"No Mushroo!", "Wha Yu Wan?"

“No Mushroo!”

“Wha Yu Wan?”

That is exactly what I heard from the chef the other day. To fully appreciate, and possibly understand, read 'tenjewberrymuds' in the blog I wrote about fun with words, here: http://enterwithanopenmindorclosedeyes.blogspot.com/2011/09/ill-be-back-what-about-mozart.html

I Ordered an Omelet with Mushrooms, Bacon, and Cheese. The chef at the grill said, “No Mushroo! Wha Yu Wan?” I chuckled, teased him about not having any mushrooms, because he does not realize that I know he has mushrooms, but just does not want to get them. He did not appreciate the teasing, and said again, “No Mushroo! Wha Yu Wan?” I chuckled again, and said, “Obviously the same, but without the mushrooms.” He did not seem to understand that the omelet would just be a bacon and cheese omelet. So he repeated himself again! This made me laugh even more. I explained to him that it would be the same order, but minus the mushrooms. He was getting a little irritated, and said, “Wha Yu Wan!?” So I asked for “an omelet with bacon, and cheese. He made it hastily, and slapped it on my plate. Then he looked as if he actually expected a tip!

This takes place often in what is called “The Hideout”. The Hideout is also called the EDR, or Employee Dining Room. It is entombed deep in the hidden underbelly of the casino. This Employee Dining Room would be comparable to many cafeterias, or other commercial food facilities for employees of almost any very large company. The EDR is a full-service buffet-line, and also has a staffed grille, where the on-duty chef will make almost anything you desire on the spot. Everything available is free for all employees. This is because they require us to take our breaks on property, and are not allowed to leave for our break-time. The food is usually very good, and well-presented. There is an endless variety of almost any food you could wish to consume.

Occasionally, you will encounter a chef that somehow feels it is demeaning, or a demotion to work the grille. The grille, along with everything available in The EDR is free for all employees. So, some of the chefs feel that serving food to non-paying customers is somehow beneath them. This is what they are hired to do, and if they do it well, and with a smile, they make plenty in tips. This is definitely a customer-service position, and apparently some chefs feel they are above customer service. Perhaps some of these chefs resent having to cook directly in front of the customer. I will not name any of those who act this way, but unfortunately, they outnumber those who do a wonderful job. These chefs will put the eggs on a high-heat grille, instead of medium heat. They have not learned the fine-nuances of cooking eggs. Eggs cooked slowly over medium heat turn out light, fluffy, and delicious. Eggs on high-heat are cooked too fast, flat, and taste like rubber. These same chefs also throw a handful of mushrooms, cheese, and bacon on the overdone eggs, then fold it in half and slap it on a plate. Eggs cooked this way do not give me the energy, fuel, or satisfaction I need from a meal.

Fred is one chef I will name, But not for anything bad. Fred is the exception, and a wonderful example to all other chefs. Fred is one of those guys who takes pride in serving food with quality and a smile. He knows how to satisfy his customers, and always has a full tip-basket. He has mastered the art of understanding how food reacts, how it tastes, and how to prepare it. When I order on omelet, he happily goes to the back and gets a large handful of fresh mushrooms. He drops them in the deep-fryer for about twenty seconds to flash-cook them. Then he places them on the grille to sauté. Then he places the eggs on the grille over a medium heat. He will chop-up bacon and add it to the pile of mushrooms. These sauté together for about two or three more minutes. The eggs cook slowly to perfection, then the cheese is evenly spread across the eggs, and the mushrooms and bacon are added. The eggs are carefully folded, then placed perfectly on the plate, with a garnish of cheese on top. The Omelet served by Fred is always delicious, and gives me the fuel, energy, and satisfaction I need from a good meal.

Part of my job includes accessing the back-side of The EDR where the food is stored. So, when the cranky chef says “No Mushroo!” And I Know there are in fact mushrooms, it only shows me he really is not interested in serving me a quality meal, but only interested in getting his customers to go away quickly.

I always add sour-cream, and guacamole to my omelet. Then I get one strip of bacon, and one slice of French toast. I do not use syrup, only butter. On the days when the cranky chefs are on duty, for some odd reason, the tongs for the French toast are always coated with sticky syrup. But when Fred is on duty, there are never any sticky tongs. This raises two questions: First, why do people not make the tongs sticky on the days Fred works, but do make them sticky on other days? And Second, How on Earth do the tongs for the French toast get sticky? The syrup is not even near the French toast, and it has a ladle for scooping. How would the syrup get on the tongs? I find this completely disgusting, and will end-up using my unused fork to grab the French toast. But it never fails. Even though Fred really does not having anything to do with the buffet-area, it still always happens this way.

It is no surprise that many people do not take pride in their job, do not have work-ethic, or even care about quality. Sometimes, having a background in food-science, cooking, and what makes the difference between good food, and bad food is a handicap. Because I know about the properties of food, and how it works, it tends to make me believe others who work with food should also have this understanding. Also having a strong background in customer service tends to make me more critical of those who work in a customer service field and act like it is beneath them. I may be the minority, and even a rarity in most of these areas, but I will always seek true integrity, quality, and do the best I can do. Is it wrong of me to expect this of others, too? I cling to the standards of providing what the employer hires me to do, giving the service the customer expects, and always giving my best. My Kudos to Fred, for doing the same. I have no photos to contribute to this blog, because no photography is allowed anywhere in the underbelly of the casino.

When I am told “No Mushroo! Wha Yu Wan?” It makes me laugh, and shake my head at the same time. I gotta see the humor in it even I can’t find the quality in it.
May you be blessed with all the “Mushroo”,
and get “Wha Yu Wan” when you order from The Grille Of Life! J