Harvest America CUES BLOG

restaurants

  • A SURREALISTIC PILLOW EVENT

    In the mid-sixties, a relatively unknown band (outside of San Francisco) released an album that would become one of the enduring recordings of the last 60 years.  The Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow was both strange (surreal) and comforting (pillow) in… Continue reading

  • CHEFS – VALUE and the TOP LINE DRIVE the BOTTOM LINE

    In the restaurant business there are really only two ways to view profit:  a very small amount of profit balanced by very significant volume, or a significant amount of profit on far less volume.  How you approach the design of… Continue reading

  • THE 2021 CHEF SKILL SET

    It is always safe to say: “things change”.  Change is an inevitable part of life and as we all know if we fail to recognize that and adapt – we can become obsolete.  Throughout history there are countless examples of… Continue reading

  • THE EINSTEIN MOMENT FOR RESTAURANTS

    I have been thinking quite a bit lately about a comment made by Chef Jeremiah Tower during our recent podcast conversation.  He stated: “The restaurant industry needs an Einstein Moment.”  There are numerous ways that we categorize these occurrences:  Eureka… Continue reading

  • A CHEF’S LETTER TO CONGRESS

    When approached, as it should be – your position is very challenging, at times – almost impossible.  By design you are charged with defending the Constitution, protecting the American people from harm, creating and passing laws that support the Bill… Continue reading

  • COOKS AND THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

    Sweat was creeping down Alex’s back.  The line was just 15 minutes into the 7 o’clock push and the board was full.  The pressure was on, but Alex was on his game – he was wearing an ear-to-ear smile because… Continue reading

  • CHASING THE DEVIL – SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS

    Joe is a single guy, young and well educated, quiet yet personable enough, incredibly talented as a cook, reflective, and a closet alcoholic.  From the perspective of the chef who reigns in charge of the restaurant where Joe works –… Continue reading

  • THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN THE MAKING OF A GREAT CHEF

    Is it possible to narrow down the secret of greatness to one ingredient?  What could it be?  Is it really that simple, or in this case is simplicity really complex?   I have had the honor to work with, know, or… Continue reading

  • IT’S STILL A TIME OF THANKSGIVING

    For most people this will be a different Thanksgiving, a day without the traditional celebrations of large family gatherings, a day with far too much leftover turkey as we attempt to keep some semblance of normality through the bounty of… Continue reading

  • CHEFS – FAILURE IS NOT INEVITABLE

    It seems that every time I check my email or flip through postings in social media – there is another restaurant, food business, or culinary school preparing to close their doors.  It is heartbreaking to read of life visions dashed… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S SENSUAL OVERLOAD – TOUCH, TEXTURE, CHEW

    We are tactile beings – the feel and texture of things that we encounter is very personal and very important to our life experience.  Such is the case with the food that we consume.  As is stated by the Institute… Continue reading

  • THE APOCALYPSE FOR RESTAURANTS IS NEAR

    It is the end of October 2020 and we are all focused on the National Election in just a few days.  We certainly should be zeroing on this event that will likely change the course of history and determine what… Continue reading

  • COOKS AND CHEFS – WE ALL CRAVE DISCIPLINE

    Let’s not confuse freedom with a desire to do whatever we want without a system of order or respect for the discipline of structure.  We can both be free and still respect the need for that discipline that comes from… Continue reading

  • CHEFS – WHAT DOES YOUR MENU REPRESENT?

    Consider this – the menu is the most important component of a successful restaurant and once designed it can, and should, impact every other aspect of the business.  These aspects include: décor, skill level of staff, style of service, pricing,… Continue reading

  • THE COOK’S INTELLECT

    Anyone who has tied on an apron in a professional kitchen understands the physical nature of the work.  We know about the aching muscles, the throbbing feet, the faltering knees, and the heat – did I mention the heat?  But… Continue reading

  • TEAM COMPETITIVENESS IN THE KITCHEN

    Create a Team Built to Win When Coach Vince Lombardi said: “Winning isn’t everything – it’s the only thing”, he was not inferring that winning at all costs justifies the means, not was he inferring that somehow “losing” was the… Continue reading

  • CHEFS – FINE TUNE THOSE SENSES

    The kitchen sensual army There are many things that differentiate cooks and chefs, but none more important to the customer experience and the reputation of the restaurant than mastery of the senses.  Whether a fine-dining experience or your local taqueria… Continue reading

  • A CHEF’S 2020 LAMENT

      They say that hindsight is 2020 – that being so, there is plenty for us to reflect on and determine how we might have done things differently.  The fact is, we can’t go back, but we can look forward. … Continue reading

  • SUCCESSFUL CHEFS – WHAT CAREER KILLERS TO AVOID

    Rest assured, at some point restaurants will rise up again, clubs and hotels will measure success based on occupancy and food service activity, and the position of “chef” will be center stage in driving sales and measuring profitability. The opportunities… Continue reading

  • IN CHALLENGING TIMES DON’T MAKE CLASSIC BUSINESS MISTAKES REMEMBER THE TOP ELEVEN

    Difficult times in business can never be addressed with complacency. This is the time to double your efforts rather than allow yourself to get caught up in the malaise. There is always opportunity beyond business survival for those who commit… Continue reading

  • IT’S ONLY FOOD

    You know I have occasionally heard this statement, or at least felt that it was implied: “Don’t get so wrapped up in it – it’s only food.” Well, I am here to state unequivocally that this just isn’t so. Of… Continue reading

  • WHAT RESTAURANTS HAVE LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC

    As restaurants rally to try and meet the requirements of the new protocol for operation – distancing tables, reducing customer volume, enforcing mask wearing, deep sanitizing of surfaces, moving to on-line menus or single use documents, removing anything from table… Continue reading

  • STRENGTH, GRACE, AND DIGNITY

    I am in the process of reading Chef Dominique Crenn’s autobiography: Rebel Chef. I have long been a fan of her style and passion for expressive cooking, but it is these three words that solidified, in my mind, how a… Continue reading

  • THE LINE COOK’S NEW KITCHEN RULES SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE

    As cooks start to, or at least hope to, begin settling into kitchen life again, it seems appropriate to reiterate those standard rules of thumb that everyone must abide by. They may be tweaked a bit – after all, a… Continue reading

  • WHY IS A PARTICULAR CHEF’S FOOD SO MUCH BETTER THAN ANOTHER’S?

    Every chef has experienced it and as a result he or she will relate to the content of this article. There are times, possibly many times, when you question your own skill – whether in cooking or presenting food, or… Continue reading

  • A BAROMETER OF CHANGE FOR AMERICAN COOKS & DINERS

    You can sense it in the air, you can feel it in your bones, and you can hear it in the silence – the energy that had surrounded the career of professional cook is down a few quarts. For nearly… Continue reading

  • FUTURE PERFECT – A RESTAURANTS NEXT CHAPTER

    OK, so here we are: restaurants are beginning to re-open (maybe prematurely, maybe not) and we are all scared to death. We are fearful of a virus that is still out there, still scoping us out, still waiting to strike… Continue reading

  • COOKS – GETTING BACK INTO THE ZONE

    Take a deep breath as you walk through those back doors, back into the kitchen that was so familiar, back to a place that you have missed for the past three months. Somehow you are nervous – why is that?… Continue reading

  • EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP WHEN IT SEEMS TO BE IN SHORT SUPPLY

    I am a concerned spectator at a time when everything seems to be in question and every one of us lives on the edge. We fear, we adjust, we cope, and then there comes a time when our coping mechanism… Continue reading

  • OUR DAILY BREATH: OPENING RESTAURANTS – WHERE’S THE PLAN, STAN?

    Let’s assume, for a moment, that we actually are all in this together. Let’s put on our restaurant hat and take responsibility for doing what is right for both the health and wellbeing of our families, staff, and customers, and… Continue reading