Now that I have your attention, let’s have a serious conversation.  This is meant to be a chat with all the stakeholders: cooks, chefs, servers, bartenders, managers, owners, dishwashers, and customers.  The end IS NOT near, in fact, restaurants have… Continue reading

We cook what we are, and we are a complex combination of all our life experiences with food.  This is what makes us unique as cooks, this is what builds our signature that appears on a menu.  Like a fine… Continue reading

Something became even more apparent to me today, something that I have felt for decades, but suddenly it became vividly clear.  I had a call out of the blue from a former culinary student and co-worker at a four-diamond restaurant. … Continue reading

The list of responsibilities keeps growing: menu planner, budget manager, concept developer, quality controller, purchaser and negotiator, trainer, and of course – accomplished cook – this is the job description for a restaurant chef.  But, beyond all of this lies… Continue reading

A little over a week ago, a person whom I knew, worked with, and admired for more than 40 years, passed away.  I am aware as I grow older this is going to happen, but nevertheless, it hits hard and… Continue reading

Sorry, there isn’t a lot of good news for restaurants and chefs in recent years-except up to this point customer demand for the experience is rising.  We are all aware of the challenge with the workforce – finding and retaining… Continue reading

It’s the start of another day in the kitchen.  Seven in the morning and aside from the baker and breakfast cook, I am alone with clip board in hand and my roll bag of knives placed strategically at a workstation. … Continue reading

The symbolism of July 4th is apparent in the arts that are rewarding to those who create and those who receive what they have to offer.  Music, painting, sculpture, literature, drama, and cooking provide an outlet for expression by the… Continue reading

For me, some of the most important tools for life were gained in the kitchen.  They were gained when I had to wake up at 4:00 a.m. to be in the kitchen by 5:00.  They were gained when I worked… Continue reading

This classic line by Stanley Tucci in the fabulous movie: “The Big Night”, has always struck a chord with me.  It speaks well of simplicity and allowing ingredients to be themselves and shine.  Whether it’s perfectly cooked pasta, a fresh… Continue reading

When a person refers to “work” there are a number of connotations that come to mind.  Quite often the term “work” implies something slightly negative – a necessary evil.  In this light, we tend to think of associated words to… Continue reading

There are many questions that people ask with regard to the restaurant industry, but two seem to really stand out in the post pandemic world: Why should I spend money in a restaurant? Why would I choose to support a… Continue reading

Setting aside the challenges of today, it is important to recognize just how instrumental the restaurant business is to society and how significant the role of cooks and chefs.  I feel privileged to come from a lineage of restaurateurs, and… Continue reading

(an opinion piece) Well, it has come to roost as they say – if you leave the opportunity for something to go wrong, it likely will.  Murphy’s Law has been tested time and again and it seems that in most… Continue reading

The most important room in a home is the kitchen.  This is the hub of activity, the space that portrays unity, defines tradition, nourishes the body and mind, and sets the tone for communication.  This is where we celebrate and… Continue reading

Well, there is little that can be said to those who have caught the restaurant fever – you know, when that opportunity finally knocks, and you have your sights on a café with your name on it.  The feeling is… Continue reading

The early crowd sputtered in – parties of two mainly, usually no appetizers – they got down to business with the less expensive entrees and a cocktail.  This was “order/fire” time.  Jake didn’t even spend much time at the expo… Continue reading

As a cook or chef there are many days that go well and a few that challenge the best.  There are times when a service kind of clicks and the night ends without any problems – these are nights that… Continue reading

I get it, profit in restaurants is sometimes hard to come by.  We deal with highly perishable goods, unpredictable customer behavior, swinging door staffing, and constantly escalating cost of goods.  Restaurants get hit from all angles so when there is… Continue reading

Weekend work continued through the Fall and Winter when I turned 16.  I already made plans to work full time at the diner during the summer months.  Millie was beginning to involve me in some of her breakfast prep when… Continue reading

When I was 15 years old the furthest thing from my mind was planning my future.  This was the beginning of that age when aside from finding a way to be independent and seeking a girlfriend, there was very little… Continue reading

A retired NFL coach would rally his team before a game with the words: “Where would you rather be than right here, right now?”  This is a sentence that sums up the life’s work of these athletes, a culmination of… Continue reading

This is a direct message to all of those young cooks just starting out, dishwashers, culinary students, and seasoned veterans of the kitchen – you can go as far as you want to go in the food business as long… Continue reading

Now that I have your attention and you are back in your chair, let me explain.  The margins are very tight, in fact they are so tight that most business savvy people would wonder why anyone would ever want to… Continue reading

I have never physically owned a restaurant, but I have always approached the position of chef as if I did.  Like many chefs that I have known over the years, I was always “all in” when it came to my… Continue reading

You remember those early moments with food – the aha moments when a dish really surprised you.  The flavor, aroma, texture, or presentation made you sit back in your chair, close your eyes, and wonder how anything could be this… Continue reading

Cooking and eating are two of the great pleasures in life.  They are sensual in nature, vividly stimulating sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste as we participate in a process of transitioning Nature’s ingredients through the application of heat and… Continue reading

Decades of working in or focusing on kitchens and kitchen life have led me to wonder, and sometimes question what I really know.  Our resumes never really tell the story, at least not the important story.  A resume may reflect… Continue reading

“There a billion people in the world who are chronically hungry.  There are a billion people in the world who are overweight.” -Mark Bittman It’s 4am and I’m awake, actually, I have been for a few hours.  This is not… Continue reading