"He's one of the most popular chefs in America, really good food. All those awards. That one magazine rated him the best. Which was it, Esquire?

How is he to work with? [rolls her eyes] Well he's a lot better since he stopped doing speed."

--Waitress in New Orleans

...............

So I realize that this is a blog about waiters in Manhattan, but I'm out of the area and in New Orleans. So what can I do? Of course, I'm gonna' spend time talking to restaurant workers here, and what better place to talk about the restaurant world than New Orleans. Even if it people only eat 5 recipes, there's 500 restaurants. People here know how to dine out.

But let's get back to the interviews. Here's a continuation of my interview with Roger, a Chicago native who works south of NYU. He's chatting about the party scene that exists where he works. More than likely, you've probably been to this place, had something to eat, more than enough to drink, and later stumbled out.

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There's a girl we work with who's a model, even though she hasn't pursued it much. But she always shows up to work messed up on something. And you can always tell she's had very little sleep. She will close at four in the morning, and then her night will begin. She'll go out and party until ten in the morning, and then sleep until she has to be back at work at five that night.

Half the time she comes in with her eyes half open stumbling around. She disappears downstairs for a long time where the restrooms are...doing God knows what. She's the big one. The photographer will sometimes be on something, but most of us not too much.

I really don't do much of anything because that's not my thing. I'm not into drugs, I don't really drink a whole lot. Most people will have a few drinks while they're working. Sometimes they'll get so hammered.

I'll be talking to one of the servers and I'll be, "Are you drunk!?"

And I didn't even know they were drinking.

Basically, you have the server area and there's always stuff, the drinks you're serving and napkins and straws and stuff, and there's always glasses that someone sucking on and you just put up a glass and ask the bartender for a Stoli and Coke.

And then you just kinda' work on your drink all night. A lot of times you're just bored, and for some people it's just the enticement of free alcohol. Ya' know? "I can get completely drunk by the times I get off of work and catch up with my friends who are out already."

1:19:06 PM     comment []