At first I was going to not post this, and then my inner 7 year-old took over my brain. In which I giggled a lot (you can do that if your innner 7 year-old takes over). So the guys over at Epic Meal Time have come up with a new product - that only they could come up with.
I present to you, Whisky Dick Lube. It's just what it sounds like.
So yeah, there's that.
As I sit here writing this, it's been 9 months since Orion closed, longer than we were open. I've honestly lost track of how many resumes I've sent out. I've joked about the fact I've been "carpet bombing" my resume. If we're being honest, I haven't lost track. As it stands, out of the over 30 resumes I've sent out I've netted:
That #3 item is what I like to call a fivefingered junkpunch.
I don't want to jinx it, but I've got another interview coming up on Thursday morning - at a place I'd really like to work at, another restaurant that's doing it the right way. What is the right way? Well I'm not sure exactly how to describe it really (or at least that I can commit to words at the moment).
I seem to have a thing for small kitchens, something I'm just now learning and that's fine by me. I think I'd be lost in a big kitchen - the only big kitchen I've been in since culinary school was Carlyle for my externship - and its not even around any more.
Olympic Provisions now occupies that location.
When I was the one doing the hiring, I made sure to call people back even if they weren't hired. So far I've had only one call - and he apologized. One of the interviews, I figured the next stage was a stage but it didn't even get that far. It was a three sentence email - saying they went with someone else. Truely classy on his part (bitter, party of one?).I'll admit that after I returned to Oregon in September I need to time to decompress. In that time I heaped a bunch of blame onto myself, which in time I realize wasn't my fault at all. I was less than a happy camper.
Just ask my family.
The home kitchen isn't doing it, for obvious reasons - just not the same, far from it (a galaxy far, far away). In the mean time doing a lot of cooking and reading with all this off time, but it's time to get back into the swing of things - though I didn't think it would as tough as it is. And you know it's hard to not get discouraged. I've had my good and bad days.
The only thing I can do, is keep plugging away at the resumes. I've also decided to resurrect this here blog, and I'm also going to start podcasting. I've already got a Facebook page and at tumblr page set up as well - though the more I think about it - I might just use that for an archive of sorts, and then create the blog here with something like prifixe-online.com/86edRadio.
Yes that's the name, EightySix'ed Radio. I figured why not blend my two careers to some sort of creepy audio frankenstein. I logged thirteen years in radio before trading my mic for a knife. So I figured what the hell, put my radio experience to work in creating a weekly podcast, or bi-weekly that's still one of the things I'm trying to hash out. I'm still working on the show format, like how long should it be (I'm shooting for 40-ish minutes, but I'm flexible)?
It'll be about food in many different forms.
From food's role in pop culture, industry news, book reviews, interviews (not right off the bat though, it'll come as the show progresses), advice, recipes and anything I find relevant in the area of food and cooking.
I've been brain storming this since I had resumed the hunt for a job. Trust me, there was a month or three that I stayed away from cookbooks or things relating to the world of food. I will say, I did burn through a lot of good fiction books.
Serious, read the shit out of some books. Werd*
*not sure why that came out of my brain, and for that I apologize.
Other things I've done in the last 9 or so month's.
Lather, rinse, repeat as needed.
I forgot how much I love the library. I've been using it not only to read the cookbooks I don't have in my collection (kinda a try before shelling out $$ with what little dough I do have). I can't express how much I love that, if you're not using your public library to your full advantage - shame on you. What are you waiting for, go get yourself a card and start checking out cookbooks and the like for free.
So that's where we stand, a new venture in launching a podcast and bring this blog back from the dead. The only reason I got away from it, is when I was in Bremerton - I just didn't have the time to devote the amount of time to this blog as I could. When you run a kitchen by yourself, you learn that sleep and free time are a precious commodity.
Or alternate title of "Damn, you haven't blogged in ages and something at work spurred you to write this". Which is true. For those who don't know, I've opened a restaurant in Bremerton WA called Orion (Yeah it's a fb 'fan' page -but at the moment it's getting the job done) there's also the obligatory Yelp and Urban Spoon pages as well. But that's not why I'm here.
I need to get back into this form of expression and be able to write down all the jumbled things that are going around in my head. Tonight though, I was personally challenged. First the gentlemans wife had food restrictions pretty much no dairy and nothing from the allum family. No problem - I can work around that - and did.
Then he pipes up with "make me something" (mind you, it's a open kitchen and I'm all but sitting in the dining room - 800sq - 9 tables.) it a second but I put together a tempura with beer (cliche I know - but it was a local beer from Vahlholl brewing).
Batter some shitakes I had bought yesterday - fried them up - tossed with truffle sailt that I got at Pikes Place Market the last time I was there and served it with a quick sweet chile sauce (though the wife had to forego the sauce..). I couldn't go too wild, because of the wife - and I didn't have much to play around with as I'm pretty well portioned out to the point - I didn't want to throw things off. He was pleased, his wife was as happy as a clam and I was able to give them a personal experience.
I love my job, and I love what I'm doing. Radio was fun, but I'm starting to feel like this was what I was ment to do - I'm just a bit slow on the up take. I'll admit, (WARNING: Cliche Ahead) I'm still finding myself and that groove.
If you're curious as to what the place looks like, take a look at this.
Now I will admit some of the plating has changed as the menu has progressed - though it's pretty dialed in at this point. But first menu change is coming up in April - while some dishes will carry over - I'm excited for the new additions.
This is also the first time ever that I've put together a wine list, and it's growing each and every week. It's exciting to be the one directly involved with the process (though doesn't the saying go: Chef's have control issues?). So now it's time to start working writing back into my schedule of things to do. Though being crazy busy, took a bit to adjust to - I think I'm at a point where I can find the time to do so, it maybe breif at times but this here blog ain't going nowhere.
I've got a more informative post in the works, just a couple things you should know before I move on to this video from Micheal Ruhlman.
1. I'm no longer at Scratch.
2. I'm in the process of opening a restaurant in Bremerton WA.
3. Yep, no longer in Oregon
4. Don't have home internet yet, thank god for tethering.
Awareness in the kitchen is mandatory. If you don't have it, your frakked.
Well, hello there...it's been a while.
#1 Brie, Bacon, Pickled Beet
#2 Bellini, Caviar, Creme Fraiche
I'm not one to get political on this here blog, but I just couldn't pass this up because amazingly it has to do with the restaurant industry in Oregon.
Please, allow me to give to you - insanity.
I really don't even know where to start with this. Well, actually I do - lets go with the million-dollar former basketball hack who is very out of touch with what's going on in Portland and the state. He's obviously never heard the adage - "Never fuck with the person making or serving you food".
I was hoping this was a joke, but the punch line never came. He seems to have this idea that servers are getting paid pretty good money and don't really deserve what they're getting paid. He's talking like tips are a guaranteed thing, and we all know that's not the case.
Not to mention he say's waitresses, so does this mean that this applies to women only? Really the best thing Dudley can do right now is: EAT AT HOME.