Now, This is a typical day for a Chef or Cook

[toploader55]

This is just Spot on, True, and brilliantly written.

So if you ever wanted to know about the restaurant Biz or the least bit curious, This pretty much nails it on the head.

Then read the 29 signs you've been in the restaurant biz. That's equally funny and correct too.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/girlcook/why-cooks-are-the-hungriest-people-at-restaurants

 

[tomturbomatic]

I only worked in a hospital kitchen with a 14 day menu rotation and only two hot meals out of 5 per day for patients. It was not haute cuisine, but I do remember that the coolest place most of the time was near the dishwasher because it was closest to the hall where the carts went up and came back and that had cool air. The kitchen and the laundry were the two un-air conditioned areas. When I worked housekeeping during the summer, we were glad to work in air conditioning.

 

[toploader55]

And Thank You Tom

Food Service is a grueling business.

It's like a bad gene or chromosome. I have left the business in my time 4 times.

But I always end up back in it.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

WOW! That is spot on!

There is a reason I left the restaurant biz to do institutional foodservice!  This insanity is only part of it.  The dysfunctional atmosphere that exists in many restaurants make the job unbearable!  I say this as a 18 year veteran of the restaurant biz.   I served my restaurant sentence and am happy to be released to the prison kitchen.

WK78

 

[jmm63]

That was nice Eddie. I can't tell you how many times I went through a drive through on the way home from the restaurant because I didn't have time to eat. But as I worked my way up in management it was sometimes easier to sit for a minute while doing the books etc and scarf something down. Now that I work in catering for a grocery store chain, I have little patience for the overpaid union worker that complains they have to heat a bag of soup in a microwave. Why don't you just try making that soup from scratch and see how much work goes into it. Dice an onion?? don't be ridiculous...they come in already diced. Give me a break.
I know the amount of work put into being in the restaurant biz and it takes a unique person to do it!

 

[toploader55]

I knew you would respond Nick

Thanks. And Jim Too.

And as we know no one looks after the Dish Machine. It's all about the details.

And Thanks Jim, You know as well.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

The Dishmachine

No one except me looks after it @ the prison!  Fellow staff and inmates alike think I'm crazy but it is such a critical part of keeping the institution fed that I can't ignore "Hobie" as the inmates call him.  It is truly amazing how many people in the food industry have no clue how to properly use and care for a dishmachine.

WK78

 

[arbilab]

Just serving myself once a day takes the most obsessive concentration I have. And I'm GOOD at obsession. In a commercial kitchen I wouldn't last 45 minutes doing 50 things at once keeping perfect track of all of them. Hats off to anyone who can.

 

[arbilab]

BUT if you're in the neighborhood and like one of the ~2 dozen things I know how to do, come by and watch me spin myself in obsessive circles trying to get it right.

 

[norgeway]

A restaurant kitchen...

Is very close to HELL!! I love to cook, but not for a living, Sawmilling is easier!!

 

[retropia]

My first real job was in a small Italian deli/restaurant. My job was more busboy/dishwasher than cook, although we sometimes had to do small jobs like chopping garlic. (The lady chefs were certain that if they were chopping garlic and accidentally cut themselves, they would get poisoned and die.)

It was an interesting experience. I'll never forget what my clothes smelled like at the end of my shift. It was not a pleasant aroma!

The food was good, though.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I thought it was bad just working at Burger King (and I preferred working in the back making Whoppers to trying to understand the cash register & dealing w/ customers and cleaning the dining room)...

Also had a Temp Job doing dishes in the kitchen at an auto plant factory cafe (where if not for a lay-off from that industry would'a been inspecting the parts the place made!)...

-- Dave