Bonefish Bartending

I have been bartending, with only a short break in 1991-1992, since 1983.  Count 'em, that's about 28 years of full-time bartending experience.  I thought I knew almost everything there was to know, and a few things I'm sure I've since forgotten, about this career, and make no mistake, as I had in the early 90's, it truly is a career.  That gap in the 90's occurred because, as a married man, with two young children, I believed that I should stop fulling around behind bars, and get a REAL job.  Moving behind a cubicle after attending Pittsburgh Technical Institute for Drafting and Design proved to me that it was much more important to ENJOY the work you to do, rather than do something you thought would make you more money and was a "real" career.

Anyway, with all the knowledge and experience I have, when Bonefish Grill called me about my application, I went into the interview supremely confident that I would be the ace of their staff.  Not to sound like a cocky prick, but I mix the best drinks, I know how to handle customers who may have over imbibed, and I carry on a good conversation, minus religion and politics of course! 

I coasted throught the interview process with  Don, who initially will be the new Bonefish Kitchen Manager, and was passed on to Chris, who will be running the front of the house for the first few weeks.  The young gentlemen loved me, hired me after the second interview and informed me that I was the first new hire at the new Bonefish Grill.  See that, my confidence was not unfounded.

On the Sunday afternoon before training began I was given two training manuals, one, every person in the front of the house receives, the "Bonefish Server Training Manual", the second, of course was the "Bonefish Bartender Training Manual".  I was also told that the first thing upon walking into class Monday morning there would be a test.  Having been hired to be a bartender I assumed that my first test would be about tending bar so I went home, threw the manuals down on the coffee table, put my feet up and turned on the football games.  Talk about making an "ASS out of U and ME!!"

Surprise, surprise, when I went into class that first day, they handed out a test concerning all the appetizers, "hand helds" and desserts that are on the Bonefish menu.  We had to know not only each item, but every ingredient that made up each dish.  I was fuckin' baffled.  I hadn't even looked at the menu!  I guessed my way through as much as I could, but was completely embarrassed by my lack of knowledge.  Not only that, but when we were through with the server part of training, the bartenders branched off and were given a test on the Bonefish drink menu.  Again, I was dumbfounded.  All the Bonefish "core" Martini's and cocktails are  recipes developed in house and we have to know all ingredients, garnishes, glassware and procedure for making each drink.  Luckily, there is no grading on the cocktail menu, yet, but I'm still wondering what the hell have I gotten myself into?

Jaye, the young fellow sitting next to me apparently had prepared as well as I had.  He does nothing but bitch about the volume of information that we are expected to absorb in such a short time.  After class I go home, and I am now behind the 8 ball.  Not only do I have to retest on Tuesday the food test that I failed on Monday, but I have the test on all the Grilled Fish and Signature Sauces that are unique to the Bonefish. 

My confidence is shattered and I am concerned that I will be not be able to keep up with all the other new hires, of which I am certainly the oldest!  I know that I have to get caught up on the food portion of the testing first.  Even though the drinks are none that I've ever seen before, I feel that they'll come easier than all the food items.