Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 5, 2023

There are films that become representative of a generation and sometimes of a life lesson – occasionally both. We remember a line or two that is always there to remind us, to give us pause, or inspire us to reconnect with something or someone. You want more! The fact of the matter is: “Wax On, Wax Off” is great advice.

Kitchen Safety 364

Kitchen Safety Food Safety Back of House Front of House 364

Culinary Cues

MAY 27, 2023

Employees can always catch up on their phones during breaks but during production and service their focus must be on the job in front of them. [] BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER: One of the “bad and ugly” aspects to technology, especially social media, is that people are pulled into their silos and fail to interact and share with others.

Technology 345

Technology Front of House Social Media Back of House 345

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 30, 2023

Yes, it’s true – when the Michelin Guide decided to recognize some exceptional street food vendors with Michelin Stars, they broke the barrier of snobbery noting that excellence can happen outside of traditional fine dining. It will take super-human effort, ample amounts of time, arduous training, and boat loads of cash.

Fine Dining 351

Fine Dining Front of House Dine-in 2016 351

Culinary Cues

MAY 28, 2022

This is where we celebrate and reflect – the place where a cook offers the most important expression of love through the creative preparation of food. We work hard, very hard physically, mentally, and even emotionally through the process of preparing and serving delicious food. The most important room in a home is the kitchen.

Front of House 318

Front of House Back of House Employee Relations Small Business 318

7 Shifts

JANUARY 31, 2024

It's up to the restaurant manager to maintain a warm, welcoming atmosphere and train staff to do the same. Inventory management Managers need to ensure the kitchen is stocked with the right amount of food so that nothing is wasted and as few items need to be 86'ed as possible. This part of the job is arguably the most multi-faceted.

Management 398

Management Management Kitchen Safety Front of House 398

7 Shifts

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

Food Service Skills For Your Resume. 5 Restaurant & Food Service Skills for Your Resume. Health, Allergen, and Food Safety Training and Certifications. Food allergies. Food Service, Kitchen, & Hospitality Tech. Cooking and Food Preparation. Table of Contents. Skills for Your Resume.

Front of House 370

Front of House Back of House Kitchen Safety Food Safety 370

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 9, 2021

We may complain about the guest who is taking loads of pictures of their food and posting them on Instagram, but deep inside we get a bit of a rush when it happens. We may complain about the guest who is taking loads of pictures of their food and posting them on Instagram, but deep inside we get a bit of a rush when it happens.

Front of House 473

Front of House Customer Experience Workshop Dine-in 473

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 22, 2022

There were eighteen or twenty seats (mostly deuces) and in better weather maybe two more tables on the street or alleyway in front or beside these tastes of a chef. There were eighteen or twenty seats (mostly deuces) and in better weather maybe two more tables on the street or alleyway in front or beside these tastes of a chef.

Seating 440

Seating Front of House Back of House Cash Management 440

Culinary Cues

JULY 16, 2022

Dick Cattani was a monumental figure in the business of food hospitality. I am aware as I grow older this is going to happen, but nevertheless, it hits hard and makes you take inventory of the person you are, what you do, how you do it, how you treat others, and the way you live your life.

Front of House 364

Front of House Back of House Education Leadership 364

Culinary Cues

MARCH 21, 2022

When a kitchen exudes calm, even when the amount of food prep and the stress of the moment seem over-the-top, it is always a result of organization and attention to detail. To some, it may seem less significant, but to seasoned professionals – this is the truth of the kitchen. It becomes natural – how he or she lives.

Front of House 351

Front of House Back of House Point of Sale Uniforms 351

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 8, 2022

The anxiety building up to a full house in the hotel packed with a series of food events has made it impossible to relax. Well, here we go. I haven’t slept much at all over the past few days and certainly won’t until the weekend is over. The preparation has been mind boggling, now we just have to execute. Things looked good.

Front of House 395

Front of House Back of House Seating Food Truck 395

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 15, 2024

As the chef of a busy restaurant, I know emotions in the kitchen will be high and the focus on food will be challenged by the anxiety felt by cooks hoping their team will make it to the next round. It’s January in the Northeast – a time when the demands of the kitchen and the excitement of football converge. I respond in kind. “No

Front of House 247

Front of House Food Order Back of House Café 247

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 28, 2021

I know you remember the first day that you slid your arms into the sleeves of that chef’s jacket with your name embroidered under the title: executive chef. It was that first time in the lead position – the commander of the kitchen brigade. You are now the conductor of the orchestra that is totally in sync, creating beautiful music together.

Kitchen Safety 421

Kitchen Safety Front of House Fine Dining Seasonal Menu 421

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 17, 2020

This is a behind the scenes look at the place and the people that bring a plate of food to the guest’s table. The chef will likely be the most experienced culinarian with responsibility for the financial operation of the kitchen, menu planning, ordering and inventory control, training, and quality control.

Seasonal Menu 515

Seasonal Menu Back of House Customer Service Front of House 515

Culinary Cues

MARCH 26, 2022

Well, you have all heard the statistics about success and failure when food and beverage are involved, so I won’t repeat them. Once established – do not sacrifice what you have invested the time in developing. [] FAILING TO INVEST IN TRAINING. Training ALWAYS pays back in dividends. How hard can it be – right?

Cash Management 364

Cash Management Social Media Restaurant Law Communication 364

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 24, 2023

Everything has a place, and everything is in its place, is a mantra that becomes an obsession with cooks and chefs. It is the very act that allows cooks to push through the chaos of a restaurant kitchen day with military precision and awareness of looming uncertainty. Cooks seem to willingly drink the Kool-Aid”.

Back of House 406

Back of House Front of House Food Order Uniforms 406

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 8, 2023

It’s the fire in the belly waiting to take charge, the anxiety being held in check, cold sweat running down your back even though it’s 120 degrees where you stand, and the nervous chatter of tongs clicking to the beat of a cook’s rhythm. Now everything is quiet except for the clicking of tongs. The air was thick with anticipation.

Fine Dining 458

Fine Dining Back of House Front of House Food Order 458

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 15, 2022

Every person has needs that go beyond food, shelter, and clothing. Putting one foot in front of the other may be the right place to start, but inherently we all want to run. Putting one foot in front of the other may be the right place to start, but inherently we all want to run.

Uniforms 411

Uniforms Front of House Food Safety Healthcare 411

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 18, 2023

The rhythm between front and back of the house is seamless, tempers are in check, and the night ends with everyone sharing fist bumps and high fives. Whenever we (chefs) look back on our time in the kitchen, we’re able to categorize experiences in one of three silos: a learning experience, mission accomplished, or inspiration.

Back of House 377

Back of House Front of House Education Café 377

Culinary Cues

JULY 31, 2023

A few years back, I posted an article about the UNWRITTEN RULES of the kitchen. It was an attempt to outline those universal guidelines for success in a kitchen, those attributes, and expectations of anyone who ties on an apron. These are not the only rules, nor are they necessarily a perfect fit for every operation, yet again, maybe they are.

Kitchen Safety 322

Kitchen Safety Back of House Front of House Food Safety 322

Culinary Cues

JULY 4, 2021

This will, of course, make it far more challenging to control quality and consistency, but with a movement towards on-going training and quality assurance – it can be done. By now, everyone is aware that there are enormous challenges with the supply chain – brought on by the pandemic and post pandemic rush to return to normal.

2021 494

2021 Food Supply Seasonal Menu Supplies 494

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 4, 2022

People do care about value and once the splash of being able to get out of the house wears off, value assessment will be paramount once again. Well then – what will? Try apathy on for size. Maybe it’s me but I have seen a growing number of restaurants (certainly not the majority at this point) who are simply not trying that hard anymore.

Front of House 327

Front of House Coaching Uniforms Back of House 327

7 Shifts

JANUARY 31, 2024

It's up to the restaurant manager to maintain a warm, welcoming atmosphere and train staff to do the same. Inventory management Managers need to ensure the kitchen is stocked with the right amount of food so that nothing is wasted and as few items need to be 86'ed as possible. This part of the job is arguably the most multi-faceted.

Management 195

Management Management Kitchen Safety Front of House 195

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

So choose where you want to sit and lets jump on the speculation train. [] NOURISH AND PROVIDE SUSTENANCE: Without a doubt – one of the primary purposes of a restaurant and one that supports the defined needs of a guest is to fill their stomachs. Of, course the food must be tasty and appealing at some level and above all else – consistent.

2022 374

2022 Food Truck Merchandise Point of Sale 374

Clover - Restaurants

MAY 7, 2024

Here are a few sample back-of-house job descriptions you can use to jumpstart your own job descriptions to help attract top notch BOH staff. Lead and manage back-of-house kitchen staff, including sous chefs, line cooks, prep cooks, and dishwashers. Continuously expand culinary knowledge of techniques and best practices.

Back of House 52

Back of House BOH Kitchen Safety Front of House 52

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 23, 2021

In those restaurants where profit is measured in terms of smaller numbers with significant volume then concerns such as food cost percentage are of paramount importance. In those restaurants where profit is measured in terms of smaller numbers with significant volume then concerns such as food cost percentage are of paramount importance.

Point of Sale 450

Point of Sale Front of House Back of House Fine Dining 450

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

The choice to be great or not so great is in the hands of the restaurateur and the folks who make a living with food. It all matters – education level, income bracket, age range, frequency of dining, and food and wine preferences. [] KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO BE AND HOW YOU WANT TO BE PERCEIVED. I wonder why this is the case.

Fine Dining 390

Fine Dining Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 390

Clover - Restaurants

MAY 3, 2024

Recent surveys confirm the importance of cleaning and sanitizing in food industry establishments for building customer confidence and in influencing diner choice. City and state health departments monitor local restaurants to ensure they’re following food safety management program guidelines. An estimated 3,000 people in the U.S.

Kitchen Safety 52

Kitchen Safety Food Safety Food Food Supply 52

Culinary Cues

MAY 23, 2021

At the same time, many of those restaurant employees – front and back of the house, were taking their time trying to decide if it made sense to return to an industry that was unpredictable, low paying, void of reasonable benefit plans, and now a target for customer anger and angst as servers suddenly became covid policemen.

Guest Recovery 443

Guest Recovery Front of House Employee Relations Food Truck 443

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

Engage them, trust them, encourage them, excite them and give them an opportunity to help far beyond preparing a plate of food or delivering it to the table. Engage them, trust them, encourage them, excite them and give them an opportunity to help far beyond preparing a plate of food or delivering it to the table.

Kitchen Safety 330

Kitchen Safety Back of House Front of House Customer Experience 330

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

So, it would make sense that the visual impact of food, the dining room ambience, the tabletop, and the appearance of service staff is very important. So, it would make sense that the visual impact of food, the dining room ambience, the tabletop, and the appearance of service staff is very important.

Fine Dining 313

Fine Dining Dine-in Front of House Design 313

Culinary Cues

JULY 12, 2020

It is an uneasy feeling that was pronounced as those cooks who were already at work – looked cautiously at their teammate, nodded, and turned their heads back to the work in front of them. The kitchen lights are back on, deliveries arrive, the battery of ranges is fired up, and cooks (some of us) are welcomed back.

Front of House 401

Front of House Back of House Dine-in Food Truck 401

Culinary Cues

MAY 15, 2021

To attract and retain quality staff you must train well, treat them with respect, pay them a respectable wage, offer reasonable benefits, and provide them with the tools to be successful. The restaurant industry continues to be devastated – not just as a result of the pandemic but because the pandemic brought underlying issues to the surface.

Customer Experience 385

Customer Experience Cash Management Customer Service Front of House 385

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

I am optimistic in the ability of the restaurant business to recover and shine, to bring people together once again, to return to a position of central to the life of neighborhoods, and optimistic that this business of food will provide wonderful careers for cooks, chefs, service staff, bartenders, managers and owners – THIS WILL HAPPEN.

Small Business 357

Small Business Front of House Customer Service Communication 357

Culinary Cues

MAY 21, 2023

I just listened to a podcast from Dr. Sanjay Gupta, whom I think we all know of, as he wrestled with the impact that technology has on his own three daughters and society as a whole. It was enlightening even though much of what he pointed to is well-known. In all cases, we remain in control of the technology that serves as an effective tool.

Technology 333

Technology Social Media Back of House Front of House 333

PathSpot

APRIL 26, 2024

Cleanliness and safety are top priorities in the food service and hospitality industry. In food service and hospitality, paying attention to BOH hygiene protocols will increase the risk of illnesses among customers and employees. Adhering to rigorous hygiene protocols ensures customer satisfaction and protects public health.

Hospitality 40

Hospitality Food Safety Kitchen Safety Food 40

Restaurant365

JUNE 22, 2021

As a restaurant owner or operator, keeping your food costs low is a continual challenge. Food cost is one of the largest expenses for your restaurant, and because it is a controllable cost, you can influence how it impacts your bottom line. Train your store-level managers.

Compost 88

Compost Food Waste Front of House 88