How to Feed 1,000 People on a Wednesday
Chef de Cuisine Jason Bowlin manages the kitchens (five in total) of Neal Fraser’s Redbird and Vibiana, and with a crew of 40-plus cooks, feeds 1,000 people on a busy night - here's how they do it.
Chef Neal Fraser
Chef de Cuisine Jason Bowlin manages the kitchens (five in total) of Neal Fraser’s Redbird and Vibiana. Along with a crew of 40-plus cooks, he feeds 1,000 people on a busy night—and that’s not counting staff meal for 200. Here’s Bowlin’s perspective on running a restaurant, alongside L.A.’s premier events venue.
How catering has made you a better restaurant chef
Perspective, planning, and organization. Catering has pushed me to think months out. Fulfilling a client’s vision while staying true to your concept forces you to think outside the box.
Percentage of product overlap
We use many of the same types of products to produce the foundations of our menus, but executing the final product is quite different. About 50 percent of the items we purchase for Vibiana can be used in Redbird.
Benefits for training and staffing
Having both businesses under the same roof allows us to train and cross-utilize staff between the two spaces. Instead of having to hire two part-time employees, we can run with one and continue to invest in his or her future and, consequentially, ours.
Dishes that reflects symbiosis of the spaces
We took the essence of Redbird’s octopus salad with salsa macha and citrus and made it a tray pass item that’s now a favorite. A Korean-Brazilian bride, requested pao de queijo, or Brazilian cheese bread, for her wedding at Vibiana, and it has made its way onto the Redbird menu.
Advice for restaurant chefs who want to transition to catering
Focus on what you do best, and give yourself time for the learning curve that you will inevitably face. Start small and buy a Winston CVap. You will need it.
