It's conversations like these that make me think that even though we are stereotyped as the irresponsible gang of boys and girls who never want to grow up, career restaurant workers are closer to reality than the "real" people: the nine-to-fiver's and the commuters, the housewives who secretly hate their lives, and the like. And who the hell says that to someone?
I will be the first to admit, it is not the field for the faint of heart to enter without warning . You start by "paying your dues", which in management, means you work the shifts that senior management does not want. My first management job was around 90 hours a week over a 6 day week, and I was responsible for exciting projects such as the hostess schedule and loss prevention. One also must be nocturnal, able to walk in uncomfortable shoes for 12 hours at a time, deal with irrational people without becoming irrational themselves, tolerate their employees ever-so-dramatic lives, do their employees payroll without becoming disgruntled, and sit thru meetings with upper management often telling them they are not doing any of the above correct.
Take a female service manager in a resort town for example. She is probably college-educated, speaks at least one second language, and probably travels in Europe and skis in Colorado, in between seasons. She mostly likely didn't start into college with the goal of working in a restaurnat, perhaps she interned with MTV or spent a year after college doing zip-line tours in Costa Rica while "finding herself". She owns a car that is paid for and a townhouse in a metropolitan area or a condo in another resort town. Day-to-Day though, She is much like a conductor in an orchestra; She stands in the shadows and directs service, planting birthday candles in desserts and dropping 3 K diamonds in glasses of Veuve Clicquot for engagements. She spends more on her dry cleaning bills than She pays in Federal taxes, and She is dressed nicer than most of the guests in Her dining room. She stands back and gives credit to Her staff for great service, until a situation heads south and then steps out and takes blame for anything that went wrong, from not having a black napkin available to a gluten intolerance.
Now, the Chef. The Chef is in the back, behind the scenes chopping, dicing, sauteing, pureeing, and carving out the amuses, appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Most Chefs in resort towns feed about 200+ adults a day in each meal period (bearing in mind 3 days weekends, holidays, etc...). I have worked in many restaurants in 10 years, and have seen Chefs that I had to pick up every morning to ensure they worked and Chefs who arrived on their own at 5 am; Chefs who prepared "family meal" of potato chips and Macaroni and cheese to Chefs who would prepare anything I wanted for dinner; Chefs who refused to speak to you during service and Chefs that insisted you communicate guests needs; and Chefs who would scream at the top of their lungs while flinging china and hot broth to Chefs who never raised their voice, regardless of how bad their ship is going down around them. Your Chef probably spends his time off doing staghs with other Chefs. This is when they go work in other kitchens to learn a little more from their colleagues in the industry [like Jeremy from TOPPER's coming over to work with me for a night]. I know Chefs who go to France, Carmel, New Zealand and New York for even as little as a week at a time to experience another kitchen. And your Chef is most likely fluent in Spanish, Portugese and speaks certain dialects of Creole French and other Carribean languages that are necessary for him to communicate with his staff. In addition, these guys are not the freshly shaven baby-faced waitstaff that female service manager is working with. His staff is a rough and tough band of misfits with names like Pinch, Big D, Heavy and Flava Flav....they are the people who have been hand selected by the Chef to work on the line. Only in fairy tale restaurants like French Laundry is there a line of CIA grads behind the line (and as a note, those guys work for free, just for the experience). These guys and girls are the backbone of the restaurant, as you certainly will never see Female Service Manager and Wine Director in the back preparing your meal.
As for me, the tiny scratches on my hands from opening wine caps, the calused thumbs from hot plates, and the ability to watch people without hearing them and conclude their mood and attitude have proven to me that I have made "something of myself", regardless of what that friend on the beach said that hot July day. And while the grass may always be greener, and I occassionally envy those folks who are driving home from work around the time I am feeding my bartenders Advils for their hangovers and unloading a palatte of Bud Light, the Industry has a hold of me and won't let go.
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