Had a wild Saturday night with a surprise 50-top walk-in

We were already slammed with reservations when a whole wedding party showed up without a call, and I had to pivot our whole prep on the fly. My sous chef pulled off a family-style pasta dish for them using our extra bucatini and a huge batch of amatriciana sauce we had ready for the week. What's your go-to move when a big group throws your whole kitchen plan out the window?

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troyp377mo ago

Man, that's the kind of surprise that makes your heart stop. We keep a giant hotel pan of braised short ribs in the cooler for exactly that kind of emergency pivot. It's saved our butts more than once when a bus shows up unannounced.

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wesley_grant337mo ago

Ever try a big batch of chicken and dumplings? That's our panic button when a bus rolls in... just stretch it with extra carrots and celery.

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beth_baker696mo ago

Isn't it funny how the best fixes are usually the simplest? You see it everywhere, not just in kitchens. People just adding a bit more water to the soup, literally or not, to make things work.

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