I recently read the book Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica, an autobiographical account of a man who washed out of his white-collar career and took a job as a waiter. He started blogging about his experiences, was discovered by a literary agent, and ended up writing a book.
Dublanica is my hero.
His book describes in poignant and hilarious detail the relationships and interactions that take place in a restaurant: waiter - guest, waiter - chef, waiter - manager, waiter - waiter. In my brief exposure to the restaurant industry (Pizza Hut in the 80's) his characterizations ring true and even elicit nostalgia.
Which brings me to the Fallston Diner. Sitting at the marble counter makes me feel as though I am on the front lines of the entire restaurant industry. The guests are behind me, served by the waitresses and insulated from the machinations of food prep. The servers congregate in front of me, preparing beverages, soups and salads, and hoping that their orders appear quickly and correctly. The cooks are visible further back, preparing food from a 100-item menu with a few minutes turnaround. A steak followed by a crab cake followed by pancakes followed lasagna followed by a Reuben. Amazing.
Mistakes happen. Something is forgotten or dropped or served to the wrong guest. There is a brief discussion and a surprisingly drama-free recovery. There is private discussion about the number of hours worked this week, questions about children at home, plates of food are being put on the pickup shelf. No broccoli. I asked for broccoli. Broccoli? Coming up! The broccoli appears and the server whisks the meal to the guest, another disaster averted.
I am privy to all of this because at the counter I am at the dividing line between production and customer service. I feel like a stowaway. The essential to budget travel is to prepare in advance. When it occurs to family trips, globetrotting, well-deserved trips and/or going to see new locations we have never been before, the reality of cost and budgeting is often in the back of our mind. Planning and expending our travel budget carefully is a priority for most families. Reducing spending and charges, while still savoring your vacation to its fullest, is the key to assured accomplishment and fiscal obligation. Your pocketbook and family will thank you! The thinking behind protecting money while traveling is simple: Even if your personal funds is really small, you can still take a break and enjoy life! Simply put, life is just too short to never step out of the door or leaving the homestead! Also remembering that while traveling, no matter whether on a finances or not, even the smallest of things can all add op to a large vacation or travel expenses!. I'm secretly backstage watching the show for free.
Guy Fieri's Food Network show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, has done a marvelous job spotlighting the culinary inventiveness, quirky uniqueness and fierce customer loyalty toward diners across the country. He takes the camera into the kitchen and observes the house specialties being created, samples them, and then goes out in the dining room for customer reviews.
I want to eat in every single place. It's a great show.
Not feeling particularly hungry, the vignettes of food preparation, service and life occurring around me are wonderfully entertaining. I agree to share a Reuben with my daughter.
Good choice.
Lean, tender, plentiful corned beef, Swiss cheese, and just the right amount of sauerkraut and dressing on buttery toasted rye. This is really good. The corned beef holds together just long enough for you to bite into the sandwich, then falls apart gratefully in submission to your will. Mmmmm.
Fallston Diner has the obligatory dessert case and 99 additional items we did not try.
We'll be back.
And so should you. If not Fallston, then support your own local diner. You just may be pleasantly surprised.
For more info:Fallston Diner, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, listing of Baltimore diners,
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