5.6.25 | More Salt in the Beard

I see a lot of similarities between myself and caterpillars. (I bet you didn't expect this write-up to start like this, didya?) Fuzzy, always on the move, always on the porch in spring, and, if you let me, I'll eat up all the vegetables in your garden.

But the biggest similarity, I think, is my need for change. I'm still waiting for my time to turn into a beautiful butterfly, but until then I’ll tie this to the restaurant.

For anyone who has been joining us at Zunzun for the past year or so, you have likely seen these changes occur. Some of them I fought against, some I embraced, and some just happened organically without me really noticing. Today the restaurant feels totally different from how it started. I've stepped out of the kitchen and into the dining room more despite feeling anxious about it. For the most part my anxiety has been unfounded. Turns out talking and interacting with the guests has totally changed my view of how a restaurant should run.

I’ve learned over the past year that I understand food more than I thought I did. I was always confident in my ability to fabricate, cook, and season dishes. But during the Red Hen era, I was always in the kitchen. I had servers to talk to the guests, sell to the guests, and then report back what the guests wanted. I’d just cook it and put it back in the window. Now as a waitperson, I am actually hearing what the guests are saying, and that lets me better articulate it for the kitchen.

“I want a medium rare steak, no blood, light pink center.”

This is an order we get all the time. The person is describing a medium steak not a medium-rare one. So I can tell them it sounds like they would like a medium steak that's been well-rested. A well-rested steak doesn't bleed out. I am able to pass this information onto Mike, our chef de cuisine, or even hold off on firing the entrees to allow for a longer rest.

Don't like potatoes? I have grits. You want the tomatillo salsa instead of the romesco? That doesn't sound like a great combination; how about this or how about that? Allergies, food preferences, “gluten-free-ish”? I have a much better understanding of what the person can and can't have just by being the one talking directly with them.

I can also try to explain when we can't or won't make changes. I try to accommodate everyone, but not at the expense of the other customers. Yes I have eggs, yes I have butter, yes I have tarragon, but no I won't whip up a batch of bearnaise for your steak. Let's try to find something that you will like. At the end of the day I want people to leave happy, having met or exceeded their expectations.

I remember the first time I had this conversation. Zunzun was brand new and we had a skirt steak on the menu. It's one of my favorite cuts, but it's not for everyone. It's a little tough and it should be served rare to medium rare and sliced on the bias. It's hard to cook correctly, but it is so full of flavor.

Becca was waiting on a table and called me over to talk to a gentleman who had questions about the steak. He asked me, "If I don't like the steak, can I send it back?" I'm not sure how to answer that: Of course you can, but it sounds like you're already expecting to. Turns out he had never had a skirt steak and was unsure if he would like it. So I told him it didn't sound like he was going to like it, there's no point beating around the bush, this is not the steak cut he is used to, it's not what he wants. Instead, I offered to serve him our pork chop with all of the steak sides, at the pork chop price. If you're looking for an inch thick meaty dish, the pork chop is what you want, and if you also want the chimichurri off the steak dish, I can make that happen.

So I did. He ate everything but the bone and said it was great. We made the switcheroo for him and made a brand new regular guest as well. Now he comes in every week, sits at the bar and orders a great big steak!

Just kidding, we never saw him again. I still think he left happy that day, but he was just passing through town and happened to stop in. (Wherever you are Mr. Beefeater, I hope you're enjoying your steak!)

So, I may not have grown my wings yet, but I feel like I’m changing along with the restaurant. Maybe it's the 70 hour work weeks, maybe I'm just older with a little more salt in my beard, but I’ve changed for sure.

I sometimes still yearn to get back to my spot on the line and get into the heat of things. To tell you the truth, I am dying to get back on the line and get into the weeds a little bit.

That's where caterpillars live, after all.

—Chef Matt

FROM THE MAY 6, 2025 NEWSLETTER | CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE