Culinary Jobs

Block Island is known for it's culinary delights and Block Island restaurants typically recruit for some of the following food jobs:



Executive Chef The Executive Chef is in charge of a kitchen, responsible for recipe and menu creation, staff training, and overseeing all cooking. The chef also “manages” the staff of cooks, bakers, butchers, and everyone else involved in the preparation of food. The chef writes the menu, determines food cost and is in charge of purchasing for the restaurant. This person must be a confident leader, with the proven mastery skill and understanding of all stations in the kitchen. The chef must know how to manage the bottom line, as well as have top cooking skills.

Sous Chef A Sous Chef (pronounced "sue") is literally, in French translation, the “under” chef. This chef is just below the Executive Chef in rank and is in charge of food production. He/she spends more time cooking than the executive chef and overseeing the daily happenings in the kitchen. The line cooks usually report to the sous chef. Some larger restaurants have more than one sous chef, each in charge of his/her own area.

Line Cooks A line cook works on the hot line of the kitchen (where the food is cooked). He/she is below the sous chef in rank. Often, a line cook will be assigned to a station such as sauté or fryer or grill. A very demanding position, the line cook works incredibly hard and is exposed to heat, stress and sharp knives during much of their shift. This person must be very fast and accurate and be able to keep focused.

Prep Cooks A prep cook spends their time at work prepping for all of the dishes that will be served during meal service, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner. Prepping includes washing, slicing, trimming and weighing. This person needs to be organized and quick, as they support the rest of the cooks. Line cooks may do all their own prep in smaller restaurants.

Pastry Chef The pastry chef specializes in pastry and baking and is in charge of all pastry production in the restaurant. Smaller restaurants may not have a pastry chef, and may just buy desserts from an outside bakery.

Dishwashers A dishwasher washes dishes and pots and empties the trash. This is one of the most demanding jobs in the kitchen and the least glamorous. Many chefs would attest to the fact that the dishwasher is the most important employee in a restaurant, since the place will come to a standstill if there are no clean plates or pots. A reliable dishwasher will work fast and hard and be able to keep up with the piles of dirty dishes and keep the trash cans emptied. This person needs to be reliable and strong!