Harvest America CUES BLOG

restaurants

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • FULL-FLAVORED FALL and RESTAURANT PROFITABILITY

    Well, it is definitely fall. To most people this is the beginning of close family events and memories. A time when we begin to hunker down for a winter season and start to fill our pantry with those ingredients that… Continue reading

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • LABOR DAY THOUGHTS

    This picture was a perfect opening for some Labor Day musings. I am part of an industry that is interesting to many on the outside, challenging to those who own restaurants, exciting to those who find themselves in the grips… Continue reading

  • SHORT ORDER COOKS WERE MY HEROS

    I can still remember that day in my hometown of Buffalo, New York. I was 10 years old and on a shopping trip downtown with my mother as we came upon that restaurant with a full picture window framing in… Continue reading

  • 100 IDEAS A WEEK, IS ONE OF THEM BRILLIANT?

    So here is the dilemma – I can’t turn it off! I can’t stop designing the next great restaurant concept in my head. Is this a problem? A good friend of mine, in a totally different field, suffers from the… Continue reading

  • Chefs and Servers with Different Motivations

    When chefs and service staff are not on the same page the guest experience is confused and disjointed. When I have referenced the importance of team in the kitchen I am concerned that some might think that if that “culinary… Continue reading

  • The Spark of an Idea – A Restaurant is Born

    Are you an idea person? Maybe you are more of an implementor. Or are you a bit of both? Does this picture represent you: * I can’t stop my brain from working overtime * I have lists of ideas everywhere… Continue reading

  • Every Picture Tells a Story

    Ever since I came across this photo I have not been able to get it out of my mind. The photographer caught what every artist and craftsman gets up in the morning to do: move people. Music, like cooking is… Continue reading

  • Realistic Expectations for Culinary School Graduates

    This is an article that I posted two years ago regarding the expectations that young graduates of culinary education oftentimes have when first entering a professional kitchen. I felt that it fit well with the series of recent posts that… Continue reading