3 variables that affect a restaurants busy-ness.

1. Sending people home because it's 6:30 and it's dead.
2. Ordering food from another restaurant because you're bored with what you have there.
3. Firing up the MP3 player and trying to enjoy a quiet evening on the clock.

Each of these variables, when exercised, can bring on a rush of tickets that can sometimes last all night. Especially if one is underprepared. That's another thing; it is a time-tested fact that whatever item is short, got burned, or otherwise in danger of running out, is the one that everyone in the dining room is going to order. Good times!

Only two of those variables happened tonight so those of us that were left in the kitchen only got our asses moderately kicked. Although I was a little more reserved in my sending people home than my front of the house counterpart, Mary the extraordinary pain in the neck. So we got through the evening less painfully than waitstaff who were firmly in the weeds. Anyway, it's a lot more fun for me to have to run around and do lots of stuff at once. Gets the adrenaline and endorphins pumping.

This reminds me, one of the guys burned me a copy of Waiting. I've heard great things from the waitstaff and not so great things from the cooks. Any strong opinions? Maybe I'll watch it tomorrow.