Kitchen Words: 86, Par, Mise en Place and More

Kitchen words

Plain words for the things you hear on a line. Each one has a short answer first, then a few more sentences, and a link to a longer post where we have one.

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4-top

A 4-top is a table for four guests.

Hosts and servers use it to talk about seating. A deuce is a table for two. A 6-top is a table for six.

86

86 means you are out of something.

A cook says “86 the salmon” when the last portion is gone. The dish stays off the menu until someone says it is back. Servers need to hear it fast, so they stop selling it.

86’d

86’d describes food that is out right now.

If the salmon is 86’d, you cannot sell it. It may be gone, or it may not be good enough to serve. It stays 86’d until the chef says it is back on.

A

All day

All day is the total number of one dish across every open ticket.

If the call is six salmon all day, six salmon are on the tickets right now. Cooks use it to plan the next batch. It adds up the tickets so nobody has to count them by hand.

B

Back on

Back on means a dish that was 86’d can be sold again.

A cook says “salmon is back” or “back on” when more arrives or the count was wrong. Take it off the 86 list at once. Then tell the servers, the same way you told them it was gone.

Behind

Behind is a warning you call out when you walk close behind someone.

Cooks say it so nobody steps back into a hot pan or a knife. You say it out loud as you pass. The other person says heard, or stays still.

C

Comp

To comp something is to give it to a guest for free.

A manager usually decides when to comp a dish, often to make up for a mistake or a long wait. The kitchen still cooks it. Write it down so you can see why it happened.

Corner

Corner is a warning you call out when you turn a blind corner.

You say it so you do not crash into someone who is carrying something hot. Say it loud and say it early. Kitchens often use it together with behind.

Covers

Covers means the number of guests you serve.

A kitchen might say it expects a number of covers tonight. That number helps plan prep and orders. One guest is one cover, even if they order a lot.

D

Deuce

A deuce is a table for two guests.

Servers and hosts use it when they talk about seating. A 4-top is a table for four. You might hear someone say seat a deuce at table nine.

Drop

Drop means to lower food into hot oil to cook it.

A cook may call drop fries when an order needs them. Then the basket goes down and the timer starts. Kitchens vary, so learn how yours uses the word.

E

Expo

The expo is the person at the pass who checks plates before they go out.

The expo makes sure each plate looks right and is complete. They call tickets to the line and tell servers when food is up. In a small kitchen, the chef often does this job.

F

Fire

Fire means start cooking a dish now.

The chef calls fire for a table when that table is ready for its food. The cook says heard and starts. The dishes for that table should come out together.

First in, first out

First in, first out means you use the oldest food first.

When new food comes in, move the older food to the front and put the new food behind it. Labels with a use by day make it easy to follow. It helps keep food from going to waste.

H

Hands

Hands is a call for an extra pair of hands.

A cook may call it when they need help at a station. In some kitchens, the person at the pass calls it to ask for someone to carry plates. Kitchens use it in different ways, so learn how yours does.

Heard

Heard means that you heard the message and you got it.

A cook says it back when the chef or another cook speaks. In a loud kitchen it shows the message landed. Some kitchens say heard, chef and some say yes, chef.

I

In the weeds

In the weeds means you are so far behind that you cannot catch up alone.

Too many tickets come in and the cook falls behind. A good cook says so early. Then the chef can send help or slow the orders down.

L

Line check

A line check is a quick walk down the line before service to see that every station is ready.

Someone looks at the food, the labels, the tools, and the cleaning. They write down what is short. Then it gets fixed before the first ticket.

Line cook

A line cook is a cook who works one station on the line during service.

A station may be grill, saute, fry, or cold. The line cook preps for that station, cooks the orders, and keeps it clean. The chef leads the whole kitchen.

M

Mise en place

Mise en place means having everything ready and in its place before you cook.

You gather your food and tools, cut and portion, and set up your station. Then service goes faster and smoother. Cooks often just say mise.

O

On the fly

On the fly means a dish is needed right now, out of order.

It might be a remake, or a guest who is waiting. The cook drops what they can and makes it first. Saying it out loud tells the whole line that this one jumps ahead.

P

Par

Par is the amount of an item you want on hand when the next delivery arrives.

You set par from how much you use and how many days are between trucks. Add a small cushion. Count what you have and order up to par.

Plate cost

Plate cost is what it costs to make one plate of a dish.

You add up the price of each part on the plate. Then you compare the total to the menu price. Trim and yield change the cost of each part.

Prep

Prep is the cooking and cutting you do before service.

Cooks chop, mix, braise, and portion so the line can move fast. A prep list says what to make, how much, who makes it, and why. Prep is done before the doors open and between rushes.

T

The pass

The pass is the shelf or window where finished plates wait for servers.

Food is checked here before it goes out. Tickets often hang or show above it. It is where the kitchen and the floor meet.

Tickets

A ticket is the paper or on-screen order that tells the kitchen what to cook.

It lists the table, the dishes, and any changes, like no onions. Cooks read the ticket and call it back. When the food is done, the ticket is cleared.

Trim

Trim is the part you cut off and do not use.

Think of onion skins, pepper stems, and extra fat. Trim is why the food you buy costs more than the food you can use. Some kitchens save trim for stock.

W

Walk-in

A walk-in is a cold room big enough to walk into.

Kitchens keep produce, dairy, meat, and prepped food in it. Labels and zones keep it from turning into a puzzle. Check your local health department for the rules in your area.

Weeds

Weeds is a short way to say you are in the weeds.

A cook may say they are in the weeds, or just say weeds. It means too many tickets and not enough hands. Say it early so the chef can help.

Y

Yield

Yield is the part of a food that you can actually use.

You lose some food to peeling, cutting, and cooking. If you buy a case and can use only part of it, the part you use is your yield. Cost the part you can use.

Want to see it work? Try the demo. Or read the kitchen notes.

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Kitchen words