Where to start?
Well, I had off yesterday and had lunch with one friend and dinner with 3 others. Starting at Jaleo for drinks downtown and ending at the W hotel with the J&G. I really would love to get into the details of the evening. Let's just say dinner went well except for a few unexpected guests thinking they ruled the Interwebz with blogs and comments on sites like yelp.com, while completely unaware of who yours truly worked for...
More important is one of our first reviews was published recently in the Washington Times. I would love to rip whoever wrote this a new one, but to each their own, I guess. I mean, that is if we really don't have a bread service (which we do upon request) or ever served sea bass (which we don't).
The list goes on...I think it is poorly written, and I'm telling you, I know poor writing! (Ask The Brain about the condition of some of my blog posts...) Don't even get me started on the pic! (below)
They at least could have made sure I was looking a the fucking camera. This almost beats the redundant quote for OnTap I had several months ago...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
May Or May Not
"James, just so you know, Anthony Bourdain may or may not be seated right now."
Thanks chef, do you just want to keep me on my toes or are you going to let me go out there at talk to that...we will leave how I feel about him aside for now. I get lines like that from time to time to make sure I am watching the food, and for chef to put a smirk on my face. Last week it was Tiger Woods, the weeks prior it was some other visiting chef or local dignitary. Let alone the mention of He Who Must Not Be Named, DC's preeminent food critic, who may or may not be checking us out at any time.
It's cool, all in a days work. Chef and I are not running around as much lately, the cooks and the new sous have stepped up in ways that we couldn't have hoped for in only a month of service. We have only been open a month? Well, a month and 2 weeks, but it feels like we are in month 6 already.
I guess that is a good thing, except for the fact that our menu has changed so much since we started it's almost laughable when I see a review in the Express magazine, and it has a picture of the trout the way we served it our first week of service. Then they go on to talk about beet leaves, and neither chef nor I can recall ever doing anything with them but grilling them with Swiss chard for a certain plate. Never have we served it as a side, and I think one of us would recall that.
Thanks chef, do you just want to keep me on my toes or are you going to let me go out there at talk to that...we will leave how I feel about him aside for now. I get lines like that from time to time to make sure I am watching the food, and for chef to put a smirk on my face. Last week it was Tiger Woods, the weeks prior it was some other visiting chef or local dignitary. Let alone the mention of He Who Must Not Be Named, DC's preeminent food critic, who may or may not be checking us out at any time.
It's cool, all in a days work. Chef and I are not running around as much lately, the cooks and the new sous have stepped up in ways that we couldn't have hoped for in only a month of service. We have only been open a month? Well, a month and 2 weeks, but it feels like we are in month 6 already.
I guess that is a good thing, except for the fact that our menu has changed so much since we started it's almost laughable when I see a review in the Express magazine, and it has a picture of the trout the way we served it our first week of service. Then they go on to talk about beet leaves, and neither chef nor I can recall ever doing anything with them but grilling them with Swiss chard for a certain plate. Never have we served it as a side, and I think one of us would recall that.
I found a pint container of some type of breading the other day that tasted awesome and I had no clue what it was. I went to tell Barton that it should be going on our french toast at brunch because it was so damn good. He looked at me and told me I made it a month ago for that exact reason.
Yeah, I need a nap or something.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Fresh and Clean
Saturday...
Well, I had the entire day off yesterday, and a friend volunteered to come over and help me clean my condo. I mean, what am I supposed to do say, no? Long story short, laundry got done, my kitchen and bathroom are immaculate and I stayed on the mellow side for once. I think I was even asleep by midnight...it was nice.
After getting 8 hours of sleep for once, getting up this morning was the hardest thing ever. With no alcohol to burn off, well not too much, it seemed as if the entire day I may have been walking on air. Putting items together from the moment I walked in and getting ready for brunch.
Have I ever mentioned how I feel about brunch? The worst possible shift for a human being to work. According to Barton that is only if you drink, and guess who falls into that category? Don't get me wrong I love eating brunch, if I am up that early, but damned if I won't stick to my words about working it.
Ah well, another day come and gone. One correction from yesterday's post. Since I tend to confuse a lot of my own words from time to time, Davon Crest is on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, not in Pennsylvania. As much as I would love to put that editing issue on The Brain, it is my own. We get so much from farms in that state I tend to just type that as force of habit...
Well, I had the entire day off yesterday, and a friend volunteered to come over and help me clean my condo. I mean, what am I supposed to do say, no? Long story short, laundry got done, my kitchen and bathroom are immaculate and I stayed on the mellow side for once. I think I was even asleep by midnight...it was nice.
After getting 8 hours of sleep for once, getting up this morning was the hardest thing ever. With no alcohol to burn off, well not too much, it seemed as if the entire day I may have been walking on air. Putting items together from the moment I walked in and getting ready for brunch.
Have I ever mentioned how I feel about brunch? The worst possible shift for a human being to work. According to Barton that is only if you drink, and guess who falls into that category? Don't get me wrong I love eating brunch, if I am up that early, but damned if I won't stick to my words about working it.
Ah well, another day come and gone. One correction from yesterday's post. Since I tend to confuse a lot of my own words from time to time, Davon Crest is on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, not in Pennsylvania. As much as I would love to put that editing issue on The Brain, it is my own. We get so much from farms in that state I tend to just type that as force of habit...
Saturday, July 11, 2009
If You Wanna Take My Picture....Then I Won't Even Shave...
Thursday evening...
Chef and Barton were at FOX for 3 hours, so I got to listen to some tunes while I cut some Sockeye Salmon from Alaska, Mahi from North Carolina, Bluefish from here, and cleaned up some calamari. Not to mention the tomato sauce and mushroom ragout that were on the stove.
Before they returned I had most of the prep done for the day and expedited most of the lunch service. Then I realized just how much there was left to do, because Wednesday's Davon crest arrives from Pennsylvania today. Tonite they brought so much stuff, including some sungold tomatoes, which were probably the best tomatoes I have ever had. Cases upon cases of stuff that we had to break down and do everything but cook so that it would fit into our walk-in, which I think I have mentioned before is the smallest in the city.
Before the lunch was over, as we were going around cleaning, a photographer actually stopped by and took some pics of the place and surprise surprise, the guy wanted a pic of the 3 of us. I can't remember if it was for the Times or the Washingtonian, but it's one of the two.
I only wish I had known about it sooner, ya know, maybe I would have shaved today?
Chef and Barton were at FOX for 3 hours, so I got to listen to some tunes while I cut some Sockeye Salmon from Alaska, Mahi from North Carolina, Bluefish from here, and cleaned up some calamari. Not to mention the tomato sauce and mushroom ragout that were on the stove.
Before they returned I had most of the prep done for the day and expedited most of the lunch service. Then I realized just how much there was left to do, because Wednesday's Davon crest arrives from Pennsylvania today. Tonite they brought so much stuff, including some sungold tomatoes, which were probably the best tomatoes I have ever had. Cases upon cases of stuff that we had to break down and do everything but cook so that it would fit into our walk-in, which I think I have mentioned before is the smallest in the city.
Before the lunch was over, as we were going around cleaning, a photographer actually stopped by and took some pics of the place and surprise surprise, the guy wanted a pic of the 3 of us. I can't remember if it was for the Times or the Washingtonian, but it's one of the two.
I only wish I had known about it sooner, ya know, maybe I would have shaved today?
Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes!
Thursday...
Things are going rather smooth in the kitchen of late. Barton is in every shift and rarely jumps behind the line, but to plate a couple of items and watch over the chef and I. The food is coming along well with the changes we have made.
It is almost too bad some critics (OK, one) have eaten in here so soon, and moreso the fact that some people just don't understand why we put certain items on a plate. Why we say it on the menu, and yet expect something more to be on it than stated? It is not like we are here to do 4 star food, we are selling a product that not many other restaurants are...letting the food do the talking. A fucking novel concept, I know!
Today chef and Barton are heading to FOX to do a segment on Blue Ridge during lunch. Not a good idea to leave the Mad Chef in a kitchen alone, with all these toys to play with!
Things are going rather smooth in the kitchen of late. Barton is in every shift and rarely jumps behind the line, but to plate a couple of items and watch over the chef and I. The food is coming along well with the changes we have made.
It is almost too bad some critics (OK, one) have eaten in here so soon, and moreso the fact that some people just don't understand why we put certain items on a plate. Why we say it on the menu, and yet expect something more to be on it than stated? It is not like we are here to do 4 star food, we are selling a product that not many other restaurants are...letting the food do the talking. A fucking novel concept, I know!
Today chef and Barton are heading to FOX to do a segment on Blue Ridge during lunch. Not a good idea to leave the Mad Chef in a kitchen alone, with all these toys to play with!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Sleepless in Sea...Glover Park
A case of Advil wouldn't fit the bill for how I feel right now.
I was let go at 4pm Friday to have the evening off, but had to run errands for the restaurant before I could head home. I got home at 7pm that evening only to shower and head right back out for dinner with 2 *cough* friends. Great evening, but it ended at 2am when I realized I had to be at work by 9am.
Saturday night was not much different, busy at work and chef got to leave around 4pm, leaving Barton and I to run the kitchen. Smooth evening but a rough outing that ended at 3am with a 9am in-time. I got out around midnight Sunday night, swearing I would head home the entire day until the chef from Sonoma demanded a drink or four. When will I learn? The rest of the week...basically the same.
Onto to work this evening, a short meeting between chef, Barton and I let me know the menu would start changing... tomorrow. Never a dull moment, I swear it. We have already made subtle tweaks to the menu every other day, constantly mixing different items up, changing a red eye gravy for a warm cherry vinaigrette. Arugula salad turns into a mix of devoncrest greens, red leaf lettuce, mint julep and 3 other wild greens that have a shelf life of about 3 days. By Friday, half of the menu will be different including proteins, like fried catfish which will become sea trout.
Our starches will all change and 90% of our produce will be organic by the end of the week. That means there will be little to no room for error when it comes to ordering, because organic or wild produce can have a reduced shelf life, meaning some it will go bad quickly.
Burning brightly...and trying not to burn out!
I was let go at 4pm Friday to have the evening off, but had to run errands for the restaurant before I could head home. I got home at 7pm that evening only to shower and head right back out for dinner with 2 *cough* friends. Great evening, but it ended at 2am when I realized I had to be at work by 9am.
Saturday night was not much different, busy at work and chef got to leave around 4pm, leaving Barton and I to run the kitchen. Smooth evening but a rough outing that ended at 3am with a 9am in-time. I got out around midnight Sunday night, swearing I would head home the entire day until the chef from Sonoma demanded a drink or four. When will I learn? The rest of the week...basically the same.
Onto to work this evening, a short meeting between chef, Barton and I let me know the menu would start changing... tomorrow. Never a dull moment, I swear it. We have already made subtle tweaks to the menu every other day, constantly mixing different items up, changing a red eye gravy for a warm cherry vinaigrette. Arugula salad turns into a mix of devoncrest greens, red leaf lettuce, mint julep and 3 other wild greens that have a shelf life of about 3 days. By Friday, half of the menu will be different including proteins, like fried catfish which will become sea trout.
Our starches will all change and 90% of our produce will be organic by the end of the week. That means there will be little to no room for error when it comes to ordering, because organic or wild produce can have a reduced shelf life, meaning some it will go bad quickly.
Burning brightly...and trying not to burn out!
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