JLA executive chef John Borso and his staff have been hard at work all day in anticipation of feeding approximately 400 hungry guests tonight.

It’s already crazy here at Joe Louis Arena, and the puck isn’t scheduled to drop on the new season for another eight hours, or so.

Yet, here in the kitchen, next to the CC Olympia Club, preparations to feed 400 hungry guests is well underway under the watchful eye of JLA executive chef John Borso.

“We’re preparing a little bit more, because we like to start off with a nice, big bang,” said Borso, as he loaded a piece of Thai coconut salmon dipped in peanut sauce onto the end of a wooden skewer. “Opening night is always special to us. We always try to out do last year’s opening night with doing different things.”

On the menu tonight on the CC Olympia Club includes a prime rib, a raw bar with oysters on the half shell, and for dessert pink Breast Cancer Awareness cupcakes

What goes into planning a meal for 400 or so guests on a nightly basis?

“I’m always reading magazine articles that give me ideas,” Borso said. “The Internet has been – over the last 10 years – a great gift. We also have sales people, who come in and educate and sell us things that they want to promote. So there are all sorts of avenues that can go into planning.”

At the end of the day, Borso and his staff feel good when their guests can retreat to their arena seats and watch a Red Wings’ victory.

“Knowing that we just feed a number of people through our club, and knowing that everybody is happy; they’ve gone to the game and are enjoying the game, and everybody is full and having a great time,” Borso said, “that’s what makes me happy.”