I'll throw a couple of aphorisms at you like:
Keep your cool, dont panic
Don't let the food be the boss of you.
4 or 5 tickets at once is nothing.
The goal is to get each course out at the same time for each table. This is pretty easy if you have a good expo. Otherwise you must communicate with your fellow linesmen. Communication is a must, don't do it, and the line will sink into the weeds fast.
Second thing to do is check out your mise. If you've got enough, could it be organized better. You should have acces to everything you need if you have one foot nailed to the floor. One of the things I do, is precup some of the sauces that people order extra sides of. It saves me a few seconds during the rush.
The FOH can also screw things for you if the seatings aren't staggered. Some waiters like to hoard tickets and put them in all at once.
Lastly, I always scan ahead to see if I have any surprises or long cooking items coming up. Well-dones are the worst and can really hang a ticket. |