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Visited a pop-up kitchen in Chicago that ran an all-tasting menu without a single ticket printer
I went to this weird experimental dinner spot by Wicker Park last month and they ran the whole 8-course service with just verbal callouts and hand signals. No tickets, no printer, no screen. The chef de cuisine just stood at the pass and yelled everything. I thought it would be chaos but they hit every course within 90 seconds of the stated time. It honestly made me think about how much we lean on those machines and whether they actually slow us down or keep us organized. Has anyone else worked a service without any printed tickets? How did you handle modifications or allergies?
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paige_bell813mo ago
The chef yelling at the pass like a football coach sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen with allergies. I bet one misheard "no nuts" turns into a trip to the ER real quick. Honestly I'd rather have a printer jam than trust my dinner to someone's bad vocal projection.
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perry.jesse3mo ago
I heard a story from a friend who worked at a place like that. One time the chef yelled "no nuts on the salad" but the line cook thought he said "use nuts instead". Guest ended up in the ER with anaphylaxis. The whole restaurant got sued. It's scary because all it takes is one shout getting lost in the noise of the kitchen. A printer gives you a clear ticket you can read twice. With yelling you just hope the person 15 feet away heard you right over the clatter and sizzle. Not worth the risk in my book.
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