February 1, 2019
Dining on the Marie Celeste The restaurant industry can be a precarious endeavour for all concerned. Restaurant owners, investors, employees, diners, and landlords can all feel the brunt of a business that can be fleeting and is often only slightly above “spas” (I mean the kind that are open all night and have neon signs in their darkened windows) when…
November 1, 2018
Wine choices – red or white? There is no use whining about wine (yes, I went there!). These day even in small places your wine selection is vastly improved over the days when a rafetta covered bottle of cheap chianti was considered classy. Still, sometimes picking a wine in a restaurant can be fraught with too many choices, but in…
September 1, 2018
More thrilling tales from the service industry Anyone who says that service industry work is easy and doesn’t require a particular skill set has never worked in a dining room or kitchen. Just to navigate the many personalities you will run into through the course of a day requires quick thinking, diplomacy, and a strong stomach. In this month’s edition…
August 1, 2018
Why is Caesar salad so contentious? Well here we are: the second installment of Behind the Line. This month we have some doozies that’s for sure. Most names have been changed to protect the innocent but if you happen to recognize yourself in any of these don’t worry: you are not alone. We’ve all been on one side or the…
June 30, 2018
Tales from the service industry Welcome to what we hope is the first installment of Behind the Line. We’d like you to be a part of this series by submitting first hand experiences of imperious bosses, difficult guests, and your own and others’ stupidity. Please send stories to grippingkitchentales@gmail.com. I will start with a couple of my own stories of…