Continuation

When your average person thinks of a cook or a chef they think of kitchens, stains, chef whites, pots and pans, heat, fire and sweating. The whole world of culinary doesn't live in an oven or on top a stove the entire time.
The art of Garde Manger. Cold side.
Now I know your thinking ahh well anyone can mix a salad together or do this and that that are considered cold side. But things do get complicated, and like everything there is technique to it all. When you make yourself a salad at home how do you do it? Slop some lettuce and veggies together in a big bowl, then clamp the pieces onto your dinner plate and douse with dressing? Not so when you go out is it? You have those pretty looking salads, that are so delicate yet contain so much depth to them. Height? Flavor? Seasoning? Basically your salads should always come to you in perfection. If not, send it back and request another that is damn perfect. I'm not really a big salad guy but I have received my fair share of crappy salads. A frisee salad that is nothing more than an over dressed hunk of frisee that hadn't been trimmed or destemmed, that's beautiful guys. Or hunks of stalk, wilted greens, cold salads that aren't cold?
Anyway, here's a little insert of some of the depth that is required to create even a simple fruit plate. For instance, I work at Lacroix, which is widely recognized in Philadelphia as a beautiful place. So, anyone can cut up some fruit and put it on a plate. Why would someone come to Lacroix specifically to get one? Well, they expect it to be perfect and amazing. So When asked to create an extravagant fruit plate for a VIP here's what I came up with.
Pitted halved cherries, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, Asian pear, peach, watermelon (yellow and red), grapes and grapefruit