Being a Chef as career.

[Kainstryder]

Lemme just say yeah, like others stated, unless you absolutely love food and enjoy it like no other, pass on this. The absolute stress and work involved as a cook will swallow your soul. If it's not a busy day, yeah then it's easy, you can take your time and make the dishes and be happy with them. If it's 5 o'clock rush, if your tickets aren't up in 10 mins, you're going to be properly fucked big time. Just getting off work after being in a kitchen for 8 hours, you won't exactly smell like a country fresh spring garden. More like seasoning, B.O. and a nice mix of all you were cooking with that day.

Doesn't help either if your kitchen manager, or other cooks, even waiters are bitching at you or you're cooking 8 different dishes and whoops, you forgot the 1 thing in the heater, it's ruined, your 5 min ticket is now a 15 minute ticket and needs to be remade. Or your other cook fucked something up, and you're behind on a ticket waiting for him to get you an item to sell the ticket. It's a LOT of small shit that'll urk you and drive you crazy if you're not use to pressure. If you can handle it, and keep your cool, usually others will as well, depends on the environment, especially with how food is handled.

I worked as a chef a while back and personally, sending food back won't upset the chefs or make them jack off into the food. It depends where you go, I guess. Honestly, if anything got sent back, we were told why and we instantly fixed it to quickly satisfy the customer. Sometimes we'd be urked, like if they bitched that a well-done steak was not well-done, even though our head chef and 3 others+4 waiters clarified yes, it was, but otherwise, no horror stories from my end. Granted, it was a 5-star restaurant, and a vast majority of the prep and line cooks were constantly clean/washing hands if we got dirty, not ALL restaurants are bad. It wasn't a fancy restaurant either, think your typical Applebees really.

I will say though, if anything, watching and seeing how dishes are cleaned and handled is probably far worse than most of the food handling stories. If you can't get a solid dish washer, to the point a cook can grab 10 plates in a row and find food crusted onto them still, then I'd be worried. Otherwise, depending where you work and the type of people you work with, at least on my end, everyone was constantly clean or rushing to the sink to get clean. Constant line sweeps, constant restocking, cleaning, checking for freshness, etc. People will say a lot to scare you, and yes I can sadly nod to a FEW things said, as in, sneezing, wiping noses, etc, but crotch rot...er... no.

Also depending, where I worked we had a constant supply of latex gloves to wear to handle food and it was a constant rule, if you handle raw meat, poultry, etc, wash your hands. Just remember, waiters don't have gloves, but they do wash their hands a lot as well. If you want a good tip, restaurants are usually busy from the time of opening, say, 11 PM, till about 1-1:30 for lunch. From 2-5, it's dead. 5-6 is decent, eat then. 7-9, welcome to hell. 9-close=dead. If you want to eat, eat when its dead, you'll greatly increase your chances of well handled food and "clean" food, as when it's VERY busy and you're looking at a wait of 15-20 to be seated, chances are, everyone in the back of the house is stressed, miserable, doesn't have 5 seconds to rush and wash their hands, cross contaminates, etc etc. Not to mention the dish washer...oh christ...yeah, your risk increases.

As bad as that sounds, as I said, it really, really depends where you work. Like others stated, places like chain restaurants that hire virtually anyone, and it's a phantom environment half the time, yes, your risk is massive. However, get a core group of people (the people I worked with still work there save 3-4) that have the slightest bit of common sense, know they can't send food out if they themselves wouldn't eat it and you'll be fine. Where I worked, I still eat there cause I know how the food's made and that the chefs would never send a plate out contaminated with some of the stuff mentioned here. It'd be instant firing on the spot+lawsuit.

One last thing I will say: If you want cooking experience, get hands on work at a restaurant, culinary schools will give you the paperwork and all, but it seriously won't prepare you for how it really is out there. Stuff on the Food Network does NOT show how it really is and you'll learn more from hands on and learning first hand than from what teachers and such will guide you through.

[Norelco]

Granted, it was a 5-star restaurant, and a vast majority of the prep and line cooks were constantly clean/washing hands if we got dirty, not ALL restaurants are bad. It wasn't a fancy restaurant either, think your typical Applebees really.

Applebees is 5-star restaurant?

[Daydreamer]

So, had my first day. I really don't see what the complaining was about. I asked how busy the night was they said "semi-busy." As in, it got REALLY busy for like 15 minutes at a time, but then we'd have a 15 minute break. They just said, imagine if that 15 minute part continued without the breaks.

Honestly, it was easy. I had like 3-4 of the waiters say "it's your first day in the restaurant industry at all? You're doing a REALLY good job." It's all just rhythm. When I had 4-5 tickets at once, each with 3-5 things on it I would think of it as a game. "Hmm, Kevin, what is the optimal way to do this to get it out quickly."

The best part is, while I was on my feet for 8 hours, I loved every minute of it. It's a nice rush. I also once worked as a mechanic at the busiest place in town for 4 years during high school, so I can handle pressure. People yelling at me "GET IT OUT NOW" doesn't anger me at all. I just calmly reply "it's coming." Seriously, it's really hard to get my stressed or angry.

[Remyo]

So, had my first day. I really don't see what the complaining was about. I asked how busy the night was they said "semi-busy." As in, it got REALLY busy for like 15 minutes at a time, but then we'd have a 15 minute break. They just said, imagine if that 15 minute part continued without the breaks.

Honestly, it was easy. I had like 3-4 of the waiters say "it's your first day in the restaurant industry at all? You're doing a REALLY good job." It's all just rhythm. When I had 4-5 tickets at once, each with 3-5 things on it I would think of it as a game. "Hmm, Kevin, what is the optimal way to do this to get it out quickly."

The best part is, while I was on my feet for 8 hours, I loved every minute of it. It's a nice rush. I also once worked as a mechanic at the busiest place in town for 4 years during high school, so I can handle pressure. People yelling at me "GET IT OUT NOW" doesn't anger me at all. I just calmly reply "it's coming." Seriously, it's really hard to get my stressed or angry.

fridays and saturdays will be your test. imagine 25 tickets or more and you'll realize what is happening.

[Daydreamer]

They have me scheduled for Saturday night. We'll see how it goes. I like a good challenge.

[Norelco]

They have me scheduled for Saturday night. We'll see how it goes. I like a good challenge.

I like your enthusiasm.

[Kainstryder]

Granted, it was a 5-star restaurant, and a vast majority of the prep and line cooks were constantly clean/washing hands if we got dirty, not ALL restaurants are bad. It wasn't a fancy restaurant either, think your typical Applebees really.

Applebees is 5-star restaurant?

Lol, no, but where I worked was labeled as a 5-star restaurant, but was as casual as an Applebees. I should've clarified, sorry.

Also that's cool that you found it easy and all, especially with 5 tickets w/ 3 items each. It is a game when you think about it. How I was taught, was do NOT do 1 thing at once and focus on 1 ticket at a time, look at what just came in, figure what you need to drop or throw on the grill, work everything and then prepare it all at once. That way everything's out and done and incase you get slammed, you're prepared for more.

[Norelco]

Do you need to keep an internal timer going on in your head for this stuff? It seems like you need to be able to keep track of 20 things at once and not fuck it up, smile, and like it.

[Remyo]

Do you need to keep an internal timer going on in your head for this stuff? It seems like you need to be able to keep track of 20 things at once and not fuck it up, smile, and like it.

thats it. we use a computer system now tho, the tickets change color when it needs to be taken or or turned or w/e.

[blister1]

One recent story I have took place at the Olive Garden in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (where I am currently in college).

This girl ordered like shrimp alfredo or something, and for NO REASON 3 chefs jizzed in it. She felt, sick, went to the hospital immediately after, and had the leftovers. They thought it might be something like food poisoning from old sauce or whatever, then found 3 semen samples in it...one of which had gonorrhea, which she caught. Olive Garden corporate offered her 2 mil to not talk about it or go to court, she denied. She's gonna get a lot more. I talked to a few people who know the girl. Apparently she really didn't do anything to provoke them like send the plate back or anything. It was just like, wtf let's masturbate in her pasta...

Eating pasta from Olive Garden and reading this wasn't what I needed

[Norelco]

One recent story I have took place at the Olive Garden in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (where I am currently in college).

This girl ordered like shrimp alfredo or something, and for NO REASON 3 chefs jizzed in it. She felt, sick, went to the hospital immediately after, and had the leftovers. They thought it might be something like food poisoning from old sauce or whatever, then found 3 semen samples in it...one of which had gonorrhea, which she caught. Olive Garden corporate offered her 2 mil to not talk about it or go to court, she denied. She's gonna get a lot more. I talked to a few people who know the girl. Apparently she really didn't do anything to provoke them like send the plate back or anything. It was just like, wtf let's masturbate in her pasta...

Eating pasta from Olive Garden and reading this wasn't what I needed

Hey! I didn't post that!!!

[Elesirdur]

Do you need to keep an internal timer going on in your head for this stuff? It seems like you need to be able to keep track of 20 things at once and not fuck it up, smile, and like it.

thats it. we use a computer system now tho, the tickets change color when it needs to be taken or or turned or w/e.

Yeah, that's a big skill you need to learn when working in a kitchen. Honestly, if it's not something you have a bit already, it'll make getting used to busy nights tough. There's nothing worse than when everyone else is on the ball and there's one hopeless line cook that can't keep shit together tossing the line all out of wack.

[Daydreamer]

Ok so I haven't said this yet, but right now I am not at a heat station. I only do salads + deserts, but am getting trained for fry station + pizza station soon (we have our own wood burning pizza stove, fun!), so I haven't had huge issues with timing yet, however I do still have to time deserts when I get a ticket with 10 different things on it (happened last night) to watch for things like ice cream meltage on top of hte hot fudge sundays and such. So, I guess it's like a slow ease into things.

Our head chef is really good about timing though. He doesn't really have a station of his own he just wonders around and helps out whatever place is currently packed. Example: Last night we had a breather, then the ticket machine printed out 5 appetizer tickets, each with like 3 different fried appetizers. Everyone just laughed at the fry cook, and the head chef came over to help him out on it.

That's what I like at where I'm at. The pizza guy usually has an easier job than the rest of us so when I got slammed with 6 creme brulees (sp?) at once last night + 7 other deserts that could melt he can over and helped me out. Usually that wouldn't have been bad, but it was all on one table so timing that woulda been really hard with one person because of the whole melting thing.

Oh, and Kainstryder. I agree that hands on experience helps for some things, but I really think it's worth it. A guy brings up a good point in the book I'm reading now. Working at a restaurant really only teaches you one perspective of doing things, whereas school will hopefully teach you a much wider range of culinary skills that will make you a better cook as a whole and make you more hire able. Also, pretty much any culinary school now makes you do time in the school restaurant, which will usually stay pretty busy. I know at CIA up in NY you have to do an 18 week externship at an approved restaurant before you can even begin your second year of schooling, and this is after you work in the restaurants at the school.

Any of you guys read the McGee book? "On food and cooking"? It's apparently the Bible of gastronomy, and the guy is pretty much Alton Brown's idol. Most chefs will recommended that anyone who is serious about cooking should read through it, twice. It's like 800 pages though, but I can't wait to give it a read through.

[Elesirdur]

Stone pizza ovens can be pretty nice. Because of the thermal capacitance of the brick/adobe in the oven heating ends up pretty even. Heh, I challenge you to find an oven in any restaurant that heats evenly over every square inch.

[Kainstryder]

Fry section is easy, try 10+ orders on grill, all different levels of being prepared. Also, if you don't have asbestos hands/arms you're about to get them.

[sb]

I'm envious of whatever restaurant you are in that you only have to work 8 hour shifts. My usual work week (as a cook, not a chef. they worked a lot harder) consisted of 55-60 hours. Though the worst was a three month period of work where I was helping a friend open a restaurant in which we worked an average of 90 hours a week at a flat rate with no overtime (have to love helping friends out who are under massive debt).

My main issue with cooking is that while you can pretty much go anywhere and get a job, once you are trained and skilled, at the same time there is very little job security. All it take is one person getting sick, which can often from something else (viral, other food they ate, bad hygene...)but if it gets associated to the restaurant, and the place can go out of business. 90% of all resaurants that open, are closed within 4 years.

The thing I liked about being a cook comes from the feeling of creation mixed with honest, integral labor.

[Daydreamer]

I'm envious of whatever restaurant you are in that you only have to work 8 hour shifts. My usual work week (as a cook, not a chef. they worked a lot harder) consisted of 55-60 hours. Though the worst was a three month period of work where I was helping a friend open a restaurant in which we worked an average of 90 hours a week at a flat rate with no overtime (have to love helping friends out who are under massive debt).

My main issue with cooking is that while you can pretty much go anywhere and get a job, once you are trained and skilled, at the same time there is very little job security. All it take is one person getting sick, which can often from something else (viral, other food they ate, bad hygene...)but if it gets associated to the restaurant, and the place can go out of business. 90% of all resaurants that open, are closed within 4 years.

The thing I liked about being a cook comes from the feeling of creation mixed with honest, integral labor.

It's mainly because a lot of the people in the kitchen except for the head 2 guys are students at the college here, so they know if they try to work us that much we'd probably quit because we'd be failing. That said, I'll still get worked more than the average student when the semester starts back.

Either way I think I lucked out on an 'intro to being a cook' place to work. Open air = it's a nice comfy 70 degrees the whole night. There is always at least one 'floater' chef to help anyone that gets overly busy, and they let me be creative with the deserts as far as plating goes...which is good cause my artistic skills blow.

[Remyo]

how'd it go for a saturday night. we got slammed in bessemer from the grambling v. jack st. game.

[Daydreamer]

how'd it go for a saturday night. we got slammed in bessemer from the grambling v. jack st. game.

It was funny, everyone prepped like it was gonna be insane because it was UA graduation...but it was kinda slow. We got out at exactly 11, when we close. Like we started closing at 10 so by 11 we could all leave.

The 'sous chef' there was talken to me during one part and realized/was told by another friend of mine that works there (the one that told me to apply) that I have more than a passing interest in cooking, and he said they'd like to try me out in other stations soon because I have a desire to cook, not a desire to make $$...Seriously, I can make 8$ an hour at tons of other places more easily than being a cook. No way in hell I have this job for the money.