springtime/birthday musings
its the eve of the start of my 35th year. ive come around to the number 34. i was really vibing on the 3′s in 33. but maybe 3+4 isn’t so unlucky. its prime, after all. im sitting in my apartment. i have an apartment. im here alone save for the two presumably sleeping airbnb tenants who are in the guest bedroom. i’ve moved to rockville, maryland, about 8 and a half miles from the house where i grew up and exactly 7 miles from the little pizzeria that im currently managing. what a turnaround from....where were the last time i posted? we saw a few teeshirts (lets face it, the real star of this medium), delayed notes on the lumdsen, a mediocre pub i visited in new zealand, and then two summers ago in portland.
well, a quick catchup: i spent the rest of said summer hanging out in oregon and northern california --> a few weeks gallivanting with friends in LA --> nyc for a wedding and a subsequent month and a half in nyc working a dream job at vinnie’s pizzeria and raging hard. i went after that on a caribbean cruise with my family to bury my grandmother(’s ashes) at sea. and then accepted a position at inferno pizzeria napoletana in darnestown, maryland, a literal soccer ball kick’s length from where i went to high school.
there’s a lot to be told in all of that, but lets start with the wine i’m drinking right now. a beautiful argentinian malbec. its soft, light and smooth. very evenly balanced. delightfully dry.
i’ve learned a lot about wine in the time ive spent back at inferno (having worked there for 6 months, from about when it opened in nov 2015). i counter people who say i know everything about wine, telling them i know a lot specifically about the wines (and beers) on our list. which is basically true, though i’ve acquired a certain amount of all around knowledge. i’m pleased with my gains as a manager of this beverage list. of anything i’ve learned about wine/beer/food, though, the most important is that if you like it, its good. and if you don’t, its no good.
managing this small, neighborhood, classy/casual, upscale food being served by staff in soccer jerseys kinda joint, my love of hospitality has been reinforced, my seemingly innate barrier against self doubt has been questioned and i’ve stayed in one place, dedicated majorly to one job for 1.5 years. life is strange.
in doing this, i’ve really recognized the importance of food. for one, from a point of personal appreciation. what else other than food? it is nourishment, it is medicine, it is comfort. it is a call to action for thoughtful time spent in preparing and purposeful time spent with oneself or with others in enjoyment and intimacy. from any kitchen or table in the world, cooking and dining can offer a glimpse ino the full scope of the human spectrum.
i also look at my chosen course of professional endeavor, dealing in food . im good great at hospitality. i’ve always been drawn to it, from bikes to boats and beyond. i’ve wandered around and seen how little one actually needs to survive. we need food, though. for sure. its one of the only true essentials. yet, its growth is often unseen, the ease with which we transport it numbs us to the true cost of its availability and only a tiny sliver of the people working to prepare it are glorified for their efforts. take a server, for example. everyone wants to go out to dinner but service staff are often underpaid, undervalued and straight up mistreated. the job is seen as second class and an option someone takes out of necessity.
for the absolute record, myself and my staff are not underpaid. we are not undervalued and anyone who cares to mistreat us (which does not happen often) is served what they deserve. not like we’re spitting in their food....but we don’t shy from shaming someone for their callousness.
i’ve deliberately selected this work. will it be my path forever? time will tell. but i see food service as absolutely necessary and valid. i get pleasure from welcoming my guests, some of whom ive gotten to know well. i take pride in serving the food, knowing where its come from and the care with which it was prepared. a $26 truffle laden personal sized pizza might not be an essential. but people gotta eat, so they might as well eat well.
that is the core tenet of my work but also the lions share of my play. i’ve been doing a lot of eating and drinking around the burgeoning food scene of this politically charged village.
i’m hoping to spend more time here lauding you with tales of my culinary escapades.
for now, i’ll keep sipping this wine. its pairing marvelously with my mother’s homemade carrot cake that she makes every year for my birthday.
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