12-16-08 At Home In the Kitchen

Yesterday at the Marriott I was back in the kitchen. When I arrived, Misty was preparing plates of toppings to be wrapped in plastic and placed in the freezer for a dessert being served tomorrow. There were 3 plates of M&Ms, 3 plates of Oreo bits, 5 plates of cherries, 3 plates of strawberries, 3 plates of rainbow sprinkles, and 5 heaping plates of whipped cream. It was difficult to make the whipped cream look presentable because it was still pretty frozen, and wasn't coming out of the bag with ease. After I finished the whipped cream, two of the other girls in my class wrapped them up. While this was going on, Matt was chopping up cantaloupes, pineapples, mangoes, and honeydew melon. We also got to organize cookies and pastries for the concierge department. Moral of the Marriott today: Whipped Cream is best Served at Room Temperature.

Marriott 12-2-08

Today I worked with Joel in Room Service. When I first met up with Joel he was setting up a rather large cart with Lemons, limes, bottled water, glasses(with lids), Mini bottles of ketchup and mustard, ice, rolls, silverware, sodas, straws, and plates. He had a huge order that he needed to bring to a conference in the Board room. Before heading out, we stopped in the kitchen to pick up the actual meals which consisted of Cesar salads, chicken, and wraps. Dan, the restaurant manager carried the meals while Joel pushed the cart, and I opened and closed the doors. After that Joel explained how room service gets the orders. Guests can either write out a door hanging menu, or call down and place the order verbally. After the order is placed, Joel sets up the cart and brings the guest their meal. When the guests are done, he goes back up to the room and gathers up their trays. Joel buses his own carts and makes sure that he has a fully stocked office so the guests can get their orders on time. I think this was my favorite day at the Marriott because I finally got to see the hotel. I got to see what the rooms looked like, and even got to see the bar. I like room service, and Joel had some crazy stories of people he's met, rooms that had been trashed, and even mistakes he's made on the job. At the very end when we were bringing a cart down with dirty dishes Joel dropped an Ashley Glass and had to clean it up quick that was someone didn't step on it an get hurt.

Marriott 11-25-08

Today I worked in the kitchen with Misty on prep. Learned the "proper" way to cut pineapples and melons. You cut off each butt-end, peel the skin (or eyes if your working with a pineapple) off, cut the whole fruit in half, then carve out either the hard center piece of the pineapple or the seeds of the melon. Cut the fruit in half again, and then cut into small cubes. After we were done cutting fruit, Misty and I talked about how empty the kitchen was. She was the only one in there. I was so shocked. I'm so used to there being about 50 people running around plates in hand, but not today. Misty explained that because it was so close to thanksgiving that most people don't stay at a hotel they stay with their family. So there were little to no customers. We then organized some dessert trays and scrubbed down the table. All in all it was a slow, but fun day.

Guest Speaker

Today we were visited by Gary Miltner of Robison & Smith Textile services. Gary spoke with us about his Sales job with his company and the different types of services they offer. Not only do they rent out sheets, towels, napkins, and other linens but they offer a wide variety of Chef's coats, pants, and other uniforms. They also offer insurance on the uniforms being rented out. Gary explained that in most businesses one must start from the bottom and work his way up. In his line of work, one starts in the plant where the products are washed, ironed, and pressed. After doing this job for atleast a couple years, you would move on to a Route Driver, and then in to the customer service, where he is. He repeatly told us to stay focused and to find a job that you can be excited to go to. Though his presentation was a little on the lecture side, I feel I learned alot.

Missing the Marriott

So even though I missed going to the hotel yesterday, my class mates informed me that we worked in banquets which included setting tables, clearing tables, setting up projectors and the different types.

Introduction

My name is Briana Holmes. I go to Guilderland High School. I am a senior and just recently started going to Capital Region Career and Technical School for Lodging and Management. I'm quite firmillar with the Resturaunt business because my family has worked in the managment of The Cranberry Bog, The Macaroni Grill, Mill Road Acres, Bacca's Deli, Fridays, and Nothing but Noodles. Throughout my preteen years I was in and around the kitchen and office. I also spent a summer working at my father's friend's hotel on Lake George. I've worked in costumer service since I turned 16 and work very well with people. I hope to gain a better understanding of the numbers aspect from this program. I'd like to learn the ins and outs of technical managment of hotels, because I'd like to own one some day.