Saturday night Stars

The stars are my customers. I love them. I honestly do. And just like me and my father, I don't tell them often enough.

We were extremely busy at the restaurant tonight, typical for a Saturday night, and the mix of people that dined with us this evening was a joy to encounter. Well, not all of them were a joy, but you take the good with the bad. One table in particular truly made my night. Two couples, both in their mid forties. The ladies were kind and polite and gracious. the gentlemen were eaters. I LOVE eaters. The gentlemen ordered "Trust the Chef". That's where you put yourself in my hands and you let me decide what you are going to have for dinner. You can't edit the order...meaning give the server a list of things that you don't want. You have to completely hand over you palette to me.



So they did. And they loved it. They asked me to come out to the table, which I enjoy, and they personally thanked me. One of the gentlemen told me that while he was eating he paused to comment, "now THIS, is cooking." That statement alone summed up my entire existence as a Chef. All I want out of this volatile career is to be able to elicit a reaction like that out of someone I have just fed. I very humbly thanked him and his party. And told them all I can ask is please join us again.



I think they will.



So, I was happy tonight.

Happy to be cooking for sure. When I'm behind the line buried in orders and saute pans, running out of prepped food, 6 tickets behind, Floor manager yelling at me because we just ran out of salmon, fillet Mignon, and veal, calling my wife at home to get her to go to the all night supermarket for cannelinni beans (she loved that!), eyeglasses cover in splattered grease to the point where I cant read the orders and not one second to spare to clean them, food runner...and manager...taking the wrong dishes to the wrong table,... when I'm in the middle of all that...I'm happy. It's my world. It's where I feel most comfortable. Well, okay, where I am most comfortable is on the couch with Tracy under one arm and Eddie under the other. But absent of that the kitchen is my home.



Now I don't want you to think that I went the whole night blowing sunshine and roses out of my ass...I had some stressful moments. Strangely enough it had nothing to do with the list of foibles in he preceding paragraph. Two customer tonight refused to eat their dinner. The said it was "tough" and the couldn't even cut it. They both order grilled flat iron steak, which is slightly similar to London broil. A very nice cut of meat, no too expensive. I hate it when something leaves the kitchen that does not live up to someones expectations. I inspected the dish and although I disagreed with their opinion I realize it was their opinion and really that's the only thing that matters. The bottom line is I wanted to make them whatever they wanted to make sure they left happy. And I think they did. I just take it so personal when someone doesn't like something. It devastates me, even if only for a short moment. It's a insecurity issue. I cant remember a time when I was'nt insecure. I got over it quickly and finished the night. It's something that I continue to work on within myself. In this business you need to accept the fact that you WILL NOT please every person. It sounds logical right? It would be impossible. My mind isn't 100% around it yet...but I'm working on it.

And YES... Even those two people were stars. They chose to come and spend the evening with us tonight over any other restaurant and for that I am tremendously appreciative.

Wanna be a star? call 508 347 0100. Make a reservation. Sit, relax, drink, order a "trust the chef". i promise we will do our best to make you twinkle.

WOW, that was the goofiest line I ever wrote. "make you twinkle"...who talks like that.

See Ya
Chef Chris