A dishwasher at my old spot in Portland told me to taste the water before I seasoned anything
I was about to salt a big pot of stock when he stopped me and had me taste the tap water first. It was crazy soft, almost sweet, and I realized I had been over salting every batch for weeks without knowing why. This was 2017 at a little spot on SE Division, and I still check the water at every new kitchen I work in. Does anyone else adjust their seasoning based on the local water, or is that just a Portland thing?
Ever notice how bagels taste different in NYC vs anywhere else? Same thing going on, the water there has a certain mineral thing that changes how the dough rises and tastes. I worked at a spot in Austin for a bit and the water was so hard I basically had to double the salt on everything, total opposite problem from yours.