Kitchen confidential
It is 7:30 on a Saturday evening and I’m at Vele, an upscale restaurant in downtown Springfield. It’s a busy night and the dining room is nearly full. I, however, am not among the diners. I’m working in the kitchen, trying to keep up with all the orders coming in. I’ve been on my feet cooking since early afternoon. My hands are burned and blistered. My shirt is sticking to my back.
A server comes back to my station and tells me that some diners saw me through the door and w
