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How The Crew Breaks Bread Before Service At Railtown’s ‘Ask For Luigi’

  • Laying down the dough
    Laying down the dough
  • Ales blends together blueberries, pineapple, mint and blood orange
    Ales blends together blueberries, pineapple, mint and blood orange
  • The pizza starts with a generous layer of cheese
    The pizza starts with a generous layer of cheese
  • Edward begins making a mortadella pizza
    Edward begins making a mortadella pizza
  • Edward layers a healthy dose of toppings
    Edward layers a healthy dose of toppings
  • Matthew Morgenstern mixes his caesar salad tableside
    Matthew Morgenstern mixes his caesar salad tableside
  • Edward and Jean ­Christophe putting together a pizza
    Edward and Jean ­Christophe putting together a pizza
  • Edward divides up the pizza
    Edward divides up the pizza
  • Jean ­Christophe rings the dinner bell
    Jean ­Christophe rings the dinner bell
  • Ales pours everyone a glass of his daily smoothie
    Ales pours everyone a glass of his daily smoothie
  • Ales smoothie is a hit
    Ales smoothie is a hit
  • Staff meal is served family style
    Staff meal is served family style
  • A healthy and nostalgic meal
    A healthy and nostalgic meal
  • The staff keep it light before service
    The staff keep it light before service

Staff Meal is a new column by Ken Tsui. The photo essays will detail the stories behind the family-style meals that some of Vancouver’s busiest restaurant crews get either before or after service. 

by Ken Tsui | Before service, the team at Railtown’s Ask for Luigi rallies for their staff meal. Chef and owner Jean-­Christophe Poirier and cook Edward Jordan decide to nostalgic for their days together at Pizzeria Farina, Poirier’s sister restaurant. They begin by rolling out some tempered dough while general manager Matthew Morgenstern does his mise en place for a Caesar salad. In the back, Ales, a former dishwasher-turned-kitchen apprentice is on “smoothie duty”. He puts together a different fresh fruit smoothie every day in the chef’s bid for a healthier staff meal. Today, it’s a delicious melange of blueberries, pineapple, mint and blood orange. Within half an hour, a variety of pizzas are passed around, smoothies are poured, and the salad is mixed table­side. A strong sense of family pervades the room as the team takes a moment to enjoy their meal and each other’s company before the first tables arrive.

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