I now strongly believe that everyone should work in food service at some point. It is by no means a glamorous job (I had no illusions about that), and it is really hard work. It's a challenge in character, in memory, and in thinking on your feet. It's about learning to work as a team, not just with others. I jumped right into the high end food industry, into a restaurant that fancy magazines write about, where the chef combines odd flavors to make an amazing dish. It's been a joy to work there and get to know all of my bosses and coworkers. But there have been serious lessons.
1. It's not about the mistake, but how you respond to that mistake: One of my first tables serving by myself, I spilled an entire glass of red wine on a customer. Not white wine--red. Let me tell you folks, if you spill any color wine on someone, you want it to be white. I was extremely embarrassed, nearly to the point of tears, especially because I knew the family that was dining at the table. I felt terrible, which led to me forgetting to bring more napkins and new plates. However, the rest of the evening, after several more apologies, I was able to joke with my table about it. Even if you make a mistake, because those slippery buggers will slip into your day, just bounce back. Remember to smile and make the rest of the day/evening as lovely as possible, both for you and the guests.
2. Working hard never doesn't pay off: I've never worked in the food industry before. I've never served before, not really. I've occasionally assisted with a family friend's catering business, but that's not really the same thing. I'm also not familiar with the etiquette that comes with fine dining. Now, if I ever marry ridiculously rich and have to host a dinner party for the great minds of the future, I'll know which way the dessert fork is supposed to face. However, I like my bosses; I like the place I work, and I want it to succeed. So I worked hard to make sure I was good at my job. And my bosses noticed. They were often surprised by the fact that I've never served before. But I worked hard this summer, learned the ever-changing menu, and remembered to put a smile on my face whenever I served. It most definitely paid off.
3. Balance: Most of the time, I'm pretty good at balancing my life. Sometimes...but it is hard. And serving tables is just a reminder of that. We're not always an extremely ridiculous restaurant, especially on a Monday or Tuesday evening. But there are several nights where I've had three or four tables at the same time. You have to make sure you give each of them enough attention, refill their waters and ask for drink refreshers, be sure to clear in time and announce to chef that they're ready for their food. But you also have to read your table. Are they there to interact? Do they want to talk to you? Or are they deep in their own conversation or business deal and just want you to blend into the background? Then you know whether to be charming or just to make sure their water is magically full all the time.
Weird things I've learned:
- Martini glasses were invented in hell and are going to spill the contents if you look at them as you walk.
- The best way to cook okra is to pan sear it starting with a really hot pan.
- Pork Rinds with bearnaise sauce is heaven
- Make sure tea dispensers always have the handle on them.
- Cooks are some of the funniest people
I know that I most definitely do not want to work in food service. That's a fact. However, I do not at all regret my time in the high end food service industry this summer, and I'm definitely going to miss all the wonderful people that I've gotten to know and call friends.
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