Where have you worked?

[RAHiggins1]

I started to post this as a reply to Doodad's topic on kitchen production methods. Then I decided to make it a new post.

My experiences are somewhat different as I never found my way into anything really considered "Fine Dining". As a manager of "Waffle House" I can tell you that being in the zone when pushing plates can be an awesome experience. The busiest day of the year is christmas and it's 24 hours of pure hell. Imagine your busiest night and extend it to 3 full shifts, non-stop. Although they don't usethe same terminology, you still find the same basic positions of Grill, Saute and Garde Manager, just no sauces. BOH and FOH share the same space. All of it in plain view of the customer. But if you watch, you see that orders are called, foods are pulled out and proteins go on immediately. The same communication takes place, except that there are no tickets to refer to, once its called the cooks have to remember what it is, period. At one time I could recall any order currently down in waffle speak.

I also worked at Jocks and Jill's which Atlanta people should remember, it was a bar and grill with a full kitchen. The menu was designed without taking any of the kitchen into perspective, or the kitchen was not laid out well to cook the orders. Busy nights were always chaos. BOH and FOH were always at war. I walked out the first time the "Certified Chef" shorted my check about 30 hours most of which was overtime.

Prior to all that I was a cook in the Marines. Ever make meatballs for 1200? Eggs to order for 1200? Needless to say, it was an experience. Cooks however are cooks and we acted as unruly as any other off duty cook should, the whole kitchen was under 25 years old except the dining facility manager who was usually in his 3rd or 4th enlistment. I can tell you, you never want to mess up whatever food you were responsible for in a Marine Corps Galley.

[aaguirrejr]

I'm currently working (internship) in a local restaurant where nearly everything comes out of a box, knife skills aren't a necessity, but we get pretty busy.

We do near 600 covers every dinner during summer and I'm the grill person, where around 50-60% of those covers go to, so my station gets pretty busy + we have no floater.

I'd love to work somewhere where someone will take the time to teach me things, somewhere where i can improve my knife skills and it be appreciated.

[coquus]

I have worked in a couple Italian, a French, a couple American, a Hotel, Japanese, fast-food Korean, Vietnamese, a Bar. It's really all the same I think, work. I think there is a lot to learn from Waffle House as there is from Thomas Keller. My dreams for my future change daily.

[Maitre D'Hell]

I've worked in country clubs (Newport News Golf Course), chains (Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday's, TGI Fridays), and privately owned restaurants (The Tobacco Company, 1421, Dd33). The guys on line in the chains (normally) are just working a grind; the exec of the country club could cook, but when petit filets en croute with bernaise sit in a chafer for hours, the point is moot; but in the privately owned (fine dining more so) places i've worked, there's usually more of a passion for food, from presentation, to creativity, and, of course, taste.

Right now I work as maitre d' and expo, and the guys on line always speak of diner cooks with a reverence. My saute guy loves to mention the episode of Reading Rainbow where Levar Burton goes to work in a diner and uses diner slang - like "ice on rice" for rice pudding with ice cream.

Mad props to short order cooks; I couldn't work without my dupes.

[Doodad]

I started to post this as a reply to Doodad's topic on kitchen production methods. Then I decided to make it a new post.

My experiences are somewhat different as I never found my way into anything really considered "Fine Dining". As a manager of "Waffle House" I can tell you that being in the zone when pushing plates can be an awesome experience. The busiest day of the year is christmas and it's 24 hours of pure hell. Imagine your busiest night and extend it to 3 full shifts, non-stop. Although they don't usethe same terminology, you still find the same basic positions of Grill, Saute and Garde Manager, just no sauces. BOH and FOH share the same space. All of it in plain view of the customer. But if you watch, you see that orders are called, foods are pulled out and proteins go on immediately. The same communication takes place, except that there are no tickets to refer to, once its called the cooks have to remember what it is, period. At one time I could recall any order currently down in waffle speak.

I also worked at Jocks and Jill's which Atlanta people should remember, it was a bar and grill with a full kitchen. The menu was designed without taking any of the kitchen into perspective, or the kitchen was not laid out well to cook the orders. Busy nights were always chaos. BOH and FOH were always at war. I walked out the first time the "Certified Chef" shorted my check about 30 hours most of which was overtime.

Prior to all that I was a cook in the Marines. Ever make meatballs for 1200? Eggs to order for 1200? Needless to say, it was an experience. Cooks however are cooks and we acted as unruly as any other off duty cook should, the whole kitchen was under 25 years old except the dining facility manager who was usually in his 3rd or 4th enlistment. I can tell you, you never want to mess up whatever food you were responsible for in a Marine Corps Galley.

←

And I will follow it gladly. THE best chef/cook/hashslinger I ever saw was at a diner type establishment. The guy was a one man band. He could even take the order if the waitress was busy without missing a beat or the order in cue. He had at least a dozen orders at a time all in perfect sequence, all in time, all with a smile and some patter, and the cleanest station you could imagine.

Not haute cuisine, but Hot!

Oh and Semper Fi. $5 baby Army brat here; ate many a meal, especially at holiday times, with my Dad's units. Most of the guys were too far from home for Mom's cooking. Never got over that sheet cake icing though. Ate so much I hate it to this day.

[Tri2Cook]

I worked on a hog farm. I worked in a poultry processing plant. I built houses for a couple years and then did 12 years with the power company putting in new power lines.

Oh... that's not what you meant. You meant food-related. Ok. I did a year in a mom and pop pizza place. I did 2 years in a hospital kitchen. I've spent the past 5 years in a "family restaurant" type place. We do pizzas there as well. I make the sauce and dough from scratch, cut the fresh veggies daily and grate more cheese than I want to talk about in addition to the prep work/cooking for the rest of the menu. Most shifts are me and a server (we bring in an extra person on friday nights). It's a small place (22 seats) sitting right on the beach of a really nice lake so the view is good... in the summer anyway. We also do catering which allows me to get out my "fancier" side now and then. That breaks up the monotony of doing the same stuff over and over.

I have no professional training whatsoever, I jumped in with both feet and managed to keep them under me long enough to learn the ropes. I'd like to expand my cooking horizons beyond what I'm doing now so I plan to talk to the people at one of the "fancy" local places and see if I can weasel a shift or three a week this summer (they're seasonal, they just open during tourist/fishing season) even if I have to do it sans pay.

[ChefJohnny]

So far, I've been on the total bottom of the ladder as well as the top. Currently, Im Executive Sous Chef at a small French style inn in Northern VA. Chronologically prior, Sous Chef at Sì in Richmond VA, Sous Chef at a Michelin 2 star in Germany, Sous Chef at Sanctuary Tea in NYC, Chef Saucier at Daniel in NYC, Chef de Poisson at El Dorado Kitchen in Sonoma CA, Commis/Chef de Poisson at The French Laundry in Yountville CA, and Executive Chef at the West End Cafe in Providence RI while attending Johnson & Wales University full time for my B.A. in Culinary Arts.

Im in the process of moving back to Northern Cali for good. Im working on getting a spot with Richard Reddington at the moment. Cross your fingers for me!

-Chef Johnny

Edited March 5, 2008 by ChefJohnny (log)

[hummingbirdkiss]

I worked in coffee shops starting at 14years old . I lied about my age when I was 16 and landed a position in one of the finest restaurants in town ..one of my proudest accomplishments was getting away with being hired! I actually threw up after the interview I was so stressed out trying to put on a good appearance for these people...

I worked a lot of great places upscale regular scale! ..from driving a step van selling Rosa's Itlalian ice, country clubs, banquet halls, truck stops, a place called Rockys Feed Lot outside Ft Huachuca AZ...from the time I was 14 until I was 28 when I finally finished school and became a nurse ...I worked mainly as a server but also could be pulled in a kitchen as needed...

the transition from food service to becoming the type of nurse I am was quite easy ...I joke all the time that I went from a waitress to a waitress with syringes!

you be the judge

now

I triage sick people and place them in order of priorty juggle them and keep things moving out front and in the back

then

Took my tables in order of priorty and making sure everything was moving steadily out front and in the back

now

I keep patients happy by making sure they are as comfortable as possible waiting for the doctors to come in and see them

then

taking orders, bringing drinks and keeping them filled

making sure my customers were happy while they waited for the food to come

now

giving, fluids, medications, doing procedures, drawing blood, IV's, giving injecitons...

then

giving fluids, paying attention to needs, giving food

now

people leave feeling good (or at least better than they came in!)

then

people leave feeling good (or at least better than they came in!)

now

work my ass off, love my job and make a decent living

oh and for sure thrive on the gratitude of my patients

then

worked my ass off ..made a decent living and thrived on the gratitude and gretituities of others!

oh and in the restaurant industry ..I was fed well

nurses? ..we are actually fed qute well too!

Edited March 5, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[suzilightning]

growing up in a summer resort area you chambermaided (Ram's Head Inn, Dering Harbor Inn, Chequit Inn) or worked in a kitchen/restaurant. i have washed dishes, prepped and did bakery at The Cook, washed dishes, prepped, garde manger at The Chequit Inn, took a place from dark to open 6 nights a week working prep, line and late night bar food if needed(Earl of Stirling Pub) and worked for a dear friend when she went out doing private catering doing everything from cocktail parties to intimate sit down dinners to large receptions. came in quite useful since she and i catered my wedding.

now i do one or two pieces of work per month any time BUT september - november.

[rooftop1000]

luncheonette weekend grill cook at 14....chinese takeout place phone girl, pizzaria, BK, deli, deli, deli, really high end caterer, corporate cafeteria, deli, pretty high end caterer (8 years), corporate dining, office building Cafe, deli, deli, back to the same really high end caterer

thats 20 years and 2 swollen ankles

document processing...sitting in a real chair

tracey