Woke up, rolled over to the 'rant and pretty much got hammered by L all day long until dinner service, where he seemed to run out of steam. Fortunately we have an experienced pizzaman to pick up the slack, but L has been butting heads, and the new guy might not last. Hell, will I last? L wants me to be more like....him. Aggressive, more pushy, eyes on everyone at all times. I agree, to be manager you have to be there and be interactive and know what's happening, but the yelling, the bullying, the fits of anger, the threats, that's just not my style or personality. I think I genuinely have the respect of the kitchen and other staff, but I wonder how much of that is simply because the captain of the ship is barking and they're looking for sense of calm in this job of theirs that they were able to land in this crap economy? I'm so tired...
BREAKFAST: 9am, organic cornflakes with dead organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 3:30pm, penne with vodka sauce, a little bread, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, 2 glasses mendorla, a few slices of cucumber, a little water, GuS orange soda, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 10:30pm, slice of pizza with roasted red peppers, onion, mushroom, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 11pm, tastes of two new wines in the 'rant
AM SNACK: 1am, cold slice of pizza, 3 cookies, quart of water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Yes, after a long day at the pizzeria, I came home and ate cold pizza.
Saturday, April 18
Friday, April 17
Long
Long day, class in the morning, boiler pressure most of the day at the restaurant. L is pushing me to work the other stations, which is cool, but things are still running on edge a bit. Still, we shut down for an hour, had a nice lunch, vibes weren't totally negative.
BREAKFAST 1: 6:30am, good yogurt with honey, cashews, vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM ZING: 8am, Manhattan Special, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Took one to school in hopes of fighting the good fight, but the sleepy demons got me in their grasp again during the numbers of cost control.
BREAKFAST 2: 10am, choco donut, apple fritter, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Unusually hungry, I wish there were healthier options around for breakfast when on break from class.
LUNCH: 4pm, Italian parsley sausage with onion, pepper and salad, 1 slice of pizza, lemonade, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, a few bites of applewood smoked bacon, a sprite, a glass of mendorla, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 11:30pm, 7 prosciutto balls, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
A new appetizer on the menu, I did a plate minus the oil we cook it in, came out darn good.
AM WATERING: 12:30am, quart o' water
BREAKFAST 1: 6:30am, good yogurt with honey, cashews, vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM ZING: 8am, Manhattan Special, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Took one to school in hopes of fighting the good fight, but the sleepy demons got me in their grasp again during the numbers of cost control.
BREAKFAST 2: 10am, choco donut, apple fritter, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Unusually hungry, I wish there were healthier options around for breakfast when on break from class.
LUNCH: 4pm, Italian parsley sausage with onion, pepper and salad, 1 slice of pizza, lemonade, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, a few bites of applewood smoked bacon, a sprite, a glass of mendorla, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 11:30pm, 7 prosciutto balls, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
A new appetizer on the menu, I did a plate minus the oil we cook it in, came out darn good.
AM WATERING: 12:30am, quart o' water
Wednesday, April 15
My piece of pizza
Fell asleep in management class, did some shopping for the 'rant then spent four hours there, before having to take off to meet B for birthing class. The restaurant was very quiet, lunch during the week seems to be a dead zone right now, I wonder if we'll squash lunch service for now. Birthing class was silly, I didn't need a rubber doll to figure out how to undress and dress my future baby. If I was a klutz, maybe, but I ain't. My baby is gonna be a piece of cake! Excuse me, a piece of pizza. Mark my words, he he he he.
EYE OPENER: 7:30am, swig of apple cider
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 cart donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2pm, tuna sandwich, hamburger, lemonade, a few prosciutto balls, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
L again weirdly generous with a homemade 2 course lunch. He showed me the most charming recipe book his mother wrote for him, made me sad that I didn't come from a cooking family, where I could get such a soulful artifact.
PM SNACK: 6pm, cup of matzo ball soup, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
B brought it from Eisenberg's, unfortunately it wasn't enough to keep me fully awake during the birthing class.
DINNER: 9:45pm, pint of shrimp lomein, homemade mint chip ice cream. 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EYE OPENER: 7:30am, swig of apple cider
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 cart donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2pm, tuna sandwich, hamburger, lemonade, a few prosciutto balls, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
L again weirdly generous with a homemade 2 course lunch. He showed me the most charming recipe book his mother wrote for him, made me sad that I didn't come from a cooking family, where I could get such a soulful artifact.
PM SNACK: 6pm, cup of matzo ball soup, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
B brought it from Eisenberg's, unfortunately it wasn't enough to keep me fully awake during the birthing class.
DINNER: 9:45pm, pint of shrimp lomein, homemade mint chip ice cream. 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Tuesday, April 14
Double lunch
Interesting day at the restaurant. L served up lunch twice, after we had a meeting last night over crappy pizza where I gently scolded/warned him if we don't serve a regular staff meal, we're going to have a huge staffing problem in the future.
New pizza maker today at the restaurant, an older Italian guy, shockingly went smoothly with L. Have mixed feelings about it, we'll see how things play out when things get busy and the pressure is on.
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, badly reformulated organic Cheerios with organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Ugg. The packaging said 'new', but this is a whole different thing. The original tasted hard and oaty and dense, this is light and crisp and corny. Will not buy again.
LUNCH 1: 12:30pm, meat stuffed cabbage with dill sauce, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Given to us by the Polish garbage man, who fancies himself a cook. Really good, actually.
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, slice of white pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH 2: 3:30pm, hamburger with chips, bad pickle, lemonade, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
L felt like making burgers for everyone. The wonderbread buns I could have done without, ditto the jarred industrial pickle.
PM SNACK: 5:30pm, glass of lemonade
Made lemonade in the restaurant with a made up recipe, satisfying that everyone dug it -- I guess c-school was good fo' sumtin!
PM SNACK: 7pm, glass of mandorla
PM SNACK: 9pm, small square of Sicilian
EVENING SNACK: 10pm, small cup of chocolate gelato, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 10:15pm, small cup of tap beer
MIDNIGHT WATERING: 12am, quart or water
New pizza maker today at the restaurant, an older Italian guy, shockingly went smoothly with L. Have mixed feelings about it, we'll see how things play out when things get busy and the pressure is on.
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, badly reformulated organic Cheerios with organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Ugg. The packaging said 'new', but this is a whole different thing. The original tasted hard and oaty and dense, this is light and crisp and corny. Will not buy again.
LUNCH 1: 12:30pm, meat stuffed cabbage with dill sauce, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Given to us by the Polish garbage man, who fancies himself a cook. Really good, actually.
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, slice of white pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH 2: 3:30pm, hamburger with chips, bad pickle, lemonade, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
L felt like making burgers for everyone. The wonderbread buns I could have done without, ditto the jarred industrial pickle.
PM SNACK: 5:30pm, glass of lemonade
Made lemonade in the restaurant with a made up recipe, satisfying that everyone dug it -- I guess c-school was good fo' sumtin!
PM SNACK: 7pm, glass of mandorla
PM SNACK: 9pm, small square of Sicilian
EVENING SNACK: 10pm, small cup of chocolate gelato, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 10:15pm, small cup of tap beer
MIDNIGHT WATERING: 12am, quart or water
Monday, April 13
No pizza....wait, no, there was pizza.
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 street cart donuts, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:15pm, swiss and turkey on rye, French fries, chocolate egg cream, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Went to Eisenberg’s Sandwiches, across from the Flat Iron, where B works. I hate to admit it, but I found out about this classic NY institution from Bourdain’s TV show. It’s a lunch counter and small dining room that’s been operating for over 75 years, and its menu, motif, and style hasn’t changed much. I sat at the counter, ordered without a menu, and had exactly what I ordered in under 60 seconds. I say exactly, because I wanted lettuce, tomato, a pickle, a little slaw, but I guess you have to ask. B had a mediocre veggie burger….but this is not the place for veggie burgers. The sandwich was perfectly serviceable, and the fries were good, but looking at what other people were eating, I probably should have gotten the matzo ball soup.
I heard someone order an egg cream, so I thought, OK, this is a place where you should order an egg cream. Thing is, I never had an egg cream before, despite my father's fond reminiscence of having them as a child. I know, in theory, what it is: milk, chocolate syrup, and seltzer. In practice it is…..well, nothing special. Watered down chocolate milk with a bit of light fizz, not impressive. It’s like Yoohoo, minus all the chemically thickeners and preservatives.
PM SNACK: 4:30pm, bite of falafel, bite of chocolate
At K's house, she's ever the good hostess.
PM SNORT: 5:45pm, 12 oz of beer, peanuts, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Midtown after-work drink with E. The sink in the bathroom at Brasserie is trough-style and is slightly low hung, and there's no urinal....for a second, I thought it was a trough-urinal. If I were drunk, I would have totally peed in that sink.
DINNER: 9:30pm, 2 slices crappy pizza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Out in Soho with L and his daughters, talking restaurant business. We went to Arturo's on Houston, a coal-oven pizzeria that's been there forever. L even ate there in 1969 and thought it was mediocre then. And it still is now. At least they're consistent!!
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, 1 crappy frozen waffle with home made mint chip ice cream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
That ice cream will make even a crappy waffle sing.
LUNCH: 12:15pm, swiss and turkey on rye, French fries, chocolate egg cream, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Went to Eisenberg’s Sandwiches, across from the Flat Iron, where B works. I hate to admit it, but I found out about this classic NY institution from Bourdain’s TV show. It’s a lunch counter and small dining room that’s been operating for over 75 years, and its menu, motif, and style hasn’t changed much. I sat at the counter, ordered without a menu, and had exactly what I ordered in under 60 seconds. I say exactly, because I wanted lettuce, tomato, a pickle, a little slaw, but I guess you have to ask. B had a mediocre veggie burger….but this is not the place for veggie burgers. The sandwich was perfectly serviceable, and the fries were good, but looking at what other people were eating, I probably should have gotten the matzo ball soup.
I heard someone order an egg cream, so I thought, OK, this is a place where you should order an egg cream. Thing is, I never had an egg cream before, despite my father's fond reminiscence of having them as a child. I know, in theory, what it is: milk, chocolate syrup, and seltzer. In practice it is…..well, nothing special. Watered down chocolate milk with a bit of light fizz, not impressive. It’s like Yoohoo, minus all the chemically thickeners and preservatives.
PM SNACK: 4:30pm, bite of falafel, bite of chocolate
At K's house, she's ever the good hostess.
PM SNORT: 5:45pm, 12 oz of beer, peanuts, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Midtown after-work drink with E. The sink in the bathroom at Brasserie is trough-style and is slightly low hung, and there's no urinal....for a second, I thought it was a trough-urinal. If I were drunk, I would have totally peed in that sink.
DINNER: 9:30pm, 2 slices crappy pizza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Out in Soho with L and his daughters, talking restaurant business. We went to Arturo's on Houston, a coal-oven pizzeria that's been there forever. L even ate there in 1969 and thought it was mediocre then. And it still is now. At least they're consistent!!
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, 1 crappy frozen waffle with home made mint chip ice cream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
That ice cream will make even a crappy waffle sing.
Sunday, April 12
Hungry Vegan Confab
Spent the day collecting a few ingredients and cooking with B in the other room napping, a peaceful Sunday with friends and wife and some home made pizza. Tomorrow, no pizza. Maybe.
AM SNACK: 2am, large hunk of chocolate chip cookie dough, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, brown rice crispies with organic dead milk, a few cold spare ribs from left over Chinese food that I missed last night, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11am, bottle of purple gatorade, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:30pm, bowl of whole wheat matzo ball soup from yo momma in law, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2:15pm, 2 frozen waffles, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
SNICKLE DINNER: 5:30pm, 4 pizzas (salad, marg, sopressetta and shrimp, banana & semi sweet chocolate), mint chocolate chip ice cream, prosecco, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Made pizzas at home for the HVS and the HVM, good vibes. Used dough from the restaurant, but had to reball this morning, making for very hard dough to work with -- the pizzas were not stretched enough and were a bit small and thick, but because of my oven, it probably worked better than if it was super thin. Made a few alternative vegan pies, too. The red came out a bit dry, but I did one with cooked spinach and mushroom (hit with a little fresh garlic and salt at the end of it's cooking), roasted red pepper and fresh thin sliced tomato, was surprised how pretty good it was. Enjoyed the shrimp pizza, which from bottom to top was light coat of moz, thin slices of tomato, single piece of sopressetta per slice, three small prosecco-poached pieces of shrimp per slice, one clove of roasted garlic per slice, finished with parsley and basil. Crust got a sprinkling of romano which made it turn golden in a good way. Ice cream was a little soupy, but I attempted a soy ice cream which never came together, so I served it as a shake!
AM SNACK: 2am, large hunk of chocolate chip cookie dough, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, brown rice crispies with organic dead milk, a few cold spare ribs from left over Chinese food that I missed last night, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11am, bottle of purple gatorade, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:30pm, bowl of whole wheat matzo ball soup from yo momma in law, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2:15pm, 2 frozen waffles, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
SNICKLE DINNER: 5:30pm, 4 pizzas (salad, marg, sopressetta and shrimp, banana & semi sweet chocolate), mint chocolate chip ice cream, prosecco, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Made pizzas at home for the HVS and the HVM, good vibes. Used dough from the restaurant, but had to reball this morning, making for very hard dough to work with -- the pizzas were not stretched enough and were a bit small and thick, but because of my oven, it probably worked better than if it was super thin. Made a few alternative vegan pies, too. The red came out a bit dry, but I did one with cooked spinach and mushroom (hit with a little fresh garlic and salt at the end of it's cooking), roasted red pepper and fresh thin sliced tomato, was surprised how pretty good it was. Enjoyed the shrimp pizza, which from bottom to top was light coat of moz, thin slices of tomato, single piece of sopressetta per slice, three small prosecco-poached pieces of shrimp per slice, one clove of roasted garlic per slice, finished with parsley and basil. Crust got a sprinkling of romano which made it turn golden in a good way. Ice cream was a little soupy, but I attempted a soy ice cream which never came together, so I served it as a shake!
Second week down
.
Bad acid pizza party trip, maaaan!
Long day at the 'rant, but a good one. Due to crap weather, we remained very quiet until dinner, then we did a nice steady clip that we were able to keep up with. Prep came together in the morning, and L's good mood elevated all ships. He busted my balls a bit during the day, but at the end of the day it'll make me a better pizza maker. Still, glad to be home and spend some time with my B. Got a big ball of dough, now gotta figure out the toppings for the HVS Conference...
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, too dazed, don't think I ate anything
PM SNACK: 12:30pm, pieces of freshly cooked slab bacon, slice of egg pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, meatball hero, sprite, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT DAZE: 5-midnight, a meatball, a rootbeer, small piece of Sicilian, 2 glasses of mandorla, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 1am, 2 veg dumplings, small scallion pancake, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Exactly what I was wanting! I love my B!
How one feel like after a second 80 hour week at a new restaurant. That large Mexican man wasn't actually there, he was just a figment of my imagination...
Bad acid pizza party trip, maaaan!
Long day at the 'rant, but a good one. Due to crap weather, we remained very quiet until dinner, then we did a nice steady clip that we were able to keep up with. Prep came together in the morning, and L's good mood elevated all ships. He busted my balls a bit during the day, but at the end of the day it'll make me a better pizza maker. Still, glad to be home and spend some time with my B. Got a big ball of dough, now gotta figure out the toppings for the HVS Conference...
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, too dazed, don't think I ate anything
PM SNACK: 12:30pm, pieces of freshly cooked slab bacon, slice of egg pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, meatball hero, sprite, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT DAZE: 5-midnight, a meatball, a rootbeer, small piece of Sicilian, 2 glasses of mandorla, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 1am, 2 veg dumplings, small scallion pancake, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Exactly what I was wanting! I love my B!
How one feel like after a second 80 hour week at a new restaurant. That large Mexican man wasn't actually there, he was just a figment of my imagination...
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