Starving at work

I think I work at one of the worst place to be hungry on the job: A restaurant.

I typically eat before I go to work. But sometimes I don’t leave myself enough time. Or if I work a long shift without a break, I get hungry. On these occasions, everything I serve looks delicious – including things I don’t even like! The scents of deep fried, wood fired, grilled, steamed, and baked cooking assaults my senses. The alder plank that our salmon is fired on is one of the most powerful and enticing aromas.

While pre-bussing, it’s hard not to be tempted to grab an uneaten French fry before discarding a guest’s plate. And if I have to serve Chocolate Ganache, my stomach growls in envy. It is torture enough to have to serve my favorite dessert and not be able to eat it on a normal day. But when I'm hungry, it’s sheer agony.    

And then, a guest can (and often has) unknowingly rubbed it in. After I set their savory meals on the table and say, “enjoy,” one guest is fated to reply: “You too.” If only!

Other times, after setting down the food, I’ve had guests say, “Feel free to join us.” I wish. I know they mean it as a playful jest, but it only makes my stomach growl louder. It’s as if they’re dangling a tantalizing dish before my nose, tempting me, and then quickly snatching it back.