Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Glowing Knuckles

Monday,

OK, so remember how I said I had several marks from the wrath of "Carey-Ann?" Well tonite the grill cook was off, so I had to work with her all night by myself. I know I said I had worked with her several times, but not for an entire shift up to this point. Well, tonite that would come true, and we did just over 15o covers.

It was the first time I spent more than 6 hours over a wood burning grill since my days with Todd English at Olive's. I was calling it more colorful names all night because after stocking my fire high enough to set off the ansel system, I noticed my knuckles had turned bright red from the heat. That was at 6pm. By 7pm, my arms had lost most of the (little bit) of hair they had.

I treated that thing like my bitch all night and didn't have one re-cook, save for a burger that was rung in as one thing and sent out, but somewhere along the line the person decided they wanted well done instead of medium rare. That doesn't count. ;)

To top off the evening, chef actually said "good job" as he left tonite. Only took two months to get it out of him!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

You Should Go Now

Sage advice.

http://www.welovedc.com/2009/06/17/you-should-go-now/

The Name Game

Monday...

Total tranquilo, not much going on in the kitchen. Although I think we are going to rename our walk-in refrigerator a "reach around" refrigerator, because you can't fit more then one person in it at a time.

We have officially named our wood grill, not by my choice, Carey-Ann. I would say why Barton named it that, but it isn't necessary. I was really hoping to call her "my bitch," because she burns me every damn day. The grill cook and I have several markings on our arms from her wrath. Yes, Barton is gone, but chef named her that today in his absence...maybe because he misses him already?

I got into work this morning at 10am, and it felt great to wake up after 9:30 and drive a few blocks into work from a friends place. Maybe I should stay there more often!

Lost Sauce

Sunday...

Day one without Barton in the kitchen. Walked through the patio and into the kitchen to see 3 cooks walking around and setting up. Not to say that the cooks I usually see in the kitchen are worse or better, but today was the first time in several years we had a team of all American cooks in the kitchen. I didn't have to use any Spanish, I was able to lean on my cooks as if they were chefs for some of the prep that chef and I wanted to see completed, and it was awesome.

Brunch for Father's Day we did just over 100 covers and completed more prep in that time then we sometimes get done on slow nights. Food looked great the entire time, and chef even had compliments for everyone about it.

We sat down after lunch to discuss hiring another sous chef in Barton's absence. This is great news because it brings about he possibility of a day off! 3 weeks in and chef and I have taken a day each. Neither of us expects to get another for at least another two weeks. We are both actually alright with that so long as we can make things run smoothly in the kitchen. Sharing around 14 hours a day a piece is no joke, but if that's what it takes to make things go well until we have more help, then so be it.

Around the time brunch was over I was looking for a certain item in the walk-in, and chef said it was there, but neither I nor another cook could find it. He then reiterated the fact that it was one of the smallest walk-ins in the city so I should be able to find it. I told him I would buy him lunch from Z Burger if he found it. The other cook smiled, thinking chef was going to be buying me lunch. 30 seconds later he walks out with enough of the item to last us several days. Awesome, off to Z Burger I go, I guess.

Reminder to self, never make a bet about the inventory to the man who does the ordering everyday!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Brine With Me

Saturday...

Chef gets to go home for the evening, leaving Barton and I to play in the kitchen. And play we did for the first 2 hours, testing some recipes for a special we are going to use tomorrow. We have this item on the menu that changes constantly. It is an "Entree for 2," and it goes along with the neighborhood theme of the restaurant and communal dining.

The price usually hovers around 42 bucks, which is still a pretty damn good deal in this town. Tonight we pulled some chickens we had been brining for the past 3 days. Threw the entire chicken (these are 4-5 pounds a piece) in the oven for 20 minutes at 450 degrees, then pulled it out and let it rest for several minutes. Doesn't get much better then this as far as chicken goes.

I mean, if you are getting some organic free range chickens delivered fresh to the back door of the place and throw them directly in a brine (just some water with salt and sugar) and let it sit for a few days, they won't need much else to taste damn good. Goes along with the whole "great product doesn't need much to make it taste good" thing, well that or "throw your ego on the side and let he food do the talking," which is a similar philosophy.

As far as service went tonite, everything was smooth and we got pretty busy, coming in just under 200 covers for the evening, I do not think we have hit opentable.com yet, and Seitsema is still nowhere to be seen. Barton leaves for Alaska at 5am Sunday morning and will not be back until late Friday. Chef and I will be working our butts off to keep things in tip top order while he is gone, to show that he and I can handle things in his extended absence.

And by that I mean, I am going to have a blast in this kitchen for the next several days.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Happy Birthday to the Mad Chef!

29 today and hopefully off drunk somewhere...

As Drudge would say,

Developing...

Birthday Prep

Monday...

I think that's what day it is at least. Today was relatively easy, except for the fact that we weren't told that they were going to sit about 10 tables at the same time just after opening. That is about the worst thing you can do to the kitchen, leave them blind...it sucked. It only took a moment to get into a groove, and just when it started, it was over. Lunches here have yet to pick up, and that should be expected because we have only been here 3 weeks, and dinner time is usually when the walk-ins and curious people show up.

Tonite during service I had time to clean and prep a soup for tomorrow. We will be serving a chilled carrot soup with yogurt, and it will have some orange zest and mint as the garnish...hope it's hot out tomorrow, LOL. If there is one thing I have learned already being in this kitchen, it is that if it's slow, you prep for the next day. Even if it is something as small as peeling potatoes or smoking onions, it helps keep things moving.

It's time for a birthday shot. Peace.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Soulja

Sunday...

Has this week gone by too fast? Is my birthday only 2 days away? It's summer time already? Keeping my head down in the kitchen from dawn to dusk has me forgetting all sorts of things. Note to self: take vacation. LOL, not yet...

Random side note, we are beginning to use organic produce all over the menu, which rocks. It is a belief of Barton, and one that I have believed since the early days, that if you use great product you do not have to do that much to it before it hits the plate. You know, simplicity in cooking...well, the catch is that to cook simply, you need fresh, flavorful ingredients. And that's what we're really focusing on here.

For example, if we buy our radishes from a farmer in Pennsylvania that exclusively grows them and maybe 3 other fruits and vegetables on his farm, chances are all four of those products are unlike anything you find in your local supermarket. I mean, I love how Whole Foods across the street has signs about local this and local that and yada yada yada. Then you look at the chives from Peru or the citrus fruits from Japan or the apples grown in Korea...just read closer, it's comical.

Anyways, I digress as usual. These radishes that we are using we serve simply raw on a plate with this butter from Path Valley Farms in Willow, Pennsylvania, that is unlike any I have ever had. It is a deep golden yellow and almost tastes like Parmesan cheese. We take a little spoon of the butter and sprinkle it was some nice sea salt, and that's the dish. It is an awesome snack too...but not one that can be eaten all the time obviously!

Barton let the other chef take off around 4pm today, which means my half day cannot be too far behind. Barton and I cleaned for a few hours, until everyone in Glover Park decided to come into Blue Ridge to eat. The rush tonite was only an hour long, but once it started it didn't seem to end, but the kitchen held together extremely well.

Eventually I rolled, and I stayed out a little too late with my friend Nicholas Sharpe, got in around 3:30 in the morning and had to be here at 9am. Now it's midnight and I am just getting home...one of these days I will learn to head straight home after work.

Time to go grab a drink! Or call my sponsor, or something...I'm tired, people. But gotta soldier on!

The View From Upstairs

Saturday night...

Actually kind of slow as far as I am concerned. The best part of the evening was a party of 30 that sat upstairs, in the area that has an incomplete bar and a faux fireplace. They enjoyed their food, and got to see what many people have yet to, since the upstairs technically isn't open yet.

The bar was packed tonite the entire evening, and this is the first night I actually beat the other manager in getting out of the restaurant. It was great, too bad it's still almost 1am and I am in at 9am tomorrow! Brunch sucks for those who drink the night before and have to work it.

Though if you are going to be hungover you might was well get paid for it. Oh yeah, I think I heard something about a group of friends coming in to eat soon, possibly the week that Barton is gone for the entire week as well???

Sounds like fun to me!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Smack!

Or maybe Charlie Murphy's, "What did the five fingers say to the face?"

Take your pick but we did over 200 tonite. First time for everything I guess, and it took under 2 weeks. We had a party of 15 and a party of 9 at 10pm. Awesome, the kitchen did extremely well all things considered, and no food was returned so I'm happy.

The chef from Zaytinya came in to eat this evening, and that is about the only VIP I heard of all night. Wonder how long Tom Seitsema will give us before he drops by. He gave Barton 4 days into the opening of Hook. Guess that's all the time you get when you are given 2 1/2 stars!

Oh well, that's all I got and it's time for a Heineken. Ciao!

Help Wanted

We have had 2 people come in this week from restaurants in search of a sous position in the kitchen. One will become our tournant chef (basically a cook who can work ever station and does so each night) and the other a sous chef. Once we get these 2 people in here, a day off may only be a few more weeks away! Chef thinks otherwise, and unfortunately because of my morals, if he doesn't take a day off neither will I. Damned if I won't try to make our days shorter though in the process. Ya know, like going from 14 hour shifts to 11. That'd be awesome, and I am not being sarcastic.

Prepping the food in the morning has become routine and I am just starting to get used to it. Then I see a leg of cured lamb come in...we started making our own bacon last week. Next week we will start getting in whole pigs. It keeps me on my toes to say the least. Our menu has changed so many times that in the Express news paper this morning, Barton got a full page. And if I remember correctly, out of the 5 items that were listed, maybe 2 of them are exactly as it was typed. Barton only did this photo shoot a week ago too...

Can't wait to see what next month will bring when the second floor opens in this place...

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

In the Flames

Hump day...

At least it would be if there was a day off in the near future. Tonite was fun, Barton worked the grill, and it rained so half of the wood was wet. When the kitchen goes down and it is because of a cook, well, you can yell at them. But when it is the Exec working the station that has to slow down for whatever reason (even if it is from wet wood!), there is nothing you can do but roll with it and stay on top of everything around you!

It is fun watching Barton work the line, because he makes everything with perfect precision to a fault. He got upset with the grill before the wood problem because the flames were too high, so he couldn't cook over part of the grill. It adds an "undesirable" flavor to the food when the flames hit it.

As the night slowed down and he left the line for yours truly to clean up, we actually got a few tables right before we closed. So he tried to come back on the line, to which I simply told him, "Chef, don't steal my thunder." He gave me a look of bemusement, said goodnight and left for the evening 15 minutes later. That was, of course, before the the owner of Redwood came by and had me make up some food for him.

Guess it was payback for me coming into eat months ago, the first weekend their patio was open!

Love Da Single Moms!

Tuesday...

Or whatever day it is, LOL. Another day come and gone, and the highlight of this day was a party of 20 from...drumroll please...Good Guys. Fucking phenomenal. If you don't know, Good Guys is a, um, gentleman's establishment nearby.

It was awesome, I tell you. OK, not really, out of the 20 there, it was about 50/50 hot to stereotypical DC strippers. But hey, they had a good time and got obnoxious on our patio, singing songs throughout their meal. Loud enough that we could hear it in the kitchen because the door was open leading to the patio. I think I heard Journey, Whitesnake, and whatever else I guess they play in strip clubs. I mean it's not like I have ever been to one, but for the record, I support single moms!

OK, so that really wasn't the highlight of my day, but it was random nonetheless. Pulling in over 100 covers again on a Tuesday night is cool. I must admit though, that this is the first restaurant I have ever worked at that I am the last person to walk out each night.

The front of the house manager leaves an hour before I do, because I am still helping our dishwasher clean and take out the trash. I do dishes at the end of my day to help get him and me out of here faster, and it's still midnight before I leave. I even made up a soup for tomorrow while everyone was cleaning up tonite.

Working these hours, I better keep thinking ahead...

Monday, June 8, 2009

Get Head

Thomas Head! (hahaha, funny me...)

His blog has a wonderful description of his brunch at Blue Ridge. Check it out!

Scurry

Monday...

Heavy prep day for food after having gone through a busy weekend and wanting to hit the ground running this week. Barton actually had prior commitments this evening, which left the chef and I to get things done the entire day. It was a blast, and you know when the cat is away the mice will play.

Things went smooth the entire day. We got a lot done and some supplies came in, which helped us set up the walk-in for the next few days. I should take a picture it looks so nice. And it will stay that way, because of how hard we worked to put this place together before it opened, and finally getting it on spectacular working order!

We did over 100 covers once again, meaning this place will only bring more people in as word continues to spread...

Walk-Ins

Wow...

First week completed and 2 brunch services in. Things are moving along at a rapid pace around here. A few hiccups which seem to be the case, we are still ordering supplies for the kitchen and the walk-in is a...well it's a little out of order. My chef and I spend an hour or so on it each day to make it look OK. Only to look at it 3 hours later with frustration again. I think within 3 weeks the kitchen will be set for good.

We did well over 100 covers every night after Wednesday, with 230 on Friday and I did not look at the numbers from Saturday but they were big. We did just over 130 for our second brunch, that's an ass kicking when you are just learning the plates, LOL. Everything ran smooth though, I think I am losing weight with just how much I sweat out every night over the wood grille.

We still have yet to be on opentable.com or anything, but people are walking by and coming in with smiles asking to make reservations in person. We had 3 tables sit outside on the patio for over 3 hours today. 2 guys sat outside, drink 10, yes 10 beers a piece and then had 2 bottles of wine with some food afterwards. They walked out with more coordination then you would think possible. I for one would have been passed out after the beer...and a bottle of wine. hahaha.

Ciao.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Open for Business!

As of Monday, June 1st, Blue Ridge is open to the public after a soft opening over the last week or so. Check it out soon! The Mad Chef will be living there for the time being but we'll have plenty of material as he opens his, God knows, 4th or 5th restaurant in DC!

Some media attention.

More.

Yup.

Uh Huh.