From the category archives:

Inside Restaurants

Service 101: Why Restaurants and Diners Need Restaurant Critics

March 17, 2010

Clearly, food is big business. More and more people—big corporations and media groups—want in on the current obsession with food. The Huffington Post has food coverage, the Food Network is looking to expand to a double network, and CNN just…

For the full story →

Cook Like a Chef, Even if You Don’t Know One

February 24, 2010

Knowing where to look for culinary answers is key to cooking a great meal

Not every food lover has the opportunity to turn to a celebrated chef for help whenever they have a food question. That’s why I treasure the fact…

For the full story →

Service 101: So You Think You’re a Foodie

February 17, 2010

F, the new scarlet letter (for Foodie)

Nowadays, it seems like everyone is obsessed with food. But just because you own a micro planer, have eaten at Momofuku, sip cult Cabernets, vacationed in Paris and Tuscany one summer, and stock three…

For the full story →

Service 101: Why You Shouldn’t Eat Out on Valentine’s Day

February 9, 2010

Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, New Years, and Christmas Eve are calendar dates that mark a time when many Americans believe they must experience something extraordinary and enjoy a high level of pleasure. These are the nights when many people wish…

For the full story →

Service 101: Why Servers Don’t Get Any Respect

January 19, 2010

I respect restaurants. I respect people. So why is it that so many diners don’t respect me when I’m dressed in a waiter’s uniform?

The answer is simple: most customers don’t think service professionals merit their respect.

As a server and bartender,…

For the full story →

Service 101: Restaurants Are Not Picnic Tables

January 11, 2010

Welcome to Service 101: a behind the scenes look at the food service industry. Today’s topic: restaurants as a business.

Lots of people pay for the luxury of eating out. But how is it those very same diners don’t think of…

For the full story →

Classic Cocktails Revamped: The Ward 2010

January 4, 2010

I got my start in the restaurant business as a bartender. I wasn’t an arm-garter wearing mixologist with killer technique. I was a girl behind the bar, the person in charge of the party, a smart ass and a fast…

For the full story →

Goodbye to the ‘Naughts

December 31, 2009

This first decade of the new century has been a doozy. In just ten years, life stories have been written and re-written by time, chance, good fortune, and circumstance. These first ten years have been marked wonderful little moments, joyful…

For the full story →

New Year’s Culinary Tradition: Caviar

December 28, 2009

Culinary traditions are handed down, borrowed and created. I bake my grandmother’s Finnish Nisu (cardamom sweet bread) at Easter and Christmas. Favorite chefs and images like Norman Rockwell’s Thanksgiving influence my Thanksgiving day spread. Now that I’m married and living…

For the full story →

Delicata Squash with Browned Butter and Sage Recipe

December 21, 2009

One of the best things about being a gastronome and a restaurant professional at an award winning restaurant is that my work environment is a constant source of inspiration. Some of the dishes we serve at the Osteria are incredibly complicated…

For the full story →

← Previous Entries