ChefTalk.com › ChefTalk Cooking Forums › Professional Food Service › Professional Chefs › Things that make you go AAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Things that make you go AAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!

post #1 of 51
6/1/12 at 9:19pm
Thread Starter 

Came into work today, and the thermostat in the line's reach in is wonky. 2 cubes of shell eggs frozen solid.

Reply
post #2 of 51
6/1/12 at 9:30pm

My walk-in is acting up like that. 4 lbs of basil and 2 cases of asparagus in the trash today.

Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
Reply
post #3 of 51
6/2/12 at 6:25am

Aaaaaarrrrgh!

 

My line freezer has the tendency to ... well one of the doors, if you don't make sure it's completely shut *everyfreakingtime* you close it will stay just a hair ajar...thawing everything inside.  Which means fried ice cream balls that look literally like milk and corn flakes, shrimp skewers that I can't rationally ever serve again and habanero-cheddar cheese sticks that have to be remade...which involves waiting for the bloody cheese to come in from the purveyor, as it's a special order...God, I'm screaming right now just thinking about it.

Reply
post #4 of 51
6/2/12 at 7:48am

Management still won't buy me an ice-cream machine! =( lol

Reply
post #5 of 51
6/2/12 at 8:16am
Quote:
 My line freezer has the tendency to ... well one of the doors, if you don't make sure it's completely shut *everyfreakingtime* you close it will stay just a hair ajar...thawing everything inside.

 Hmm, you might be able to solve that with releveling.

Or it could be a door seal.

Reply
post #6 of 51
6/2/12 at 6:57pm

When the dishwasher comes to and says,

 

"Eh!! Cheffe!!  Come!!!Come quick!!!   Is raining in the dry-store room!!!

 

OR

 

Driving the family car you haven't been in for a week and the wife says:

 

"Oh that little little red "Oil" light?  Don't bother with it, it's been doing that for almost a week now, and the car works just fine...."

 

I loved that car....

Reply
post #7 of 51
6/2/12 at 8:41pm
Thread Starter 

Today, I had to stop the prep guy from storing the chocolate next to the ice machine's exhaust. I'm really glad I caught that arrrrrrgh moment before it happened.

Reply
post #8 of 51
6/2/12 at 10:30pm

saying "sorry, chef" for something i didn't do, because i'm not throwing anyone under the bus. argh.

Reply
post #9 of 51
6/2/12 at 11:15pm

The one table that comes in at 9:59, one minute before close....

Realizing that the one prep item you forgot to do is what you need the most in the middle of a busy dinner service and have to make it on the fly....

Modifications on tickets that don't make sense...

Reply
post #10 of 51
6/3/12 at 12:53am

1. Line cooks that don't prep their lines completely.

2. Staff that complains about the time that customers comes in.

 

I've never undertood that one... and I wish I could.  Would it make it better to close the restaurant at 8:55? If closing time is 9:00 than the kitchen should be working till 9:00.

 

Ari

Reply
post #11 of 51
6/3/12 at 5:05am

People who call off their shift five minutes before it starts as if it's any better than a no show.

 

Dave

I think the most wonderful thing in the world is another chef. I'm always excited about learning new things about food.
Paul Prudhomme
Reply
post #12 of 51
6/3/12 at 5:07am

Electric power   When we have a blckout or lightening strikes.  When its not adaquate and you turn on a machine and the lights dim.Or when the breaker box is not labeled correctly.

Chef EdB
Over 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US  with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). 
      Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...
Reply
post #13 of 51
6/3/12 at 9:02am

@Meez ...I dunno.  The unit is old, and whereas it may just be a seal issue, the owner isn't willing to cough up the twenty bucks to fix it.  It's mainly just me using the thing right now, so I just keep a vigilant eye on it....just pisses me off. :P

Reply
post #14 of 51
6/3/12 at 9:15am

Complaining in general from anyone/everyone. Cooks,FOH, Prep guys, etc..  If you don't like the quirks and BS that comes along with working in a kitchen, move on.

 

Cooks that don't get orders started on time, thereby hanging tickets that should be gone 5-6 minutes sooner.

Reply
post #15 of 51
6/3/12 at 10:02am

Cheers to that.

Reply
post #16 of 51
6/5/12 at 4:57pm
Thread Starter 

dirty nozzel 002.JPG

Reply
post #17 of 51
6/5/12 at 10:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hautesaute View Post

saying "sorry, chef" for something i didn't do, because i'm not throwing anyone under the bus. argh.

 

Sorry but I do not agree with this. If someone makes a mistake working with me, I call them out on it in front of everyone. If the head wants to yell about it, then it's his choice and it shouldn't have happened in the first place. It's a job and you can get fired at any time. Especially if they think you're the one making mistakes and you're just covering up for people. In your case, I would tell the head what happened and who did it, confront the person and show them a proper way of doing something so they can learn and make it easier for everyone to keep the kitchen going. If I make mistakes and I do all the time, I expect people to call me out on it. If people never showed me what to fix, I wouldn't be where I am. 

Reply
post #18 of 51
6/6/12 at 7:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cookers View Post

 I call them out on it in front of everyone... I would tell the head what happened and who did it

What is gained by calling them out in front of everyone? Telling them quietly on the side while correcting the mistake and showing the proper way will accomplish the same end result while strengthening and building the teamwork aspect with coworkers. Three musketeers, "all for one, one for all". So why publicly call someone out; unless you are Gordon Ramsey and it helps boost your TV ratings. Then to hell with the donkeys *&%@*^!!!!

 

Same question about telling the head. I understand that the head needs to be aware and kept abreast of situations; but that is their job.

Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.
Reply
post #19 of 51
6/6/12 at 8:28am

Praise in public, punish in private.

 

The surest way to destroy morale in a work group is to ridicule any individual in front of his/her peers!
 

Chef,
Specialties: MasterCook/RecipeFox; Culinary logistics; Personal Chef; Small restaurant owner; Caterer
Reply
post #20 of 51
6/6/12 at 10:07am

I agree, it is demeaning .  What is the point of embarrassing someone ? They will only resent you in the end, the very thing you don't want.

 

Petals.

Petals
Réalisé avec un soupçon d'amour.

Baby Cake
(4 photos)
Fruitcake - decorated
(5 photos)
Victorian cupcakes
(10 photos)
Reply
post #21 of 51
6/6/12 at 4:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cheflayne View Post

What is gained by calling them out in front of everyone? Telling them quietly on the side while correcting the mistake and showing the proper way will accomplish the same end result while strengthening and building the teamwork aspect with coworkers. Three musketeers, "all for one, one for all". So why publicly call someone out; unless you are Gordon Ramsey and it helps boost your TV ratings. Then to hell with the donkeys *&%@*^!!!!

 

Same question about telling the head. I understand that the head needs to be aware and kept abreast of situations; but that is their job.

 

Through a text description it sounds harsh and I can agree with you. If I call someone out on something, I don't yell at them in front of the entire staff for everyone to hear. However I will confront them no matter who is next to them and that's what I meant by everyone. I usually do it in a jokingly manner also. Everyone I work with loves to work with me including the people I correct. How do I know? They request to work with me on the schedule. The only time I am actually aggressive and will yell at someone in front of the whole kitchen is when they are standing there doing absolutely nothing while on their cell phones while other people could desperately use their help. Sorry for the confusion and putting into more strict terms. 

Reply
post #22 of 51
6/11/12 at 7:34pm

New one that struck me today:

 

A FOH person grabs a clean rag and wipes something minor with it, like pepper on the window, then throws it in the laundry basket. I lose my freaking mind.

Reply
post #23 of 51
6/11/12 at 7:48pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RBandu View Post

New one that struck me today:

 

A FOH person grabs a clean rag and wipes something minor with it, like pepper on the window, then throws it in the laundry basket. I lose my freaking mind.


Worse, when management gets sick of huge laundry bills, and starts rationing side towels.

Reply
post #24 of 51
6/12/12 at 7:13am

eggs sticking to the pan. my blood boils

Reply
post #25 of 51
6/22/12 at 11:30pm

the downturn in the economy that caused ALOT of decent establishments to close................. & laser.gif tough bbq ribs

"I understand horses, dogs and children, not necessarily in that order, it's everyone else I seem to have trouble understanding."

Reply
post #26 of 51
6/24/12 at 7:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by thetincook View Post

dirty nozzel 002.JPG

Oh my god! What the hell is that?

Reply
post #27 of 51
6/24/12 at 3:19pm

Coworkers not saying "behind" just as you take a step back into them!


Edited by alexalexnyc - 6/24/12 at 3:40pm
Reply
post #28 of 51
6/24/12 at 6:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by alexalexnyc View Post

Oh my god! What the hell is that?

 

That horrifingly pale thing is just my arm. No need to fear.

 

The object is the handle/nozzle of the spray wand in the dish pit. Encrusting it is at least 5 years of soap and food residues. The crust was really thick in some places, around 1/16". I brought my dremel tool the other week, and used the wire brush attachment to get as much of the filth off as I could. It smelt horrible.

Reply
post #29 of 51
6/24/12 at 8:04pm

The (insert whatever colourful adjectives you want here) pizza wrapping machine... the SOB threads like a serger but is an effing pain in the *ahem after the top is threaded and the tech dude we have to deal with it has no clue as to what he is doing (and he admitted that to me last week) so whenever it effs up and it is often we are screwed and we do what we do out of blind luck.... Last week, the head chef and I looked at the damned thing and we agreed it needed to be re threaded so we did it... sadly I wasn't sure how to thread the bottom of it and while he saw what i was doing it was time to call the tech so he did.  Tech was an effing a-hole... he was on me because we unthreaded it.... sorry dude but the effer was acting up and we had to start from the beginning... the boss called bulls*** and I backed him on that..   Last time I was at work it sorta worked and we are just dealing with it... I told the bosses that I think the issue is the roll of wrap and that it is spooled very unevenly...I sew alot and i have seen that with thread more times than I care to admit to..

OK ... where am I going?.. and WHY am I in this handbasket??
Reply
post #30 of 51
6/25/12 at 2:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by alexalexnyc View Post

Coworkers not saying "behind" just as you take a step back into them!

praise that

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Professional Chefs
ChefTalk.com › ChefTalk Cooking Forums › Professional Food Service › Professional Chefs › Things that make you go AAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!