re: Let's talk "insider" industry secrets

Worked at a lot of different places as a busboy, cook and bartender. Couldn't wait tables. That shite sucked.

Being the only white kid working as a bus boy with an all black bus staff from the projects really sucked when I was a kid.

Never spit in, or saw anyone else spit in, or otherwise do anything to anyone's food. I'm sure it happened occasionally, but it generally just wasn't done. But we'd microwave or deep fry a filet if it came back not well-done enough.

Worked at an uptown bar in the kitchen, and if some dumbass asked for his wings extra spicy, they'd be rolled in molasses, cayenne pepper, black pepper, tobasco and anything else we could find with heat.

Pot and coke were the norm pretty much everywhere. It was just assumed that everyone partied, and pretty much everyone did. Lots of safety meetings in the walk-in.

To this day I do not order catfish, amberjack or mahi in any restaurant (ecept catfish at Sparhs) and won't order any type of fish unless I am in a very nice restaurant, then I still usually get red meat.

The secret to good cheese fries is to melt with a heat lamp. Microwave makes the fries soggy, oven makes the cheese dry.