(Ass Burn)
To outsiders, a restaurant’s back of house is like a foreign country with its own culture and laws… even language. If you’ve ever sat at the food bar at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink and desired a dictionary, we don’t blame you. Here’s a crash course in cook-speak so you’re in the loop for next time. It’s a running tally of course, as new words are invented all the time. And because we like to write so much, we created a typeface for Michael’s handwriting. You will find his penmanship on our website and some other places, and can download it for your own devices here.
BOH = Back of house, as in kitchen staff
FOH = Front of house, as in staff working tables and interacting with guests in our dining areas
BTG = Wine by the glass
BTB = Wine by the bottle
hammered = very well done
86′ed = none left in inventory
ass = asparagus
balls = meatballs
belly = pork belly
puss = octopus
big bird = whole chicken
finger = fingerling potatoes
heard that = understood the call (i.e. roger that)
swimming = it’s in the fryer
in the hole = it’s in the oven
on the fly = immediate priority
special needs = special requests
fire = start cooking (i.e. “fire a pizza”)
in the window = item is ready for food runners to pick up
working = item has been fired
under the fire = item is being “pushed” close to the fire for faster pick up
dead = item has sat in the window too long
burn and learn = watch out for hot stuff coming your way
free tattoos = same as burn and learn
in the weeds = playing catch-up
