Meghan OHara Extern Report

Orienta Beach Club is a small Country Club located in scenic Mamaroneck, New York. Located right on the Long Island Sound, Orienta is a magnificent location for weddings, bar mitzvahs, birthday parties, and variety of other occasions. It was here in Mamaroneck that I had the opportunity to spend my summer externship, learning under Executive Chef Michael Ruggiero; Sous Chef Blake Burgard, who graduated from Nicholls several years ago; and Catering Chef Eugene. Through observing and experiencing what it was like to work in this kitchen, I learned new skills and improved old ones while gaining an insight on what running a country club is like. Chef Michael Ruggiero has been in the industry for about 20 years. He worked at a hand full of restaurants in New York while he attended school at the Culinary Institute of America in Hydes Park, New York. He helped open a restaurant in Chicago and worked as Sous Chef for Westchester Country Club for about three years before transferring down the road to Orienta. He has been at Orienta for about seven years as the Executive Chef. Chef Ruggieros day begins at least an hour before everyone elses. During this hour, he opens the kitchen up and looks over the events for that day and that week. On prep days, the Tuesday or Wednesday before the kitchen opens for service, Chef makes all of the stocks and sauces needed for the week. He makes the menu, which changes monthly, places the food orders, and makes the schedule for the kitchen staff. Chef Ruggiero expedites most lunch and dinner services. Although Orienta is considered a small country club, all of these tasks add up, keeping Chef busy even on days when the kitchen is not open. He explained that even on his days off, hes not really off, I was grocery shopping with my pregnant wife and kept getting calls from mechanics who were fixing the ovens in the kitchen. I wanted to turn my phone off. His responsibilities are endless.

Sous Chef Burgard has been at Orienta almost as long as Chef Ruggiero. They have known each other for over a decade. They met when Chef Blake began an internship at the restaurant Chef Ruggiero helped to open in Chicago. They then traveled together back to New York. Chef Burgard works saut during dinner service and helps prep for catering events during the morning and afternoon. He helps Chef Ruggiero with most of the responsibilities and takes some of them over whenever Chef becomes overwhelmed. Their personalities are relatively similar. Both are Type A and control freaks. Chef Michael is very set in his ways and routine. He is used to operations being run a certain way and demands it. He also has a slight obsession with Dave Matthews Band. Chef Burgard is also Type A, but a more moderate control freak and has a wider taste in music. Having worked together for more than seventeen years, their actions and thoughts are synchronized and their chemistry is incomparable. Chef Eugene has been at the Club for over twenty years. He was Executive Chef for several years early in his career. Now he takes care of prep for all of the desserts for the restaurant menu and the catering menu. In addition, he is in charge of the catering events and meals for the summer camps the club offers. Chef Eugene is an unseen hand in the kitchen. He picks up the tasks other employees or chefs may not have time for. The length of time Chef Eugene has been employed there allows him to have the upper hand in situations and often his stubbornness will collide with Chef Michaels cause a few issues. Generally, however, the three men get along and execute each day and event with little to no trouble. Chef Ruggiero, as well as any other chef, is very particular about the wait staff. The serving staff at Orienta is primarily older, Hispanic men. During the summer months, the staff is sprinkled with a few college students. The older men have been there for around twenty years or more and have seasoned relationships with several of the members. Because the kitchen and wait staff have been at the club for so long, they have all worked out a routine and system. This relationship between front and back may

be as tight knit as it is because they speak the same language and theyre all older, more mature adults as opposed to having a constantly changing younger staff. This common denominator of a language often serves as a barrier between Chef Ruggiero and the waiters. There are often discrepancies in orders or miscommunication when describing a new menu item. These mistakes only escalade into real problems when the same server makes multiple mistakes in one night or if the service is extremely busy. Overall, this is the best relationship between Back of the House and Front of the House relationship I have ever experienced. Orienta Beach Club has a sizeable wait staff. The staff is broken up into three primary groups: catering, restaurant, and food runners. The catering wait staff are normally the college students with a few people that work only for weekend events. The restaurant servers are the older, primarily Hispanic men, and the food runners, which are only two people: Pedro and Roberto. Pedro and Roberto remind me of Mario and Luigi. They are both pranksters and laugh most of the night, keeping the mood light. All in all, the wait staff and kitchen staff get along well, cooperate, and appreciate each others efforts. Due to the fact that most of the employees have been working at Orienta for several years, there is not an official way of training new employees. It is basically watch and learn. The first few days working under this type of training is difficult. The Chefs at Orienta are all so knowledgeable, often it is difficult for them to slow down their process and explain what needs to be done. However, watching and learning is a basic technique of our trade, and the habits and skills can be quickly picked up. All three Chefs are incredibly well rounded. Because Chef Ruggiero and Chef Blake had been together for an elongated period of time, their knowledge has spread to each other. They are well balanced, and know the specifics and differences between northern and southern United States cuisine, unique proteins, and classic French techniques. Chef Eugene fits into their relationship; working as a group for seven years. His longevity at the club makes him the most reliable person to ask about the

location of something or a way of doing things. Chef Eugene also knows the most efficient way to do a case of anything. At the end of the summer, and generally at the end of the day, Chef Ruggiero was the one who evaluated me. His mood reflected how he felt the day went and often before he left he would tell me things that I had done well and which skills that I needed to work on. Nothing slipped by his sharp eye as he worked Expo each evening. Chef Ruggiero manages a demanding kitchen that has several activities going on every day, all day. It is simple to determine how all of the chefs ran the kitchen, and what role they play in keeping it moving and stable. Their needs and expectations of each staff member are easily determined. They all give a visible, detailed prep list of what needs to be done and offer direction and instructions as needed. All of them keep an eye on what each employee is doing and wait to critique if it is needed. They recognize that all of their employees are not as experienced as they are and allow everyone to learn on their own instead of just jumping in. While the management style of the kitchen is successful, there only one thing that I dislike about the method. Chef Ruggieros mood has an overwhelming impact on the entire kitchen, including the wait staff. It becomes unnerving to walk in each morning, wondering what kind of day it will be. Chefs proper managing turned more into shouting commands and yelling to embarrass someone as discipline, rather than constructive criticism. These outbursts make kitchen more likely to mess up on something and generally activates either a downward spiral or an excessively timid atmosphere, neither of which produces a good result. Most of the incidents that occur are due to a communication barrier between the newer, younger servers and the kitchen staff. Communication is one of the most important assets in a kitchen. As an employee at Orienta, back and front of the house need the patience to work through a language barrier without becoming frustrated. The remaining incidents are between the Chefs when they are

working separate events. One particular event had Chef Eugene working at The Dolphin, the venue down by the water, while there was a wedding going on at the main house of the Club. Chef Eugene and Chef Ruggiero kept having disagreements about what food should be carried over when, and what time to have the buffet ready. Because Chef Ruggiero was worried about the event not being set up in time, Chef Eugene just kept going until everything was finished. It was not until all of the food was set up and ready that he realized there was another hour before anyone would be coming to eat. We had to cover everything and make sure the food did not get cold or dried out while we waited for the people to finally arrive. Chef Ruggiero and Chef Blake have done a thorough job of hiring competent employees. All of the staff that has been at Orienta for any length of time is an A grade employee. They know the routine and flow of the kitchen. They memorize how Chef wants his food prepared and executed. The recipes are second nature. As a new employee, like with any other restaurant, you start at the bottom and work your way up. Being there gets a person acquainted with the other staff and their way of working. This leads to more responsibility, thus working up through the ranks. Only a few employees who do not adjust remain working the same jobs and have fewer hours than the rest of the kitchen. The employees that work specific stations in the kitchen are put at these stations because that is the area that most highlights their abilities and skill set. All of the employees have the same wants and needs. First, they want to work as many hours as possible. The club is closed Monday through Wednesday throughout the year, except during the summer, when it is closed Monday and Tuesday. Most of these people have families and work a second job on their days off. Second, they want an enjoyable atmosphere. Working in a high pressure workspace for twelve hours a day is strenuous on anyone. When the atmosphere is tense and uncomfortable, it makes work long and difficult. Finally, because all of these people are talented and competent, they want a certain degree of freedom when it comes to cooking a dish. Most workers

know the classic way to prepare dishes, have a certain style that they would like to be able to express subtly. Orienta fulfills most of these desires, thus keeping its employees for as long as they have with a low turnover rate. As a country club in the richest county in New York State, very little advertising is necessary. It is more of a privilege to be a member of Orienta Beach Club. Most of the members are between middle aged to the baby boomer generation. About a quarter of them are families with young children. All of the members have high expectations of what they receive and a few could possibly be considered haughty. The menu changes monthly in order to accentuate the flavors of the season, as well as to keep the kitchen and the members from becoming tired of the food. However, each menu does contain a few constant items such as a unique burger, steaks, and some sort of seafood dish. One of the bestselling items throughout the entire summer is the lobster roll. This is basically just a lobster salad on a sub or hoagie roll. Price does not play a large part in the popularity of items. Seafood dishes always sell, as well as steaks and burgers. The menu is always set up the same way: appetizers at the top, followed by salads; burgers and sandwiches; steaks and entrees; and lastly, desserts. Recording and managing inventory for the changing menu, as well as for the various events and camps that the club runs, is a multi-person task. Predominantly Chef Ruggiero orders all of the food for the kitchen and catering events. He goes through the coolers and freezers while checking off items on his inventory list. Chef checks the numbers he has from previous years and events before setting his par for the week. Chef Eugene orders the dry storage food that is in the basement and all of the ingredients needed for baking or other various desserts. The deliveries are received throughout the week; however the largest order arrives on Tuesday mornings, when the restaurant is closed. Orienta is a member-financed operation. Because the members money pays the majority of the bills, whatever they want, they get. This is unfortunate, because it is challenging to make a profit

when the members demand such low prices for a high quality result. Due to this limited budget, waste is possibly the most discouraged practice in the kitchen. At times however, it becomes a little ridiculous. All of the stalks and ends from vegetables are saved for soups and stocks, however often these will sit in the coolers for weeks and rot. As a result, not only does the cooler smell, but these leftovers are taking up valuable space, especially when the restaurant is preparing for parties for 500 people. As with any kitchen, theft is always a possibility. The Chefs have to be even more cautious because a few of the staff members, including the externs, live on the premises. All of the coolers are locked in the evening, as well as the dry storage closests in the basement. However, a few items such as bread and potatoes are left on shelves outside of coolers and are open throughout the night. A few of the freezers and coolers on the stations do not have locks and are also remain open. However, people have been living at the Club for years and theft has not been a huge issue. Working at Orienta Beach Club was my first experience of working in a fine dining restaurant. While the first few days were a difficult transition, I have expanded and improved my skill set, as well as experienced situations and events that have further fueled my passion for cooking and my fire for learning more. I thoroughly enjoyed working under Executive Chef Ruggiero, Sous Chef Burgard, and Catering Chef Eugene, as well as all of the other employees that worked the various stations. They were all eager to teach me about each of their skills and improving mine, but also in teaching me more about themselves. Going to work was exciting because I had new experiences every day. In addition, it made me appreciate my decision to study Spanish in college considering that ninety percent of the staff fluently spoke the language. This is an experience I am grateful for and will not soon forget.