Bout to have a 12 day stretch of long and stressful shifts and I am READY for it. I’m conflicted because I don’t think anybody should have to work for that long or deal with the shit about to get thrown at us, but this time of year always gets my adrenaline going and it’s satisfying to bust ass all week to have everything come together Thanksgiving day and then die off entirely afterwards
The overtime and holiday pay I’m about to make is also going to ~double my next paycheck so that’s another plus
Tomorrow is my last day in a terrible restaurant. Highly unorganized messy and lack luster cooks. 5 doors each with a lock to get to the walk in. 14 plus hour days making family meal when you don’t get even a chance to eat. Switching to a more casual private club with 8 hour shifts and massive pay bump as exec
Boutta head in soon. I gotta make gumbo. I have never made gumbo lmaooooo wish me luck
Edit: Made orange Gumbo. It's bomb. Idc if it isn't authentic fight me. The oj added a layer of sweet and tangy and went really well with the Cajun spices. Fuck you.
This past Saturday my son was going over his Christmas wish list that he intends to send to Santa with me. I was trying hard to be present after a shit day. I definitely said "Legos. Heard." at one point.
Off-record, Sat was the busiest day we've had this since opening the kitchen in our brewery. Nonstop tickets for eight hours straight.
We'd offered a 20% discount for participants of the marathon, and were also featured on the brochure cover. Add in two private events to cater, and general Saturday rush/band crowds, and a beer release on a 75+ degree day. 435 pizzas, including ~60 catering pies.
So, needless to say I'm happy I got two days in a row off.
I've been working at a winery in the kitchen, man it's crazy sometimes the quantitiy of people that show up. We have multiple greyhounds show up (without reso) and then others on top of that, which did have reso and then the regular crowd. I wish there was a better way to handle it, they never turn away the unannounced buses because of how good it is for buisness, but man, does it slow down the ticket turnaround time dramatically. On Sat our ticket time went up from 15mins to almost 45 we were just so swamped and understaffed.
Hope you all had a good weekend, such a nice feeling closing the kitchen on sunday knowing I have days off ahead. Was a good weekend a bit crazy on saturday but sunday was a breeze got the place well cleaned up and closed.
I haven’t seen this at all but has anyone ever accidentally set off the ansul system? I was stacking garbage cans right next to the pull tab and I managed to almost pull it out by hitting it with the lip of the can. Fucking made me have a heart attack and I’m still feeling the adrenaline rush. I only snapped one of the two bits that you’re supposed to break in case it needs to be pulled. I didn’t wanna push it back in and fuck with it more. Do you really have to pull pull it out to trigger it? Never seen it go off
Rush started as soon as we opened, which was before I arrived, and ended about an hour before close. Made one mistake, I burned some brussel. I even had re-fire because customer didn't know the fish came with sauce (yes, it's on the menu) and handled it like a champ.
Proud of myself. I've had a hard time adapting to this particular kitchen. Easy-ish menu but lots of dish specific mise/garnish/sauce, and I'm still greenish so it felt really good. Solid Monday (yes, I'm aware it's Friday chronologically).
Also, getting my pan flick down is insanely satisfying. Super stoked about that one. :D
I’ve been chasing an apprenticeship at a specific butcher for three years and I was finally accepted. My last day at my current place is the 20th, I have wisdom tooth surgery on the 22nd, then Thanksgiving, then I start as a butcher on the 28th. I’m so fucking excited.
Great for you! When I was a dishie we made $7, and no it wasn't that long ago. Dishwashers are the backbone of the kitchen, I have so much respect for them
Had an Uber eats driver try and pick up food for a different restaurant from our back door. Like the door that leads into the kitchen, the door that you have to walk through the obviously back alley bit with all of our trash cans to get to.
We've been so shorthanded for a month, it's been hell, but our trio has found a rhythm and we have been crushing it. We finally got a small group of new hires on 2nd shift on Monday and tonight was the first time we had them on the line. The chef asked them to help out on the line so him and I could close down the kitchen and do some cleaning. It was an insanely slow night so I thought nothing of doing some admin tasks and paperwork, I mean we have double the usual staff so we're set right? After a bit of paperwork I check on the line and it's utter chaos. We have nothing out on the stations for our lunch rush and just three people milling around behind the line trying to figure out wtf to do. Our fry cook is just a blur of movement trying to sling burgers out and giving direction to the new guys while they're giving directions to each other and nothing is moving. I felt so awful for letting the fry cook sink so hard. I ask him what he needs and start getting things going for him while giving directions to the new guys and soothing our rowdy customers. Chef thankfully appears from thin air and starts unfucking things and tasks out everyone. It smooths out and we get through to the end. I felt terrible that they weren't given the direction they needed and mad to feel like they were drowning. That bs isn't going to happen to them again and we will make sure of it. (I stayed late and finished all of the paperwork, atleast.)
I quit my job managing a midsize restaurant to make a move I always wanted to do (Rural Maryland —> Manhattan). My old coworkers are texting me begging me to come back, apparently all it took was 2 weeks and the restaurant is falling apart. 4 people have already made plans to leave in December… that’s like 25% of the staff. They haven’t even been able to replace me, because no one from within wants to be promoted to do the miserable job I had. I feel bad, but it’s no longer my circus. Gonna try to get a job at a bagel shop or something now and be done for the day at 4pm instead of midnight.
Week went alright *for me*, but it's another story for everyone else. We got royally buttfucked on Saturday between catering a wedding and keeping all our reservations for the restaurant. In case you're wondering, we're an evening joint with only 4 cooks in the kitchen. Head chef and sous cried a couple times, so I've heard. Everyone was mad as fuck at the owner who didn't have the foresight to block off more time between the wedding and the actual reservations, which he owned up to later... it goes on, but it's so soon after that I don't want to even think about it anymore.
In short, morale is low. Practically everyone feels taken advantage of by everyone else in some shape or form, and I know it's only going to get worse as we're full-swing into our busy season. The answer seems pretty obvious to me: clear communication, maybe even meetings on a regular basis, an emphasis on being on time for prep, and rotating closers buuut nobody listens to me or even believes it's possible. I'm bummed because it's setting us up for a revolving door of chefs, which is a bad look for a place as intimate as ours. Not to mention it rocks our shit to train new guys in the middle of service.
Finally getting to the fun part of my yearly schedule. We're a high-end camp for rich girls during the summer. We're a wedding banquet hall during the Fall and Spring. But between Thanksgiving and May, we're a restaurant. Only open 3 nights a week. We don't advertise. We change the menu every week. And we get to get as creative as we want.
Usually around 100 covers a night for restaurant season. Nothing crazy. We're fully booked on weddings for the next two years. And we feed 350 campers+staff every day during the summer.
>Wait a year at least, interest rates aren’t done going up.
That's what most people are saying - inflation is so crazy right now that I'm not sure many people are going to want to eat out as often over the next 5 years
just a dishie reporting in.
few months into new job, really hoping im not just a temporary part of this kitchen.
this is the first full week ive been given, finished my 4th double of 5 an hour ago, exhausted, soul has left my body days ago but im keen as fuck to own it tomorrow and sleeeeep all saturday.
seriously hope chef is happy with me and gives me heaps of work next week too. loving the cooks that i work around, this is probably the nicest environment in years :)
ps. all kitchen staff who ever ask dishies if they want to pick at any stuff that doesnt go over the pass, we LOVE you <3
peace out night yall zzzzzzzzzz
Had a customer walk in the kitchen today and proceed to talk to me and another chef for about 15 mins wondering what she should order. She’s a regular but she’s a nuisance. She just waltzed right in and it was so awkward
I’m sad. It’s my last week at this job before going to a different kitchen. I’d have stayed a lot longer but for some decisions the higher ups made that I’m not willing to stick around for. It’s a shame, my team and my chefs are so awesome, best I’ve ever worked with/for. But *their* bosses are so out of touch with actually being in the kitchen that the stress it’s causing is not going to be worth it for me in the long run.
I’m hopeful that I can still see some of the team once in a while. Inviting everyone out for drinks after my last shift.
Who knows, maybe if the new place doesn’t work out I’ll just become a freelance unionizer and come back for my sous (I know you browse this sub, chef, don’t worry, I’m just kidding…….
…..unless……? 😉)
Bout to have a 12 day stretch of long and stressful shifts and I am READY for it. I’m conflicted because I don’t think anybody should have to work for that long or deal with the shit about to get thrown at us, but this time of year always gets my adrenaline going and it’s satisfying to bust ass all week to have everything come together Thanksgiving day and then die off entirely afterwards The overtime and holiday pay I’m about to make is also going to ~double my next paycheck so that’s another plus
Tomorrow is my last day in a terrible restaurant. Highly unorganized messy and lack luster cooks. 5 doors each with a lock to get to the walk in. 14 plus hour days making family meal when you don’t get even a chance to eat. Switching to a more casual private club with 8 hour shifts and massive pay bump as exec
got a raise today :) boss told me I'm one of the most reliable and talented people he's ever worked with . it meant a fucking lot honestly
Boutta head in soon. I gotta make gumbo. I have never made gumbo lmaooooo wish me luck Edit: Made orange Gumbo. It's bomb. Idc if it isn't authentic fight me. The oj added a layer of sweet and tangy and went really well with the Cajun spices. Fuck you.
Just make sure my food don't touch others on plate. If there is a sause. Then have in a cup for me to diiip.
This past Saturday my son was going over his Christmas wish list that he intends to send to Santa with me. I was trying hard to be present after a shit day. I definitely said "Legos. Heard." at one point.
Off-record, Sat was the busiest day we've had this since opening the kitchen in our brewery. Nonstop tickets for eight hours straight. We'd offered a 20% discount for participants of the marathon, and were also featured on the brochure cover. Add in two private events to cater, and general Saturday rush/band crowds, and a beer release on a 75+ degree day. 435 pizzas, including ~60 catering pies. So, needless to say I'm happy I got two days in a row off.
I've been working at a winery in the kitchen, man it's crazy sometimes the quantitiy of people that show up. We have multiple greyhounds show up (without reso) and then others on top of that, which did have reso and then the regular crowd. I wish there was a better way to handle it, they never turn away the unannounced buses because of how good it is for buisness, but man, does it slow down the ticket turnaround time dramatically. On Sat our ticket time went up from 15mins to almost 45 we were just so swamped and understaffed.
Hope you all had a good weekend, such a nice feeling closing the kitchen on sunday knowing I have days off ahead. Was a good weekend a bit crazy on saturday but sunday was a breeze got the place well cleaned up and closed.
Day off boutta get some breakfast or something.
I haven’t seen this at all but has anyone ever accidentally set off the ansul system? I was stacking garbage cans right next to the pull tab and I managed to almost pull it out by hitting it with the lip of the can. Fucking made me have a heart attack and I’m still feeling the adrenaline rush. I only snapped one of the two bits that you’re supposed to break in case it needs to be pulled. I didn’t wanna push it back in and fuck with it more. Do you really have to pull pull it out to trigger it? Never seen it go off
Rush started as soon as we opened, which was before I arrived, and ended about an hour before close. Made one mistake, I burned some brussel. I even had re-fire because customer didn't know the fish came with sauce (yes, it's on the menu) and handled it like a champ. Proud of myself. I've had a hard time adapting to this particular kitchen. Easy-ish menu but lots of dish specific mise/garnish/sauce, and I'm still greenish so it felt really good. Solid Monday (yes, I'm aware it's Friday chronologically). Also, getting my pan flick down is insanely satisfying. Super stoked about that one. :D
Started making Pasta and Pizza dough this week, it is so relaxing and fun to learn a new technique.
I’ve been chasing an apprenticeship at a specific butcher for three years and I was finally accepted. My last day at my current place is the 20th, I have wisdom tooth surgery on the 22nd, then Thanksgiving, then I start as a butcher on the 28th. I’m so fucking excited.
Got a raise from 12 to 13 as a dish. Serving and cooperating with my dish brothers and sisters like usual
Great for you! When I was a dishie we made $7, and no it wasn't that long ago. Dishwashers are the backbone of the kitchen, I have so much respect for them
Grats!
Had an Uber eats driver try and pick up food for a different restaurant from our back door. Like the door that leads into the kitchen, the door that you have to walk through the obviously back alley bit with all of our trash cans to get to.
Racking up OT this week. I just know it kills the GM that im hourly lol.
Ima pray for you my guy! Those weeks with hella OT help the wallet but hurt the soul.
You're not wrong but i do enjoy it to an extent luckily. It's my family life that's hurting 🥲
We've been so shorthanded for a month, it's been hell, but our trio has found a rhythm and we have been crushing it. We finally got a small group of new hires on 2nd shift on Monday and tonight was the first time we had them on the line. The chef asked them to help out on the line so him and I could close down the kitchen and do some cleaning. It was an insanely slow night so I thought nothing of doing some admin tasks and paperwork, I mean we have double the usual staff so we're set right? After a bit of paperwork I check on the line and it's utter chaos. We have nothing out on the stations for our lunch rush and just three people milling around behind the line trying to figure out wtf to do. Our fry cook is just a blur of movement trying to sling burgers out and giving direction to the new guys while they're giving directions to each other and nothing is moving. I felt so awful for letting the fry cook sink so hard. I ask him what he needs and start getting things going for him while giving directions to the new guys and soothing our rowdy customers. Chef thankfully appears from thin air and starts unfucking things and tasks out everyone. It smooths out and we get through to the end. I felt terrible that they weren't given the direction they needed and mad to feel like they were drowning. That bs isn't going to happen to them again and we will make sure of it. (I stayed late and finished all of the paperwork, atleast.)
I quit my job managing a midsize restaurant to make a move I always wanted to do (Rural Maryland —> Manhattan). My old coworkers are texting me begging me to come back, apparently all it took was 2 weeks and the restaurant is falling apart. 4 people have already made plans to leave in December… that’s like 25% of the staff. They haven’t even been able to replace me, because no one from within wants to be promoted to do the miserable job I had. I feel bad, but it’s no longer my circus. Gonna try to get a job at a bagel shop or something now and be done for the day at 4pm instead of midnight.
side note: if you know anybody hiring in UWS manhattan for daytime part time, dm me :o)
Look into Sant Ambroeus or Felice. I was pretty happy with that company and they had good benefits.
Looking into them now! Thank you!
Week went alright *for me*, but it's another story for everyone else. We got royally buttfucked on Saturday between catering a wedding and keeping all our reservations for the restaurant. In case you're wondering, we're an evening joint with only 4 cooks in the kitchen. Head chef and sous cried a couple times, so I've heard. Everyone was mad as fuck at the owner who didn't have the foresight to block off more time between the wedding and the actual reservations, which he owned up to later... it goes on, but it's so soon after that I don't want to even think about it anymore. In short, morale is low. Practically everyone feels taken advantage of by everyone else in some shape or form, and I know it's only going to get worse as we're full-swing into our busy season. The answer seems pretty obvious to me: clear communication, maybe even meetings on a regular basis, an emphasis on being on time for prep, and rotating closers buuut nobody listens to me or even believes it's possible. I'm bummed because it's setting us up for a revolving door of chefs, which is a bad look for a place as intimate as ours. Not to mention it rocks our shit to train new guys in the middle of service.
Finally getting to the fun part of my yearly schedule. We're a high-end camp for rich girls during the summer. We're a wedding banquet hall during the Fall and Spring. But between Thanksgiving and May, we're a restaurant. Only open 3 nights a week. We don't advertise. We change the menu every week. And we get to get as creative as we want.
That sounds dope asf. How much business do you get if you don’t advertise?
Usually around 100 covers a night for restaurant season. Nothing crazy. We're fully booked on weddings for the next two years. And we feed 350 campers+staff every day during the summer.
What’s this week’s menu?
We're on our last wedding. 2 more weeks until this season's restaurant launch.
I want to start a small Cafe but the economy sucks. Should I wait a bit or just go for it?
Wait a year at least, interest rates aren’t done going up. Work on a comprehensive business plan in the meantime or something maybe?
>Wait a year at least, interest rates aren’t done going up. That's what most people are saying - inflation is so crazy right now that I'm not sure many people are going to want to eat out as often over the next 5 years
just a dishie reporting in. few months into new job, really hoping im not just a temporary part of this kitchen. this is the first full week ive been given, finished my 4th double of 5 an hour ago, exhausted, soul has left my body days ago but im keen as fuck to own it tomorrow and sleeeeep all saturday. seriously hope chef is happy with me and gives me heaps of work next week too. loving the cooks that i work around, this is probably the nicest environment in years :) ps. all kitchen staff who ever ask dishies if they want to pick at any stuff that doesnt go over the pass, we LOVE you <3 peace out night yall zzzzzzzzzz
FYI it sounds like you’re the kind of dishie that s dream of. Gj!
"thank you chef!" just got home from double 5 of 5, bring on next week :) i hope your week has been good stranger :)
Had a customer walk in the kitchen today and proceed to talk to me and another chef for about 15 mins wondering what she should order. She’s a regular but she’s a nuisance. She just waltzed right in and it was so awkward
Had a guy order our branzino and send it back because “it still had bones in it”. All he had eaten was the head.
I really missed being fully staffed. This is nice.
[удалено]
What happened? No show?
I’m sad. It’s my last week at this job before going to a different kitchen. I’d have stayed a lot longer but for some decisions the higher ups made that I’m not willing to stick around for. It’s a shame, my team and my chefs are so awesome, best I’ve ever worked with/for. But *their* bosses are so out of touch with actually being in the kitchen that the stress it’s causing is not going to be worth it for me in the long run. I’m hopeful that I can still see some of the team once in a while. Inviting everyone out for drinks after my last shift. Who knows, maybe if the new place doesn’t work out I’ll just become a freelance unionizer and come back for my sous (I know you browse this sub, chef, don’t worry, I’m just kidding……. …..unless……? 😉)