Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Yes, a Steve Jobs quote is the opener, this time.  Nothing really more needs to be said about it.  Having gone through a turbulent time when I was trying to find my career path, those words rang strong.  I had never considered working in food service.  Well, that's not exactly true...I worked for 4 weeks at a local pizza joint in Bensenville, Illinois, sometime around 1985.  I was busily trying to find a job, for the summer.  School was ending for the year and I needed money, like any 17 year old.  It seemed like I put in 3 applications, the local park district, the golf course and on a whim, the pizza place.  Pizza won out, as the front runner, so I went to work.  

With wide eyes, I started in a small, cramped and hot, kitchen.  I started with dishes and stock, quickly making my way onto the pizza line.  Not much of a line, more like one guy for the majority of the night, a second when necessary.  I remember that I didn't last long there.  I was moved, one night without warning, to the entree side.  It seemed daunting, 5 sandwiches, 5 pasta entrees, soup and deep fried apps.  I got a crash course in how everything worked and then I was left to fly solo.  It was a step up, I saw later, as anyone could sling dough.  I was coming in after school, so all the prep was done and all I had to do was heat and assemble.  I started to learn tasting to adjust and timing, things that are second nature, now.  It was a lot for a unfocused 17 year old to grasp.  Hell, summer was rapidly approaching and getting off of work when everyone else was partying, didn't seem cool, though the free food was nice.  

Then it happened.  I really wanted to park district job, and 3 weeks into my first foray into food service, the job came up.  I got the call and told them I had to give notice to my current gig.  Hell, fresh air, a massive pool complex, lawn crew and building things, what wasn't to love?  Plus the money was good, well a dollar more than I was making, which at that time was about $5.00/hour.  Yes, it was a long time ago.  I went into work that night and I was ecstatic that I finally got pulled into the park district; as I walked through the door and into the kitchen, I felt regret.  I wasn't supposed to feel that way.  I was supposed to feel happy about getting out of the hot kitchen and onto the village payroll.  I spoke with the owner and told him about my opportunity and that I was giving notice.  In those days, you didn't just up and quit, you gave notice and worked the whole time.  He said he understood and was happy for me.  I left on good terms and for the next few years, I would still get the employee discount, if he was in the dining room, when I went in.  

I learned a lot of lessons from that first, short stint in the kitchen.  Little did I know it was silently paving the way for a major career change, 10 years in the future...