When Escoffier defined his five mother sauces, he did so based on a proud culinary tradition that dated back to Careme and others. These were flexible sauces that stood the test of time. Fortunately, he could not predict how boring the average consumer would become. In most modern chain restaurants the mother sauces would be […]
A Food Critic Intervention
There have been several instances while writing posts for this blog where I have felt the need to place blame for the things that drive me crazy about the restaurant business. I have always managed to stop short of that because I do not want this to be a blog that complains about the problems […]
How To Memorize Orders
(Note: In yesterdays post I discussed why I feel it is beneficial to memorize orders.  I will not recap to avoid redundancy, which itself if redundant in this post.) I am terrible with names. Not particularly good with faces either. I will forget three things every time I take a trip. I promise I will […]
Memorizing Orders
When I started my first serving job years ago I worked for a company I will affectionately refer to as “Five Four.â€Â That isn’t what it says on the signs out front, but it what we all called it. My first day a manager who introduced himself as “CSV†told me that if I couldn’t […]
Wine Apps for your Phone
My posting has been pretty sporadic this week because I have been on vacation. Â A nice double awaited me upon my return. Â The good news is that lots of brainstorming took place on the flight out and roadtrip back. Â Tomorrow I will cover another controversial topic regarding servers. Â Memorizing orders is something everyone has an […]
Regional Barbeque Styles
As a rule I attempt to be unbiased in my writings on this blog. When I express a controversial opinion I try to balance it out with a contrasting opinion. The advice I give on serving comes solely from my experience, testing, and observation. Opinions just convolute the message and make it less applicable for […]
Seafood During Pregnancy
If you sell seafood at your restaurant, you will inevitably come in contact with pregnant women concerned whether or not it is safe. During pregnancy the only thing you get more than designer baby clothes that the child won’t be able to appreciate is advice on what not to eat. Seafood is confusing to expectant […]
Cost vs Profit
In a previous post about why restaurants charge for different extras, I discussed the difference between the guest’s perception of profits and reality. It is not uncommon to hear a guest say, “I can buy this for half as much at the grocery store.â€Â The problem is that food in a restaurant carries far more […]
Why Not To Date Co-Workers
It is that time of year. Love or at least heavy lust is in the air.  That means just one thing in the restaurant business. It is too hot to sit on the patio. Well that and co-workers are starting the annual mating ritual. At the most recent count, there are six confirmed couples at […]
About The Author
David Hayden was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He took his first serving job in 1996. Since that time, he has worked for over a dozen different restaurant companies. He has held both hourly and salaried positions at independent and corporate restaurants. He has waited on over 100,000 guests and trained hundreds of servers. He has been named "Best Server in Kansas City" the last three years by the local weekly paper.