I am on a long stretch. It'll be sixteen days before I have a day off. Only four more to go. I should be writing and blogging and talking about my day endlessly. But, the reality is that I'm sick of work. I have more 'specials' going on that is reasonable. Seriously, an appetizer, two wines, two entrees, two desserts, soup and salad. There is more information being thrown at my tables than is reasonable. Everything seems to cancel out after their eyes glaze over before I'm done saying 1990 Jordan Cabernet from Alexander Valley.
To make it a bit easier to sell I have taken to breaking down the specials. I greet the table with the wine special return with the appetizer and entree specials and don't explain the soup or salad until their ordering. I always like things to say to a table but, this is a bit extreme.
I have a reputation for not liking children. Now, most of the noise I make about kids is just that... noise. Yes, my eighteen top that was made up of eleven kids was a little challenging for me. They kept leaving their seats to follow me around the table while I was taking other peoples orders to change the temperature of their steaks. Not to mention lemonades and Dr. Pepper refills.
I like kids. I do, They're interesting little half people. I just don't like that high pitched sound they make and the crumbs they leave and the part where they start swinging their arms and legs due to boredom of sitting at a table longer than their little bodies are capable of staying still.
On Monday I told my Chef I was thrilled to be back to work... again. I loved that every table was booked for at least a second turn. But, that my face still hurts from the Valentine's Day smile therefore I was taking a pass on the 'grin'. There's this thing that happens when I get busy the smile gets turned on and I forget to stop. When I'm really busy I grin endlessly for hours this of course makes my face hurt. I decided on Monday that there would be non of that. I wouldn't leave work with my face hurting.
This lasted until my first table ordered a glass of Berringer White Zinfadel.........
My face still hurts.
I had a table tonight that kept calling me Rosy. I really don't like it. To familiar somehow. But, they ordered well good wine, good food, paid attention to me when I spoke even the kid was well behaved.
In other news I've decided to go ice skating tomorrow. Haven't been since before I broke the leg, I think it's technically considered a winter sport, which... is forbidden by the well meaning orthopedic surgeon. I'm going anyway. I miss my 'girls'. I could really use a night with my cousin on her couch and a lunch with my best friend. We do this thing where we try to find a spot in whatever restaurant we go to that is as far away from children as we can get. Damn conversations never stay G-rated. I'm really needing that.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
One down one to go
I have to be at work in nine hours. But, here I am trying my best to wind down sometime before four in the morning. My sleeping habits are ridiculous.
The big boss was at work tonight when I got there. He came up to me said that he hopes my evening will go better than last night but that he was going to be returning in a few hours to check.
We were busy. Well over a hundred on the books to begin with. All five servers were on tonight, something that hasn't happened since New Years Eve. My tables were smooth, no issues aside from the new bread service that my little brain can't seem to remember half of the time. Good wine sells. I ended up decanting four bottles for myself and two for other servers. I had a British couple that loved everything. And I do mean everything. From my accent, which they thought was charming and sounded very much like I was educated, whatever that means. To the wine selection they asked me to make to the cracker things that are in the bread baskets.. It was one of those 'smile until your face hurts' kind of nights.
On and on it went. When nine oclock was coming around and I was just starting to think about getting started on sidework I had four new tables. One VIP and three deuces. Everybody was dining tonight, everybody was drinking. I think the holiday weekend is in full swing. Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit busier. I don't have a day off this week. Need to do some laundry.
For the record I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day. I would much rather get flowers on a Tuesday in January than on the one night a year when boyfriends, fiances and husbands everywhere are reminded weeks in advance that they have to remember to be romantic. So, for me it's not a big loss in my private life. As for professional me I love the holiday. It's packed full of deuces that are 'splurging' Everyone else has stars in their eyes, I see the stars in their eyes and think dollar signs.
The big boss was at work tonight when I got there. He came up to me said that he hopes my evening will go better than last night but that he was going to be returning in a few hours to check.
We were busy. Well over a hundred on the books to begin with. All five servers were on tonight, something that hasn't happened since New Years Eve. My tables were smooth, no issues aside from the new bread service that my little brain can't seem to remember half of the time. Good wine sells. I ended up decanting four bottles for myself and two for other servers. I had a British couple that loved everything. And I do mean everything. From my accent, which they thought was charming and sounded very much like I was educated, whatever that means. To the wine selection they asked me to make to the cracker things that are in the bread baskets.. It was one of those 'smile until your face hurts' kind of nights.
On and on it went. When nine oclock was coming around and I was just starting to think about getting started on sidework I had four new tables. One VIP and three deuces. Everybody was dining tonight, everybody was drinking. I think the holiday weekend is in full swing. Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit busier. I don't have a day off this week. Need to do some laundry.
For the record I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day. I would much rather get flowers on a Tuesday in January than on the one night a year when boyfriends, fiances and husbands everywhere are reminded weeks in advance that they have to remember to be romantic. So, for me it's not a big loss in my private life. As for professional me I love the holiday. It's packed full of deuces that are 'splurging' Everyone else has stars in their eyes, I see the stars in their eyes and think dollar signs.
Friday, February 12, 2010
About last night
The covers were at about twenty. I was annoyed at the four servers scheduled I wanted somebody to be sent home. My bad, seriously. Oops. We did almost ninety covers I had another eight or so bottles of wine sold. A lot of late tables and more than my share of middle aged men who 'had one too many at the show'.
For the record I don't actually think I've gone out to drink all ready drunk. Who does that? And then tells the waitress for two straight hours that 'Were not always like this' in that slurry martini soaked voice. Like I can't recognize plowed when I see it. Like your eyes opening and closing slowly while I'm presenting your bottle of wine doesn't register.
Most of the time I don't mind to much. But, I do warn the boss that I have a table that is a little over their limit in case their behavior switches from annoying, dismissive and obnoxious to the 'scary hostile drunk'. I have no faith in people to not flip that gin fever switch and suddenly start acting like a reality t.v. superstar.
One of the downsides of working at a resort is that there isn't necessarily an issue with people driving cars, therefore the justification for refusing alcohol service goes down quite a bit. Around here as long as your not puking passing out or making an ass out of yourself we'll pretty much allow you to continue your vacation uninterrupted. Sucks for me but, that's the way it is. I had quite a few tables like that last night.
Holiday weekend, I'm planning to make some money over the next few days I volunteered myself, sort of. To work the dreaded Sunday morning shift. But, with any luck it'll be worthwhile.
On a more personal note my private life is causing me no ends of frustration. I'm to old for 'boy confusion' To busy to deal with my baby brother and he's obnoxious behavior. I knew it was a mistake to return my mothers phone call. My cell phone is causing me issues, and I just want to get off of property for a little while. Breath deeply over a glass of wine with my girls that all reside hours away from here.
Have a Happy Valentines weekend everyone! Or like me 'break a leg' would be more accurate. Make money, be busy. Have a good time.
For the record I don't actually think I've gone out to drink all ready drunk. Who does that? And then tells the waitress for two straight hours that 'Were not always like this' in that slurry martini soaked voice. Like I can't recognize plowed when I see it. Like your eyes opening and closing slowly while I'm presenting your bottle of wine doesn't register.
Most of the time I don't mind to much. But, I do warn the boss that I have a table that is a little over their limit in case their behavior switches from annoying, dismissive and obnoxious to the 'scary hostile drunk'. I have no faith in people to not flip that gin fever switch and suddenly start acting like a reality t.v. superstar.
One of the downsides of working at a resort is that there isn't necessarily an issue with people driving cars, therefore the justification for refusing alcohol service goes down quite a bit. Around here as long as your not puking passing out or making an ass out of yourself we'll pretty much allow you to continue your vacation uninterrupted. Sucks for me but, that's the way it is. I had quite a few tables like that last night.
Holiday weekend, I'm planning to make some money over the next few days I volunteered myself, sort of. To work the dreaded Sunday morning shift. But, with any luck it'll be worthwhile.
On a more personal note my private life is causing me no ends of frustration. I'm to old for 'boy confusion' To busy to deal with my baby brother and he's obnoxious behavior. I knew it was a mistake to return my mothers phone call. My cell phone is causing me issues, and I just want to get off of property for a little while. Breath deeply over a glass of wine with my girls that all reside hours away from here.
Have a Happy Valentines weekend everyone! Or like me 'break a leg' would be more accurate. Make money, be busy. Have a good time.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Class
So, the new food and beverage director has begun our wine classes. Attendance is voluntary the first class was in my dining room on Tuesday. Here's a couple of things I learned.
1. The higher the alcohol content in a glass of wine the warmer the climate it was grown in. How do you judge alcohol content? You look at the viscosity (legs) on a glass of wine.
2. A greenish tint on a glass of white wine suggest a young wine.
3. Banding in a wine (various shades of color) suggests age.
Just a few things that I found interesting. So, you know the scoring that is given to wine from Wine Spectators. Yeah, there's no logic to that. It's just men sitting around judging a glass of wine like you would a wet t-shirt contest. I guess I wasn't so far off for ignoring those scores.
To end the class we had a blind tasting. Two bottles were brought out wrapped in tin foil and we all gave our impressions of the varietal, vintage and where it came from. For the record I nailed both of them with the exception of vintage. The first a California Chardonnay the second a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Here's why I love this. Hello, information folks. Learning the components on how to judge a glass of wine is fascinating. Being in a room when the subject of conversation is wine is fascinating. And surprise of surprises I have a pretty good palate.
Another tidbit I learned. Out of eight restaurants on property mine has the highest wine sales by a very large margin. When it was broken down by server I am the highest. How weird is that? And how kick ass, I'm not going to lie my ego is floating on air.
I'm going to love this!!
1. The higher the alcohol content in a glass of wine the warmer the climate it was grown in. How do you judge alcohol content? You look at the viscosity (legs) on a glass of wine.
2. A greenish tint on a glass of white wine suggest a young wine.
3. Banding in a wine (various shades of color) suggests age.
Just a few things that I found interesting. So, you know the scoring that is given to wine from Wine Spectators. Yeah, there's no logic to that. It's just men sitting around judging a glass of wine like you would a wet t-shirt contest. I guess I wasn't so far off for ignoring those scores.
To end the class we had a blind tasting. Two bottles were brought out wrapped in tin foil and we all gave our impressions of the varietal, vintage and where it came from. For the record I nailed both of them with the exception of vintage. The first a California Chardonnay the second a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Here's why I love this. Hello, information folks. Learning the components on how to judge a glass of wine is fascinating. Being in a room when the subject of conversation is wine is fascinating. And surprise of surprises I have a pretty good palate.
Another tidbit I learned. Out of eight restaurants on property mine has the highest wine sales by a very large margin. When it was broken down by server I am the highest. How weird is that? And how kick ass, I'm not going to lie my ego is floating on air.
I'm going to love this!!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Hot Spot
There are set stations in the Restaurant I work at. We all have our own tables that we work on a regular basis. Goose's station is something I refer to as the 'Hot Spot'. Basically the dining room is divided out into corners with the middle tables as one station. It's larger than the rest roughly seven tables with two of them being for parties for up to ten.
I hate the Hot Spot. Your tables are blocked off so you can't get a visual of your entire station without lapping the dining room. Not to mention that half of it is considered 'dead tables' Meaning the least desirable in the dining room, the last to be sat. So, when you are running an almost full station with large parties and everything fills up suddenly you have three new downs that are all mad that they can't have a window booth or have been waiting.
My normal station is the window booths and large wall booths. I would rather take the station I'm used to, comfortable with than other parts of the dining room.
On top of that I had a little four top in between my two tens and three deuces whose food took forever. I kept going to the window and looking at the line of chits there were six orders fired in front of mine.. damn it. damn it. damn it. I needed that damn order. I must have mumbled under my breath. 'jesus' which of course sent my sous chef off who called me a mealy mouthed bitch and told me 'fuck you too'. Damn embarrassing but there I am, waiting for the last of my plates trying my damndest not to cry. Not the 'wimpy girl you were mean to me tears' but the 'frustrated angry I hate my job tears'. I didn't... cry. Just for the record I didn't cry. Came damn close to it.
Followed up by my morning shift today I got there on time. The time Javiar put on the schedule. Which was off by half an hour. So, I was late... sort of.
Work again in a few hours. We will supposedly be busy.. maybe. To be completely honest I would rather be dead and have a little breathing room. But, business as usual. Life is feeling monotonous lately. At least as far as work goes. I have wine class on Tuesday, Monday off. Need to file my taxes. blah blah blah.
I hate the Hot Spot. Your tables are blocked off so you can't get a visual of your entire station without lapping the dining room. Not to mention that half of it is considered 'dead tables' Meaning the least desirable in the dining room, the last to be sat. So, when you are running an almost full station with large parties and everything fills up suddenly you have three new downs that are all mad that they can't have a window booth or have been waiting.
My normal station is the window booths and large wall booths. I would rather take the station I'm used to, comfortable with than other parts of the dining room.
On top of that I had a little four top in between my two tens and three deuces whose food took forever. I kept going to the window and looking at the line of chits there were six orders fired in front of mine.. damn it. damn it. damn it. I needed that damn order. I must have mumbled under my breath. 'jesus' which of course sent my sous chef off who called me a mealy mouthed bitch and told me 'fuck you too'. Damn embarrassing but there I am, waiting for the last of my plates trying my damndest not to cry. Not the 'wimpy girl you were mean to me tears' but the 'frustrated angry I hate my job tears'. I didn't... cry. Just for the record I didn't cry. Came damn close to it.
Followed up by my morning shift today I got there on time. The time Javiar put on the schedule. Which was off by half an hour. So, I was late... sort of.
Work again in a few hours. We will supposedly be busy.. maybe. To be completely honest I would rather be dead and have a little breathing room. But, business as usual. Life is feeling monotonous lately. At least as far as work goes. I have wine class on Tuesday, Monday off. Need to file my taxes. blah blah blah.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Winning Loser
My station was dead six top no-showed and my other tables were pretty boring. I had an old man who ordered the pork I set the plates down and turn around to grab a water pitcher when I come back he starts yelling at me.
"This plate is dumb you should tell your chef that he should let us choose between a vegetable or rice or something I don't want this."
I'm shocked ask him why he doesn't want his food and if it tastes bad he then tells me that he's mad that there are french fries on it which means the Chef put two kinds of potatoes on the plate. I look up at him and say, 'those are onion strings as a garnish'.
He loved the onions once he had put them in his mouth and thanked me for the suggestion three times.
I helped Ginger out with a wine order for her seven top. I pointed out the Mondavi I had served the night before the gentleman says 'yes, lets give it a try' the woman brushes his hand says under her breath 'Are you sure dear... she's kind of young'
Really? what the fuck? I bring the bottle over and set it on the table I know from last night that the corks are incredibly soft but the wine is just fine. She then insists that I pour tastes for three of them and they spend the next five minutes smelling it and trying to determine if it's corked or not. I finally grab a glass from the side table and pour a taste for myself. Tell them that it's actually really good and I'm glad they all ordered the beef to go along with it.
She then spends the next few minutes complimenting me on the fact that she's decided I'm not an idiot. Hmm... thanks. Thanks a lot.
Sometimes winning feels a lot like losing.
Beer class tomorrow something about showing us how beer is made and going through some general knowledge information. I don't know my beers.. the only beer I like is drinking my buddys Black and Tans at the halfway point when the harp and guiness mix together.
"This plate is dumb you should tell your chef that he should let us choose between a vegetable or rice or something I don't want this."
I'm shocked ask him why he doesn't want his food and if it tastes bad he then tells me that he's mad that there are french fries on it which means the Chef put two kinds of potatoes on the plate. I look up at him and say, 'those are onion strings as a garnish'.
He loved the onions once he had put them in his mouth and thanked me for the suggestion three times.
I helped Ginger out with a wine order for her seven top. I pointed out the Mondavi I had served the night before the gentleman says 'yes, lets give it a try' the woman brushes his hand says under her breath 'Are you sure dear... she's kind of young'
Really? what the fuck? I bring the bottle over and set it on the table I know from last night that the corks are incredibly soft but the wine is just fine. She then insists that I pour tastes for three of them and they spend the next five minutes smelling it and trying to determine if it's corked or not. I finally grab a glass from the side table and pour a taste for myself. Tell them that it's actually really good and I'm glad they all ordered the beef to go along with it.
She then spends the next few minutes complimenting me on the fact that she's decided I'm not an idiot. Hmm... thanks. Thanks a lot.
Sometimes winning feels a lot like losing.
Beer class tomorrow something about showing us how beer is made and going through some general knowledge information. I don't know my beers.. the only beer I like is drinking my buddys Black and Tans at the halfway point when the harp and guiness mix together.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Holy Wine...
I worked a double today. Something I haven't done in months but my sorry self woke up at six in the morning and got my butt over to the Sunday Brunch service. I went home at noon and tried to take a nap. By the way, can anybody nap? I have never been able to. I then went back to work at four-thirty. My first mistake was taking one of those five hour energy shots. People, I'm telling you don't do it. I never drink coffee or at least I haven't since I gave up my two hundred dollar a month Starbucks habit. I have maybe two soft drinks a day my body just isn't acclimated to jolts of caffeine. I had the shakes like you wouldn't believe.
For some reason Javiar decided to take me out of my 'home' We all have our own stations. Old Dog is against the wall, Goose is always in the "hot spot" a station I named after working it on her days off. It's the middle of the dining room all of the tables are split up so you have to circle the entire dining room to get to all of your tables. It is a bitch. Annette is always at 'The Top' the six tables closest to the line, I am always at the 'windows and wall' Two large booths that can fit up to six people the two most popular booths against the windows and the row of middle tables that fit large parties.
Tonight I worked the 'Wall'. I had a slow start. My five top turned into a six so they moved into one of Goose's tables but I kept them. She then took a 'three top' for me to even things out.... at least in theory. They went straight to my 94 Silver Oak. Javiar is running special wines to help clean out the massive cellar on property all bottles that are at least ten years old that have less than a case. At ridiculously cheap prices all of them are a hundred dollars or less. My six top had two Silver Oaks at a hundred dollars a piece the corks were incredibly soft it was a miracle that they didn't crumble in the bottle completely, or a sign that I'm pretty good at opening wines.
As soon as I got the first Silver Oak on the table my four top decided on the Barton and Gustier an eighty dollar bottle before I could get that bottle out I was sat with a four top that wanted to start with the seventy dollar bottle Sangiovese and then I had a deuce that held me hostage until they came up with the 88 Raymond Reserve and then I was sat with a three top that immediately went for the seventy-five dollar bottle of Whitman. I was sitting with four wine presentations. Three tables that needed to order two of which I hadn't had a chance to 'special' My six top had first courses that needed to go out and my four top needed to be cleared of first courses and 're-silvered' for entrees.
I was bombed.
Somehow every table that I had was in good spirits everybody was dining and had at least three courses, the usual.. I needed bread here, water there, taking an order and wine pours. Javiar wants to know as soon as he can seat my last table, my sous chef is yelling at me over a fire that I swear I didn't do. Then as I'm replacing my house wine glasses with Bordeaux one of them bumps into another and shatters into the palm of my hand.
I stood there for a minute I can hear my boss yelling at me "are you cut?" I took off into the bathroom to wash the shards of glass away without digging into my palm my sous chef is hollering "she better not be hurt were busy here". I ended up with small paper cut like slices along three of my fingers and the palm of my hand. I bandaged them up as best as I could and went back to my station I made it through the night, somehow. I ended up selling a little over seven hundred dollars in wine. Half of the 'by the bottle' sales. Good for me!
I think I'm going to superglue my hand tomorrow the band aids are a pain in the ass they fall off every two hours.
For some reason Javiar decided to take me out of my 'home' We all have our own stations. Old Dog is against the wall, Goose is always in the "hot spot" a station I named after working it on her days off. It's the middle of the dining room all of the tables are split up so you have to circle the entire dining room to get to all of your tables. It is a bitch. Annette is always at 'The Top' the six tables closest to the line, I am always at the 'windows and wall' Two large booths that can fit up to six people the two most popular booths against the windows and the row of middle tables that fit large parties.
Tonight I worked the 'Wall'. I had a slow start. My five top turned into a six so they moved into one of Goose's tables but I kept them. She then took a 'three top' for me to even things out.... at least in theory. They went straight to my 94 Silver Oak. Javiar is running special wines to help clean out the massive cellar on property all bottles that are at least ten years old that have less than a case. At ridiculously cheap prices all of them are a hundred dollars or less. My six top had two Silver Oaks at a hundred dollars a piece the corks were incredibly soft it was a miracle that they didn't crumble in the bottle completely, or a sign that I'm pretty good at opening wines.
As soon as I got the first Silver Oak on the table my four top decided on the Barton and Gustier an eighty dollar bottle before I could get that bottle out I was sat with a four top that wanted to start with the seventy dollar bottle Sangiovese and then I had a deuce that held me hostage until they came up with the 88 Raymond Reserve and then I was sat with a three top that immediately went for the seventy-five dollar bottle of Whitman. I was sitting with four wine presentations. Three tables that needed to order two of which I hadn't had a chance to 'special' My six top had first courses that needed to go out and my four top needed to be cleared of first courses and 're-silvered' for entrees.
I was bombed.
Somehow every table that I had was in good spirits everybody was dining and had at least three courses, the usual.. I needed bread here, water there, taking an order and wine pours. Javiar wants to know as soon as he can seat my last table, my sous chef is yelling at me over a fire that I swear I didn't do. Then as I'm replacing my house wine glasses with Bordeaux one of them bumps into another and shatters into the palm of my hand.
I stood there for a minute I can hear my boss yelling at me "are you cut?" I took off into the bathroom to wash the shards of glass away without digging into my palm my sous chef is hollering "she better not be hurt were busy here". I ended up with small paper cut like slices along three of my fingers and the palm of my hand. I bandaged them up as best as I could and went back to my station I made it through the night, somehow. I ended up selling a little over seven hundred dollars in wine. Half of the 'by the bottle' sales. Good for me!
I think I'm going to superglue my hand tomorrow the band aids are a pain in the ass they fall off every two hours.
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