We did it guys. We were chefs for the day–or evening, rather–at Canelé in Atwater Village for their rotating Friends Cook feature. What an experience. Neither one of us has spent any time in a restaurant kitchen, so the entire event was full of interesting and slightly nerve-racking moments. Of course, not only the preparation, but also the presentation of a meal to a restaurant’s frequent patrons is just as daunting. We were lucky to learn just what it’s like to work with trained chefs, cooks and waitresses, not to mention prepare meals for refined eaters.
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The email arrived on June 29, 2009.
The sender: Tastingtable.com.
The headline: Chef for a Day.
The message: Are you a non-professional cook who wants to formulate, prep and serve your own three-course, prix fixe meal at Atwater Village’s Canelé?
Our response: You know it!
The email flew off to chef Corina Weibel and general manager Jane Choi before we had a minute to really comprehend what we’d done. Well, that’s not entirely true. The opportunity sounded like the chance of a lifetime. Imagine walking into a restaurant and just making food for people with absolutely no formal culinary training at all. It’s a bit nervewracking if you really sit down and think about it. Of course we cook all the time in our own homes, but working in a restaurant grade kitchen with a seasoned chef and plating meals for friends and (gasp) unknown patrons is a completely different story. Regardless, the pangs of excitement overshadow the clouds of scary doubt, and now we’re ready. So ready.
Funny enough, we haven’t dined at Canelé yet, but we’ve heard great things about the menu. We’ll head over there to grub and hopefully catch Chef …
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