the dining experience

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the dining experience

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Out of the Frying Pan

Ok. If you would have told me that going to cooking school meant learning how to serve food and set up the front of the house (aka the dining room - the part of a restaurant that people actually see), I would have told you that you were misktaken. But no such luck. I encountered a dining class - no wait - experience - like none other.

Having never actually worked in a restaurant before, I took the front of the house for granted. As a professional diner, I knew my expectations and those things that I considered essential for good service. The maitre'd and serving staff were all just an intricate part of a well-oiled machine. I never realized how much that was true.

When you consider a trip to a restaurant you think about the food, of course. However, you also think about the service. If a prior experience left you with a somewhat unpleasant feeling, you may quickly move the restaurant to the bottom of the list of options. Service makes an absolutely indelable impression. Knowing some of the key ingredients of good service is essential.

Rule #1: Mise en Place, Mise en Place, Mise en Place!
What is it? Mise en Place means having everything ready. Consider this - when you watch you favorite cooking show on tv, do they sit there and chop up all those veggies into tiny pieces and parts? No! Some lackey off-stage has done this preparation work for them. (It's okay...I can say this having been such a lackey of sorts myself...) Everything is ready for the chef when 'showtime' rolls around. And the front of the house works much like a show - it is afterall the most visible part of the restaurant to the patrons.

So what do you have to get ready for the front of the house? Plenty. More than plenty. Below is just a generalized list of a few things that require preparation before a restaurant opens for the day.

Item	Why it is important
Linens	Napkins and table dressings are essential for a restaurant. Not only do they add to the atomosphere of the restaurant, they also help to protect and maintain the tables!
Silver	Is it polished? (Yes, even the stainless!) Is it all washed and ready to go? You can't serve a meal without anything to eat it with...
Dishes & Glassware	Are they ready? The importance here is obvious...
Table Settings	Contributes to the atomosphere of the restaurant and the guest's impression.
Cleanliness	The appearance of the floor, the outside of the restaurant and even the garbage area! Neatness and cleanliness really counts when a guest evaluates a restaurant.
Bar Prep	Rule #27: All guests arrive thirsty. Whether the drink is simply water or something a little stronger, all beverages need to be ready to be served or mixed at a moments notice. This means all garnishes that go with the drinks (i.e., lemon wedges)
Wait Staff	Wait staff needs to be present, pleasant and ready to work!
Salt, Pepper, etc.	Someone has to fill the salt, restock the sugar packets and make sure the ketchup bottles are filled to the rim!

As just an example, here is an example of a spreadsheet I used in Essentials to Dining for my practical exam. It breaks down some of the basic tasks and information when helping you to gather your mise en place.

Next.. .

Rule #2: The Customer is King (or Queen!)	Rule #4: Service in Style
Rule #3: 2 Ways to Clean Up!