So who's looking forward to Gordon Ramsay's newest show?

Hopefully he won't yell and scream too much..

I'm still alive..

I found out recently I'm going to be a father..

I'm still at Schmuckraker.com..

I also can be found on Coalspeaker.com

And yes, I'm still around Soup on my Fly.. More work on weekends coming up, more blog postings in the pipeline.

Stay tuned.

...Coal fired pizza..

..not all that it's cracked up to be. I expected more...

One of those days...

...Found out that an event of some type is occuring next Saturday, which (if I end up working) will be the 5th consecutive Fourth of July weekend I worked in a row.. It's my favorite holiday, too.. oddly enough, and I get confused faces when I tell people, it is really my favorite holiday, followed by Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas.. There is something magical about the celebration of our country.. seeing fireworks bursting in the air over a nation of peace (....well... I guess, but that's a whole other blog posting..).. However this year, again if I don't call in sick, I'll be working. Inside. No fresh air.. no sunlight. No fireworks and adult beverages..

I always wondered why people would choose the inside of a restaurant for a family reunion on a major holiday in which most people cook out. Why would people opt for stuffed chicken breast and heavy mashed potatoes and gravy as opposed to hot dogs, hamburgers, and watermelon..? Why would someone pick cake over ice cream..? Or soup over salad..? On the hottest holiday of the year with fireworks over skies at night. . .

...I think I've decided: I'll be watching fireworks this year.

Experienced hands..

Stopped for a six pack of Labatt Blue after a long day of work and a night of school.. while in the bar, the cashier was prepping wings. Ok, I get it. It's a bar.. it's not going to be clean, it won't be nice.. it won't be proper, and far be it from me to judge... my wife is in London right now and the shape of the house is less than perfect. I'd say the house of more bachelor. I love my wife, though, so it will be spotless in time for her arrival home next week.
That being said... the cashier was prepping some jalapeno fries while I waited to get checked out. He proceeded to put his hand directly into a jar of spicy toppings--glove less--and then came over without hesitation and took my money, bagged my beer, and went back to creating his meal .. If only the patrons knew where that hand was.. but would the patrons care?

Before I left I was going to order wings. After I saw this I walked out and bought a frozen dinner at the store next door.......

And even the Labatt Blue is going down less than smooth..

...THE FIRST WEEKEND OF SUMMER.. AT WORK

I had a sneaking suspicion in the back of my mind that people would come in for the Sunday buffet.. Head waitress said, "nah," no worries.. she thought she'd be out of the job by 2pm.. easy money.. Who wants a brunch buffet when the sun is shining and the weather is warm!? Who wants to be stuck inside a restaurant with outdated decor when there is a world to eat up outside!? ... about 100 people, that's who..

Regardless of whether or not it's the first weekend of summer, or winter for that matter, the simple restaurant rule to adhere to: Never assume. Never think no one will show, so only set half the tables instead of all of them.. never make half a bowl of salad instead of a full bowl.. never just skimp on the plates on the buffet because, who in their right minds will come in..? And cooks: Never assume you only have to make half the food you have in stock just because it's sunny and warm.

In the restaurant world, the thing you are the most unprepared for will happen first. Don't have shrimp left in the house? You'll get half the house ordering shrimp scampi.. Out of rare prime rib?? The very next table you wait on will have 5 people that want rare prime rib. In the world of the food business, the customer is always right.. And the server never is.

So .. next Memorial Day, safe yourself the agony of an insane rush to set tables, get more salads, cut more dessert, and make more food.

And last, but now least *and maybe the most important* .. Owners: Don't call the dishwasher and tell him not to come simply because families will be enjoying picnics and families........ it's brunch. There's plenty of time for a picnic later. But during brunch, chances are they'll be at your buffet..

MOTHER'S DAY WENT GREAT..

NO COMPLAINTS. I can't believe it. It was smooth as could be.. And I really don't know why.

....THE CALENDER DOESN'T LIE..

It's almost Mother's Day..

A restaurant review.....

...I tend to leave the names of the places I eat that I review nameless. I almost named the one tonight because of how disappointing it was.. For a few months, I wanted to eat there.. Heard some good about it, some bad too.

So why not try it out. And after a particularly bad day at the full time job, a steak and a beer sounded nice in the city of Pottsville, PA..

So off to the eatery my wife Tara and I went..

First off, the Coors light draft I had was supposed to be cooled to the perfect temperature. Instead, it was watery.. My wife wanted Blue Moon. And though "the bartender just changed" to a new keg, the Blue Moon was suddenly sold out. Things happen. So Labatt Blue it was for the both of us..

Next up, the bread was sorta... fingered? ..it was overly cooked rolls (or maybe just buns from a bag) with overly sugary butter. Salad next, that was ok.. Soup was a little bland. So why not salt to spice it up!

Unfortunately, the salt shaker was awfully sweet. As a matter of fact, careful inspection only later proved that the salt shaker was filled with sugar.. The waitress kindly thanked us for laughing it off, and also mentioned it was the second time this week that it happened.

Then the dinner.. Oh, how I waited for a good steak.. and how my wife waited for a nicely seared crab cake. And what we got looked like a bad attempt at homeless shelter food.

When my wife cut into her crab cake, it sort of collapsed on itself. My steak was a rare half inch thick..no flavoring..no garlic salt.. Nadda.

Isn't it a shame when months of waiting goes by only have the place fall flat? Isn't it a shame..