include three elements; salt, fat, and acid. For example, a good combination might be bacon and pickled banana peppers. The bacon provides the salt and fat, and the banana peppers provide the acid. Another good combo might be ham and pineapple. The ham is salty and fatty, and the pineapple adds just a touch of acidity.

If you focus on the little details above, you'll soon be creating better pizzas. Not only will your own palate be satisfied, but your customers and those who you make pizza for will keep coming back for another slice.

For more information, contact a pizza delivery service such as Italian Fiesta Pizzeria.