Will You Please Just Eat And Enjoy This Date!!!!!

     If you are married or attached to a chef then you definitely can relate to this entry.  Eric and I love going out to dinner. With that said, we can NEVER go out to eat without him picking apart the competition. It's not that he's negative about where we've chosen to go it's that he likes to see what other colleagues do right and wrong. Sometimes he can get a great idea from something he's eaten. Chances are they will compare the menu to their menu at work, laugh or make fun of descriptions, "dripping?!?! What do you mean dripping?! Like bacon fat?"
     Our anniversary was last week and we went out to eat.  When eating out with your chef you need to make sure you have their full attention about every five minutes. First, check the silverware and glasses. They will immediately pick up on whether they are not clean or polished. Make sure you ask a non yes or no question.  Something that makes them think. If you've truly lost them because they are too busy trying to figure out what the table next to you is eating, then say something like "You're shirt is on fire." or "I think Gordon Ramsay would eat you alive." The reaction will definitely tell you what he has or has not heard. 
     Sometimes chefs can be rather selfish with their meal selections. Note: Many times they will only give you a taste of their meal because they don't like it or there is an ingredient that they haven't decoded yet and they need someone else's palate for analysis.  They especially will not share dessert good luck if you try to take a bite and don't get your hand slapped with a spoon. 
      You need to figure out if you would rather them hate their meal, because if they do like it then they see this place as competition. Now is when they will ask you, "How does it compare to my food?", "Do you taste the fennel in that?". They actually become excited and jealous that there is competition.
    The only exception to the above statements is if you go to a fair. Then count on them ordering the biggest messiest item they can find and love it! For example yesterday we were at a beach boardwalk and my chef ordered an italian sausage loaded with onions and peppers. You are most likely better off having dinner at home, at a boardwalk, or hotdog stand.
    

How to Support your Chef

     So what do you do when your chef leaves a restaraunt for a new one or faces challenges that is pushing limits that they've never met before?  Support, you've got to be their support.  My chef started working at a new resort Christmas Day and has been loving it. There's nothing like seeing your chef cooking the type of food that they love! Chefs always complain about wanting to work a "normal" 9-5 job.  Most can't do that and I'll explain why.  They're adrenaline junkies. They love the pressure for some reason they thrive on fast paced, instense situations.  If or when they do get that 9-5 job, they don't like it. It's too easy, boring  blah blah blah. I'd rather have my husband complain about being slammed and the ticket printer almost overheating from too many orders than complaining about not having anything to do.
      This leads to where we are at now. My hubs will be managing a restaraunt that has its challenges. He's really excited about this challenge I might add.  In our house we have this rule, if you're stressed you can have your little freak out but, you then have to pick yourself up and say okay what needs to be done and let's make a plan of attack. This started when my husband was a server. Servers almost always are sat more tables than they can handle, especially good servers.  Nothing ticks me off more than seeing one server have to take care of a ten table dining room by themselves.  I just want to look at the management and say either help them out or give them more money because you just screwed your server out of tips.  The more tables you get the worse the service becomes for the other tables. This in turn causes longer waits for food, blah blah, blah and you have an avalanche on your hands. When hubs would be sat too many tables there was always a point that he would get overwhelmed and couldn't give perfect service.
     What do you do? STOP EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE DOING!!! BREATHE! Now ask yourself what needs to be done? 1 needs Drinks, Food is up for 2 and 4, 3 needs ketchup, 5 hasn't ordered yet. Sometimes this list can reach up to 10 if you have that many tables.  After you figure out what needs to be done figure out what's the most efficient way I can do this. It may involve asking someone to help you. THAT's OKAY!!!!! If management is picking their nails and tells you no, they don't deserve their salary!!! Point blank I'm putting it out there. You respect the managers that help or wouldn't ask you to do something you wouldn't do yourself. Yes I know, this post is sounding a little soap boxish.  Once you have figured out how you're going to get it done, do it!  Flip outs and tears do nothing for you. They suck all of the energy that you could be using to say to yourself, what, how and then do.
      This is a wonderful way to handle a lot of stressful situations.  A friend recently told me, I don't know how true it is, that some psychologists are taking a tough love approach. There is something to be said for that. You always have to keep yourself moving forward.
      Going back to the original paragraph hubs and I are taking this approach to his new venture. You had your flip now what needs to be done. After almost ten years of marraige this has worked the best for him.  Lists are involved, lots of lists. Organizing, Prioritizing and Planning. Break it down for them if they can't see beyond the immediate situation. You are their voice of reason. That's what is absolutely wonderful about being someone who doesn't work with them or in a restaraunt. This is when you are at your best!