Week three at Fruition was a little different because Tuesday of this week was the menu change day. Once a month Fruition restaurant changes its entire menu to adjust to what foods are in season and try new flavor ideas the chefs are interested in. It is a very stressful day at the restaurant and the work day for chefs starts at 9 and doesn't end until 10 or 11 at night. New recipes need to be tweaked and modified, the food all needs to be tasted and approved, and a new way of plating the dish needs to be defined. All the new items on the menu are perfected by 4 on the Tuesday of menu change day. At this point the whole staff gathers around to try the new food and see what changes could be made to it. The next week is full of experimentation until the chefs are certain they have created the best flavor combination possible. Then three weeks later it all starts over. It is an incredible process that lets the chefs show their passion a creativity all the while learning from their coworkers as well. I was very grateful to have been a part of this experience and I learned a lot about how much goes into creating the food we are served in restaurants.
Week two a Fruition Restaurant and Farm was exciting fun and educational. This week I worked with the grill station which makes several of the entrées. I learned how to plate a most of the dishes and improved my knife cuts and sauté skills. At the farm this week I helped plant new seeds and learned how to make cheese. Cheese making as it turns out is a very long process consisting of a lot of dish washing, waiting, and cheese turning. It was a great experience and something I was not expecting to learn. In the kitchen along with many other skills, I learned how to butcher meat and I began to memorize the spices used in the restaurant. The spices on the spice rack at fruition are not labeled because Chef Franco encourages each employee to have an understanding of each spice and its purpose. Additionally I learned how to cure meets and why each cure differs slightly depending on the type of meat and what it will be used with. This week was a blast and I am sad to only have one more week to go
I'm just finishing up my first week on my LINK internship at Fruition. This week I worked three days in the kitchen and one day at the farm that supplies Fruition with a lot of the food they serve at there restaurant. While working in the kitchen was a little stressful at times I have been having a lot of fun and learning a lot about cooking and plating. Everyone at Fruition is very kind and supportive and is helping me to develop my cooking skills. At the farm I helped pull old plants and weed several beds to make room for new planting this spring. I also got a tour of the farm and got to see the green house, pigs, and hoop house. I am looking forward to getting more comfortable with work in the kitchen and experiencing work at the farm as well.
Day one at Fruition was a blast, everyone was very nice and supportive and I learned a lot about plating and some frying. I worked on the starters and desserts station and today I will be working on main courses. Looking forward to learning more and meeting new people.
For my LINK internship I have chosen to work at a restaurant called Fruition in Denver Colorado. Fruition restaurant serves all natural food grown at their own farm and creamery. It is a 4 star restaurant and is a Denver favorite for many locals.
While working their I will be doing 4 shifts a week at the restauran along with an additional day of work at the farm. I will be learning a variety of skills including knife skills and many different cooking techniques. |
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