# My Rant!!!!!



## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

I am so p****d off, I just want to strangle someone!!! Today, I turned in my letter of resignation. I gave 5 weeks notice and said that I would probably be available for 1 or 2 weekends after that. I had a chat with my boss and told her that I had a good year here and learned a lot, and that my leaving in no way reflected anything negative about my experience here, but that I was offered a chance to further my career. Not only did she not offer any form of congratulations, she got all pissy saying that sure, we have been slow for a few months and now that we are getting busy, I am up and leaving. I have given a lot to this place, and now that I am leaving I get treated like this!! If I didn't like the chef I work for so much, I would tell her what to do with her job, and walk out on her, leaving her screwed for the first part of April (we are busier then, than even during the holidays). This person is one of the most ungrateful people I have ever met. She treats everyone like this. I should have told her this in our meeting, but I was trying to be nice, and end my tenure here on a good note, but I can see that it won't happen. Oh well, only a few weeks to go and then I can tell her to kiss my ***!!!!

Sorry for the rant, but it had to be done!


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

Pete, I feel for you. I've been there, and not too long ago. Before you know it you'll be outta there. Try to keep peace; you never know when you might need a good word for your ungrateful present boss.


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

Hey Pete,

Not alot I can say to you right now, other than I hear you loud and clear.

Theres this funny little saying that I believe in.

"The cream always rises to the top"


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## chiffonade (Nov 29, 2001)

...But don't let it ruin your new employment experience. *Most* companies (non restaurants) don't hire to replace a resignee until the very last minute. It means paying two salaries for a single position - even though valuable training can happen during this time and once notice is up, the new person can hit the ground running. Companies (for some reason, probably relating to college) don't see the *common sense* in spending a few more dollars for a very short period of time *especially* if the person leaving had good habits the new person could emulate.

No one is happy to see a good person go, even if it means advancement. I worked for a large brokerage firm (nicknamed Sacks of Gold) for 8 years. I made it clear I wanted to work for a partner (now called managing directors) vs. vice presidents. After 8 years these people couldn't find me a partner to work for, then had the cojones to get annoyed when I resigned to work for a partner in another firm - *as a new employee!*

There's no getting around it, some experiences will mellow with age. No matter how many things you do "right" when you try to leave a job, it's entirely up to the supervisor to make a choice of whether or not to act like an @ss.


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## jim berman (Oct 28, 1999)

"True Character is revealed when you come face to face adversity"

You are adversity to your superior. You are seeing her *true* colors. Best of luck to you; I, too, just switched 'teams' - not always the most pleasant of experiences. Work hard and stay loyal; nobody can fault you for anything else.


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

I am very excited about my new job. My wife and I will be running a country club up in Wisconsin. I will be the executive chef and she will oversee the FOH and member services. It is a small club (about 230 members). The membership is mostly younger adults and families, so I won't have to worry about doing too much "blue-hair" food. Their tastes do run towards the more pedestrian and towards comfort foods, so I won't have a chance to run a lot of real crazy items or do a lot of serious French and Italian cooking, but I do plan on running special dinners as often as possible to give me an outlet for that type of food. We have lots of ideas and the board members we have met with seem very enthusiastic! We are very lucky, because this doesn't seem the the regular, "stuffy" country club crowd. Very laid back, very friendly, and just looking for someone to create good, hearty food, and a friendly, congenial atmosphere.

Since this is my first country club experience, though, I am sure I will have lots of questions for all my friends here at CT. Anyone involved in the CC business, I would love to hear from you and find out how your experiences have been.


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Congratulation on the new job Pete!


Hope you'll be happy at the country club.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Great news for you, Pete! Illinois' loss is Wisconsin's gain. Perhaps you'll be able to educate and expand their palates a bit and take them beyond fish fries!


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## chiffonade (Nov 29, 2001)

Their tastes are only "pedestrian" because you haven't yet shown 'em your stuff. I wish you and Mrs. Pete the best of luck in your new jobs.


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## risa (May 11, 2001)

Congratulations Pete! That sounds like an exciting opportunity for you and your wife. Also, it's always nice being your own boss or, at least, mostly your own boss.


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## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

I think your new job sounds GREAT! Plus having your spouse around, that would be fab.!! I've worked in Clubs for several years and I have a few opinions to share.

I think these people look to the club as their home and want good food their familar with first of all, YET they also will want 'showie' items to impress their guests too. 

I don't find this type of cooking limiting at all. Good food is good food and they'll appreicate even the most sophisicated items...the trick is to simplify and build trust that anything you cook is great. Then intro more challenging items slowly (always keep the titles simple and clear).

I know of chefs that tried to move too fast changing menus and they got their wings clipped by the membership. So my advice is to go slow and totally perfect what they love first (when you do that, their loyality to you will be strong!), then bring in "new' dishes slowly over the years and they'll back you. I found buffets to be a great way to intro. new items, build trust and get them to experiment more then with ala carte service where they tend to be the most conservative.


Politics can get tricky at some clubs, but just try to stay loose, take no sides. Many members will want a personal chef who will do special requests at the worset time for you (never turn those down, never complain about them, those members will be your strongest allies when political storms come and go). 

As far as your old manager, try not to waste your time on someone like that, it's just one of those frustrating things you'll do best ignoring.

Good Luck!


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## nancya (Apr 30, 2001)

So, you say you're going to be a cheesehead instead of a flat-lander? Congratulations! My Wisconsin friends will be proud of you!!!

What part of Wisconsin, by the way?

Nancy


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

My new job takes me to Fond du Lac, WI. Very centrally located. 1 hour from Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay. It is 15 minutes from Oshkosh, and on the tip of Lake Winnebago (Wisconsin's largest lake, not counting the Great Lakes). The town is around 45,000 people, so it will be a little different than Chicago, but I am looking forward the change of pace.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

congrats!!!


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## marmalady (Apr 19, 2001)

Congratulations, Pete! BTW, I think you were super generous in giving a 5 week notice. The cream does indeed rise to the top, and you can certainly leave knowing it's their loss, not yours!

By the way - does Fond du Lac mean 'brown stuff at the bottom of the lake??


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## matthew357 (Mar 21, 2002)

I have to say Pete, I'm jealous. Sounds like a really great job. Personally I think any experience where your customer base is small enough so that you can build a (at least on the culinary level) relationship with them is great.

This thread just gave me an idea about my job search...

Matthew


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## snakelady1 (Mar 7, 2001)

Pete congratulations on your new job. I have a bakery just 18 miles west of you in Ripon. This part of Wisconsin is very nice in about an hour you can be in 4 major communities in Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Madison Green Bay and Sheboygan(once rated as the best place to raise a family). If you need any site seeing ideas give me a holler.
Sandy 
A Crust Above Bakery


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Thanks!! Maybe you could give me some ideas about who to use for my purveyors. I know that the country club already has purveyors, but I will be looking for more so that I can make sure that I am not getting ripped off by the people they are using now.


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## snakelady1 (Mar 7, 2001)

I use sysco and bakemark the most. My produce is a local guy Sodas Produce specialty items come from Vern's Cheese. I find that Rhienhart and Waukesha foods are too high priced and not very good quality (I also have to constantly watch the Rhienhart deliveries I have often been shorted and charged for items). Another good produce purveyor is Glandt Dalke they are nice to work with and will do small orders. When I was ordering meat I always liked Becker. Stay away from Mellotte Skaleski awful meats. Seafood purveyors vary Holmann seem to do a god job. At one time I was ordering my fish directly from Florida and having it shipped in I can't remember the name of the place but I will ask one of my collegues if he remembers the company. There is a Technical college with a cooking school run out of Fond du Lac, one of my friends is a chef instructor there. I know that as the summer season approaches you will need to up your staff, Moraine Park can probably help you with your staffing needs. Let me know if you need any other information.
Sandy


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## puck (Mar 25, 2002)

Hello Pete. This my first ever post so here goes..... I work for a Wisconsin CC as well. I am about 45 min north of you in the Fox Cities. Have been there for about two years now. The preveyors that Snakelady1 mentioned are a good base to start with. We have also not had good luck with Rhienhart. We get fresh seafood shipped straight from Boston from a place called Foley's Fish. As far as other advice, I think W.Debord's aritcle hit the nail on the head on a lot of good topics. Good luck in your new job and let me know if there is anything I can do.

P.S. I had much the same experience leaving a place once as you did. Time is too short to waste on people like that Someday you will be laughing at how childishly your boss handled herself.

PUCK:chef:


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Welcome to the forums Puck. I use the name Puck on many other forums that I belong too. Named after the mischievious character in Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night Dream. My boy ferret is also named Puck.

Thanks for the advice. I used Foley's down here in the city. Who is your sales rep? It wouldn't happen to be Nick would it?


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## puck (Mar 25, 2002)

Thank you for the welcome Pete.  I have been nicknamed Puck since I was young. Always stuck with me. Our salemans name is Mike Foley but I asked my head chef and when he went to tour the plant in Boston he did meet Nick. Said he was a good guy. 
We just started using Foleys just recently. Any problems that you ever had with them? Just curious is all.



Puck :chef:


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Yeah, I know Mike and Tom also. Took my wife to Boston a few years back, just after we got engaged. I made her sit through fish class and a tour of the place (and she is not a lover of fish). Funny thing was, after a full morning of that, she wanted to go to the Aquariaum. She was depressed by seeing all the dead fish, that she wanted to go see the live ones!! LOL!!!

I have never had a problem with them. I love all their products. Their scallops are some of the best I have ever had. They make no quams about the fact that they freeze their scallops, but they do not use any chemicals and freeze them at the peak of freshness, so they are some of the best I have ever had. They also get great Nantucket bay scallops in season (so sweet, I just pop them into my mouth raw!!!). I also really love their lemon sole, and their Ocean Perch. But really, I have never had a complaint about any of their product....I take that back, one time I did. The product was perfectly fresh, but whoever butchered it beat it all to **** and back. Called them up, they credited me and let me keep it to use for family meal, as it would cost too much to ship it back.


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