On the Line

by Naomi Loud

Here’s the thing about cooks: We’re all adrenaline junkies. Feral workaholics. And most of us are incapable of the nine-to-five grind. It takes a special kind of crazy to work in the kitchen. We incessantly complain about the hours, the waitstaff, the guests, and even the debilitating stress. But given an option or way out, we’d be hard-pressed to find something better suited to our non-conformist personalities—if the lifestyle doesn’t kill us first. Our bodies are in constant pain, and burnouts are just the way of life. And if having a secret water bottle full of vodka tucked away somewhere helps us get through service then fuck, that’s just how it is.