Enjoying a restaurant as a guest is one thing, but behind the scenes, they hold a small treasure trove of secrets – little nuances that form invisible community and compel you to stay. The smell of cold that hits you when you step inside the walk in, the inappropriate banter fired to and from cooks to servers, the buzzing electricity of a busy service – it’s intoxicating in its own right. And then there’s the special shorthand vocabulary, words delivered with exclamation and a dash of curtness, to make your point in a hurry, because after all, in a restaurant, we are all in a hurry. Perhaps the most celebrated of abbreviated urgencies is the politely-terse “Behind!” – best-translated to please don’t move one inch in any direction as I may be carrying the queen’s birthday cake / a pot of hot oil / the sharpest knife in history and disaster will ensue if you bump me!
The restaurant world is full of useful such short-hand, and while these words and phrases won’t always translate seamlessly, it sure is fun to incorporate restaurant lingo into your social life. Here’s a quick starter kit with definitions to get you on your way.
Hot Behind – This is “Behind” elevated to no, seriously don’t move because this stuff’s very hot aka dangerous status. Also, the jokes…
Corner – Coming ‘round the bend? Call corner or you’re sure to end up with a toque-full of deviled eggs. Does anyone still wear a toque? Still, use “Corner” to avoid the comical demolition derby of a hurried staff.
86’ed – The origin tales are vague and endless, but the concept is crucial. “We are out of something!” Used effectively as in “86 Clams Casino! Everyone tell 2 people.” It’s tough to disseminate information among people who are singularly focused so the tell 2 people approach helps news spread. Also creatively used to describe people and for jokes. Try for yourself!
All Day – Just prior to 86’ing an item, you might here something like this “4 Clams Casino all day!” Which is a fancy way of saying that there are 4 orders of Clams Casino left. Also used when you’re deep in the weeds as a cook or bartender and you might ask the expeditor “How many steaks do I need all day!?!?!?” This is a useful tactic to get a count on how many steaks should be on the grill. All day works in just about any situation in life.
Oven! – Often misunderstood as Evan – especially when someone on your line has the name of Evan; but primarily this means “I’m opening the oven and it’s presumably hot and I’d hate for anything bad to happen – to these delicious muffins I baked.”
Coming out! – Ever been knocked out cold by one of those swinging restaurant doors? No? Then you can probably thank the phrase “Coming out!” for that. It’s saved literally tens of thousands of lives. Useful when leaving the kitchen, opening a walk in door, office door, valeting a nice car, etc.
The list of proclamations is endless, but the moral is singular: We’re working quickly in tight conditions with hot, sharp, large, liquid, delicate, and often-delicious, time-consuming things. Guessing where someone is headed or assuming what they’re about to do is a recipe for less-than-delicious results. Self awareness and spatial awareness are your greatest allies. Use your words – with purpose!