Sonoma

Sunday...

Well, I guess I have some explaining to do.

For the past 3 days I have been spending time with chef/friend Nicholas Sharpe of Sonoma restaurant. By that I mean I have been in the kitchen here rather then at Blue Ridge.

The decision came from Barton several weeks ago but only recently happened. It just so happened that I was lobbied for over the past month by the Sonoma folks, since there is only one sous here and there should be two. There are currently 2 plus the chef over at Blue Ridge and that does not include the tournand, and there isn't one here either. As much as I would love to say that it is all peaches and cream over here, Mr. Sharpe takes it upon himself to remind me I am no longer in Kansas. I have very little time to get acclimated to this kitchen and up to the standards of the former Maestro and Mio sous chef.

Standards are higher then I have ever worked with in a kitchen. Everything is kept spotless throughout service, the only person talking is the chef, no one but the chef touches the tickets at expo, everything is tasted before it leaves the kitchen, servers only interact with the chef, etc. Its nothing new when I really sit back and think about it. It is the higher standards that I have looked to work with in a kitchen for a long time. That, and constantly getting reminded that
I'm an idiot, have the hands of a brick layer, fabricate fish with a butter knife, "now" means "5 minutes ago" and so on.

They even took the liberty of hazing me after only two days in the kitchen. I was sent to Good Stuff Eatery in search of a "bacon stretcher." Now I am no expert on charcuterie, although most people know I cannot resist a good foie gras, but I knew from the moment they told me where to go and what to get, it just didn't sound right. I walked out of the restaurant and got on my phone to use the Interwebz, thank you Al Gore, and began to search this "bacon stretcher" thing.

Turns out it does exist, but I still didn't want to walk into that place to ask for it. WTF would a glorified burger joint be doing with something like that? They also told me to ask for Spike and get some free burgers. Long story short, Spike wasn't there, the guys at Good Stuff caught a good laugh, and back here Nicholas and the sous were already laughing hysterically when I got back.

This is going to be a fun kitchen, but don't think for a minute I have entered Wonderland. This Capitol Hill hot spot is going to test me to my limit, but I'm no longer the wide eyed kid I was the last time I worked in this part of town...