I don’t know what I was afraid of; in fact, I don’t think it
was really even a fear that gave me the jitters before I went into my first day
at the new job yesterday. I think more than anything, I knew that this was an
opportunity of a lifetime, and I didn’t want to mess up what I could have for a
substantial portion of the next foreseeable future.
The Lafayette Club is a considerable jump from the work I
did at the Xcel Center, although I am grateful for the opportunity I had to
hone my knife skills while I worked there. I walked in yesterday with great
aplomb, and I believe I did well for a first day.
What I realized when I got there is that I am more familiar
with the inner workings of a kitchen than I remembered. At the Xcel, we
prepared and assembled a day apart, and all of the food I served at The Reserve
was produced through a TurboChef: a
glorified microwave. At Lafayette, we cook things from scratch, to order, with
quality ingredients. This has always been the formula for good food, and it is
nice to be back in an environment where quality seems to be of more importance
than speed or volume, although those are also prominent. Care is taken with
each plate as it is assembled by a team of artists who have a knack for making
things just right.
My schedule will be fairly consistent: Tuesday, Thursday,
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 2-11. It’s a lot of work, and it will call for
overtime in excess on occasion, but that is the standard for the industry and
if I can make it through the first 90 days, I will be entitled to a
comprehensive benefits package that is quite uncommon in the trade.
That said, I probably won’t be writing again for a while: it’s
time for another break. Summer is here, and I want to spend more of my time
outside, especially with my dog Willie who needs to get back into shape. I’m
not calling him fat, he’s just very heavy on top, and he has these tiny little
table legs that need to support all of the mass he’s cultivated over the long
winter. It’s been difficult for him to transition from being cooped up and
curled into a ball for a season, to going for walks and playing outside. He
likes it, but it’s not easy on his muscles. Poor little guy. He will get back
into peak physical form in no time. He will be more like me ;-).
So, again, I’m going to take a couple or a few weeks to
catch up on collecting material on which to write, and I’ll get back to you.
For you new readers and followers, especially whomever has been binge-reading
my blog from Russia, here is a link
to start from the very beginning—almost three years ago—and read about my
incredible journey from its inception.
Until then…
