Well, just like last season, work was coming to an end. And it's worth noting, it went pretty well again. To start with, I didn't mention this, but there were moments when the Chef didn't like me again. This year we had Chef Jeff - a very professional cook who, for some reason, didn't like me from the very beginning, but by the end of the season, I managed to gain his trust only when I finally learned to cook breakfasts according to his system. We used to do it on the stove, but he prefers using frying pans. I tried not to cook on the line in the mornings, but then I even started to like it.

Mike and I eventually found common ground. Even though we argued periodically, often right during the busiest hours, which is considered the biggest mistake for cooks, we still managed to become a team. He introduced many new interesting innovations to our restaurant that I really liked and took note of.

My most pleasant achievement was a small victory when I was awarded a small prize in front of the whole kitchen. Here's the thing... There were several complaints about our burgers being undercooked or overcooked, which meant we were expecting an inspection from the health department or something similar. They pay a lot of attention to the temperature log, which we are supposed to keep daily, noting the temperature of every fridge/freezer in the building. In theory, the morning cook should handle this, but it's done by whoever. And mostly, I was the one doing it. Once, we got in trouble with the owner because we forgot about the log for 3 weeks. Just when rumors of an inspection were circulating. And one time before closing the restaurant, I saw the log and decided to fill it out. I made up temperatures for 3-4 days out of thin air. And the manager noticed it.

And what do you think? The inspector came the next day.

Naturally, I felt like a hero who saved the kitchen. And at the end of the day, that same manager handed me a small gift, calling me a savior. She said she would put my name on the manager's board and also allowed me to choose any dish and any dessert for free. So at the end of the day, I got my steak and blueberry cobbler.

Overall, I also hated my job a little bit, but towards the end, when there was less of it, I loved it more. Essentially, I wasn't 100% removed from the line, so half the week I was on prep, and half the week on the line. And any moment could change. Just like last year, I didn't have a fixed position for the whole day at times. Only in the last few weeks did it happen that almost all the prep cooks either quit or left, and I was left alone, so I had to cover for everyone.

Although, even then, I had shifts on the grill, where I had almost never worked full-time. And it was fun, you know. The biggest thrill is when you have many different orders for different temperatures or different meats. Yes, it's difficult, but with experience, you figure it out and do it absolutely calmly.

This year, for a while, we even served salmon in different ways: in sandwiches or salads.

But honestly, to work here and be a customer of such a place, you have to be a fan of pink meat. In general, there's almost nothing to do in America if you don't like pink meat. Well, McDonald's and similar fast-food places serve fully cooked meat, but eating at McDonald's is easier to get poisoned, if you believe Jamie Oliver. Many say, "Woooow, that's unhealthy." "Woooow, you'll get worms." "Woooow, do you want worms?" Damn. I'm a fan of meat from medium-rare to medium-well. That's how I've been eating for the second year now. Just for interest, I even recently got checked for any critters in my body. Believe it or not, I didn't get any.

Last working day.

This day, of course, hinted at sadness, sorrow, and tears, but I decided to spend it completely differently. The thing is, this year I had to leave a little earlier, so the restaurant continued to operate in its normal mode after me. Not like last year. It got to the point that even on the last day, they assigned a newbie to me, who used to be a dishwasher, and on the last day he became a cook and I even managed to train him.

In this day, I played my music in the kitchen, charged everyone with a good mood, and also gave everyone gifts. What kind? Well, actually, free food for employees implies the most ordinary hamburger, nuggets, or fish and chips, but on this day I either cooked to my own taste or what they asked for. Secretly from the manager. Of course, we do this daily, but not always and not for every order. And here I tried to do something special for everyone.

I made myself a triple hamburger with 3 different types of cheese. Well, I had to eat something I hadn't eaten yet this season (although a triple hamburger was already made for me last year :)

Looks pretty good, right?

Although, of course, kitchen manager John saw me eating this burger and asked: "Aziz, I don't think that looks like a regular burger." But on the last day, he couldn't be angry with me anymore. Considering that he caught me doing such things about the 20th time this season :)

And in general, even though the evening was fun, cleaning and finishing the day still turned out to be sad. It's kind of sad to leave an empty kitchen, realizing that you are doing the last clock out and tomorrow you won't step into a new shift. Well, that's actually it, Aziz. The second season is over. Completely different. With different experience. And so I stood in the dark hall of the restaurant and thought about everything that had happened. About all the busy hours, quarrels with managers, another fire in the deep fryer, how I had to clean it at night, complaints from customers, pleasant reviews on TripAdvisor, new and old recipes in a new way. I stood there, and all this was spinning in my head. In such moments, you really want everything to start all over again.

And just like last year, a traditional photo in an empty restaurant.