Chris Cody 's Journal

Cooking has its ups and downs. You can have a perfect night and that one table that wasn’t perfect will haunt you. On the flip side, the one table that tells you that you made their night or that it was perfect will lift you up like a balloon. I’ve thought a lot about the anatomy of a kitchen. The food you produce day in and night out is a large reflection of your staff’s attitude and abilities. If you have an unhappy kitchen full of negative people, even if the ability is there, the food will not reach its potential. If you have a happy kitchen but the chefs don’t have the techniques, ability, or passion, then the food will suffer even worse. My only point is that cancer can grow in kitchens. If you have one bad apple as they say, you can easily have a whole basket of them. The best way to manage a kitchen is to hire chefs not only by where and under whom they have worked but also by attitude. I’m not lighting the world on fire by saying this but I think it is not always a focal point. Balancing talent, egos, and attitudes is much more difficult than most tasks to me. I truly believe in kitchen chemistry! In the past, I’ve worked for chefs that rant and rave and don’t allow anyone but them to be heard. Usually, it leaves the kitchen unhappy. An unhappy kitchen gives you unhappy food. I really believe that the attitude of the kitchen permeates to the front of the house and all the way to the front door. I think guests pick up on the VIBE of a restaurant as soon as they come through the door (sometimes before). You really can apply this to everyday life. It’s almost a self fulfilling prophesy or karma. You get what you give. Never let your highs get too high and your lows too low.