More than once during the string of years I’ve toiled in restaurant kitchens friends or acquaintances bring up the matter of “what do you eat when you work?” or “you guys must eat really well.” Regarding the former, “everything and anything”. As to the former “not really” or “sometimes” or “actually don’t think about most of time.” Its a lot sampling, munching on this or that. A particularly endearing carrot or radish, ah, a smacking good trimming off a roasted joint of meat, and that bodacious local cheese that just came in the door. Don’t get me started on cherries or berries in season.
Actually most often we end up scarfing down a plate of food between setup and service, its called Family Meal in restaurant parlance. Each day, each shift its someone’s responsibility to pull together a couple of dishes for all the staff, front and back of the house.
Ideally its got to adhere to a short list of criteria.
- Use up what the sous or chef say is okay to use.
- Pull it together in an hour or less ( this for anywhere from 6 to 25 people).
- Make just enough, not too much (the chef will get pissed that you’re wasting good ingredients, not matter how dog eared or plentiful they may be)
- .And if you make too little, oh god the chef will have your head, as you scramble to pull something more together on the fly.
- Finally your peers will find a special place in their hell since they will have to pick up you sad sack of slack as you fall behind in your prep to set up for service.
As I fixed the post-ride lunch today I had to snicker and write this. Left over pasta, left over braised broccoli shoots, poached egg, Sriracha sauce.
Quintessential family meal fare. Really not because its was anything left over, not that it was pasta, with a bit of vegetable, with an egg. It was all that and. Srirachia Sauce. That’s what made it. Peak inside any kitchen at 4pm and you’ll find a huddle of cooks and chefs scarfing down what was, what is of the moment from the walk-in fridge. Methodically, religiously, purposefully doused with Sriacha. Its what keeps America’s cooks in gear.
the well seasoned athlete 
This post brings me back to the days when I worked at The Bottom Line in NYC. One of the bartenders lived on a boat.. he loved to fish. Once in awhile he would bring fish into work and our chefs would whip up our family meal using his catch. We did not have fish on the menu, but man it was always delish. I always looked forward to our staff meals – eating together before the night began helped maintain our sense of community, our bond. Thanks Thom, as usual, for reminding us that food is so much more then nutrition.
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