Welcome back to Behind Closed Ovens, where we take a look at the best and strangest stories from inside the food industry. Today, we’ve got part two of two consecutive weeks of tales of aggressively dumb customers. As always, these are real e-mails from real readers.
Nadine Cartwright:
I work as a bartender in a semiprivate golf clubhouse. The restaurant is open to the public, so we get all kinds ranging from blue collar workers, college kids, to golfers who get sauced during a round. My favorite story, however, is what we now affectionately refer to as ham chop.
It’s a busy Thursday night dinner and I am waiting on an older couple sitting at a six top (of course). Our special for the night was a smoked pork chop. I give the spiel, get drinks and return, assuming that the couple is ready to order.
“Your pork chop, does it taste like ham?” the guy asks, with a smile. I think he’s joking but I sort of mutter “Excuse me?”
“Ham. Does it taste like ham?”
I know I have a look of total confusion on my face. “Sir, it’s a pork chop. Have you had pork before?”
His smile fades, and now he’s looking at me like I’m an idiot. “It says smoked. When you smoke meats it changes them. Doesn’t it taste like ham?”
At this point I’m reaching for any explanation as to why he thinks a pork chop would taste like ham, “I guess sometimes smoked meats have a similar flavor. But sir, it’s a pork chop. It’s a completely different part of the animal. It doesn’t taste like ham.”
“No,” he insists. “When you smoke meat it changes. You know what, I’ll have the chicken.”
His wife orders too and they get another round of drinks, but not before insisting that I ask our chef if the pork chops taste like ham. Our chef laughs, but assures me that no, the chops do not taste like ham.
I return with his drinks, and inform him. “Well I’d like to change my order. I want the pork chops.”
I run back to the kitchen and change the order just in time. Despite our little interaction they’re very pleasant people. The couple get their food and I return for a check in.
“The food is great”, he informs me, and as if I’m the one who tried to convince him that smoking meat changes it completely, he continues, “but Miss, this doesn’t taste like ham at all.”
Linda Colt:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
