Mise en place, it is a culinary term meaning pre-preparation and is the key ingredient in a successful kitchen and a successful life.
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As fall is set to begin and labor day approaches I am still hard at work. For most people are going back to school or returning to the daily grind of work. Life in the restaurant industry is almost 24/7, it can be at times depressing as in the slapstick comedy “Waiting” and at times interesting as in the romantic comedy “No Reservations”. My weekends are opposite yours I’m sure. I can get away on a Wednesday and Thursday, but come Friday my week (that right not weekend) begins.
I have always loved restaurants and still want one of my own one day. For now I am a manager at a fast casual burger joint outside Boston. I’m not a chef, but like the 1000s of other QSRs (industry slang for fast food) places out there; many managers would join me in saying they aren’t chefs too. I respect and admire chefs, and have had 2years of basic cooking training myself; but chef school costs money I & my family simply don’t have.
In my relatively short time as a manager I have seen all types of employees in all shapes, sizes, ages, races, religions, et al. From good souls to devil seeds in this economy it is still hard to train, monitor, and retain a perfect $8/hr dishwasher. So like any chef would know, you have to improvise. In a short year I have learned how to do just that as well as, multitask, think ahead, manipulate, and above all maintain a positive environment in order to (at most times) get the day done and over with smoothly.
I am no longer a rookie manager, my foodservice career started in college washing dishes and now 4years later I’m still washing dishes, but able to do so while driving my own car and paying rent for my own place. This blog will showcase high, low, and any interesting (and believe me there will be lots of them) from the past, present, and upcoming days as my career in this thing we call hospitality is just beginning. So sit back, enjoy, and may I help you?
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