Pride Persists

Pride Persisits……

A quote from Anthony Bourdain from his book Medium Raw.

I have recently been going back through and “reading” well actually listening to Anthony Bourdain's Collection of books while alone in the kitchen here in the mornings. Most of his books are read aloud by him. It's comforting listening to his voice again. Brings back memories of kitchens long since past for me. My time starting out in this industry I committed myself to a lifetime of long hours, nights, weekends, missed family events, missed holidays, strained relationships & almost non-existent friendships outside of the kitchen walls.

I do not regret any part of it. It is who I am. I knew what I signed up for. It 100% was what I wanted from day one.

When I began my career in this world, typically most kitchens had 1 to maybe 3, “senior”chefs in a kitchen. When I say senior I don't just mean someone there for a long time I mean, old! Old for this line of work. Typically the executive chef was typically in there late 30-40’s maybe a morning cook working breakfast cause no one else younger can show up that early without a hangover, possibly a banquet chef putting out the same stuff for the last 20 years comfortable in their position happy to head home after the wedding guests received their food at 6pm, possibly a pastry chef methodical in her every move since moving on to a mom/wife role once off the clock, slowly saying goodbye to her days of single life in the kitchen.

Kitchens 20-30 years ago were not filled with people of mine & Angie's middle ages, they were filled with teenagers wanting money for a car, 20 somethings wanting to move up from their role as a dish kid, prep cook, or from dropping frys at a local fast food chain. Those 20 somethings wanted more. They were in love with food and not because tik tock, instagram, or even for that matter back then the food network told them to love it. They loved it cause it was all they knew. They wanted to know more, eat more, try more. We didn't live through it being on a screen at any given moment. You had to read about it or experience it first hand. Work under different chefs to learn different things.

Back then working in a kitchen wasn't looked down upon either. It was an honest day's work. Hard work but honest in every way. Prepared you for real life. I say that because kids then learned the basics of cooking and cleaning, real “life” skills. They also had to learn how to interact with all walks of life and accept them. There is a sense of family that becomes unconditional. Everyone takes care of everyone in a restaurant. No one gets left behind, period. Well unless you aren't pulling the same weight regularly as the guy next to you, then your butt better step up or get out!



Where did the younger generation go that started out their work career in kitchens? I’m by no means saying this is what they need to do the rest of their lives, but today's generation doesn't even want to step foot doing something “dirty” or hard. Pitiful in my mind. Think about it, even if you go to your local chain fast food restaurants it's filled with 30 and up’s, a lot of “seniors” working those places, not teenagers. Like the have been conditioned they are above such work.Sometimes I also blame the culinary schools and teachers from the early 2000-2010-15ish. They roped these kids into giant student loans with promises of landing executive chef positions making beaucoop bucks immediately exiting culinary school. What a joke. Not reality at all. But they did it and the payout was not there. I think kids from that era thought they were all gonna be food network stars. Reality set in for most of them. It was much harder work than they ever anticipated. Passion & pride fuel success in this industry.

My own alma mater has since been closed down in the states due to those same broken promises. I will say when I went many moons ago it was much different then what it turned into. Sad reality.

Why I am talking about age in a kitchen? Well our current kitchen is what I would call a “senior” kitchen. Not necessarily out of seniority, bu tof age an dwork ethic.

Yes our dish kids are teenagers along with a 45 year old man. My kitchen staff range from 37-72! No joke..

According to Anthony Bourdain kitchen work is a young person's game. By age 37 you should be done. Can you hear me laughing right now? I’m not done. I’m tired of peers telling me I can't keep doing this. I mean I know my body is trying to tell me that. But that Pride inside tells my body to shut the F%$# up.

This last weekend did us all in. It was by far an amazing experience. We had a great Valentines week. We put out stellar food! We did it in a timely manner! Folks were happy! But it was non-stop for days preparing for it all. It was long hours, emotions ran high, we probably didn't eat enough or get enough sleep. We are old…….yes……

I literally could barely walk at the end of Saturday night. We were all sore, all exhausted, but the best part was after it was all said and done we sat together, talked through it, were honest with each other, had some tears, also had some hugs, smiles, and laughs and here we are at the start of another week. Last week behind us. Ready to go again, by my side, a bunch of pride filled middle aged misfits longing to put out a night full of flavorful well thought out plates for you all.

Pride Persists!