Saturday night in The Falstaff Room blew away all records. Not only did it set a new Saturday record, it set a new daily record and it ensured they would set a new weekly record. The new record was not just by a few covers. It was by more than a dozen covers. No one rested. No one took breaks. Only escape was a quick run to the bathroom and that did not happen for Bill or Jimmy G until Jimmy Banquet Chef, done with all his banquets, could run out to them and cover for them individually while they ran, just about literally, to take a leak.
Jimmy Banquet Chef, along with Bill’s input, which was crucial, did an inventory of what they had and what they needed in the kitchen. Bill was always over-careful. That stemmed from his Suburban days when they were very often very busy, when there was no time to be able to run for things and when running out of something might lead to a major backup. No one liked that. Once you backed up it was really hard to catch up.
“You got it pretty much covered,” the banquet chef said.
“I think so,” Bill said.
Bill and Jimmy G, each having had their bathroom relief, were back at working orders. In general and for the most part, Bill was the one who took the dupes and read them off. As he worked the Garland and spoke with the banquet chef, he kept pace with the orders, ordering and picking up. At one point while he was there, Jimmy Banquet Chef cut prime rib for several orders. One order was only rib. Bill got rid of that one quickly. Two orders had ribs on them. Bill ordered them to the banquet chef and he helped Jimmy G put up the plates, put the vegetables on them and made sure all was set just so.
“I’ll bring some extra vegetables,” the banquet chef said.
“Okay,” Bill said. “Better safe than sorry.”
“Yup.”
Just before the banquet chef headed back to the main kitchen Caesar stepped up to the serving window. Jimmy Banquet Chef and Jimmy G were in the midst of putting up an order.
“Everything okay?” Caesar asked.
“Why shouldn’t it be?” the banquet chef replied.
“I wanted to know,” Caesar said.
“Ask Bill,” the banquet chef said.
“Why are you here?”
“Why are you here?” the banquet chef said. He looked Caesar directly in his eyes. “Shouldn’t you be watching after the dining room?”
Caesar did not leave the serving window immediately. He waited a moment, watched the order they were working get put up and picked up. After the order was gone, he still lingered.
“Don’t people have to be seated?” the banquet chef asked him.
Caesar made a little grunt-like sound but didn’t move.
“Well,” the banquet chef said, “I’m gonna head over to the main kitchen.”
Bill didn’t say anything. He had called another order for pick-up and he and Jimmy G were working it. As they were, Kalista came in with espressos. She carefully put them down in the corner by the entrance in an out-of-the-way place.
The order that was coming up was Jo Ann’s. When she came to pick it up she said something to Caesar about people waiting. Caesar didn’t say anything. He watched her order get finished being put up and watched her take it away. Only then did he leave.
Jimmy G said something to himself in Greek. Bill was thinking mother f’er and suspected Jimmy G had said something like that. He asked him. Jimmy responded with a big smile.
“You know,” he said. Pretty much like MF’er in English.”
“What I thought,” Bill said.
