# rituals



## Geo87 (Oct 20, 2013)

So, before most services . When everything is in its place, no tickets are in and I'm completely ready to rock it... I pause for a few seconds and reflect on all the other cooks/ chefs out there right at that very second . I think about people I've worked with in the past . people ill work with in the future. People who also have there mez sorted. People who are so far behind they feel like their insides are being crushed from stress. People who are overbooked from doushe bag FOH . People who have 0 booked, even how many people have cut themselves/ burnt themselves badly but are soldiering on regardless. I think about all the chefs in the world right at that very second and wonder if anyone is doing the same... Most days right before the tickets flow in I do this. 
So next time your in "the weeds".. Take comfort in the fact that I'm thinking of you... And secretly laughing  

Anybody else have any interesting pre service rituals? 
I worked with a guy once that did some deep breathing / stretching stuff in the walk in everyday without a doubt... Almost like walkin yoga


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## Salty dog (Oct 20, 2013)

I like to have my stuff together a half hour before opening. It allows me to go to the bar and chat with some regulars and grab a cocktail. Then I'll relax in the "corporate lounge", grab a smoke, finish my drink and wait for the call that that an order is in.

Then repeat every two hours.


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## panda (Oct 20, 2013)

i'm never truly fully 'ready' for service as there is always some random detail that i find needs to be attended to. the only thing i am OCD about in my life is having the line a specific way which i guess you could chalk up as a 'ritual'. always gotta have redbull and water on hand before the rush comes.


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## berko (Oct 20, 2013)

my pre service ritual is cursing i guess


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## CoqaVin (Oct 20, 2013)

I agree that I am never truly ready for service. There is always that minuscule thing that you forget about. I also have to have everything in its certain place...I am not into redbull and the carbonation I am more for the Monster Rehabs that have no carbonation


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## Chuckles (Oct 20, 2013)

Salty dog said:


> I like to have my stuff together a half hour before opening. It allows me to go to the bar and chat with some regulars and grab a cocktail. Then I'll relax in the "corporate lounge", grab a smoke, finish my drink and wait for the call that that an order is in.
> 
> Then repeat every two hours.



This is the best argument for biting the bullet and opening my own place that I have seen in a while.


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## Geo87 (Oct 20, 2013)

panda said:


> i'm never truly fully 'ready' for service as there is always some random detail that i find needs to be attended to. the only thing i am OCD about in my life is having the line a specific way which i guess you could chalk up as a 'ritual'. always gotta have redbull and water on hand before the rush comes.



I think we're all OCD especially when it comes to line set up. But that's just commonsence. 
I can't stand energy drinks, they make my body move faster than my brain  or the other way around
Coffee is another story....

Salty dog: that sounds amazing. I could try that, but would most likely get fired... One day


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## knyfeknerd (Oct 20, 2013)

If you truly think you're "ready" for service, I know you're probably full of it. That one thing that you totally forgot about is going to be the hot seller for the night. Oh and the chef didn't tell you specials until 10 minutes before service. 
Thanks chef!
Yes, please chef, talk some more **** to me about not being ready for service and not having any specials mise when it's your fault because you've been missing for the past 3 hours before service!
Yeah! Thanks!
and I'm the one who sucks!


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## Geo87 (Oct 20, 2013)

knyfeknerd said:


> If you truly think you're "ready" for service, I know you're probably full of it. That one thing that you totally forgot about is going to be the hot seller for the night. Oh and the chef didn't tell you specials until 10 minutes before service.
> Thanks chef!
> Yes, please chef, talk some more **** to me about not being ready for service and not having any specials mise when it's your fault because you've been missing for the past 3 hours before service!
> Yeah! Thanks!
> and I'm the one who sucks!




Lol, very true. I'm usually as ready as I could possibly be short of having mind reading skills or being able to see into the future, surely everybody agrees standard set up is no issue. But curveballs like last minute specials or selling far more of an item than usual are b.s but unpredictable. 
Either way that's beside the point... Nobody got any pre service rituals other than stress / worry and constantly trying to think ahead? How boring


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## ecchef (Oct 20, 2013)

Pre-service pee.


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## Chuckles (Oct 21, 2013)

My pre service ritual is thinking about how much I still miss the pre service smoke.


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## knyfeknerd (Oct 21, 2013)

Chuckles said:


> My pre service ritual is thinking about how much I still miss the pre service smoke.


I really miss the after-work smoke. The "out the door and in the parking lot", "see you later" cigarette. 
Sometimes I really do miss smoking.


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## Dusty (Oct 21, 2013)

One workplace, we would play 'in the ghetto' by Elvis as our last pre-service song. The singalong would change the lyrics slightly to 'in the gateaux' - a reference to gateaux pimentes, Mauritian street food we served as a bar snack. We did this for all busy services for nearly a year.


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## stevenStefano (Oct 21, 2013)

Like others I'm rarely ready for service. The odd time I am, I'm generally thinking of what I'm gonna have to clean if it ain't busy which sucks


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## JDA_NC (Oct 21, 2013)

Y'all don't ever feel ready for a service???

I get absolutely crushed on an almost daily basis - busy restaurant, my station is a monster, the ratio to kitchen vs FOH/dining room is crazy etc - but I generally feel set. There's always minor busy work but more often than not I feel good if we're going to do 150 or 250.

One of the first 'real' cooking jobs (high end, learned a lot) I had was at a place where the menu was printed daily. So we were always running to catch up & you wouldn't know three of your dishes a half hour before service... which at the time was annoying and sucked, but I learned a lot and it did make me a better cook.

I worked at another place where you were required to have all your mise ready a half hour before service or you were sent home. Everyone including the chef took a break and sat out back. Never seen that anywhere else but it did make for a smoother service (more often than not).

For me I like the basics like a pre service smoke & piss. 

Other than that, I don't feel set unless I have my stack of towels. Folding them is my little ritual that I do as people are walking in, puts me at ease.


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## MrCoffee (Oct 24, 2013)

I roll in a half hour early, coffee in hand and walk directly to the walkins.
I check the veg fridge, check the meat fridge then the mise fridge.
With the nights menu(s)/function sheet(s) in hand Ill go check out the reserves, say hi to the front and make a triple shot to be consumed while translating the menu accompanied with nicotine infusion.

I go change, fold my towels for service, set my gear in a 1/3 pan on my station and set up my stereo.

Mise and tunes till it's smoke time then I check everyones sections and mise lists, if it's all good it's time for more coffee.

Before a busy service I'll throw on Carmina Burana or flight of the Valkyries, you know, for fun.

As for the closing ritual....

An hour before we close I start downsizing and cleaning, usually with metal blaring down the line, then I cart up my mise, stick in back then switch to guywithaclipboard mode and go apeshit on the walkins, write my report for the chef, check the next days menu and functions and pull **** from the freezer if needed.
At eleven if we don't have any bills up I uncart my mise, shut down everything and let the rationals cool down while check the night roomservice mise in the winebar then smoke.

After close and after changing I do a paranoid sweep of the walkins, the pastry kitchen, production and the line to make sure things are proper, sign off the close sheet, drop it at reception, punch out and go smoke en route to the metro.


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## Zwiefel (Oct 24, 2013)

Chuckles said:


> This is the best argument for biting the bullet and opening my own place that I have seen in a while.



I'd show up.....wouldn't mind another one of those butterscotch panna cottas either. [email protected], I was thinking about those last night...had to grab a towel and clean up my drool.


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