Restaurant Gal

Month: September 2006

  • Blotter, Man

    If you don’t know what I am talking about, you are too young to be reading this. If you do know what it is, you were a pain-in-the-ass teenager, weren’t you? Not that I would know. One of the perks us cool managers get are these tiny parking stickers so we don’t have to pay…

  • Today, It Was A Very Good Year

    A year ago today, I ditched my first career and embarked on my second. A year ago today, Restaurant Gal Daughter began college at a school with which she would never fit, and was simultaneously diagnosed with a nasty mono virus. Then she got better and looked for another home away from home. A year…

  • Everything Happens for a Reason

    I got a phone message from my best sister-friend today. The girl who lives in Montana. The girl I grew up with and love and miss all the time and never see as much as close friends should. The girl I meet in Vegas every year. I think she called yesterday. Maybe in the morning?…

  • Mock Me

    Our first day of “real” mock service was, to say the least, an eye opener. I already know one host has to go. I am pretty sure one of the servers is history, maybe two. The food was unbelievable–that is, great. The FOH sucked–that is, my realm. No, we weren’t the worst we could be.…

  • Meeting the Significant Other

    We had our opening party last night. It went well. Incredibly well. I don’t know what percentage of our servers and hosts will still be working here in a month, but they were in sync tonight. I hope 80 percent of them hang in there with us. I’ll be thrilled if 20 percent last three…

  • You Know There’s a Story Behind That

    “Hmmm. What’s happening out there?” I smiled, watching a young couple on the sidewalk outside our restaurant. They were young 20-somethings. She hugged him. He twirled her a half turn. She lightly punched his shoulder. He laughed. She pouted. He pretended to walk away. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her. She hugged…

  • I Thought I Knew From Tired

    Once, I thought greeting, seating, and dealing with 750 guests during the lunch rush was tiring. Was that only three-and-a-half weeks ago? It feels like a lifetime away from today. Once, I pitied the poor managers (well, the managers I liked) who worked 10-hour days. Once, I swore I would never work nights. Never say…

  • Lest They Be Forgotten

    I loathe coffee in the afternoon Tea, sure. Not coffee. But now that 5 p.m. is merely the middle of a 12-hour workday, I am coming around to accepting that a full-on Cafe Mocha WITH whip and whole milk might just be the ticket. Of course, when you say you’re headed down the street for…

  • Birthing A Restaurant

    I have two kids. They are beautiful, talented, perfect children. Okay, they are beautiful and talented, and perfect in my mind. Older though they may be now, it seems like only yesterday that Mr. Restaurant Gal and I were excited, giddy parents-to-be. I would be the beautiful pregnant lady–every day of all nine months. I…

  • It’s Different For Girls

    Here’s the good news: The new place begins mock service in five days. Why is this good news? I will have something far more interesting to write about than my incredibly introspective, interesting, and insightful assessments of myself. That’s right–enough about me. I hit a low yesterday. I shared it in this blog. Then I…