Do we take for granted the most basic advantage that we share? As chefs and cooks, we spend our days planning, ordering, storing and preparing dishes of delicious, beautiful food for our paying customers. We are good at this – it is a craft that we have fine-tuned over a period of years, or maybe…
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THE SENSUAL EXPERIENCE OF BEING A COOK
I miss the full experience of working daily in a busy restaurant kitchen. When that kitchen is the hub of activity in a hotel or resort then the experience is even more pronounced. From the moment that a chef walks into the hustle and bustle environment of the hotel kitchen, his or her senses are…
THE SPORT OF COOKING
Is it too far fetched to consider professional cooking – a sport? Are there enough similarities to view how a restaurant line operates and interject many of the facets of a winning sporting teams development and performance? I think that the comparisons are obvious. [] TALENT Restaurant or team locker room – every successful performance…
ANYTHING WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING WELL
What does it take to get ahead? Maybe the more appropriate question is what does it take to feel good about what you do? Self-Esteem is important, maybe one of the most important motivational tools available – tools that are always within your grasp, are personal, and truly beyond anyone else’s interference. The answer to…
HOLIDAYS are TOUGH for RESTAURANT WORKERS and PUBLIC SERVANTS
It seems as though more and more businesses are letting the temptation of the holidays drive operating hours. If there is a buck to be made, then concerns for the impact on employees can be ignored. I get this – we all know that, in many cases, a business (especially retail) depends on a window…
THE FORGOTTEN RESTAURATEUR
There was a time when the restaurant owner/operator was the center of the hospitality universe. When a guest thought about a particular restaurant – the connection was with the person who shook their hand upon arrival, made sure that their meal was perfect, orchestrated the service experience, and always remembered something about each and every…
WHEN LINE COOKS ARE IN THE ZONE
On November 16, 1962 Wilt Chamberlain – center for the Warriors, scored 73 points against the New York Knicks and 78 points in 1961 against the Lakers. But, it was the Warriors game against the Knicks earlier in 1962 that stands out above all others. Chamberlain scored 100 individual points cementing a win – he…
RESTAURANTS ARE A MICROCOSM OF ISSUES FACING THE COUNTRY TODAY
This article is inspired by a story related to the youngest freshman U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio – Cortez. Putting aside your individual political bent – she comes to the House of Representatives from a history of positions working in the restaurant business – so she automatically has street cred in my book. From her vantage…
THE COOK NEXT TO ME
I thought I would chime in with all of the recent talk about immigrant workers in the U.S. One of the most significant reasons why I have always loved working in the restaurant business is the diversity of people with whom I have had the opportunity to stand next to at the range. The is…
THE LINE COOK COUNTERCULTURE
From that first job as a dishwasher in 1966 when I was 16 years old – I knew I was part of something interesting. Who knows what struck a chord – it might have been the pace, the banter between employees, the time spent helping out the breakfast cook during a rush, or even the…
