50
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
MAY | JUNE 2014
the
Chef
issue
Meet the Chef —
Michael Stoltzfus
Restaurant:
Coquette, New Orleans, LA
I FIRE UP THE SMOKER AT 9AM,
unlock the doors, and go straight into the cooler to
see what we have left. Then I start calling our purveyors to see what they have. We work with
Chappapeela Farms for our pork and duck. They also sell to Rouses.
WE WRITE A NEWMENU
every morning. We only use what’s fresh, what’s good.
OUR PRE-MEAL MEETING WITH THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE IS AT 11AM.
We go
over the new menu, and the pickles and cured meats for the day, and taste through the dishes.
We open for lunch at 11:30am.
WE GET A LOT MOREWALK INS FOR LUNCH
because we’re on Magazine Street.We do
about 70 covers a day for lunch; 180 on a Saturday night.
OUR DINNER STAFF COMES IN AT 2PM
to prep. Lunch service ends at 3pm, and we do a
review to see what’s selling well, not selling well, and what we want to change.
WE DO A FAMILY MEAL
with the whole restaurant at 4:15. That menu changes every day,
too, although Monday is usually breakfast for dinner.
OUR DINNER MEETING IS AT 5pm.
We follow the same routine as the pre-meal meeting
before lunch service. We taste everything and go over any service issues.
OUR FINAL SEATING IS AT 10PM,
we’re out the door by 12:30pm pm, and at the bar down
the street by 12:35pm.
MOST RESTAURANTS HAVE THEIR OWN LITLE NEIGHBRHOOD BARS
where
everyone goes after work. Commander’s Palace has the Rendezvous; we go to Tracey’s.
photo by
Eugenia Uhl
Meet the Chef —
Lindsay Mason
Restaurant:
Cristiano’s, Houma, LA
I TOOK ALI ROUSE ROYSTER TO
HOMECOMING.
We were in the same class
at E.D. White.
I WAS A BUSBOY AT FLANAGAN’S
IN HIGH SCHOOL,
then garde manger
(salad). Some people dream that they are back
in school and forgot to study for a test; I still
have nightmares about making Flanagan’s hot
bacon dressing.
I GOT A SCHOLARISHIP TO STUDY
ART
but I chose the Chef John Folse Culinary
Institute at Nicholls State instead. I didn’t
graduate, though, because I left to work in the
kitchen full time.
THE TONGUE TACO at DF,
the taco stand
in Houma, is my favorite lunch spot. It’s totally
authentic. I also go to Mike’s BBQ.
I GET TO COLLABORATE WITH THE
CHEFS AT MARTINIQUE AND DICK
& JENNY’S,
our
other restaurants, in New
Orleans. We bought Dick & Jenny’s last year,
and the number one question I get is, “Are the
plates still on the wall.” They are.
WE RESTAURANT HOP
and hit about
three to five places a night.We’ll get appetizers
and one entrée at each spot.
I LOVE GOING TO ROUSES
because
I always find something new that I want to
cook. I’m there at least four days a week.
photo courtesy
Cristiano’s
Crab Boil Potato
Chips
I’m from Maryland, and when I
first started cooking, I put Old
Bay on everything. We always
have it at the restaurant, and
it’s the secret to my potato
chips, but honestly, I like Creole
seasoning better because it has
less celery salt.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
3-2-1 Seasoning Mix:
Three parts
Old Bay, two parts brown sugar, one
part salt.
4-1 Potatoes:
You need about
one quart of oil for every four large
Russet potatoes.
HOW TO PREP
Skin potatoes, and use a knife or
mandolin to slice as thin as possible.
Rinse potatoes under cold water for
30 minutes to remove the starch (you
can let the tap run at just over a drip).
Fry at 300 degrees until crispy. Toss
with Crab Boil Seasoning Mix.
RECIPE,
try me!
