Jakea222

I use them all of the time - I carry my knives around in the kitchen in them - My knives are a heck of a lot sharper than the "kitchen" knives and I mark my knives with yellow tape so everyone knows they are mine but that they are very sharp. The staff are allowed to use them but are to put them back in the sleeve when done - worth the couple of bucks each for them

I amthe guy in the back - Sous chef -a Working Chef - that also deals with the crazy maniacs sitting down but also having to figure out what the hell the servers are trying to punch in to serve the patrons. It is a crazy job being up front and it is crazy in the back too. And excuse me mr mitch was it - yes you do pay for services at an establishment but people in the food industry are treated like shit. If you have had poor service maybe it is becasue of the attitutde you just through out there on this thread. I am alwys greatful when I go out to eat at simple or formal places. While I do have a very picky way I like things - I do take into consideration where I am and then base my reactions accordingly. One sitting down at a dirty table - sounds as if that combination of your post and the places you go - no wonder you are picky. But I work at an open 365 days a year club that has some rich rednecks that only dream of being in the light of the places in Boca Raton / Hollywood / NY and LA. These guys have the same "paris hilton" complex of you are my slave - and you know what - we are here - we are proferssionals serving in what we can only hope professionals ot people. But often get treated poorly by any number of simple things. Like aove - i have had eggs - steaks melted cheese on a grilled cheese was not melted enough to the toast is not brown enough - this job drives people tp drink or smoke or live under a bridge. So I speak for all of us people dedicated to the service of the patrons in the fron - CHILL OUT - have some fun - eat some good food - order like you would at your house - you certainly would not get up 10 times in 30 minutes wouod you - well - your server should not have to run 10 times for things that you can't make up your mind with - the pay my salalry thing - yeah well - the establishemnt has to deal with you - you don't pay me becasue if it were direct I would have grabbed you by the seat of the pants and popped you right out on the sidewalk just like Gordon Ramsay did so long ago ---thanks for the thread - I needed it anfter a bad day of feeling like a slave to the club members....- thanks guys - Chef

Make it fun with Jello!

Do Whatever they want - OR most importantly whatever they wash for you ! I could care less as long is it is cool and is easy to wash. I do get the european check pants and black solid and it seems to be appropriate - but the print pants while cool are way out there

yes - they were coined by the actual "use" of onkey skulls and it just stuck!

Sharing fee - and not much you can do - I used to work at a club that had a family night every Sunday - pasta bar themed buffets etc - but this one family would order one adult meal for the 2 adults and one kids pasta - usually some form of the 6 we had on the station tossed in butter - then they would get one buffet and all eat off of the one plate! - One adult 19.95, One kid 5.95 - total around 28.00 after tax and club fee instead of 60.00 - Ok here is the kicker- the people were not just loaded - they were part of the top 1/2 of 1% of the rich folks - The Donald Trump line of money - i guess that is why they haved it - stealing it.

OK I went to CIA - AND I am a career changer. I have a Bachelors in Bus Adm and 10 yrs experience. Here is what you have to ask yourself if you are an older student and what I thought about - First - what is it that I want to accomplish? That means that I am 39 years old and starting out in a new career of food - at the time I was 35. Second - which place is going to give me the leg up on the young guys - I am very jealous of all of the new grads from wherever they go CIA, FCI, JW Art Ins, because they will get more cooking than I will because I am old! Third - which place is going to have a diverse group for you - I did not want to be the oldest in a class of 18 yr olds fresh out of HS. You can get an education anywhere and CIA is where I chose to go because it met all of my goals and was close to NYC one of the biggest food places in the world! These guys always fight over CIA and J/W and yes J/W grad always pick on CIA just like the guys said - defending J/W - but being older I wanted the connections. I have had job offers out the ying yang and I have no clue if it is CIA or what - but I can tell you I loved it - The foundations were solid - my extern was with a club in S. Florida and 3 CIA grads and 1 J/W grad - they were all great - I can say that Florida Culinary , I was told - the entire culinary staff is CIA grads - not sure now - More published authors are CIA grads - so look at all of them - I looked at New England too - it was nice as well - I was a Sous in VA and J/W did close that campus - so I am not sure if was temp or what. I will tell you this - you should go work for a place before you jump careers. It is NOT the food network. Read Michael Ruhlmans book - Making of a Chef - it is the CIA - Reach of a Chef also is a good one - Both stories on CIA!

I have your problem - I have been out of a kitchen for a few months due to relocation for my wife and I have put in some time the last 3 weeks as a Sous Chef and let me tell you I hurt and feel like I could sleep on my feet. It will get easier as I had the same thing happen before but trying for some normal routine is the best - SLEEP is the best when you can - good luck

Hey JOhn or Cynical I appreciate the feedbacl - Loved your website too - it did take a while to load though. Your wife there reminds me of my wife. I tend to go on to long stories, she usually leaves too or gets me to chnage the subject. I just got picked up by a club and they are going to ACF me and wnat me to certify - so what the hell right. Loved your piece on Tony B - Michael Ruhlman is fun too - his last book he was in our class - he really is a very knowledgeable dude. Anyways - great post and great site - I will look you up if in town - Jake

Thanks - I have noticed that most BIG Hotels and Country Club Chefs are all certified and it is looking like it is important to the club jobs. Thanks for your input.

Heard some bad things about Emeril - but it sounded like ego stuff - same for Mario. I think some of these guys are really great and just watching what they do and how they do it is amazing. I went to CIA as a career changer and the CMCs and "lifers" could do thing and make them look so easy. I think they all have cranky days - my exec chef on extern was brilliant and you knoew he was in the building, not by yelling, but the calmness he led to the ranks. Now my last gig the exec was well he prided himsl;ef on making people scared of him and darogatory statements - hell i had to go in the walk in to see my CIA Diploma card to make sure a few days....

Oh - thanks to anyone to brave the list of questions - Need some input so I can work on it or not waste time - you don't have to answer all of them - any part will be fine

I am a Sous Chef - NOT certified by ACF and was wondering about the prep towards it. 1. I saw the ACF books on what it looked like some prep or kind of "cliff notes" has anyone used the ACF books? 2. Does it really help if you are looking around to job jump? 3. I have a CIA degree that has helped a ton with job searches in the past - just wondering if this ACF certification is as important as they make it sound. 4. Competitions - I know you have to do some to practice up for certifications - are they really difficult? I have done lots of mystery baskets and had no problem, are they the same principal - but tyring to beat out others for gold, sliver, bronze? 5. Do corporate competitions count - like Maple Leaf Farms, etc? I appreciate any feedback - have a great week everyone...

Yes they have a chef or something write the food part - but the show in general is written very well. They certainly have very snappy conversations and lots of "people" mentioned that I have never heard of and actually looked a couple of them up and it made more sense to me after I knew who the person was - good show

Hey guys - you know it is difficult - but I figure that the people on this site are REAL food people - While Rachel has "Worked herself up through the ranks" don't watch - I don't I find the food network in general a laughable joke anymore. Only a couple shows are worth anything. Hers appeals to a simple audience - not pros. I certianly know that the pros screw up too - I don't watch Emeril - but I have seen him screw up cooking - the man knows what he is doing and you know - shi- happens.

Mark - I should have told you - take a camera and take pics of your finished plates. At the CIA we fed the students and I am not sure what they do other places - BUT when you interview - if you find out they are an alumni of the palce you went - the pics come in real handy. They love to see what the school they were in is doing now especially if they have not been back - BUT then it also gives you some plating ideas when you go out and hit those mystery baskets trying to get a job. I was offered everywhere I cooked - just getting in to cook and interview is the thing. BUT TAKE PICS!

I started in catering, worked at clubs and small restaurants and let me tell you caterig is hard work. If you do it right - harder than anything else. You cook, you pack, you drive, you unload, setup, cook a lot more, breakdown, clean, drive back, clean up some more...It is tough. If you want a hobby go work for a caterer for events on weekends take the rest of the week off.

Have a commercial Restaurant HVAC dude check for you - sometimes that min fire standard is just not enough to pull out some smoke or smells that hit the dining room - they can help especially if they are selling stuff

you will be treated like slave labor - but pest away to get in there if that is where you want to be. The tell yourslef you are going to be the sorry assed bastard on the low ladder - so get ready to do some grunt work - it will et better - kind of a right of passage. - some places don't have all of that and you can find out from people that have come back from extern - they are the best source of info not the guy in the nice clean white coat who you may or may not ever see again...

I have been looking at the typical IHireChefs ACF Careerbuilder CheftoChef Any others out there that my help some of us "looking"for work scmucks! Thanks ahead of time

dude you are in palm beach - i worked in boca - people don't cook for themselves there - right - i worked at a club and on my day off would go around looking and eating at places that looked local - the gm told me that mondays are the busiest because the clubs are closed and the club "people" come out of the gates and expect the local places to kiss ass just like the clubs - they are a hard bunch to work for sometimes - we kept things in stock for certain guest and those guests only - if they were out of town it went bad - if it wasn't on the menu - no problem - good luck down there it is a fun but crazy place

If you send an email - do a catch phrase to get the attention. I did one at the start of December just looking to do some prep for someone and did - are you short handed, need help for the holidays - it worked. I sent out blind emails all ofthe time when looking. Make a short - very direct - this is me - I can do--- - and my resume attached - call anytime. Research is the key. Email addresses are out there sometimes you just have to dig. The corp HR application crap - I never evergot a response from any of them. They are time consuming and ask for a ton of info - stop by if you have a chance - I ate at a couple of places and asked the server questions. I went to one interview - ate lunch before to get the feel - asked the server questions and got lots of scarey answers - like - they did 2100 people last Saturday and the Sous is a tough guy that pissed off two line cooks and the dishwasher and they walked out. They can't keep anybody because of the guy and they gave the current guy that does not care .50 more an hour to deal witht he sous....then I went into the interview with the Exec Chef and then the Sous - I did some questions that they looked at each other and wondered how I knew. As far as not finding direct emails - look at the company web - dig. Look for newsletters, special events that may name the chefs, write the chefs name down look for another email of the place - if it is the first letter and last name of the GM - the same is goingto be for the chef - worth the risk - beside all it can do is come back saying undeliverable.... EXTERNS - ask questions - I had to do however many hours at the CIA and ended up doubling that and I could not do anything about it because they have your grade in the booklet they have to fill out. I went to FL and worked throught the holidays at a club that used to have 5-10 externs and they only had 2. I was doing 70-90 hours a week - the first week i could not feel my legs at the end of the day and 2 days crawled out of my car. Those guys will say anything to get help especially during the holidays. I only had 1 - no 2 sit down 5 minute conversations with him - learned a lot - would not trade the experience - but could have learned more if I could have only felt my legs!

I had a buddy that externed at Emerils in N.O. and he said that the sous chef told them not to even make eye contact or approach him in any way. When he comes in the kitchen - things pretty much stop, especially when he is giving a tour to a VIP. He said that Jessica SImpson and a crew came in and they were told to leave the station and go to the very back of the kitchen - whne he got back the printers were all going to the floor and the sous chef started yelling - oh well - life of a VIP CHef

I have all plastic boards - BUT what about these new bamboo boards I keep seeing...anybody know anything about them - how they last - do they sanitize well, dishwasher any news would be great...

A&W - we ahd a true drive in - the counter inside was for roller skaters and pickup only Burger Chef - was the burger place - cut out by the big guys