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Congrats, TB. Awesome to hear.
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Dec 6, 2013 10:48
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AA is for Quitters posted:God help me, I start back next week. Looking forward to it...for now. Just set very strict boundaries, don't cross them (even though you want to help, or it's just this once, or whatever) and if you feel like you're starting to not enjoy yourself, bail. In the meantime, have some fun and make some money.
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Dec 9, 2013 22:10
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slimskinny posted:Tips on specializing in butchering? A guy I'm working with is getting a pet project handed down from our chef. It should involve some butchery and charcuterie. How is specializing going to help my salary as a hire able employee, or the ultimate goal of being chef-owner of my own spot? Having more knowledge and a broader skillset can never hurt you. It's a talking point on a resume and can give you a shot at certain opportunities that would otherwise be closed to you. If you're looking to open your own place some day, it might be useful to know how to make your own prosciutto or smoked salami or whateverthefuck. Unless there's some downside, I don't know why you wouldn't want to learn something specialized, especially butchery and charcuterie with the way current trends are going. I mean, I'm probably never going to work in a sushi place again, but the couple weeks I staged at one taught me how to clean fish like a loving pro and that's something I can take with me wherever I go for the rest of my life (plus being able to bust out some dragon rolls at home at 4am while I'm shitfaced hammered always impresses the ladies - it's seriously got me laid at least a couple times).
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Dec 18, 2013 23:00
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nwin posted:Curious what the standard rule here is. Completely depends on the place. The higher up you go, the more likely it'll be comped (though most bottles of wine can't be comped). Most places realize that you'll get a lot more repeat business (and revenue) for comping some food or drink here and there. I would take it as a pretty negative experience if I had a legit issue with a drink (even just 'too boozy' is pretty legit... "I don't like cranberries and this cranberry breeze tastes bad" might not be) and they didn't do anything about it.
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Dec 22, 2013 04:11
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bunnielab posted:I dont think I have ever sent anything, food or drink, back. I either just never comeback or if it is somewhere that is usually good I just chalk it up to being an off day or whatever. While I'll admit to sometimes doing the same, it really sucks to do this. Any good manager would much rather you say something so that they can attempt to fix the problem (or at least be made aware of it). I've got a couple local restaurants that I frequent where they hosed up the first plate they sent to me, but I said something and they fixed it and now I go back all the time because the food is awesome (but I wouldn't have known that if I'd just eaten my overcooked whatever and never come back). Edit: Basically, if the manager is any good at all, they'll appreciate you saying something and giving them the opportunity to fix it. If they brush you off, then at least you know for sure that you never want to go back. edit edit: Liquid Communism posted:Death holds no fear for me. My bakery is closed Christmas Eve. And Christmas. And Boxing Day. I don't have to go back in until 10pm on the 26th to get ready for the 27th. Ahahahahahaah, what sorcery is this. Naelyan fucked around with this message at 20:32 on Dec 22, 2013 |
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Dec 22, 2013 20:30
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mindphlux posted:dunno. thoughts? Comment cards if they have them, would probably be the 'nicest' way to do it. For me, if I think they might be new or just don't know stuff, I'll mention that I'm in the industry and a couple things for them to work on. If it's that they're just lovely at their job because they're lazy/aggressive/whatever, and it made my dining experience that bad, I'll catch a manager on my way out. If the server was that loving horrid that I don't want to tip them, then I'll definitely catch a manager on the way out and ask that they distribute my tip to the kitchen.
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Dec 23, 2013 11:42
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Sir Spaniard posted:I know this is from way earlier in the thread, but another chef was using a mandoline without the safety handle thing at work tonight. I'm scared enough of them even while using that (though the one we have doesn't sit in line so that doesn't help at all). I nearly flat out refuse to use one unless I have no choice at all, because of some scrapes and some very very scary near misses. Do you mean the plastic bit that goes between your hand and the carrot, on the other side of the blade? Because those things are stupid and just get in the way.
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Dec 23, 2013 13:19
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Sir Spaniard posted:I much prefer using my knives, which I can use just as quickly for most anything that would go through a mandoline, really. Then you either need a better mandolin or you're a knife-skill god. A month ago I did an event for 4400 people, and asian slaw was a side for the fish app. I did 5 cases of diakon julienne, and if I had to do that poo poo by hand it would have taken me days.
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Dec 23, 2013 17:13
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Kenning posted:We got loving hit tonight. Huge Christmas Eve. No one was expecting that. Probably did like 15k-18k in sales at dinner. I'm so tired. Best of luck to everyone that got destroyed Christmas Eve and will again the day after. Merry Christmas, you glorious bunch of rockstars you.
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Dec 25, 2013 13:46
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Zadmaster posted:Any of you guys ever stepped back from the restaurant world and faked the funk like this? I know that right now it's what I need to do for my family, but I miss being in a fast paced, a la carte type dining environment. Is there a middle ground? My very first sous chef and now very good friend of mine leveraged all of his exec and training experience into a cushy HR/training job for a government-run crown corporation, and is loving loving it. It probably won't last long because he's stupid like the rest of us and likes restaurants too much, but for now they're paying him better money than he was making for being the exec of a 6-restaurant group, still has time to do side caterings/consulting/private classes and functions, and basically just gave his resume to a head-hunting agency and has pretty much been getting non-stop offers so whenever he wants to get back into it he can. If I was more experienced and not-stupid I'd "sell out" in a heartbeat.
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Dec 25, 2013 16:29
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Turkeybone posted:$279 can get you a very nice Misono. I get that it looks very nice and probably will make you feel happy and good, but $279 for a case? Congrats on finding a place, and the job. Re: Knife roll chat: Does no one else use a $20 toolbox and proper protection for individual blades (which is sometimes a side towel)? It's the only thing that I've found to easily lug around my mandolin / tenderizer / all that other big and bulky poo poo that won't fit in a roll. Sir Spaniard posted:Do you have a link for that, tb? I've not heard of Misono before. Misono is a brand of knives, he's saying you can pick up a good quality knife for the price of that bag.
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Dec 30, 2013 18:38
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pile of brown posted:You've worked a dishpit seven years trying to be a cook? If this isn't French laundry or something you've made a terrible mistake I think he means that he started as a dish and (likely after getting promoted fairly early) is now getting out of the industry.
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Jan 5, 2014 13:51
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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons With Spoons > It's Not, It's poo poo All the Way Up: The Industry Thread
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Jan 6, 2014 11:44
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Turkeybone posted:I've had a real job for two days. Nine to five. This is so weird. My girlfriend (also a chef) has been at her m-f 9-5 for about two months now. You'll get used to it. Also she cooks me dinner all the time now and that's awesome. Got her a kitchenaid pasta attachment for Christmas and I get fresh pasta like 4 times a week.
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Jan 8, 2014 12:18
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SlayVus posted:FYI - Eating to much gluten can make your body build up an immune response to it. Make sure you're also eating healthy amounts of fruits, vegetables, and meats. I really like this post. Very informative and helpful. +1 edit: seriously though, could you tell me more about evilgluten? I don't really know what it does. I don't eat any fruits or vegetables because i saw a video on youtube that told me to just eat bacon and cheese (and I really like this guy, he agrees with my beef strips, string cheese and pork rinds diet) and i feel like knowing about gluten would probably help when i go in to work every day at a pretty successful bakery, thanks in advance e2: oh man that guy just told me about the best food to avoid gluten, layer some meat, cheese, and mayonnaise and then roll it up! e3: if i avoid gluten in fast food, can i keep eating kfc every day? i didn't learn how to cook chicken at chef school and i really like a bucket of chicken for dinner Naelyan fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Jan 8, 2014 |
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Jan 8, 2014 22:29
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brick cow posted:Serious though, we're chill guys and gals. If you want niceness head over to the general questions thread. Last time I looked there was a rule against being mean to noobs there. We're usually pretty nice to people in this thread too. but no one has answered my kfc question yet
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Jan 9, 2014 02:56
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copen posted:I didn't think you where serious, or are still kidding but. brick cow posted:There's flour in the breading- so maybe the act of chewing produces gluten? And if you're not getting a kfc biscuit to dip in their "mashed potatoes and gravy" then you are living your life incorrectly. I don't even know what to say right now. No, I was not being serious. I just typed up a couple paragraphs trying to explain what happened here and instead I'm just going to shake my head at my computer for the next 15 minutes and feel kinda sad.
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Jan 9, 2014 06:08
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Liquid Communism posted:For.reference on slow, I turned the ovens off at 2am today. I hate January business. My ovens still don't get turned off until 5 or 6am. I just don't go in until midnight now. 
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Jan 9, 2014 09:59
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Liquid Communism posted:I bake midnight to four, clean while stuff cools, then box and deliver until 8. Gonna deep clean something tonight. My three still ovens are loving spotless. It's hard to clean the convection with stuff in it all night though.
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Jan 9, 2014 10:11
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Liquid Communism posted:My boss just informed me that he's pretty close to closing on a contract that'll triple our overnight production and delivery numbers. Doesn't that mean you can hire a couple more people and you can (hopefully) shuffle some of your work off? I mean, logically. I know this industry and all, but one can hope?
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Jan 17, 2014 23:51
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Turkeybone posted:and being on okCupid. Good luck. A couple of years ago I got super drunk and made a profile and started talking to one chick on there. Tomorrow is our 2-year anniversary. So there is hope.
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Jan 23, 2014 03:06
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Rockzilla posted:Speaking of buffets, I need some more ideas for chef-attended stations. I've mostly been doing pasta bars, stir fry stations and carving and it's getting kinda repetitive. I did a vegetarian sushi station once that was surprisingly successful. Chef nixed my half-serious idea of me rolling the flattop out into the dining room for some amateur teppanyaki action. Right now I only have access to a few portable burners, a carving lamp and some bain maries, but I can probably talk chef into shelling out cash for some toys if I can make good use out of them. Risotto stations have always done pretty well for me, provided you have the space: a hotbox (or even better, a hotbox and a chafing dish [or you know, a real warming solution if you have a kitchen nearby]) to keep your rice warm, a burner to keep your stock hot, and 2-3 burners to keep risotto flowing like a motherfucker. I've even done a 250-person where the FOH organizers decided it would be a good idea to let people choose their own 'toppings', which meant I was making it one order per pan, and that was kinda lovely, but doable.
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Jan 24, 2014 21:47
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tomkash posted:Edit: actually something unrelated I was wondering, has working in the industry actually helped anyone else cut down on drinking? Hahahah nope. I mean, I drink less during the day because I'm always working during the day. And sometimes I work at night. But then I get a day off, and yesterday I invented the word 'absinthe-ternoon', which means to drink absinthe all afternoon. That came after my Good Morning Scotch.
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Jan 28, 2014 14:57
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Wroughtirony posted:Sounds like you need to change the rule to NOBODY TOUCHES MY KNIVES. This has always been my policy with roommates. As much as I enjoy sharpening my knives (I really do), I don't enjoy doing it because someone put it in the sink or scraped it along a fork or some poo poo.
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Feb 5, 2014 17:56
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Taking a job at my favourite hangout was what got me into this industry and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I could see not wanting to spend all day at the place you currently like to unwind at though. I dunno, I'd personally ignore that aspect and take/not take the job based on normal job-taking criteria.
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Feb 7, 2014 21:24
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Ironsolid posted:What about going from the fastest to slowest worker over the span of two weeks when your Regional ignores your requests for the promised performance review to return your pay to your previous wages? Why would your wages be lowered in the first place? That seems like an even better reason to gently caress off.
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Feb 11, 2014 19:01
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Black August posted:Hey chefs, do you guys have nightmares about an order being like 6 hours late (and still needing to do it) sort of the same way other people have nightmares about being 10 years late for school? For a year I worked at a place that had screens and digital bullshit instead of kitchen printers. The chit machine dreams stopped, it was wonderful. Now I'm back at a place that uses the normal, oldschool printers. I wake up to the (imaginary) sound at least a couple times a week. 
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Feb 14, 2014 05:53
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Knockknees posted:So, is there anything about working in the industry that makes it worth it? Reading this thread it sounds like torturous and dangerous labor, for little-to-no pay, working with terrible people, resulting in PTSD, Stockholm Syndrome, and Alcoholism? It's basically for the love of what we do. We put up with an insane amount of bullshit and lovely conditions, but anyone who does this for a career does it because they love it. I love food, I love the rush of putting out 60 perfect plates from my tiny little oven and stovetop in a couple hours, I love experimenting with taste profiles and combinations, I love the artistry of making delicious food look even better. I love watching a room full of people all happy because they're eating and enjoying. I love seeing immediate results of my labour. I physically feel better after a 14 hour day slaving on my feet than sitting at a desk doing nothing (I've had jobs where I literally did nothing) for 8.
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Feb 15, 2014 11:27
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Liquid Communism posted:Tipping out BOH is bullshit because it opens the door to classifying cooks as tipped employees, and given that much of BOH's work (prep, cleanup, etc) is done in times when there are no customers to serve, this would likely lead to everyone making roughly minimum wage. Someone attempting to pull that is bullshit, and while I'm sure it does happen anyone that stays in a job like that (where you're paid less than minimum wage and you're doing anything not-serving) needs to seriously reconsider their lives.
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Feb 18, 2014 14:53
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bunnyofdoom posted:Me too! But only in the bedroom! (Cause I am pathetically single). "Health and sanity."
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Feb 28, 2014 06:59
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GigaFool posted:I couldn't have been more loyal to my boss; he trained me, gave me consistent raises, and helped turn my life around. When my opportunity to move on came, I gave my two weeks notice and he wished me luck. This is your life, not theirs. This. It's been stated in this thread again and again, and it's especially hard in this industry because a lot of us are loyal to a fault even when we shouldn't be. Any successful business is always going to put the business ahead of an employee - their main concern is doing what is best for the business. Yeah, they might give you a raise or training or responsibility or gifts or whatever - all of that is, at the end of the line, good for the business. That means that in order for someone to be looking after you, when all is said and done, YOU have to look out for you. If the best decision for you is to find something new, any actual decent employer/manager/owner/whatever will understand. If they get lovely about it, then they weren't actually as caring as you thought they were.
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Mar 3, 2014 06:51
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The Saurus posted:Liquid Communism saying unless you've been trained by a chef that people have heard of, they aren't going to hire you as anything above a line cook. Isn't that why kitchens usually have you come in for a day and show them what you can do? I'm assuming there's still a distinction between a chef de partie and a line cook in the US? Titles vary pretty wildly across companies/institutions, but CdPs are generally the head line cook for the section, or just a veteran line cook. While I'm not from NYC and have no personal experience there, from what I have learned from this thread and from people I know in real life that have, if you're moving there from Europe and don't have michelin star experience, you're going to be starting out as a line cook. Of course there are stages and trial periods to see what you can do, but most chefs don't waste time doing those with someone who doesn't have a resume behind them already.
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Mar 24, 2014 02:38
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Lynxxie posted:Hey ya'll so I recently moved up from cook to assistant kitchen manager at the restaurant where I work and I'm trying to help my chef out with scheduling. How many people do you have working for you? If it's anything less than 20, you're really better off just printing out a blank schedule you made in excel and pencilling poo poo in until it works. I don't know of any free software, the only stuff I've ever used has been connected to my POS systems and those aren't cheap. I've done scheduling everywhere from small 5-person kitchens to call centers with hundreds of employees, and a blank piece of paper with some squares on it is still my favourite way to figure schedules out. edit: sorry about the douchebag bookkeeper, that suuuuucks.
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Mar 26, 2014 08:15
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mindphlux posted:thread has been a little dead of late! My girlfriend bought me a shun for christmas and it's loving insane. Bar none the best mandoline I've ever used.
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Apr 15, 2014 07:19
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mindphlux posted:if they say it sucks, fix what's wrong and resubmit! failure isn't embarrassing, it's the only way to learn. I absolutely loving hate it if I make something new and no one has anything negative to say about it. Even if it's just a personal preference thing (it could have used more heat!), give me something.
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Apr 15, 2014 16:21
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Biggest thing most people look for when they run those types of interviews is: can you work clean, can you work organized. Make sure you're cleaning as you go, make sure you don't have piles of poo poo all over the place, make sure your mise is organized and you're not rushing to get something in a pot last minute before the rest of your poo poo burns, etc. Make food that is simple, that you're comfortable with, and make sure it's seasoned properly. If you can do all that, you're in.
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Apr 16, 2014 02:55
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It seems like it's the kind of place that maybe isn't a total shithole to its employees (since you're being paid a pretty decent wage already), but definitely get something in your contract in writing as to how overtime is handled. If your salary is based on a 45 hour week, yeah, you should expect to work a little more sometimes, poo poo happens, but "staying just a little late today" can pretty quickly turn into 60 hour weeks every week, and you need to get reimbursed for that (whether it's some kind of bonus pay structure, or banked for time off [and if it's that one, make sure that those hours are paid back within the next pay period or a timeframe that you decide is reasonable]).
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May 14, 2014 19:35
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MAKE NO BABBYS posted:Oh gently caress off. I go to a bar to drink. The fact that I'm in public doesn't mean I deserve to be groped, hit on, hassled etc. Also doesn't mean I have to talk to anyone. It's me, I am the bartender that doesn't loving want to talk to anyone when I get off; I want to catch up on my social media, read the news and maybe text people I actually care about. Leave me the gently caress alone unless I indicate that I want to order a drink. Bars are public spaces, people visit them for different reasons. Pretty sure what LC was saying is that if he's out with people, he makes a point to not stare at his phone while a friend is on the other side of the table. If you're just chilling by yourself after work or whatever, I doubt anyone's going to give you poo poo for checking your emails and facebook. And when they do (because they will and people are lovely), you're completely within your rights to tell them to go gently caress their hat. If I'm out at the bar WITH someone though, and they spend half the night tweeting and posting poo poo on instagram, I'm probably never hanging out with them again.
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May 17, 2014 09:49
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I end up out with new people fairly frequently just because they're friends of friends or new coworkers of mine or my girlfriend or whatever. If they end up staring at a phone all night (while specifically out with people), I don't go out of my way to hang out with them anymore because that poo poo is rude and they probably suck as people. If you're just chilling by yourself at a bar, yeah, everyone should just shut the gently caress up and leave you alone. Unfortunately people are poo poo and I've no doubt you're constantly harassed, I used to have to put a stop to that stuff all the time when I worked in bars/pubs. I mostly just wanted to point out that LC didn't mean no one should ever be on a phone in a bar, just that (like the post he quoted) he finds it terrible that there will be a table of 4 sitting there and everyone is just staring at their phone rather than interacting with the people that they left their homes to be with. Of course you've got every right to do your own thing.
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May 17, 2014 10:52
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Congrats on that. The dish sounds like it could have been really good, hopefully if (when) you're even in that position again you'll be able to really show what you can do. In the meantime, good luck and fuckin' kill it.
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May 20, 2014 23:49
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