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Expectations Versus Reality
July 17, 2007

Terroir has been up and operating for about a month, and I’m in that spot in my head where I am trying to reconcile expectations and reality.

I had hoped and expected to have had my kitchen staff operating on as close to autopilot as possible by now. I wanted my cooks mostly cross-trained on all the line stations, and I needed them to understand how I prepare my dishes. I wanted my prep staff able to work with me during the day to execute my ever-changing menu. It has taken a number of weeks and a bit of overtime, but the kitchen now is in “tweaking” mode. We need to watch, taste and taste again, and continually work on execution, but we are in the right ballpark. So far, the staff I initially hired, plus one or two, is still in place.

I was expecting my front-of-the-house staff to begin to “get it” in a similar manner. That is, to understand the flow of service, including all the steps of service, from initial sidework to greeting customers through the closing process. As you might have guessed, expectations don’t always equal reality. I’m not saying they’re like the Three Stooges dressed in dark blue jeans and olive-green Henley shirts (our waiter uniforms). I am saying that they need some work. What was that line by Robert Burns about the best-laid plans of mice and men? No matter.

This past Saturday, we (my front-of-the-house manager Mark, my wife, Mary, and I) did an hour and a half of service training with the entire front-of-the-house staff . We talked about respect for each other. We went over the menu again, with various tastings, in great detail. We spoke about our philosophy of small plates with large flavor; the idea of ordering items singularly or to be shared for the whole table. The concept of the food and wine being developed to complement, support and basically yearn for each other. The way we are seeking coexistence among food, beverage, place and season. Most importantly, we spoke about and practiced how that translates into reality on the floor.

Needless to say, it was very intense, but hopefully both useful and productive. As I’ve mentioned before, training is a two-way street and not a one-time occurrence. I am sure there are more sessions to come . We’re still having timing issues between ordering, cooking and picking up items. There are issues revolving around my waitstaff controlling the dining process. They need to give customers the perception that they, the customer, controls their experience, when in fact the waitstaff actually controls the what, when and how. The staff continually needs to taste–food, beverages, wine flights and food pairings. As I’ve told them before, they need to take personal responsibility–for food, wine, beverages, facilities and the entire dining experience.

Only time will tell if all our efforts bear fruit–-or, should I say, customers.

And the journey continues.

Cheers!

Stu

Comments or questions? E-mail Chef Stu at StuStein@rimag.com.

Posted by Stu Stein on July 17, 2007 | Comments (0)