The Travails of the Restaurant Chef

Caprese Salad: Roasted Roma Tomatoes, Fresh Basil,
Buffalo Mozzarella, Olive Oil, Balsamic Reduction,
Crostino with Tomato Confit, Sicilian Pesto.

As I've made mention of on my Facebook page, I've become employed lately at a restaurant (not that the bookstore was a bad place to work, by any means, but I do feel the need to work within my chosen profession.) It's a startup, and I'm running the kitchen. This means that I'm responsible for everything from designing plate layouts to purchasing products, and everything in between.

It's been a lot of work—consecutive 14-hour days and I are now friends—but it's also been a lot of fun, and a wonderful learning experience so far. My sous chef is a good friend of mine from culinary school, and together we're rocking this place out.

I'll leave you with a couple menu items from the restaurant. It's not particularly steampunk, but it's fun and delicious...

Triple Grilled Cheese—Pepperjack, Mozzarella, Cheddar

Pepperoni Pizza, hearth-fired

Italian Roast Beef Sandwich (Mozzarella, Roasted Red Peppers)