Regulars
Last night one of our regulars was in for dinner. His name is Eddie and he is a pain in the ass. He is 5'4" and weighs 250 pounds. He ALWAYS wears shorts and a t-shirt and rarely shaves. Last night he told a story about going to a 3 star in France wearing shorts ( his nice ones), no wonder the rest of the world hates us. He has a huge sense of entitlement that drives the staff nuts. Eddie always requests a extra course and will normally tell us what he wants, seafood of some sort. This time it was sea urchin. No one in the kitchen had ever worked with or even eaten urchin. Well we could not get it and he got stone crab instead. We only have one seating at 7:30pm and Eddie knows this. He was on time but the rest of HIS party was 45 minutes late. That holds up every other table, not that he cares. He brings 10k worth of wine and drinks every drop of it. He sets up the wine like a five year old displaying his prize toys. He always has to make a comment about the food: "I would have finished that with brandy". We have a second pepper grinder, called Eddie, since he is the only person that needs to re-season his food. He always wants extra of something. I am sure he has already called about getting another reservation.
Sorry Chef!!
As managers it is difficult to embrace our mistakes. Nobody wants to be wrong, or rather nobody wants to admit to being wrong. Once you are the chef you can no longer say, "Sorry Chef!" and move on. The more responsibility you have is the more your shit stinks. Every mistake might as well be under a microscope. Your every flaw is exploited. The reason for this is because your mistakes affect everyone.
I like to think I am able to remain humble and accept when I am wrong, but I know that in the heat of the moment I am like everyone else and want to give reasons why it wasn't completely my fault. The truth is we as managers also have to embrace the fact that when our staff makes mistakes it is our fault just as much as it is theirs. Every person below you under your jurisdiction is another version of you. If your cook sends out a well done filet in place of a rare, then it is your fault just as much as it is theirs. The next in command above you is not going to ask the cook "What the fuck?" They are going to ask you.
I am writing this because I got a direct order today to manage the hours of somebody who up to this point for a year and a half has been managing their own hours. This person is a work horse and as we all know it is more important to focus on creating the best end result than the time it takes to do so. Up to about three weeks ago hours weren't so much an issue. Right now it is important we track and manage hours as best we can and allow no overtime. Even though we had a last minute super VIP event I can't use that as an excuse. I have to accept that even though he didn't warn us that he surpassed 40 hours, then 50 hours, then 60 hours, it is totally my fault. I will have to face the heat on Monday. All I can really do is apologize and hope they don't scrutinize my managerial duties too much. I'm on salary so a 60 hour week happens to me a lot and nobody will ever notice. I worked 3 weeks straight in September and yet my superiors had no idea. When my Chef di Partie works a 60 hour week in October it will require a series of emails and a eventually a meeting. I will take the heat, just as my Executive Chef will have to take it as well.
Part of me wants to blame it on the last minute events and a lack of consistent planning, but the reality is that it is in fact my fault. In turn it is Chef's fault, and then again the restaurant manager's fault, and then again the owner's fault. When I think about being in the owner's shoes I won't blame him if he is livid when he sees the reports on Monday.
What sometimes stinks worse than our own shit is the reality that our employees and those under our jurisdiction generally don't and will never understand the real gravity of these situations. After all in the end it isn't their ass. It isn't they who are going to battle for themselves. It isn't they who are reporting to the boss. All they have to do is say, "Sorry Chef!"
I like to think I am able to remain humble and accept when I am wrong, but I know that in the heat of the moment I am like everyone else and want to give reasons why it wasn't completely my fault. The truth is we as managers also have to embrace the fact that when our staff makes mistakes it is our fault just as much as it is theirs. Every person below you under your jurisdiction is another version of you. If your cook sends out a well done filet in place of a rare, then it is your fault just as much as it is theirs. The next in command above you is not going to ask the cook "What the fuck?" They are going to ask you.
I am writing this because I got a direct order today to manage the hours of somebody who up to this point for a year and a half has been managing their own hours. This person is a work horse and as we all know it is more important to focus on creating the best end result than the time it takes to do so. Up to about three weeks ago hours weren't so much an issue. Right now it is important we track and manage hours as best we can and allow no overtime. Even though we had a last minute super VIP event I can't use that as an excuse. I have to accept that even though he didn't warn us that he surpassed 40 hours, then 50 hours, then 60 hours, it is totally my fault. I will have to face the heat on Monday. All I can really do is apologize and hope they don't scrutinize my managerial duties too much. I'm on salary so a 60 hour week happens to me a lot and nobody will ever notice. I worked 3 weeks straight in September and yet my superiors had no idea. When my Chef di Partie works a 60 hour week in October it will require a series of emails and a eventually a meeting. I will take the heat, just as my Executive Chef will have to take it as well.
Part of me wants to blame it on the last minute events and a lack of consistent planning, but the reality is that it is in fact my fault. In turn it is Chef's fault, and then again the restaurant manager's fault, and then again the owner's fault. When I think about being in the owner's shoes I won't blame him if he is livid when he sees the reports on Monday.
What sometimes stinks worse than our own shit is the reality that our employees and those under our jurisdiction generally don't and will never understand the real gravity of these situations. After all in the end it isn't their ass. It isn't they who are going to battle for themselves. It isn't they who are reporting to the boss. All they have to do is say, "Sorry Chef!"
Bound to get burned
My boss called out sick last Friday night. The executive Chef called out sick on a fucking Friday. When shit happens, as you all know, it normally happens on Friday or Saturday night. Well, I had a server plate food for me. Now this server has a few nicknames: Goof Troop, Big Bird, Kevin(it's a girl), and Blumpkin. Despite all this she nailed it and was a huge help. Around ten-thirty the owner called and told me my Boss would not be in on Saturday.
I rolled in to work at 845 Saturday morning and got to working on catering orders and dinner prep. At 1130 found out that the EC would be coming in at normal time. Well he was an hour late and did nothing but tell everyone how sick he was the day before. And when I say nothing I mean he never got this cutting board or side towels dirty. He walked around and around. Then he told me about previous nights playoff baseball game he watched.
On the rare occasion I call out sick I certainly do everything I can when I return to work. Come in early, send others home early, clean everything. I would feel bad that I was not there for my teammates. How can people do that? How can a Manager/EC do that? I might not ever learn the answer but I know no one will gain any respect from me if they pull that shit.
Compliments
Top 3 compliments:
3. "You make cooking look effortless"
2. When someone takes a piece of bread and completely cleans their plate with it.
1. Silence
We happen to have a table in the kitchen which can get noisy depending on the group and the wine consumption. When 8 drunk people sudddenlly stop talking and start enjoying the food in front of them you know you made something wonderful. It does not happen every night but when it does it makes me feel like all of my hard work was worth it.
Anyone else have favorite compliments?
