New Year’s Eve was without a doubt the busiest and most-dreaded night at the Pizzeria. No matter how hard we worked we could never catch up with the pizza orders, with people often waiting more than two hours for take-out. The pizza ovens were too small and we were too busy; we were always triple-booked, and had to make sure diners were in and out before the arrival of the next sitting. It was absolute chaos.
Mac decided to try something different, a pig-roast instead of pizzas. This idea was received with enthusiasm, something different for Old Year’s Night would be great! I knew a lot of people would be disappointed – pizza had become a favorite New Year’s Eve treat – but was willing to give the pig roast a whirl.
Mac organized two good-sized pigs, one for each sitting, and proceeded to dig a large pit in front of the Pizzeria. We had no difficulty filling the restaurant, both sittings were fully booked a week before the event. We would feed the first set of people between 6:30 and 9:00, the second between 9:00 and 11:30. The picnic tables in the garden were booked as well, contingent on the weather of course; if it rained we wouldn’t be able to serve outside.
Lunch business on Old Year’s Day was non-stop, probably because we would not be offering pizzas that night. I tried to keep half an eye on the action in the front yard, where Mac and his friend Mackie were turning the two pigs over the pit. It was quite an attraction, the sight as well as the smell wafting through the neighborhood drawing crowds of people. I must have turned down a good two hundred requests for reservations that day, disappointing those drawn by the aroma of pork roasting over a fire!
It was fun making something different but also a lot of work. The dining room during the lunch hour was crazy, the tables filling as soon as they emptied, and I was hard-pressed to get preparations for the evening under way. I was making delicacies such as tiny chocolate eclairs and needed more counter space! I ended up closing the dining room and kitchen at 4:00, allowing the staff to clean and myself to cook the sides we would be serving with the pork.
What I didn’t realize was how (excuse the language) shit-faced Mac and Mackie had become during the course of the day. Roasting the pigs took several hours, they had started turning them over the fire at 9:00. After a day spent drinking Heinekens and smoking packaloulou they were TOTALLY wasted by 5:00. They stumbled through the swinging doors and dumped the two pigs on the kitchen counter, then left with nary a fare-thee well. I screamed, “get back here! You get back here right now!” and heard them laughing as they took off up the hill.
Silly me, I had assumed that Mac and Mackie would slice the pork as well as cook it. I had never seen a whole roasted pig except in pictures, where to begin? Guests would soon be arriving and I had to deal with this or suffer the consequences. Wielding a sharp knife I waded in, doing a fairly credible job for a novice!
The night was a huge success, the pork and side dishes were excellent and devoured with great smacking of lips. The fancy desserts were exclaimed over and enjoyed immensely. Both sittings, garden as well as dining room, went smoothly. There were howls of disappointment from those wanting take-out pizzas but I stood my ground, we were far too busy to concentrate on anything except the New Year’s Eve special.
Covered in pig grease and black soot I was unable to make my rounds of the dining room that night, shaking hands and giving hugs was out of the question! I had just enough time after the last guests departed to shower and change clothes, arriving at the Frangi to kiss people as the clock struck mid-night and the New Year began. I even kissed Mac and Mackie!