Chef Jim

Managing Excellence

Managing Excellence I am often asked “How do you do it? How has the Townsend been recognized for world class service for so long?” The short answer is that we have always placed the right people, in the right position at the right time to take the hotel and everything we do to the next level. It is the people of The Townsend who create the “Wow” experience for the guest and it...

Chef Jim

The Best Field Trip Ever

The Best Field Trip Ever Last monday I had the honor of eating at the James Beard House. For those of you who don’t know James Andrew Beard (May 5, 1903 – January 21, 1985) was an American chef and food writer. The central figure in the story of the establishment of a gourmet American food identity, Beard was an eccentric personality who brought French cooking to the American middle and upper classes...

Chef Jim

RUGBY WINS FIRST PLACE

RUGBY WINS FIRST PLACE Last Thursday evening Hour magazine hosted and event with DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS), a night of cocktails and appetizers all set to raise money for a noteworthy cause. They asked 25 top area restaurants to provide appetizers or dessert for the 600 guest that were attending. They promised to have judging of best table and best app. I can tell you from past...

Chef Jim

hold on a minute

I am Going to do the blog post on wednesday of this week. We have a new chef starting and I am going to get some fun facts for everyone following. Stay tuned and thanks for...

Chef Jim

Chefs Make It Better

Chefs make it Better You wear a lot of masks as a chef; one of the most critical is to be innovative. I am referring to a chef and not a cook. Anyone can cook, it ain’t hard. But to be a chef you must stay ahead of the competition, be the best, always. The moment you rest on your laurels the competition swoops in and steals your business away. If you are on top of your game the customers will come...

Chef Jim

More from the kitchen

More from the Rugby Kitchen We are getting a lot of positive feedback to the new menu. One of the most enjoyed changes was to the short rib dish. “You can’t lighten up a short rib” I would hear. “It only goes well in the fall” another cook sounded out. These are the types of challenges that a chef enjoys, shutting up the critics. We decided to take the dish Asian and found that everyone...

Chef Jim

New on the menu

New In the Rugby Kitchen We have just unleashed our new summer menu. This can be quite a daunting challenge for any chef. No one likes change if fact most people fear it. It is not as simple as creating some wonderful food, you also have to train all your cooks on the new items, make sure your par levels are correct on something you have never done, watch the prep that your cooks are doing, get...