Why do You go out to eat?

"Crab cakes weren't that spectacular, but we left full with money in the wallet."--- on a regular basis I read the reviews of other restaurants and this was written on a opentable review of a local restaurant.

I had always said that opening a restaurant in New Jersey would be a bad idea, too many chain restaurants and the people always look for the cheapest way out.

Now don't get me wrong I like a bargain as much as the next guy, my staff even refers to me as cheap.

But the event of dining out should be a social event from start to finish whether you're just 2 people out for the evening or a group of friends on a night on the town. You should be out for the total package service, ambiance, food and PRICE-- and this should be determined by your personal tastes.

If your biggest concern is price, stay home and learn to cook it will always be cheaper then dining out.

Ask any economist and they'll tell you the fastest way to save money is to cut back on non-essentials like dining out.

Ask me the fastest way to live a short, boring life is to cut back on the non-essentials like dining out, and enjoying the company of friends and the talents of the restaurant pros that excite you.

No Class--Part 2

Just in case you thought I was going soft, I must give you a new edition of NO CLASS!

YO ASSHOLE! When you make a reservation for 10 people and we call you to confirm 2 hours before your reservation and you say-"yes, we'll be there at 7pm for a party of 10" and you show up with 4 at 7:30pm. Be prepared to be treated as well as you have treated us.

It goes beyond my ability to be professional to an ASSHOLE such as yourself.

If you're sitting in my dining room and I think you're taking to long to eat-- the next course is coming.

If I think you're finished you're entree-- you're finished.

And if I want to send your desserts out before you order coffee-- get the hint.

We'll take your money tonight but you are not worth the effort to have back.

And yes, you're in the dining room right now and I'm coming to shut off the air conditioning and turn up the lights --- get out!

It was a beautiful morning for a walk on the farm

One of the best parts about being a chef is getting to meet the people that produce the food I get to cook with. I've been really lucky to work with some great people and for about 2 years now I been working with Kim Batton from the 1895 Organic Farm in Lumberton NJ.

Well this morning I took a drive out to the farm to meet some fellow chefs about a project that I'll tell you about later.

It was a beautiful morning and I got to the farm a little before 9am and started walking around. I don't think people really realize how lucky we are to live so close to farms that really care about what they do. Kim has a small farm that she works basically by herself-- planting, weeding and picking 7 days a week from mid march to late October. She's able to produce enough organic vegetable to supply several restaurants including Elements, her own farm stand, her stand at the farmer's market in Moorestown and a Shop Rite in Marlton--- and I thought I worked a lot. Now I'm not talking about just a couple different crops, it's everything from strawberries in the spring to pumpkins in the fall, with everything you could want in between.

Now a days most people no what it's like to get fresh vegetables at a road side stand or at the local farmers market and don't get me wrong these are all great. But to go to the farm and pick them right out of the ground is just plain amazing. I've had farmers bring me stuff straight to the restaurant that was "just picked", but when you bend down and pull a beet out of the earth it's like it almost has a heart beat. Now I don't want this to turn into a discussion about the vegetarian vs carnivore or anything close to that. I'm just trying to say when you pull a beet out of the ground and bite into it and the juice leaps out of it like it was shot out of a hose-- that's fresh. Remember I'm talking about a beet not an orange or strawberry, things you think of having a lot of juice but a beet.

With the over abundance of rain in southern NJ and the abnormally low temperatures we've had the farms haven't been producing like the normally do. We've had about a week of basically dry time and they say the thermometer will be near 90' by Sunday so I'm hoping for a telephone call from kim and the farmers saying "Fred it's time, come get the vege's by the case".

In the mean time hope for good growing weather for the farmers and--

Here's a couple of random shots of the farm. I'll had more in the future when I remember to bring a real camera.

Ideas I'm working on

Thyme roasted pork belly with honey poached turnips and black pepper gastrique

Coffee crusted beef rib eye with crispy beech mushrooms and bordelaise syrup

Rainbow trout and tasso ham wrapped in brioche with tomato caper vinaigrette

Chef Wars Act 2

This time it was a little harder then the first.

I had a really good time cooking this part 2 of this dinner series but it does let me know there's no place like home. You just know your area, your stove and are bit more comfortable in your own kitchen.

I want to think Rich, Marianne and the whole staff at Andreotti's for a great evening.

And here's the pictures.

On to the 2nd Round

I won!

Just a quick update.

Wanted to let everyone know that I had good time at Andreotti's on Thursday evening and got enough votes to move on to the 2nd round.

I'll do I picture post of the evening by Monday so keep checking in.

I don't know you I'll face yet in the 2nd round. the winners so far are Ted's on Main, Catelli's, and Elements. We're waiting for the winner of the Los Amigos vs Anthony's dinner on Tuesday the 23rd.

Do you know what I'm going to do with this?

Sometimes life needs an explanation

This blog is about my life, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

There are many blogs that you can read that are straight marketing tools, an advertisement.

There are just as many anonymous blogs that are some one's daily complaints and they are to embarrassed to let life know you they really are.

Then there's mine..... I'm not PC..... I'm going to tell you how I feel.... about everything. I'm 41 years old, a husband, father, son, business owner, and general pain in the ass. When life gives me lemons I don't make lemonade, I make a ceviche and tell life what I really think.

I wrote a post named "Why do i get so fucking angry"--there was only one reason to write that post, to stop me from telling a customer what I really thought of them. The post is short and angry(much like me) and from what my wife tells me it doesn't do a good job of explaining my anger. It wasn't meant to. It was meant to calm me down, at the very least to stop me from verbalizing to my guest's face what I really thought of their 'rude at best' comment.

Then I got this comment after the first post.

"Love your place. We eat there whenever we can." Thank You, that's why I cook. "However, I just read your blog and the one paragraph about the emails was distasteful. I think it should be removed because it is unprofessional. Sorry."

Why, just because I'm not afraid to hide who I am. Why do people feel they have the right to tell me how to act. I'm sorry if that post offended you or you think it's unprofessional. You can ask my mom if I listened to her about things I felt strongly about... the answer would probably be, she could only calm me down but not change what I thought.

I could go in to depth about all the stupid comments that I had leading up to the one's that inspired this post but those weren't the important ones. The one that sent me over the edge was.

Everybody gets rudeness thrust upon them everyday. And a lot people just take it and then go home and kick the dog or ignore the family. I've had days like that, where I just shut myself off and hide from life rather then enjoy it with the ones I love.

Well I can't do it anymore, I've missed too much of life.

If you can't take my honesty you shouldn't read my blog.

If my blog offends you, you might not want to eat at my restaurant. But I think you'll be missing out on some great food.

But don't think that your opinion as a guest in my restaurant gives you the right to tell me how to act.

Everybody needs an outlet, a stress release and boy do I have stress. This just so happens to be mine.

Sometimes you'll get the good-- upcoming events and menus that excite me.

Sometimes you'll get the bad-- rude comments made to me or my staff that we shouldn't have to take.

Sometimes you'll get the ugly-- me venting my anger in words because nobody wants me doing in person.

But at Elements and from me, you'll get honesty-- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I have a saying and I may have said it to you "I did good today? Thanks. I'll do better tomorrow"

Why do I get so fucking angry!

You know I hear every stupid fucking comment there is:

Lady--"I have reservations at 6pm and we'll be late"
Me --"that's shouldn't be a problem, what time will you be in"
Lady--"I don't know, when my husband gets home"

What the fuck am I supposed to say to that. I had another couple of comments this week. They were both related to my e-mail marketing.

You know people if getting a couple of e-mails-- that doesn't cost you a dime-- takes up to much of your life DON'T FUCKING SIGN UP FOR THEM! I didn't buy your e-mail address you gave it to me.

I get about 2000 e-mails a week you know what if I don't want them I delete them and move on. But I don't send snide remarks, I don't send questions about why or when they were sent. I delete them.

I'm getting dangerous...I'm learning all kinds of new ways to post. Aren't iphones the best.

Pan Seared Scallops Caramelized Onion Risotto Tomato Oil

Chef Wars Act 1

I had no idea how much work this is. This is my 1st major post and I thought I could knock this out in an hour. What a mistake. It took me almost 7 hours over 3 days to get this done. 

Chef Wars is a guest chef dining competition presented by the SJHotchefs. I was fortunate enough to host the 1st of 2 dinners with Chef Richard Marsh of Andreotti's Viennese Cafe of Cherry Hill NJ. 

We had a full house for the dinner and a great time. There is just too much to write about and I'm not that good of a writer anyway so just take a look at the pictures. 

I'll do individual posts about the different plates has I get them done but this is as far as I go for now.

  

I'll be at Andreotti's on the 18th so come on over and enjoy a great dinner and vote me into the 2nd round.

Chef Wars--Good Food Good Friends

We are taking our own place in the media stream and are participating in the SJHotchefs "Chef Wars".

I'll be competing against Richard Marsh of Andreotti's this Thursday night at Elements. And following that up with a dinner at his place in cherry hill on the 18th of June.

This should be a lot of fun and a seriously good match-up. With Rich's classical background and schooling from the Culinary Institute of America I know we are going to turn some great food.

So wish me good luck.

I'll follow up with some pictures on Friday and hopefully a winning score.

What drives you to succeed?

Our Deepest Fear...

is not that we are inadequate, 
our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. 
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. 
We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" 
Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. 
Your playing small does not serve the world. 
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. 
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. 
It is not just in some of us, 
it is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, 
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others. 


- Marianne Williamson -

An inspiring quote that makes me think. Does it make you think? 

Why do I do this?

I spend a better part of waking hours thinking about food, thinking about how to make my food better.

For What!

Most people in this industry would give the PC answer of "for the guest".

Sorry, that's just not me. I do it for me. Don't get me wrong, it makes me very happy even proud like a daddy when I go in the dining room and a guest tells me they enjoyed their meal. But at the end of the day I'm my harshest critic.

And don't misunderstand, I want everyone to like it-my food. But....

There have been only two people in my entire life that I actually cared what they thought of my food.

My father is number one and always will be.

For a long time I don't really think he understood what I was going for. But then when I graduated from the Greenbrier and he was able to come down and stay at the hotel, come in the kitchen and see me work, and see my graduation table he got it. I didn't want to be the fry cook at the local restaurant, I wanted more and still do.

The second person is chef Peter Timmons of the Greenbrier Hotel.

After my first year at the hotel Chef Timmons came on board as sous chef of the main kitchen. A position completely beneath him. But I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity and good fortune to work with him for two years. He, more then any other chef, has shaped how I think about working in the kitchen, how I think about food, and how I teach others.

On graduation night, after being up for about 3 days straight we had our graduation dinner. A grand event with my comrades, with wine and food cooked by Chef Timmons himself. After a few glasses of wine, great food, and no sleep I couldn't tell you if this actually happened but I remember it happening so it must have--- Chef Timmons said "you know Fred your a good cook". After 2 years of working with him that is the biggest compliment he ever gave me and a bigger compliment then anyone probably ever will when comes to my job.

That's all I'll ever need. The smile and understanding of my dad and a 7 word sentence from my teacher.

No Class

Yo! Asshole in the dining room right now, you know who you are. We take a lot of pride in ourselfs as restaurant employees and we think it shows in our work.

Don't ever come into my F--ing restaurant again and suggest that "we can share your scraps because your done". We eat better then you do because you have the palate of a 4 old with your well done steak and coke for dinner.

Thanks for your money but next time head to Mcdonalds it's more your speed.

P.S. --Just because your over 60 doesn't mean being a complete ass is ok. You would think that at your age you would have learned some manners by now.

Vegetarian vs. Vegan

Just a short word.
I have no problem at all with vegetarians. I always have vegetarian options on my menus, not vegan but vegetarian. My problem is when someone comes into the restaurant and looks at all the options and decides they don't like any of the 4-7 vegetarian options(not counting soup and salad) we have and wants something special.

Then on top of that they say that they are vegan, but they eat cheese.

Well, here it is.

Attention vegetarians--- you're not special! If you don't like the options we have I'm sorry but this is what we have.

Attention vegans--- If you don't know the difference between vegan and vegetarian don't bother to ask for vegan food! Vegans don't eat cheese!!!

Keeping Up

Just wanted to say this blogging thing ain't easy. Between running a small restaurant, participating in the local restaurant association and trying to have a family life, it just doesn't leave a lot of time for writing.

But I'll get back to soon.

Sustainability

In 1989, the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) articulated what has now become a widely accepted definition of sustainability: " to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."-- Wikipedia

Sustainability has become the next catchall marketing phrase applied to everything from the food we eat to the gas we put in our cars--have you seen the ads for citgo they actually are trying to make us think that by buying their gas we are supporting our local community. 

I'm just as guilty as everyone else, I have come into the dining room and talked about "this sustainable farm or company" or the server uses the phrase "grown on this sustainable farm" but does this make my business sustainable?  No and Yes

I think as a conscientious member of the community and maybe more importantly a parent, we all try to do our part to save and prepare for the future. We pick up trash that is blowing by, we recycle everywhere,  not just at home, but at work and school as well, and we purchase items that agree with our personal ideas of right and wrong.  

But can a industry that survives on the idea that we want a guest to leave their home, burning fossil fuels in the process, then pay us for something they can do at home less expensively, really market itself as green or sustainable. (As I write this, I can't believe I'm suggesting people stay at home.) I just don't understand business owners that use terms like 'sustainability' or 'going green' to describe their business when their real and only motive is to increase their bank account any way possible. One should not be marketing themselves in the narrowest terms possible, just to claim they belong to a certain group so that they may attract more business.

I think that we all can do more and should do more to insure a better tomorrow. When I go into the dining room and I'm fortunate enough to hear the kind words of a guest about the food I always thank them and tell them " I'll do a better job tomorrow".  It's how I think, how I feel and I hope that that attitude rolls into my life outside of the restaurant. But I'm not trying to sell it.

If you want to "go green"-- do it. If you want to support the local farm-- do it. But don't do it to increase your revenue, do it because you believe in it, you'll get so much more from it then just a couple of dollars. You'll get a better tomorrow. 

 

Education

What seems like too many years ago, a person that I consider to be a mentor, told me "as soon as you start to work for money, instead of education, your career has ended and your job has begun".

When I think about why he would say that to me or anyone else, it has to be taken in context. I was finishing up my apprenticeship at the Greenbrier Hotel and getting ready to leave. A point ahead of where many culinary school graduates find themselves but facing the same decisions. What I needed to do, was balance my desires to express myself by taking a job as a sous chef or chef in a small restaurant where I would have to teach myself and others, or a line cook in a larger more well known place where I would learn from others. 

Too often, when a young person is at school, their heads are filled with "you're the next Bobby Flay or Thomas Keller" and they very well may be. But those great chefs didn't get there with their first job out of school. Read their books they'll tell you. For a person of 23 or 24 to take the job as sous chef or chef at a place right out of school - they will only hurt themselves in the long run. That's not to say there aren't exceptions to this or that they won't do a good job. But by and far most of them find a never ending circle of bad jobs with worse bosses that they can't seem to get out of. The money is too good or needed to much, the keys to a restaurant that isn't yours is too appealing, and the late nights at the bar too fun to give up--- or talk yourself into giving up.

"as soon as you start to work for money instead of education your career has ended and your job has begun"

I agree with that thought, live by it, and preach it to my staff. But at this point in my life I've come to the conclusion that my mentor was wrong. Your career ends when you stop striving to learn, and only the individual can control that. 

I find myself after 25 years in the business learning all over again, feeling like a freshman at college. There are so many new ways of looking at what we do and how we do what we do that if you really care about your career (your life) you can't help but try to learn. 

Over the next few months I will be posting about the things I'm learning but I thought I would start by thanking the people that make it possible for me to learn. I'm not going back to school of the traditional since but in the modern way. The Internet.

I read a lot of cookbooks and blogs, and recently it has been nothing but blogs. These people that write them are the new breed of chef, the ones that care more about the craft and are willing to share it.  I have noticed a new trend, it may have been started or at least pushed by Michael Laiskonis, of not only talking about what they are doing but posting recipes about it.

Thank You...

When you can't go out and purchase all the latest stuff needed to produce all these recipes from a cookbook. You can pick and choose which ones you do work on by a chef's first hand, up to the moment account of the recipe on their blog. They explain there thoughts, their process, their mistakes and you learn, from their mistakes and the yours.

When I learn how to use the back office system a little better I will start a blog roll of all the blogs I'm reading but for right now I thought I would just list a few.

Chadzilla -- excellent writing from a hotel chef's daily experiences

Workbook -- Michael Laiskonis pastry chef at Le Bernardin

Cannelle et Vanille -- great pastry chef with a great eye for the camera

Playing With Fire and Water -- a freelance chef in Connecticut

These are just a few but... But thank you all.