It is a stroke of marketing genious and a nightmare for BOH staff. It's "restaurant week" and it's coming soon to a reality near you. The premise is fantastic: a state, county, city or other locale dedicates seven days to offer diners prix fixe dining at participating restaurants, usually sponsored by a local publication. Customers get to experience the cuisine of establishments that they otherwise could not afford or would not patronize and the restaurants get free advertising as well as the opportunity to expose themselves to a slew of potential new clients. Sounds great in theory, right?
I have worked restaurant weeks past as both a server and a chef and it is a hassle from start to finish. Seven days of bad tips, continual weeds, stress and one crabby, burned out staff when all is said and done. None of the reptilian, water-drinking lowlifes that kept the place over capacity all week will be back until the next year. The regular patrons who butter your bread the other fifty-one weeks of the year stay far away or resent you. The punchline is that the local rag sends every staff member who can spell out to post critiques of the participating establishments and, for obvious reasons, the reviews are less than stellar. I even know of a server who was let go because of some seriously critical feedback posted about the blogger's dining experience. I think the author was a sportswriter. Nice.
Don't have none. Won't have none.
Farmers can be a funny sort. They work from morning til night plowing, sowing, and harvesting. Then they have to clean, package, and market their goods. I have a deep respect for the farmers who we work with. Today that respect was clouded a bit.
My greens farmer dropped off my order yesterday and said, "We don't have any arugula for you, and we won't have any more in the future." No heads up. I have a popular arugula salad on my menu and we are very serious about sourcing locally. I went on the hunt for local arugula and came up with nothing. I ended up at the local produce company because they said a pallet had just shown up from Earthbound Organics. I had to take what I could get so I headed down there. THE ENTIRE PALLET WAS ROTTEN. Earthbound Organics is a garbage company to begin with. They seem to be trying hard to hold up to that reputation.
I put in a menu change, but it has to go through a series of channels before it can get printed. Nothing like a bureaucracy to keep a chef from changing an item on the menu.
Good luck this weekend Chefs.
My greens farmer dropped off my order yesterday and said, "We don't have any arugula for you, and we won't have any more in the future." No heads up. I have a popular arugula salad on my menu and we are very serious about sourcing locally. I went on the hunt for local arugula and came up with nothing. I ended up at the local produce company because they said a pallet had just shown up from Earthbound Organics. I had to take what I could get so I headed down there. THE ENTIRE PALLET WAS ROTTEN. Earthbound Organics is a garbage company to begin with. They seem to be trying hard to hold up to that reputation.
I put in a menu change, but it has to go through a series of channels before it can get printed. Nothing like a bureaucracy to keep a chef from changing an item on the menu.
Good luck this weekend Chefs.
alternative sourcing
I am still reeling from 55 of our 70 covers ordering between 6:52 and 8:00 on a lovely 113F "autumn" night. However, I swear that a tall, bald, white crackhead with two bulging plastic bags just approached me as I was leaving the restaurant and asked if I needed any peppers or eggplant. Now, I don't know how in tune you are with my problems sourcing big enough eggplant for our "signature" rollatini, but it took everything I had to say no and keep walking. Is this what it has come to? It's one thing to have unsolicited farmers strolling up to the back door with luscious crates of fresh produce in the afternoon, but 10:30 @ night? Which one of my neighbors' walk-ins did he just clip or is this the new business model for independently peddled vegetables? Maybe I smoked too much guar gum and none of it really happened....
Purveyors (Part Deux)
So, the great tomato crisis continues...
A few weeks ago, a case of the canned tomatoes that I use for our signature red sauce had three or four cans that were bulging. I opened one and it hissed like a botulistic snake though the product was actually okay. I didn't use them, of course, and asked my 77077 rep for a credit. (Quick background: they are Casa di Procope imported San Marzanos, roughly $4 to $4.60 per 106z can. They are the best than I can find within my budget. The distributor is actually a local restaurateur who imports on the side though, shockingly enough, I can't source them directly from him because of his 77077 relationship.) Last week she told me that she asked the broker, someone I've known since he waited tables @ WSAH, to replace them. He seemed to "be on vacation" and hadn't yet gotten back to her. I asked her why I couldn't just get a credit from 77077. No answer, though mysteriously this week our account was finally credited. Fast forward to this afternoon when I received the three cases I ordered in addition to a fourth case on a separate invoice. At the top, it had a Pocomoke City billing address, a different customer number and a different rep's name, but the invoice said SAMPLE with the broker's name and our customer number. Most importantly, it had a total of $29.00, more than I have ever paid for a case. I wish I could just include the email conversation between myself, my rep and the broker, but that wouldn't be fair. Basically, my tomatoes weren't stuck in customs as my rep originally suggested and it turns out that the case in question is a gift from the broker. Now, riddle me this, Batman, would I have ordered three fucking cases if I knew I was getting one for free?
A few weeks ago, a case of the canned tomatoes that I use for our signature red sauce had three or four cans that were bulging. I opened one and it hissed like a botulistic snake though the product was actually okay. I didn't use them, of course, and asked my 77077 rep for a credit. (Quick background: they are Casa di Procope imported San Marzanos, roughly $4 to $4.60 per 106z can. They are the best than I can find within my budget. The distributor is actually a local restaurateur who imports on the side though, shockingly enough, I can't source them directly from him because of his 77077 relationship.) Last week she told me that she asked the broker, someone I've known since he waited tables @ WSAH, to replace them. He seemed to "be on vacation" and hadn't yet gotten back to her. I asked her why I couldn't just get a credit from 77077. No answer, though mysteriously this week our account was finally credited. Fast forward to this afternoon when I received the three cases I ordered in addition to a fourth case on a separate invoice. At the top, it had a Pocomoke City billing address, a different customer number and a different rep's name, but the invoice said SAMPLE with the broker's name and our customer number. Most importantly, it had a total of $29.00, more than I have ever paid for a case. I wish I could just include the email conversation between myself, my rep and the broker, but that wouldn't be fair. Basically, my tomatoes weren't stuck in customs as my rep originally suggested and it turns out that the case in question is a gift from the broker. Now, riddle me this, Batman, would I have ordered three fucking cases if I knew I was getting one for free?
Smoky the Clueless Bear
A server just told me that it is awkward when a whole table gets served entrees and one person's food drags for a couple minutes. This server has worked here for a long time. She knows our standards, when there is a problem with a plate we will not sell it, even if the rest of the food already left the kitchen. After all these years she doesn't understand that I will make those two minutes the most stressful minutes of my cook's whole night.
May I add that this server reeked horribly of stale cigarette smoke while she was telling me this. Clearly she was out smoking while her entrees were being delivered. She smelled like an ashtray and doesn't seem to think it is awkward to stink so bad while she is reaching over her guests pouring wine and dropping plates. It is pointless trying to explain this to her. I've tried to do so kindly and have gotten nothing but attitude about it. They make far more money than my cooks and have too big of egos to pay attention to how they can become better at service. I have a hard time hearing someone tell me what good service is while they serve their guests smelling like a stale ashtray and refusing to listen to me when I tell her that non-smokers find her odor to be offensive and gross. I smoked for 12 years so I understand the habit. We are however the finest dining around and if a server can't go a 4 hour service without a cigarette for the sake of our guests (and her $300 in tips + $8.50/hour) then we need to rethink our standards. I blame her managers, both of whom are smokers.
May I add that this server reeked horribly of stale cigarette smoke while she was telling me this. Clearly she was out smoking while her entrees were being delivered. She smelled like an ashtray and doesn't seem to think it is awkward to stink so bad while she is reaching over her guests pouring wine and dropping plates. It is pointless trying to explain this to her. I've tried to do so kindly and have gotten nothing but attitude about it. They make far more money than my cooks and have too big of egos to pay attention to how they can become better at service. I have a hard time hearing someone tell me what good service is while they serve their guests smelling like a stale ashtray and refusing to listen to me when I tell her that non-smokers find her odor to be offensive and gross. I smoked for 12 years so I understand the habit. We are however the finest dining around and if a server can't go a 4 hour service without a cigarette for the sake of our guests (and her $300 in tips + $8.50/hour) then we need to rethink our standards. I blame her managers, both of whom are smokers.
Time Off
Why is it that I must work nine days straight, including one day prep shift, in order to take two days off in a row?
Where did we go wrong?
We have been wanting to visit your restaurant for a very long time. We were not disappointed about the beauty and the wines we enjoyed. But unfortunetly I was disappointed by our lunch experience. My expectations were high. This is the season for fresh vegetables which are abundant and available everywhere. The crudite' we order was not the case. I had also ordered the salad - the romaine lettuce was turning and was even brown. My daughter's broccoli was overcooked and her chicken strips were cold and tasted as if they had sat for while. I am not a chef Ramsey but I would say that the lunch did not compliment the surroundings or the fine wine that is served. I noticed that plates returning to the kitchen showed a lot of veggies. I did share w/ our server and she comp'ed a dessert. Best Regards, XXX
The knife in the other hand
When a deuce walks in our doors, I generally don't think of their
presence as an overall experience, but rather than two more covers
that need to be executed.
presence as an overall experience, but rather than two more covers
that need to be executed.
Last night, for the first time in awhile, I went out for dinner. The
food was decent, but I cannot stand "fine" dining. Perhaps it's due
to an undiagnosed ADD or ADHD or today's fast-paced environment.
However, this dining style is not for me. I enjoy eating food, but I
enjoy cooking food even more.
I guess I never really thought about how long the customers actually
stay. Our experience last night took around an hour and a half. To me,
even though I was enjoying myself and not working, that hour and a
half felt like an eternity.
Just thought it would be interesting to think of it from a different
aspect. Anyone else have any similar feelings?
purveyors
Of course I am guilty of expecting too much from 77077, but it suits many of my needs and I know better than to get anything but brand name products, dry goods, paper and chemicals from them. My problem is D. Supershiny, my dipshit rep. She's been doing it for fifteen years, still knows nothing about food and wonders why she never gets new accounts. She is so dim, that it wouldn't even be fun to ask her to source me #10 cans of muddy turtle. When I have the time and energy, I mess with her a little bit and ask her questions about her company's products that I know she can't answer. Last week I wondered out loud why my new silverware presoak costs twice as much per portion as the product they discontinued. Go figure I am still waiting on an answer. This afternoon she sent me 48 cans of crappy orange juice instead of Tropicana. Granted they are much less expensive, but the juice is made from concentrate from Florida, Brazil + Mexico. Most importantly, you look like an asshole serving a 007 made with canned OJ to one of the professional drinkers or bartenders that encompass 90% of our clientele. At first, I thought it might be partially my fault for not specifying Tropicana, but it is the only kind we have ever used in 32 months here and I wrote 24/10z on my order. The bottom line is that it just gets old when someone screws up something on your order every single week. If you went to the same restaurant every Wednesday and the server or BOH made some sort of error every time, how many Wednesdays would you keep coming back?
"Blue" Rocks
"Blue" Rocks
Okay, now I have finally popped my KC posting cherry, I would like to
share an experience that I was fortunate enough to encounter yesterday.
My girlfriend plays softball for the college we attend and they are
responsible for certain fundraising. A local Single-A baseball team is
a common host for their fundraising. This has been my fourth year
volunteering here at the stadium.
Whenever we spend our time at the ballpark we always end up working
concession, however, there were five of us who had a "special"
project. We got to work the outdoor picnic pavillion. Not only was it
a humid one hundred degrees outside, and I happened to be on vacation
from work, but I got to stand over a hot grill. I started thinking to
myself, "This is fucking bullshit!"
The manager came over to us and explained our tasks. Maybe it was the
heat and shock that I was working on a day off, but I started to
fantasize this as a Top Chef quickfire challenge. Delusion began to
blur together with reality as he said we were about to get a rush of
200+ guests.
There was a steam table and salad bar set up next to my grill. The
other volunteers were to serve the food to the guests from the steam
table. This is when I found out that the hotdogs and hamburgers were
already cooked. He explained to me that there was no way possible that
I could cook off 200 hot dogs and 200 hamburgers. I was there an hour
before they showed up. Really? Well maybe he planned on having a
Canadian from W 2nd St. coming in and wanted to be prepared... I dont
know.
This is when I was told that I had to have food on the grill at all
times. He said that it was basically for show and that it didn't
matter if I burned anything, but throw it away and put more on the
grill.
First off, I hate to throw out food and I always try and use as much
of the product as possible. Secondly, I was told to keep the burgers
and dogs on the grill, knowing that they would burn or dry out no
matter how many times they were turned. This was the complete opposite
result of what I had been acheiving in my cooking career.
Since I had to have the food on the grill, I quickly brainstormed on
how I could waste less food. I realized that the hot dogs had been
cooked on a hot dog roller and that I could mark them on the grill,
then just switch them out.
At the end of the night there was half a hotel pan of burgers, baked
beans and pulled chicken. There was a full pan of pulled pork. We were
told to throw everything away. Like Fucking really? And we wonder why
our World sucks so bad. Ignorant people! Hence the "Blue" in Blue
Rocks. They are not only bad at baseball, but terrible with food waste
and cost.
