I’m hearing that you’re putting cold salads out on warm plates. You’re ruining my fucking salads.
The question is, “Why?”
Do we not have enough plates? Are the hot stations hoarding plates? Is it the hot weather we’re having? Do we not have a dishwasher that is adequate to its task? Do we not have the facility to chill plates when they come out of the dishwasher? Or are the garde-mangers, in concert with the prep cooks and the runners, making some stupid-ass decisions?
Do we have enough plates?
Yes, we do.
Having just completed a full inventory of our tableware I am able to report that there are presently 942 large dinner plates in stock and 826 on hand. There are 1,138 small dinner plates in stock with 656 on hand. There are 1,417 salad-dessert plates in stock with 1,214 on hand. There are 1,091 side plates in stock with 760 on hand. We do 200-250 covers a night, so do the fucking math.
Are the hot stations hoarding plates?
No, they’re not. They don’t use salad-dessert plates.
Is it the hot weather we’re having?
No one’s complaining about unchilled glasses at the bar and they’re serving more people than you.
Do we not have a dishwasher that is adequate to the task?
We have a low-consumption, energy saving ADC-44 Conveyor with an NSF-rated capacity of 244 racks/hour. It has a dual rinsing system that can be run at high or low temperature. The ADC-44 is large, safe, efficient and quiet.
Click image for more…
But our real dishwashers aren’t machines, are they? No. They’re people. Arcadio and Rafa are the best in the business and we are extremely lucky to have them. No blame resides with them. Do not even think of suggesting that they may have some culpability wrt the wilting of my salads.
Do we not have the facility to chill plates when they come out of the dishwasher?
Yes, we do.
Are garde-mangers, in concert with the prep cooks and the runners, making some stupid-ass decisions?
Kinda looks like it.
Flavors:
- chatter • diner • employee manual • food quality • kitchen • staff issues • table service
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This entry was posted by 5L4M on Thursday, April 1st, 2010 at 12:29 PM
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Did it ever occur to you that it’s about 85 degrees in the coolest part of the kitchen and that if cold apps are ready to go before warm apps there’s a good chance that salads are going to wilt?
Interesting idea. If I was saying that the salads are coming out warm, it would make sense. But that’s not what I’m fucking saying. I’m saying that the salads are cold and the plates are warm.
I don’t see the reservation book but I think this happen one time or maybe more because customers make request for special china when is to close to service and we have to wash right before they come in.
I think is better if everything decided one week before like the menus.
Thank you, Julio.
That certainly makes sense and I’ll speak to Tuttle about this as a matter of fine-tuning our reservation policies, but because the menus are settled in advance, knowledge is available about which pieces of china are going to be needed at a given table, so people only need to budget a few extra minutes to ice plates if necessary.
In any event, this is happening almost every night with customers who have ordered the basic service package, so it doesn’t negate my larger point.
This happens to be a pet peeve of mine, also. I can name three restaurants within six blocks of here that I won’t eat at anymore because because my fucking salads are ruined before they’re put down.
As far as the reservations policy is concerned, I appreciate your suggestion, Julio, but the fact is that it really is no skin off our noses if someone wants to upgrade their place settings at the last minute.
This is a service business, and sometimes we have to work a little harder to satisfy our customers’ requests.
Cheers!
t..
Let me guess…
The space formerly known as A Table?
Sushi Q?
and …
Mil Años?
Ding. Ding. Ding.
You won a free game!
t..