Post 1 of 9 – Field of the Dream Series
Before I put a new dish on the menu, I usually have a quiet chat with ChatGPT.
Not to ask for recipes—I already know how to cook. But to think things through. To check food cost, cross-utilization, and whether it’s something my line cooks can execute fast, clean, and consistent.
Lately, we’ve added things like a Prime Rib Shaving Open-Faced Sandwich and a Cajun Fried Chicken Sandwich. Before any of those hit the board, I ran the idea through ChatGPT—not for permission, but for pushback.
Here’s what we talk about:
- How much prep does it take?
- Can I reuse existing ingredients?
- What’s the food cost?
- Is this just a good idea, or is it executable during a Saturday lunch rush?
Sometimes, ChatGPT gives me great input. Other times? Not so much.
There was one early suggestion where it told me to add soy sauce and vinegar directly into hot caramelized sugar. I didn’t even try it. I knew that was going to be a disaster.
So no—AI didn’t replace my experience. It still doesn’t.
But it did make the process sharper.
It’s like brainstorming with 20 versions of myself. One version says, “How about sweet heat?” Another asks, “Can we reuse the prime rib trimmings from Friday night?” A third goes, “How’s that gonna hold on the line?”
And I get to choose the best idea without wasting time.
AI didn’t replace my creativity. It multiplied it.
It took my instincts and made them faster. It made me ask better questions. It helped me zoom out, then zoom in on the part that actually matters:
Will this dish work when I’m not standing on the line?
Your Turn
Have you used AI to sharpen your process, not just shortcut it? Drop a comment and tell me. Or subscribe—next post, I’ll share how we used the same process to build a sandwich that’s now a Sugarbush favorite.
AI is like the Field of Dreams.
If you build it, they will come.
With AI, if you dream it, you can build it.