Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Shut up already!

Tried to get into one of the restaurants along Alki Beach for dinner last night. Not a plan. Everybody else had the same idea. And quite a few places were closed on Monday night.

So, ended up at Blackbird Bistro, which I had heard was good. It was dead. There were maybe a half a dozen tables. It was obviously the line cook didn't have enough to do, so he was bitching and moaning about some chef he had worked with -- "he came in and he was so hungover, he 86-ed half the menu" "he was such a burnout, he'd come back from vacation and say he needed another vacation" and on and on it went from the display kitchen.

Guy, have a little common sense. You never know who might be within ear shot of your bad mouth. A food critic, maybe.

That bad energy was almost enough to drive me out the door. But I hung around and ordered a portobello mushroom sandwich. Not bad.

What's the most awkward conversation you've overheard at a restaurant?

3 comments:

David Hinske said...

One night Harry (rest his soul) got in a fight with one of his staff in that itty bitty kitchen that you can see into from everywhere. He summarily closed for the night right then. En Teur was much smaller back then - only the handful of indoor tables, but everyone got kicked out.

He was legendarily volatile, which caught up to him from time to time, including an 18 month bit for stabbing a neighbor. Harry was struck down and killed while trying to cross the street - wildly not the way anyone would have guessed he'd go out.

Carole H said...

A friend's son was bartending at P. F. Chang's in Little Rock & had joined in a conversation concerning an off-color joke told by some customers at the bar. His voice kind of carries, & two uptight Bible Belt ladies at a nearby table overheard his comments. They summoned the newly hired manager & complained. Said manager was trying to make a statement & fired my friend's son so that he could go tell the ladies the naughty bartender wouldn't be working there anymore. No skin off his nose, however...he went right down the street & got a job tending bar at another restaurant. It was probably easy, given the tricks he learned while tending bar at P. F. Chang's & other places he has worked in the past.

No Sluggo, Harry was fortunate that he didn't get into a fight w/a more volatile employee like the one who stabbed Bernard Chang & ultimately caused his death.

David Hinske said...

Yeah, the Mid-South Cookbook suggests kitchen knives as a suitable substitute when you're out of on ammo. Be careful this hot, hot weekend, Carole. You're in charge while I'm gone.