Thursday...
Well, today was no different from the past 2 weeks. I have been here for around 13 hours, which is becoming an average so maybe it will sink in and become routine soon. That and the mini keg of Heineken that I seem to go through in less then a week. I'll be in Betty Ford before too long if this keeps up.
Just like the post office slogan about delivering mail, or actors stating the show must go on, so must life. I have had to cancel yet another meeting with Panas Gourmet because of my current situation. I have even had lay off other plans besides missing that wedding last weekend. The diet plan I had been working on has been put on hold as well, but I myself continue to eat like a rabbit...with the exception of the Heineken I guess.
None of that is good, but what is good is that the pilot I spoke about several months ago is making strides once again. It seems like no matter how much I work, my colleagues around me won't let me give up on it. Kudos to them for sticking with me and helping develop this. Two of us are actually meeting up this weekend to do some filming of me cooking to get the kinks out, if you know what I mean.
By the end of the month we should actually have some footage of...aw, fuckin' A. Every time I think we'll have something we won't, so one day it'll just be here...so keep checking in every day!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Welcome to the Thunderdome, Bitch!
Monday...
Would it mean a damn thing if I said I was tired? OK, I didn't think so. I have, however, been here just over 13 hours and will be leaving in 3. And I'm getting tired of this shit.
Saturday night was a beast for the restaurant. Bob had my schedule set up to run a cook short, and I was told to order for just under 100 covers. Well, we started with 82 and ended with 186. I ran out of 6 items, and yes that is embarrassing. I ran 45 minute checks from 8:30 until close. I had to call my manager from the kitchen and ask him to stop seating at 9pm. It was fucking ridiculous and upsetting.
I mean, if I had ordered by instinct like always, we may have ran out of 2 items, one of them being the special. If I had scheduled cooks like I usually do we would have run 10-13 minute checks like I expect to no matter how busy it is. I was working the salad station the entire evening, until around 8pm when I found myself working behind the line calling out orders, and running back over to the salad station to keep up with my own printer which was spitting out orders on a constant basis.
I grimmaced as the tickets spewed out like I hit a perfect SkeeBall score at Chucky Cheese...all while I was running around like a fucking mad man to keep the kitchen together. You know what, I don't let things fall apart very often...even in the worst of times I keep things together by a thread. But when shit falls apart it's comical to watch it crash and burn. I was close to going all Office Space on the printer by the end of the night...
I didn't walk out of the kitchen until almost midnight. After the long week I would love to say I went straight home to bed, but that just wouldn't be me. I swung by a friend's birthday party, who had set up a 70's theme for the gathering. Never one to disappoint, I grabbed my gear and a pick for my hair and was ready to go. I got home around 4am and remembered I had an engagement party to cater Sunday at 2pm...d'oh!
OK, so the party went over great, but the bags under my eyes today tell me next time I should actually try and do something most human beings my age do when they are fatigued...sleep.
Would it mean a damn thing if I said I was tired? OK, I didn't think so. I have, however, been here just over 13 hours and will be leaving in 3. And I'm getting tired of this shit.
Saturday night was a beast for the restaurant. Bob had my schedule set up to run a cook short, and I was told to order for just under 100 covers. Well, we started with 82 and ended with 186. I ran out of 6 items, and yes that is embarrassing. I ran 45 minute checks from 8:30 until close. I had to call my manager from the kitchen and ask him to stop seating at 9pm. It was fucking ridiculous and upsetting.
I mean, if I had ordered by instinct like always, we may have ran out of 2 items, one of them being the special. If I had scheduled cooks like I usually do we would have run 10-13 minute checks like I expect to no matter how busy it is. I was working the salad station the entire evening, until around 8pm when I found myself working behind the line calling out orders, and running back over to the salad station to keep up with my own printer which was spitting out orders on a constant basis.
I grimmaced as the tickets spewed out like I hit a perfect SkeeBall score at Chucky Cheese...all while I was running around like a fucking mad man to keep the kitchen together. You know what, I don't let things fall apart very often...even in the worst of times I keep things together by a thread. But when shit falls apart it's comical to watch it crash and burn. I was close to going all Office Space on the printer by the end of the night...
I didn't walk out of the kitchen until almost midnight. After the long week I would love to say I went straight home to bed, but that just wouldn't be me. I swung by a friend's birthday party, who had set up a 70's theme for the gathering. Never one to disappoint, I grabbed my gear and a pick for my hair and was ready to go. I got home around 4am and remembered I had an engagement party to cater Sunday at 2pm...d'oh!
OK, so the party went over great, but the bags under my eyes today tell me next time I should actually try and do something most human beings my age do when they are fatigued...sleep.
Deserter
Friday...
One more day to go. "Bob" was with me the entire day again today but is now sitting at the bar, must be nice. He did most of my bulk ordering for next week with me as well. Following and watching every check mark I made for a product to order.
Now, as I have said before, I understand where the guy is coming from, but do you really expect me to be happy when I see you at 6pm drinking at the bar? With the state of this restaurant, really? I mean, I'm dying for a Miller right now dude and you just did a half day as far as I'm concerned. That's your job though, half-days to make sure something gets done and then it's off to happy-hour with you.
I must be in the wrong field....
One more day to go. "Bob" was with me the entire day again today but is now sitting at the bar, must be nice. He did most of my bulk ordering for next week with me as well. Following and watching every check mark I made for a product to order.
Now, as I have said before, I understand where the guy is coming from, but do you really expect me to be happy when I see you at 6pm drinking at the bar? With the state of this restaurant, really? I mean, I'm dying for a Miller right now dude and you just did a half day as far as I'm concerned. That's your job though, half-days to make sure something gets done and then it's off to happy-hour with you.
I must be in the wrong field....
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Change We Can Believe In
Thursday...
I have put in over 50 hours this week, I still have 2 days left to work. I am in here 2 hours before we open the doors to the public to simply clean. I have consolidated more things in this restaurant then I have in any kitchen I have ever worked in. Do I take pride in the work I have done? I am too tired to even care about how things look in this place. It looks better then when I first got here, everything dealing with the kitchen looks great. The office in the kitchen looks beautiful and if a piece of food dropped onto the floor I still wouldn't eat it. That made no sense but not much does around this place right now.
My chef is already well on his way to finding a new job and that is great for him. I am here watching over a kitchen staff that is unsure of what they want to do as well. I have cut back to a single cook on the line most nights with me doing everything else on the line. We are still doing a decent amount of covers but I can feel my body wearing down. The integrity of the food is dropping as well. You can say it's too early to say that but myself and one cook did 90 covers on Monday night. That's also 90 covers within a matter of 2 hours, no fun. It is impossible to cook good food like that, but that's not what the guys in the office upstairs want to hear. I am sure they are happy with the way labor cost has dropped like a stone in the water, but at what quality cost?
The only person capable of running the kitchen is working himself into the ground. The staff on hand is disgruntled at the lack of hours. The servers are upset with everything from lack of business to the state of the economy. The managers are holding on just like the sous chef, by threads.
Who would have thought that a billionaire owner that just 3 months ago said he would ride this recession out and we would all make it through it OK, would let this happen? I wonder how much he knows? He is coming back for a few days next week. Him and my chef were mighty close...he was like the golden child of the company for the past 5 years. Should be a good show when he comes back to brood over his toy restaurant and notices all that has changed. He hates change...
I have put in over 50 hours this week, I still have 2 days left to work. I am in here 2 hours before we open the doors to the public to simply clean. I have consolidated more things in this restaurant then I have in any kitchen I have ever worked in. Do I take pride in the work I have done? I am too tired to even care about how things look in this place. It looks better then when I first got here, everything dealing with the kitchen looks great. The office in the kitchen looks beautiful and if a piece of food dropped onto the floor I still wouldn't eat it. That made no sense but not much does around this place right now.
My chef is already well on his way to finding a new job and that is great for him. I am here watching over a kitchen staff that is unsure of what they want to do as well. I have cut back to a single cook on the line most nights with me doing everything else on the line. We are still doing a decent amount of covers but I can feel my body wearing down. The integrity of the food is dropping as well. You can say it's too early to say that but myself and one cook did 90 covers on Monday night. That's also 90 covers within a matter of 2 hours, no fun. It is impossible to cook good food like that, but that's not what the guys in the office upstairs want to hear. I am sure they are happy with the way labor cost has dropped like a stone in the water, but at what quality cost?
The only person capable of running the kitchen is working himself into the ground. The staff on hand is disgruntled at the lack of hours. The servers are upset with everything from lack of business to the state of the economy. The managers are holding on just like the sous chef, by threads.
Who would have thought that a billionaire owner that just 3 months ago said he would ride this recession out and we would all make it through it OK, would let this happen? I wonder how much he knows? He is coming back for a few days next week. Him and my chef were mighty close...he was like the golden child of the company for the past 5 years. Should be a good show when he comes back to brood over his toy restaurant and notices all that has changed. He hates change...
The Bobs
Wednesday...
First off I need to take a moment to wish The Brain a happy birthday, that old fucker. He has a new born baby, a wife, nice home, and now he has more grey hairs then he can count. Good for him...
Day 3 without a chef, interesting would be an understatement. It almost reminds me of when I opened Acadiana, or Zola. This Quality Assurance guy that I considered to be one of the 4 Horseman really isn't that bad after all, at least not yet. I really haven't been able to disagree with anything he has said thus far, and on top of everything he is actually helping me with changing everything I wanted to change 2 years ago upon arriving here. I have cleaned more in the past 3 days then any other time here.
Not really, but it is the way him and I are going about changing and consolidating items in the restaurant. Putting everything into its proper place, or at least putting like items together. I wish his name was Bob, because he reminds me of the characters from Office Space, you know, the guys that came in and evaluated every employee. This guy is doing the same thing, maybe that's why I am on my best behavior, LOL.
Even so, I do like what he has brought to the table thus far. The only thing that concerns me is when will I receive my day off? I am missing a wedding this weekend for some very important friends, I have an engagement party to cater Sunday for my produce vendor, then I walk in here at 6am Monday to do my first inventory of this place. 6am, like I will be in this kitchen before its light out and who is going to be here to close the doors at 10pm? No one but myself, and I wont bitch about it aloud because I know what good it will do. NONE.
Sometimes its hard to step into a role like this where every employee is looking at me for the next move. The past 3 days my staff has seen a small turnaround in me which has rubbed off nicely on most of them When they see me cleaning, they follow suit. When they see me organizing stuff they never took the time to care about, they too begin to take care of things as well. Something tells me it should have always been this way......
First off I need to take a moment to wish The Brain a happy birthday, that old fucker. He has a new born baby, a wife, nice home, and now he has more grey hairs then he can count. Good for him...
Day 3 without a chef, interesting would be an understatement. It almost reminds me of when I opened Acadiana, or Zola. This Quality Assurance guy that I considered to be one of the 4 Horseman really isn't that bad after all, at least not yet. I really haven't been able to disagree with anything he has said thus far, and on top of everything he is actually helping me with changing everything I wanted to change 2 years ago upon arriving here. I have cleaned more in the past 3 days then any other time here.
Not really, but it is the way him and I are going about changing and consolidating items in the restaurant. Putting everything into its proper place, or at least putting like items together. I wish his name was Bob, because he reminds me of the characters from Office Space, you know, the guys that came in and evaluated every employee. This guy is doing the same thing, maybe that's why I am on my best behavior, LOL.
Even so, I do like what he has brought to the table thus far. The only thing that concerns me is when will I receive my day off? I am missing a wedding this weekend for some very important friends, I have an engagement party to cater Sunday for my produce vendor, then I walk in here at 6am Monday to do my first inventory of this place. 6am, like I will be in this kitchen before its light out and who is going to be here to close the doors at 10pm? No one but myself, and I wont bitch about it aloud because I know what good it will do. NONE.
Sometimes its hard to step into a role like this where every employee is looking at me for the next move. The past 3 days my staff has seen a small turnaround in me which has rubbed off nicely on most of them When they see me cleaning, they follow suit. When they see me organizing stuff they never took the time to care about, they too begin to take care of things as well. Something tells me it should have always been this way......
You're My Boy, Blue!
Those winds of change???
Happy Monday! On a beautiful and cold as fuck evening, I am writing to you with the knowledge that my chef has been fired. Really, and I have no clue who is going to be in charge come tomorrow, or the next day. I have been told that they will be be looking outside the company for the next Executive Chef, that's great when there is someone with the potential to run the place working here already. Although I am not even sure I would want the job at this point.
Sorry to be vague, but these next several days are going to be interesting in every sense of the word. My line cooks have been talking about it all night and I know it. They are all wondering if I am next in line to take the wheel. Do I even want to? I mean there is no time like the present, but if it was offered to me would I want to stake my claim here?
Ehh...all I can think about now is how I have lost my days off for this week...and the next...and the next...you get the point.
Happy Monday! On a beautiful and cold as fuck evening, I am writing to you with the knowledge that my chef has been fired. Really, and I have no clue who is going to be in charge come tomorrow, or the next day. I have been told that they will be be looking outside the company for the next Executive Chef, that's great when there is someone with the potential to run the place working here already. Although I am not even sure I would want the job at this point.
Sorry to be vague, but these next several days are going to be interesting in every sense of the word. My line cooks have been talking about it all night and I know it. They are all wondering if I am next in line to take the wheel. Do I even want to? I mean there is no time like the present, but if it was offered to me would I want to stake my claim here?
Ehh...all I can think about now is how I have lost my days off for this week...and the next...and the next...you get the point.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
On Leather Steeds They Ride...They've Come to Take Your Life...
Saturday...
Wow, Restaurant Week flew by and I couldn't be happier that it's almost over. We have had inflated reservations every night this week. Maybe next time around we should think about taking credit card numbers with the reservations. I mean, people go on to to opentable.com and make reservations anywhere for months in advance. The good thing is they know they can go there at the designated time, but the bad thing is some restaurants like ours don't have a guarantee that they will show up. Making a customer give up a credit card number with the rule of canceling within 24 hours or a $25 fee is a great deterrent to the people just making a reservation just to make one.
Case in point, when I left last night we had 197 on the books. That's 197 people expected to come through those doors to dine here last night. When I got here to open this morning and looked over the numbers from last night? We did 146 people. That's bad, no that's just deplorable. Talk about being set-up, hoodwinked, wallygagged (is that a fucking word?). Putting a credit card option on Open Table for this restaurant would have stopped the inflation of numbers that was sure to happen last night, as it has throughout the week. It makes forecasting generally impossible in a place like this. By forecasting, I mean predicting the overall numbers day in and day out, it's just difficult. Oh well, at least the week is almost over and I won't have to hear people asking for more sugar with their water and lemons!!
Quick side note, yesterday was as interesting as I thought it would be. The Horseman that was wondering around all day spoke to my chef and the manager for almost an hour in the office. Some words were exchanged that I won't repeat, but it's easy to see that there are some changes coming in this place...
Lovely.
Wow, Restaurant Week flew by and I couldn't be happier that it's almost over. We have had inflated reservations every night this week. Maybe next time around we should think about taking credit card numbers with the reservations. I mean, people go on to to opentable.com and make reservations anywhere for months in advance. The good thing is they know they can go there at the designated time, but the bad thing is some restaurants like ours don't have a guarantee that they will show up. Making a customer give up a credit card number with the rule of canceling within 24 hours or a $25 fee is a great deterrent to the people just making a reservation just to make one.
Case in point, when I left last night we had 197 on the books. That's 197 people expected to come through those doors to dine here last night. When I got here to open this morning and looked over the numbers from last night? We did 146 people. That's bad, no that's just deplorable. Talk about being set-up, hoodwinked, wallygagged (is that a fucking word?). Putting a credit card option on Open Table for this restaurant would have stopped the inflation of numbers that was sure to happen last night, as it has throughout the week. It makes forecasting generally impossible in a place like this. By forecasting, I mean predicting the overall numbers day in and day out, it's just difficult. Oh well, at least the week is almost over and I won't have to hear people asking for more sugar with their water and lemons!!
Quick side note, yesterday was as interesting as I thought it would be. The Horseman that was wondering around all day spoke to my chef and the manager for almost an hour in the office. Some words were exchanged that I won't repeat, but it's easy to see that there are some changes coming in this place...
Lovely.
The Horsemen Are Drawing Nearer...
Friday...
So the week is almost over and my chef is due back to work today. He didn't make it in yesterday either, I got here at 8:30 in the morning and found out at noon. Maybe I would have come in an hour or so later had I known I would be here to close that evening. Oh well, what are ya gonna do? SLEEP, when I'm home at least.
One of the 4 Horseman was wandering around all day long yesterday, sticking his nose into just about every aspect of this place. Everything from the legs of the chairs having dust on them (in the dining room) to why I had so many different vegetables on a plate of fish (I don't just like variety with women ya know). Then going to our towel usage and asking the servers if they knew the "industry standard of how many napkins each customer uses."
OK, that was a new one for me. Someone should have known the answer, right? Not really, everyone in the room was stumped when it was asked, and there were a good 15 of us there. Maybe that was one of those "random facts" of knowledge that will make us into a better person someday? Let me stop being a smartass. I understand things like that can really help, but maybe if we are going to start going over fact & tact on matters in the dining room, that may be a little advanced for where we should be starting.
That is really only scraping the surface of what this guy did in the restaurant yesterday. Only bad thing was my chef wasn't here to defend any of it, leaving yours truly to bend over and grab my legs the entire day. I had to change some things on the menu that haven't been changed since before I got here. Can't really say no about any of the things that I was told to change, either.
It is what it is, I guess.
So the week is almost over and my chef is due back to work today. He didn't make it in yesterday either, I got here at 8:30 in the morning and found out at noon. Maybe I would have come in an hour or so later had I known I would be here to close that evening. Oh well, what are ya gonna do? SLEEP, when I'm home at least.
One of the 4 Horseman was wandering around all day long yesterday, sticking his nose into just about every aspect of this place. Everything from the legs of the chairs having dust on them (in the dining room) to why I had so many different vegetables on a plate of fish (I don't just like variety with women ya know). Then going to our towel usage and asking the servers if they knew the "industry standard of how many napkins each customer uses."
OK, that was a new one for me. Someone should have known the answer, right? Not really, everyone in the room was stumped when it was asked, and there were a good 15 of us there. Maybe that was one of those "random facts" of knowledge that will make us into a better person someday? Let me stop being a smartass. I understand things like that can really help, but maybe if we are going to start going over fact & tact on matters in the dining room, that may be a little advanced for where we should be starting.
That is really only scraping the surface of what this guy did in the restaurant yesterday. Only bad thing was my chef wasn't here to defend any of it, leaving yours truly to bend over and grab my legs the entire day. I had to change some things on the menu that haven't been changed since before I got here. Can't really say no about any of the things that I was told to change, either.
It is what it is, I guess.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Speechless
Wednesday...
Hump day and to top it off the chef took the day off for feeling under the weather. No comment from me on that one, though. I can sum up the entire day from one table that we had this evening.
We served tomato bisque as our soup for the evening and a woman at a table asked if there was any sugar added into the soup. Now before I finish this story, who the fuck adds sugar to a soup like that...did I say Ketchup Bisque? Back to the story, the server knew the answer but came back to check with me anyways, and I tried not to crack a smile and politely said no.
He then went back to the table and said no, but also asked if the woman was a diabetic. She replied no and said (true story), "No I'm just fat and don't want any sugar in my food." The server, then replied "well it has cream in it," and she said "oh I can have that, that's fine."
How do you reply to that?
Hump day and to top it off the chef took the day off for feeling under the weather. No comment from me on that one, though. I can sum up the entire day from one table that we had this evening.
We served tomato bisque as our soup for the evening and a woman at a table asked if there was any sugar added into the soup. Now before I finish this story, who the fuck adds sugar to a soup like that...did I say Ketchup Bisque? Back to the story, the server knew the answer but came back to check with me anyways, and I tried not to crack a smile and politely said no.
He then went back to the table and said no, but also asked if the woman was a diabetic. She replied no and said (true story), "No I'm just fat and don't want any sugar in my food." The server, then replied "well it has cream in it," and she said "oh I can have that, that's fine."
How do you reply to that?
Monday, February 16, 2009
Pro Choice
Valentine's Day wrap up...
Two things I should have learned long ago in this business. One, a lot of black people come out on Hallmark Day, and unless your name is on the door it's just not your call...even when someone tells you it is.
First one, call another black man a racist but damn, it was overwhelmingly obvious there were tons of African Americans in the dining room last night. Some of them were good tables which is always nice to see, but there were those that still asked for water with extra lemons. My only question, is it a big day because we screw up the other 364 days of the year?
The second, about not being able to call the shots. Well, when Bill's (lets say that's the owners name) cousin's old roomate's uncle comes in and spends 600 bucks (which ain't shit as far as I'm concerned, because you can spend that on two bottles of wine if you chose to) on dinner and wants a burger for his driver, even while the kitchen is pumping out food like it's WacArnolds, you have to make it. Even if you are given a "choice."
Is it really a choice though when everyone around you thinks you should do it? I don't understand why I am given a choice in the first place. I do not know when I will learn this lesson. It has happened several times in my career where I am asked something and told its my choice. I make the choice and somehow it goes a different way.
Really, why waste everyone's time when you already know what you want to be done? I could see if the situation were right and it was a test and that's fine, but this particular case along with many others has not been. I mean, like I said its not my name on the door. When it is though, it will be a different story. I will be perfectly willing to take the heat of shunning someone who wants to fuck up my flow on a busy night. Not busy? Not a problem.
Trying to be everything to everyone creates an identity problem. You can take that and apply it to everything, sports, individuals, businesses, restaurants, etc. Sometimes, even VIPs need to understand that some nights, they can't simply be catered to. And maybe sometimes chef's need to not take this stuff so seriously...I think it's the artist in me that was so offended. You know, sure, I'll stop halfway through my Mona Lisa to draw you a heart with an arrow through it for your lady. Well, if it's somebody important who wants that heart, then Mona can wait 5 minutes, right?
Gotta pick your fights, I guess. But I still don't like the false choice. It's like from the Godfather...being given "an offer you cannot refuse."
Two things I should have learned long ago in this business. One, a lot of black people come out on Hallmark Day, and unless your name is on the door it's just not your call...even when someone tells you it is.
First one, call another black man a racist but damn, it was overwhelmingly obvious there were tons of African Americans in the dining room last night. Some of them were good tables which is always nice to see, but there were those that still asked for water with extra lemons. My only question, is it a big day because we screw up the other 364 days of the year?
The second, about not being able to call the shots. Well, when Bill's (lets say that's the owners name) cousin's old roomate's uncle comes in and spends 600 bucks (which ain't shit as far as I'm concerned, because you can spend that on two bottles of wine if you chose to) on dinner and wants a burger for his driver, even while the kitchen is pumping out food like it's WacArnolds, you have to make it. Even if you are given a "choice."
Is it really a choice though when everyone around you thinks you should do it? I don't understand why I am given a choice in the first place. I do not know when I will learn this lesson. It has happened several times in my career where I am asked something and told its my choice. I make the choice and somehow it goes a different way.
Really, why waste everyone's time when you already know what you want to be done? I could see if the situation were right and it was a test and that's fine, but this particular case along with many others has not been. I mean, like I said its not my name on the door. When it is though, it will be a different story. I will be perfectly willing to take the heat of shunning someone who wants to fuck up my flow on a busy night. Not busy? Not a problem.
Trying to be everything to everyone creates an identity problem. You can take that and apply it to everything, sports, individuals, businesses, restaurants, etc. Sometimes, even VIPs need to understand that some nights, they can't simply be catered to. And maybe sometimes chef's need to not take this stuff so seriously...I think it's the artist in me that was so offended. You know, sure, I'll stop halfway through my Mona Lisa to draw you a heart with an arrow through it for your lady. Well, if it's somebody important who wants that heart, then Mona can wait 5 minutes, right?
Gotta pick your fights, I guess. But I still don't like the false choice. It's like from the Godfather...being given "an offer you cannot refuse."
Wing Sauced
Saturday...
Waking up with a slight hangover after a night in Georgetown amongst friends was well worth it. Especially with the week ahead, I needed to let it loose while I can.
Today promises to be incredibly busy with the restaurant overbooked from start to finish. Who would have thought that during a recession people still find it necessary to come out in droves for this "Hallmark" of a holiday. I mean, fellas, have you all been that bad of a man to your woman? It wasn't half this crazy last year, but oh well.
We got some Hawaiian fish in yesterday for today's special. My chef is going to put together a lobster and truffle succotash with Monchong, or Lemon Snapper to be more common. I am going with my fan favorite Walu. I already said what I was going to do the other day.
Yesterday, in an effort to get ahead on my prep, I made the Juallio Blood Orange sauce. Juallio is just a dried pepper similar to an ancho, which we know as poblanos. The reason I talk about making the sauce is because for family meal yesterday, one of the cooks did up a batch of wings. Man as soon as I smelled them, well you know how we get when there are wings in the fryer and then soaked in a bbq sauce!
Well, this sauce that the wings were rolled in was freakin awesome. Everyone was making comments about them. I had to make an amuse for some friends an hour later and as I went to go make it I decided I HAD to use the sauce for today's special...
Waking up with a slight hangover after a night in Georgetown amongst friends was well worth it. Especially with the week ahead, I needed to let it loose while I can.
Today promises to be incredibly busy with the restaurant overbooked from start to finish. Who would have thought that during a recession people still find it necessary to come out in droves for this "Hallmark" of a holiday. I mean, fellas, have you all been that bad of a man to your woman? It wasn't half this crazy last year, but oh well.
We got some Hawaiian fish in yesterday for today's special. My chef is going to put together a lobster and truffle succotash with Monchong, or Lemon Snapper to be more common. I am going with my fan favorite Walu. I already said what I was going to do the other day.
Yesterday, in an effort to get ahead on my prep, I made the Juallio Blood Orange sauce. Juallio is just a dried pepper similar to an ancho, which we know as poblanos. The reason I talk about making the sauce is because for family meal yesterday, one of the cooks did up a batch of wings. Man as soon as I smelled them, well you know how we get when there are wings in the fryer and then soaked in a bbq sauce!
Well, this sauce that the wings were rolled in was freakin awesome. Everyone was making comments about them. I had to make an amuse for some friends an hour later and as I went to go make it I decided I HAD to use the sauce for today's special...
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Fuck You, Hallmark...
Tuesday...
It's morning and not a moment to spare. Oatmeal and an egg for breakfast to keep this diet thing going, as it has been for a little over a month now. Off to the gym for 2 hours then to work for 12. Long day? Ehh, it seems like life and I'm not complaining because I feel better for it.
Valentines Day is right around the corner and we are completely overbooked due to complicated seating. Not complicated so much as a bunch of 2 tops and we just don't have that many tables dedicated to so few people per reservation. I think the way it looks right now, we are almost overbooked every 30 minutes by 4 reservations from 5 until 10 pm. That means I will be cooking well past closing time due to long waits at the door and people undoubtedly camping out for longer then expected the entire evening.
I think I am going to do an ancho-chili blood orange reduction, take some brussel sprouts and cipiolini onions, roast em off and toss them with some crispy pancetta. Pancetta being my favorite part because its like bacon, only much better and waaay less healthy. We are getting some fish flown in from West Africa I believe, so it should go over well with whatever my chef gives me to use.
Gotta run.....
It's morning and not a moment to spare. Oatmeal and an egg for breakfast to keep this diet thing going, as it has been for a little over a month now. Off to the gym for 2 hours then to work for 12. Long day? Ehh, it seems like life and I'm not complaining because I feel better for it.
Valentines Day is right around the corner and we are completely overbooked due to complicated seating. Not complicated so much as a bunch of 2 tops and we just don't have that many tables dedicated to so few people per reservation. I think the way it looks right now, we are almost overbooked every 30 minutes by 4 reservations from 5 until 10 pm. That means I will be cooking well past closing time due to long waits at the door and people undoubtedly camping out for longer then expected the entire evening.
I think I am going to do an ancho-chili blood orange reduction, take some brussel sprouts and cipiolini onions, roast em off and toss them with some crispy pancetta. Pancetta being my favorite part because its like bacon, only much better and waaay less healthy. We are getting some fish flown in from West Africa I believe, so it should go over well with whatever my chef gives me to use.
Gotta run.....
Blue Renegades
Saturday...
Closing this evening, so I got to stroll into the kitchen at 1pm which gave me some extra time to work off that PM Medicine that puts you into a fog the next day. It is absolutely beautiful out and its only February, funny, or not. I will be working on a station tonite as well, I am choosing the cold side this evening, one because I intend to go out tonite, and two because I can. The cook I am placing on the hot line may bitch, but let him disagree openly with me on that. Need to swing by a birthday party of sorts for one of my female acquaintances this evening. Not one to disappoint, I made the commitment several weeks ago.
Before strolling into work, I was able to check out a possible venue for CRS to get off the ground and running. This beautiful row house located near Dupont Circle looked primed and ready for such an event. We seemed to be on the same page as well with what we were looking to do. The guy who owns the home was awesome, and has thrown events at his home before for a PAC called Blue Catapult...the motto being "Keep Congress Blue," which you will never find me complaining about!
So after going over some logistics and expectations, it was time for my partner to go show a house and for me to scurry into work.
Ciao!
Closing this evening, so I got to stroll into the kitchen at 1pm which gave me some extra time to work off that PM Medicine that puts you into a fog the next day. It is absolutely beautiful out and its only February, funny, or not. I will be working on a station tonite as well, I am choosing the cold side this evening, one because I intend to go out tonite, and two because I can. The cook I am placing on the hot line may bitch, but let him disagree openly with me on that. Need to swing by a birthday party of sorts for one of my female acquaintances this evening. Not one to disappoint, I made the commitment several weeks ago.
Before strolling into work, I was able to check out a possible venue for CRS to get off the ground and running. This beautiful row house located near Dupont Circle looked primed and ready for such an event. We seemed to be on the same page as well with what we were looking to do. The guy who owns the home was awesome, and has thrown events at his home before for a PAC called Blue Catapult...the motto being "Keep Congress Blue," which you will never find me complaining about!
So after going over some logistics and expectations, it was time for my partner to go show a house and for me to scurry into work.
Ciao!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Sick, Tired and Still Working
Long week...
Sick and under the weather for the majority of this week. Did I take a day off? Wouldn't dream of it as long as I can hold down food. Much to talk about that happened over the weekend as well. Sorry I haven't been able to sit down and actually tell some of the things that have happened.
Quick notes on everything, Mike Way made my gut hurt from laughter at the Improv, I am in contact with Panas Gourmet and hopefully will meet up again with them soon. My producer friend J Glaze has returned for a visit from Vegas where he is working with a production company, talks of catering an album release party surfaced last night. I am working the line every moment I am here while my chef runs around like crazy trying to keep the 4 Horseman happy.
That's about all the time I have, gotta go make a black bean soup for lunch!
Sick and under the weather for the majority of this week. Did I take a day off? Wouldn't dream of it as long as I can hold down food. Much to talk about that happened over the weekend as well. Sorry I haven't been able to sit down and actually tell some of the things that have happened.
Quick notes on everything, Mike Way made my gut hurt from laughter at the Improv, I am in contact with Panas Gourmet and hopefully will meet up again with them soon. My producer friend J Glaze has returned for a visit from Vegas where he is working with a production company, talks of catering an album release party surfaced last night. I am working the line every moment I am here while my chef runs around like crazy trying to keep the 4 Horseman happy.
That's about all the time I have, gotta go make a black bean soup for lunch!
Saucy
Friday...
Before I get into today's festivities (working), let me tell you what I experienced last night. Panas Gourmet...it was the first time I had been back there in about 2 years. Boy was it different, new tiled floors, new equipment everywhere including an empanada machine. That was probably the most interesting piece of kitchen equipment I have seen in a while. It was like a 10 foot conveyor belt. I had no clue what it was, and the directions were in Spanish, which was fitting I guess. Evidently it does around 1300 empanadas an hour...no exaggeration.
I made 9 different sauces, and as much as I would have loved to try them with the empanadas it wasn't going to happen. It would take entirely too long just to warm up the ovens in the place. With that said, each and every one came out OK. OK meaning there were only 3 that surpassed my expectations, but that's just me tasting a sauce with nothing to go along with it. Chimichurri's and chipotle based sauces that just need a food to go along with them. So, hopefully when they taste all of them today with some food they will be what I expected, which is pretty 'effin good.
It was nice to catch up with the company, they have made a lot of progress since I last had contact with them. That's a good thing as well given the state of the economy, and it sounded like there was nothing stopping them from climbing even further.
Nevermind, I don't want to talk about work. People tryin' to kill a brother...
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