Teen is a gourmet cook--could he stage somewhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being a good cook at home (which is subjective) and becoming a line cook are not 1 in the same.

How about a culinary class for starters? Does his school offer like a gourmet cooking elective?

He has taken culinary classes since middle school. He's really eager to get some hands-on cooking experience.

Can you say where? I have a 12 year old who loves to cook, but obviously is too young for a restaurant kitchen. I haven't found classes that would work for him yet.

Try sur la table

[Anonymous]

How old is he?

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately (or fortunately) there are a whole lot of talented teenage chefs looking for work experience. Like the others said, he is not going to start out working with food. He needs to bus the tables and mop the floors before he can even work his way up to cleaning the grease trap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of the good cooks start as dishwashers. Let him see how a kitchen works to determine if he can handle the environment. I suspect most kids whose parents post on DCUM could not cut it in a restaurant kitchen

- 15 year line cook

Wow. That's kind of presumptive. And generalistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the good cooks start as dishwashers. Let him see how a kitchen works to determine if he can handle the environment. I suspect most kids whose parents post on DCUM could not cut it in a restaurant kitchen

- 15 year line cook

Wow. That's kind of presumptive. And generalistic.

NP. Also accurate.

Nobody who needs orders filled wants the millstone of a precious teenager. Someone who puts their head down and does good work, starting from the bottom like everyone else? Sure.

But not swanning in for a special experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the good cooks start as dishwashers. Let him see how a kitchen works to determine if he can handle the environment. I suspect most kids whose parents post on DCUM could not cut it in a restaurant kitchen

- 15 year line cook

Wow. That's kind of presumptive. And generalistic.

NP. Also accurate.

Nobody who needs orders filled wants the millstone of a precious teenager. Someone who puts their head down and does good work, starting from the bottom like everyone else? Sure.

But not swanning in for a special experience.

+1

[Anonymous]

At 16 I got a job as a prep cook and moved up to the line later on. He should really get the feel of a commercial kitchen. Not everyone is able to make a living in fine dining. He should really just look for work and get the feel of the industry.

[Anonymous]

Also IRT the two posters who mentioned dishwashing and bussing--FOH is FOH and you don't move to the kitchen from service. Dishers are an entity unto themselves. You don't move to cooking from washing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of the good cooks start as dishwashers. Let him see how a kitchen works to determine if he can handle the environment. I suspect most kids whose parents post on DCUM could not cut it in a restaurant kitchen

- 15 year line cook

This. Start out washing dishes and he can see if he can handle the environment. Honestly drug and alcohol abuse are rampant in the industry, I don’t know if I’d want my child starting out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the good cooks start as dishwashers. Let him see how a kitchen works to determine if he can handle the environment. I suspect most kids whose parents post on DCUM could not cut it in a restaurant kitchen

- 15 year line cook

Wow. That's kind of presumptive. And generalistic.

NP. Also accurate.

Nobody who needs orders filled wants the millstone of a precious teenager. Someone who puts their head down and does good work, starting from the bottom like everyone else? Sure.

But not swanning in for a special experience.

+1

Who said anything about "swanning" in? It's about working for free to get experience. I think you're treating this like mommy is trying to get her precious child a job at a law firm and you're truly misreading the intent. Also, kitchens are short-staffed. They just might welcome the help. Ambition and initiative is a good thing, not a snob thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the good cooks start as dishwashers. Let him see how a kitchen works to determine if he can handle the environment. I suspect most kids whose parents post on DCUM could not cut it in a restaurant kitchen

- 15 year line cook

Wow. That's kind of presumptive. And generalistic.

NP. Also accurate.

Nobody who needs orders filled wants the millstone of a precious teenager. Someone who puts their head down and does good work, starting from the bottom like everyone else? Sure.

But not swanning in for a special experience.

+1

Who said anything about "swanning" in? It's about working for free to get experience. I think you're treating this like mommy is trying to get her precious child a job at a law firm and you're truly misreading the intent. Also, kitchens are short-staffed. They just might welcome the help. Ambition and initiative is a good thing, not a snob thing.

Sure. But don't forget to come back and update us with how it goes, okay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the good cooks start as dishwashers. Let him see how a kitchen works to determine if he can handle the environment. I suspect most kids whose parents post on DCUM could not cut it in a restaurant kitchen

- 15 year line cook

Wow. That's kind of presumptive. And generalistic.

NP. Also accurate.

Nobody who needs orders filled wants the millstone of a precious teenager. Someone who puts their head down and does good work, starting from the bottom like everyone else? Sure.

But not swanning in for a special experience.

+1

Who said anything about "swanning" in? It's about working for free to get experience. I think you're treating this like mommy is trying to get her precious child a job at a law firm and you're truly misreading the intent. Also, kitchens are short-staffed. They just might welcome the help. Ambition and initiative is a good thing, not a snob thing.

Sure. But don't forget to come back and update us with how it goes, okay?

Why so bitter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the good cooks start as dishwashers. Let him see how a kitchen works to determine if he can handle the environment. I suspect most kids whose parents post on DCUM could not cut it in a restaurant kitchen

- 15 year line cook

Wow. That's kind of presumptive. And generalistic.

NP. Also accurate.

Nobody who needs orders filled wants the millstone of a precious teenager. Someone who puts their head down and does good work, starting from the bottom like everyone else? Sure.

But not swanning in for a special experience.

+1

Who said anything about "swanning" in? It's about working for free to get experience. I think you're treating this like mommy is trying to get her precious child a job at a law firm and you're truly misreading the intent. Also, kitchens are short-staffed. They just might welcome the help. Ambition and initiative is a good thing, not a snob thing.

Sure. But don't forget to come back and update us with how it goes, okay?

Why so bitter?

Not bitter at all. It's just -- he's a teenager whose mom thinks he is a "gourmet cook" and could be helpful in a professional kitchen.

If there isn't a swan involved, I'll eat my hat.

[Anonymous]

He should stop by the Renegade in Arlington. It's not fine dining, but the food is interesting and the owner used to work at the inn at little Washington. (And is a great guy.) a lot of places are pretty short staffed right now, so it might be possible to get a dishwasher gig somewhere and move to line cook as he gets a bit older.

Also there is a Facebook group called Nova Foodies. Request to join - a lot of restaurant owners and staff are on there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the good cooks start as dishwashers. Let him see how a kitchen works to determine if he can handle the environment. I suspect most kids whose parents post on DCUM could not cut it in a restaurant kitchen

- 15 year line cook

Wow. That's kind of presumptive. And generalistic.

It’s not. Nobody is going to get a position in a good restaurant staging because their mom asked for them on a mom forum.