They worked and they worked and they worked.
The first seating was the toughest because it happened the most quickly. Even before noon people were at the door and they were seated as quickly as Caesar could do it.
The girls were standing ready. They worked the tables, started as always with drinks and bread/rolls. Two bus boys were working, so they brought the bread and rolls.
Before the girls served the salads, they took the food order, and on their way to get the salads they dropped their orders off with Bill and Jimmy G.
When the banquet chef arrived with the food replenishments, Bill noted that he was in a starched, clean uniform with a kerchief necktie. He was wearing his high chef’s hat too.
Victor was the one who actually emptied the truck and carted out the empty pans. He had two kitchen stewards helping him, so very quickly those soiled pans went over to the dishwasher area. The stewards also surveyed the china and silverware inventory and with use of a walkie-talkie system, the spoke with the dishwashers about what needed to be delivered.
Jimmy Banquet Chef immediately went out into the dining room and took a trip around. He stopped a couple of times, as Bill could see when it was where he had a view into the dining room, to speak to the customers. He smiled a lot, Bill saw, and strutted.
Bill knew that trip. He knew the banquet chef was asking about how the food was, if there were anything the people needed, if the food was hot and if they were pleased. Usually it was Caesar who did this, and later, when they had a chance to speak, the banquet chef told Bill that Caesar was not too happy about his showing up.
“Ask me if I care if he’s happy,” Jimmy Banquet Chef told Bill.
Victor had brought cold beer and they all had a drink. Any buzz that Jimmy G and Bill had before had been worked off within that first forty-five minutes. In that time, the room had filled and most of the tables had been served. Jo Ann had already complained twice about her feet hurting and Rosie had told Bill there were some cute looking kids out there. She’d finished that part of her conversation by saying it was better other people had them than her herself. She laughed when she said this, but she wasn’t shy about it and she certainly wasn’t embarrassed by her opinion.
They didn’t have much time to drink and didn’t stand there drinking. They opened their beer bottles, took a sip. Jimmy G and Bill did this quickly and then put their open bottles into one of their reach-in coolers. Victor and Jimmy Banquet Chef drank then headed out to where Kalista was. They had a fresh beer for her too, but she was too busy to stop to drink, so her nephew opened the bottle for her. She took a quick sip and put the beer, opened, away.
Bill couldn’t see this, but Jimmy G did and relayed it to him. Victor told him in Greek that they would be right back with more supplies, and Jimmy G relayed this to Bill too even though he was pretty sure Bill understood what Victor had said.
The second seating was slower and more spotty. As one party left, the table was re-set and a new party was seated. From within the kitchen there was a lag. One order, then another order and another and another. The boys had time to finish their beers and head out by Kalista one at a time for a drink of whiskey.
“You okay?” Bill asked Kalista while he stood there drinking.
“Ya,” she said. “When I get a chance, I make you boys some espresso and I spike it good for you.”
“Love you too,” Bill said.
