changes

This week has been interesting. Thursday was my Monday and we normally roll out new specials for the week. So in general it is kinda hectic, the two owners on the line and in the way, tweaking specials and then putting them up for tasting, a soup, a salad or ap, and entree, and usually a dessert. Can get hip bumping when there are the five cooks, the two sous chefs, and the two owners all jockeying for eight burners and 3 cutting boards...good times.

I was thinking that I would come in and have a smooth day on the grill, prepping, easy pick ups, and maybe a special. I roll in, and Lorenzo hits me up with the, 'these are your new menu items, and you need this....'.

Its new menu time!

So, I quickly pulled out the cliff notes and began scribbling as he listed off all the new preparations. And then got right into gutting my station out and trying to prep it all in the two hours prior to service...and still have to deal with the bodies in the way because we are doing specials too.

Here is the new daily mise en place

house ground burgers
beef filets
30 ounce prime porterhouse (YES ITS HUGE...2 fit in a 1/6 pan...)
smoked pork chops
bacon wrapped day boat scallops
hawaiian swordfish
kobe hanger steaks
local lamb chops
ribeyes
house made hot link sausage
smoked stuffed quail
kobe flatiron steaks
duck prosciutto wrapped figs
pea shoots and celery leaf salad
meyer lemon jelly
habanero mint jelly both made in house with liquid pectin...tricky
arugula
roasted and grilled fingerling potatoes
bias cut cucumbers
large dice watermelon
avruga caviar
picked mint
julienne red onions
bias cut green onions
toasted walnuts
local peaches
bias cut celery
roasted jalapeno butter
mustard butter
brown sugar
champagne vinaigrette
proseco
sherry shallot vinaigrette
poppy seed dressing
fresh squeezed lemon juice
evoo
grilled lemons
tomatoes provencal
grilled local corn
hand rolled and grilled flatbread

whew....we cut all our own meats except for the porterhouse...and we smoke all that needs to be smoked as well. Lots of prep for the two hours time span...it'll get worked out and streamlined though.

The major pain is finding space for it all...the grill station has four under mount chill drawers and thats it...a total of 9 1/3 pans and then a drawer of 9 1/9 pans...not enough space...and we share a board with the expo...

Thursday night I was roasting corn in the husk on the the shelf five feet over the grill...usually a safe place to cook slowly...but I had the grill so hot during the rush that the corn burst into flames...and I had to juggle flaming corn husks down to put them out...dinner and a show!


So, a lot of work, but also a good time. Next week the station switch...as I am on rotational duties with the two sous chefs...