MASTER OF SCALES
Meaning "hand-pressed," originating as Edo-period (19th-century Tokyo) street food, this sliced fish delicacy celebrates the harmony between 2 main ingredients
What is nigiri?
Who is Pete Wells?
Classic brigades relied on rigid station divisions, but modern kitchens prioritize this fundamental workflow philosophy — preparing ingredients and organizing tools before service to improve efficiency.
What is mise en place?
American processors often bleach this common staple food to achieve uniform color and texture, a practice banned or heavily restricted in many countries.
What is flour?
An estimated 72% of NYC restaurants reported significant increase in sales due to these modern operating channels...
Takeout and Delivery
In July of 2025, the first review by one of the NYT critics awarded two stars to this New Orleans restaurant, marking the beginning of their national review coverage
What is Acamaya?
In many modern kitchens, this role acts as both manager and communicator, overseeing the line, coordinating with front-of-house, and sometimes rotating through stations rather than focusing on one.
Who is the sous chef?
This soil type, formed from volcanic ash, is known for excellent porosity and heat retention, contributing to intensely flavored wines in regions like Mount Etna
What is basaltic soil?
In classical French cuisine, this term refers to the stock made from fish bones and heads, used as a base for soups and sauces.
What is fumet?
Before stepping into her role as a NYT Critic, Ligaya Mishan covered neighborhood gems, under the radar eateries, diverse immigrant cuisines and accessible, affordable dining in THIS column...
What is Hungry City?
This specialized role manages cold dishes such as salads, terrines, and charcuterie — a position still common in high-end restaurants.
Who is the garde-manger?
Three words/terms Jeff Katz forbids tableside...
WE
WORK
ENJOY
In restaurant operations, this term refers to the combined total of food, beverage, and labor costs — the largest controllable expenses in a scaled business.
What are prime costs?
In the Times’ review system, a “zero-star” rating is reserved for restaurants that fail in these two key areas, making them not just mediocre but fundamentally flawed.
What are food quality and execution?
(Accept also: “food and service” or “culinary standards and execution” — the key is the restaurant is failing critically, not just mediocre.)
This entry-level position works under a chef de partie, learning the station and performing basic prep tasks.
Who is the commis?
kah-mus chef is typically a junior, entry-level chef learning a specific station, while a line cook (also called Chef de Partie or Station Chef) is the chef in charge of that station, with the commis often working under them to learn the ropes
In Champagne, the best Grand Cru Chardonnay sites sit on this specific subcategory of chalk, composed of tiny marine plankton shells.
What is coccolithic/belemnite chalk?
What is KFC?
This first New York Times critic established the star-rating system in 1962, setting the precedent for how restaurants are evaluated in the paper for decades.
Who is Craig Claiborne?
First developed by Auguste Escoffier, this organizational structure divides a kitchen into clearly defined stations and responsibilities.
What is the brigade system?
Excess use of this macronutrient fertilizer in vineyards can cause overly vigorous canopy growth, dilution of fruit flavors, and delayed ripening.
What is nitrogen?