- Le Pigeon's Up Front Kitchen
I have to say Iām impressed with those operating beneath the curious gaze of diners. From my brief experience as a line cook, I understand what itās like to be hit with the stress of a dinner rush and what a relief it is to swear, yell, and/or go crazy in the privacy of the kitchen. Chefs in open kitchens donāt have this luxury, and I have yet to be seated at a kitchen bar where Iāve witnessed someone lose it. Which makes me think maybe all Gordon Ramsayās paroxysms of profanity are a bit of a put on. (Of course they are.)
As an eater often seated alone at kitchen seats, however, Iāve been faced with a certain dilemma more than once: Do I, or do I not, chat with the prep cooks and chefs working sometimes just two feet away from me?
Occasionally the decision is easy: The chef says āHelloā and the doors of communication are open. In other circumstances, it can feel like youāre on an awkward date. This is tempered when youāre dining with a companion, but alone there is no escape.
Iām curious (as ever), Blogtownies. How do you feel about the art of conversation at an open kitchen? Do you talk to the chef or shy away? Awkward or hot?