Italian Restaurants...in Italy!

I just returned from a week vacation to Florence, Italy, and I have to say I was looking forward to eating REAL Italian food for the past two months.


I was, however, severely disappointed.

Living in America, very few people appreciate our food. After dining at restaurants all over Florence, I have come to the conclusion that I will be happy to stick to my average meal of grilled chicken, or Taco Bell, or even McDonald's!

While you would expect everything in Italy to taste amazing, that is not the case.

Their bread does not have salt in it. ZERO. You have to make your own flavor using the olive oil and salt provided. Terrible! The same is true of much of the food. It is in no way,shape, or form full of flavor...which is probably why they add cheese to EVERYTHING.

The market was interesting, as well. The fruits and veggies contain no preservatives whatsoever, so a trip to the market becomes a daily routine for many. Butchers walk around with meat on a stick and chop it right in front of you. The fruit is fresh, but only for two days, so it is important to eat it almost as soon as it is purchased.

Also, the portions there are incredibly small, which is perhaps why everyone I saw weighed about thirty pounds less than me. I ordered one dish with crepes stuffed with ricotta and was shocked to find my entire dinner was three crepes. THREE! I could eat that for a snack!

The only interesting part of dining in Italy was that every meal is intended to be at least four courses. Appetizer, salad, pasta, meat, and dessert. Also, everything is generally inexpensive. If you just intend to get one dish, as most Americans surely do, you only end up spending about 14 dollars, which is not unheard of in our own country.

One thing that boggled my mind was that no one eats between the hours of 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. either, which killed me. I walked twenty blocks to even find just a snack! A pretzel, bag of chips... I would of eaten anything! I became so desperate that I ate a microwavable sandwich at the American Cafe in my hotel.

Overall, Italy was a great experience. I learned so much about the shopping, dining, and general way of life. A great place to vacation, but I think I will stick to the restaurant industry in America.

Work and Play

Having worked in many restaurants, I know firsthand the social world behind them. In fact, one of the most positive things that comes out of working in a restaurant is the friendships you make. But, just like any job, it is important to make sure that these things do not interfere with your work!

Restaurants are by far one of the easiest places to work when you are hung over. Trust me. There is no sitting at a desk, praying for the next hour to go by. Rather, most of the time, since everyone works the same wacky hours, everyone else is probably hung over too! The world of restaurants makes room for late night drinking and late night partying as well and being able to function is quite simple. Word of advice, do not ever try to call out of work at a restaurant if you are hung over. Honestly, suck it up and go. Majority of the people will be in the same boat as you which will actually make working like that an interesting experience.

Another issue will be relationships. People always claim not to date anyone you work with, but the restaurant is no office place. In fact, sometimes it may be worse! The staff is usually smaller in a restaurant, BUT it may be easier to shift around your schedule to avoid the co-worker if things should go sour. Always watch your back however. Working in this business is pretty much like attending high-school. The day after a work party, everyone will know exactly what you did and who you were with!

While making the friendships in this upbeat world of serving others can be fun, it is important to remember why you are where you are! You are there to be a server, or bartender, or busboy, or manager. Not to socialize. Keep your dedication and diligence apparent and people will become friends with you as a result of respecting you. The friendships I have made from each job will truly last a lifetime. You not only learn to be self-sufficient as a restaurant worker, but you also learn what it means to be part of a team, which will aid you in working situations down the road.

Q&A with Amanda Higgins

The following is a Q&A with Amanda Higgins, manager of Friday's of Hamilton.

Q. How did you get into the restaurant field?
A. I first started as a busgirl when I was only 14. From there, I moved up to be a server in various restaurants. I started bartending at Friday's. Now, I'm 24 and a manager. From time to time, I still pick up a bartending shift. Friday's really gives you great flexibility with things like that.

Q. What are your typical working hours?
A. For managers at least, we must work a minimum of 45 hours a week. Usually I work about ten hours a day, five days a week. Having two days off is great, and working the ten hours goes by very quickly when the restaurant is busy, so I don't really mind.

Q. Have you met many people working in the business?
A. Absolutely. I get to talk to so many different people every day and make connections with them, it's amazing. The staff at Friday's is also very close. Working the hours we do, it really makes us more like a family than anything else.

Q. Do you think that being a good manager comes from talent, or acquires skills?
A. Anything takes practice. If I had not worked in other parts of the restaurant, I doubt that I would have developed the skills to be a manager. You also need to be patient as well as a people person, which is not easy for many. So, I think it is a combination of both. You have to have a knack for working well with people, but you also acquire skills to develop that talent through work.

Q. What is the most difficult part of working in the restaurant business?
A. As I said before, it requires much patience. In my position, I need to make sure everything is going well all of the time. I have to have patience with the kitchen workers, servers, bartenders, and hostesses. Managing a staff that large is not always easy. Once you find something you love to do though, things just kind of fall into place. I would not trade my job for anything in the world. Right now, I am right where I want to be.

Q. Do you still manage to have time for family and friends?
A. It is a common misconception that managers of restaurants do not have a lot of free time. Working at a place like Friday's however, I manage to get two days off during the week, which leaves me a full 48 hours to do whatever I wish. Also, ten hour days does not mean I always work nights. Sometimes I work a morning shift and I get done work by about 7 p.m, which leaves my night free. So, overall, my social life has not suffered at all!

Q. What is your advice for those who want to climb the ladder of the restaurant business and maybe end up in the same position as you?
A. Work hard! Make friends, socialize, and show great determination. Keep your strong work ethic in tact and don't get involved in the drama of the restaurant world, as it can be easy to do so. Managers do take notice of who works hard, trust me. Otherwise I would not be where I am today.

Things that irritate restaurant workers

Now that I've given you some advice on the work in the restaurant business, let's move on to something more fun.

Things that irritate servers and bartenders. This is generally for amusement for workers in the business, but also for the general public. Read and try not to do any of these things when dining out!

1. If we do not open until 11 a.m., there is no need to be standing outside waiting at 10:30. The doors will not magically open.
2. If a hostess tries to seat you somewhere, it is because that is where is most convenient for a server. SIT THERE! The food is going to taste just as good in that booth as the one you'd "prefer" to sit in across the room.
3. Just because it feels like you have been waiting for an hour, does not mean you have. Do not harrass the hostesses, it does prevent them from getting you a seat!
4. Do not interrupt a server/bartender when they are saying hello. This is their job. It is really rude!
5. If you do not know what you want to eat yet, do not make the server stand there for 20 minutes while you decide. They have other tables to attend to.
6. When someone asks you, "do you need anything else," it is usually because they are going back into the kitchen. Please do not wait until they walk by you again. Tell them right away!
7. If you need a drink refill or know you are going to, just ask for it!
8. The server/bartender did not cook the food. If a steak comes out the wrong temperature, or the chicken is not done enough, etc., IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT! Try to be nice.
9. Do not take up a table for 3 hours, unless you plan on tipping accordingly. Sitting there prevents the server from turning over the table, which means they make less money. If you want to chat for three hours, the restaurant is not the best place to do it.
10. The respected amount to tip HAS increased in the last twenty years. Really. Acceptable is about 18%, whereas 20% is perfect. Take care of your servers and bartenders, they took care of you while dining out!