How many illegal immigrants do you think have brought you your meal in Manhattan? I'm not talking about the guys hidden back in the kitchen--that illegal Dominican scrubbing pots and wiping up piss in the bathroom. I mean waited on your table.

Just a couple of day ago I hooked up with Angel as he was getting off from his shift. I had met the guy a couple of weeks ago and he's a really good waiter. Nice, quick, and pretty conscientious.

We tried to do the interview in the Starbucks on the west side of Union Square. No luck. That place is always crowded and it doesn't even have any character. So we cut through the square and headed over to the Au Bon Pain on the east side. We first picked a corner next to the window, but then Angel found a quieter table close to the bathroom. That kinda' worried me because I normally like to do the interview in a place that's loud. For some reason people being recorded get worried when the next table starts listening in.

It was a pretty good interview and he was quite articulate and even apologetic about his English. I'm sure many of you are well aware of this, that our industry thrives-no depends-on cheap, illegal labor to keep down costs. But it's not just these cheap little dives and greasy spoons that rely on illegals. Even the five star places that make the cover of those food mags hire illegals. Places like Lutece, where Angel used to work.

I knew it was an interesting interview 'cause one of the kitchen staff from Au Bon Pain was perched in the corner taking a break, and was eavesdropping in on our talk, even laughing at some of his answers.

But for the moment, I want to shift gears and introduce you to Mark. He's just a regular guy from New Jersey, an artist. For the past twelve years, he's waited tables at an Italian restaurant to help support his child. It was a very personal talk and I felt a little honored to have the guy open up and explain his career and life.

He was the very first waiter I interviewed.

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Well the way it happened was I was going to art school. I was attending the Art Student League. That's what I wanted to do was paint and all that. And as you know artists do what every person in the arts does; they go work in restaurants to support themselves. While they have the dream. And they work with the dream of making it as an artist while they work in restaurants.

The first job was for private caterers in New Jersey. You take everything to the location, and it was kinda' fun. I enjoyed it. It was fun. I like being around people and I like food. I come from an Italian family where food is everything. So I like being around food...cooking the whole thing. And I like the interaction with people.

After that, I went to this big wedding banquet place in New Jersey, and I worked there for a little bit. I did banquets for about six months. And after that I went to one of these Steak and Ale places. I did the steak thing for about a year.

That was okay. It was easy. Each place you go to you learn a little more. You pick up a few more things. And, you know, it's always nice to work with cash. You walk out with cash in your pocket. Couple of drinks after work. It's kinda' fun.

I don't know if there's a trick to waiting on tables. You just have to focus, and you have to care. You just have to focus and care, or force yourself to care about what you're doing. You really have to do it and do it right. You can't do it half-heartedly and think about something else...at least for me. I have to focus and take it seriously. It's a job. And I do it.

I can't be talking and joking around, and think I'm going to work screwing around. I just can't do it properly like that. You have to take it to heart and you have to care.

I've been here about twelve years. The owner had the place about two years and then he transformed into an Italian place. There's a guy in kitchen who was here when I first came here. He worked at a restaurant the owner ran before he opened this place.

When I walked into this place and I saw the owner, and saw his charismatic personality, and how he paid attention to detail, cause he does. He wants everything to be in it's place so the waiter can work smoothly. Because that's how this place works.

Then I saw the food here. The food was...good food, and I knew immediately... And I saw the guys making the food and they were nice guys. And that was when this place was failing. He almost went out of business. And I believed that this place was going to be successful.

And when he closed the place down to renovate he asked me, "You know, do you want to have a couple of tables going?" This and that. And I said, "Yea."

So I stayed, and it eventually grew and became what it is. So as far as this place goes...I had a feeling it would work and that the owner would be successful. I could'a left. I could'a left.

What's makes a waiter successful? Caring is the word. If they care about what they're doing. If they're serious about doing the job, or if their mind is going to be wandering. If they're going to be thinking about their other job. You know, what they really want to do and they're not going to be here. You really have to be here, you know. You have to be here now, you know, and you have to do the work. You can't be here partially; it has to be all the way.

So you can see that in people. And, uh, you know. That's it. That's what I can tell.
12:06:41 AM     comment []