Unpopular opinion: Mise en place is overrated for weeknight service

I spent years doing full mise en place for every shift, chopping everything hours ahead. Then I tried a line cook approach where I prep only the heavy stuff like onions and peppers, then chop herbs and garlic to order. For a Tuesday dinner rush with 40 covers, it saved me at least 30 minutes of total prep time and my mise boxes didn't look like a disaster zone by 7 PM. Has anyone else tried cutting back on mise for slower nights or am I the only one who thinks we overdo it?

3 comments

3 Comments

lindal131mo ago

Why chop everything hours early for a Tuesday crowd?

eva_thompson1mo ago

@lindal13 you hit the nail on the head. For a Tuesday crowd of 40 I keep the big stuff prepped but chop herbs and garlic to order. I once prepped a FULL mise for a Tuesday dinner and ended up with a mountain of diced shallots that sat there looking sad by 7 PM. It felt like I was prepping for a Michelin star service instead of a family of four asking for extra ranch. The time saved is REAL - I shaved off almost 30 minutes of prep. My line cook friends call me a lazy hack but honestly nobody notices the difference on slow nights.

alex_wilson791mo ago

Treat it like a pressure washer job. You don't break out the heavy duty surface cleaner for a quick sidewalk rinse. Keep your base sauces and starches good to go, but leave the fiddly stuff like herbs and garlic until the orders hit the printer. That 30 minutes adds up fast when you're trying to close down at a decent hour. Your buddies can call you lazy, but being smart with your time is a real skill on a slow night, right?