Month: November 2007

  • So Busted

    Damn them to hell. Damn their concerned puppy-dog expressions. Damn all line cooks who care. “RG, those fries are cold and old.” “So, I’ll eat them. I am starving.” “RG, no. Enough.” Enough? “I’ll make you a nice salad, like I did yesterday,” said the younger of the two. Enough what? “Yeah, you liked it,…

  • You Oughta Know

    Dear workaholic Owner who took me in as a feral stray and made my life so comfortable that I decided to stay on as a fat house cat, Thank God you are home. Seriously. I realize you need a break every now and then. And I hope you enjoyed it. But, who the hell was…

  • Food Groups

    Is wine considered to be a member of a food group–you know, fruit? Are fries more than just a greasy, salty starch? Could they be viewed as, say, a vegetable? If both of the above constitute the bulk of one’s daily intake, and on Tuesday one gorges out on heaping bowls of salad, can that…

  • Fields of Grain and Memories

    Dining out for this gal, as ridiculous as it may seem, is a literal quagmire of never fully answered questions: Should I eat this? Should I forgo that? Is the chef absolutely sure no flour is in that dish–not even a dusting? Did the server really ask? Do they even believe that my allergy to…

  • Working Gal’s Holiday

    It’s true, I had to work today, Thanksgiving. It is also true, I felt like I had the day off, for part of the day, anyway. I slept in. I got dressed when I felt like it, and I then went for a long, long run along the sidewalk that stretches forever along the beach.…

  • Thanksgiving Wonder

    My first call of the morning: “Hi, are you open on Thanksgiving?” “Yes, we are.” “Oh, can I order a cooked turkey–whole please–to pick up, and with all the sides?” You mean, like we are the local grocery store? “No ma’am, we don’t provide that kind of service on Thanksgiving, but I am sure Whole…

  • Psychic Fear

    Hope is the go-to charm, the point of it all, the reason to get up and do it all again. Hope, however, in reality, can be fleeting. It often caves in to fear. Fear, on the other hand, is a powerful force. It sticks around, even when you are ready to shove it very far…

  • South Floridians–The Weather is PERFECT

    South Florida readers, don’t hate me for this, but I have to enlighten you on one thing, and it is not about clothing styles, because I am kind of loving the freedom to wear whatever I please down here. No, I want to counsel you, instead, on this whole “I would love to live where…

  • Manager Gal, Sort Of

    Suddenly, I find myself working Monday through Friday, 10 to 5 or 6 or 7 p.m. I should be thrilled, right? This is every restaurant worker’s dream job, hours-wise. Ex-Restaurant Manger, please, close your eyes and ears to this post from this point on! Shhh. Don’t tell my GM. Don’t tell anyone. Everyone will think…

  • You Gotta Try…

    “RG, are those your friends sitting on 72?” asked one of the servers. “Yep, in from Philly for the weekend,” I said, shoving menus into the slots behind the podium. We have hired two hosts, and my multiple weekly doubles are numbered, but not quite over. “Are you getting off early to be with them?”…