Back In The Saddle With A Different View

This time of year at the restaurant, it's like playtime for me, because I get to spend a lot of time back in the kitchen. Like any business, our hourly staff gets some more time off, and us "salaried" types save the business a little money.

After having been the Chef for South Beach Grill for almost seven years it's not that I miss being in the kitchen. Oh sure, there are certain aspects of it that I will always miss a little bit, like expediting food orders on a busy Saturday night in the summer, much like a conductor leads an orchestra. Or the satisfaction of meticulously plating dozens of Grouper Linda's and Flounder Francaise dishes exactly the same and watching them go out to the tables knowing the guest is going to be blown away.

But what I love the most about my job as General Manager, is that I get a really good grip on every aspect of the food. As a Chef, it's easy to get "tunnel vision" when it comes to your food. You see your dishes in their preparation stage, through production, and final plating. But once that food goes up into the "window," you tend to forget about it because you have to move on to the next dish so quickly.

As GM, I also get to see those same dishes go to the tables, and I'm also able to get first-hand feed back from the customer on their experience. I think it's a unique privilege to be able to see all sides of things. What it really does is allow me to give valuable information to the Chef and kitchen staff when it comes to dishes working or not working. Even plate presentation is affected. In the kitchen, the lighting is very bright, and there is virtually no glare from the plates or food whatsoever. But when a plate hits the table, it's placed under a dim light, often next to a candle that can cause a slight glare off of a bright white plate. After all, no matter what food trends come and go, presentation goes a long way.

But I think the coolest thing about my job is that because I was in the kitchen for so long, I have the ability to answer most of the questions our guests have about the food, and I'm able to make suggestions for them.

I guess maybe I'm bragging or gloating a little bit here, but what I'm really trying to say is that I'm extremely lucky, and thankful for the job I have. I love every aspect of the restaurant business, and I'm fortunate enough to be elbow deep in all of it! I wouldn't trade my job for any other. I get to run a restaurant, and have my hands in both the front and back of the house. I get to throw my two cents into menu development, and my boss lets me have total control of the wine and beer lists.

But before I finish rambling on, I need to say that I couldn't have as much fun at my job, and be able to do it well if I didn't have the best staff that any restaurant manager could wish to have. The people who work for me and South Beach Grill show every day that they are there for so much more than themselves. They truely work to make the restaurant great. So my hat goes off to my staff, and I say thank you to all of them.