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To create the extraordinary is Skidmore’s purpose.
It is why we exist.
So when I see another organization creating something extraordinary, I’m instantly impressed and intrigued. This past weekend, I encountered one of those organizations.
There’s a small restaurant on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago called The Purple Pig. It’s a place that specializes in small plate meals. And the food is amazing.
What is more amazing is the overall experience. The way the people who work there prepare and serve the food is nothing short of incredible. My wife Colleen and I sat at the bar on Saturday night and marveled at the collaboration, coordination and precision. It was inspiring to watch.
For more than 90 minutes, I was mesmerized by the line cooks. They performed their magic front and center – for everyone to see. In fact, in one small area directly in front of us, eight of these cooks called, prepped, finished and plated the dishes with a coordination that defied logic.
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They were crammed into a small 3’ x 8’ section they called a kitchen. In 24 sq. ft. of searing hot griddles, ovens, prep areas and food stations, these people created more than 100 plates of amazing food an hour. They ducked, danced and dazzled in a high-pressure environment with no room for error. As one cook tossed a protein on the grill, another would season, and a third would supply the cooking oil. A fourth would reach in with a plate to grab it, while the head cook called out the orders for the next set of dishes.
Within all this controlled chaos were the details that made every dish special. There was one cook whose key job seemed to be quality control. She was prepping lots of foods, but her biggest tool was a container of very small plastic spoons like you get at an ice cream shop. She would season and taste every dish leaving the kitchen. If it needed a dash more salt, she was on it. Her palate served as the kitchen’s creative director. It had to pass her to get out of the kitchen.
While this team of cooks was working through the pressure of a full house, they smiled and laughed and enjoyed the experience. They exuded passion and joy. And because they were having fun, so was everyone else in the joint. At one point, we stopped and asked a server if it was this busy all the time. The woman told us she has worked in the restaurant industry for a dozen years and The Purple Pig is the busiest place she’s ever worked. And the best.
“The shift is high intensity from start to finish, but I love every minute of it. It is like this every single day and night.”
The meal was outstanding, but the experience was especially meaningful. I’m inspired by the ability of the head chef to create this environment and culture. I know I’m biased, but I see a similar environment at Skidmore. I see our creative teams coordinating with each other, pushing out amazing work and having fun while doing it. Better yet, I see our clients enjoying the experience. It is a testament to every single Skidmorvian, and I’m proud of what we have created.
I invite you to witness our creative kitchen. Give me a call and I’ll give you the chance to sit at our counter and watch the Skidmore team cook up something amazing.
-Tim
@smithcastle
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