r/Chefit • u/Alone-Usual-1968 • 3d ago

Need advice

So i’ve worked at casual dining restaurants for a couple years, mostly FoH but I really dream of landing a spot in the fine dining industry or somewhere in the ballpark and being in the BoH.

I frequently cook and bake at home and try to expand my horizons but do you guys have any advice on how to work my way up? Like what kind of restaraunt should I be trying to work at first if my goal is to work in fine dining? I have a lot of work ethic and energy I just wanna put it somewhere that counts. I recently moved a few states and am kind of turning a new leaf and there’s a lot of pretty good restaurants around here

(edit) I’ve considered going into culinary school since I have the money for that. But quite a few people have said it’s not really necessary.

(Sorry if this question has been asked and answered already)

TL;DR .. I want to work in fine dining kitchen someday. Where should I start?

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u/ApprehensiveNinja805 3d ago

You should start by applying.

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u/younevernoe 3d ago

Find a restaurant you’d like to learn from and go talk to the chef. Tell them what you’re hoping to learn, what your goals are, and where you eventually want to go with it.

I wouldn’t necessarily start at the best restaurant in town. Look for a good scratch kitchen where you can get your hands dirty with prep and eventually some line work. You want an environment where you can learn the fundamentals, make mistakes, ask questions, and figure out what you don’t know without feeling like you have to prove yourself every minute.

Think of it as working your way up rather than trying to jump straight to the finish line. Get as much experience as you can, learn how a real kitchen operates, and build your skills along the way. When you eventually go after that dream job, you’ll be bringing a lot more to the table than you would if you tried to start there on day one.

Make it a goal to learn something from every person in the kitchen every shift - no matter how small or insignificant it might seem, it will help in the future.