In the fast-paced environment of a professional dining room, communication has to be lightning-fast. To an outsider, restaurant jargon can sound like a secret code, but these terms are actually the gears that keep a business profitable. Two of the most essential terms you’ll hear are covers and tops. While they are often used in … Read more
A sous chef in a professional restaurant or hotel kitchen is the second in command of the kitchen staff, under the Chef de Cuisine, executive chef, or head chef. The French word sous, in this term, means under, while chef means “chief.” The sous chef or “under-chief” is responsible for much of what happens in the … Read more
One of my biggest pet peeves is when useful shorthand or professional jargon becomes overused and overextended into general use for no purpose but to sound trendy. So, this article may seem more like a rant than a constructive piece. I’m talking about when restaurant waiters say, “Would you like protein with that?” I heard … Read more
I used to work for Domino’s delivering pizzas. The operation was clean and professional, and of course, the service was quick, if I say so myself. But, a business is only as good as its worst employee. So it was that in 2009, Domino’s suffered a blow due to the actions of two workers. The … Read more
When a particular item cooked in a restaurant kitchen is not fit to serve it may be said to have “died.” For example, a fried item like calamari is meant to be crispy on the outside and not soggy. If it waits too long after being cooked, it will become limp and soggy instead of … Read more
You may have noticed that waiters often squat down when first approaching your table at a restaurant and greet you while in this squatted position. Why do they do this? There are some practical reasons for this behavior, but the main reason is purely psychological. There are good reasons to squat, as long as it’s … Read more