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!