The line

August 9, 2008

It was one crazy night at Millennium! I can't believe the popularity of the restaurant and the volume it goes through in a few hours. The sous-chef said they had around 300 people eat there in a few hours, and the kitchen didn't even finish its last orders until around 11:30 or 12 as it was so busy, actually the busiest night that the sous-chef has ever had in five years. Usually they finish around 10:30.

They said there are usually two lulls in the service, or calms before the storm. One around 8 pm after the first round of dinners, and then around 9:30 with the second round. Sure enough, it as 9:30 and there were absolutely no chits up for orders so it felt very strange and eerie after serving over 200 or so meals, and then this absolute calm. This is when everyone tries to scurry to stock up, brace themselves for the second wave, and sure enough at 10:00 pm there were another 50-75 chits that started appearing one after another in rapid fire from the chit machine and the pans started flying on burners, pans in the oven and under the salamander, things on the grill and in the steamer, the fryer in constant use. And of course you never know what people are going to order (there should be a psychic working for restaurants so they can predict this and save the line a lot of anxiety) so you try to stock up your station as best you can but you always run short of something and you always trying to prep that thing quickly or substitute or work around it.

For example, if most of these 50-75 people order the same main dishes on the main or special menu then that would put immediate pressure on that area of the line and deplete all of his inventory quickly, so quick thinking and rapid action is critical by this person and his/her team mates.

And the thing that makes the food so interesting and flavourful at Millennium is the complexity of plates. There are so many sauces, layers and little touches, each prepped separately during the day, and each very flavourful and unique, that it's amazing when you see it all come together on one plate. For example, the special main of the day had some shelling bean ragu that are served with a tomato confit, each sauteed separately, and you have seared polenta that is being baked and grilled at the same time, and also at the same time some eggplant is being grilled and lobster mushrooms sauteed, broccoli rabe and squash blossoms are also sauteed, and when plating there is the special pine nut toasted bread crumbs that go on with fresh herbs and a special oil on top of this all, and other seasonings, and sometimes the fry station works in tandem to ensure that that there is a special piece, like a pakora, that goes on top but at the very last moment. And that is only one dish!

There are usually three guys, usually guys but there are two women that are sometimes behind the line there as well - in the fry, saute and grill stations - working together as rapidly and effectively as possible to expedite the orders as quickly as possible. It is quite the thing to see "the line" as it's called in action with all the burners on high and things flying all around.

It's a dangerous place and you have the dishwashers or runners that either call out "behind you" or "down the line" when they are trying to pick up the used hot saute pans that are thrown in a pan at the bottom of the stoves, and for every item there is a new saute pan so there are stacks of them by the stoves and they constantly need them replenished with new ones, so these guys are risking their lives, or getting serious burns, ducking in to get these very hot saute pans to wash and return as quickly as possible, and they are also trying to clean up whatever they can when they can. It's like seeing those boys that pick up the tennis balls quickly and discreetly during a game but this time they are ducking around very hot and sharp elements all around, including the cooks and it's very noisy. It's quite the spectacle and whatever you do you do NOT want to get in the way as it's dangerous for one thing and you will be quickly be told to get out of he way if you do not need to be there or are in the way. I was assisting the line whenever and
however I could, also trying not to get in the way. T here was also a catered event in their private dining room so this added to the busyness and stress of the evening.

Around 11:30 there was a big collective sigh of relief when the last orders came in and then cold beer went down the line for the cooks, a small reward for having to go through an incredible evening. I took the last Muni train home just before midnight - unfortunately the Muni and Bart system closes at midnight - and the restaurant was still one quarter full of people when I left, finishing their desserts and coffees/teas. See what a crazy night, but probably a regular busy night for them in the summer in particular, and to be repeated over and over again day by day. You gotta love it and take care of yourself as it would be easy to burn out quickly in the business.