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Saturday, March 14th, 2009
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Saturday, October 25th, 2008
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i am on vacation.
9 days of not working after a summer of 70 hour weeks.
of course my last night at Balata was a super busy friday.
the sous chef over there told me that he wishes i was staying over there because "it was nice to have another professional cook in the kitchen for a change"
Denver tonight and flying home tomorrow.
Iowa City on Tuesday!!!
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Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.
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Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
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i booked plane tickets to JAPAN today!
i'm going in april and i'm so so so excited.
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Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.
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i like my job. most days.
i love what i do at least and i feel i do it at a fairly high level. Last winter the chef of the restaurant i was sous at was fired, and i kept the place running well.
i feel like the higher ups in the F&B Dept. look at me as someone they want to keep as an employee as well as someone that they can trust and work well in any situation.
to me, this was once again confirmed a little over a week ago when i was asked by the F&B director to help out over at Balata, which is the restaurant located at the hotel's golf course. They recently fired their Chef/co-owner who from what i told, was barely ever around. They literally bought out his percentage and fired him on the spot.
So i'm helping over there for a few weeks until they close for the off season. Seeing as how i had never worked over there before and didn't know the menu at all I was expecting to maybe do some prep, work the pantry station(cold plates and fryer basically), and just be an extra set of hands.
to my surprise i'm working the saute (see hardest to work, most involved prep, hardest hit station every night) and in the meger 5 days i've worked the line I seem to have it down okay. Granted the restaurant isn't that busy right now, we're really only getting a rush for like an hour to an hour and a half. But i'm holding up my end nicely. The guys running the kitchen seem pleased with the work i'm doing so that's good.
its nice being on the line again after doing banquets all summer. its good to see i haven't forgotten how to be a line cook and i'm getting better at putting the menu just not to memory, but in the bones.
i'll be over there right up until i leave for the midwest so its a nice chance of pace.
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Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.
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Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
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booked!
Midwest trip '08
Oct. 26-Nov. 3
Iowa City: Oct. 28, 29, 30.
Chicago: all others.
sooooo excited.
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Comments: Read 3 or Add Your Own.
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Sunday, August 31st, 2008
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so i've decided not to talk to her anymore. not to be her friend. not to let her have her cake and eat it too. and i feel liberated for it.
It looks like my trip home to the midwest will be in october instead of Nov. its just how my work schedule is panning out. it means no hawkeye game, but that's okay. If i make it to iowa city (and i'm going to try super hard to) it'll mean more time for hanging out with Kat.
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Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.
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Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
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I got a call today from my friend Pete. One that has what I consider to be an amazing opportunity. One of his Chef's over at the Ritz is slated to move to the new Ritz in Lake Tahoe in two years. He told Pete today that he'd like to take him with if they work together for the next few years so he can teach Pete some things. Pete would then be a part of a this guys brigade and would move to new locations when needed.
Bascially what this chef is doing is assembling his own posse of people he trusts that he can bring with him to new hotel locations and get them running at the proper standards right off.
Pete called me and told me this knowing that i was going to be looking for a new job in the summer and that I would be interested in getting in on the ground floor. Its a chance to grow and learn as a cook as well as develop skills as a manager so that i can one day lead a team.
i'm pretty stoked on this idea and it could take me from Vail, to Tahoe, to Seattle in the next five years.
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Thursday, August 14th, 2008
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not that i really care. not that i wasn't expecting this.
it has been two years.
but it still sucks.
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its nice to be waking up next to someone again.
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Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
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on friday i'm flying to San Diego for the weekend. Not only will it be killer to not have to work, but this is really my first "vacation" cause really, how much of a vacation is going home to see your family?
So i'm visiting my good friend Tom Aaron whom i played in Divide By Zero with. He's since moved out west and gained a master's in economics.
Also living in SD is Skott Kautman, a man who has pushed more into into my body than anyone else. and well, he's gonna do it again! I'm hoping to get and addition to the arm piece he did on me four year ago right before he moved.
so far so good, good buds, and tattoos . . . but it gets even more awesome.
Hot Water Music is playing their last US show on their reunion tour. And tom and I are going. i couldn't be more stoked.
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i have a goggle tan. no worse, its a goggle sunburn. i look like a moron right now and preparing myself for a whole day of being fucked with for it.
but hey, if you can't rock a goggle tan in Vail, where can you?
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Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
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so spring is here and the snow is starting to slow down. Everyone you can see dead muddy grass poking through and rocks. The temps are warmer and its snowing less and less. We're getting through the spring break push right now and then we'll be pretty much home free. the mountain closes for the winter on april 13th and after a super busy and fairly stressful season i'm ready.
A few weeks ago, Brian, the bully ranch chef who i was the sous chef for was fired unexpectedly (to me anyways). Over the course of the two weeks until Alex, the sous chef of the banquet department was named the new chef I was running the restaurant. I worked 12 of 14 days and worked 12 hour shifts. The stretch ended right before my birthday, which was great.
speaking of my birthday, it was pretty mellow. Myself and my roommate Matt went to Ludwig's, which is the fine dining restaurant in the hotel. We had a five course meal that was paired with wine FOR FREE. The dinner ended with each of us getting a glass of Armagnac (like cognac) which was $45 a glass, also for FREE. Lots of post dinner wine was also drank.
anyways, with Alex becoming the new Chef of the Bully ( i opted to not even apply for the job as I was not interested in it) I will be moving to the Banquet department of the hotel, which right now is very low stress, but will pick up in the summertime.
I'm excited for the silverstein boys to be in denver next week as well as my friend John from chicago.
I'm excited to surprise my dad for his birthday in april.
and possibly seeing Tommy and Hot Water Music in san diego at the start of may.
and the Foo Fighters at Red Rocks in july!
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Monday, January 14th, 2008
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Saturday, December 15th, 2007
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i was shaving too fast this morning and cut the side of my nostril. who does that?
the holidays are approaching which means the hotel and restaurant are about to get crazy busy. Last week I had 1.5 days off (had to come in and open on a day off) and that plus going riding have left me exhusted this week.
I got a chance to sleep in today which felt totally great. Inge and Zoe have friends in town and lucky for me they focused on getting to the mountain early today otherwise they would've been up all night, which means I would've been up all night.
Hopefully with the winter and more people around it will be fun to go out after work in Vail and meet some more people. Its hard to just hang out with the same people over and over.
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Tuesday, December 11th, 2007
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we've been getting snowed on a lot lately. 33" last week alone. It started snowing wednesday night and didn't stop until sunday morning. I, of course worked up until sunday, but was still able to fine some great terrain to ride. Knee to waist deep powder in the back bowls.
I also rode in Blue Sky Basin for the first time. BSB is the furthest back part of Vail and it takes a good 30-45 mintues to get there from the gondola. Its totally worth it. Steep runs, trees, rocks, and cliffs all with amazing views of the ranges around.
snow means that there are more people in town and work picks up a lot on the weekends. But its good to start getting busy.
I think i'm at 10 day already!
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Sunday, December 2nd, 2007
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Monday, November 26th, 2007
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if you need me. i'll be at Breckenridge tomorrow.
pray for snow!
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Thursday, November 15th, 2007
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so i've been doing some snowboarding lately. there's very little snow, but summit county has more than we have in eagle. Vail opens tomorrow but they're only opening one run and it won't even be worth it.
today and tomorrow were set to be my first set of two consecutive days off in about 2 months. That is until my boss called this morning and told me that his grandfather passed away today and he has to leave town for four days. whaddya gonna do right?
new menu was put into affect today. i wish we would've done it last week so we'd have a week cooking it before the shitstorm of this weekend hits.
and after 12 years of snowboarding i finally bought a Burton snowboard. three cheers for sales of last years gear. $200 off!
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Monday, October 29th, 2007
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thanks everyone i saw for making my trip to iowa city so damn fun. Friday night was great after a long day of travel. Gabe's sized shots of jameson were just what the doctor ordered. I was glad that i got to spend more time with everyone this time around instead of having to choose who to see.
Saturday i was wiped and just couldn't really rally for serious whisky drinking like i had planned. Maybe it was the lasanga and cheesecake and 5 glasses of wine.
those of you hinting that i should move back made me feel missed and loved. we'll see how the ski season goes.
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Friday, October 26th, 2007
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the 26th is finally here!
i'm at chuck's in Frisco and we're gearing up to head down to denver.
i'll hopefully be in iowa city tonight by 10pm!
the menu tasting went pretty well. I had another idea of mine added to the menu.
My items are:
Roasted Jalapeno and cornbread fritters with honey butter
Ancho Chili and brown sugar rubbed hanger steak with polenta cake and sauted vegetables.
Grilled swordfish steak with white wine rice pilaf, vegetables, smoked tomato salsa and a tequila citrus beurre blanc.
We presented our menu to the executive chef, the hotel's owner, the HR manager, and the room service manager and Brian and I were happy with how it went.
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distances's journal
optimistic.