Growing up the restaurant industry meant growing up in a restaurant kitchen. I don’t mean that I worked in the kitchen or behind the line because I didn’t. What I mean is that the men and women who do work in the insanity that is McKinney and Doyle’s kitchen have been like a second family to me. They held me when I was a baby, put up with my shyness when I wouldn’t let go of my mother’s leg, and taught me how to have thick enough skin to work in my various front of house positions. I know them, their spouses, and their children and love and admire each and every one of them for many different reasons.
Tony Vertiz is the daytime head chef at M&D. He’s been there since the very beginning and is such a huge asset to the restaurant as a whole. His wife, Ignacia, babysat me from infancy up until I was a young teenager, able to avoid burning the house down when left alone. Both Tony and Ignacia (as well as their beautiful daughter) have a very special place in my heart. Because of this, I always like to spend some time with them whenever I am in New York for a family visit. I’d be happy to spend time anywhere but I especially love hanging out in their home kitchen because though Ignacia doesn’t work in a restaurant, she is an amazing cook and there is absolutely nothing like her homemade Picaditas (a story and recipe for another day). Okay I am rambling here. The last time I had dinner at Tony and Ignacia’s, Tony and I spent a long time talking about his career and how he got to where he is today. He said something that really stuck with me.
“Every job in the kitchen is like a link in a chain. When one is missing, everybody gets stuck.”
Isn’t that powerful? He’s so right! A dishwasher is no less important than a line cook who is necessary for the head chef to succeed. Think about it like this.
Every role in the kitchen is mapped out to allow the kitchen to run smoothly, quickly, and effectively. If the dishwasher severely cuts his/her hand on a knife and has to go to the hospital, the dishes from the dining room are going to stack up, which will slow down the front of house staff as they search for random open spaces to place dirty dishes as well as the back of house staff as they need to access certain dish types that are re-used throughout the shift. If the cook in charge of cold sides and salads is out, one of the others needs to work a double duty, thus slowing down service as a whole. When a head chef is out, that sous chef is in manic mode trying to handle orders as well as the kitchen staff. The list goes on.
This point relates back to my post on reputations in the restaurant world. I’m sorry but it’s just as ignorant to say, “Oh you’re just a dishwasher” as it is to say “Oh you’re just a bartender.” For one thing, I can promise you that there are no easy jobs in a busy restaurant. You think washing dishes during a Friday dinner or Sunday brunch shift is easy? You’re wrong. Making the perfect martini is no joke either. Every single position, inside the kitchen and out, is absolutely a link in a chain. They’re all necessary and they’re all important.
Rebecca McKinney
I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.
So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!
Eat well & travel often,
Becky McKinney
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I absolutely LOVE this post