That one service that turned into a 14 hour day, but not the bad kind

Last month I had a Thursday that completely flipped my view on prep work. Started at 5 AM with a catering order for 80 people, a wedding rehearsal dinner out in Dripping Springs. By noon we were behind because the walk-in cooler they promised was 20 degrees too warm, so me and my sous had to shift all the proteins to a rented fridge down the road. Then the bride's mom showed up with a bag of heirloom tomatoes from her own garden, asked if we could use them in the salad, and that little detour actually saved the menu. We finished plating at 7 PM, but the owner tipped us an extra $300 on top of the contract fee. Has anyone else had a last minute ingredient swap that ended up being the best call of the night?

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1 Comment

sullivan.quinn11d ago

Fresh garden tomatoes beat whatever you can get from a distributor every time. Back when I helped with event prep we had a similar deal with basil from someone's yard, ended up making a pesto that saved the whole menu. Always check the temp on the cooler first thing, that's a lesson I learned the hard way too. Sounds like you handled it smooth, good tip from the owner too.