Posts from — July 2009

I just finished a trio of books on the restaurant business from the point of view of a restaurant critic (Garlic & Sapphires), a waiter (Waiter Rant), and a chef (Kitchen Confidential). Although each author gave a slightly different perspective on the industry, the one theme that stuck out among all three was this: there are a lot of really crazy people working (& eating) in restaurants. These people are not eccentric, not misunderstood, I mean certifiably, mentally ill.

Among the three books, my least favorite, and the one I think was the least well-written was surprisingly the one by a “professional” writer. “Garlic and Sapphires” by the former New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl was not so much about the food, but about the personas she had to generate to eat in restaurants without being recognized. It’s not surprising that when a well known critic walks into a high end restaurant and is recognized, the owner, staff, and cooks fall over themselves to make sure they receive a stellar review. What was a bit disturbing was the level of “profiling” that occurs the second a patron walks into a restaurant. Everyone from the maître d’, to the waitstaff, to the people who plate the food all gauge the level of service to how you look, how you talk, and who you are with. Overall, her stories about the characters and the restaurants are mildly entertaining, but overall I describe the book as rather average.

“Waiter Rant” and “Kitchen Confidential” on the other hand kept me turning pages and laughing the whole way. Although I’ve never worked in a restaurant (and never plan to) I can sympathize with “the waiter” (he never identifies himself in the book as he wants to keep his identity and those of his colleagues a secret) as can anyone who deals with the public in any kind of customer service capacity and has dealt with all manner of ungrateful, arrogant, and inconsiderate customers. I will say that I do have more respect for waiters in general, and I plan to be a little more thoughtful when it comes to tipping (though I still think it’s an archaic practice).

“Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain is exactly what the book jacket describes “adventures in the culinary underbelly.” Everyone hears stories of what happens behind those big metal doors, but I think people would be absolutely shocked by how crazy these guys really are. After seeing the kind of hours, the level of verbal abuse, and the working conditions cooks must endure, I can see why it takes a special type of person (on special types of pharmaceuticals) to prepare the food that makes it to your plate. Beyond all the debauchery, the drugs, the foul language though exists a unique fraternity of craftsmen who have the habits and the work ethic that many other vocations could really use; be on time, never call in sick, respect the chain of authority, and above all work as hard as you can to make your skills better. Great book. Highly recommended, though the language may put many readers off. Oh, and never eat seafood at a restaurant on a Monday, especially if it says “SPECIAL”.

Ten years ago today, Dianne made me the happiest man in the world. Other than the day I accepted Christ as my Savior, no other day has more significance to me than this one. On the one hand, ten years seems to have gone by so quickly, and on the other, some of our earliest memories after we were first married seem so long ago. I look back at pictures and wonder where those days went; you know the ones before the kids. We’ve experienced good times and bad, times when we had $50 to our names and times of plenty. We’ve had times of sickness and health, though Dianne never gets sick unless I’m across the country on business, then things get ugly. We’ve had the joys of having three wonderful children with one on the way, and we’ve experienced the sadness of having 3 miscarriages. We’ve moved from South Carolina, to Georgia, to Michigan, and to Pennsylvania. I am blessed to have such a wonderful wife to have supported me throughout all my schooling, moving away from friends and family, having to establish ourselves in new churches along the way, and yet Dianne never stopped supporting me. I just want to publicly acknowledge her now as the beautiful and wonderful wife that she is. Thank you honey. I love you.

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;” Psalm 127:3-5

I put this book on my “to read” list some time ago. I remember Thomas Sowell recommended it in one of his columns. In some ways I’m glad I waited until just recently to read it. “The Forgotten Man” by Amity Shlaes, dispels many of the myths of the Great Depression. In school I was always taught that FDR was the savior of the country as he led us out of the Great Depression and to victory in WWII. When one looks at his policies however, the reality is that they prolonged it unnecessarily. Though I have immense respect for any man who occupies the office of the President, I have to admit that I’m dismayed at how far FDR turned this country away from free market principles. What is so surprising is that it was obvious that the hands-off, small-government philosophy of Calvin Coolidge produced a booming economy; it wasn’t until Herbert Hoover started tinkering that things headed south. Roosevelt and his “brain-trust” did exactly the opposite of what they should have done. They modeled their policies after the Soviet Union and began to “experiment.” It didn’t matter what they did or how illogical it was so long as the people saw that the government was doing something. I couldn’t help but see the parallels to the philosophy of the current administration. Though most of the book got me really depressed, I took heart that gradually the American people started to see the errors in the ways of their leaders, and began to reject them. If it wasn’t for the uncertainty regarding the U.S.’s involvement in WWII, it’s likely FDR wouldn’t have won his third term. So for me, as I get frustrated as how the American people seem to be so lost in their admiration of the current President and his Marxist policies, I do have hope that Americans can and will come to their senses and return to the principles that make this country great: freedom, free-markets, and a small government that does only what is Constitutionally called for.