| Chris Bradley's
Tips: In the Restaurant
Chef Chris Bradley of Ardeo – Washington, D.C.
Adapted by StarChefs.com
November 2006
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Put your "machine" on the
carving station -- the guy who carries your workload during
most services. He should be called on to carry the load on
Thanksgiving as well, because you're going to sell at least
50% turkey.
Keep it home-style. People are out to
be impressed, but their Thanksgiving memories usually are
light on the truffles and foie gras. If your menu is loaded
with haute land mines, people will leave unfulfilled.
Bananas, bananas, bananas -- not for the customers, but
for the staff.
Thanksgiving is one giant 8-hour service with a couple of
lulls, and your hung-over cooks are going to start cramping
up just before the dinner push. Keep them hydrated and use
the potassium rich bananas to help avoid muscle cramps.
Like any big event -- PLAN AHEAD! The last thing you want
is for your supplier to run short on turkeys or pumpkins,
leaving you to scramble around to scrounge up enough to squeak
by. Save that for some other sucker and talk to your purveyor
weeks in advance about pre-ordering all the essentials.
Make a menu that your wife and kids are going
to enjoy, because the only way they are going to get to see
you on this (or any holiday) is if they make a reservation
and come and spend some time in your dining room.
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