My Rant!!!!!

[Pete]

I am so p****d off, I just want to strangle someone!!! Today, I turned in my letter of resignation. I gave 5 weeks notice and said that I would probably be available for 1 or 2 weekends after that. I had a chat with my boss and told her that I had a good year here and learned a lot, and that my leaving in no way reflected anything negative about my experience here, but that I was offered a chance to further my career. Not only did she not offer any form of congratulations, she got all pissy saying that sure, we have been slow for a few months and now that we are getting busy, I am up and leaving. I have given a lot to this place, and now that I am leaving I get treated like this!! If I didn't like the chef I work for so much, I would tell her what to do with her job, and walk out on her, leaving her screwed for the first part of April (we are busier then, than even during the holidays). This person is one of the most ungrateful people I have ever met. She treats everyone like this. I should have told her this in our meeting, but I was trying to be nice, and end my tenure here on a good note, but I can see that it won't happen. Oh well, only a few weeks to go and then I can tell her to kiss my ***!!!!

Sorry for the rant, but it had to be done!

[momoreg]

Pete, I feel for you. I've been there, and not too long ago. Before you know it you'll be outta there. Try to keep peace; you never know when you might need a good word for your ungrateful present boss.

[cape chef]

Hey Pete,

Not alot I can say to you right now, other than I hear you loud and clear.

Theres this funny little saying that I believe in.

"The cream always rises to the top"

[chiffonade]

...But don't let it ruin your new employment experience. Most companies (non restaurants) don't hire to replace a resignee until the very last minute. It means paying two salaries for a single position - even though valuable training can happen during this time and once notice is up, the new person can hit the ground running. Companies (for some reason, probably relating to college) don't see the common sense in spending a few more dollars for a very short period of time especially if the person leaving had good habits the new person could emulate.

No one is happy to see a good person go, even if it means advancement. I worked for a large brokerage firm (nicknamed Sacks of Gold) for 8 years. I made it clear I wanted to work for a partner (now called managing directors) vs. vice presidents. After 8 years these people couldn't find me a partner to work for, then had the cojones to get annoyed when I resigned to work for a partner in another firm - as a new employee!

There's no getting around it, some experiences will mellow with age. No matter how many things you do "right" when you try to leave a job, it's entirely up to the supervisor to make a choice of whether or not to act like an @ss.

[Jim]

"True Character is revealed when you come face to face adversity"

You are adversity to your superior. You are seeing her true colors. Best of luck to you; I, too, just switched 'teams' - not always the most pleasant of experiences. Work hard and stay loyal; nobody can fault you for anything else.

[Pete]

I am very excited about my new job. My wife and I will be running a country club up in Wisconsin. I will be the executive chef and she will oversee the FOH and member services. It is a small club (about 230 members). The membership is mostly younger adults and families, so I won't have to worry about doing too much "blue-hair" food. Their tastes do run towards the more pedestrian and towards comfort foods, so I won't have a chance to run a lot of real crazy items or do a lot of serious French and Italian cooking, but I do plan on running special dinners as often as possible to give me an outlet for that type of food. We have lots of ideas and the board members we have met with seem very enthusiastic! We are very lucky, because this doesn't seem the the regular, "stuffy" country club crowd. Very laid back, very friendly, and just looking for someone to create good, hearty food, and a friendly, congenial atmosphere.

Since this is my first country club experience, though, I am sure I will have lots of questions for all my friends here at CT. Anyone involved in the CC business, I would love to hear from you and find out how your experiences have been.

[Isa]

Congratulation on the new job Pete!


Hope you'll be happy at the country club.

[Mezzaluna]

Great news for you, Pete! Illinois' loss is Wisconsin's gain. Perhaps you'll be able to educate and expand their palates a bit and take them beyond fish fries!

[chiffonade]

Their tastes are only "pedestrian" because you haven't yet shown 'em your stuff. I wish you and Mrs. Pete the best of luck in your new jobs.

[Risa]

Congratulations Pete! That sounds like an exciting opportunity for you and your wife. Also, it's always nice being your own boss or, at least, mostly your own boss.

[W.DeBord]

I think your new job sounds GREAT! Plus having your spouse around, that would be fab.!! I've worked in Clubs for several years and I have a few opinions to share.

I think these people look to the club as their home and want good food their familar with first of all, YET they also will want 'showie' items to impress their guests too.

I don't find this type of cooking limiting at all. Good food is good food and they'll appreicate even the most sophisicated items...the trick is to simplify and build trust that anything you cook is great. Then intro more challenging items slowly (always keep the titles simple and clear).

I know of chefs that tried to move too fast changing menus and they got their wings clipped by the membership. So my advice is to go slow and totally perfect what they love first (when you do that, their loyality to you will be strong!), then bring in "new' dishes slowly over the years and they'll back you. I found buffets to be a great way to intro. new items, build trust and get them to experiment more then with ala carte service where they tend to be the most conservative.


Politics can get tricky at some clubs, but just try to stay loose, take no sides. Many members will want a personal chef who will do special requests at the worset time for you (never turn those down, never complain about them, those members will be your strongest allies when political storms come and go).

As far as your old manager, try not to waste your time on someone like that, it's just one of those frustrating things you'll do best ignoring.

Good Luck!

[nancya]

So, you say you're going to be a cheesehead instead of a flat-lander? Congratulations! My Wisconsin friends will be proud of you!!!

What part of Wisconsin, by the way?

Nancy

[Pete]

My new job takes me to Fond du Lac, WI. Very centrally located. 1 hour from Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay. It is 15 minutes from Oshkosh, and on the tip of Lake Winnebago (Wisconsin's largest lake, not counting the Great Lakes). The town is around 45,000 people, so it will be a little different than Chicago, but I am looking forward the change of pace.

[shroomgirl]

congrats!!!

[marmalady]

Congratulations, Pete! BTW, I think you were super generous in giving a 5 week notice. The cream does indeed rise to the top, and you can certainly leave knowing it's their loss, not yours!

By the way - does Fond du Lac mean 'brown stuff at the bottom of the lake??