Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Each presents the executive chef with a different set of challenges and opportunities. The chef must be on his or her game – adept at preparing and presenting food that rivals the best free standing restaurants – even reflecting the most contemporary trends and techniques. The club chef cannot hide behind the kitchen doors.

Beverage 498

Beverage Events Food Order Website Management 498

Culinary Cues

APRIL 16, 2022

The flavor, aroma, texture, or presentation made you sit back in your chair, close your eyes, and wonder how anything could be this good. Remember how beautiful those well designed and executed plate presentations gave you pause, stopped your conversations, and insisted that you snap a picture for posterity.

Hotels 384

Hotels Presentation Reservations Social Media 384

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

The rich umami smell of steaks, chops, and roasts as they caramelize on the grill or in the oven, releasing a richness that turns on the desire that surrounds eating, and of course, the always present smell of fresh coffee, the intoxicating elixir that keeps cooks’ energy levels up and provides that comfortable boost when needed.

Food 341

Food Front of House Back of House Point of Sale 341

Culinary Cues

JULY 4, 2021

The quick fix may just be a dramatic change in how we plan and present our menus. CHANGE #3: It may also mean that certain menu staples that everyone accepts as “always present” need to be pushed aside for the time being. The important reality is that we MUST MAKE CHANGES NOW!

2021 501

2021 Food Supply Seasonal Menu Supplies 501

Culinary Cues

MAY 13, 2023

Want to learn about cold charcuterie, more about a full array of cheese, platter design and presentations, making centerpieces, buffet set-up, cold sauces and dressings, marination, and fermentation, etc.? Then the choice to work in hotels, resorts, and clubs is your best option.

Hotels 440

Hotels Point of Sale Cash Management Training 440

Culinary Cues

MARCH 9, 2021

This is where cold appetizers, salads, terrines, pates, cheese plates, and likely desserts are presented with a high level of artistic expression and where, in many cases, the profit in restaurants reside. The salad, even one described as a “side”, should be able to stand alone in terms of its flavor blending, and visual presentation.

Presentation 399

Presentation Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Design 399

Culinary Cues

MARCH 10, 2022

If you doubt my belief – think about this: If a line cook calls out – we simply spread the work out among those who are present. The rhythm of the kitchen is closely tied to the work and efficiency that is present in the dish area. We grumble and curse, we step up the pace and show our anger on our face, but we get by.

Front of House 449

Front of House Back of House Uniforms Hiring 449

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

Decision-making is ever present and comes at the cook in an instant. When the cook finishes a plate and wipes the rim, when that cluster of fresh herbs tops off a dish and the finished product is presented to a server, the cook knows that his or her signature accompanies the item in route to a guest.

Back of House 433

Back of House Reference Presentation Mobile Ordering 433

7 Shifts

JUNE 20, 2022

Stay present with customers. An extension of being transparent is staying present with your customers. So with ghost kitchens, staying present with your customers is important to building a sustainable business. But if your space doesn't allow for this, the most important thing is to stay present online like the Cali BBQ team.

Front of House 435

Front of House Food Truck Back of House Social Media 435

Culinary Cues

MAY 8, 2023

It is very rare that any owner/operator demands a chef work that much, we just feel responsible and hate to ask our staff to work as hard as they do and not find the chef present to help, encourage, critique, and celebrate. Even though he or she may not actually cook each dish, it is the chef’s reputation that is presented to each guest.

Kitchen Safety 441

Kitchen Safety Food Safety Coaching Training 441

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 27, 2023

Will the flavors and presentations of the food suffer? In a restaurant centric operation, the standards are well defined, the vendor requirements are spelled out, costs are structured into a pricing model, cooks are trained to the standard, presentations are vividly displayed, and the chef is there to make sure standards are kept in line.

Hiring 405

Hiring Training Pricing Leadership 405

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

When we compromise on the quality of cooking, taste, and presentation then we suffer trying to win unhappy customers back and you, the chef, must look in a mirror and see the face of compromise. Did they sense that the value was there? Were they wowed into coming back again and again? Will they write a great review on Trip Advisor?

Customer Service 357

Customer Service Customer Experience Point of Sale Presentation 357

Culinary Cues

JULY 12, 2020

Meticulous plate presentations do not apply, the basic rules of thumb: “hot food hot, cold food cold” are a stretch when a guests meal is placed in disposable containers for re-heating at home, and the showmanship of service is relegated to passing a bag of food through a car window.

Front of House 417

Front of House Back of House Dine-in Food Order 417

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

What if the chef, manager, and owner were required to do the same, in essence proclaiming they approve of the work as presented to the guest? Are you proud to present this to your teammates, manager, or guest?” Would it make a difference in attention to detail? Is there room to improve?

Seminar 368

Seminar Front of House Back of House Workshop 368

Culinary Cues

JUNE 14, 2022

They understand quality, they appreciate cooking from scratch, they enjoy attractively presented food, and they are interested in the source of quality ingredients. Our customers are far savvier than they were in the past; they know great food and they expect that restaurants will provide it.

Fine Dining 471

Fine Dining Food Supply Customer Service Presentation 471

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 1, 2024

Presentation also matters. Clear descriptions and appealing photos help customers make informed choices and anticipate the flavors and presentation of their meals. Address this by developing detailed recipes and preparation methods to ensure consistency in the quality and presentation of your dishes.

Customer Experience 397

Customer Experience 2024 Customer Service Online Ordering 397

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 28, 2021

This isn’t the French Laundry” so why even invest the time in plate presentation and cooking it properly – WRONG. Which type of tomato will present the most pronounced flavor of fine ripened, deeply refreshing acid/sweet balance on the sandwich and how can we ensure this consistently throughout the year?

Uniforms 450

Uniforms Fine Dining Small Business Customer Service 450

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Fifteen minutes early is not just being present its being ready to make a difference. [] IF YOU CAN LEAN YOU CAN CLEAN Yes, time is money, and the original intent of this often-used statement may relate to the cost of labor, but most importantly it relates to how you approach life. When team exists, then trust is present.

Employee Relations 259

Employee Relations Presentation Small Business Recruiting 259

Culinary Cues

MARCH 15, 2021

Developing and presenting ways of enhancing their degree through continuing education, on-line resources, short training videos, and other communication pieces such as blogs and a resource center that students might contact once they graduate is a great way to become a partner in student success. INABILITY TO EXPLAIN VALUE.

Education 551

Education Food Supply Training Communication 551

7 Shifts

DECEMBER 18, 2020

Get Creative With Your Presentation If decor isn't your strong suit or you don't have room for a wall specifically made for photos, that’s okay. You can just as easily encourage an Instagram post with your presentation. It doesn’t have to be anything overly meaningful, but it should look attractive.

Social Media 397

Social Media Customer Service Take-out Seasonal Menu 397

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 12, 2020

Each course would be masterfully prepared and presented and flawless in execution. He did not need to cook a dish to impact it’s flavor and presentation. He was commissioned to work with the producers of the movie “Vatel” featuring Gerard Depardieu as the chef who made the grand food presentations during the age of Louis the XIV.

Fine Dining 363

Fine Dining Back of House Dine-in Presentation 363

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

We do like to show what we can do through our menus, train our staff how each should be prepared, how they should taste, and how they must be presented on the plate. Unfortunately, staffing and supply issues make large menus impossible to maintain.

Food Supply 429

Food Supply Employee Relations Kitchen Safety Social Media 429

Culinary Cues

MARCH 29, 2021

The contradiction of anxiety and peace seems to be present in every kitchen that reaches for the butterfly. Despair is present in the eyes of cooks who are within striking distance of those allusive first orders clicking off the POS printer.

Uniforms 432

Uniforms Presentation Take-out Café 432

Culinary Cues

JUNE 29, 2024

The chef invests time in building a signature menu, testing recipes, establishing plate presentations, and making sure the best ingredients are within the teams reach. Present the menu but offer them the opportunity for a customized menu selection from the chef. Is it possible to set the stage for these reactions?

Dine-in 304

Dine-in Customer Experience Back of House Customer Service 304

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 24, 2022

Epic restaurant in Georgia follows suit with “Culinary Pride” on their kitchen wall – again a driving concept that requires every person to ask themselves – does this dish, its flavor, the presentation, and the manner with which it is delivered reflect “Culinary Pride?”. My “elegant comfort foods” had to focus on natural presentations.

Seasonal Menu 318

Seasonal Menu Front of House Presentation Menu 318

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 29, 2024

Your skills equate to confidence and confidence is what drives a kitchen and a cook toward success. [] EVERYONE IS BORN AN ARTIST: One of the primary reasons people are attracted to the kitchen is the opportunity to be expressive, to present something they create, even if the process and product are prescribed.

Kitchen Safety 395

Kitchen Safety Guest Recovery Uniforms Food Safety 395

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 31, 2024

In a restaurant, it is evident in the atmosphere of the operation, how well everything is maintained, the presentation of food on the plate, the aromas and flavors of the dining experience, the commitment of staff members, and the reputation of the operation in the community.

Customer Service 326

Customer Service Social Media Customer Experience Reference 326

Culinary Cues

APRIL 7, 2022

A new technique, a new way to measure, a different type of presentation, a different challenge in operations, a higher cost, product unavailability, more competition to keep us on our toes – it is never ending. Just when we think that we might be good at our jobs – something new stares us down.

Training 385

Training Social Media Presentation Café 385

Culinary Cues

JULY 9, 2022

It was a present from the first cook I worked with – Millie. It has occasionally been abused (certainly not by me), been eyed by other cooks as my Excalibur, been present for grand dinners and elaborate buffets, and been photographed countless times without ever being asked for permission. I think what a beautiful tool.

Front of House 380

Front of House Back of House Presentation Café 380

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 12, 2021

One was set for the department chefs to evaluate before service, making any last minute adjustments to the flavor profile and presentation; and the other would grace the show table in the dining room. Prior to the beginning of service each cook had to prepare two sample plating’s of his or her respective dish.

Seasonal Menu 472

Seasonal Menu 2005 Hotels Customer Service 472

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 7, 2020

Aside from the innate artistic talent for detailed presentations – the pastry chef is far more adept at applying the exactness of chemistry to food, and far more intent on the details and patience required to present incredible works on a plate.

Hotels 438

Hotels Events Retail Presentation 438

Culinary Cues

JULY 19, 2024

It can be done without tasting food or even seeing a single plate presented in the pass and it is visible without asking a guest for comments on a meal. So, here’s the thing – when mise en place permeates everything you do, how you work, act, and present yourself, then competence finds a home and confidence leads the charge.

Front of House 271

Front of House Food Order Customer Service Customer Experience 271

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

Television screens presented a mix of sporting events and CNN talking heads, and the smell of grilled meat and batches of beer brewing behind glass walls provided sensory overload. The noise level was high and I’m sure among those present there was some discussion about the election results.

Front of House 346

Front of House Back of House Sourcing Travel 346

Culinary Cues

MAY 27, 2021

This is where that dichotomy is ever-present. I know line cooks who work together as a solid unit yet are so different in background. These line cooks inspire me, confuse me, strengthen my passion, and give me hope.

Sports 450

Sports Presentation Café Education 450

Culinary Cues

MARCH 3, 2021

This is an opportunity and an absolute requirement moving forward – we must embrace this and more.

Dine-in 427

Dine-in Small Business Seasonal Menu Café 427

Culinary Cues

JULY 19, 2022

Showing requires that you present them with a benchmark of excellence – a model to emulate – an example of what you expect. The difference between criticism and critique lies in how this is presented and whether you work with them through the process of improvement. Present this as positive reinforcement.

Training 382

Training Presentation Employee Relations Article 382

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

This is a topic I have presented numerous times and it seems as though whenever I travel it rises to the top of my thinking. Make sure that every part of your system aligns with consistency: purchasing specs, production, flavor profile, presentation, and service.

Fine Dining 405

Fine Dining Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 405