The VD day from hell...

Why? Because simply put it was your typical Valentine's Day of lovers in love, a kitchen filled with hate, and a server filled with the anxiety of a bad dream that never ends, only extended further with the entrance of every incoming table.

As typical, the night started off fine. Everything was going according to plan--how can it not when you have only about 4 or 5 tables.. When it turns into 15 to 20, things get hectic.. when you have fellow co-workers that don't necessarily pull their own weight it gets a lot worse.

Kitchen was short-staffed but the one cook pulled it off.. at one point she had over 5 lobster tails in one oven along with 15 steaks, 4 flounder dinners, and at least a dozen appetizers. For one person, a few burned crab cakes wasn't a big deal in my mind..

The worst part of the night was the fact that a 100-person wedding was taking place at the same time Valentine's Day dinners were coming out of the kitchen slow and curious..

And just when I felt the night had run its course and the worst was over.. the mashed potato incident took place.

A customer said his potatoes were cold.. which there was a good chance they were due to me not getting them out as quick as I should have.. I brought more out, this time they were steaming.. He said.. "Nope, still cold" as he stuck his finger directly into the middle of the plate..
Ok..
Back to the kitchen, back out again.. This time, he told me, "They're hot, but there's gravy on them." .. Keep in mind there was gravy on them each other time I brought them out..
Ok..
Back to the kitchen, back out.. (About now is when other servers began talking and whispering about ME for not cleaning my table tops off!)
This time when the potatoes came out, he told me he didn't want them .."Done with dinner, don't want them."

I said to him, "You realize, sir, you're doing this whole thing about mashed potatoes, right?" No response.. I felt like beheading him with my serving tray..

But that incident topped off the already hectic night.. The timing was impeccable.

A few nice tables.. and all in all, just another night. Shared by thousands of servers throughout America.

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NOOOO!!!!! THEY'RE COMING IN IN TWOS!

Here we are again.. Valentine's Day dinners for two coming your way tonight.

Busy restaurants even during recession.. snobby couples that want their turf medium rare and their surf juicy with a side of hot butter..

You can always spot the different types of couples in the crowd on Valentine's Day. The newer ones are dressed nice, want the classy and elegant bottle of wine.. the older ones want chicken wings, pizza, or beer and margaritas.

There have been legendary 'bastard' tables in my recollection, and I am sure you're no different.. Valentine's Day is one of the busier nights for restaurants throughout the nation, and there are most likely horror stories that come from all over. . If you want, Email me your horror stories and I will put them here--minus your name and personal details of course.. And if I have any horror stories from later, I will share accordingly.

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Peanut butter jelly time -- just hold the peanut butter

Full list of the ever expanding peanut butter recall.

Another note: There is now a criminal investigation into the Georgia plant where the peanut butter products originated from ..

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Where are all the restaurant layoffs at?

Where are all the restaurant victims of the economic disaster hitting the United States and world?

Why isn't Red Lobster announcing layoffs.. Servers at Olive Garden still appear to be safe.. People still going out to eat? You'd think if they weren't shopping or buying cars, they would not be buying food either..

That OR the lives of servers just don't matter as much.. The small restaurants scaling back hours and pay in exchange for survivable business profits don't make news. But it's happening.. There are eateries with a hell of a lot less business than there would have been a year or two ago..

As the drumbeat of bad news continues, a word to the wise: Restaurants will soon start taking a major hit.. Who will be safe?

For some reason I bet drive-by coffee sales trucks and sidewalk hot dog vendors.. Only the cheap survive depressions..

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January slowdown...

It's slower at all restaurants in January, that we know.. But is it even slower this year because of the economic turmoil facing the nation? Are people going to stop eating?? I think that's a complicated question..

For one, people will eat. They may not go to restaurants as much, but they will eat. Catering will still continue--funerals and weddings don't end because of a recession.

But in my mind we may see a turn back to local homegrown and home cooked food. Goodbye to the chains---besides of course the fast food that will never die in America..

Ii think there will be a realignment in people's minds of what's important and what matters...

There will be a cutback.. Smaller places will thrive if they price their food right.. I think food truck will do good, too.

I may be talking nonsense.. but the economy makes that happen. Things are pretty bad.

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Green steaks.............

Had a pretty bad experience tonight at a local grocery store. It started great though! Steaks were on sale, I bought a few and thought, 'hey this will make a great dinner' .. How wrong I was.

The steaks were green! Green!! I tell you! Green!

But really, who else out there experienced a situation where, *cough*, the restaurant you work at would have STILL served those steaks? I mean.. they weren't all green, and after all when the steak gets grilled you'd have a pretty tough time seeing the discoloration. Right?

I'm leaving the store unnamed for a few reasons--but mainly because as soon as I took my discolored meat back they allowed me to have a choice between new meat or new money. I chose the meat, only because I was hungry for some bloody iron tonight..

But.. if I went to a restaurant and that steak was green.. how would I have known? And, don't tell me it doesn't happen............................

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We've all been here before..

True and funny tale of lunch with the blue-haired ladies.. Who doesn't have a story similar...

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Bad wings and breasts: Hooters does the unthinkable..

In an age of business closings and restaurants failing? Hooters make s a profit..

Sex sells. And they mix it with alcohol. Apparently, in 2008, a winning combination..

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Harrisburg PA Chuck E Cheese fight WAS posted on You Tube

You Tube giveth.. and taketh away.

Harrisburg PATRIOT NEWS reports that the video is getting hits..

BUT.. the video has already been removed by user shamokincutiepie...

Comments on the Shamokin Cutie Pie's site are requesting that the user put the video back up..

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Some might say .. this will be a better year

I am going to take a quick break from food and restaurant posts for a thought on a new year, and the previous holiday season..

I read an article that people under the age of 70 will consider 2008 the worst year of their life--this based on the economic crisis that is facing the nation, and the world. Of course some I listen to seem to believe that 2009 could be as bad as 2008..

Nonetheless, it got me to thinking.. 2008 was the worst year for people? The same people that have homes lined with Direct TV cables ..? The same houses that have XBOX's and WII's hooked up to their downstairs wreck rooms? The same people that take summer vacations, eat daily at restaurants..? The same people that waste their food, and often waste their money on needless things?

I am not judging. I have a WII. Got it for my wife for Christmas.. we love it. But we understood the consequence: It's going to be a bill to pay back.. So many people "under 70" don't get the concept that they have to pay for things they purchase.

I am going to school, have loans. I will be paying them back until I am in my grave.. and then they may even send my casket an invoice.. But I understand the benefits my education "hopefully" will bring.. and I sacrifice.

People under 70 may think 2008.. but what if 2009 is worse? What if we continue down our endless credit lifestyle? The kind where we think the money is there even though it can quickly turn into meaningless paper? The FED can print all they want.. It will not save the average American if things truly turn south..

So.. As I enjoy my day off from work, and while I'm on winter break from school.. I am going to hook up WII tennis and hope that 2009 turns out better than last year. Because I'm under 70.. and I really didn't think 2008 was all that bad...

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