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SHARPEN YOUR CONTROL PENCILS – EVERYONE IS GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT
Most of you are probably thinking: “what an awful statement to make”. The American mantra is always the opposite and has become the basis for our legal system, yet from experience, I would state that the best approach is to… Continue reading
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THE COMPLETE CHEF
Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: The restaurant industry in the United States is enormous with 2012 sales in excess of $450 billion. There are, among the 960,000 plus operations, varying degrees of quality and commitment to excellence. There… Continue reading
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THE COMPLETE CHEF
The restaurant industry in the United States is enormous with 2012 sales in excess of $450 billion. There are, among the 960,000 plus operations, varying degrees of quality and commitment to excellence. There are those that disappoint, many that meet… Continue reading
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WHY CHARLIE TROTTER WAS SO IMPORTANT
We are where we are today as an industry, to a large degree, because of Charlie Trotter. To say that he was important would be such a disservice to his overall impact. It would be easy to talk about his… Continue reading
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RESTAURANTS CAN and DO PLAY a LARGER ROLE in IMPROVING LIVES
Restaurant people are, by and large, some of the most generous, giving people that I know. In many cases, whether they think this way or not, restaurant families make a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis. Yes, our… Continue reading
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RESTAURANT FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE LASTING ONES
Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: How important are the details? Make no mistake the “small stuff” does add up when building an experience for your guests. First impressions help to draw people into your business, set the tone… Continue reading
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RESTAURANT FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE LASTING ONES
How important are the details? Make no mistake the “small stuff” does add up when building an experience for your guests. First impressions help to draw people into your business, set the tone for the experience, build guest expectations, define… Continue reading
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DIGGING DEEPER: READY-SET- YES CHEF!
Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: It was now 5:15 and the chef was out in the dining room going through pre-meal with the service staff. All of the other line cooks were caught up so Jake surveyed his… Continue reading
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DEEPER STILL: LINE COOKS AFTER HOURS
Everything seemed to be in order at the end of service. Jake’s station was spotless, his knives were cared for and locked up, his dirty uniform replaced by jeans and a sweatshirt, and his prep list for tomorrow was on… Continue reading
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DIGGING DEEPER: READY-SET- YES CHEF!
It was now 5:15 and the chef was out in the dining room going through pre-meal with the service staff. All of the other line cooks were caught up so Jake surveyed his station one more time. This time of… Continue reading
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DIGGING DEEP: THE PRESSURE IS ON THE LINE COOK
Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: Having finished fabricating his fish for Friday prep, Jake moved on to the other proteins on his mise en place list. Venison tenders and Wagyu beef tenders were trimmed of their silver skin… Continue reading
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DIGGING DEEP: THE PRESSURE IS ON THE LINE COOK
Having finished fabricating his fish for Friday prep, Jake moved on to the other proteins on his mise en place list. Venison tenders and Wagyu beef tenders were trimmed of their silver skin and portioned: three-ounce medallions on the venison… Continue reading
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DIGGING DEEP: THE LIFE OF A LINE COOK
Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: I thought that I would re-post an old series that was presented through Harvest America Cues a few years back. As I continue to marvel at the focused life of line cooks I… Continue reading
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DIGGING DEEP: THE LIFE OF A LINE COOK
I thought that I would re-post an old series that was presented through Harvest America Cues a few years back. As I continue to marvel at the focused life of line cooks I was compelled to introduce this story (one… Continue reading
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The Chef’s New Essential Cookbook
There are hundreds of cookbooks released every year (I know because I am addicted to amazon.com), yet very few can be revered as “essential” A book that will appear on every serious chef’s desk, must be one that defines a… Continue reading
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COOKS and CHEFS NEED to TAKE CARE of THEMSELVES
The excuses are all around: “I don’t have time to eat properly; I’m around food all day, a meal just doesn’t appeal to me; I can’t watch what I eat, my job requires that I taste everything; A real meal… Continue reading
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RESTAURANTS NEED TO GET PAST THE EARLY ADOPTERS
We oftentimes depend on the complexity of marketing principles to build our business. These principles have created a new generation of chef’s and restaurateurs who are consumed by innovation and pushing the envelope, simply because they misinterpret the statistical data… Continue reading
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ATTRACTING CAREER LINE COOKS
In most cases credit for a great restaurant meal goes to the chef. At least that is what most guests believe to be true. There is no question that the vision for a menu, oftentimes the recipes and plating design… Continue reading
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HOSPITALITY: BE THE REASON FOR THE RESERVATION
There is an old statement that still holds true for restaurants that are consistently successful: “The handshake of the host determines the flavor of the roast”. As a chef by career choice, I certainly spend a great amount of time… Continue reading
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MY OCTOBERFEST – MEDALS BEFORE BEER
The Culinary Olympics were over. Our team was exhausted, yet numb from exceeding our own expectations. It certainly felt good to walk away victorious, but what would take some time to sink in was that we were successful because we… Continue reading
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MY OCTOBERFEST 1988 – A TEAM EFFORT
Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: After the day one results in Frankfurt, the New England Culinary Olympic Team was truly energized. Mickey Beriau and Danny Varano had set the bar very high with their gold medal performances. This… Continue reading
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MY OCTOBERFEST 1988 – A TEAM EFFORT
After the day one results in Frankfurt, the New England Culinary Olympic Team was truly energized. Mickey Beriau and Danny Varano had set the bar very high with their gold medal performances. This now became everyone’s goal and the team… Continue reading
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MY OCTOBERFEST 1988 WITH TEAM NEW ENGLAND
It was October 1988 at Logan International Airport when we were waiting to board a Lufthansa airplane to Frankfurt, Germany. As we (10 team members, spouses, apprentices, manager and coaches) lined up with our tickets I started to reflect on… Continue reading
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OCTOBERFEST AND THE PHONE CALL THAT CHANGED MY CAREER
As we approach October I am always reminded of my time in Germany back in 1988. This year marks the 25th anniversary of my involvement with the 1988 New England Culinary Team competing in the Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany.… Continue reading
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IS YOUR RESTAURANT STRUGGLING TO MAKE A PROFIT? LET’S LOOK AT THE MENU.
The restaurant business is built on very narrow margins. We are constantly faced with decisions that nip away at the pennies that operators try to make on every dollar in sales. Let’s look at some basic facts that have placed… Continue reading
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SOUP’S ON!
Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: The air is crisp, fog sits on the lake every morning, leaves are turning to vibrant colors, sweaters come out of hiding, the sun burns off the fog but still leaves a chill… Continue reading
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SOUP’S ON!
The air is crisp, fog sits on the lake every morning, leaves are turning to vibrant colors, sweaters come out of hiding, the sun burns off the fog but still leaves a chill in the air, and cooks are busy… Continue reading
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LIKE HIM OR NOT, BOURDAIN’S CURRENT MESSAGE IS ON THE MARK
Initially known for his not so favorable depiction of life in a professional kitchen, Bourdain drew praise as a writer, comradery from many “pirate” cooks, and frequent distain from those in the food industry who were trying to build a… Continue reading
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A Sad Day for Those in the Restaurant Community
This is a day, as we all well know, that will always be remembered. September 11, 2001 was a day that changed all of our lives forever, a day when evil seemed to win over good. Each of us remembers… Continue reading
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