Green Underwear

Leprechauns were plastered all over faces yesterday in this city.  In class I made my lemon cheese green; Chef Rivet was not amused.  I was.  I love it how in this city every holiday is blown beyond out of proportion.  Last night there was a group of full grown men dressed from head to toe in neon green spandex.  Girls wore everything from green vests, green dresses (most quite provocative), and multiple green accessories.   

I, however, did not have the opportunity to display my allegiance to such a grand holiday.  In school I don't have a green chef coat and at work I have to wear all black.  So what did I do?  I wore my green skibbies.  I bought this fantastic piece of clothing while living in London.  My friend Anna and I, who now lives in New Zealand, went to the H & M in Hyde Park and found them.  My main motive for purchasing them was not for their color or subdued sexual innuendoes, but because plastered across the butt was "Lucky Lounge, Downtown Memphis, TN."  Being from Memphis it deemed appropriate.  This also gave me an excuse to show them off whenever someone asked where my green was.  I was also asked multiple times yesterday if I was Irish.  Do I even look Irish?  My last name is Coleman and I don't have red hair or freckles.  Not like those attributes are consistent in every Irish being, but really?  

Work is going great.  I love my job.  I work with some really great people.  One of the girls who trained me, Kelly, is a fellow southerner from Atlanta, GA.  She even knows a few girls I went to Ole Miss with - seriously, small world.  The general manager, Rey, is legit.  He is the most encouraging manager - always making sure his staff is doing good and offering help if needed.  My other manager is Elena.  She's a feisty one!  She's from Italy, where her parents own a restaurant, and she returns on occasion to renew her Visa.  She's very particular, though, and that's what makes her great.  Everything has to be perfect; all about consistency.  She always makes sure at the end of my shift to say, "Michael, thank you have a great night see you soon."  Except she says it in a much more rapid fashion and adds her own little flair.  Love that italian accent.

Then, there's the kitchen.  Chef Jake Rojas has been the chef there for a little over a year and has done a great job with the menu.  We have a chef tasting option that people make reservations for and each time he conjures up something new and different.  Everything that leaves that kitchen is exquisite.  I've always said I've worked in the best kitchen in the world at Waltz on the Square, and we've had our busy days, i.e. Double Decker '08 lunch.  This kitchen team is great, intense.  I wish you could meet the girl who runs the pantry line, Amanda.  She reminds me a lot of my old Sous Chef Erika Lipe.  She is ferocious.  Always going fast, not afraid to put her foot down and she can be quite the ..... if you piss her off, but she's great at what she does.  Everyone needs to meet an Amanda.

I guess I should get back to my Menu by Management class.  We had a huge project due today, which I completed, but I lost my jump drive yesterday and I, foolishly, didn't back it up so I have to redo the entire thing by next Tuesday.  Thank you Ody Milton for understanding.  I'm sitting next to a really pretty girl, Leah, who is reading all of this, but she is getting married soon.  Hope everyone is doing well, I think about you daily.

Catch you on the flipside.