shamrock

Also it seems that people who post here would want the real scoop from people who know from the restaurant biz and cooking in a restaurant, starting a restaurant, etc. A reality gauge.

TuWanda, that was indeed my episode. I'm flattered you remember me. Thanks for the kind words. Irritainment -- what a perfect coinage. Nay... a brilliant bon mot! On a different note, I think this topic may have generated so much response because (well, for me, anyway) I would love to weigh in on lotsa fancy restaurants but can't really afford to live like that yet... whereas watching TV is cheap and most (American) people have TV. thoughts?

Uh, thanks... You guys have been great. Good night! (I really do have to go.) Bye

Seems to me that people are picking out highlights/lowlights about not just Rocco but other people on the show/in the restaurant as well. Isn't everyone here simply trying to generate to brilliant bon mots with the material at hand? In these myriad contextualizations Rocco functions as a cipher in the analytic matrix (or The Matrix, not sure) of real/fake, integrity vs. sellout, jerky boss vs. likeable guy, geniushead vs. cheeseball, sex symbol vs. enhh, charismatic leader vs. climber.

That Boorstin book is crucial. Should be required reading in every American education.

Pithy, Tad.

Up in arms or down Rocco's pants...

Was "thing" one of Perot's things? I can barely remember that guy. Sure, yeah, Perot-like as well. Man, you are ON me today!

QUOTE (shamrock @ Aug 25 2003, 03:18 PM) I believe the exact quote was "That's one thing I've never done -- a black married woman." Thing? yeah, "thing." that's the way people talk. -- Yeah, I know, but I still thought it was a clunky, Dubya-esque turn of phrase, i.e. a black married woman is not a *thing*.

I believe the exact quote was "That's one thing I've never done -- a black married woman." Thing?

Wasn't that kid a child actor? From some NBC show?

Hey, Bothame, refresh my memory -- are you still at Rocco's? And did you guys have to work during the blackout? Who's still there in BOH after all this nonsense? Don't tell me Chodorow is strapped for cash...

Vincent D'Onofrio is saddled with a hammy ROLE on the Criminal Intent... in real life his intensity is astonishing vz. FULL METAL JACKET. Full disclosure: I worked on that show. I think the writing is actually quite terrible, and he's doing his best. When I worked on Criminal Intent, though I had heard some horror stories about him, I found himto be a supercreative, incredibly intelligent person. Even though I was a crummy day player (1 scene) he went out of his way to let me know how good he thought my work was, and we had quite a lot of fun together. I had an EXTREMELY campy role as the hard-hearted ex-wife of a schmucky dingdong who was getting framed. My character had just bilked the guy of several Gs in cash when he got drunk one night. They know the show is schlocky.

MatthewB, thank you for sorting through the murk of my mind. Yes, Baudrillard would be (is) a much better read. College was so long ago. ; ]

This should show everybody how hard it is to cut a break in New York without being the son or daughter of someone in the business. These people are desperate for a break and though it's probably not the way they wanna go, I feel for 'em. When I was waiting tables, tourists would come into the restaurant and ask me "Are you an actress?" just HOPING I would say yes. They just wanted to experience the cliche. And I wasn't very actressy or mannered -- in fact, people are usualy surprised when they find out I'm an actor because "You're so smart". Because only dumb people become actors, you know. I would always go out of my way to be attentive, friendly, and capable, just so they wouldn't go home and say "She obviously wished she was onstage". Funny, I WOULD rather be working as an actor than serving you microwaved burritos and terrible margaritas, but I'm here in front of you right now, and I'll try to answer your questions about my life, even though if you thought about it you'd realize that it's humiliating to answer your questions about my lack of success while you take a Schadenfreudist soak in the "quirkiness" of my "wacky, bohemian" life. In fairness, every now and then the people who asked these questions were genuinely interested, and said kind things like, "Best of luck to you!" and seemed pretty darn sincere. So I guess this post has evolved into a FOH apologia of sorts. Hrmm. I know there are many incompetent, vain, and ridiculous waitstaffers, but I have only ever enjoyed the BOH and experienced great camaraderie with them. Restaurants are amazingly diverse places and you get to know people on a much more personal and real level than you ever will working in a "diverse corporate environment".

Oh, one other thing: I WISH I was in an American Studies program that focused on deconstruction right now. The raw! The cooked! The fake! The real! Derrida is (or should be) levitating with glee at the carnivalesque atmosphere, the manipulation of space and time, the levels of narration, desire... I could go on and on if anyone cares, but that's highly unlikely...

Er, I meant to say the guests were HAMMY, not happy. It's a darn shame how a joke can wither in the hands of a bad typist...

It was nice to see some happy, fun stuff on the show for a change, even if the guests were so happy they should have been covered in pineapple rings and cloves when they came in. I really enjoyed the cooks' repartee. That was awesome. The "which blonde is hotter" subplot was lousy because it fleshed itself out unsatisfactorily. Sidelong nasty glances and no confrontation, no resolution? YAWN... I was waiting for them to make up, then make out. Wouldn't Coors Light have wanted it that way? I interpreted Pete's vainglorious attempt to wrangle the dishwashing demotion into a positive, attention-getting scenario as a savvy move after the comedy-club debacle. Image management. My main problem with the episode was NOT ENOUGH PERRY. What the hell? I was glad to see him bring it at the grill, but then he totally disappeared save a couple WHERE'S WALDO-esque scenarios at the beach party, where if you were looking (and oh, was I) you could see him smooching Heather (I learned her name this week -- the waitress who was upset at getting downgraded) and playing the guitar. It sounded like they had made up a funny song; I wonder if they were doing it on the fly, or if they wrote it beforehand.

Wow, it's really interesting to me that so many people from the show have stopped by to pipe in. It must be at least a part-time job to manage one's image between all the reality-TV boards and all the foodie boards. Are you guys all at places w/ 2 stars now, Tim/Dpadrone? Dpadrone, are you the woman who was upset at the fight, or the guy who likes to make sauces?

Hi Zenial. I respect your reluctance to disclosure...

Hey Steve Klc, (how do you pronounce that? "Click?") -- thanks for your clarification. And GotChianti, apologies for the confusion -- I thought you were a line cook, not FOH. I was thinking of a chef guy who talked one of the office managers in the basement 'cause he couldn't pay his rent. Where are you now?

Sounds like a good idea, esp. since the posts aren't numbered.

Claro que si... I guess I'll have to tutor myself on all this quoting stuff. sigh

Seriously, though, Steve Klc or anybody else: if I violated some kind of board etiquette by referring to instead of quoting my earlier post, please let me know. I am, after all, a newbie.

Oh, that's good to know. Thanks, Rachel. Sometimes these boards have so many bells & whistles it's hard to figure out what's worth customizing and what isn't.