Rob Babcock

I really like the name you're using now, Magus. In a way it seems a shame to change it since you seem to have some good customer loyalty and an excellent reputation. I'm glad to see you're getting a new rig built, though.

My knives. Screw the pots.

Paulrapheal really hits it on the head- bread will really dull a knife fast. I've had this conversation before with a professional sharpener. He thinks the sharp gyuto is better and can demonstrate it for you. At least once. The problem comes after the knife is on loaf #300. I used to be the Sous for a hotel that used a lot of VDF par baked batard for banquets. Not a bad product, spritz with water and bake. Comes out like cotton candy encased in cement! I'd love to see you take a Carter or Hattori KD to that when it's fresh from the oven. Then I'd like to see the same Carter or Hattori slice three hundred loaves in a couple hours for a banquet. You'd have to hit the waterstones twice before you were done. IMOHO a gyuto will make a fine bread knife for a home cook but can't hack it in the professional kitchen. Perhaps another chef or line dog can chime in and refute this but I've had much better luck with a good serrated. I have a Shun that works wonders and I suspect the slightly longer MAC would be even better (the scallops are similar but the extra length would be handy for longer cuts). One of the best bargains in a bread knife is the Pure Komachi manufactured by Kershaw Kai. They have a scalloped edge similar to a MAC but they only cost $15-20. They'll shave hair easily OOB and are pretty easy to resharpen. You could equip your kitchen them for less than the cost of Dexter Russells and get much better performance. They seem to be made of much, much harder steel than the 'disposables' normally used as house knives.

It's a pretty mediocre knife. Certainly you'd be better of with a Wusthof or Henckels for not much more. You can get a far superior santoku from the Forschner Fibrox line for the same money or a vastly superior entry level Japanese santoku from Tojiro for about $50-60. IMO the 'grippy' handles start to feel tacky/sticky over time. I really don't like them at all. YMMV of course. Overall the grip doesn't matter all that much if you use a pinch grip. I agree 9" is a bit largish for a santoku. You'd be better served by a gyuto. One I will say is that no matter what you buy an Edge Pro is a great way to keep it sharp.

Amazing thread! Sounds like you're going an awesome job. It's cool to be able to see the entire process laid out over the course of years. Congrats on the success so far and may you keep it rolling.

Some skills you'll need: Knife skills: You don't need to get hung up on being the 'fastest gun' with a gyuto, but you need to be very competent. Be able to dice, brunoise and chiffonade. You should able to bone chicken, process fish and cut meat (or at least be able to learn to do it). Work Ethic: To get ahead you'll have to outwork the guy next to you. You have to keep quality in mind and bust ass just as hard for the customer that walks in at closing as you would for the diner that eats at 5:00. Cook like your name and business card goes out on each plate...because it does. You also have to be a person the Chef can count on. If you don't show up someone else has to do your work and theirs both- no one likes that. Culinary knowledge: This varies depending upon the market you're in. An in-depth knowledge of the mother sauces isn't required if you intend to work for a big chain. But you should know the culinary basics and be able to execute them. This includes good techniques as well as a knowledge of basic recipes (eg can you make hollandaise from scratch, can you make demiglace, can you sautee). Thick Face, Black Heart: You need to have a thick skin- there's no crying in the kitchen. Sure, you have to be open minded but you also have to be mentally tough. Don't let it get you down. Don't be too proud but be sure you have 'a pair.' If you fall down, dust yourself up and get back on the horse. You're gonna fail (eg have crappy shifts and get out in the weeds so far you can't see land) but you have to have a short memory. You need some Brett Favre in you.

Sounds like a daunting task, but potentially a rewarding one. I would caution you to got slowly and not try to change things overnight. Presumably you have a lot of loyal local business; you don't want to drive them off. Inevitably they'll expect many of their favorites when they come in- heck, some of 'em probably haven't looked at the menu in years! I can offer a few pieces of generic advice: 1) Work hard. In my years as an Exec and Sous I prided myself on being the first in in the morning and the last to leave. You may not have to work from dusk til dawn but it's important to let everyone know you're working harder than they are. Especially if you don't have a lot of culinary experience you'll have to work to get the respect of your staff. 2) Be fair. If you're going to be managing people, be reasonable. I have spent many nights in the dishpit just to show my guys that I'm willing to get my hands dirty, too. Then when I ask for a 'volunteer' for help it's not viewed as a 'sh*t detail.' Try to handle scheduling and disciplinary tasks with tact and treat everyone equally. 3) Keep an open mind. Taking a job as Exec/KM is a pretty big step for someone with so little cooking experience. You will have a lot to learn, and you can't do that if you think you know it all. Don't be afraid to solicit advice from people who have experience. Read magazines, pick up some books. Wayne Gisslen's Professional Cooking would be a fantastic place to start. 4) Be humble. It can be a hard sell to completely rewrite a menu even when you're a chef with a lot of experience- it'll be harder for you. So many people (and I've been guilty of this, too) try to force their ideas on the dining public and this doesn't work. For example, I once was the Sous for a very nice independent restaurant group, but working in one of the smaller market cities in the Midwest. We're talking farm and ranch country. I always tried to feature couscous, polenta lasagne, etc but that's not my clientele wanted- they wanted steaks. They'd pay $40 for a big steak but turn their noses up at Sea Bass. Eventually I learned to create features that reflected the realities of the market. Sure I snuck a few things in for the adventurous but I didn't try to buck what the customer wanted. 5) Keep a sense of humor. Running a kitchen can be stressful at times. You're overworked and underpaid; it's hot, your feet hurt and the hours are long; you will stand by the back door right before the start of your Saturday night shift wondering where the hell your cooks are. You gotta keep a sense of humor about the rough stuff or you'll go crazy. Good luck and have fun with it!