Behind! Hot pan! Open! Cowboy! Lucy! Farmers! Gracias! These are just some of the words I hear on a typical work night. You see, I work at Sage, Cal Poly’s on-campus restaurant. Almost everyone has asked me if I’m a server but alas, to their surprise I tell them that I am not. During the day, I’m a full time student. At night, I don my Culinary Team tee, white apron and Crocs, and transform into a part time cook.
Here’s a peek into the back of the house.
If you’ve ever eaten at Sage, then you know it’s a “fancy” restaurant by Cal Poly’s standards. I use the word “fancy” loosely. We serve burgers and shakes at Burger Bar and pastas, seafoods, steak, and other American dinner staples in the main dining room. With a great variety of dishes comes great responsibility. This responsibility belongs to the kitchen staff—specifically one chef and five cooks. In the relatively tiny kitchen that we have and with three of us in at a time, things get sweaty. Still, I am a lady so I try to be discrete about blotting my upper lip.
That being said, physical fitness is pretty important if you want to work in a fast-paced kitchen, especially during dinner rush. Crocs are ultra comfy and support your back for maximum agility. I expected to hear “What are thoooooose?!” every so often, but luckily this happened to me only once. I’m pretty sure everyone is thinking it, though. Regardless, you must be strong for the job, and the shoes you wear become an important factor. There’s plenty of lifting, squatting and fast walking. During my first shift I was so physically weak that it took me three whole minutes to open a box of frozen fries, a job that typically takes 30 seconds. I needed both arm muscles for everything, from holding fry pans to carrying trays of raw meat. This is the only job that prompted me to start lifting at the gym.
In addition to the physical challenge, there’s also a mental one. Most of the job includes communicating loudly but also telepathically with others in the kitchen. The key to efficiency here is to maintain a calm, strong and consistent flow of energy. Tickets roll in fast, so you’re expected to be on top of your game. This means memorizing (read: MEMORIZING) the incoming orders while simultaneously finishing the dishes in front of you. It means frying the calamari last so it keeps its crunch. It means anticipating the chef’s next move and helping them out. Most of all, it means coming in clutch.
We also keep it very organized. Every prep item has a label and date. The line is kept tidy and the walk-in is stocked with all back ups. Raw meat lives on bottom shelves while sauces are kept in see-through containers. The walk-in is like a walk-in closet, filled to the brim with everything that could make a girl happy. The other day I discovered the massive stash of Klondike bars. I’m so tempted…
Don’t get me wrong! The job isn’t always so serious. In addition to the rewarding satisfaction of finishing a busy shift, there are some awesome perks.
First, we get one meal pass after each shift, which can be redeemed at most on-campus eateries. Trust me, after you’ve worked diligently for five hours, you really appreciate that little golden ticket. It’s actually purple, but to me, it’s pure gold. On top of that, we’re allowed to cook ourselves food from the line. This means free chorizo-shrimp pasta for days.
Another perk is the occasional free milkshake. Our servers make milkshakes for Burger Bar, so sometimes they’ll gift us the extras. I have an obligation to planet earth to drink it. Food waste is a no-no.
Finally, my favorite perk is that I get to work with dynamic personalities. My co-workers are so respectful and kind, so they help relieve the monotonous stress that comes with any job. My boss, Josh, and I share random stories and tease each other. (Shout to Josh for lowering the equipment so I can reach it!)
I’ve met an extremely charismatic, leopard-clog-wearing chef in the back who always shouts out encouraging phrases to everyone and fist-bumps me. Positive reinforcement, I can dig that.
There’s also chef who has some solid date recommendations. I’ve even met a chef who plays in three different bands in his free time. All of these guys have extensive experience in opening restaurants, working as executive chefs and perfecting their craft. They spend their entire days working in our kitchens to put food on your plate. I suggest you think about that the next time you criticize Cal Poly dining.
Working with all these men led me to my last observation: men still dominate the restaurant industry. While women constitute 39% of cooks in the U.S, only 18.7% are head cooks or chefs. This is down from 19% in 2010 and 23.9% in 2006. (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Female chefs tend to get ostracized because their talents aren’t considered as refined as those of their male counterparts. They’re often critiqued, given easier tasks, doubted in their culinary capabilities and unfortunately, sexually harassed. It’s said that in a well-run kitchen, gender doesn’t matter because it’s such a trivial matter. What really matters is the food.
I’m proud to say that gender doesn’t matter in our kitchen.