Day 5, I'm Still Alive

Today, I had to get to the job early.  I had my first service exam in training.  True to form, the exam was challenging.  I didn't know the exact steps on the first page, but I did well otherwise.  I participated in the tie-breaker again today before I went off to the MGM Orientation, and I was suitably challenged.  I was glad that I read a lot of the food manual, because I knew the "C's" that I was asked to define.  Before getting the results, it was a five hour stint at the Staffing Building. Down at the Staffing Building, we went through a lot of orientation paperwork and things like that.  We got to see many pictures of what the new casino will look like.  The standard rooms are amazing and plush, the suite is overwhelming, and the rendering of Saltwater sent a shiver down my spine.  I can't wait to see this space in person and look over the ceiling mosaic.  Man, it is beautiful. Our Orientation presenter was very enthusiastic and kept us engaged and alert, in spite of the difficulties with the thermometer.  We had a few good games and such that served to show that despite our diversity (which, by the way, makes us great; who wants robots at their resort?) that we are a team. There was talk of benefits packages coming in the future, and that is great.  We didn't really get to eat, and then we hurried back to the training to get to wine class. At wine class today, we talked about red wines.  The great grapes of the Bordeaux region, the Meritage in the US, Claret in Britan...  Cabernet Sauvignon, PInot Noir, Merlot, and more.  Unfortunately, I had to leave early, so I didn't get too much information. Tomorrow will be the same.  I am going to the Ignite MGM Orientation (day 2) which lasts from 8 to 4.  This will be a long, long day.  I would much rather be learning about the food we are going to serve, and how we are going to exceed their expectations....  But, hey, gotta do it. In another note, when I got back to the training, I found out that I won today's cookbook!  How cool is that?  The food looks amazing, and I can't wait to sell it.

Day Five - Test Prep and Wine

This was a pretty eventful day.  We went over the quiz from yesterday which was on the floorplans.  There was a tiebreaker that was pretty impossible to anyone who was not a sommelier.  That's exactly who won. First Grade Sommelier. I can't be bitter, he knew the answers.  Besides, I will have more chances to win my very own Michael Mina cookbook soon. We then broke up into groups and had some roleplays that would give us a chance to talk about some situations which would admittedly fall into the grey area of what we can do to make the guests happy.  We talked about dry cleaning (which we can probably do on site, being a hotel), handling a celebrity's privacy, helping a bachelorette party into the private, awesome club in the casino, and so on. By this time, it was lunch.  When we came back, it was review and more. We went over: Sequence of Service           -- All 33 steps of service that we do at each and every table in great detail. Staging the Experience           -- Setting your mood and actions to be successful and make the guest happy. Handling VIPs           -- VIP treatment, literally.  VIP sheets, special things we do, and more. Ending the Experience           -- How to make the finish of the meal memorable and keep them smiling. During this time, Patric (VP of Operations) had a few good quotes: "If you didn't bring Paris with you on the plane, it won't be there when you arrive."  Meaning that state of mind is key, you will only be as happy as you set yourself up to be. "Find pride in your work.  If you can't, it is better to take alms on the street."  This is pretty self explanatory. "You've gotta clean up your on back yard before you knock on your neighbor's door."  Don't go flitting about the restaurant and intrude on another server's section when you have your own things to look at. We also had more wine today.  We went over whites.  I will mention the two Rieslings we reviewed and a few notes I have that are of interest. White Burgundy is Chardonnay. Red Burgundy is Pinot Noir. Chablis is Chardonnay. White Bordeaux is a Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend. Sauternes is a Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend. Riesling is the King of all Grapes.  It is straightforward, transparent, unoaked, and takes its flavor from the soil.  It is very simple in the processing of this grape: pick, press, neutrally ferment, bottle, and release.  That being said, it can age well up to 150 years, at least. Wines we talked about specifically: (How to read:) (Vintage, Winemaker) (Grape) ("Wine name") (Region, Country) 2005 Domaine Wachau Riesling Federspiel "Terrassen" Wachau, Austria 2006 Leitz Riesling Rüdesheimer Drachenstein Rheingau, Germany They are both Rieslings, but worlds apart.  The Austrian is bone-dry with characteristics of minerality and applewhich would pair well with food.  It should be paired with the Lobster Corn Dog (yes, you read that right), Tuna Sashimi, or Tempura Shrimp. The German, on the other hand, had some residual sugars.  It has a honey-weight richness and should be easy to drink, even without food.  This one would pair well with the Ahi Tuna Tartare, Hamachi Parfait, or Crab Cakes. With more discussion on whites, we concluded the day. On another note, yesterday was Kelly's birthday, and I was sad that I couldn't do anything spectacular and special for her, what with not being home, having time to cook a nice meal, et cetera.  She assured me that she had a nice, relaxing evening with the spaghetti, sparkling wine, strawberry shortcake, and dozen roses.  She deserves more, but I guess it will have to wait.

Day Four

Today was more roleplaying and breaks than actual training.  It was kind of strange.  It almost seemed like they were not sure what they were doing, but that's okay.  It wasn't too strenuous and it worked. We had to roleplay the steps of service, my group having the "How To Mark a Table" step, which means we have to clear plates and silver from the previous course, refill beverages, and place any appropriate silver for the next course (ie. a steak knife or a cocktail fork). Then, we did a practical of going through all of the service steps from a guest walking in to them leaving.  It took a while, and it was 1:30 before we knew it. Upon returning, we finally got some more meat for our binders.  Floorplans to both restaurants, the casino map, as well as menus, ingredient lists, and a huge wine manual set us up well for some "light reading." Then, we had wine class.  Rajat Parr is the master sommelier who is doing our wine classes, and I am very pleased that he is here.  He already seems extremely knowledgeable, and I look forward to picking his brain. Today's wine class went over the winemaking process.  It's nothing I haven't learned already, but there are so many people in the room who know nothing about wine other than "I like red" which is like saying "I like beverages" in its vague scope, so I guess it is a good thing. Besides, one can never know too much about wine. I plan on soaking up all I can from everyone else. That's it for today!

Quick Correction and Additions

The menus at my restaurants are based on two other Michael Mina restaurants.  I will place them here until I get the true menu available. Bourbon Steak is based on Stripsteak (Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas). Saltwater is based on Seablue (Borgata, Atlantic City). Also, I made a mistake on the hours of operation. Lounge 4-12 nightly Dining 5-10:30 nightly Not much different, but a little.

Training Day Three

Okay, we started the day with a quiz. We had to know all of the management, chefs, corporate people, and the locations, hotels, cities, and names of all of the other restaurants.  It wasn't too bad, but I blanked on the phone number for the casino. Today was predominantly banging service steps such as hospitality rules, teamwork, how to greet/seat/take orders/serve/bus, et cetera.  There are some crazy things.  For instance, we "Lap the Napkin."  This means that after we seat the guest (pulling out the chair, letting them sit, then pushing it in as they sit), we drape the napkin over their lap, without touching them, obviously.  That just seemed a little much to me.  Oh well. We have to get the right silverware out and set properly before the food goes out or else they will not deliver the food.  If you are lacking a steak knife, you will not get your food. We watched a lot of movie clips today.  These were meant to embody certain qualities. For instance: Big Night - Tony Shaloub as a chef not understanding why a stupid American couple wants spaghetti and meatballs with their seafood risotto. (Guest gets what they want, don't look down on them for it) The Devil Wears Prada - Appearances make a big difference in how you are perceived. "More Cowbell" SNL Sketch - Just because it's funny and we needed to wake up after lunch.  That, or maybe because we needed to see how they pulled together and did what needed to be done for the betterment of the song. Remains of the Day - Anthony Hopkins and the whole (huge) staff make exacting and arduous details perfect in order to get ready for a final dinner of a conference. Rudy - Big game, last scene, Rudy is brought in and the selflessness of the team lets Rudy accomplish his dream. Gladiator - Gladiatorial battle where Russel Crowe says "We stay together and we will survive."  Teamwork.  If we don't work together, we will not make it through the shift, much less exceed everyone's expectations. I had to leave an hour early so I could get to work at Famous Dave's tonight.  I had to give away a few shifts so I could go to the training, so Sunday is my official last day at Famous Dave's Novi. End of an era.  End of an era.

Day Two of Michael Mina Employment

Today, we had the stress of finding out which restaurant we would be working at.  They were frantically assembling large binders that they handed out.  They started out by calling the servers for Saltwater, the seafood restaurant.  Two or three of the first servers were not there (How could you miss this?), and I was called up.  I am working at the seafood place with no Kobe beef ribeye, but we do have caviar!  We have Lobster Pot Pie! It turns out that Michael Mina is best known for his innovation in seafood.  It is his claim to fame and his specialty.  Also, this restaurant is a little more upscale than the Bourbon Steak restaurant.  All of the servers come from varied backgrounds.  Many have a lot of fine dining experience, and some don't.  Hell, I came from Famous Dave's and some others came from Applebee's.  It's great that we all get the chance to move into this different realm of serving.  Then, we split into groups and got inundated with information.  There were only eight of us, including the captains.  The restaurant seats between 80 and 90.  So this is an intimate place that won't have scads of open space and servers waiting for tables.  David, the Corporate HR guy walked by and just stopped in his tracks.  He said that we fit the image of what Saltwater was meant to be perfectly.  I hope that's a good thing! Patric Yumul, the Vice President of Operations came up with "The Goldenyr Rule" (read: "goldener") which states "Treat others how they would like to be treated, not how you would like to be treated."  That was pretty much the focus of the whole training.  It doesn't matter who comes in, whether it be high rollers, VIPs, celebrities, people off the street wearing cut-off shorts and tank tops, or anyone else; they are to receive the same treatment. Another big point was that there are no perfect people, only perfect intentions.  As long as you strive to improve every day, you are doing all you can.  And with the fact that the Michael Mina Bellagio has a per person average of $134 (comparison: Famous Dave's per person average is $15) as well as the mention that a group of four can easily drop $6000 on a night out, and I will certainly improve every day! Final note, Bourbon was designed by a Japanese restaurant firm called Super Potato.  How cool is that?

Day One with Michael Mina Group

I have not officially updated yet, but I am now an employee of the Michael Mina Group, meaning that I am leaving Famous Dave's and quite possibly WineStyles.  This is by no means a bad thing.  I will be working for either the Bourbon Steak House or Saltwater Seafood restaurant in the brand new MGM Grand Casino in Detroit as a server, making not only phenomenal tips (price range is from 22-150!!!), but a set wage, which is strange for a server, and after 90 days, included benefits.  Not too shabby, I must say. I started my training downtown in the current MGM, at the now-defunct Ruby on Third.  I have a few observations I took. "9:00am - Ed seems to be in his element.  It smells like a casino -- the recirculated air, the money, the stale, sweet smoke, the metal of the games, and the perfume of the cocktail waitresses.  It reminds me of Atlantic City. All sense of time is truly lost.  It could be 9am, 9pm, or 2am, and I wouldn't be able to tell." We spent the day with orientation things, schedules, and icebreakers.  We broke up into six groups, played games, and rotated managers.  After the second game, I realized that this whole exercise was so the managers could get to know us so they could put us on the list for their restaurant.  I felt like we were picking teams for dodge ball in gym class.  I just hoped I wasn't the last one picked after the fat asthmatic who throws like a girl. Breaking for lunch, we were led through a drab white-walled maze of corridors that link all of the restaurants behind the scenes.  En masse, we descended on the E.D.R. -- Employee Dining Room.  It was nothing special, but the mundanity of it (it's a word now) was appealing to me.  It was the area where off shift or lunch breaks were taken by employees, at their secluded little buffet room that nobody who is not in the employ of MGM/Mirage will ever see. I felt momentarily special. Another note on the video we saw about the restaurants we will be running: "11:00am - I am very pleased.  The interiors do away with the stuffy expectations I had; no smoking, nobody under 21, high ceilings, and modern styling promise a steady income from the hip and trendy as well as the high rollers and bourgeoisie. Menu selection appears to be varied and across the board pricey as well.  Here's to hoping for a bundle.  I want to carry my earnings home by the briefcase, not the pocketful." The hours of operation are as follows: Cocktail Lounges:      4pm-12am Dining Room:      5:30pm-10pm Five shifts a week at eight hours apiece, good wages, great menu, amazing benefits...  Yes, I think I will take the job!