Where's Jaye? Already they're dropping out. I actually breezed through the retest, and Billy the server trainer tells me I did a great job of recovering. I even managed to do well and pass the fish and sauce test. I'm feeling a little better, but we still have tests on Grilled Specialty's and Sauteed and Baked to look forward too.
Luckily on this day, because of the volume of information on the food menu, 'Chelle, the bar trainer goes easy on us. No bar test today. Instead we get behind the bar and begin the process of learning how things are done the "Bonefish way". Juices squeezed fresh for each drink, infusions made for the specialty cocktails, sangria's made to order according to Bonefish recipes.
I'm beginning to understand why, at the start of class on the first day they had told us they really prefer to start with bartenders who had minimal experience behind bars. It is easier to teach someone with a clean slate, rather than try to erase old practices that have become embedded in our nature. I find that, more than once this week I have wanted to stop and call "BULLSHIT"! I'm shaking this drink WRONG was the one comment that almost had me walking out the door! I've been shaking drinks this way my whole career, learned it a long time ago, was reinforced with it by Alex (the owner of the Wooden Angel for those of you who don't know) when he gave a short discourse on why you shake this way. How can I possibly change my style now? But I bit my lip, kept my mouth shut, and shook up and down like they wanted, you know, the "Bonefish Way".
Classes begin every day at 1 o'clock and we stay there in the restaurant until 11pm. There is usually one short break in the middle, and living close by, I run home for a quick bite to eat.
When I get home at night I study until about 2am, get some sleep, then wake up at 8 to study some more. I tend to believe the old saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, because that's how I feel. Maybe I had forgotten how to study after all these years, or maybe my brain is just filled with too much useless trivial bullshit, but I find the information that I am trying to absorb is just all kind of balling together and blending in my head. Maybe I'm over analyzing everything, or maybe I'm just so anxious, nervous and that I am losing confidence in myself. I seem to be doubting everything I'm doing.
I do manage to stay caught up with the food tests through the rest of the week. On Wednesday night we have a staff tasting of every item on the menu and I can honestly say that everything is delicious. So many wonderful sauces and flavors and presented in such a pleasing manner. It's going to be a joy to serve these dishes to my guests knowing that it is all fresh, top quality food.
Thursday goes well, I pass all of the food tests, and it being the first of two "family and friends" nights I get to go into the restaurant to eat. No family here unfortunately, so I ask Sam and Karen to join me. Again, everything is delicious. Sam and I each get a cup of Corn and Crab Chowder, we all share the Edamame appetizer, and I have a Caesar Salad. For entree's, Karen orders the Maryland Crab Cakes, Sam, the Ahi Tuna "Tokyo Style" and I get the Diablo Shrimp Fettucini. Every dish is well presented and tastes fantastic.
Dinner over, and with a few cocktails under my belt, I go back to hitting the books. I haven't really studied the drinks very much because I was too busy working on the food. Once more my confidence is at a low point. Again, things are all blending together in my head. First thing Friday, 'Chelle gives out the drink tests and I stare blankly at the paper. Over a dozen core martini's, along with three sangria's, a half dozen core cocktails and four $5 all day every day cocktails, most of them different from any I had ever made before, and some of them are similar, but different from what I was used to making.
I decide to skip over the core menu and jump right into the sixty or so other drinks that are on the test. These are pretty much the cocktails, old and new, that I had been used to making in the past and I zip through these recipes with confidence.
Unfortunately I've taken up too much time and 'Chelle says, ok, ten minutes! I flip back to the first pages of core drinks and begin to scribble furiously, trying to sift through what I remember studying the night before, and I fill out almost all the recipes. But I am, again, not confident.
By the end of the day on Friday I am given the bad news. I failed the core drink portion of the drink menu and will need to retest on Saturday. I, along with 4 of the other bartenders have to come in early to retake, and, if we expect to be Bonefish bartenders, we have to get 100% on this test!
I get home at 11:30 that night, and try to get to sleep right away thinking that I can study in the morning as I'm too exhausted to try it now, but sleep doesn't come so I break open the book and start reading. I make flash cards, I go over them again and again. Finally, I can't take anymore and at 2 am, I close my eyes.
When I wake up at 8 the next morning, I start again, and doubt fills my head. My head is spinning like a top and I can't stop worrying about what happens if I fail? I try as hard as I can to concentrate but I have to keep getting up and walking around the house in circles to try to clear my mind.
At one I go into the restaurant and the first thing I do is tell 'Chelle, "I have no excuses, and I have no explanation, but I really don't think I'm going to pass this test! When I fail, can I retake it again Monday, and even Tuesday if I have too? I'm not scheduled to work until Wednesday" She tells me to settle down and relax, that she has confidence I will pass it this time.
I sit down with the test, palms sweating, knees shaking, but, low and behold the information just flows. It's almost as if my hand has a mind of its own and the pen doesn't stop writing until all of the questions are answered. It seems all of the information has been retained after all!
I pass the test, we prep for a great "Charity Night" where the YMCA has 180 guests coming in for a cocktail party and to sample all the foods much as the staff had done on Wednesday. There are 10 bartenders left of the 13 that started training. The five of us that had to retake the drink test served as food runners and wine servers while the ones that passed the test on the first try got to go behind the bar for the night.
It was a lot of fun and for the first time all week I relaxed and enjoyed myself. Amanda, our other bar trainer, told me that I did a great job of describing all the dishes I was presenting to my guests. At the end of the night, I'm beat from all the running back and forth from the kitchen, but it's a good tired and I feel the need to celebrate. Walmart and a bottle of Meritage is right up the road, one of the nice things about living in Florida!!
Now though, with most of the training over and showtime about to begin, I'm nervous about my first shift behind the bar this Wednesday. Will I retain all that information? How long will it take before I remember the bar setup and can just grab bottles automatically knowing instinctively where everything is? Can I keep from being nervous with the trainers looking over my shoulder every shift I work for the next week?
I suppose I made it through "Hell Week" so the rest should be downhill. I just can't wait until I'm comfortable enough behind my new bar to relax, have fun and enjoy my work again. Then I'll truly be a "Bonefish Bartender"
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