Red Gravy

Hi from Hackensack!! Lou and I are setting into a routine after the big move. Aside from missing all our friends from New Orleans, things are going well. I’m working as an exec Kitchen Manager at city perch in Fort Lee. There is also a gourmet 8 auditorium theater called Ipic. I had to train in both locations, but am predominantly in City Perch. The first 3 months were extremely difficult for me. 10 hour days, with approximately 9 of them on my feet. Even when I owned Red Gravy, I didn’t work like that. For the most part, the staff, mostly hispanic, was very welcoming and friendly; open to the change. I replaced a person that left 2 months before I started. However, there was one line cook that just couldn’t adapt. I endured 3 months of bullying, insubordination, and the silent treatment. He’d create such a sour mood that it would infiltrate other team members. I would spend entire shifts in silence while everyone around me was laughing it up. That they would be speaking in a language I didn’t understand didn’t help matters.
Repeated discussions with higher management would bring short bursts of relief and an apology from the team member. Days later, it would begin again. I realized I was in an abusive relationship and had to break the cycle or leave. I finally filed a formal complaint with HR. It was only after I did that that my complaints were taken seriously. Ten days later he was gone.
Honestly it’s as though a window was opened and the fresh air finally was let in. The hours are still physically demanding and excruciating even, but I am finally building the team through mentoring and side by side working. I did a private event yesterday for 20 people in the middle of our busy Sunday brunch. I prepared all the food, did the plates, kept pushing it out while my team continued working the brunch together, no bickering, just teamwork. We all knew the tide finally shifted.
I’m doing all the scheduling now, some of the orders, the prep and production lists, line checks. I submitted a dish to the corporate chef for a summer special that is going to be on the menu in all the locations throughout the country. It’s chicken Milanese with torn burrata and a cherry balsamic sauce.
Lou and I are on a self guided Triangle Food Tour. We have Wednesday and Thursday off. We go for lunch each week for either pizza, hot dogs, or sandwiches. I’ve seen the kids and my first husband much more often. Slowly reconnecting with friends from prior to the move south. My work schedule is difficult to coordinate with other people. We’re enjoying the cooler weather and looking forward to days down the shore this summer. Our apartment has a pool, and rooftop dining, so there’s that, too.
We’re going to Night of a Thousand Stevie’s in a few weeks. It will be our first club event since moving back. Finally an opportunity to costume a bit.
Don’t know if we’ll ever be able to take our elaborate vacations again. However, we are enjoying our home and the three stooges. We cook, we drink good wine, we laugh. We’re okay. Love to everyone who read all this. Namaste

This is the first time in 14 years that I am not prepping black eyed peas and cabbage for NYD. Feels strange.

Checking in! It's been a rough couple of weeks. The drive from New Orleans was long but uneventful. The boys were great, thanks to Dr. Ashley Tahir. We arrived in New Jersey last Monday, on the 11th. I grew up in this area, but having been gone for close to 14 years, lots has changed. Still, I'm getting the roads and directions back pretty quickly. Right now, the biggest problem is that the moving truck still has not arrived. I accepted a bid from Starline Vanlines, telling them I needed delivery on 12/12/23. They then proceeded to sell my job to Arena Van Lines without my knowledge. Two days before the pickup, we went over a detailed list of my items for the truck. They asked for an additional $1000 deposit. When the movers arrived on 12/5, they did some calculations and asked for an additional $1996 right then and there, with a balance of $1996 due upon delivery. All in all, about $3000 more than the original quote. Arena also states that my delivery date of 12/12/23 is a 'first available', and they have 7-10 days to deliver the truck. So, the week I expected to be unpacking, we wasted a colossal amount of time. Plus, they are not really committing to 7-10 days. All I keep hearing is asap, and waiting for the dispatcher to set a date. In the meantime, all the property is sitting in a warehouse somewhere in New Orleans. Lou and I are fit to be tied. We have nothing to do but wait. It's frustrating on a level I never knew existed. We're trying to make the best of the situation. I had ordered a sofa, desk, dining table and coffee table from Wayfair. We got those assembled, so at least we have something to sit on. We brought an air mattress with us, thinking we'd only need it one night. It's been 7. My first husband lent us some pots and pans so I can cook. We got a small tree so it feels a bit like christmas for us. The boys are adjusting to their new surroundings. We're adjusting. I start work today, and am writing this to settle my nerves before I leave in a few moments.
You all know Lou and I roll with the punches. Just getting a little tired of rolling, ya know. I'm hoping the truck comes by the end of the week.

Moving truck comes tomorrow. I really don’t want to take this with me!! Lowered the price to 2100$. Will take 4 payments of $525 if that makes it easier.

This is life now! I accepted an offer from IPIC in Fort Lee, NJ. To finally have direction again means more than you can imagine. Closing the restaurant was hard enough. At the onset of covid and the restrictions that came with it, Lou and I did everything we could think of to keep the restaurant going. We did weekly family meals, deliveries, jarred sauce like a factory. Knowing it wasn't going to be enough, we relocated to Magazine street right after Father's Day, just a few months shy of being on Camp street for 10 years. The move put us 60K in debt, but we believed it would only take a couple of years to put it back. We reopened in September, with an almost entirely new staff. The space was bigger, the kitchen was smaller, and always 125 degrees. We went from doing brunch daily in the CBD to doing dinner with live entertainment in the Garden District. We were successful right off the bat. We spent the next year getting used to our new surroundings, new regulars, new neighbors. We even adopted the cat that lives under the restaurant, Meatball. We bought him a house, fed him twice a day, and got him to trust us. We were convinced that things were back on track. Then came Hurricane Ida. The building, which I didn't own, sustained some damage. The roof was leaking, the walls were sagging and soggy, the courtyard was destroyed, and the walkin, which is in the yard, was on the fritz, again. When we were on Camp St, I had purchased all the equipment, up front. I maintained it perfectly. 10 years in, everything worked wonderfully. Going into Magazine St., the space came with ovens, a walk in, a freezer, an ice machine,a 3 door reach in and bar coolers. We sold everything we had, for a song. I discovered, shortly after moving onto Magazine that most of the equipment wasn't working properly and was in need of repair. During the time we were there, we repaired the ovens twice, the reach in 6 times, the bar cooler 3 times. We bought a new freezer, 2 in fact., we bought a new ice machine, we bought 2 new coolers, we repaired the walk in 4 times. After Ida, it was clear that the walk in would need to be replaced. I was not in a position to do that. After Ida, the kitchen reach in was going to need to be replaced. That's when it was clear that we were in an untenable situation. Two key members BOH, both who had worked with us for 7 and 9 years moved on to other positions. I am an advocate for upward mobility. It's how I got my own start. I'm not a fan of lying and dodging, however. There remained a core of staff members that knew what we were facing. Our bartender, 3 servers, our utility, all knew what we were seeing. We sat down one afternoon and explained that the end of May would be the end of the restaurant. I was exhausted from training new cooks, people who talk a talk, but can't walk a walk. My bartender was trying to train some relief, same story. It was brutal to watch, but they were like family to me. We all cried on the last day. The landlord insisted I leave all the equipment I had replaced plus all my furniture to make it easier for him to rent to a new tenant. I left a brand new ice machine, 2 brand new freezers, a new cooler, a state of the art sound system, a flat screen tv, courtyard furniture, indoor furniture, bar stools, storage racks, a furnished office, outdoor lighting, outdoor heating and cooling. The space was rented within a month, and then remained closed for a year. Major renovations were done...something that was necessary to make that kitchen actually effective, yet we were never in a financial position to do. I wish the new occupant much success.
I took a position with a local pizza/brewery place. They came to me, after word of our imminent closing was out. Initially, I thought they wanted to buy some of my small wares. Turns out they wanted a gm to 'steer the ship, be the adult in the room' for a staff that had long gone unmanaged. They wanted a new kitchen, a new catering menu. They wanted to pass their health inspections. We agreed on a salary and I began in June. What they didn't do was prepare the staff for a new manager. They didn't prepare the staff in any way at all. They tasked me with making changes, righting the wrongs, and getting the staff back to following policy and procedure. I came to work in street clothes because it was made clear that I was a manager, not a pizza cook. The second day of work, I was called into HR because I told the kitchen staff that music that repeated the 'n word' over and over was inappropriate. The staff was okay listening to the music, but the minute I actually said the word, and why it was wrong, they were all offended. It continued like this for 3 months. I enforced a policy, someone complained to HR. They actually had people coming in to work high as kites, and HR asked me..do you think they can do their work? In the meantime, I created the new kitchen, made the catering menu, and was teaching some of the staff how to actually take pride in their work. On days off, my phone rang constantly. Upper management was unsupportive and unavailable. I was miserable.
I was also optimistic because a recruiter had a position that looked marvelous and I was excited to accept the offer. As a gm overseeing a market, bar and small dining room, I felt like this was a great fit. I expected to work with the cooks, the foh staff, and the guests/customers, as well. The cooks didn't want any direction from me. They would rather go to the corporate chef, who was always on campus, than go to me, who was their immediate supervisor. The FOH staff ignored any direction. The bartenders only wanted me when they walked away from their station for a break. No one would take any suggestions for improving the market. If I cooked something for the market place, the supervisor got angry because I wasn't in the front to ring up customers. If I stayed in the front to greet guests, the corporate chef got angry because the market wasn't stocked with enough food. It was a repeat of being brought on to manage a group that upper management said was too long unmanaged. Again, no support from upper management when my reports complained about following policy. Eventually, my position eliminated. Frankly, I never knew why they needed me in the first place. The corporate chef took the reigns of any issues the cooks had. A family member held the reigns of the market. All they needed was an hourly supervisor.
And now I'm facing rotator cuff surgery for an injury sustained at that job. Before and after the surgery I continued to search for a restaurant that Lou and I could run again. We wanted something that was back to our original plan - breakfast and lunch, no liquor, grab and go, salads, sandwiches, soups, pastries, great coffee, etc. Something we could do with a small staff. And we wanted to do it soon, while we still have the means to start it again. There were a few places that fit the bill, but we didn't get the pick. There werre some places that needed too much work, or were too big, or were too far. We even tried doing take out from a commissary style kitchen. Too much money, not enough return.
All along, I'm sending resumes out, but the sense of urgency was only felt by me. There were companies that would take 10 days to respond. There were some that I'd get to the third interview, after a month, only to not get the pick. There were positions I applied for that I held 15 years ago, and didn't get the pick. That's when I started thinking it might be my age. That hit me like a ton of bricks. I still don't think of myself as old... I started sending resumes out to NJ. I was getting lots of interest and lots of first interviews. When it came to where I was still living, it always ended the same way...call us when you get settled in NJ. 2 months of that, and it was finally obvious. It was time to go back...well, that, and spending a month on an interview with a company that would have kept us local, with a job I could have done with my eyes closed, that went to someone younger with less experience.
So, how do you find an apartment in NJ when you don't have proof of income....yet can't get a job in NJ because you don't live local? A phenomenal recruiter from Gecko Hospitality finally got the stars to align for me. Up in NJ looking at apartments , I got a face to face interview with the Exec Chef at IPIC in Fort Lee. Then a grueling video call with the Culinary Director (by the way...this was the most professional interview I've ever done. This man knows how to interview people). When they made an offer, I cried. My recruiter cried.
So, if you read all this, it's because you've watched it play out in real time. New Orleans stopped feeling right to us during covid. The 3 years since covid have been dreadful. Sure, there are lots of great memories, but it's hard watching the city pick itself up, and me not being able to find solid ground. We haven't been on vacation, other than a brief honeymoon, in 4 years. There hasn't been $$ to do any of the things we have grown accustomed to. I feel more angry than happy, and our health is starting to show the effects of being adrift.
Lou and I have made some wonderful friends here, we've been part of some beautiful events. I came here to follow my dream, which is more than most can say. I did exactly what I set out to do, and I did it well. My life is forever richer for what I experienced here. There will never be a way to properly thank everyone who was along for the ride, to mention all the people who held my hand when the world was crumbling around me. The love and support and encouragement that you all gave so freely to Lou and I will be cherished, always.
There's a line from the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes, that has always rung true, to me. Miss Ruth was a lady, and a lady always knows when it's time to leave.
Lou and I, and the 3 stooges will be in Hackensack, NJ in an area I've known my whole life. I'm close to my kids, again, my first husband, and the 4 seasons, the beautiful jersey shore, and 15 minutes from NYC. We are beginning a new chapter. Wish us luck!
Peace, Out.

Gorgeous handmade prep table, made by local NOLA craftsman. 60x25x36. $500. Must sell by Tuesday. Can fit in an suv

Univex pasta maker/ extruder , 8 bronze dies, $3000 or best offer. Must sell before Tuesday

Yes, I haven't posted anything in a minute. Hasn't really been anything to report. Lou and I tried to reboot Red Gravy by doing take out, only. To everyone who ordered, and ordered more than once, thank you. Your continued support has always meant the world to us. Unfortunately, the cost of doing business like that was close to running a brick and mortar, without the benefits of having seating, drinks, etc. It just wasn't feasible for us to continue. We came here in 2010 to open a restaurant. We did that, and we did it really well until covid. We moved and started doing really well, again, until Ida. At that point, with the equipment I didn't own breaking down, the courtyard smashed up, the wall leaking, and the walk in damaged, and the inability to find enough staff to keep it going the way we had done for 12 years, it made more sense to shut it, and look for something that worked, better. Since we closed in 2022, I took 2 positions here that didn't work out for a variety of reasons, but not for lack of trying. I got injured at one of those positions, and had to undergo rotator cuff surgery for two tears in my right arm. Rehab has been ongoing since this past May. Let me tell you, it's amazing the things you take for granted when you have two functioning arms. Lou and I have shown interest in 4 different locations around town in the past year. All of those places made us wait weeks and weeks and weeks before finally deciding to go with other businesses. Interestingly, 2 of those places still don't have any business in their spots. One had no real kitchen, another had crap equipment and was trying to list it as turnkey. Another didn't think an italian restaurant would be a good idea. We looked at 3-4 spaces, in addition to the ones we wanted to move forward with. Those were either too big, too small, or needed too much work. We were even going to change direction, completely...and return to what Red Gravy was like when we first opened, in 2010. That was a breakfast and lunch spot, with soups, sandwiches, omelets, salads and lots of grab and go.
Now, after 18 months with nothing real on the horizon, and the past 6 months recuperating and looking ahead to whatever the next step is, and sending hundreds of resumes, dozens of interviews, countless phone calls and emails, we've kind of hit a wall here.
I've been working since I was 16. I've been in this business since the mid 90s. To not have something to do has been life altering. Sure, I've been doing a few odd jobs here and there, and there were the two actual jobs, and I've been cooking for the community fridges, but I don't have real purpose right now. I'm floundering trying to find the next path. I've stripped the pink out of my hair over and over again. I've recertified my servsafe, I've taken courses on sexual harassment and work place biases, I'm reading everything that comes from the trade journals, I cook every ethnic food under the sun, at home. I'm as old as I am...and I can't change that, but that age brings 30 years of experience to team building and mentoring, patience and work ethic, and skills that a younger person just doesn't have. I don't need to run the show any more. I don't even want to. I did that already. Now, I just want to be part of something ethical, moral, and fair. I want to know that upper management has my back, especially when they want you to do the dirty jobs, the inconvenient jobs, the uncomfortable jobs - like enforcing policies and procedures, holding people accountable, and expecting the best from a team. I want to be part of something I can be proud of, something I want to get behind...and do my best, the same best I have been giving to this industry for 30 years. The best got me from being a cold prep person to sous chef, to executive chef, to director of dining services in 15 years...to owning my own restaurant; a space I couldn't possibly been more proud of. I wouldn't trade a minute of any of it, not for all the cake. I made some magnificent friends from staff members, people who will be my friends for the rest of my life. I've made magnificent friends from guests at the restaurant, people I have kept in touch with, and now can see socially. Wouldn't trade anything for that.
But now it's time to really let it go. I know we will not restart Red Gravy here, in New Orleans, or any version of it.
Looking ahead, I'm not sure where Lou and I, and Moe, Larry and Curly, will land. Could be, it's time to go home. We came here for an adventure. We surely had an adventure. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, from the very soul and spirit of me. Thank you for all you have done, all you've been, all you've meant to me, to us. Below is a picture of my grandparents, Rose and Gaetano. I sure do miss them.

Meatball pizzas going into tge community fridge. Most likely the Washington ave fridge

Bbq’d beans and franks over mac and cheese with tortilla napoleon going to Washington fridge this afternoon

I'm on jury duty for the foreseeable future.

We'll be adding cannoli to our menu again!!! Starting next week, you'll be able to add our homemade cannoli with sweetened ricotta filling to your orders!!

Jury Duty tomorrow!!!!!

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard!

Nick Mauer, Ken Swartz Thanks for joining us!!

I have a shrimp scampi, eggplant parm sandwich, and chicken parm sandwich that didn't get picked up. I made it 1 hour ago. Does anyone want it?? Let me know asap. Free, but you have to come get it.

Well I guess it was bound to happen eventually. Uber driver couldn’t figure out the pickup directions and rather than decline the order, the guy cancelled it. I have no way to reach the customer, and I have an $80 order sitting here. She’ll get a text that the order was cancelled and no explanation why.

EDITED TO ADD After speaking with Uber regarding this situation, the result is he is blocked from responding to deliveries from me. I can’t believe that a driver has the ability to arbitrarily cancel an order. Had he simply declined it, another driver could have come and made the delivery and both the customer and I would have been satisfied.

Hi folks!! for those of you (and you know who you are!!!) that love the Pasta Melanzane - layers of handmade pasta, fried eggplant, ricotta, red gravy, and topped with mozzarella - it only looks like you can't order it through UberEats or Toast. You can still order it!!! That particular dish takes a long time to prepare, about 1/2 an hour. When people place the order online, a driver is here to pick up in about 25 minutes, and they end up waiting. If you want to order the pasta melanzane, just dm me here, or call 504-374-1856.
Thank you!!

This!!!!!! And, naturally, now I'm hungry!

12 Etiquette Mistakes Everyone Makes at Italian Restaurants Eating bread with your pasta? That’s just one of the surprising Italian-restaurant etiquette mistakes you should avoid. The post 12 Etiquette Mistakes Everyone Makes at Italian Restaurants appeared first on Reader's Digest.