I felt Like Gordon Ramsay

[Jakea222]

So the other night I had the terrible experience of working sick - 102 degree fever, coughing my head off and wondering if the clock could go any slower. The last reservation came in, only to find out they were not dressed improperly and were sent home to change (Country Club Rules) The order finally comes in and me and my line guy start banging it out. No real complication just 5 minutes of work for 2 guys like us. When the annoying FoH guy comes in and tells me the onions are not saute'd enough - now to back this up a minute - my line guy is learning english and doing very well, but I stopped as he was doing that plate and read the ticket again to make sure he heard or re-read the ticket. He even showed me the saute - I ok'd it - he plated it and it went into the window for the final 2 plates to go up. When the annoying idiot tells me they need to be cooked! - My tollerance for people is usually laid back - but it hit a nerve. I told him it met my qualification and he back talked me again - I told him if he didn't like the way the Exec Sous and the best line cook we have don't meet his need he could get his fat a-- back and do it - if not get the ---- out of my kitchen.

How many Gordon Ramsays eppisodes have you ever had - this was my first - it felt good and bad all at the same time. My line guy was happy that I defended his cooking ability - but still bothers me some....- any good stories friends!

[BigboyDan]

Hundreds of blowups with the waiters over the years - I've cooked since the 1970's. I would curse at them using every single epitath you can imagine, and probably many that would stun you solid. But, as time has marched on, using words like #^&*@#$%*! that would once get you reprimanded by the Sous, now would get you a civil suit.

Now, I just recook the onions!

[Jakea222]

Hundreds of blowups with the waiters over the years - I've cooked since the 1970's.  I would curse at them using every single epitath you can imagine, and probably many that would stun you solid. But, as time has marched on, using words like #^&*@#$%*! that would once get you reprimanded by the Sous, now would get you a civil suit.

Now, I just recook the onions!

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I did jus tell him to get the hell out of the kitchen - he did!

[SundaySous]

Was the customer complaining or the just the waiter?

[Jakea222]

The waiter -the food order was only half up - I had 6 covers and 4 were in the window and finishing the sauce for the one and the steak - MED WELL needed 30 seconds more...he was just being an a-- - as usual

[SundaySous]

The waiter -the food order was only half up - I had 6 covers and 4 were in the window and finishing the sauce for the one and the steak - MED WELL needed 30 seconds more...he was just being an a-- - as usual

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LOL so the waiter is illegimate son of person running the show.

[Timh]

Not once, but twice I ran out to the dining room amd took a ketchup bottle and then a bottle of steak sauce off of the customer's table and threw it in the parking lot out back. One of the waitstaff smuggled it in. A few atomic f- bombs and they got the message, I hope.

Edited October 16, 2007 by Timh (log)

[Meanderer]

On occasion, I wish my server had the backbone to challenge the kitchen staff, even with items such as onions. On more than one occasion, I have been served onions that were supposed to be caramelized but which came out barely soft and as pale as when they were sliced.

By the way, I'm not sure I wanted to know that someone working with food had a temperature of 102 and was coughing his head off. I'm sure such cases--and worse--happen with frequency but, from my standpoint, ignorance is bliss.

[layla17]

By the way, I'm not sure I wanted to know that someone working with food had a temperature of 102 and was coughing his head off.  I'm sure such cases--and worse--happen with frequency but, from my standpoint, ignorance is bliss.

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I agree. Knowing that someone is preparing my food is coughing frequently makes me a little nervous, but I guess it's better than sneezing. I'm sure you washed your hands though. Hope your feeling better.

[Jakea222]

a kitchen does not stop because the chef is sick - if you think it does - I have news for you. Don't watch Gordon Ramsays kitchen nightmares. I wash very often, always cover my mouth and while I have no way of controlling fever - wear gloves for just about everything instead of just RTEs and the guests don't care as long as they get the food they ordered in 10 or under. As far as the saute was concerned - I ok'd them to go and to get second guessed by a server, should piss off all cooks. Last time I checked I had a degree and experience to know what is and isn't correct.

[Meanderer]

A degree and experience does not guarantee that mistakes or sloppy work won't occur from time to time. Doctors and lawyers, even experienced ones, have been known to commit malpractice. It would not be unprecedented for an accountant to screw up a tax return. I have to think that some of the ill-prepared food I have been served came from experienced chefs with degrees. Perhaps all of your food leaves the kitchen with perfection written all over it, but I wouldn't mind if servers who were knowledgeable would stand up for their customers in other establishments where the food is not prepared the way it ought to be prepared.

[pariah_kerry]

well, at least they care about the food they're serving. We all get our toes stepped on sometimes.

[roosterchef21]

I find that if FOH fucks up I let it pass for the moment. I deal with it internally and then get on with punching the food out. I have a reputation for not having lost my temper in months and they love it. The good thing about that though is that when I do lose my temper its panic stations for FOH. They crap themselves.... I end up getting lots of drink offers, lots of compliments some FOH's tips etc etc. It's great. Pick and choose your times to get angry and it works like charm. If I'm angry. I'm not doing my best work, I'm not as relaxed and definitely not as focused on the food!

[Jakea222]

this was no real big deal other than a blow up over something stupid and I have gotten chastized for bing sick on the line. You guys don't get into many professional operations. Right now the exec chef is out, I am struggling to maintain. 2 line cooks down and a part time dishwasher down - that leaves me, one line cook and on part time to run the place. The issue was over a saute and did I feel bad about it - yep cause he is a nice guy and we are the 2 typically on the nights that are going to be slow that we get slammed, this was no more than him over riding MY decision after I had already questioned my line guy - the line guy showed me and I saw that they were fine. He conitinued on harassing me and I told him to get the f--- out of the kitchen if he thought he needed it better....the dish did not come back! So you guys that are clobbering me - chill out. I just wanted to know how many Ramsay Rants you guys have done. Many people do not feel bad about it - I did - sick or healthy....as far as me being sick on the line - i have had all of my shots Heps etc....most illegals carry lots of nasty little parasites from central america - I hope you think about that next time instead of the guy back in the back with 102 degree fever and JUST coughing......Ha look em up it is even scarier. I did and it still gives me the willies!

[faine]

Maybe I'm just an inherently filthy person, but I don't really have an issue with a sick person working on my food. As long as they're not contagious, dripping tons of fluid, or ridden with Ebola, I figure I'm probably safe. And I think it's totally understandable that people gotta drag their asses to work one way or another, even if they're not feeling 100% (or 10%.)

I wonder: has anyone done a study or something on whether sickness is often/ever transmitted through ill restaurant staff? Of course there's all the dramatic WOMAN CONTRACTS FLESH EATING VIRUS FROM BOB'S PIG JOINT, but what's behind the surface?

[ravelda]

For my sins, I have had my share of explosive moments in the past. One that sticks in my mind was when I was cooking for a party of 14 - I busted my arse to cook their dishes to all go out at the same time (no mean feat when there were 8 different hot courses to be done - all by me, not to mention the other tables that were also called away at the same time). My runner was a really lazy sod who spent his time talking to the kitchen porter or chatting up the Waitress's. I kept calling service but he did not respond, and when he finally sauntered in the food was not to the standard I was happy with. I therefore sttod on the pass and propelled one plate after the next at him until I had despatched the final plate. Needless to say I canned the guy pretty soon after that!

[Meanderer]

this was no real big deal other than a blow up over something stupid and I have gotten chastized for bing sick on the line.  You guys don't get into many professional operations.  Right now the exec chef is out, I am struggling to maintain. 2 line cooks down and a part time dishwasher down - that leaves me, one line cook and on part time to run the place.  The issue was over a saute and did I feel bad about it - yep cause he is a nice guy and we are the 2 typically on the nights that are going to be slow that we get slammed,  this was no more than him over riding MY decision after I had already questioned my line guy - the line guy showed me and I saw that they were fine.  He conitinued on harassing me and I told him to get the f--- out of the kitchen if he thought he needed it better....the dish did not come back!  So you guys that are clobbering me - chill out.  I just wanted to know how many Ramsay Rants you guys have done.  Many people do not feel bad about it - I did - sick or healthy....as far as me being sick on the line - i have had all of my shots Heps etc....most illegals carry lots of nasty little parasites from central america - I hope you think about that next time instead of the guy back in the back with 102 degree fever and JUST coughing......Ha  look em up it is even scarier.  I did and it still gives me the willies!

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I apologize if you think I was one of the posters who was "clobbering" you. That was not my intention at all. I merely made two rather mild observations in response to your post. The first was that, occasionally, it would be a good thing if the server would question what is on the plate ready to go out to the diner. I did not suggest there was anything wrong with the dish to which you referred(because, of course, I wasn't there). In other words, if you understood otherwise, my comment wasn't directed at your skills or actions on the night in question at all.

My second observation was that, while I realize that people work in kitchens when they are ill, I would have preferred not to have been given the details just as I would prefer not to be reminded by a poster about all of the pesticides and antibiotics that went into the meal they have just so poetically described in another forum. Having expressed my recognition that people in restaurants do work while ill, I'm not sure why you subsequently thought it necessary to go to additional lengths to describe how bad the situation actually is. I am certain you don't intend to discourage people from eating out though the realities, if known by some who are not presently aware of them, might have that effect.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion that I chill out, if it was directed at me. I think that is something we all could learn to do much better.

[Jakea222]

Thanks Ravelda - I was hoping to get some stories like this started instead meander dude there got a little more serious than I wanted. I did hear back from an exec chef at a club that has 35 yrs of experience in NY and Hollywood and he said to get the servers attention from talking to each other about the "acting" job they tried out for, he would throw things at them. Nothing to hurt them but chuck something right between the conversation and it would make them jump. He also said that food would be waiting for them to finish conversations - firing them was no use, the pool of servers were all the same - very few professional service staff - I thought that was interesting.

[chefq2002]

I work at a Seafood House and there isn't a day where someting doesn't happen, beteen the ordering, temp. , and even items the become 86 at a busy night, they still try to order the item. But just to say for over 15 years now I have seen it all and there has been lots of times I have had to blow my top, but ot on the floor.

[SundaySous]

Maybe I'm just an inherently filthy person, but I don't really have an issue with a sick person working on my food. As long as they're not contagious, dripping tons of fluid, or ridden with Ebola, I figure I'm probably safe. And I think it's totally understandable that people gotta drag their asses to work one way or another, even if they're not feeling 100% (or 10%.)

I wonder: has anyone done a study or something on whether sickness is often/ever transmitted through ill restaurant staff? Of course there's all the dramatic WOMAN CONTRACTS FLESH EATING VIRUS FROM BOB'S PIG JOINT, but what's behind the surface?

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I remember salmonella being the big one.

[Jakea222]

I can tell you of a couple studies close. I worked at a University Med center before cooking - We were tracking "staph" infections on stethescopes of nurses and docs. We had also discovered that people who for some odd reason had brought thoses small suitcases with wheels and dragging them - the wheels had tested positive for all kinds of nasty stuff. I was part of a saftey committe that was looking into both of these. We had implemented the policy of the sterilizations of itmes like stethescopes etc, but the suitcase thing was very troublesome. I did see a study that the most common area of "filth" was not a pay phone - but the floors in the airport lines! So that can wake me up with as many international people....oh well - as much food as people eat at the all you can eat buffets it is hard to understand how any of us is still alive....