November 3rd, 2009 Chef
04-see-from-the-stage
Music by “Zach” of his new album “Lost + Found”…www.zachmusic.net ( This guy is the real deal!!!) check him out
Sometimes don’t you just wish you could put on a pair of glasses and see nothing but good, happiness, and love? SEE I have this special place I can go…..We all have this place…sometimes you walk right by the door and ya don’t even know ya passed it. …………………….Slow down….look around……….
This little world of mine is such a wonderful place, It’s a place where people want to help and look at things in a positive way. Its a place where people want to make you better and grow. Not step on your dreams when you make a simple mistake.
When I crawl into my place that is tucked way back in my head, there isn’t Haters-Fakers and full of hot air bloggers.
I have been wanting to blog about blogging for sometime now. My close friend Katie K….said “You should Blog about bloggers” after a conversation we had about the blogger world….I thought about this for some time now and well here is how Chef Brandt, SEE”S it……
Being a Chef isn’t just about throwing some ingredients in a pan and running around town telling everyone you’re best friends with farmer jimmy crack “CORN” and you are so in touch with the soil….don’t get me wrong.. i love the farmers !!!! I am down with getting the best of the best just like the next guy in the jacket and yes some organics are the right choice for some farm famlies…and some non-organic farming just wont work for some families. Dont hate..ya dont have the facts….both sides…. nor do you wake up at 4am with Randy the Rooster and walk the fields.
When was the last time you read a Chef Blog or someone blogged about a Chef…….that made a young kid give him three things on how he is going to build his self esteem up? because he said he has no friends and goes home alone every-night…and plays viedo games………
Or a chef that ran down the street to get better first aid band aids for his dishwasher so he could personally wrapped his wound everyday for seven days…The chef knew that home life wouldn’t of cared to do so…and the poor guy would be really in the weeds..( that means in trouble for you non kitchen blogger people….but ya knew that…………………… right?)
Where are the blogs talking about chefs teaching their staff to see the magical “I am special sign” so they truly understand what the word of Hospitality means….or the word “NO” isn’t in the culture when it comes to our guests…( if you want ketchup on your Grass feed Sirloin…fine with me, as long as your credit card works..:)
Haven’t seen a blog about a Chef that has brought two dishwashers up from the ranks and now are running two of his kitchens across the country…(one also is running a large hotel unit on top of it)
What about one about a successful chef that climb the ranks of learning disabilities and turned them around and now using them to his advantages and now is making sure to tell the next generation of kids dont give up…just go down a different street…you will get there!!…sometimes even faster………….:)
Ya gotta to love the blog people that don’t even give there REAL names or show those pretty faces off…..( and the pic’s are a pic of a fork or piece of bacon….pretty neat ) anyway…..they are so brave to ripe my face off and slam my name that my Daughter shares!!!!!!!!! If you want to dance with us Chefs…then get on the dance floor baby…….I would love to know who I am dancing with…. I can boogie!! ( We really do want you happy and try to better ourselves everyday)
Don’t just throw eggs from the car and drive off..If you want to dirty my house then stand in my front yard and don’t be scared for me to come out and talk to you…because I am not scared to put on my jacket everyday and change peoples lives for the BETTER….before i even walk into my cooler…
So while your sipping your latte and reviewing phone pics from last nights dinner…just remember one thing…Chefs aren’t made they are born, Please go get your eyes cleaned and try to see the good that we really do do.
( Hope to SEE you in the dinning room)
“It ain’t bragging, if you can do it”!!!
-LOVE - Chef Brandt xxoo
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August 21st, 2009 Chef
Today , I gave a stranger my little sugar, baby girl, sunshine, duper, Binky, pickle nose, Daddy’s girl, my love of my life….Ya I know she was a great teacher that I handed her and it was in a great school . I don’t know what was harder seeing her eyes when we walked out of the room and left her or seeing the eye’s of the mother of my child swell up and gush with tears..I didn’t want either of them to know I was crying inside and had flash backs of all the daddy times i had with my little sugar. I can remember singing her our song right when she was born and she instantly stopped crying…( i practiced the song through her mothers tummy when she was in it, she must of recognized my voice) I can remember the first time she walked like a drunk salior in the middle of the dinning room at Blue Canyon,Ohio. So many nights holding her in the bathroom with the fan on or by the fan over the stove to stop her crying..( its that white noise thing..?)
But the life road trip goes on, I rushed home yesterday to watch my girl walk off the bus and wanted to be there for her so she can tell me how bad she missed me and how she never wants to leave my arms ever again…………………..
well……..That didnt happen, she wanted to know if we could go to dinner at BLue Canyon so I could cook her “pancakes and that good bacon you have”….Also started to go in and tell Mom & I all about her new friends she met, got her ears tested, some boy got in trouble for running in class, and she sat at the no peanut table and had a peanut butter and jelly for lunch..( Dont worry that table dosnt exist, Mom checked). I asked her did she miss her daddy…lol..she said NO Dad….and keep talking about her new wonderful life road trip she just started.
I can only hope she will pick up her DAD that is hitch hiking trying to follow her……
*****The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.*****
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July 16th, 2009 Chef
I cant believe August is right around the corner…..NO!!! STOP!!! Summer is going by way to fast and I know the Grey skies will be over me sooner then I like. What’s the saying Time flies when your slammed…or having fun…??
I have been doing lots of local TV this summer…NBC channel 3 and Fox That’s Life Show with Robin….now that show is a blast to do…Robin is so much fun to do live TV with Channel 3 is great but you have to get up at 4am to do the morning show.
I had one of those not so smart days and decided to bring home a Yellow Lab for my girl…..I really think it was easier when we brought Madison home when she was born…All I have to say is I cant wait for “Sunny” to get 3yrs old…and I want to apologies to my neighbors for being in my boxers in the middle of the night in my backyard waiting for a puppy to relive himself.
The Patio at BC is such a great place but It sure is a strain on our kitchen…We have started doing sushi on that menu….Not to bad considering am a Irish guy from Hudson Ohio…rolling Sushi, Chef Russ is really doing a great job slamming it out every-night…Thank YOU!!
Its been one thing after another every week..I had the opportunity to head back to Montana to do the big 500 people catering job. I am happy to report everything went flawless..We learned a lot from the first time around….and its pretty easy when the power stays on and all your food stays hot…( I will tell you about that another day) the BC Kalispell Team did a killer job and is the reason everything went so well……THANK YOU… Weeks building up to the event I was told The Backstreet Boys would be playing for the party…Don’t lie….I know you had a door poster of them and probably sang to it.. But that didn’t happen..Duran Duran was the band and yes they where hungry like wolves after the show… Feed them some Lobster-Tuna-Ribeyes..Scallops… I was amazed how many songs I knew of them…shshsh You do too and had the feather hair look going on…. back then also. Next year am bringing the fly rod and staying a couple of days up in “GODS Country” instead of working the event till 3am and jumping a plane back at 6am….that was rough. But well worth it from the reviews of the party.
Dealing with the crappy economy this summer We had to line all guns in a different direction and had lots of menu reengineering to do in Dallas and Montana…What we are seeing in the biz is Guest are skipping apps, splitting entrees, sharing desserts. The $60.00 bottle of wine price point are now being traded in for the $30.00 bottle price points and people are realizing that they can get some killer juice at the price if not lower. We definitely have to work twice as hard to get the same check average. The good thing is you all are still going out….THANK YOU for that.!!!I have been really pushing on” Owning the Hello” and “Owning the Goodbye” to our guest. We cant change the recipe of Budweiser…but we can change or convince you to drink that at the Blue Canyon.
So I was thinking…Summer is almost over and I need to take my girls on a road trip….I have always wanted to just get the car and go…So thats what I am going to do..head toward the Ocean and then south…As long as Madison can swim it will be a great vaca. I can remember some of the best vacations where swimming with my brothers at the Howard Johnson and Mom mixing up some Tang. …oh the good old days. I really wish I could press a button and go back to those days….Playing Marco Polo during the day and chasing Fireflies at night.
I am really looking forward to the Sweet Ohio Corn…if you haven’t tried any…get in your car and come eat for yourself.. It’s great to go to Zalays in Peninsula Ohio on Sundays….Get some corn that was harvested that morning and then put on the corn roaster and dipped with clarified butter…oh baby…its so good your going to do the Irish Jig..You sit in one of 20 great rocking cars and sipping on squeezed to order lemonade…Now that’s what Summer is all about.
If you havent tried Mexican Street corn you are missing out…
Cook the corn on the grill till tender. spread on it some mayo and Cayenne pepper, paprika sprinkle some Parmesan cheese and squeeze some lime juice on it…Its like Cream Corn on the cob.. the creaminess from the mayo and cheese then the spiciness with the refreshing taste of lime… Do this with some beer can chicken on your back patio and am telling you what… now your living!!!
Chef Brandt
There is a big difference between you buying lunch or someone else buying you lunch.
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June 5th, 2009 Chef
5 years ago June 4th 2004
I was sitting on a milk crate out back of the Blue Canyon Ohio, rubbing my head wondering what the hell did we just built, the customers are coming in by the truck load and not stopping.
One of my cooks just ran up Asparagus to the hot line thinking they where Green Beans, another cook ranby me with a blood drenched towel wrapped around his hand saying “Chef I think this one is pretty deep, I might have to go get it looked at” a server is telling me that table 405 thinks her steak is tough…..but her teeth sitting on her B&B what should I do? Another server asking me should I charge the guy who is making his own lemonade at the table with lemons, sugar water, ice….. Then the phone rings its the BOSS the wife….You will never guess what happened today………HAHAHAHha…….I took a deep breath and said please do tell!!! with a smart ass sounding voice….Your Daughter took her first steps my wife tells me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From the back kitchen someone screams!!” BRANDT” we need you back on the line we are crashing hard!!!!!!!! …I tell my wife I am so happy and that was so awesome……It took me 7 days after that phone call untill I could see my daughter walk and she had to come up to Blue Canyon for me to see that happen, I would lay my head down for two hours in the dinning room on rolled up Chefs jacket, Then run over to the hotel, take a shower and clean up and get back to it.All I had was Susan, Larry and Rocket in the kitchen and we would do 300 for lunch 400-500 for dinner ( Val was doing the same crazy stuff up front) and we all basically pulled those hours for the first three months…I lost 65 pounds in three months…(Yes i gained it back…thanks)
I can still see her little diaper butt as I type, walking into my arms as I was sitting on the Great Room Floor one morning, Kristen called me that morning and said, I really think you need to see your daughter walk..I am going to bring her up!!!! My wife is always pretty good about putting me in my place and not really caring that am Chef Brandt and the boss and blah blah blah blah….She makes me be the father and husband I promised I would be… Tears of joy and sadness came down the sides of my face. How in the world am I going to do this I thought to myself ??I have a family that needs me and a restaurant family that depends on me, a public-great customers that want every night……plus the S@#$ Talkers and the Brandt haters I needed to reintroduce myself to and let them know am back and this time its for GOOD!!
There is so much that has gone on the past 5 years ( Val -Bob-Ron-Myself ) starting beating on this drum 7 years ago..
Bob Voelker is a man like no other. I like to think of him like King Midas…everything he touches turns to gold..the key is you have to listen to him and follow his lead, he is as wise as one of the three that visited Mary the night before Dec 25th and in tuned as the violin in the first row concert at Juilliard.
I have so many fond memories of putting this concept together right next to him…It started at the Blue Ridge Grill in Atalanta GA…..That where Blue for Blue Canyon comes from we meet there and started to draw this baby on a napkin. We traveled all around the country looking and talking to everyone in the business about what they liked and what they didnt.From service stations to bathrooms. We talk for one year over a coffee cup….ONE YEAR!!! 7 years later we still are talking about uniforms…did last night at dinner with Bob &Val
I can remember, we where at a really great place in New Orleans eating , eating in a booth,Bob liked the feel of how it was set up…Bob got up whipped out a tape measure and started getting the measurements…the freaking GM of the place rushed over…if you could of saw his face…the GM that is..it was classic… that is one of about million stories I could get into… The man would go behind the bar and look underneath at PVC PIPES!!!!! just ask anyone who has gone out to dinner with Bob….and now I have the habit of doing it…lift up all the china and look underneath see what name brand it is. I cant tell you how many times people thought we where food critic’s…..to funny!!!!
The one story that I cant rememeber and knew Bob and I would be rock solid together forever was, We where at this great Night club in Chi-town..(Ron still owes me steak for getting him in VIP style and through the line) but anyway…This one guy we all know or have seen them was walking through the bar and shoulder checked Bob pretty damn hard…so hard Bob feel back…This guy just kept walking didn’t say a word???? Now mind you Bob and I just recency reconnected are relationship and was rather brand new to each other. This guy made me so mad, like he he just punched my brother or something. I just took off into the crowd, I don’t think Bob knew where or what I was up to. I found Mr tough Guy and asked him why he felt it was necessary to that to people? I told him I didn’t want to fight but that wasn’t cool, you spilled my Buddy’s drink and almost knocked him off his feet.Please be careful next time you walk be us!! Wouldn’t you know 10 minutes later this guy shows up with a drinks and apologies to Bob. I think Bob knew from then, He had a pretty good Pit-bull on is side.
Val , What can I say about this man…we are as opposite as two people can be from each other. Salt and pepper..sweet and spicy. light and dark. hot and cold. Brandt and Val and he is the greatest person in the world.I owe so much to him. He has made me do a lot of self reflecting which is very hard. He is so good I didn’t even know I was doing it at the time. Without coming off sounding like an ego ass …cause the real people that know me..know I am Awesome..just kidding…know I am down to earth ,,but Val and I are one hell of team..and pretty hard to stop. I don’t think I would want anyone alongside me on the side line calling in the plays. Val has shown truly taught me and has installed here at the Blue Canyon. We treat are Employees better then we treat Guest. Val is responsible for the employee retention. If you work 80 hours in week you would look lazy next to Val…The man is a mad man and very very dedicated to the Blue Canyon and to his eyes to the employees. There is some many things I have learned from this man..but the one that sticks out is…When you are mad…really mad at someone…email or mail yourself that letter or note….let some time go by…then read it…if it sounds ok and you think you should still send it off the go for it. All I Have to say is I haven’t had a lot of people mad at me in a long time………………..Thanks Little Buddy!!
Ron Hutchison is a man nobody ever hears about…he is the quiet guy…the numbers man CFO Bobs partner at Gateway and my partner her at Blue Canyon….I can remember 7 years ago I typed a prelimerly P&L up to go over some projections. Well lets just say he was very kind to me that day and at my Sesame Street Sheets. I remember him saying “Hey Grasshopper look at this…he cranked out a 7 paged P&L statement in 10 minutes……..Mine was 2,,,i think it had colors on it also….lol….just kidding. I have always had some much respect for Ron, he is Brilliant and I haven’t meet very many people that I think are brilliant. I also like to talk food with Ron……I guess you have to be a Chef to understand because it seems that Accountants all share the same taste buds….very interesting.
I can go on and on about so many great people , We had some new great additions to the management team the past year that are really making a great strides for us. Thanks Paul !!! Katie keeps hitting it out the park withallof the events!!! Matt H Thanks for your amazing customer service & bothNancy’s at the Front door ….all I can say is WOW!!! Todd thanks for making Montana Great!!!!! Paula & MG you bothare writing the book on Private dinning !!! Jana…they threw the mold out when they where done making you….Amiee keep Rocking Rockwall!! Ryan you did a great job and you will be missed thanks for a job well done!!
Maria Thanks for the HSC and all you do…you sure do have a lot of members to oversee………WOW
Team leaders all over….Thank you!!
To all the dishwashers!!!!! I started where you are…I will never forget..keep up the great wet work…you all rock!!
Bartenders…Thank you keep remembering those drinks and every-one’s names…
Valets…Buckle up and thanks for doing your job in that weather…..OUCH!!!
Server Assistant. Don’t carry so much….But thanks I appreciate your hard work busing isn’t very fun some days..
Rachel & Laura, Welcome to the team, you are going to be great assets to us, I look forward to learning from the both of you.
Terry…………your as sharp as any knife in my kitchen!!! Thanks for doing a great Job watching all of our backs..
To Chef’s : Larry. Scott, Raul, Matt, DJ, Stu, Rachel,Russ, Heidi, Gretchen…….much love…..get back to work…!!!! we are down by 14 and need the ball back!!!!!…GREAT JOB!!
And EVERYONE else that works here that makes Blue Canyon From the Back door to the the Front Door!!!
Thank you to the Gateway Hospitality Group…Thanks all the support…..and everything you let us borrow..:)
To all my Vendors, Thank you for working with us and picking out the best of the best for our customers…And Yes Glenna you are my favorite, I guess waiting out in the rain, 12 years go wasn’t that bad after all!!
Jeff Novak..You never miss a beet at Sirna & Sons for us………I know that was bad….
Alan Hasty From Sysco, Your a class Act!! and great ideas…..I really think you where a chef in your past life…
Tracy & Walt…The Vino and wine list Rocks thanks for your support
To all the wine growers and makers that have helped me with the Blue Canyon Wine line…What a journey it has been…I am honored to work with all of you!!
And please if i forget you its only becuase I have to hurry up and post this and get on with my night, I didnt mean to, Thank you!!
Thank you to all the wonderful and Great Customers. We have had heart attacks here to marriages to almost a birth, anniversary’s, to divorce celebrations you sure keep it interesting for us!!!! Thanks for allowing the Blue Canyon’s front door to be open for five years !!!!
We all feel we grow in Dog Years in this crazy biz so I guess Blue Canyon has been around for 35 years!!!! and yes I feel every day of it………………………..
Chef Brandt
A Kite Rises Against, Not with the Wind!!!
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April 24th, 2009 Chef
You young bucks wont remember that sweet little old lady shouting ” Where’s the Beef”……..Well if she was at my back door she would be standing right next to me saying the same thing….WHERE’S THE BEEF?
I will leave names out of this blog….but when i was fabricating the steaks the other day in the back kitchen, I was shocked to see what I cut into …….I first thought my Chefs ordered the wrong speck of Rib-eye. I looked closer to the side of the box at the sticker and there it was….USDA Choice…( upper 2/3rds Choice is my speck) that means all my steaks are right on the border of being USDA PRIME. They should almost have the great marbling as Prime but half the cost. This is a great way to serve really good steaks to my guest and not have to charge an arm & leg for it..
Ya know, I never get a straight answer when I have a problems….Yes I fully understand that cattle don’t come from a punch press and they are growing ALIVE animals. I also fully understand that this picture of steaks…is no where close the USDA Choice or even near my Blue Canyon meat speck. This my friend is what SELECT looks like….
The problem is the restaurant biz has been slow for the whole nation…Cows don’t just stop growing…but we all did just stop ordering steaks and that hurt someones pocket big time.. And things can get passed for things they are not. I also was noticing that the Ribeys where coming in a lot larger then my speck and what I wanted….
Oh ya I also noticed that someone was putting larger Ribeyes in the box so they could tag on a couple extra pounds to my invoice… its simple math 1+1=2 and if you keep doing that, it will end up in the millions and now the the slow down period wont hurt as bad $$$$…..get it??? See what I am seeing……Now I dont want to think that people would really try to steal from others and maybe this was a simple mistake. 
I guess I cant blame them for trying…but they learned fast that we have high standards at the Blue Canyon and we do watch the back door very close. ( just ask anyone that sales to the Blue Canyon kitchen. I am sure they will tell you I am a ball of fun to deal with…lol
( I do want to say, that this wasn’t done by my company that delivers this product.)
I am heading up to Canada in a couple of days to learn about Canadian Grass-feed cattle…Stay tune..am sure I will have more info on this…( the competition is so quick to throw each other under the bus, sad but so true)
So to all my great Blue Canyon Steak lovers, no need to worry !! We take a lot of pride on serving great products and I wont allow this B.S to happen……. Boy, all this steak talk sure makes me want to go and order some of that Great first of the season Wild King Salmon we have tonight….yummmmmmmmmm
Chef Brandt… ( If you have kids dont forget to tell them that they are very important people)
Forgiveness does not change the past but it does enlarge the future.
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