caleb_ross12•26d agoOG Member

Still think fine dining is the only way to learn? One prep cook proved me wrong 3 years ago

I used to argue that working under a Michelin star chef was the only path to real skills. Then I watched a guy named Dave at a diner in Tulsa handle 80 covers on a Sunday morning by himself, using nothing but a flattop and a steam table. He taught me more about timing and efficiency in one shift than any fancy kitchen ever did. Has anyone else picked up better tricks from a short order cook than a white tablecloth place?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettyfox26d ago

Hold up, are we really comparing a Sunday morning diner rush to fine dining? I mean sure, Dave sounds like he can move, but there's a difference between slinging hash browns and plating a truffle risotto with perfect microgreens. Efficiency on a flattop is one thing, understanding broth reductions and fish temps is another animal entirely. It's not really that serious to act like one replaces the other.

ray_miller4125d ago

Watched Dave break down a whole case of bell peppers in under four minutes once, no knife skills just pure instinct. Guy could peel an onion with his eyes closed while calling out ticket times. I was doing a staging for a house downtown last year and ended up in the diner around the corner, saw him handle a pancake order for a table of ten with a side of burnt toast complaints and a kid that wanted his eggs shaped like a dinosaur. He just nodded, flipped the griddle, and had it all sorted in like six minutes. Made me think about how some people just get rhythm in ways that textbooks and plating classes can't teach you.