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Starting a high profile new restaurant (after closing another)

gfron1

By gfron1
in Restaurant Life

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Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, gfron1 said:

.....a culinary school student that I met a few months ago at work who didn't know how to identify the top (v. the root) of an onion. It really has become my mission to eliminate that lack of connection.

 

No!!!! O.o

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

chromedome

chromedome

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, gfron1 said:

 I'm so mindful of a culinary school student that I met a few months ago at work who didn't know how to identify the top (v. the root) of an onion. It really has become my mission to eliminate that lack of connection.

I was utterly boggled by some of my classmates' ignorance of food and cooking in the broad sense. One young lady in my class was incensed when the instructor told her she had to taste everything she cooked. Apparently -- I kid you not -- from earliest childhood onward, she'd eaten literally nothing but canned soup and boxed mac and cheese, and was livid at being told she would have to put other foods in her mouth. 

 

Apparently her reason for getting a culinary certificate was to work at a retirement home where she had an "in" due to nepotism. I feel for the residents, I really do. 

  • Like 5

“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

gfron1

gfron1

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
2 minutes ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

 

No!!!! O.o

Final semester student from the top program in the city. :(

 

It's no different than back in New Mexico when I hired a cook who had worked in the other 4 nicer restaurants in town, and his first day happened to coincide with the day I picked up all of my county fair animals for butchering (4 goats, 2 lamb and a pig), and we spent the whole day breaking them down. He said it was the first time he had ever cut meat before for steaks or restaurant cuts. Crazy.

  • Like 2

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted

I admit to being so shocked about the onion that I misread it as "the top (v. the roof) of an onion"  and thought to myself "well I couldn't identify the roof of an onion either".xD

  • Like 6

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted

AND.  I had to look up Koji processed meat!  Fell down this rabbit hole. 

  • Like 2

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

I think the idea of the glass floor allowing a view of the cellar with its various growth and processing areas is wonderful, but some guests may not.  Will you have an alternative - an opaque walkway, for instance - for those who dislike heights or who might feel indecently exposed if a worker is below?

  • Like 4

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
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IowaDee

IowaDee

Posted
Posted

Maybe a sign..."No shirt, no shoes, no panties, no serviceO.o

I agree with the opaque glass for those who would feel more comfortable.  As an example, you will never catch me out on that glass bridge thing at the Grand Canyon.

  • Like 3
gfron1

gfron1

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
21 minutes ago, IowaDee said:

Maybe a sign..."No shirt, no shoes, no panties, no serviceO.o

I agree with the opaque glass for those who would feel more comfortable.  As an example, you will never catch me out on that glass bridge thing at the Grand Canyon.

what about the glass slide around the skyrise in downtown LA? :)

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

IowaDee

IowaDee

Posted
Posted

Nope, I've seen that and I'll take a pass. I saw a tour of a home somewhere, Palm Springs maybe,   The owners had routed a small stream through their living room and out to the  large fish pond.  The indoor section was covered with glass and you could see koi swimming to and for.  How would that be for a seafood restaurant?   Okay, sorry to drag this off topic.

Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, gfron1 said:

Guilty of being a guy on this. Hadn't even considered that. I'll have to think more about this. Might be resolved with parallel walkways -clear and solid.

xDxD

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

quiet1

quiet1

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Smithy said:

I think the idea of the glass floor allowing a view of the cellar with its various growth and processing areas is wonderful, but some guests may not.  Will you have an alternative - an opaque walkway, for instance - for those who dislike heights or who might feel indecently exposed if a worker is below?

 

I was wondering the same thing.

 

I'm now also wondering about using some technology in the design and decoration in the sense of digital photo frames or similar that are easily updated so they could routinely be changed to include photos from recent foraging outings or closer photos of the activity in the basement rooms to allow guests to get a bit more up close and personal with the ingredients and the season and so on? I'm not sure if you'd actually want them to be able to display information about the ingredient also, perhaps only on request? (I'm picturing something where these are placed so that people seated at tables can still see them clearly and reach to interact if so desired.)

 

Dunno, just a thought. I do feel like in a city, some degree of visual aids as to the season in the 'wilderness' may help build a connection between the guests and the seasonal foods - many people don't know or forget what it looks like off the beaten path just a bit, and are used to seeing the seasons reflected in manicured lawns and the condition of streets. That does also require someone taking photos and preparing the material, though.

 

(I know you don't necessarily go trekking into the middle of nowhere to forage, so wilderness is relative.)

JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted

Thinking of a transparent walkway makes me a little queasy.

 

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted

Possibly something balcony style!?

A rectangular floor window surrounded by a railing.

  • Like 3

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

gfron1

gfron1

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
1 hour ago, quiet1 said:

I'm now also wondering about using some technology in the design and decoration in the sense of digital photo frames or similar that are easily updated so they could routinely be changed to include photos from recent foraging outings or closer photos of the activity in the basement rooms to allow guests to get a bit more up close and personal with the ingredients and the season and so on? I'm not sure if you'd actually want them to be able to display information about the ingredient also, perhaps only on request? (I'm picturing something where these are placed so that people seated at tables can still see them clearly and reach to interact if so desired.)

We've been exploring this idea as well.

  • Like 2

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted

Personally, I thought the glass floor idea was awesome... to me, it is much more dramatic than having video, images, etc...  Plus, I love the idea of an enclosed walkway leading from the entryway to the dining room - it's very ummm dramatic.  I've seen this done very well in some places in NYC - there was a fancy Thai restaurant Kittichai (maybe it's still around?) that had a very dramatic dining room and a cool walkway from the entrance leading to it.  It was almost as if the walkway was suspended over a small stream.  Also, Bouley had a great entryway that was filled with fragrant apples - the second you walked through it, you were transported to a french-country type setting in the Northeast somewhere... like Connecticut or Massachusetts, or somewhere in NorthWest France...

 

So, if it's not possible to have your guests walk "through" the forest while entering the restaurant, to me, walking directly above it is pretty cool too.....

  • Like 2
quiet1

quiet1

Posted
Posted
49 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Personally, I thought the glass floor idea was awesome... to me, it is much more dramatic than having video, images, etc...  Plus, I love the idea of an enclosed walkway leading from the entryway to the dining room - it's very ummm dramatic.  I've seen this done very well in some places in NYC - there was a fancy Thai restaurant Kittichai (maybe it's still around?) that had a very dramatic dining room and a cool walkway from the entrance leading to it.  It was almost as if the walkway was suspended over a small stream.  Also, Bouley had a great entryway that was filled with fragrant apples - the second you walked through it, you were transported to a french-country type setting in the Northeast somewhere... like Connecticut or Massachusetts, or somewhere in NorthWest France...

 

So, if it's not possible to have your guests walk "through" the forest while entering the restaurant, to me, walking directly above it is pretty cool too.....

 

I'm thinking the photos would be in addition to whatever is actually in-house. You create the feel with the in-house stuff and build curiosity, and then the photos feed the curiosity about the ingredients that aren't in-house.

 

But the glass walkway would be an issue for people - fear of heights, and, as pointed out, if you're wearing a skirt you might be quite uncomfortable walking across, especially with someone in the room underneath. 

  • Like 2
KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted

@quiet1I understand your feelings about the glass floor - both the skirt issue and the fear of heights.  Years ago, in Hong Kong, my wife and I took a cable car that had a completely clear glass floor... my wife would have had a nervous breakdown if she hadn't sat there with her eyes closed the whole time!

  • Like 1
Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, quiet1 said:

I know you don't necessarily go trekking into the middle of nowhere to forage, so wilderness is relative.


I'm pretty sure that's exactly where he goes to forage. At least, when it's an option. I don't know what the foraging grounds are like where he is now but it looked like the (beautiful and scenic) middle of nowhere was where he was trekking before the move.

  • Like 1

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

quiet1

quiet1

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Tri2Cook said:


I'm pretty sure that's exactly where he goes to forage. At least, when it's an option. I don't know what the foraging grounds are like where he is now but it looked like the (beautiful and scenic) middle of nowhere was where he was trekking before the move.

 

'It seems like sometimes you can find foraged stuff that's not nearly as far out in the middle of nowhere as you'd think, which is mostly what I meant. The photos need not be of grand sweeping picturesque vistas to be interesting - the edge of a stream or a close up of a tree trunk can be just as effective at reminding people what is around them. :)

  • Like 1
MrSpiffy

MrSpiffy

Posted
Posted

Loving all of the ideas floating around.  I just want to float a friendly reminder @gfron1, don't get too distracted by tons of cool ideas.  Trying to do everything usually ends up being a disaster.  I'm sure I don't need to say that, but sometimes it's just so much fun to explore everything.  I have that high-novelty personality and go off on tangents all the time, so just speaking from my own experience.

 

Based on your plan, I know you'll stay focused on your goal.  I can't wait to see how it all turns out.  It's so exciting!  :D

  • Like 2
gfron1

gfron1

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
34 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I think your ideas are most interesting, Rob.  I will add one concern:  keeping that glass clean might be a pain in the ass?

I've thought about that and shared that with the designer. That will be a consideration in the material...or maybe we'll be the first socks only restaurant :)

10 hours ago, MrSpiffy said:

Loving all of the ideas floating around.  I just want to float a friendly reminder @gfron1, don't get too distracted by tons of cool ideas.  Trying to do everything usually ends up being a disaster.  I'm sure I don't need to say that, but sometimes it's just so much fun to explore everything.  I have that high-novelty personality and go off on tangents all the time, so just speaking from my own experience.

 

Based on your plan, I know you'll stay focused on your goal.  I can't wait to see how it all turns out.  It's so exciting!  :D

MrSpiffy - I appreciate the comments...and all the ideas being floated. The skirt over the glass floor is the perfect example of why I wanted to share my project. I did learn long ago to be open to ideas, but to stay true to my vision. At the end of the day the success or failure of Bulrush will be on my hands.

  • Like 3

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

MrSpiffy

MrSpiffy

Posted
Posted

@gfron1, I've done the same with some of my own personal projects.  (Woodworking, in particular.)  It's always helpful to get other perspectives to catch or suggest things that you may not have thought about.

 

As part of your connecting-with-your-food experience, will have an open kitchen so patrons can watch as their meals are prepared?

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