When to pass off a job offer

The famous chef offered me the job of executive chef. If was an honor and I was flattered. But the problem is that they have gone through 4 chefs in 3 years. In case your wondering that means there is a problem. A BIG PROBLEM..... the client is a pain in the ass and the famous chef's company is run by a bunch of ego maniacs. The ego maniacs I can handle nothing new there but the client is a so full of themselves that the lady who runs the place is nothing short of a bitch..... Having taken a long hard look at this seeking some advice from some folks including the cities gossip columist. I decided to pass.

What a phone call that was.

They took it the same way Paris Hilton takes being rejected at a singles bar. Not well!!!

So its on to the next stop.....

I will keep things posted as they happen.

When good things happen

This past week I was asked to go to DC to cook for this famous chef to see if they wanted me to takeover one of his flagship restaurants. This is something that happens that I have only heard about. Get on a plane at 5am fly to DC take a limo to the restaurant meet the chefs talk for a while get everybody comfortable, then my bosses boss says now go cook something for us. No mystery basket no menu just go cook in a kitchen that I have never been in and know nothing about the operation and oh by the way we are putting out a catered lunch for 200 at the same time. The kitchen is full of people who have just been hired, several of the corporate chefs are running around looking over your shoulder. The only way I can describe this is that you are auditioning for a supporting role in a major motion picture directed by Speilberg staring Pitt and Witherspoon and I am the plucky comic relief.

They were all very nice but SHIT!!!



Now what do you cook for four corporate chefs whom you have admired for many years. Steak and Potatoes of course. They loved it offered me the job and put me back on a plane. Total time on the ground 6 hours.



I love this career.

In order to keep cooking you need to have a kitchen to cook in

I am interviewing with three different places and all of them are in the large grand scale that I love working in. One is with a large sporting venue that will doo $100k on a regualr night....one is with a new facility that is opening and needs a chef to spearhead its opening.....and the final one is taking over for a museum that is managed by very famous chef. Not sure how this is going to work out but I will let you know.

When did thanksgiving equal eat till you fall asleep then go shopping

I am finding that the commercializing of America to become sickening. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that corporate America cannot find a way to capitalize on. Not much profit line on turkey bread and sweet potatoes. So what is a business to do.....oh here's an idea lets make that day the day to start our shopping for Christmas. Hurry little consumers jump through hoops to get the $50 laptop and oh lets not forget to get there early and pose for the news cameras.

The news seems to be dominated by how many people were in line at 3 am at the local wal mart. People wonder why middle America is viewed as being so gullible. Fox and CNN had to send their reporters to Nebraska or Wyoming to find the herds that were migrating outside the local K-Wal-Target. Not LA not New York but middle America. There was a 3 minute news piece ran on what time the malls opened this morning. And 1 minute blurb on the fact that the Mozel Sanders foundation fed 30k homeless on thanksgiving and the only reason it was that long was the fact that an NFL player help sponsor it this year. We seem to have lost the spirit of thanksGIVING for the expression of saying thanks for how much we get and equating giving for how much we spent. Sad really.

Not all of us enjoy preparing for small groups

I have been reading alot of blogs lately related to foods.....I have also been watching After Hours with Daniel. I must agree that here in Indianapolis we seem to be the last stop on the culinary trend highway but at the same time we still eat here. While I really enjoy looking at the trends of what is coming to us here in middle earth there is also an insight into the thoughts of those folk thinking and it is not any different than my thinking and those of my chef friends here in the Circle City.



I am amazed at the arrogance of chefs and foodies that seem to think that production on anything more than 100 people is horrific. Yet when those chefs need to suddenly dazzle 3000 guest paying $250 a pop each they seem to suddenly have a need for guys like me. I produce on large scales I am not happy unless there are 500 people wanting to be feed. The Thomas Kellers of this world are most definitely needed. I have been an admirer of his for years. His sense of creation is amazing. Ferran Adria is one whom I laughed at and thought its just a fad it will go away Escoffierist like myself won't have to look at this new molecular cooking for long. Now I find myself googleing his recipes, for my edification. Although I see a day that chili's has a mango pork inside out ravioli with a lemon foam......that menu item took me 10 minutes to figure out.......maybe I should apply to apple bees for their corporate exec chef....



Brace yourself here comes the rant



While I do not feel the need to educate the world on my cuisine......leave that to the 22 year old culinary school grad.....I do feel that the more people I can expose to quality prepared food the job of elevating their palate may have been accomplished. The applebees, tgi fridays, and olive gardens of this world want to do nothing more than put a mediocre flavor on a plate while trying to make sure that they maintain the proper profit percentage. They don't care about what is being done to our sense of taste and enjoyment. The American palate is being slowly destroyed by honey jack chipotle quesadillas served with a chili ranch dressing. How can you taste anything in that?

The next chapter

Time to move on. We are going to have to close the business. I am not bitter so much as frustrated. I thought I knew how to do this on my own. Sales have slumped, only about 30% of what was projected. I do not regret this, I always wanted to do this and I tried it. I feel like I got a masters degree in the last 2 years. This is the toughest thing I have ever done, I cannot remember ever in my life working so hard. Being a small business owner is an experience that every person should try once. It makes you appreciate working for for someone else.

The thing I am looking forward to the most, aside from a paycheck, is getting sleep at night. I do not think I have had a good nights sleep in months. My family life is in a stressed state as well. This is not why I got into business for myself. It seems somewhere we lost out way. I am hoping that we will be able to get a fresh start. There is a job offering in the area that will pay very well and hopefully get us back on track.

Its funny the company I used to work for and laid me off wants me back badly. Its kinda nice to be wanted for what you do. I know I can cook well and run a very efficient kitchen. I guess there is something to be said for knowing your place in the world.

I have come to the conclusion that I have a obligation in this world. Not necessarily making a fortune but raising and keeping a family. I have learned in the last couple of months that there are simply some things in this world that are more important than lots of money. My wife and daughter give me more happiness than any amount of money ever could. Learning this has made the last 2 years almost worth it.

Looking ahead I find myself wanting simplicity. Keeping life comfortable. I let you know how it works out.

The world of feeding

What a couple of months. We have since downsized and gone to a soley offsite catering company. We are still searching for an investor and if something does not happen soon we will close. I feel at peace with this if that decision has to be made. My employees are beside me through all this. That is the one thing that makes all this pain somewhat bearable. The company has lost a little focus thorugh all this and it was tough to get everybody back on track. But it seems to have worked for now.