The Hang Of It and Chefs Panel

Well after a few days in Caterina (The CIA's Italian restaurant) I’m finally getting used to how things work, and to think in 2 more days I will be out of the kitchen.

You hear all kinds of horror stories walking into Caterina:

"Chef is tough"

"Your going to be getting out at like 1 am"

etc etc etc, which for the most part are true. The Chef is tough, pulls no punches and doesn’t baby you along. The hours are long; first day we didn’t get out till 1 am, second 12 am, and the last two days 11 pm. But in hindsight isn’t that what working in a real restaurant is like?

There’s method to the madness, and the true beauty is in seeing yourself improve. Even by days 2 you notice yourself making improvements and focusing on the next step.

Funny thing is you hear so many horror stories, but after you’re in it you hear allot of people say;

"I loved Caterina, I want to go back"

But that’s the negative for you; you will always hear it long before the positive.

Given the choice, I would choose to stay with Caterina till I graduate. The hours are a little tough, but the work to me is twice as rewarding. I’m getting my butt kicked, and its all for the better.
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I just wanted to point out this article that ended up popping into my email this morning.

Marco Peirre White, Thomas Keller, and William Grimes sat on a panel at 92nd Street Y
to discuss some things including how the public views food, how the chefs view food, and a little about food blogging.

One of the best qoutes comes from White"

How do they train staff to meet their exacting standards?

".....White conceded that some folks are simply more gifted than others. To paraphrase him: If everyone's a donkey, nothing gets done, and if everyone's an artist, they bicker all day."