Pinpoints Pinpoints Magazine Spring 2020 | Page 19

Did somebody say pizza?
The new double-deck stone pizza ovens cook 16
pies at once. Thanks to that 650-degree oven, they’re
ready in 6½ minutes. Pizza day rolls around every
other week, and Chef and his team serve 250 pizzas
to hungry and appreciative fans.
Other specialized ovens, of course, are for non-
pizza days. There are the space age oven and the
combi-oven, which cooks to specific temperatures,
self-cooks, and self-cleans. Chef and his crew can
steam and roast all manner of meats and smoke the
BBQ pulled meat. At the other end of the spectrum
is that blast chiller at minus 40 degrees. It’s the go-to
gizmo for food safety, allowing cooked foods to be
cooled in a flash.
The steam-jacketed kettle, the largest double boiler
most folks have ever seen, heats evenly and gently.
It’s a necessity on chili or Bolognese days when there
are 4½ cases of pasta – that’s 90 pounds dry – to
cook, since it can cook 30 pounds at a time. It comes
in handy, too, on specific soup days and also when
kids have their hearts set on chicken and dumplings.
The tilt skillet can’t get short shrift. It’s a huge
griddle with sides, the perfect apparatus for favorite
fajitas, fresh green beans, sautéed vegetables, sauces
of all sorts, grilled burgers, and on and on.
The three new walk-ins – one for produce, one for
protein, one for cheese and dairy – now offer three
times the space than before. Food safety is always
primary, and the two refrigerators and one freezer are
necessities. Dry storage shelving, which used to line the
walls of the small, narrow storage room, is on tracks
now, with moving shelves to maximize space. There is
even a storage-organizer for various-sized cans.
There are staff lockers for each person on the
kitchen team, and in Chef ’s office, there is a stand-
up desk, since he never has time to sit down anyway.
The loading dock outside is well used, as is the dish
room where students and adults take their dishes
after lunch. Parents everywhere would wish for a
room like this. It’s stainless steel and easy to clean
at the end of day. The power soak sink has three
compartments, to soap, rinse, and sanitize. There’s
a large, new ice bin, and storage specifically for
cleaning products.
The dining and food service areas are bright, clean,
modern, and a true delight for those who cook and
are fortunate to have lunch there. Please join us.
“It was my dream for
this food service. The
biggest change is space.
We have more room for
storage, more for prep,
and more for serving, and
that helps tremendously.”
—Chef Ryan
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