WEBVTT - Bonus: Making A Menu

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<v Speaker 1>Ruthie's Table for presented by Sky.

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<v Speaker 2>There's always some sort of nuance of writing the menu

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<v Speaker 2>and then obviously paying attention to the kind of house

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<v Speaker 2>rules and the house style. And you know, I couldn't

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<v Speaker 2>do like a sort of Asian salad with the soul,

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<v Speaker 2>for example, it has to be within the brief. And

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<v Speaker 2>then peas. We've got peas on with a salad with

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<v Speaker 2>the longer stems, with a crab on polenta, and then

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<v Speaker 2>slow cooked with the monkfish with panchetta, because peas are

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<v Speaker 2>like slap banging season now. And then got the first

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<v Speaker 2>of the years Dattini tomatoes that have just come up

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<v Speaker 2>from Italy, so that's with boga. And then we've got

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<v Speaker 2>that also with I did the salad that we had

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<v Speaker 2>a miland I remember we had the salad in Milan

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<v Speaker 2>that which is just mash leaves and Datterini tomatoes, and

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<v Speaker 2>we thought it was a carrot salad. Remember we were like, oh,

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<v Speaker 2>let's have a carrot salad, but it turned out with

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<v Speaker 2>botaga on top. Yeah, and that so that's a really nice,

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<v Speaker 2>super fresh And then.

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<v Speaker 3>Where do the wettes fergus come from?

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<v Speaker 2>France? Okay, Yeah, it's just like it's spurgus in peak

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<v Speaker 2>season now as well, so the English stuff is beautiful,

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<v Speaker 2>and then the French stuff is also.

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<v Speaker 3>We're like still in the springtime. So it's pretty interesting.

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<v Speaker 3>Each time I go to a restaurant, I keep saying,

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<v Speaker 3>like the dottery need tomatoes and I haven't seen them anything.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so it's exciting. And then we've got nettles that

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<v Speaker 2>have been and they're just starting to finish now. And

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<v Speaker 2>then when I've written the menu, and then because we've

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<v Speaker 2>got a set menu that's running alongside that today, and

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<v Speaker 2>then I have all the chefs that are working, and

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<v Speaker 2>so I just try and give everyone jobs that are

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<v Speaker 2>nice for them.

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<v Speaker 1>So the other restaurants, well, traditional maps have somebody who's

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<v Speaker 1>aren't the salads for a month or the grill from

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<v Speaker 1>is that the way. I've only worked in one restaurant,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's this one. So I don't know how the

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<v Speaker 1>kitchens really do work. But what we do is we

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<v Speaker 1>say that you come and see who's working. And so

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<v Speaker 1>you've had how many chefs do you have today? Ten? Ten?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, and so we'll say, you know the complex positions

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<v Speaker 4>of what we.

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<v Speaker 1>Call hots, one which is the wood oven, and we

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<v Speaker 1>have in every section we have we have the grill,

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<v Speaker 1>we have the wood oven, we have hots what we

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<v Speaker 1>call two which is the pastas pizzas, and so we

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<v Speaker 1>and every section of the has a fish and meat.

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<v Speaker 1>So we might grill the sea bass and grill the beef,

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<v Speaker 1>and then we'll do a slow roasted veal, and we'll

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<v Speaker 1>do maldfish in the oven, and then on the in

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<v Speaker 1>the roasted.

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<v Speaker 4>And then in the wood oven we'll have game.

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<v Speaker 1>We always put the game a whole bird, if it's

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<v Speaker 1>pigeon or grouse or partridge or PHAs, that.

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<v Speaker 4>Will be done in the wood oven.

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<v Speaker 1>And then the fish we usually do dover sole in

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<v Speaker 1>the wood oven. Sometimes we grill them mostly there, so

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<v Speaker 1>you have everybody has a fish in to meat fishing,

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<v Speaker 1>because we only have six main courses. And so I

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<v Speaker 1>think that's the decision. Who are you going to put

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<v Speaker 1>on these sections?

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<v Speaker 2>I think what's quite cool is the fact that the

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<v Speaker 2>chefs don't know what sections.

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<v Speaker 4>They don't know. Yeah, that was going to be my question,

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<v Speaker 4>right when they don't find.

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<v Speaker 2>Out about half past ten, and so the younger chefs,

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<v Speaker 2>like this guy here, he's doing a trial today, so

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<v Speaker 2>he's got a really easy job, Like washing asparagus. But

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<v Speaker 2>then I also gave him ioli to make because I thought,

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<v Speaker 2>let's see if he can make ioli. It's kind of

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<v Speaker 2>classic thing. And so he's obviously he's not going to

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<v Speaker 2>be doing a difficult section because he's not going to

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<v Speaker 2>make a Yeah, but then everyone else will be playing

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<v Speaker 2>to their strengths today. But it stops chefs. You know.

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<v Speaker 2>In classic kitchens, people have sections and then they hold

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<v Speaker 2>kits and make loads of meson plas for like the

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<v Speaker 2>week and hide it. And none of that can happen.

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<v Speaker 2>Everything has to be there's no at habits. Yeah, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>And I remember when I started here thinking it's impossib Well,

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<v Speaker 2>you can't cut parsley to order. Of course, you have

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<v Speaker 2>to cut it for the week.

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<v Speaker 3>You know.

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<v Speaker 2>And then I was burn away and now I can't

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<v Speaker 2>imagine how you can happen. And that's just how it

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<v Speaker 2>is here, you know, But I can't imagine how.

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<v Speaker 1>So then so this is so this is hots. We

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<v Speaker 1>see there's hots one, which is a wood oven. Hearts

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<v Speaker 1>two is the pasta. Three is roasting in the oven.

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<v Speaker 1>Four is a sort of news section that we had

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<v Speaker 1>not terribly, but the idea that person on hots two.

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<v Speaker 1>Making pastas can get overwhelmed, so we try and put

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<v Speaker 1>one pasta or risotta on hats four and they'll also

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<v Speaker 1>do one of the antipasity if you do seared scallops,

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<v Speaker 1>so we do a lenta with some then mushrooms in

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<v Speaker 1>the winter. So that's the four, and.

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<v Speaker 4>Then we have the grill six is uh yeah, just

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<v Speaker 4>doing hearts back here, can you know? It might be

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<v Speaker 4>a language.

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<v Speaker 1>Steene again just two things or a carnee crudeo. And

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<v Speaker 1>then we have the cold section and pizzas.

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<v Speaker 3>So you know, and there's a is there a prep

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<v Speaker 3>team also that's in earlier than well no, we have.

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<v Speaker 2>Some people who do do prep. They do like the

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<v Speaker 2>spinach and peel potatoes and chop the chilies and things

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<v Speaker 2>like that, so that stuff the chefs don't have to do,

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<v Speaker 2>so they just have to cook.

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<v Speaker 4>Waiters do it too.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and the ways there's always been in tradition that

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<v Speaker 1>everyone participates. As we've gotten bigger, it's harder because we

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<v Speaker 1>have the cafe, we have private dining room, and we

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<v Speaker 1>have a lot more people than we used to have

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<v Speaker 1>for this kitchen, which was really designed in two thousand

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<v Speaker 1>and eight, and so the kitchen porters do the scallops.

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<v Speaker 1>The waiters peel, you know, peel the garlet. They learned

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<v Speaker 1>how to clean an anchovy, they chop the chili. So

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<v Speaker 1>in a way, if they're stopped and asked by a

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<v Speaker 1>customer what's in themselves, avery, they know because they helped prepare.

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<v Speaker 4>But as we've gotten.

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<v Speaker 2>Sort of bigger, we do have people who get a.

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<v Speaker 1>Lot of questions, have questions, Yeah, how do you do that? No?

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<v Speaker 3>I actually, do you sit down with everybody like they

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<v Speaker 3>all come? Do you sit down and give them their assignments?

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<v Speaker 2>Now, sometimes if I've got like an experienced team, like today,

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<v Speaker 2>I'll write the menu and then everyone will come and

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<v Speaker 2>have a chat about this and that, you know, and

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<v Speaker 2>then I'll say, you know, what do you want to do?

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<v Speaker 2>You can do anything if you're a good chef. And

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<v Speaker 2>then Carl Lota, who's one of our you know, top chefs,

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<v Speaker 2>is making the zucchini sauce and she just said to me, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>if I do whatever I want sort of thing, and

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<v Speaker 2>I was like, yeah, because what she's going to make

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<v Speaker 2>would be amazing. And she knows what I want and

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<v Speaker 2>how my what style? Like every chef will have their

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<v Speaker 2>style and she'll know she just is so good and

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<v Speaker 2>I'll just yeah, you know, for you what really well

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<v Speaker 2>that sounds really vague, but with people that have worked

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<v Speaker 2>at the River Cafe for like ten plus years, there's

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<v Speaker 2>just such good cooks that you you just kind of

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<v Speaker 2>look at them. They know what you're looking at. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>they know what they're doing, they know the repertoire.

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<v Speaker 1>We don't have line cooks. I think that's a big difference,

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<v Speaker 1>you know that we've seen. I think you know another kids,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, where you have maybe just one or two chefs,

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<v Speaker 1>but then everybody they're brilliant, you know. And that's what

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<v Speaker 1>how Rose, my partner started, That's how she learned to

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<v Speaker 1>cook in New York. So she was taught to cook,

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<v Speaker 1>not by the chef's besties or you know, Keith McNally's restaurants,

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<v Speaker 1>by the right.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>So the person's making the ioley and do they have

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<v Speaker 3>the ability to make it in a modern pestle compared

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<v Speaker 3>to like using machine, because that's always one of the problems.

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<v Speaker 2>Because I was like ask he said, I was like,

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<v Speaker 2>how are you going to make ioli? Just to see

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<v Speaker 2>if he knew what it was. And then he first

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<v Speaker 2>of all said, well, I'm going to make it in

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<v Speaker 2>the food prices there. And I said to him, well,

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<v Speaker 2>I actually said, can you you can make it with

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<v Speaker 2>a whisk if you like. I didn't say make it

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<v Speaker 2>in the pest and watch. I thought that he might

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<v Speaker 2>just walk straight back out. I thought, let's see if

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<v Speaker 2>you can make it with a whisk as a starting

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<v Speaker 2>point before we go to the machine and then check

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<v Speaker 2>it it's good. But we had them. We had just

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<v Speaker 2>a last minute catastrophe when we found out that the

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<v Speaker 2>longest things aren't aren't here because they'd be coming by

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<v Speaker 2>train and the train's delayed. So we've just had to

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<v Speaker 2>take that whole dish off and then reprint a hundred

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<v Speaker 2>more menus without it on so that all the people

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<v Speaker 2>aren't like I was really fancy the longest things stuck

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<v Speaker 2>in traffic.

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<v Speaker 3>I actually used to do something similar where Lindsay can

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<v Speaker 3>attest to that. I would just kind of come in

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<v Speaker 3>and then I remember what was around maybe four We

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<v Speaker 3>lived like two blocks from the original location, and then

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<v Speaker 3>I would rewrite the menu every day until started to

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<v Speaker 3>drive some folks a little about it and then but

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<v Speaker 3>it lasted for a good first six or so years

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<v Speaker 3>where we write the menu every day and change chat.

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<v Speaker 2>We do think about it because especially having thinking of

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<v Speaker 2>the younger chefs that also get to write menus, whether

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<v Speaker 2>it's better to have just us right menus and they're

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<v Speaker 2>being more standing. But it is part of the uniqueness

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<v Speaker 2>that then's going to be a whole nother menu tonight. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>and it is really free because you just think what

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<v Speaker 2>do I want to cook today? And then you think

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<v Speaker 2>about all the people that everyone comes here for a

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<v Speaker 2>different reason, don't they. Some people are having a working lunch,

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<v Speaker 2>some people are having a celebration, and the menu has

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<v Speaker 2>to cover all of that. But it's such a you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I've worked here for twenty six years because it is

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<v Speaker 2>so every day is different, you know, and that I

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<v Speaker 2>think is keeps you going exactly. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>Even had a Shapenese like if you have the menu

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<v Speaker 3>and you sit down at one one o'clock for dinner,

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<v Speaker 3>you had your working in the fireplace of the rotistery, Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>by the hearth, you'd have to go on the walk

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<v Speaker 3>and grab your fore lambs or whole lambs, then break

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<v Speaker 3>them down there at that time and be ready by

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<v Speaker 3>you know, five o'clock to give wherever the chef was

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<v Speaker 3>a tester, a tester and right, yeah, so I always

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<v Speaker 3>kind of grew up being able to start at that

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<v Speaker 3>level of not a walking and having something like Cryovector.

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<v Speaker 3>It's all you know what, you see the quality, and

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<v Speaker 3>then you exactly so no, that's great.

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<v Speaker 4>So it's as simple as that. So that's it's as

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<v Speaker 4>simple as that.