Man vs. Travel Channel

I don’t like silence when I’m home, so I usually wind up having the TV on, even when I’m not watching it. CNN, ESPN, and the Travel Channel are my usual go-to's. The Food Network used to fall into this category, as well, but their hosts have become incredibly annoying and their production values very poor, so they’re out. Anyhow, for the past few days, while I’ve occupied my time with homework and other projects around the apartment, the TV’s been stuck on the Travel Channel and I just realized that the programming has very little to do with travel.

I’ll admit, I enjoy watching Adam Richman’s Man vs. Food from time to time. Without it, I might not have ever heard about the ghost chili pasta at the East Coast Grille's awesome Hell Night. I think that the concept of the show is fantastic and it’s very well executed, especially when compared to similar shows in the genre. I do think that the success of the show is somewhat amusing, however, considering the times that we live in. When so many people are out of work, barely able to put food on their tables, our society has made a cult hero out of a traveling frat boy who makes himself sick with outrageous quantities of food.

The Travel Channel has now taken the success of Richman’s show and run with it. Now we have Steak Paradise, Deep-Fried Paradise, Burger Paradise, the Chowdown Countdown, Extreme Eats, etc. etc. It seems like the only “travel” being done on this network is a never-ending trail of “belly-busting” burritos and greasy pizza. While it’s interesting to see some of these dishes, I think it’s dangerous and somewhat irresponsible to celebrate them. There was one restaurant, known for their french fries cooked in lard, who gave free meals to customers who weighed in at over 350 pounds. Another restaurant had a guest collapse, apparently from a heart attack, in the middle of the dining room. Well, turned out it wasn’t a heart attack. It was severe heartburn from the giant pancake challenge that he was attempting. Hi-larious! At some point these shows have gone from entertaining to kind of sad (not to mention completely over-exposed). I believe that people are responsible for their own actions and for what they eat, but I don’t really think that we need to be encouraging this sort of behavior.

I know that food and travel are intertwined by nature, but if the Travel Channel is going to keep such a narrow focus on food, it would be nice if they would pay attention to some of the nicer restaurants that are out there. The search for America’s most outrageous foods has gotten redundant and incredibly stale.

Another problem that I have with the Travel Channel is Andrew Zimmern. You know, this guy:


The Bizarre Foods guy. He always seems to come on after Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and the difference between the two shows couldn't be more pronounced. While Bourdain usually sets out to far off lands using food as a way to understand the diverse cultures he encounters, Zimmern approaches other cultures as if they're animals in a zoo. Usually decked out in a bright orange shirt that screams "I'm not from around here," his show uses zany writing and "weird" foods to essentially mock these people. Zimmern is a world-class clown and I can't reach for the remote fast enough once he comes on.

Kids Make a Change

In my first post I told you that, in addition to tales of the weird and crazy, I'd be talking about some of the good people I've encountered along the way. Right now I'd like to direct you to a website that was set up by a couple of kids I know.


Kids Make a Change (KMAC) was set up by Mason and Eve Elizondo who, according to their mission statement, want to "get kids more involved in giving." They have raised a lot of money for a lot of causes, such as the Animal Rescue League of Boston, the World Wildlife Fund, and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Recently they've been working on raising money for Haiti. These are the kinds of kids that actually inspire a sense of hope for the future and I'm glad to know them. So, if you have a minute or two, pop on over to their site and see what they've been doing.

The Joys of Brunch

When I sat down to write today, I was planning on talking about one of my favorite new places, but the memory of yesterday’s brunch was still in my head and inspired me to go in a different direction.

For someone that works in a restaurant, there are few things worse than waking up on a Sunday morning, after a long Saturday night at work, to sling eggs and hash to the masses. A crowd of people who crawl out of the holes they’ve been hiding in the rest of the week. These people that come out for brunch are a “special” crowd, pretty much exclusive from the folks who come in for dinner.

They gather around the restaurant, half an hour before we begin service, impatiently waiting for the doors to open up at 11. Sometimes they want to be let in early, as if the hours posted are mere suggestions and not rules. They complain about being cold and hungry. I have no sympathy. They’re not homeless and this isn’t a soup kitchen.

The bugle sounds.
The Call to the Post.
The doors open.
And they’re off!
The rush begins.
Driven by a madness that only a cup of coffee, some eggs and a side-of-sausage-right-now can cure, these wild animals tear through the restaurant dragging their children and barking out orders.
A lovely way start to the day, right.

Yesterday:
“I’ll have the turkey hash, but instead of the bread, I want a salad.”
“Okay, there might be a slight upcharge for that, though. I’m not sure a salad is a viable substitution for toast.”
“What can I have instead that doesn’t have carbs?”
“Well, I suppose you could leave the bread off.”
“You know what, nevermind. I’ll have the two eggs and bacon.”
“Okay. How would you like your eggs cooked?”
“Like an omelette.”
“So you want an omelette?”
“No, I want them cooked like an omelette. Only the egg whites. And instead of the bacon, I want duck sausage.”
“So, you want the egg white omelette with a side of duck sausage?”
“No, I want egg whites cooked like an omelette. They’ll know what I mean.”

Needless to say, the kitchen wasn’t too psyched when I rang in this disaster of an order. My manager just looked at me, you’re kidding, right?

I could have been more helpful with this table, but they were rude and demanding when they sat down. If people who come into the restaurant act like children I have no problem treating them as such. If you reward them for their behavior, they’ll think that it’s okay. On the flipside, I suppose they don’t even realize that they’re doing anything wrong and probably just think that it is I who is the douchebag.

These are the shifts that you work only because they “fulfill a requirement,” like science classes for a liberal arts major. At most restaurants, there is a pecking order, generally based upon seniority. The new people generally get what they can take for shifts. If by working a brunch, you get the opportunity to work a couple of good night shifts then so be it. You’ll do your time, but you won’t necessarily like it. I don’t even care about the money, as I’ll probably spend it by the time I get home.

Hi guys, welcome to so and so, my name is...

(Actually, I’ve never believed in giving my name to a guest when I greet a table. I think it sounds forced and corporate. Besides, more than likely, the guest isn’t interested in the slightest hello, let alone getting to know you on a personal level. If they do want that information, it’s available upon request.)

Sort of like how some countries require mandatory time spent in the service, I’ve heard a lot of servers say that everyone should be forced to work a year in the service industry. Working in a restaurant gives you an amazing insight into the lives of the people who come out to eat and the results are in: the restaurant-going public is a weird and twisted lot, full of the Good, the Bad, and the Holy Shit:

A week or two ago:
“Do you prefer cream or milk?”
“I drink it black.
Like my soul.”

Even after years in the industry, people continue to amaze me. They’re demanding and demeaning, rude without realizing, and just not very well socialized. They almost can’t even be blamed for their ignorance.

The majority of people don’t really fall into this category, though. You just hear about them more because Guests-Gone-Wild are more fun to talk about than the normal people who were pleasant, had a good meal, tipped twenty percent and went off on their merry way, hoping to see you again, as is the ultimate goal. On this blog, I’ll talk about both kinds of people and probably those that fall somewhere in between.

Additionally, I’ll be talking about food a lot, as it plays a pretty crucial role in the restaurant industry. It’s kind of the whole point, right? It’s all about the food isn’t it?

Over the course of my career in restaurants, I have developed a passion for food and wine. Working with talented and amazing chefs has exposed me to a diverse assortment of creative cuisine and has inspired me to do a lot of cooking in my free time. From things I’ve made at home to dishes I’ve encountered on my travels, good food will inspire and feature prominently into the content of this blog.

Also, like a good server, I’ll be making some recommendations from time to time. If I hear about a unique event in the Boston area or try out a new place that I love (or hate), I will let you guys know.