The Answers

Okay here are the answers to this morning's mind twisting five questions.

1. If it is not Champagne then it is called Cremant and when you see it would be for example Cremant d'Alsace which would be a sparkling wine from the Alsace region of France and as a note these Cremants found everywhere in France usually are using a grape good for making Cremants within their region. Not necessarily the same grapes that go into making Champagne.

2. Cahors is the region I am thinking of when I talk of the Black Wine of Cahors.

3. Amontillado would be your medium dry sherry.

4. That dish I was talking of was called , Toad In the Hole.

5. To cut lettuce or any other leafy vegetable for that matter en chiffonade is to shred it.

Hope you had fun!

This Week's Quiz

Here we go right into it. Hope everyone is having a great week out there!

1. We know that the Champagne region in France has exclusive rights to the word champagne for it's sparkling wine but they do make sparkling wines elsewhere in France that cannot use the word champagne. Instead this word is used to denote a sparkling wine made elsewhere outside of the Champagne area in France. What is that word?

2. What appelation area in France was known for making what was called the Black Wine because of the heavy pigment in it? The area runs along the Lot River and the grape that made the Black Wine popular was the Malbec grape which is now popular in Argentina today.

3. Is an Amontillado sherry a dry , sweet sherry , or a medium dry sherry?


4. What is the name of the popular British dish that was originally baked in the oven consisting of pieces of cooked meat mixed with smoked bacon and covered with batter? Nowadays pork sausages arranged in a dish and covered with pancake batter and served very hot is becoming the norm. You would be really good if you got this one.

5. When we cut lettuce en chiffonade what are we actually doing to the lettuce? In other words how is it being cut? Or just tell me what the verb chiffoner is in English.

Do You Prefer To Open or Close?

Most of the time I am the pre-closer or closer where I work and a lot of the time other waiters ask me whether I ask to be this. Everyday they see me doing the closing.

Well first of all I do not ask to be a closer unless it is a Tuesday when that afternoon my son has piano lessons that finish at 5PM. Then I start at 6:15 or 6:30. This allows me to come home and grab a quick bite and change then head off to work.

But lately I have noticed that the most money to be made comes after the first cuts have occurred sending the early starters home for the night. The last few nights especially I have had some really late decent tables.

I have opened as well and although it is nice to be home by 9 in the evening the income in most cases has been a trade-off.

So actually what I am getting at is I prefer being the closer or near the bottom of the list nearly all the time.

What about you? Is your place where you work have a strong opening where you make most of your money or does it build up so that at the end is when you make the most?

Hey I Am 20 Years Old Again

Just more proof that no matter how long you work in this business and how much education you have , experience counts for nothing. Let me see after 30 years I have done a lot of things. All you have to do is look at the profile.

A couple of weeks ago when I thought that maybe I would need a second part time job , I applied to the Hyatt as a part time server in their dining room. I filed the application out on line and submitted it and then promptly forgot all about it.

Well this morning the wife checks the email and says there is a job something or other to look at from the Hyatt.

Now apparently I am not qualified for the part time server position but I do qualify for an Assistant ( Busser ) to the Beverage server in the cocktail lounge. Whhhoooooppppeeeeeee!!!!!!

Wow I was so freakin" excited I almost had a coronary!

Just think after 30 years I now can get my foot in the door in the Hyatt as a busser!!!

What's wrong with this Industry!!!!

What Inspired You?

I have been doing some reading lately on others who have written bestselling books. Well actually only one so far that I completed yesterday which was the Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.

What I found most interesting was how he was inspired to become a cook in the first place by trying that Vichyssoise on the cruise ship when he was with his parents. Then afterwards the oysters in France. Food became something more to him that just something you stuff down your throat each day.

As first a bartender then a waiter I cannot remember offhand anything that inspired me to get into the business in the beginning. There was no aha moment. I didn't drink a beer under a tree when I was 17 and say this is it for me.

I just sort of stumbled into it through a bartending course that I took 30 years ago. I don't know why I enrolled in the course at that time other than the fact I might have read in the ad that you could go on and get a job bartending. Maybe I just thought it would be a fun thing to do. I wasn't thinking of traveling or anything like that at that time.

In school when you are asked what you want to be when you grow up no one blurts out I want to be a bartender or waiter. It just sort of happens. No one thinks of it as a career.

The only reason I can think why I have endured in this business all this time is I like the fast paced action of it all. Everyday is different and the money isn't bad. I always liked change.

My question for anyone out there is what inspired you to be a part of this business and for those of you who do something else what inspired you to do what you do? Or was it just a fluke like it seemed for me way back when I took a course just to see what it would be like?

The Quiz

It is Tuesday again and the time for the quiz. Good luck on this one!

1. What is the garnish for the Gibson Cocktail?

2. When taking out a cork from the wine bottle what is the bottom of the cork called that has been soaking in the wine while it has been laying down?

3. Marrons in French pastry are used quite often. What does marron mean?

4. Cassis to make Kir is what flavour liqueur?

5. To make a really good Manhattan cocktail it is always better to add a couple of drops of this in the finished cocktail then stir. What is it you add?

Answers later tonight.

Things Must Be Slow When.......

Last night I was the closer and it was very slow as it has been for about a month now. In fact after 8PM it may be about 45 minutes before anyone arrives.

So to complete what I started above....

Things must be slow when in a dining room of 53 tables everyone else is cut by 8:30 and you are the only one on till closing. Now that is slow!

I was finished and ready to go by 10.

What Is It With Smoking?

Last night it got busy and if I smoked I guess I could relate better but when it is busy why is it someone has to ask me if I can watch their table while they have a quick smoke? Is it such a need to smoke at a given time rather than wait later , like after work maybe?

Besides how in the world can you enjoy a smoke when all you are going to do is run inside and give some service that is needed or overdue by the time you finish the smoke. Like the other people have time to watch your table for you when they are managing their own section.

Just a thought I guess.....

Monday's Job History

For the last few months I have been recapping my job history in the hospitality industry from when I started in 1979 to where I left off last week at the year 2000.

This is where it ends. Yes folks the next few years both work wise and financially were not great. A litany of job changes and a bankruptcy in 2003 ensued. Just conjuring up those years would just be painful and I don't want anyone's sympathy. We all go through stuff in our life.

You know coulda , woulda , shoulda. My successful years in this industry took place elsewhere , not here in Canada. Looking back my wife and I woulda worked a couple more contracts on the ship together and saved a whack of money and moved to Iceland where my wife is from and where her family is. I liked Europe a lot. I shoulda learned Icelandic and worked in a restaurant there where if you start a family at least there is some retirement money put aside for you and you get some benefits. Perhaps as well I could have put some knowledge that I had to good use , rather than let it sit dormat.

For instance , last night I needed a dessert and a few cooks had already been let go for the night and here I was at 10:45 punching in a dessert. A real simple one. When I asked the cook if he had got the order he said oh yeah here it is and then proceeded to continue with his cleanup. I said are you going to make it or what?! He says I don't know how and I shook my head in disbelief. No one taught him. Well find the fuck out how to make it!!!!! But instead of asking ,two of us waiters were showing him how to do it.

Here the industry is a joke! Unless the government intervenes and makes employers treat service personnel in their establishment as something more than piecemeal or hired slaves until no longer useful , it is only going to get worse. Pay a less than minimum wage and that is predominantly what you will get most of the time is people passing through.

Some of you who are in the profession who are reading this are having fun in your single years but there is no advantages when you are married with kids. In fact , my next plan is when both my kids are going to school full time is to find a day job where my evenings are free and only work a couple of nights waitering , so I can see my kids instead. It is a 3 day long weekend here and I have 2 kids who want to do something so the only free time we had , my wife and I , is this afternoon and the kids are climbing the wall. We are going out this afternoon to get some air and sunshine.

It sounds like I am painting a bleak picture but really this industry is great either working part time or when you are paying for your school expenses and just having a beer after work before heading home. Nothing more. If you are a supervisor it is like running a freakin' daycare!

Okay that is enough for today. My sons want my attention and tomorrow we are back to the quiz.

The Tuesday Quiz

Here it is! It is time to put your brains to work again. Good luck.

1. This liqueur is made from the local brandy , naartjies ( a local variety of tangerine ) , spices and herbs , and has a pale yellow colour. Dutch colonists tried to recreate their homeland favourite , Cointreau , using these local ingredients. What is the name of this liqueur?

2. This liqueur is deep red in colour and made from cherries and a variety of mountain herbs collected near Abruzzi Italy. One of Italy's most popular liqueurs it was a favourite of the Italian poet and thinker d'Annunzio. What is the name of this liqueur?

3. What is the name of the schnapps style distilled clear spirit from Japan that is fermented from sweet potato juice?

4. Is sapinette a drink , sauce , a utensil , a flower , a type of sweater you wear in the winter , or a type of tree in French?

5. What is the French slang word meaning to peck at food?

This is probably the hardest quiz yet. If you get one right you are a genius! Answers later.....

Start of A New Life

My blog on Monday for the last few months has been a chronological sequence of my job history in the hospitality industry since I took a bar tending course back in 1979 to where we are now which is March 10th , 1996. This is the day I left the cruise ship in Singapore where I spent a week touring around before heading to where I had this one room in Victoria , British Columbia on the west coast of Canada.

Pretty much since July of 1986 I have been working and traveling out of a suitcase and now at age 37 it was time to settle down and marry my love from Iceland. Having really only spent 1991 during those years in Canada holding down a job in Jasper , which by the way is like a cruise ship on land because all anyone does there is party and have fun and who cares what is happening elsewhere , I found myself ill prepared for what was about to happen.

For first of all I thought it would be pretty easy to find a good spot in a hotel or restaurant when I started to look for work. Not so , after being a Maitre'd on a cruise ship and Asst. F and B Manager in Switzerland especially , one would think people would be jumping at the chance to hire me for something. But alas , all this international experience did me really no good in my own country where unfortunately it is still about who you know more than what you know.

Maybe if I was 10 years younger and did all this then employers would be more inclined to hire me and move me up but it might have been my age that discouraged it. I am not sure. I remember one interview and job I had at a hotel called the Ocean Pointe in Victoria's inner harbour where I stayed and left after getting a tiny pay cheque after two weeks. During this interview I recall the F and B Manager talking to this department head saying I would never stay just because the money I was making on the ship was his and the other's combined take home pay.

That might have been another problem , that being on the ship I was making loads of money and to ween myself off of that was difficult. My wife who went to Hotel and Catering School in Iceland for 3 years has enormous knowledge on the industry and tons of experience but when she came to Canada she couldn't find a job if she tried in her chosen field and ended up in retail , and I might add became good at that as well.

Another reason was not only would I look for a management position and never find one but in my mind I couldn't justify making less than what a good waiter was making. I mean places in Europe where I was working the person with the most responsibility ( managers , supervisors ) made more money , but here in Canada the waiters and bartenders made the most who had the least responsibility. So what was the incentive?

I was getting married and at the time I lived in a room with a small kitchenette and a bathroom. It was so small that when anyone visited me from the ship like my good buddy Rene Papier from Germany , in order to go to the bathroom in the morning we had to put the sofa bed up so we could open the door to the bathroom! My bed was a Murphy bed that lifts into the wall. I mean this room was small.

So I had to reintegrate into society once again. I bought a car after not having one for the past 10 years. Applied for the provincial health care , opened up a bank account , got a phone and all that other stuff. Bought a tv and some essential stuff for a kitchen one takes for granted like a pot to cook in.

It is kind of ironic that the one job that I did find was run by an Austrian couple and was about 50 kilometres out of town in Malahat BC. It actually became a Relais Chateaux hotel that year and I at 37 was one of the youngest waiters there. In fact I was more like a food runner but a good one. This resort was pretty beautiful and expensive and has been featured in more than one magazine. You can check it out at http://www.aerie.ca

I worked there for about 6 months until it was Fall and they had to lay off a few people for a couple of months due to the slow season. I wasn't to happy about that so when they asked if they could count on me for the Christmas season I replied back that I wasn't so sure about that as unemployment was not enough to hang out and wait. I don't think they were to pleased about that and I have to admit I still had high aspirations after being a Maite'd on a cruise ship that I would land something better in the near future. Also I began this network marketing business that I shall talk about next week and had started a card vending machine business at the same time.

I was pretty determined to make things happen in my newlywed life.

The Aerie Resort was top class though. Long hours and back in the day when there was an elaborate wedding going on or a busy dinner service I remember we had to wash every glass by hand as the owners did not believe in glass washing machines so even though service would end , it wouldn't be for a couple of hours later that we would finally be driving home in our car. Big set ups to do for the next day also kept us pretty late.

When I was working there in August and we got married ( not there ) , I fought hard to get a week honeymoon as they only wanted to give me 2 days. I threatened to leave before they finally did give it to me but during that week off I heard they were trying to get a hold of me to come into work. Can you believe it?

My work at the Aerie lasted from about April to October then I was filing for unemployment. It was not a good time for me just because I was getting a bit discouraged with what I saw of the industry. There just wasn't a lot to choose from. Victoria was seasonal at the best of times. I was looking for something more consistent.

That was the reason I started looking at other opportunities.

From being a Maitre'd on the ship back in the mid 90's I would have to say my peak days in the industry were back then as far as income and position. What followed has been even more jobs and moves. In the next few Mondays I will gloss over some of those. My life has been anything but dull which is a good thing.

In summarizing the years between 1979 and 1996 I was pretty much live for the day sort of guy and it was traveling and experiences that was my game. From 1996 on life was different with the responsibility and all. But it was good because for how long can a person just wait on tables and travel and drink beer all the time? My life has been richer since.

A Barrel Of Laughs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p32OC97aNqc





This video link above is the typical reaction that people give when asked about my waiting skills. Hope you enjoy it!

Some Fancy Drink Recipes

Here are some cocktails that are featured in the restaurant I work. Not your common everyday drinks but hey if you feel like living on the wild side try the following.

Blackberry Martini

1oz Grey Goose Vodka
1/2 oz Chambord ( French Black Raspberry Liqueur )
1/2 oz Cassis
10 Muddled Blackberries
5 Mint Leaves torn and muddled
1 oz Lemon Bar Mix
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Served on the rocks in a Martini Cocktail Glass. Make sure to muddle the ingredients before adding the alcohol.

Ocean Blue Martini

1 oz Belvedere Vodka
1/2 oz Hypnotiq ( Vanilla Cognac Liqueur )
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
2 oz White Cranberry Juice
2 Lime Wedges squeezed

Served on the rocks in your Martini Cocktail glass with an orange twist.

Golden Cosmo

1 oz Wyborowa Vodka
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1/2 oz Apricot Brandy
1 oz Red Cranberry Juice
1 oz Fresh Orange Juice

Served on the rocks in your Martini Cocktail glass.

Banana Cream

1 oz Galliano
1 oz Banana Liqueur
1 oz Ice Cream Mix

Served on the rocks in your Martini Cocktail glass with a dollop of whip cream on top.

Winter Pear

1 oz Absolut Pears Vodka
3/4 oz White Creme de Cacao
1/4 oz Amaretto
1 oz 10% Cream

Served on the rocks in your Martini Cocktail glass sprinkled with Chocolate Shavings.

Melon Zen

1/2 oz Polar Ice Vodka
1 oz Melon Liqueur
1/2 oz Soho Lychee Liqueur
2 oz Chilled Green Tea
1/2 oz simple syrup

Served on the rocks in your Martini Cocktail glass with 3 skewered melon balls.

Mandarin Crush

1 oz Absolut Mandarin Vodka
1/2 oz Galliano
1/2 oz Cointreau
6 muddled mandarin orange slices
2 oz fresh orange juice
1/2 oz Ginger Beer

Shake vigorously for 10 seconds then serve over some ice in an old fashion glass.

Perfect Storm

1 oz Lambs Dark Rum
1 oz Amaretto
1 oz Margarita Pre - Mix
1/2 oz Ginger Beer
1/2 oz simple syrup

Shake vigorously for 10 seconds and serve with a lime wedge over some ice in an old fashion glass.

Peach Island

1 oz Polar Ice Vodka
1 oz Peach Schnapps
1 oz Passion Mix
1 oz Peach Mix
1/2 oz Ginger Beer
2 oz Frexinet ( or other sparkling wine you use ). Add after shaking all other ingredients.

Serve in a Flute Glass. No ice.

Sparkling Berry

1 oz Alize Passion Liqueur ( a blend of tropical fruits and Cognac )
1/2 oz Absolut Raspberry Vodka
1/2 oz Galliano
2 oz Strawberry Mix
2 oz Frexinet ( or other sparkling wine as mentioned above and add after all else has been shaken.

Serve in a Flute Glass. No ice

There you have it. Cheers!!

The Choices We Make Make a Difference

Yesterday I went out to drop some resumes and when I walked into the place I realized that I wouldn't want to work there. Then I thought about what I was thinking yesterday and about changing jobs and then it came to me what the real dilemma was. It was going on inside my head.

The thing is this time of year I get a bit anxious for spring and summer to happen. We have been busy right up to this time and even last night I thought was a pretty good night. Maybe it is just putting on the winter boots and coat that gets a bit tiring. Now finally we are getting some great weather and then I start to remember the time off I had last summer. Twenty seven days off in 2 months. If I went somewhere else I would have less than that off for sure.

Then starting new somewhere there is always something that is different and uncomfortable to adapt to. I might start working somewhere small and have to clean the washrooms again. Just things like that.

No I will tell you what happens at times and if you are a bit older you might understand what I am thinking. It is the best days for me in this industry are behind me. Don't get me wrong I am still good but when I hand in a resume to someone who is 25 years younger than I , who is kidding who here?

What I would really like to do in the next couple of years is when the kids start going to school the full day is get a job working some lunches and a couple of evenings a week so I can be home to see my kids in the evening. For up to 7 years now we have done it so one works in the morning and the other works in the evening. It has been a success and the thing is the kids are showing they are benefiting from the one parent at home all the time plan.

I think I will continue where I am and enjoy the time off that I get to spend at home. They are not going to suspend me or fire me or whatever......Besides I am too well liked there where I work. I am a barrel of laughs.

What me worry? Geeesssshhhh......

Thanks for Stopping By

Just wanted to say thank you to all who are regular readers of waiterextraordinaire and also to those of you who have been first time viewers recently. I do try to make it as interesting as possible and it appears the word is getting out with my views on the upswing and the followers on the rise.

Recently I stopped the Wednesday travel post and started writing thoughts on the industry to replace it. The Tuesday quiz appears to be a winner and the Monday ramble on my work history is providing good entertainment at the beginning of the week. The wine post on Thursday will continue coming as long as people want it.

One thing I plan on doing is writing a book on bartending , let's say the 50 top cocktails a bartender needs to know mixed in with some personal experiences on my own career bartending and serving food. How that will work out I don't know but I am going to try. I would like to start and finish over the next 6 months.

Aside from this update , work has seen a slowdown and where my wife works the inn's forecast for April is 600 rooms short of budget. That is a staggering 20 rooms a day!

So I will keep posting as often as I can but in the meantime if you think anyone you know would like to follow this blog on a regular basis and you find it interesting as well join the group of 12 followers I have on the right of this post. If not and you want to remain anonymous , join the email readership by subscribing and getting the blog sent directly to your inbox. However you wish. You can always unsubscribe later or stop following.

If not , that is fine just drop by and say hello once in a while and comment good or bad. I as most bloggers do love comments.

Finally thank you fellow bloggers who have put this blog on your blog roll! I know that without your support my readership would not be as many people as I presently have.

Have a great day!

Jasper 1991

Continuing my job history and following that horrific year of 1990 I jumped on a bus from Toronto to Calgary just after New Year's Day to go to a job interview in Field BC with this Emerald Lake Lodge. I remember how freakin' cold it was! In Saskatoon we arrived early in the morning and had a shower at the bus station during our hour's stop and upon departing I engaged myself in a conversation with the bus driver saying it was freezing. He replied back with , "yeah but it is getting warmer today, it is going up to -32C."

Finally after about 48 hours on a bus I get to Field BC which only has a store and restaurant on the Trans Canada and the Lodge is too far to walk so I give them a call to say I have arrived can they pick me up. Yes they can but it will be a while , perhaps an hour before they can get to me. Okay I will wait. I have my 3 items of luggage with me and I am just waiting.

So I get to the Lodge finally and apply to this job as Assistant Something or other , a position I was well equiped to do. The interview goes fine then the guy says well I have some other interviews to do and will let me know. WTF! Okay bozo , thanks a lot! I have just gotten off a bus from Toronto and now you tell me that you have other interviews to do. So I ask ,"what else do you need to know to make a decision as to hiring myself?"

Well that didn't get far so my next problem was Field BC. No accomodations and the last bus of the day has departed. Listen I will make you a deal cause I have a problem now I tell him. Let me sleep the night in your accomodations and I will be gone in the morning. Alright he says so I make my way in the deep freakin' snow exhausted and a bit pissed off you can say. That is the last I see of that guy.

The next day I am off to Banff on the bus and the Job Centre looking for jobs. I call my stepmother to see if there were any calls for me regarding the resumes I sent out. Yes there was someone who called from Mountain Park Lodges in Jasper by the name of Ray Lovell who is trying to track you down as he has a job for you. She gives me the number , I call him and he says yea come on up. You see the previous summer I worked at the Lobstick Lodge during the breakfast and he knew me. Off I go hitchhiking up the Icefields Parkway with the temperature about -25C. I must have looked funny with my bags and only my shoes and dressed up for an interview.

I get to Jasper , talk to Ray , start the next day , find a room in a house all very quickly. If 1990 was a bad year the opposite was true for 1991. It was fantastic as I saved lots of money and basically working in Jasper is stress free. The total population is 3,000 but there were 25,000 tourists that passed through each day during the summer. Mountains and lakes and animals were all over the place. In the Fall when the traffic died down the elk were all over the place. You had to avoid them more than they you. Mountain bike riding and the going out every night to the dance club after work was all I did.

My daily schedule was work breakfast at the Lobstick and work the evening at another place called the Pallisade Restaurant owned by a Greek. Restaurants owned by Greeks always seem to make money and this guy knew what he was doing for sure. I had to work for him starting at 4 but he wouldn't pay me till 4:30 the guy. So each day I would work for a 1/2 hour vacuuming and setting up the Dining Room for the service. Surprisingly there are a lot of Greeks who live in Jasper , for what reason on how they got there escapes me.

The three restaurants I worked at while I was there were the Lobstick Lodge for breakfast and the Palisade at night. During the summer I eventually got sick of the breakfast and left the Lobstick to work the evenings only and enjoy the days outside. I did try Mama Mia restaurant for a while at lunch but didn't like it too much.

In November the Palisades closed till March. It is an option some private restaurant owners take as it isn't worth staying open for the meagre crowds you get during the winter.

But while there I talked to a few waiters who would be going to work in the Cayman Islands. They would work there in the winter and in Jasper in the summer. I thought that would be really cool so I hooked myself up to a job in the Cayman beginning December 1st. I waited before booking my flight which they were going to remimburse and also some letter saying I was going there for employment. It was coming near the end of November and I was wondering what was going on so I gave them a call only to be told the recession ( remember that one? ) had cancelled a lot of bookings and they would not require my services. So there went the Cayman.

So I spent some time drinking in the bars around town. I had no work and no one was hiring so I thought maybe checking out the cruise ships again wouldn't be a bad idea. Knowing what I had experienced on the SS Norway back in 86 I didn't want to work on a big ship but a smaller one instead. I selectively chose a few to work on.

About 10 days later I get this call. " Hey Steven , do you remember me? It's Stephen Peter calling from Switzerland and I interviewed you for our first ship with Renaissance Cruises." I remembered him instantly and we talked a while with me asking all the questions about staff meals and accomodations etc.. You see when I was in Switzerland back in 89 I did go to one job interview for a new cruise line and this was it. The guy remembered me well , thank heavens!

Renaissance 7 was being built in Marina di Carrara Italy and I was going to be a waiter on the ship. The first cruise was going to be in February but before that we were going to be in Monte Carlo for 10 days loading. Would I like that! Yes sure but how do I get there I asked. They were flying me to Pisa via London. In a few days there would be a contract to sign and the tickets arriving via DHL. I actually come to think of it remember using a hotel fax machine to receive and send back the contract.

So there you go. About a year after arriving in Jasper now I was heading to Italy to be on Regina Renaissance where it was was being built , loaded in Monte Carlo , then off to the Red Sea for 10 day cruises.

Next week I will cover quickly what transpired over the next 4 years.

Campers

Had a table of 6 tip me $20 and afterwards sat for 4 1/2 hours stalling my whole section. I was lucky just to walk out of there with $127. What a night!

Some Points To Know When Matching Wine With Food

For service personnel who work in an establishment where the guests like to ask what is the best wine for a particular dish here are some points to consider upon selecting the best one.

1. Weight - match the weight of the food to the wine. For example a simple chicken breast with a white that has a low percentage of alcohol like a Bergerac from Bordeaux.

2. Intensity - fatty foods such as goose or duck would go well with a Riesling that has the acidity to cut through the fat yet still possesses the softness to take in the flavours of the dish at the same time. A goose liver pate comes to mind. Another example would be an Asti sparkling wine from Italy with a frothy dessert like a lemon meringue pie.

3. Acidity - match the acidity of the dish with the acidity of the wine. For example a citrusy salad dressing with the high acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc.

4. Sweetness - the rule of thumb is the wine has to be at least as sweet as the dessert or it will be thin and tart. Muscats from the south of France or Australian liqueur Muscats can match most sweet desserts. The weight of the sweet wine has to be taken into account as well which makes chocolate and ice cream difficult matches. I like the Fortified Wines for the chocolate with some raspberry on the palate like that Banyuls I did a couple of months ago. For ice cream that is a pretty tough one. Perhaps an ice wine from here in Canada would do the trick.

5. Tannin - occurs when your gums are being coated when tasting a Cabernet Sauvignon , the best match for a wine with lots of tannin would be a steak cooked on the rare side so the wine can match the chewiness of the dish.

6. National Dishes - when in doubt look at where the dish comes from and match it to the local wine. For example a Paella from Spain would go well with a wine from Rioja. Or , a Vinho Verde with it's high acidity from Portugal would go well with sardines served with a lemon.

These are some ideas on how to match wine with food but if there is any general yardstick one should use is always choose a wine the guests prefers rather than have them try what you think they may like. There are no hard and fast rules and the customer knows best. Unless they entirely leave it up to you , ask questions as to what they want in a wine. Do they want red or white for starters. Light bodied or full bodied? Low acidity or high acidity? Don't barrage them with too many questions just ask one for starters and listen. Help them make their own decision through suggestions , at least for me that is what works best. Give them a couple of choices. Let them decide in the end. Then the wine will always end up being a positive experience for the guest.

Hope some of these ideas work for you wherever you work or even at home when cooking up that special dinner.

I Am Wrapping This Up

Well thank you all for your comments and insight as to the written email complaint I received last week. They have all been gracious and understanding and have provided me with some insight as to the going ons of working in a corporate chain.

The end result was the meeting with the GM and her follow up phone call with the guest.

From what I was told , the guest thought the whole meal and service provided by me was outstanding but at the end was just a tad confused on the gift card issue. Also it was mentioned that she hoped that it would not affect my job in any way.

The GM added to me that overall the service was outstanding up to that moment and that I am a very valuable employee and that it is like my first issue ever since I started. Everyday I show I absolutely care about what I am doing. In fact personally the last issue that I can remember when someone didn't like me was on a cruiseship back in 93 when I spilt some soup on her by mistake of course.

BUT I am on record now and please sign this form stating that if it happens again I will be suspended and a third time my employment terminated.

So like an asshole I sign it! It is not like I know what to do when I get one of these but I figure I guess I have to sign it. And I am left with I am doing a fine job and don't change this could have happened to anyone and the GM walks off. So before I know it I am wondering what the heck just happened.

I started asking others about what just happened and they tell me they wouldn't have signed it and that it was pretty petty of her to do that. Others said that I don't have to sign it. Now I am on record.

That shift I start wondering exactly what is the real reason she wanted my signature on that piece of paper.

Funnier things have happened. Anyone at any time can come in and complain about anything right now and if she wants to can suspend me. It can even be a set up for pete's sake!

Now also I find out through asking others who have had a complaint if they ever had a piece of paper like the one I signed and some responses back to me have been , what piece of paper?

So in essence what every waiter needs is a manager who will back him or her up once in a while and I don't have that anymore. I couldn't be a manager of a chain restaurant I tell you cause I would be a waiter's best friend when it came to times like this. If the effort is there I would back the server up. Sure make the guest happy as well but have a waiter sign something like that!

Wow talk about working now and having a great time! Geez what a vote of confidence! Thanks for standing up for me ! Really appreciate your handling of this situation making me feel like I want to be there knowing that when I provide outstanding service to someone and there is a misunderstanding the next time I can look forward to a nice holiday!

When was perfection a job requirement? As Gordon Ramsay would say , Fuck me.......

Sorry about the swear word but I am letting this one out......................

In The Navy - Part 2 of 1990 or What Was I Thinking Anyway

So to continue on from last Monday I get back from England in June to the friendly confines of Montreal. A little worse for wear and with not too much money I had decided before coming back to Canada that I would make a go of it out West. They say you can never go back and Montreal had changed too much for me and besides , because of all the political stuff going on there the last few years up to 1990 , most of my friends moved away to places like Ontario and British Columbia.

So off to Vancouver I went with suitcase in hand to land a good job with a nice fancy hotel. Staying with a friend of my Mother I started my job search hitting all the hotels with high hopes. Quickly I landed an interview with the Four Seasons Hotel for an Assistant Restaurant Manager job in their Seasons Cafe. It went very well and was scheduled for a second interview. There was not a ton of jobs at this particular time and in BC there were a lot of unions in these hotels that made turnover very low for service personnel and a question asked often during these management interviews was , " have you ever worked in a union environment?" I kept repeating no I haven't but I am sure I am capable of supervising union employees.

Well the first two interviews went well but the time was running out where I was staying. It took me about 3-4 weeks to get through 2 interviews and I started to ask when will I get a decision on whether I am good for the job or not. The guy was very coy until he told me that the end of the week you should get a call from him setting up a final interview with the GM. Okay I said I want to hear from him as I explained the situation that time was running out where I was staying and that if I didn't hear from him by the end of the week I would have to move on and find a job elsewhere and find my own accommodation. I don't think he quite understood that the welcome mat where I was staying was being rolled up and besides that so was my savings and with it any lodging and food money to give.

That Friday came and no call so that is when I decided I can't wait forever and I took a few things and took a bus to Oliver in the Okanagan Valley initially to do some cherry picking and save a few bucks. Yes folks I couldn't live anywhere right now except in a tent picking cherries. Anyway I figured picking cherries might have been good for my state of flux at the time.

The bus arrived at 7AM in the morning and so I had a couple of hours before meeting with the others when the employer would round us up and take us to the fields. Now Oliver was a small town just north of Osoyoos and the American border and it was dry and hot. There were a few restaurants there and a lot of trailer parks of tourists soaking up the sun.

While waiting I went for a walk when I noticed this cute babe putting out a " Open for Breakfast" sign out so I thought let's check it out , I mean the restaurant! Okay her too. I could see it was not a half bad restaurant with a patio and such so I stopped in for a coffee. Talking to her I asked if they were needing any help. She said the owner would be in around 9 but there was some hope so I hung around. When the owner arrived I had a chat with him. He was an older fella but he said that yes he would be needing someone part time but he wanted to get the okay from the front of the house guy first who was coming in later at around 1PM.

So I went for another walk and started thinking about accommodation. There was none. The place had rooms where I was working but they were all booked for the summer and the staff all had their rooms. Finally around 3 I was hired to start at about 25 hours a week but then I asked the owner I am in a bit of a bind here as I have no place to stay. I had to go back to Vancouver that night and pick up some stuff I had left behind and be back next afternoon to start work. Finally the accommodation issue was settled and I would be sleeping on an extra bed that would be put in the owner's room.

Perhaps all of these things had an effect on me but at that moment I realized that I couldn't get much lower than what I was doing. Just biding time working at this restaurant with no life really , and spending a lot of spare time in the public pool on those hot days is what I did. Then the day came early August when I was told that I wouldn't be needed in a couple of weeks time when the season was coming to a close and that I should start looking elsewhere. I made a few calls to Jasper and the owner gave me a reference to work at this Sawridge Hotel as a waiter. You know I cannot remember the owner's name or the restaurant's either but he was a great guy to give me that job in Oliver and reference afterwards.

So now to continue that year I go to Sawridge Hotel and get into the staff accommodations. I take the unimpressive tour of the kitchen and dining room and get ready to start the following day at 1PM. I am unpacking my stuff when the guy I am sharing the room with says did I hear the news. What news? He says that there was an outbreak of scavies in the staff rooms and the whole place had to be fumigated that day and the guy who started it used to sleep in the bed that was assigned to me! Oh freakin' great!

The next morning I am taking a walk around beautiful Jasper and there were so many places to eat that anywhere you went there was a job. I thought maybe I could find something better as the Sawridge didn't give me a good first impression. I sauntered into the place next door which was the Lobstick Lodge and they needed someone desperately for breakfast and they had some real good accommodation. So I went back to the Sawridge and said I found something else but thanks anyway. Took my stuff out of the room and moved into the new accommodation and started the next day.

Meanwhile I am thinking of the year so far and some stability is creeping into my head at this moment. So I get this idea of joining the armed forces as a cook. I had tried learning earlier when I was 21 or so to become a cook in the kitchen at George Brown College here in Toronto but time and money sort of got in the way. Here was a chance I thought to start a career learning something I wanted to do and have a bit of security as well. So off I go to the recruiting center and before you know it by late August I am being signed in for a 3 year contract as a cook in the Navy. Not glamorous by any stretch. But it was room and board too I guess. This is the part of 1990 when WHAT WAS I THINKING OCCURS.

I say so long to Jasper and head back to Montreal where I spend a few days with Mom and off I go by train to Ottawa to fly to Halifax and then board a bus to Cornwallis for 10 Week Basic Training. It is only September folks! This year I was in Montreal to start , England in a couple of places , Vancouver , Oliver BC , Jasper Alberta and now Cornwallis doing Basic Training for the Navy.

Basic Training was not very good for me. I remember how we were yelled at right at the beginning just boarding the bus from the airport. Attention!! Hey you in line!! Shut your cake hole!! And on it went. Not being good at authoritative figures to begin with it's hard to imagine me ever contemplating a career in the navy. This could be a post for another time but to give you one example I even complained in the platoon office one morning that our lunch breaks were too short and that we should get the full half hour. The NCOs were going to kill me for that one. Anyway 8 short weeks later I ended up out again with honourable discharge and flying back to Toronto this time to spend a short time staying with my brother. It was November now and nearing the end of this crazy year.

To wrap it up I finished off the year staying at my stepmother's place just north of Toronto. My Mom had moved again and was living out of range. Sleeping on the couch and not sure of what to do I did find a job with a chain restaurant that was opening up. Doing the training at a sister restaurant and getting a lift in with a lady was fine but after some thought I decided that out west was hopping so I set up some interviews.

The first week of January 1991 I headed out West again to make some money this time.

To recap , many moves , many jobs , many interviews , England , lived in 4 provinces and did a stint in the armed forces and experienced hell in Basic Training all in the same year. A year I can laugh at but at the time was not very pleasant.

Kinda restless? Well ya........