Culinary school taught me many things, and because of those things, it completely changed my restaurant experiences. Not in a bad way, but in a much more critical way. From taking peeks into the kitchen and watching servers carry out food to dissecting French fries, this is the story of how culinary school changed the way I eat at restaurants.
How It Used To Be
Before culinary school, I used to go to restaurants with family or friends, eat good food, enjoy the conversations, and take in the atmosphere like most people do. I had never sent food back, never asked a server to give the cook a message, and definitely never examined my food closely enough to get funny looks from the people around me.
Going to restaurants was simple. Go, eat, talk, eat some more, talk some more, then go home. That was it. Nothing fancy. Just enjoying the experience.
Taking Peeks Inside The Kitchen
After culinary school, things changed.
I learned so much more in school than just how to cook. I learned about uniforms, hygiene, kitchen tools, food safety, and the behind-the-scenes details that most people never think about. Those things gave me a much larger appreciation for the kitchen and a better understanding of what should and should not be happening back there.
If I could see the kitchen from my table at a restaurant, I would constantly catch myself looking over to see what they were cooking, how they were working, and whether everyone was dressed properly. I never got up and wandered around trying to get a better look for a number of reasons, but I was always curious about what was happening behind those swinging kitchen doors.
Watching Servers With Food
One thing my chef told us in school was that servers should never touch the inner top part of the plate for several important reasons. So now, not only was I watching the kitchen if I could see it, but I also started paying attention to how servers carried food.
Thankfully, most of the servers I saw only touched the outer edges of the plate.
Now, I know what you might be thinking:
“What server would actually touch that part of the plate?”
You would be surprised.
I have seen it happen before, and personally, it is not something I want happening to my food. Most people probably would not even notice. They would say thank you, grab the plate, and move on. But people like me notice those tiny little details that can completely change the experience.
Dissecting French Fries
Ok, I know how this sounds. And honestly, if I had not gone to culinary school, I would probably think someone was crazy for doing this too. But hear me out.
First of all, I LOVE potatoes. Like… LOVE potatoes.
Second, French fries are incredibly easy to overcook. And once they are overcooked, there is no saving them no matter how much sauce you dunk them in. The same goes for undercooked fries. Once those fries hit the table, there is no fixing them.
There was this restaurant in my town that always overcooked their fries. After I graduated culinary school, one random thought popped into my head:
“What does an overcooked French fry actually look like in the center?”
So, I grabbed my fork and knife and cut one open.
What I found was exactly what I expected. Nothing.
Yep. A whole lotta nothing.
No potato in the center. Just a hollow shell with a tiny bit of potato around the edges. Honestly, it explained everything.
To this day, I do not dissect French fries nearly as much as I used to. But if one feels suspiciously hard, whether from being undercooked or overcooked, you still might catch me sitting at a table with a fork and knife in hand getting ready to investigate.
Now
Nowadays, I still take peeks into the kitchen, watch servers carry food, and occasionally dissect fries, but not nearly as much as I used to. My restaurant experiences are much more relaxed now. I spend more time socializing with the people around me and less time quietly analyzing everything happening in the restaurant.
Well… mostly.
Because even now, after all these years, there is still a tiny part of my culinary school brain that cannot completely turn itself off. Once you learn to notice all those little details, it is hard to stop seeing them. But honestly, I think that appreciation has made me enjoy restaurants even more. Not just because of the food, but because I understand how much work goes into every single plate that gets carried to the table.
Until Next Time…
Stay Saucy
Hailey 🍝
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