High volume comes weekdays for Hondo’s Prime, says Chef Paul Wielt (right). (Photo by Jay Paul)
The kitchen is the heart and soul of any restaurant: It has to run efficiently or everything else fails. I cooked for more than 20 years in professional kitchens, including the Chart House in Philly, where I would routinely put out 800 dinners on a Saturday night with only two assistants. In that environment, you learn quickly that busy restaurants have to flow in order to turn tables smoothly throughout the night, so the line has to run like a machine.
Here in Richmond, Carytown’s The Daily Kitchen & Bar staffs six cooks, including a chef who expedites, and sous chefs on sauté, grill, cold side, and pizza stations. The Daily’s kitchen is designed to accommodate six-to-eight-minute dinners, utilizing digital screens and a line that pumps out entrées catering to gluten-free, paleo and vegan diets. According to its head chef, the key to handling a lot of orders is all in the preparation. “If you’re having a large dinner party, prep beforehand,” says Dallas Miller. “If [for] more than 20, start two to three days before your party. On the last day, prepare garnishes, and preheat your braising and roasting items just before the party begins.”
Stella’s brings rustic and modern Greek cuisine to the Near West End, where Chef Russell Williams runs the kitchen and uses cooks for sauté, ovens and salads. While the average cook time for an order is only 10 minutes, there can be challenges such as the sautéed calamari, which requires a succession of three scorching-hot pans. “Always prep too much,” he advises for those hosting large dinner parties. “If you cook for more than you need, and some of your product is not up to par, you have it covered.” Russell also recommends par-cooking items that take longer, cooking them halfway in advance, then timing them to finish alongside the other dishes.
Weekends are generally the busiest days for restaurants, but not so at Hondo’s Prime in Innsbrook. Paul Wielt, the steakhouse’s chef of 10 years, says weekdays are busier due to the many corporate clients who dine for business. The high volume occurs during only a few hours and includes mostly steaks cooked on several grills, with an average cook time of 15 to 20 minutes. How does he manage volume in such a short time frame? He’s got the right tools. “Handling the grill with a lot of different proteins requires different heat levels underneath the grates,” he says, adding, “and a lot of multitasking and time management."
