Bill’s first order was three-top, a Cupid (a surf and turf, a filet mignon with a lobster tail), a sirloin strip and a frog legs. Each came with a baked potato and vegetable.
Jo Ann handed in the order. She slid the dupe on the counter, said “Ordering,” and waited for Jimmy or Bill to pick up the piece of paper.
“I’m early girl,” Jo Ann said. “I’m always early girl, so unless we get slammed the first orders are usually mine. You’ll see that some regular customers prefer Rosie or Edelgarde. You’ll get to learn it all if you stick around.”
First thing, Bill put the steaks on the broiler. They were both medium. Next he took out a lobster tail, slit it to open the shell, peeled out the lobster meat (the tail) but not quite all the way so it was still attached, set it atop the shell. He used a brush to brush on melted butter and sprinkled it with paprika, salt and pepper. He set the whole thing on a metal plate which he slid into the Dutch oven after lining the plate with just a touch of water.
Jo Ann watched him work. She was hanging around to see what Bill would do with her order. When he’d started everything, she went back to her tables.
Bill didn’t say anything to her. He knew she was checking him out to see if he knew what he was doing. He just looked at her, turned to Jimmy and asked him if he wanted him to sauté the frog legs too.
Jimmy shrugged his shoulders, said, “Sure.”
So Bill did that first order all by himself.
The frogs legs were easy. As they were, they got sautéed in butter with a touch of fresh garlic, salt and pepper. When they were done, white wine was put in and reduced. Finally a small ladle of crushed tomato in its juice was put into the pan to complete the sauce.
All Jimmy had to do was put the sides on the plates.
Jimmy showed Bill how they made the presentations, the steak with a candied apple and a sprig of parsley, chopped parsley atop the lobster tail. The frogs legs were set slightly overlapping, the sauce on top and then sprinkled with chopped parsley. The Cupid and the frogs legs got a wedge of lemon. The lemon was set atop the parsley sprig for the frogs legs. It was set in the candied apple for the Cupid.
Caesar came in to inspect it all before it went out. He looked and he looked. He was looking for something to criticize, but there was nothing. It was all pretty and perfect.
“Why don’t you take a picture,” Bill said, “so instead of you holding it here getting cold it can go out while it’s hot.”
Jo Ann stood by waiting for Caesar to allow her to pick it up, which he did quickly after Bill had spoken.
Bill knew he shouldn’t have said anything. He knew the moment it came out of his mouth. On one level, he really wanted to put Caesar in his place. On another level, he knew intellectually that he would have to wait ninety days to be able to do it. Still, it was fun on a whole different level to see how far he could push Caesar until Caesar did something stupid.
After that first order, orders started coming in regularly such that by seven-thirty, now five and a half hours into his first day, Bill had cooked and served everything there was to cook and serve on the Falstaff Room menu.
In the midst of what they called a little rush, Bill overheard Jo Ann, Rosie and Edelgarde talking. They were getting things from the shelves under the serving window’s shelf.
“He surely knows how to cook,” Jo Ann said.
“He’s cute too,” Edelgarde said.
“Very cute,” Rosie said.
