Working In A Kitchen

Working in a restaurant is a weird thing. At one moment you’re calm and working in the prep kitchen and the next you’re on the scorching line with twelve tickets in front of you. I’m pretty new to this type of thing; I’ve worked as an expo for four months and a pantry cook for a few months. I’ve been around food all my life though, from five pound sourdough to chocolate chip cookies to making Acras de Morue.

When people ask people what they want to be when they grow up, most say movie stars, doctors and so on. I say I want to be a chef and potentially own my own restaurant. My dad strongly discourages me to do such a thing. It’s funny though because he himself is in the business, but he says its fifteen years of shit hours and shitty pay. The question is though; if you love what you do does that really matter. My goals are to go to college then possibly go to the Culinary Institute of America. If all works out then I’d like to go work in France or Italy for four or five years.

I feel though, working in kitchens is very rewarding. I thoroughly enjoy making great food for the people in the dining room. Especially when the server comes back and says that the people at whatever table loved the Tuna Wontons or the Bruschetta. I also love the new challenge that is presented to you every night you work. Working in a kitchen, it’s always something different and you can never know it all but you can try. This is the real reason I like it.

I’ve been to great restaurants all over the country from Boulevard in San Francisco to Blackbird in Chicago. Every time I go eat at these places I think, could I be this talented some day. Could I be a Thomas Keller or David Chang? Only time will tell this story and in my future I hope great things are ahead.