I almost took a job that most likely would've turned out to be a disaster (again). I feel confident saying that I dodged a bullet. Whatever......
So that leaves me exactly where I was 2 months ago, which is feeling sort of stuck and a teensy bit unfulfilled. I still like the place that I work, but there are changes coming soon and I'm a little worried about what'll happen. The Executive Chef is leaving to start his own place and I don't know who's slated to replace him. That makes me nervous. If I knew who the guy was, then maybe I'd feel a bit more comfortable.
I was discussing all of this with my lovely wife and she suggested that I describe to her what my ideal work environment would be, so I went on to lay it down thusly.......
* Small(ish)
* Busy
* Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
* Set up like a diner as far as seating goes. (i.e. counter seating, lots of booths)
* Pretty straightforward food....but better than average. (This is where it gets dicey...I can say all sorts of stuff about wanting to use all local produce and independent farmers and all of that and of course I do....everyone does. But I basically want to take all of that great meat and produce and make a kick ass Ruben....or a BLT. Or any other manner of "regular" food. There are people out there who may have a problem with that and may say that that isn't treating the food with the respect it deserves, but I can't think of a way I'd rather eat a super awesome tomato than on a BLT. There is also no better vehicle for corned beef and sauerkraut than rye or pumpernickle. Those were just on my mind so I used them as examples. Even though I honestly want to use all of that great stuff, I don't feel comfortable talking about it unless I'm doing it. Wanting to do and doing are miles apart. So there's that.)
Anyway....I tell her all of this and she says "You want it to be like Kenny Shopsin's." She was right. I think about Kenny Shopsin on a very regular basis and his attitude towards what he does has influenced me. I wont get into it right now, but if you don't know who he is, please look him up. He's got a book out called "Eat Me" and there's a pretty cool documentary about him called "I Like Killing Flies".
Anyhow.....I'd rather live my day to day life making food that people eat in their day to day life. I really enjoy making omelettes. I love making sandwiches. Tarts and pies, pizzas, burritos, biscuits and gravy, gingerbread....the list goes on. What I make at work all day long these days isn't really what I would order if I went out. That's also assuming that I would even go to a place that nice in the first place.
That brings me to a quick point.....The fact that I don't go to every new place that opens up or blindly jock every cooking trend does not in any way make me a shitty cook. I've worked very hard to learn how to do what I do and I'm very good at it. So stop looking at me sideways when I tell you that I haven't been to whatever new gastro-pub bullshit that has popped up in my neighborhood. (which used to be almost totally douche-free)
I'd rather have a restaurant that sits in the same damn building for 25 years. With this dream kitchen......
* One pizza oven, A four burner/flat-top range with an oven,a two basket fryer and maybe a grill. A small one.
* A sandwich cooler with low boys, or a pizza counter with cold drawers.
*One hot well and two soup warmers
*Two reach in coolers, one reach in freezer and a small walk in box
I guess that'll be all for now. I feel better.
