Of all the different jobs I’ve had in my life, with tasks ranging from popping popcorn at a drive-in movie to loading fertilizer into cars, I’ve never waited tables, until last night. One of Greene County’s finer dining establishments, The Lafayette Inn in Stanardsville, provided our Woman’s Club the opportunity to wait tables for the evening as a way to raise money for our Scholarship Fund, donating a portion of the evening’s receipts as well as any tips we received for our efforts.
I have to admit, I was a bit anxious about stepping into the role. Although I’ve never been a waitress, I’ve eaten out enough to know the difference between a good one and a not so good one and the impact service can have on an overall dining experience. I desperately wanted to be a good one.
Going in, I knew that most of the diners would be people I knew, mostly family of our club membership, but wouldn’t you know it the couple at the first table assigned to me were total strangers. They just happened to be in Greene County antiquing for the day and thought they’d stop for a nice dinner and they got me as a server. No pressure there, to present a professional front while representing one of my favorite eateries!
Well, it didn’t turn out to be a stretch for me after all. As it turned out, they were a warm and friendly twosome so it wasn’t that difficult to greet them and serving them came as naturally as if they’d been guests in my own home. And because I’d sampled the menu as a diner on several occasions, I was able to offer my suggestions when asked and did my best to tend to their needs without hovering. I know my water pouring, serving and dish removal were not as smooth and elegant as I’d experienced at the Commander’s Palace in New Orleans (the epitome of fine service in my book), I did my best and managed not to spill anything or drop and break anything.
As an added bonus, I got to witness first-hand what happens behind the swinging door that separates the dining area from where all the magic happens. Honestly, I expected a much more hectic scene with shouting and pot banging than the quiet, well-oiled mechanics of food preparation, cooking and plating that I saw. It was obvious that although this was my debut in the restaurant business, for Alan and Kaye Pyles, the proprietors of the Lafayette Inn, it was just another Sunday dinner and the atmosphere behind the swinging door was almost as calm and relaxed as it was in the dining room, with the exception of us waitresses-for-the-night who most certainly took two to three steps for each one a veteran would have.
Dave and I had reservations for the last seating of the evening and by the time I sat down at 7:00 instead of being grateful to plop myself down, it took me a while to transition from waitress to diner, until the food arrived and I realized just how hungry I’d become. And, as always, the meal was wonderful and my server, my good friend Carol was outstanding!
So, my first adventure as a waitress went pretty well which is a good thing since I’ll be back in my black apron again next Sunday evening for a fundraising event for our parish’s Stop Hunger Now program. If you’d like to see me in action, make your reservations now, because last night we actually had to turn away a couple who walked in.
If you’d like more information about the Woman’s Club of Greene County and what we do, you can check out our webpage: www.vgreene.com/womansclub. We are always looking for new members (and donations to our Scholarship Fund which can be sent to: The Woman’s Club of Greene, PO Box 352, Stanardsville, VA 22973).
Information on Stop Hunger Now is available at: www.stophungernow.org.
And last, but not least, if you’d like to experience fine dining or even a getaway weekend at the foothills of the Blue Ridge, check out the Lafayette Inn at: www.thelafayette.com. Alan and Kaye really know what they’re doing and are just as gracious behind the swinging door and they are in the main foyer of the Inn. Thanks so much to both of you and your staff – you made it easy for us!