The Brotherhood of the Dish

By Al Dente

So what happens if you are a solid decade into the career of your dreams, and all of a sudden, technology changes, and suddenly not just your job but practically the entire industry vanishes in the space of just a few short years, and there you are at "middle age" having to start all over again at the bottom in a new career? It happened to me, and it felt a lot like jumping in a metaphorical kayak and riding that river of crap 'till you get back to solid ground. It's about more than just 'making the best of it'. It's about making the process into a transformative experience. The first job I ever had was as a dishwasher. Half my life later, I started over again in the same position. This time, though, the end goal was different.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Al Dente
• Release date: Apr 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310359521

Al Dente

Matt "Al Dente" Foote was born in New York City, grew up in the Arizona desert, and now lives somewhere on the central coast of California.

Book preview

Smashwords Edition

Copyright Matt Al Dente Foote, 2014, 2016

All rights Reserved by Author

The Dish Whisperer, part 1: The Brotherhood of the Dish

The first and only time that I ever went into the Del Monte Café was for a perfectly good reason: I had never been there before.

What I remember fondly about the Del Monte was neither the food nor the ambience; it was the phone call that I got sometime between when we ordered and when the food came. It was Gracie Mueller, the new general manager of the Croitzberg Café, which was re-opening in an expanded space on Higuera St. after outgrowing the spot it had opened on Monterey St, a block north, only six months previous. And just like that, after more than two years, I had a job again.

Dishwashing.

It wasn’t actually official yet, but from the way she talked it seemed like the interview would be just a formality. When I showed up for the interview at the building they were moving into, she led me back to the thrashed-out kitchen area, showed me the inches-deep-grease-coated fryers and flattop grills that they’d bought from the previous owners, and asked if I could start the week before the official open and basically return these dilapidated bits of kitchen equipment to a state of usability. She told me the pay and the start date and I said "Okay.’

A few days later there was a get-to-know-ya meeting for all the New Hires, at the Monterey St. store, which they intended to keep operating up until a few days before the move. Surveying the motley crew, I tried to sit nearest the people I thought most likely to be the Back Of House crew-- cooks and dishers and such. In other words, look for the short Mexican dude. And sure enough, that’s how I met Jorge, one of the other new Dishers. But he let me know right off that he wasn’t really Mexican-- I’m, from Detroit, dude!, he said.

Gracie showed up and gave us a little pep talk and then handed out packets of paperwork to get started on. A little while later the purported Owner, Jim, came by to feign interest in us. The glasses he wore gave an air of pseudointellectual hipsterdom; but that said, he was also sans visible piercing or tattoos, so he was like a half-in hipster.

The meeting didn’t last too long. Maybe an hour in-and-out. There was going to a Grand Opening Pre-Party for the new café on Saturday, August 6th, with an official public opening