Knife's Edge - Restaurant Rants & Raves

Method Man

I've just finished both "The Devil in the Kitchen" and "Alice Waters and Chez Panisse", which when boiled down, are about people who cannot, or will not compromise. Marco Pierre White takes the brutal, macho approach while Alice Waters does the passive-aggressive Northern California thing.

I, on the other hand, compromise too easily. I'm too attuned to how people are feeling, and too sensitive when they are feeling poorly. While I would not want to be either Marco or Alice, I could be a bit more firm. Perhaps firm, isn't the right word. Opinionated is better. As in, there's a right way to do things. Myself, in the kitchen, I show a cook how I do something and then tell them, "I'm not attached to this particular method, just these particular results. If you have another way to do this, and it comes out the same, that's fine by me." This usually works out well, although sometimes the method influences the dish and things don't turn out the same.

Maybe I need to say, "This is how we do this." Whatever this is at the time. Probably not, because seeing how other people do things is how I learn and adopt new ideas. Because usually (not always), the method doesn't matter. For my entire adult life I have favored long-sleeve, button down shirts and put them on the way most people do, buttoning each button singly. I watched "Chicago" a few years ago, and there was a scene where a guy is trying to get out of the room before the jealous husband arrives and he slips his shirt, which was already buttoned, over his head like a t-shirt. I immediately started putting my shirts on this way. It's faster, you never miss a button, and the result is the same.

What I really need to do is be attuned to when the method makes the difference, and insist that proper procedures be followed. In fact, that's my homework for the coming week.

Pottery or Leather

Tonight was our nine year anniversary of opening the restaurant and unlike years past we didn't have a big event. Truth be told we were having a hard time coming up with ideas that would top the last two years and were reserving our planning for next year. Ten seems like a good year for a bash.

We had a normal night of service, with a few special guests, Chef John Ash came in for dinner, as did some local wine makers and a radio personality from Santa Rosa. Some people from Vacaville who always bring us gifts came with an embroidered chef's uniform for the Sardine, with his name on the hat, the restaurant's name on the coat. A former employee who is now expecting (she called to tell us "you're going to be grandparents') came in and had dinner with the GM & Sardine.

In many ways it felt right. Just another night, but with reminders around of the lives we've touched, the people who have helped us get where we are and the people who will help us get where we are going.

Mentor

I was going to post about mentors today, then the GM and I watched the interview with Thomas Keller on the special features of Ratatouille. He talks about his mentor, and I thought "maybe I won't post about it because the GM will just think I'm doing it because Keller said something." The truth is this has been on my mind for a while now.

I need a mentor. I'm looking for someone wildly successful both personally and professionally, from whom I can learn. I've had plenty of role models and lots of friends I have learned things from. I learn new things from my employees every day. But since I am now in what is for me uncharted territory, I could use a little more guidance than I can get from friends and role models.

The ideal candidate will be a well rounded person, with varied interests that arouse their passion, the ability to balance those interests healthily, who is willing to give advice to someone who doesn't take advice well. Ideally this person is a restaurant owner, manager or chef and a parent.

Know anyone?

Fromage Fort

is something you don't see much of these days. At least not in this country. For all I know it may be served at comptoirs all over Paris. So how can you sell it? Because I made some. Not much, I didn't have too much leftover cheese. I know what will happen to it. I'll eat it.

2008

Will be the year of balance. 2007 saw me fully make the transition out of the kitchen, onto the floor and into ownership. In 2008 some changes are coming. The GM will return to work one night a week (Friday), giving me a night with The Sardine. For at least the first few months of the year, I'll be in the kitchen one night a week, as my steadiest cook is in Mexico for the winter. I'll be in the office a couple days a week and on the floor a couple of days. I'll work 4 days and be off 3.

Our sous is really more the chef de cuisine at this point. He has really stepped up to the responsibility well. A month ago he left a note on the walk-in reminding the crew to do some basic things and telling them "I want fresh food, make small batches". I grinned when I saw it because it wasn't me writing it, but it's what I would have said. He's also taken on doing the small errands that I used to have to do, like picking up things at the store.

Our office manager has also really taken on more than we've expected. Just as the chef de cuisine has taken my role in maintaining standards, our office manager (who is also a waiter) is using the voice of the GM, looking over paperwork, and managing the myriad details of invoicing, discounts, comps and proper procedures.

What I need to keep in mind is that this only happened by the GM and I stepping away, creating the need for someone to fill those roles, and giving them the opportunity to grow into them. More than ever, our jobs are to develop people. We used to develop people more in a personal way, turning around the troubled teen, giving a safe haven for the misfit to discover self-worth and earn a living. We will always do this I'm sure, but now we can also develop people professionally, helping them become leaders themselves.

Right now though, it's time for inventory.