"bulka" > wrote in message
...
>
>> And cooking in a restaurant is *very* hard work...exhausting, in fact.
>>
>> --
>> Best
>> Greg
>
> One of my best jobs - midnight/breakfast cook at a Denny's kind of
> place. The dead times were very dead, then the rush - different
> orders of eggs on every burner, some stupid Crepes a la King, waffles
> with some fruit-colored crap out of a can, hash bowns. Did I put the
> sausage on the grill or in the deep fryer? Then some late/early drunk
> comes in wanting a hamburger or a monte cristo. Serioiulsy, the rush
> was a rush.
>
> Management was bad. I was the only one in the kitchen all night,
> then, in my egg frenzy, six strangers come in. Whatever. Tickets are
> up. Grab a pan. I'm gone.
>
> Don't know if I have the stamina now, but if the phone rang, I'd be at
> the diner within the hour. For free. For the buzz.


One of my first jobs was as a dishwasher at a Howard Johnson's and by the
time I was 16, I was a cook. "Working the grill" as they called it was like
conducting an orchestra and you were the only musician. The grill in front
of you, deep fryers and fridge/freezer right behind. Salamander up and to
the left over the gas burners and steam table, sandwich board, garnishes,
salads and other assorted cold stuff to the right.... under the clean
plates.

I always worked full shifts on Friday nights and Saturday (not school
nights). On Friday night, HoJo had their infamous "Fish Fry".... AYCE
flounder, fries and slaw for $1.29 pp. The Fryolators worked overtime those
nights.

I worked other kitchens after that and some jobs in the front of the house,
but that first job at the Howard Johnson's still brings back some great
memories.

George L