Served some VIPs in the bistro today. Several groups of them, as a matter of fact.
Two gentleman drove from their jobs north of downtown Tulsa, just to have lunch at McHuston’s… that makes them VIPs in my book. Two other fellows also drove over from Tulsa for no other reason than to have lunch here.
I can’t tell you how humbled and flattered that makes me feel.
After finishing their meal, a man and his wife confided that they were “looking to be adventurous for lunch” today, and made a twenty-five mile journey from west of Tulsa to try out the lunch fare. I was pleased to serve them a meal, and was especially happy they enjoyed it.
They have to be VIPs to make a commitment like that – a fifty mile round trip to try Irish stew and potato soup.
For that matter, the guest who brought in her book to read over lunch, who was obviously on a limited lunch hour – she’s important too. To me, it means that she was willing to take a leap of faith that I would be able to serve her a hot meal during that short period of time she was able to slip away from the office.
Oh, and there was another couple – a gentleman who works downtown Tulsa who stopped in with his wife for lunch. Another VIP.
Unlike the other folks, though, I knew this man’s name. I recognized his face from the picture in the newspaper, that section that does the restaurant reviews. Scott Cherry: Restaurant Critic – The Tulsa World.
It’s been busy at lunchtime for the last week and a half – and today, I was too busy to get too flustered. I was rattled at first, needless to say, but after my first screw up I figured it was a little like diving into the creek without knowing how to swim: just flap and kick and scramble until you reach a resting point.
I brought his wife a cup of soup instead of the cup of stew she had ordered. Did I mention I was a little rattled?
The Blarney kicked in and I kidded and cajoled, trying to work my way out of a red-checkmark, stay-on-your-permanent-record-for-life, bad report card. We’ll know how my efforts went when the article hits the newspaper next week.
Regardless of how it turns out, I’m certainly thrilled that people have gone out of their way to come in for some lunchtime dining. It makes it worthwhile, peeling all those potatoes and carrots, and chopping all those onions (that crying over the cutting board thing is no myth…).
The publicity has been both a blessing and a curse: I’ve not worked this hard in quite a few years (stocking books and punching buttons on the cash register doesn’t generate an aerobic workout, exactly…). It is fun, though. Adrenaline junkies will understand. There is something about having a deadline and a task that must be completed in a satisfactory way before it… when it goes well, there is a real sense of achievement.
Enough of the rationalizing over the flubbed service at the food critic’s table. I’m happy to serve any and all VIPs or otherwise during the lunch hour! Just remember, there are only a few tables and lately they’ve been filled early…
McHuston Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District, Broken Arrow OK
122 South Main Street
918-258-3301
Books: Rare, Antiquarian, & Otherwise
