Befriending Chefs/Restaurant Staff
Sooooo the new place I'm moving into is literally 2 doors down from Alinea and has a clear view into the restaurant's kitchen (they have big windows on the side). I couldn't be more excited about this and am wondering if/how I could potentially strike up a relationship with some of the chefs there. It's juvenile, I know, but I am such a fan of their "work" and would love to get to know them over the next few years! What would you do? Considering a "I LOVE ALINEA!" sign for the side of my new place (kidding, kidding). Ideas? :)
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32 Comments:
Smoke in the alley. Maybe sell them weed.
climbhighak at 2:28AM on 09/03/09
An alley picnic? The chefs I know love for people to cook for them, the simpler the better. Pulled-pork BBQ sandwiches and homemade potato salad seems to be a fave.
LunaPierCook at 6:09AM on 09/03/09
Seems logical to eat there regularly so that they get to know you. Stalking them from the alley is rather creepy IMHO.
smallkitchen at 7:42AM on 09/03/09
Tell them you really like the look of the bathrooms... From the street.
Seriously, strike up a conversation about something y'all have in common...FOOD! They are cooks, not rockstars. Talk about what you enjoy talking about for the love of Pete! Go and eat there so you can talk shop with them if you'ld like.
Pavlov at 8:42AM on 09/03/09
When you eat there, tell the waiter to please give your compliments to the chef. Maybe even ask the chef's name and then give high praise. If you do this enough, eventually the chef will seek you out.
mmicheli at 9:47AM on 09/03/09
Have you read Ruhlman's "The Reach of a Chef" yet?
GKlose at 12:00PM on 09/03/09
can i bring over a bottle of wine and sit at your house and watch dinner service with you?
andshewas at 12:22PM on 09/03/09
you know... we do read these sorts of comments. look for the chefs to be waving to you tonight.
-- nick kokonas
nickkokonas at 1:47PM on 09/03/09
LOL--Grant just linked to this on his twitter page as well! http://twitter.com/Gachatz
BananaMonkey at 2:02PM on 09/03/09
Chefs are not at all creeped out if you say something like "hey, I noticed you burned yourself in service a couple nights ago...how's it healing." ;-)
They work long hard hours and, from what I have seen, all have an immense passion for what they are doing at Alinea...however, speaking as a former cook, they do like to have a few drinks after service...you may want to visit their local haunts strike up a conversation there....Or, a fun treat of sending the kitchen a basket of candy on Halloween as a new neighbor.
pleddy at 2:08PM on 09/03/09
It's funny, when we go to Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal Martin Picard is always there and my husband has no qualms about stopping him to say hi and compliment the food but I am terrified of famous people. I get so tongue tied. One of my favourite authors (who is notoriously cranky) stood back to back with me for 25 mins during intermission at a play and I just about died. Chefs and authors are "my" rockstars. Haha.
lexophile at 2:38PM on 09/03/09
Have a meal there and tip well. Servers remember that.
beth1 at 2:50PM on 09/03/09
BTW, just general awesomeness from the Alinea crew. lol
winternutt at 2:53PM on 09/03/09
HAHA! Can't believe the response! I move in September 30th and will be waving to you guys constantly from my kitchen window :) Let me know if you want anything from Buffalo (real chicken wings, perhaps?)
-Lauren
Laurs87 at 3:01PM on 09/03/09
I always rely on beer to make friends with chefs. Kitchens are hot and a nice cool one in th alley does wonders....
rwilde at 3:02PM on 09/03/09
Heh, sweet! Rock on Nick. It's times like these I love Serious Eats. You never know who else in your neighborhood is watching. I second rwilde's suggestion to Laurs87; bring over some good beer, but be ready to offer them after the end of service- whenever that is. Invariably leads to good times, in my experience.
Ravara at 5:32PM on 09/03/09
My brother's a chef, and my experience with him & his friends is they love beer & simple food - anything they didn't have to make themselves, but especially barbecue.
SSMom at 7:25PM on 09/03/09
I did something similar with a local restaurant - by no means staffed by chefs, but real good food nonetheless. It also works with police and fire departments and teachers. Bring them a couple dozen home baked cookies and a couple gallons of milk. People, regardless of profession, appreciate a heartfelt gesture.
jymbrittain at 8:02PM on 09/03/09
I think it is the chefs' responsibility to bring you a "Welcome to the neighborhood" housewarming basket of goodies!
beano at 5:50AM on 09/04/09
I had a little "in" when our little BYO opened up in our small town. My husband was on council and he had helped facilitate the opening of the restaurant. But I needed to get noticed so when we went to eat there one evening I took a basketful of my herbs since I noticed the chef/owner was growing some on the back steps of the building not too successfully. I like the beer idea.
Now when we see them (his wife is the manager) we have a very pleasant talk. They are a delightful couple.
janaatwg at 12:41PM on 09/04/09
I would have a house warming party. Go down before dinner service and tell them you live next door and are having a party. I don't see why they wouldn't stop by after work for free booze.
starrystrawberry at 1:56PM on 09/04/09
I had a friend who was truly interested in learning techniques and so she offered to help out in a kitchen for free. The chef was game and she learned all kinds of great things.
Or - Have dinner there halfway through their service on a slow night so that the kitchen isn't too busy. Introduce yourself as a neighbor and ask to speak with the chef - if it's slow or winding down, he should be able to come out. Once you do that, just keep coming back and become a regular.
yayfood at 2:40PM on 09/04/09
First comment is right on. Funny but true.
When I was a line cook we had a guy that would buy a round of beers for the kitchen every time he came in. He was treated like a king when he came back into the kitchen (also helped that he was a belligerent nutjob) and probably got better food than the occasional celebrity or well known chef that came in.
Doesn't usually happen in fine dining but if you tip the kitchen those cooks will remember you forever. Servers could care less, you could tip them 30% and they would be in the back complaining that you didn't order a $1000 bottle of wine.
Hawk Krall at 4:05PM on 09/04/09
Booze, Money, and Praise.
In that order and the heart of the the chef will be yours.
Chef Colin at 5:02PM on 09/04/09
First comment should do the trick. I've actually had good luck with one incident where my bf's cousin insisted that we needed to tip the chef a shot of tequila. I thought he was nuts, but the guy loved it, took us out to drink with him and some of the other cooks afterwards (it was the end of the night when we did this), and totally befriended my bf to the point of going out for drinks after close more often than not and having a server bring out *his* bottle of tequila from the back office to share with us the one evening (my bf traveled to the city he was in much more often than I had the pleasure to).
I have no idea if that is a raging fluke or if sending a drink back to the chef makes you a shoe in for at least a quick chat over a drink, but it seemed to work for us :P
joyyy at 5:52PM on 09/04/09
Get em some beers, or whatever they fancy. It really is a welcome addition at work.
johndoughy at 2:51AM on 09/05/09
You'll never be a friend, so much as that guy who tips well. Don't get any false ideas.
michichan at 3:14AM on 09/05/09
Start a photo expose. Use your camera to document what you see from the street. Of course then you have a reason to tell the chefs you are being creative and would like their participation in the photo shoot. I bet they would like to see the photos and maybe post them in the kitchen.
drala625 at 10:50AM on 09/07/09
This is really very easy and does not have to be as convoluted as some of the above suggestions. If you have a blog, just indicate that your are writing about their place, their food and so on and ask if you could include a few comments from them along with some pictures of the restaurant, the kitchen and perhaps them in action in the kitchen. The will most likely be happy with the exposure (free advertising) and with the attention. This has worked for me with chefs I have never met before.
yogiwan at 11:34AM on 09/07/09
@smallkitchen: I eat at Alinea whenever I'm in town -- great place! However, unless one is pretty wealthy, going to Alinea to "eat regularly" is not an option. My bride and I spent $700 for our super supper there last month; worth every penny, but still not something your average apartment-dwelling young Chicagoan (which I assume Laurs 87 is) can afford to do regularly.
@ Alinea staff: I think your wild-haired caucasian-'fro sommelier is DA BOMB! Keep him forever! And next time we're there, please send Grant over to fix us dessert directly on the table, m'kay?
Starsinger23 at 12:13PM on 09/07/09
Praise and free booze helps most relationships.
Pinupgirl4ever at 1:12AM on 09/15/09
booze
luckygurl at 2:03PM on 11/21/09