Are you working Thankgiving???

A lot of food pros post here. The people that I know in the biz will be working this Thanksgiving. In my area Thankgiving is one of the biggest restaurant days of the year, and many go to buffet style, fixed price menues for the day. Are you working, and what will you be doing?

Not anymore, but I spent many, many Thanksgivings and other holidays in an ER or ICU. I am so glad I do "real people" type work now!

The best thing about the Thanksgivings in the hospital was the potluck we would arrange for our unit. Lots of good food to save us from institutional turkey.

Thank you to everyone who does work on the Holidays!

You know...after 10+ years of working retail the day after Thanksgiving (the appropriately named Black Friday), working on Thanksgiving sounds like a pleasure.

Another chef and I were talking yesterday....."remember the days back in the hotels when you had to make 50-60 turkeys, 100 gallons of gravy, all the potatoes, stuffing, etc. and you had to start working at 3AM? The pastry chefs were running around like mad men, baking pies, apple dumplings, the bakers were pulling loaf after loaf out of the ovens and it was mayhem???" We both grimaced and he said, "PLEASE! Don't remind me!"

I don't care how many corporate jets fly into Anchorage on Thanksgiving, I'm not working. I'm catering nuthin to nobody. They can all order pizza or McD's!

The last time i worked professionally as a cook was Thanksgiving day. Busted my butt--family held dinner for me Went to work the next am---i was normally the breakfast and prep man--found turkeys and parts that had been left out on the counter all night and a dirty kitchen.The owners wife comes in and starts bitchin at me about getting the place cleaned up and then he says for me to make special and a soup with "That turkey" I did the right thing. They were out of business in 2 mos. Now if work Thanksgiving, I'm usually sitting down and wearing a red suit!

To all,

The first time I worked on Thanksgiving it was at a radio station. WDOE in Dunkirk, New York. I opened the station at 5:30am and closed it at midnight. I was a DJ at the time and moved (I hope) everyone in my small hometown throughout the day and night. Sometime around 2 o'clock in the afternoon my Mom stopped by the radio station and delivered Thanksgiving Dinner. My Mom is a great cook and the meal was wonderful.

I left the radio gig behind and became a police officer in Baltimore. According to the schedule you got the day off or worked one of the three shifts. On my shift and in the area that I worked there was one take out open, we had no McDonald's or even a 7-11. Sorry folks no donuts. That one take out was Leon's Pig Pen. It was a barbeque place that had both ribs and chicken. They were aware of our plight and gave us a chicken, mashed potatoes and greens to share. It was one of the best Thanksgiving dinners I've ever had.

I have since moved on, still in law enforcement and I still work on Thansgiving but those are the two that I will remember forever.

Let's not even mention Christmas!

BB

I don't have to work on Thanksgiving, fortunately, but I recall growing up and my father having to work every Thanksgiving-he was a chef. What it meant for the family is not eating until Dad got home, which was often 8:00 pm or later. Needless to say, Dad was usually exhausted, and after cooking the stuff all day did not engage in the Thanksgiving feast with the same level of enthusiasm his family did! As a result, it's always been a little difficult for me to eat Thanksgiving dinner in the afternoon like many people do.

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remember the days back in the hotels when you had to make 50-60 turkeys

I can't imagine. I made 5 turkeys for work today. I went home and carved them up to bring them at noon....I'm not looking forward to going home to see what I did to my kitchen. It seems like you start working and pretty soon you have turkey juice and little pieces of turkey everywhere. I even got some on the dog.

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Originally posted by Theedge

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remember the days back in the hotels when you had to make 50-60 turkeys

I can't imagine. I made 5 turkeys for work today. I went home and carved them up to bring them at noon....I'm not looking forward to going home to see what I did to my kitchen. It seems like you start working and pretty soon you have turkey juice and little pieces of turkey everywhere. I even got some on the dog.

The pooch is probably less pooped than you!!!! At least you won't have to clean the floor cuz Fido already licked up all the goodness!!

Years ago when I worked EMS, my shift (24 on, 48 off) got stuck working Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years the same year. I was lucky enough on Thanksgiving to get a few slow minutes after one call so my partner and I could grab a halfway decent meal in a hospital cafeteria. On Cristmas, we were busy late into the evening and nothing, not even Micky Dee was opened. We were so glad to see Nick Tahoes still open, and garbage plates were our Christmas dinner. I think it is the only time Nick has agreed to heat the beans on the grill for a customer.

Now I have both Thanksgiving and Friday off, and it is so nice to enjoy the day at home with family.

Last Holiday I worked was Christmas Day 2002... 12 Hours of plowing snow. Then the boss refused to pay time and a half (he does every other holiday), that I told him consider ANY holiday my day off, and has been such since! He's Scrooge at his finest!

Not working here. Have 2 days off thanks to my employer. Don't plan on cooking a great deal, either. Planning on something simple; turkey absolutely not involved, as I despise poultry of any type.

My wife works in local TV and this is her year to work Thanksgiving. I, on the other hand, have informed clients that my office will be "closed" from Weds through Friday (and I might even toss in Monday since it's my birthday). I'll be spending Turkey Day whipping up a huge meal (just for the two of us... and the two dogs), watching a little college football, drinking a bit of red wine, and working on THE HUNGOVER GOURMET #9.

Yup ...
Working the Afternoon Shift ...
Anticipating a Turkey Hot Dog
w/ a packet of squeeze cranberry sauce

And the Lions will play football

Off Thanksgiving, but have to work Thanksgiving Eve (probably late... clients' demands) and then in on Friday. I'll be happy if I get up in time to watch the Lions play..., but HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

Dearfolk,
I'll either be eating, wring a column or two for Flagpole Magazine, drinking a good brew or two, sorting books, sorting records, or any combination of the above... if not all of the above (well, forementioned) - but not all at once... maybe all at twice!
Thankfully, Ort. Carlton in 30601-land.

Sadly a Thanksgiving i won't forget...I got up at 4am to work and set up a buffet on three floors of a hotel, got out of work at 4:00pm to take a nap. Boyfriend was supposed to meet me later for dinner. Never showed..called him up and he was brutally mean to me on the phone, i got so angry and was so hurt i went to his apartment to confront him and what do you know.. i find out he was cheating on me with a co worker. First to go and last to know.
All is well now and Thanksgivings are wonderful again...as far as the boyfriend...a blessing in disguise, i meet a wonderful man after that who now is my husband.

Lions playing on Turkey Day... It fits... Be a good day to snooze!

At least the Parade in the Morning is Nice

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Originally posted by pigface

At least the Parade in the Morning is Nice

I almost forgot.. The parade! Yes, it is nice!

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Originally posted by UncleVic

Lions playing on Turkey Day... It fits... Be a good day to snooze!

Actually, they're playing the Colts, so if nothing else it should be fun watching Manning and his receivers play catch all day.

One of the benefits of the Teaching profession is the work schedule. We used to live for the coming of the Thanksgiving Weekend (can the Christmas Break be far behind?). For 6 years we were on what was referred to as the Year-Round Calendar...My track went on Break in Mid October and didn't return until after the Christmas Holidays. I loved that. Now I take the whole year off with Jan working an On-Call schedule (when she wants to) We have plenty of time at the holidays. to go where we want to go. It doesn't get much better than that.

First time I ever had to work Thanksgiving (and Christmas by the way) I had been married less than a month, was 19 years old and had to go out on an offshore oil rig. It was supposed to be for 2 weeks but a bunch of guys refused to show up and work so I ended up staying on the rig for 6 weeks, even missed Christmas.

I was one sad, lonely kid. Now, 26 years later, still married to that same wonderful little girl and I DONT WORK THANKSGIVING OR CHRISTMAS ANY MORE!!!!

I have to work a 13-hour night shift at the hospital again this Turkey Day, as well as the night before, so I'll be sound asleep during the feasting. Enjoy some turkey for me, everyone!

My partner will work that day so we have more time at Christmas. I'm going to put up the outdoor Christmas lights that day, and I'm considering making a small smoked turkey, mashed potatoes and (bottled) gravy for din-din. Gosh, will they have Harvey Fierstein in the NY parade again? He was the hit of the parade as Mrs. Santa. If there's no Harvey, I will sleep late, and think kind thoughts about all the people up at dawn stuffing those birds.

I'm not....but my daughter is. To accomodate her, we're having a Thanksgiving "lunch/dinner" at noon instead of the usual 4PM. After lunch, she is going to her job at "The Happiest Place On Earth" where the Mouse has her selling churros, popcorn, lemonade and all sorts of glow-in-the-dark specialties. She's looking forward to it-----they usually get special pins for working the holiday.
As for me----I'll be up cooking from 6AM on.......and if that's not work too I don't know what is!

Ed, the #1 reason my partner is working Thanksgiving is so we can spend more time--in Disneyland--the first weekend in December. Please remind your daughter that the genuine friendliness and accomodating attitude of nearly every Disney cast memeber is why we go to Disneyland and no other theme park. I have always heard that Christmas Day is a great day to visit Disneyland. Would your daughter agree? The phrase may be trademarked, but it happens to be true that Disneyland is "the happiest place on earth." Fine folks like your daughter are why.

Thank you, Michael. As she has told me----"it's not really work, it's fun....". I've been there several times now and watched her enthusiasm make people happy. It makes me a proud Dad. I can't say yet what she thinks about Christmas Day but I would guess she'll be happy about it. I'll ask her. PS-----give a shout if you'll have some free time when you're down here. We'll grab some SoCal roadfood!

I'm nothing like a professional chef (or even a non-professional chef), but I most certainly will be working Thanksgiving Day. So far, there isn't a work call scheduled for the daytime, and they've moved the normal Thursday matinee to Sunday evening, so I shouldn't have to work until 6pm...but I'll find out Monday if that's really true or not.

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Originally posted by hungovergourmet

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Originally posted by UncleVic

Lions playing on Turkey Day... It fits... Be a good day to snooze!

Actually, they're playing the Colts, so if nothing else it should be fun watching Manning and his receivers play catch all day.

We extended so much hospitality to the Pacers last night, I bet the Colts can't wait to come to town ...