Summer Has Officially Begun

Funny...  Yesterday I started a drab post about how there's been nothing to write about lately because it's been so slow at work.  I hadn't finished it yet because it was a rather dull post, mirroring on the whole theme of nothing to write about.  Fate saved me from that pointless banter, and ironically enough, tonight at work was busy and full of stories.  I deleted that spiritless post and am writing a new one, with a awaken motivation.

Tonight was a slow build to full blown chaotic mess.  Because it has been so slow, I wasn't mentally prepared for the hustle.  I really had to switch my brain from first gear to fifth.  At one point,  when I was in front of the computer, I had to take a deep breath and remind myself, "Okay.  Focus.  Breath.  Concentrate.  It's time to switch gears."  I finally got in my zone but I was still at a high stress level.  The San Diego summer season has officially begun. 

The stress wouldn't have been as bad as it weren't for management calling off a busser.  That's one thing that's really difficult to judge in a restaurant - how busy it's going to be.  If the reservation count is low and we've been really slow all week, cutting a busser seems like the right thing to do.  On the other hand, it is Friday night, and you just never know.  Well, they picked the wrong Friday night to call off the extra two hands we all could have definitely used. Clients were without waters for over 5 minutes or more - a huge no-no at a corporate fine dining restaurant.  Bread sometimes came after the first course.  Also a huge no-no.  But what could I do?  Hardly anything.  I was slammed too.  Of course I took waters out a few times when it was a total necessity.  But doing that also puts me back a few minutes on other important tasks I should be doing, like ordering food and drinks, or opening a bottle of wine, or presenting the dessert menu.  Anyway, we all survived.  But it would have been much easier with that extra set of hands. 

Tonight was filled with "transient" guests (we refer to transients as people who are travelers, non-San Diego residents, and anyone who is literally passing by on the boardwalk and have decided to come in and dine.  They are not a hotel guest, our normal, steady clientele (who might be at the hotel for a convention or meeting and have an expense account).  They are out-of-towners and are from all over the world.  These people are usually high maintenance, usually on a budget (low spenders and low tippers) and are, for the most part, usually clueless about the normal dining world; a difficult bunch, to say the least.

There were many stories from the evening that I could write about; however,  the most interesting story of the night comes from a young transient couple.  They were on vacation from Memphis, but the male was originally from the Caribbean (which explained why the slight breeze at dusk made him chilly, requiring them to switch to an inside table.)  He ordered a sweet tea, which obviously we didn't have.  This is not The South (it's amazing how many Southerners ask for sweet tea).  I gave him an Arnold Palmer instead (iced tea and lemonade.. of course I made his 3/4 lemonade, 1/4 iced tea).  The female simply requested water.  They were asking me for all kinds of different snacking foods that we don't offer on our menu.  I had to reiterate several times that the menu in front of them was all we had available at the moment.  I convinced them to order two of the most "Southern" items we had, fried spring rolls and crab cakes.  They enjoyed them.  They decided to order off the dinner menu next.  The male asked me about the Osso Bucco.  I explained to him that it was lamb, bone in, and what it came with.  He despised vegetables so I told him I could give him rice and potatoes if he wanted.  That seemed to work.  The female told me she just wanted "fish and rice".  Our menu is much more complicated than just fish and rice.  I gave her options of what we had available.  But her mind kept wandering to something completely different - the lobster pot pie.  I told her it was really good, but a heavier dish, including a pastry top, chunks of lobster, cream sauce, Boursin cheese and vegetables.  She kept asking me a million questions and she still couldn't decide.  The male told me to put his order in because he was starving and told me to come back to take her order because she needed more time.  Who does that?  They realized the timing of their meals was going to be way off, right?  In the meantime, they asked for more bread and butter.  Obviously.  As my section was starting to fill up, I got busier and busier.  After five minutes or so passed, the female began to stare me down, and I'm thinking, "This is why you order together people!" I eventually got over to the table and she still was confused.  I just told her to go for the lobster pot pie.  It's creamy, rich and delicious.  She commits.  Thank God.  The Osso Bucco was delivered and he seemed to like it.  About 15 minutes later or so, the lobster pot pie arrived.  Everything seemed to be going well.  I was working my other tables, juggling everything and in my zone.  Then suddenly, the couple stares me down again and gets my attention.  "Oh god, what now," I thought.  I walk up to the table and ask, "Everything okay?"  The female quickly responds, "Is there pork in this?"  My heart skips a beat.  I'm speechless.  Think!  I wasn't sure to be honest.  I reply with my honest answer.  She told me, "I don't eat pork.  I think there's pork in here. "  She pushed the pot pie away from her.  She's disgusted.  Appalled.   I asked her if she wanted a menu and order something else.  She said no.  The male, equally disturbed, asked to see the menu again and that he's ready for the bill.  Damn.  I cleared her plate and walked over to the side station.  "She never asked me specifically if it had pork in it," I thought nervously.  "Although if I knew it had pork, of course, I would have mentioned it."  Ugh. What a mess.  I immediately got anxious.  I felt so bad.  Is pork against her religion?  Is she going to go puke in the bathroom?  Oh god... I opened the menu and checked it out.  "Lobster, winter vegetables, Boursin cheese, linguica, puff pastry."  Ugh.  "Linguica."  I think that's Portugese sausage.  How did this slip my mind?!  Meanwhile, I had four other tables staring me down, ready to order, needing more drinks, ready for their check, and I was in the middle of a crisis!  My heart rate spiked.  I needed a manager.  Stat.  ASAP.  None were around.  Of course.  I had to continue working my tables, avoiding that particular table and it's nasty situation and all the while, keep my professionalism.  "Where is my manager?!  God I need him!"  I knew he would tell me to take the lobster pot pie off their check, so that's what I did.  I had to talk with them and bring them the check.  There was no avoiding it any longer.  Too much time had already passed.  I took off the pot pie, went to their table, apologized again, and hoped they had a great eventing (a bit of a moo point, but I am a professional, and that's what I'm required to to say).  I refilled their water again, smiled softly, and avoided eye contact until they left.

From this moment on, if someone asks me about the lobster pot pie, I will never forget to mention it the Portuguese sausage.   Ever again.

Sometimes, you gotta learn the hard way.  What a night.

At least it saved me from posting that hideous dull blog I was about to publish.