InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Bread, for my bread gun!"

Seamus Finnigan (openbottle) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-10-03 17:35:00

Entry tags:

character: romeo garcia-davies, character: seamus finnigan

Early Feedback
Who: Seamus and Romeo
What: Positive feedback!
Where: Finnigan's, kitchen
When: Early evening
Rating: SFW

Hiring Romeo had taken a huge weight off Seamus' shoulders. Hannah, Bryn and the rest of his staff and friends had been doing their very best to cover the lack of a proper chef, but it had been a bit of a nightmare to co-ordinate, trying to make sure there was food at any given hour. He hadn't wanted to stop, afraid he'd lose customers who'd never bother to give them a second chance, but having a real chef in the kitchen again - even a young one - was a relief. Seamus still had a 'help wanted' notice in the window. Romeo couldn't work seven days a week, and after this latest experience Seamus was pretty sure having two fully capable chefs on his staff would be worth the extra expense, just in case anyone else had to leave in a hurry.

Eager to make sure his newest employee was settling in, Seamus pulled one last pint before handing over to his evening staff and sneaking into the kitchen. "Hope I'm not disturbing you," he said to Romeo's back. He didn't expect him to be busy right now - customers wanting dinner probably wouldn't be in for another hour or so. "How're you finding things?" Romeo had definitely taken to the journals already, which made Seamus smile, and his interest in adding another activity to their community calendar was also something Seamus had considered a positive when interviewing him.

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rgarciadavies
2014-10-03 09:46 pm UTC (link)

So far, Romeo was having a blast in the kitchen. The menu at Finnigan's was easy enough to get used to, and apparently there was enough of a contrast in the quality of his food and the food his predecessor had cooked that customers were complimenting him right and left.

He had spent the first week getting thoroughly acquainted with his new surroundings, and so when Seamus entered the kitchen Romeo sensed, more than heard, his presence. He half turned, keeping an eye on what he was prepping, but not wanting to snub his boss.

"Good evening, sir!" he greeted cheerfully. "You are most welcome, and not disturbing me at all - tell me, please, can I make you something?"

Seamus's question came at the perfect time. "Actually, sir, I was hoping we could talk about the menu," he said tentatively. "Not that there is anything wrong with it, of course, but I am wondering how much leeway I am allowed, to create new offerings. I had an idea for a special..." He trailed off, not wanting to take too many liberties.

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openbottle
2014-10-04 10:21 am UTC (link)

Seamus moved to lean against the counter, making sure he wasn't accidentally disturbing anything Romeo might be working on. He smiled and shook his head slightly at Romeo's cheerful greeting. He was still having trouble adjusting to anyone calling him 'sir', but if that was what Romeo's mam would expect then Seamus supposed he'd have to get used to it. He had far too much respect for his own occasionally fierce mother to dream of challenging someone else's. "I'm fine, thanks. Officially off duty for the day." Not that he wouldn't still be around. He might head up to his flat for a bit but he'd be back for the Dance Club.

He smiled again. Even though he'd made his decision to hire Romeo fairly quickly, he couldn't regret it. "As long as you keep our best-sellers, I'm happy for you to do whatever you like," he said. "Specials are a great idea!" They hadn't really had anything like that before, their previous chef having been competent (at first...) but not adventurous or inventive. "I am thinking I'll hire another proper chef at some point, so I guess anything permanent on the menu needs to be something they can cook too."

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rgarciadavies
2014-10-04 10:33 am UTC (link)

"Here is what I had thought I could do," Romeo said, completely unable to keep the excitement out of his voice. "I call it the Chef's Surprise. You put a set price on it, but no description. When someone orders it, I cook them something - anything - and surprise them. If they do not like it, it's free." He laughed. "Of course if they do not like it, I will pay for it myself. I would not dream of costing you money unnecessarily, sir. But they will like it."

The batch of testers he had been working on were ready, and smelling delicious. "Please sir, will you try one of my newest experiments?" he invited. "They are bacon and cheddar stuffed portobello stuffed mushrooms, and one of a handful of potential surprises, if you will allow me to add the Chef Surprise to the menu as a special."

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openbottle
2014-10-04 11:42 am UTC (link)

Seamus listened to the details of Romeo's plan, appreciating that he'd obviously thought this through. It didn't take long before Seamus could see the benefits of such an idea. "That could work," he agreed. He'd already made a journal announcement about Romeo in the hopes that he'd entice some customers back to try the food. This - this would be even better. Make a challenge of it, with the promise of free food if they were disappointed. "I love it!" He grinned, already mentally composing an addition to the menu explaining the concept. "And maybe one day a week we could promise it would be vegetarian?" He knew they had a few vegetarian customers and it seemed like a nice gesture, if Romeo could manage it.

Even though he'd turned down Romeo's offer to make him something, Seamus eagerly took one of the stuffed mushrooms - which both looked and smelled amazing. It tasted as good as it smelled. "Oh, that's going to be a winner," he said, licking his lips. It was so good to have a proper chef in his kitchen once more.

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rgarciadavies
2014-10-04 12:41 pm UTC (link)

"Or alternatively, the customer can just specify any dietary requirements when placing the order?" Romeo suggested. "Such as if they are vegetarians, or cannot eat dairy, or are allergic to tomatoes. I suggest the special to entice and please people, not to kill them or give them terrible gas." He giggled slightly, even though the idea of inadvertently giving someone terrible gas wasn't really at all funny.

"I am glad you like them, sir," Romeo said happily. "I was going to add them to the appetizer list for tomorrow night if they had turned out well."

He plated the rest of the mushrooms, tactfully putting them close enough to Seamus so that his boss could help himself to more if he wanted, without pressing them on him too forcefully, then pulled his wand out of his hip pocket and made quick work of the dishes. A clean kitchen was a happy kitchen after all!

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openbottle
2014-10-05 08:49 am UTC (link)

"If that's something you're okay with," Seamus said, nodding. He hadn't wanted to assume that Romeo was happy to provide vegetarians options on a permanent basis - but once a week had seemed a reasonable enough request. However, if Romeo didn't mind it would obviously be better to have the option always available. He smiled. "I knew there was a reason I hired you. Not wanting to kill people, that was it." He was only teasing, of course. There had been many other reasons.

Shameless, Seamus took another mushroom and popped it into his mouth. He never turned down free food - even if it was free from his own business which meant technically he'd paid for it in the first place. "They're excellent. I'll make sure to personally recommend them to my friends."

He moved around the kitchen, not intrusive but just seeing what Romeo had moved and where things now were. It was good to know in case he ever had to step in in an emergency or give instructions to Bryn while Romeo wasn't working. As he did so, he spotted a glint of red-and-gold tucked right into the corner of a shelf. "Aha!" he cried, reaching for it and closing his fingers around the little phoenix statue.

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rgarciadavies
2014-10-06 12:05 am UTC (link)

"Given that the special will be a surprise, I would be putting something different together each time," Romeo said thoughtfully. "Perhaps from maybe three potential surprises per night, for ease of preparation. It would be no real trouble to make a vegetarian option available - and I think it will be a real draw for Finnigan's, sir, that vegetarian options are so readily and cheerfully accommodated. I have been to restaurants where, upon ordering a vegetarian meal, the waiters have been downright unpleasant." Romeo made a face, remembering. He didn't understand why people could be so snotty, personally.

And the fact that Seamus was eating more of the mushrooms didn't escape him. He smiled quietly, then startled as Seamus cried out. "What!?" he said, grabbing on to the counter. "Did I do something wrong!?"

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openbottle
2014-10-08 04:06 pm UTC (link)

Seamus nodded along to Romeo's observations. "That's basically what I was thinking when I suggested having a vegetarian day. It's a good way to introduce people who don't usually eat vegetarian to the idea that they can!" Not that Seamus was vegetarian himself, he wasn't, but he still wanted his pub to be as inclusive as possible.

"Sorry!" Seamus flushed, the phoenix statue curled tight into his fist. "I didn't mean to startle you." He could be a bit full-on, sometimes. Lacking in subtlety. He hoped Romeo would get used to it quickly. He moved away from the shelf and held out his hand to display his prize. "Dean and I have a sort of game going. We take it in turn to hide this." He glanced around, as if to make sure Dean wasn't skulking somewhere listening. As if anyone over six foot could properly skulk. "Only he's better at it than I am, so it's always a good feeling when I finally find it. Our previous chef didn't mind if we included the kitchen, as long as we didn't disturb his food prep. This is left over from before you started."

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rgarciadavies
2014-10-13 09:15 pm UTC (link)

"I like meat as much as the next person, but I think it is important to be open to new experiences," Romeo nodded. "And there are so many delicious vegetables, that I find it highly unlikely that there isn't something for everyone to like."

Romeo giggled nervously at the little statue that had caused the big commotion. "Well, I don't mind at all, although it would have been nice to be warned! It seems like you already have good intentions about food prep and not messing everything up, so I have no issue with you including the kitchen. It is, after all, your kitchen, sir."

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openbottle
2014-10-15 06:41 pm UTC (link)

"Agreed." Seamus grinned, pleased that they seemed to agree. He liked meat, but it wasn't required for every meal. With the way he tended to skip meals, Seamus was not inclined to put too strict a limit on what actually counted. Thinking of which... seamus reached for another mushroom. Three counted as dinner, right?

He carefully stowed the statue in his pocket then made an apologetic gesture around the kitchen. "Like I said, Dean must have hidden it before I hired you. I had no idea it was here until just now. Maybe he'd have told you when you two met." Unlikely with how busy Dean was preparing for his show. "The kitchen is your domain. I'll try to interfere as little as possible."

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rgarciadavies
2014-10-17 10:49 pm UTC (link)

"It is already clear to me that I am going to enjoy working here," Romeo said, pulling his wand out of his back pocket and giving it a swish and a flick to clear up the remaining dishes. "Tomorrow, sir, I wish to try a tortilla soup, I think, and... maybe just some simple enchiladas, to begin the special," he said thoughtfully. "They will be easy enough, and each can easily be made vegetarian with just a few small modifications. Would that be okay?"

The little hide the statue game seemed fun, but it was obviously Seamus and Dean's thing, and he wasn't worried about being included. "You can do as you please, sir. It is your playground - I am merely playing in it," he laughed.

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openbottle
2014-10-19 01:08 pm UTC (link)

Seamus couldn't help but be pleased by that. He wasn't very good at being the strict boss - he wanted all his employees to enjoy working for him, and in his pub. It was supposed to be a community, after all, and that included the staff as much as the customers. "That all sounds good," Seamus said, though he wasn't quite sure what tortilla soup was. He'd have to remember to try some tomorrow and find out.

Seamus shook his head, pushing his curls out of his eyes. This was evidently another thing they were going to disagree on, but there was no reason to bang on about it. If they both respected the kitchen, then they'd function well enough. "Right. I'll leave you to your work before the dinner rush starts."

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