How to deal with annoying waiters?

Well, you're not a good cook, not yet anyway. Think of this though: with practice and time, you'll become a good cook. The annoying servers on the other hand, will still just be annoying gossipy servers that put other people down to make themselves feel better.

When you said you can't flip sunny side up eggs, did you mean the over easy/medium/hard eggs? I know some people do flip sunnys to briefly cook the top, then flip back. If that's what the chef wants you to do, ask him if it's okay to cover the pan instead (similar to a basted egg, but with no water).

Yeh dude it's ridiculous for them to think you'll be cranking out food lightning quick when you have pretty much just entered the industry.  Either just ignore them or next time you have food sitting in the pass for any length of time ask them something along the lines of "Think maybe you could pick this up a little faster next time Flash?"

For over eggs, you have to flip because you'll eventually be plating it with the yoke-side down. It'll come in time. Sometimes it'll happen no matter how much experience you have. The yolks on fresher eggs don't break as easily, but if they're older they can break no matter how good you are.

I'd go with the ignore option while thinking the 2nd option to yourself. Don't bring yourself down to their level.

Exactly. When I said you weren't a good cook yet, don't take it as meaning you're bad. Maybe "less skilled" would be a better way to put what I meant to say.

Over means you turn it over and cook both sides. 

Up means you leave one side of the egg facing up in the pan or the flat top, and only cook the down side.

If a customer wants an egg cooked "up," but served down side up (aka upside down), she will order it that way.  Don't hold your breath.    

Easy means the yolk will run freely when pierced.  Medium means the yolk will ooze gently, but will still ooze.

If you break a yolk, you must fire new eggs.  The customer paid for the perogative to pierce her own yolk.

It's easier to flip eggs in a small skillet than turn them on a flat top, but you may not have the option.

If the waiters are native English speakers and speak another language in your presence, they are planning a surprise party for you and restaurant etiquette dictates that you must supply the beer.  If they're not native English speakers, they are planning to eat you and restaurant etiquette dictates that you must supply the beer.  

The gift of a six-pack cannot but improve the situation. 

Hope this helps,

BDL

Travis,

Don't sweat the small stuff with your servers.  Being a new cook means all sorts of grief from every different angle.  Just keep your head down and work on your skills, until you've got the experience to take anything they throw at you. 

Another thing to note... if you're flipping in a pan, then more important than the freshness of the eggs or their temperature before firing (since those two factors are probably outside of your control anyways) is how you "catch" them.  It might seem counter-intuitive, but relax your wrist and let the pan drop a few inches as the yolks fall back into it: since the receiving vessel is now traveling in the same direction as the falling eggs, but just a hair slower, the impact isn't as great as if the pan was stationary.  Make sense?  I'm an egg cook, not a physicist.

If you're working on a flat-top, then slip the turner under the set whites furthest from the yolks, and don't  "flip" at all, but "roll" the whites up and over the yolks so they rotate without leaving the surface of the grill.

BDL's descriptions of "easy" and "medium" are spot on.  Never serve runny whites unless specifically requested.  Sunnyside up eggs aren't flipped at all, but there *is* a very fine membrane of whites that rest on top of the yolk.  If you are in a crunch and don't have time to cook them as slowly as needed, you can carefully "pinch" that film and pull it off into the rest of the whites. 

Best of luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by CookinMT 

 

If you're working on a flat-top, then slip the turner under the set whites furthest from the yolks, and don't  "flip" at all, but "roll" the whites up and over the yolks so they rotate without leaving the surface of the grill.

!

With the side of the spatula I might add.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Spear 

 

no I mean like over easy eggs,and over medium do I still have to flip them because all the eggs are plated face up.

I've never heard of such a thing. Normally, sunny side up is cooked just on one side and plated with the cooked side down. Over eggs are flipped once so both sides are cooked, then plated without flipping again. If the chef is telling you to flip over eggs back again when plating, he/she had better expect some broken yolks. The more you handle an egg like that, the greater the chance of breakage. I don't see any benefit to flipping them again, so I'm uncertain as to the reasoning (if any) of doing so. I'm going to assume your boss isn't stupid and assume instead they may not have clearly communicated to you how over eggs are to be plated. I would double-check with the chef to be sure. If it turns out that there was no communication error, suck it up, do as the chef says and welcome to the world of being a line cook. It may be the 1st dumb thing you'll see, but it certainly won't be the last.

Regarding BDL's comments regarding the supply of beer, I can only guess that someone has supplied him recently. I think I'm going to report him to the California bar for recommending a minor buy alcohol. Bad BDL!

Greg:

"Over eggs are flipped once so both sides are cooked, then plated without flipping again. If the chef is telling you to flip over eggs back again when plating, he/she had better expect some broken yolks. The more you handle an egg like that, the greater the chance of breakage."

At the risk of seeming contrarian, I'd argue that--in my personal experience, so obviously mileage may vary--I've always had to do a second flip to bring the yolks back upright, and I have cooked somewhere between 300 to 500 sets of eggs a day for the majority of my life.  (I hope that doesn't sound braggy, because it just made me kinda sad.)

It's a presentation thing: the eggs look better with the yolks facing up, even with the whites set.  And while yes, handling eggs too much will increase your chances of breakage, you can flip the same pair of eggs all day without breaking a yolk if you have a gentle hand.

.....so they rotate without leaving the surface of the grill.

As a former short-order cook I know exactly the movement you're talking about. But think about this comment. It's physically impossible to do what you're describing.

I'm not knocking you. I'm a fairly good wordsmith, but don't think I could describe the action.   It's one of those things you have to see.

FWIW, like you I was taught to always double flip, with over eggs, so that they would be served yolks-up on the plate. Frankly, I don't see it as a big deal. If you can handle the first turn, the second one is a lot easier.

About halfway through I realized that I was trying to technically describe an intuitive action, and that I lacked the literary prowess to satisfy my ambitions. 

Cheers.  ;)

I don't flip sunnys but I have watched many cooks struggle to plate them and as a result break the yoik in the process.   The best way to plate them that I have found is to use a pastry cutter to help them from the grill to the plate... works like a charm every time!

Take the servers actions with a grain of salt...they have no idea what it takes to be in the kitchen.  We have one server who I like as a person but as a co-worker that's a different story and one day I would love to see her behind the line just for half an hour and then she'll really see what goes on.

Well, first, what do you care what the waiters think? They're the ones who rely on tips, so let them laugh if they're that stupid. I remember when the only way I knew how to cook an egg was scrambled. I would try to cook an  over easy egg and would wind up with a yolk and no white. It was high entertainment to the rest of the kitchen staff to watch me try to cook an over easy egg. I am now a damn fine breakfast cook (although I hate doing it) and will tell you all my secrets that I learned the hard way. First: It takes patience to cook. If you try to hurry anything, you will have nothing but trouble. I would try to turn my eggs too soon. Wait until the whites are set good before trying to flip. Now, more important; look at your grill spat. If you bang the spat on the grill to knock stuff off it, you will gouge up the side of the spat and it will end up like a serrated knife, which will tear up your eggs. If you need to clean off your spat, either use the edge of another one to scrape it, or keep a folded towel that you can drag it through to clean it off. Built up grill "gum"  has the same effect as dents in the spat; it will tear up your eggs, so keep it clean. Look at the underside too. Built up gunk from hash browns, bacon and sausage will keep the spat blade from sliding under the eggs. If the spat has gunk on the underside, it can raise it off the grill surface so that instead of going under the egg, it cuts through it. Spats can also get wrecked in the dish area. It doesn't take much to ding up the sides. I grind the edges of mine off about every six months with a Dremmel tool, and I don't even cook eggs. If you happen to break a yoke a little so it's just leaking, you can often fix it by holding the spat directly on the grill and then touching it to the leaky part to "cauterize" it. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't, but always worth a try. The technique others are trying to describe here is a lot easier to show than describe. The point they're trying to make is to keep the eggs close to the grill when you turn them. If you pick them up with the spat and turn like you would a pancake, gravity will work against you and the yolk will break. They're right when they say slide the spat under the eggs on the side away from you and then pull the spat toward you. The eggs will more or less roll over without the whole thing being picked up like a pancake. Believe me, if I can cook eggs, you can. You never saw a more hopeless case than I was.

If there is so much drama and problems over the cooking of 2 eggs, what would the place do with a party of 50????? Eggs over easy are over easy, up is up. If you want yolks up and coated, make basted eggs.

then flip it on the yolk side and ......

Travis, it might be a good idea to get the word "flip" out of your mind. You do not flip eggs unless you want them to break. Instead, you turn them in place.

"Over easy," as BDL pointed out, has a precise meaning. But there's a connotation there too. You're not flipping them. You are turning them easily so there's as little abuse to the egg as possible.

Think in terms of CookinMT's rolling. That's more the action you want to strive for.

As to the situation with waiters; let it slide off your back. There are several factors to consider. You are developing a long-range career. They are working for tips at a job with no chance for growth.

More important: You are the one in control. They can run their mouths all they want, but, when push comes to shove, what happens at the pass is what you make happen. How many of "their" customers you reckon you could tick off by being unusually slow? Or by cooking the food incorrectly? Or by assuring that it goes out cold?

I'm not suggesting that you actually act so unprofessionally. But just think about the meaning of it. Over time you will get better at what you do. Can those clowns say the same?

Bide your time. And the next time one of those clowns screws up, and needs something on the fly, just smile to yourself---and put that ticket at the end of the line.

When the wait staff is being unruly, I always like to remind myself that if they had any skills in life, they would not be making 2 bucks an hour and have to rely on charm to get paid. Even models get paid more.... so that tells ya something. Oh, and not to mention that if they aren't even picking on you in english, that is incredibly rude. Try learning some words in another language, doesn't even have to be an insult. You could say, I really love cooking eggs, but they won't know and they will be super angry and you will have been able to pep yourself up. Good luck man. 

I try so hard to be nice to my wait staff but if one does start acting out I just think hmmmm.... what would Dr. Phil do? Why give them a time out of course and so in there best interests  I gently lure them into the store room / walk inn / freezer and lock them in for enough time to perhaps adjust there attitude.

Nah just joking here (legal reasons) and besides while you are learning this biz you have to get the job down good before you can play around. It all depends on your personality as to how you can handle the situation with the staff but now at your age is where you start to develop it and you will make mistakes but just live and learn. Really thick skin helps as this biz has a magnet for people who are insecure and need to make themselves feel better at the expense of others.Just relax and give it time, it doesnt happen overnight.As far as eggs well youve read enough so now just practice and perfect. I myself prefer pans over grill but each are easy after time spent.Kick butt..............

Travis:

"Thanks this helps alot I always flipped them but I see what you mean by roll them so basically only one side of the egg should lave the grill/pan in the rolling process?"

Exactly.  Though, I think I'd clarify a bit: there is a difference between a flip and a roll.  The roll is a "fundamentals" thing I usually teach new egg cooks first.  You begin by lifting the whites furthest from the yolks, and then pushing those whites to the other side, so the yolks rotate or "roll" underneath without--or just barely--leaving the cooking surface.  You can do it in either a pan or on a flat-top, and consensus would suggest that it's your safest bet.  Flipping begins by tossing the set eggs--yolks first--from the lip of the pan furthest from it's handle and letting them "flip" mid-air, then catching them as they fall.  It's a bit faster and only requires one hand, but at the risk of more broken yolks.  Since a flat-top cannot be adjusted to account for the falling egg's inertia, flipping is a pan-only technique. 

Originally Posted by CookinMT 

Weak wrists?  You've got to start working out.

BDL

Last time I started to flip a flat-top, the owner threatened to put me in anger management classes.  :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze 

 

 

If you break a yolk, you must fire new eggs.  The customer paid for the perogative to pierce her own yolk.

 

It's easier to flip eggs in a small skillet than turn them on a flat top, but you may not have the option.

 

If the waiters are native English speakers and speak another language in your presence, they are planning a surprise party for you and restaurant etiquette dictates that you must supply the beer.  If they're not native English speakers, they are planning to eat you and restaurant etiquette dictates that you must supply the beer.  

 

The gift of a six-pack cannot but improve the situation. 

 

Hope this helps,

BDL

Disagree with the skillet. I've never found it easier. I haven't had a problem flipping eggs on a flat-top since i was a kid(started off with 18 monthes as an egg cook/caller at humpty's). Maybe i'm in the minority. I've taught all the kids at my work to flip on the flat-top as well with pretty decent success.

Completely agree with the refire statement. That holds true for all dishes. If that were commonsense what an easy & pleasant industry this would be everyday.

& to the earlier poster, i've always served OE's yolk side up. It's a much more pleasant egg to look at IMO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Spear 

Well the other day I worked the line during the breakfast shift and I'm still learning. I have my omeletes down pact,but I still cant flip the sunny side eggs with out breaking the yolks. Anyway I'm only 17 and I still am learning how to move faster and multitask,and the waiters arent understanding too that. Like when I make a mistake they start grinning at each other and speaking in another language. They say I'm going slow but when ever I have to food out fast they are no where insight to give it to the customers. How do I deal with these annoying waiters. I'm about 3 months into this industry and of course I'm going to make mistakes,but I can always learn from then so how can I deal with people that will try to bring my confidence down into thinking I'm not a good cook.

Egg cooking is like anything else man. Repetition & practice.

You're only 3 monthes in. Relax. Skills are acquired over a lifetime. Learning to move faster & multitasking are really the same thing. It's called being efficient.

Waiters are waiters. They're probably just messing with you. BDL's beer idea is a good one.

Not to hijack the thread, but the complaining in another language reminds me of an incident. People who have read my posts will remember that I did a stint cooking for boarding school kids at a private school. These kids were primarily Asian from four or five different countries. The only thing they had in common was that they were from Asia, were wealthy, and all ate rice. The Powers that Be thought that made them all the same, and kissed their collective butts because they needed their money and expected me to be in the butt-kissing mindset as well. These kids are aware of this ignorance and are laughing behind everybody's back and thinking we're morons.  Anyway, I had done an 11 year stint as a long distance operator. I had a very rudimentary knowlege of Japanese because of that and had studied some on my own. I therefore knew what they were saying the day one girl smiled, bowed and called me a fat cow. I let it go by, but a few minutes later, when one of the boys asked another what time it was, I answered in Japanese. Should have seen the look on that girl's face. She looked at me all mortified to see if I realized what she had said.  I gave a look back that said I did indeed. I know she felt like she wanted to crawl under something, but she learned a lesson. Whatever language they are speaking, learn to at least say "What?, Repeat that please, or thank you.  When you do, they will turn all red and walk away. Nothing funnier.

OK Travis, basic Spanglish you should know.

Tu es muy waybone - You are very lazy

Malo suerte - Bad luck

Pince cabrone - my friend

Su madre - your mamma

Cayette - Shut up

Andalee - faster

Estupido - your stupid

pendejo - my friend

Maricon - guy who likes guys

ahora - now

idiota - idiot

despacio - slow

Vamanos - lets go

Venteyrosa - Liar

Mierda - poop

Bueno - good

Malo - Bad

Hasta la vista baby - Terminator

And of course buenos dias and buenos nochas -good morning and good night

Now you have a start at kitchen spanglish and oh the "my friend" translations are just the opposite of that so use them only when prepared to do battle.

Also spelling has been changed to enhance pronunciation.

Now have some fun......................