Knife's Edge - Restaurant Rants & Raves

Screwed!

No, not as in that chant our opening sous chef used to do, "We're screwed. We're screwed. We're screwed." over and over again as people poured into the restaurant while we tried to get prep done.

This is about screw-caps. I'll not weigh in about whether screw-caps are better for the wine or if they have problems, etc. I'm waiting for the screw-cap scandal to break.

When will be the first reporting of an unethical restaurant pouring box wine into a screw-capped bottle, resealing it and presenting it as a full bottle of the wine on the label?

I'll take your predictions in the comments.

Father's Day

On the beach last month. It seems worlds away.

Towels

In nearly every restaurant towels are an issue. Anyone who has cooked for any amount of time can tell you tales of coming in for their shift early, either to grab towels before everyone else gets there, or to pull their stash out of its hiding place so no one else can see.

The standard thinking is that owners are parsimonious, reluctant to spend money on towels. This is no doubt true in some cases. What is less rarely mentioned is that almost all cooks, myself included, will use towels to the exact level of their availability.

In trying to solve one problem, that of plates getting sooty and greasy when stored on the overshelf of the stoves, I solved another. The towels used to go in a non-working counter top refrigerator next to the cook line, close to the waiter's station. Note: Broken fridges make the best cabinets. They're stainless, lockable, have shelving, and are many times, free. We decided to put the plates there, pulling a few at a time to heat above the range. The towels wound up near the changing area, on the other side of the restaurant.

It appears having to walk to other end of the restaurant is sufficiently daunting to halt the spendthrift use of towels. We had a crazy busy Friday, normal Saturday, along with a 60 person off-site wedding. We get linen delivered today. Normally, we'd have only a couple of towels left, unless I had stashed some to get though the end of the week. Last night we had two bags left. Unheard of.

Now, if I can get the crew to keep the spices alphabetized.

Overdue

In my late teens/early twenties I had some odd ideas about success. One of the things I thought would signify my having "made it" was being able to afford to have a taxi drive me around when I couldn't sleep, because being a passenger nearly always puts me to sleep. This was in NY and so the idea of private car ownership never really crossed my mind.

Another marker of success was that I would have a subscription to every magazine published. At the time I had no idea how many trade publications were out there, I was going just for the ones available at the newsstand.

I've basically achieved these goals. The GM loves to drive and takes the wheel on our trips to the city while I take a nap. The internet gives me nearly free access to every magazine published. I am still however a sucker for the print magazine.

So much a sucker in fact, that I find myself being taken advantage of by the predatory subscription practices of all the major food mags. Like most you, I don't keep track of when my subscriptions expire. I get the magazines and once in a while get subscription renewal forms.

A problem with a subscription however led me to call customer service and in the course of the conversation I found out that my subscription was not even close to expiring and I was getting renewal notices. Since then I have been keeping track.

Today I got a renewal notice for Saveur. Sign up for three years and get some amazing amount off. I didn't think my subscription was due so I called customer service. Indeed, I'm paid in full until January 2012. Check your dues dates!

Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend

In every kitchen I've worked there have been pieces of equipment which no longer function as they should, but for a variety of reasons haven't been replaced. You don't even really notice them until you have to train a new person and explain each one's idiosyncrasies.

In my current kitchen these are: the burr mixer, potato peeler and small electric steam table whose on/off switches are kaput so turning on or off is done with the plug; the Cuisinart whose bowl doesn't always stay closed enough to make the motor run; the walk-in whose door needs to be pushed closed rather than closing easily by itself; the Ebay recirculator that requires a separate thermometer to check temperature; and the large mixer whose bowl needs to be clamped to the lowering arm because the pins have sheared off despite 2 different times of welding.

I read Hospitality Design and Food Arts lustfully, dreaming about gleaming, perfectly functioning pieces of specialty equipment. But I'm unwilling to spend the money, or rather, unable. I don't have an extra few thousands of dollars sitting around looking for a home.

Do I hear 6?

We've had our best May ever. At least in terms of number of covers, the money is harder to sort out because of menu price increases, different wines on the list, etc. Part of the rise in covers was due to a Mother's Day promotion but even without that we would still have had a record month.

Our area has always done well in a recession. A long-time owner in the area told me about the Carter years with double digit inflation and an amazing amount of business.

Some people asked if I thought $5 a gallon gas would affect us and after a little reflection I nearly jumped for joy. Summer is a season of bargain hunters and RV drivers for us. $5 a gallon might make them stay at home to find bargains in their backyard. The people who do make it here might be more the type of our fall customers, who tend to be more the type of people we really enjoy serving.