Original release date: June 23, 2023
Richie is sent by Carmy to Ever, an upscale fine dining restaurant, for the week as education. Richie is deeply skeptical of the restaurant and annoyed by having to wake up before dawn to meticulously clean forks. After seeing how dedicated the restaurant’s staff are to their customers he has a change of heart, becoming enthusiastic and learning to expedite a busy dinner service. At the end of the week Richie is sad to leave and asks about staying on permanently, believing that Carmy is trying to get rid of him. He meets the owner, Terry, who recounts the origins of the restaurant and how she overcame professional setbacks. Terry reveals that Carmy told her that he believes in Richie and his people skills.
* * *
INTERVIEWER: So as you’ve been coaching over the years, what would you say are the most important, uh, lessons of leadership that you’ve learned?
COACH K: The very first thing is that, you know, in order to get better, you change limits.
And when you change limits, you’re gonna look bad and you’re gonna fail.
And at West Point, I learned that failure was never a destination.
In other words, when you are knocked back, you know, figure out why and then, then change.
The other thing is that you’re not gonna get there alone.
You know, be on a team.
You know, surround yourself with good people and learn how to listen.
You’re not gonna learn with you just talking.
And when you do talk, converse, don’t make excuses.
Figure out the solution.
And you don’t have to figure it out yourself.
I always wanted to be a part of a team and obviously I wanted to lead that team.
You know, what a, what an interesting life it is to be a leader.
That’s something.
(alarm beeping)
(beeping continues, stops)
(sighs)
(alarm chirps)
(engine starts)
Fuck you, cousin.
(ominous music playing)
Jesus fuckin’ Christ.
You gotta be kidding me.
(discordant music playing)
♪ ♪
Hey, forks.
No, no. I’m Richard.
Okay.
I’m Garrett, back wait staff.
You’re forks.
Change your shirt.
(forks clanging)
(mouths)
Chef, are we done with the forks?
Yes, Chef. Almost, Chef. Let me ask you.
Every stage shine fuckin’ forks his whole first fuckin’ day?
First week.
Week?
GARRETT: First week is forks.
And if you get lucky, you make it to spoons.
Can we chill out on the swearing, too, please?
How long am I supposed to be here for?
A week.
Alright.
You want me to fork, I’ll fork.
I’m not gonna give cousin the satisfaction
of coming home early.
I can do my time standing on one foot.
So let me get this straight.
He’s punishing you by making you work
at the best restaurant in the world?
Yep. He’s punishing me for being ancillary.
GARRETT: Great. Let me give you some purpose then.
Dry those properly.
You see those streaks? That’s bad.
Thanks, Junior.
Where’s the boss?
Which one?
Big boss. Capo. Terry.
Chef Terry is always watching.
(Richie scoffs)
Fuck you, cousin.
(“Glass, Concrete & Stone” by David Byrne playing)
(alarm beeping, stops)
♪ Now I’m wakin’ at the crack of dawn ♪
♪ To send a little money home ♪
♪ From here to the moon ♪
♪ Is risin’ like a discotheque ♪
♪ And now my bags are down and packed ♪
♪ For traveling ♪
♪ Lookin’ at happiness ♪
♪ Keepin’ my flavor fresh ♪
♪ Nobody knows I guess ♪
♪ How far I’ll go, I know ♪
♪ So I’m leavin’ at six o’ clock ♪
♪ Meet in a parkin’ lot ♪
♪ Harriet Hendershot ♪
♪ Sunglasses on ♪
♪ She waits by this ♪
♪ Glass and concrete and stone ♪
♪ It is just a house ♪
♪ Not a home ♪
♪ And my head ♪
♪ Is 50 feet high ♪
♪ Let my body and soul ♪
♪ Be my guide ♪
(fork clangs)
Yo. Garrett. Chef.
I’ve been doing this forever.
Can I… wash dishes or something?
No, we got the best dishwashers in the world.
You’re just gonna slow ’em down.
That wasn’t clean.
I’ve been doing this for nine hours.
I think I know what’s clean.
I’m telling you, that’s not clean.
That was not clean either. Please do them properly
Yo. They’re goddamn forks.
Outside.
GARRETT: Do you think this is below you or something?
(scoffs)
Man, I think I’m 45 years old, polishing forks.
No one is asking you to be here.
I don’t think anybody remembers your name.
Nice try.
You think I don’t know how hard it is
hiring people since COVID?
We don’t have that problem.
You really drink this KoolAid, huh?
Yeah, I do.
Why?
Because I love this, Richie.
I love this so much, dude.
Did you know that when this restaurant opened 12 years ago,
it won the best restaurant in the world the same year?
It’s retained three stars
because we have a waiting list that’s long.
Five thousand people waiting at any given moment long.
Do you see their faces when they walk in here?
How stoked they are to see us
and how stoked we have to be to serve them?
It takes 200 people to keep this place in orbit.
And at any given moment, one of those people
that is waiting in line gets to eat here.
They get to spend their time and their money here.
I’m sorry, bro,
but we need to have some forks without streaks in them.
Every day here is the freaking Super Bowl.
You don’t have to drink the KoolAid, Richie.
I just need you to respect me. I need you to respect the staff.
I need you to respect the diners.
And I need you to respect yourself.
I can do respect.
Lovely. I’ll see you inside.
(flame hissing)
(chopping)
MANAGER: Tonight’s PONs include
Kimberly Foxx, district attorney of the city of Chicago.
We have Maurice Cheeks…
What’s a PON?
Person of note.
MANAGER: …as well as
comedian and musician Bo Burnham.
On 29 at 7:15, we have Tim and Jill Perry.
They’re both Elmhurst High School teachers.
And according to Jill’s Instagram,
it’s always been her dream to dine at a threestar restaurant.
And they have been, quote, “Saving up for this.”
I wanna go above and beyond tonight.
Every supplement and caviar, please.
A tour of the kitchen,
a champagne tour in the gallery as well.
And, guys, we’re not gonna let these people spend a dollar.
Do not drop a check.
I wanna blow their fuckin’ minds.
ALL: Chef.
MANAGER: Last thing,
still, no one is owning up to the smudge.
I wanna clarify that it’s not so much the smudge,
but rather the fact that no one
is taking responsibility for the smudge.
We’re not children. It’s okay to make mistakes.
We can smudge things, but we need to own up to them
with immediacy, integrity, and honesty.
Does anyone wanna talk any more about the smudge?
Couple menu updates.
Uh, per Chef Terry
the duck roulade will now be served
with a, uh, Concord grape reduction
instead of the cherry.
We’re gonna be adding a dish to the menu.
That’s gonna be the sixcourse,
a Dungeness crab with grapefruit and champagne.
Did you talk about the smudge?
Only a lot.
I know this sounds ridiculous.
I am aware that I’ve had to say the word fucking “smudge”
20 times in the last two days,
but we had to reset the plate with the smudge
because the persimmon glaze was smudged,
which fucked the set because we had to take it to a fourtop,
which meant we have to match the other three plates
to the smudge plate, which cost us 45 seconds.
Fortyseven seconds.
Fortyseven seconds.
Now, if you cost us that kind of time,
you sure as shit better own up to it,
because we sure as shit are gonna pay for it.
Now get back to work!
Fuck you, Garrett!
Yes, Chef. Fuck me.
(cell phone ringing)
Hey.
Hi. Hey. How are you?
RICHIE: I’m, uh, I’m good.
I’m great, you know.
What’s going on? Is Eva okay?
No, she’s great. She’s totally great. Um, yeah.
Oh, yo, uh, Jimmy… Um…
I got those Taylor Swift tix.
TIFF: You did?!
Yeah.
That’s ama… Oh, she’s gonna be so excited.
RICHIE: I know, right?
That’s incredible.
RICHIE: Actually I got three if you wanna come, you know.
You don’t have to.
No, no, no. It’s n… II…
That’s so sweet. That’s so sweet.
Um, I… I just, uh…
I know you’re really busy, so I wanted to just tell you something,
um, and it’s a little bit hard to say.
Okay.
Are you alright?
TIFF: I’m fine. Yeah, I’m fine. Uh…
I just want you to hear it from me.
Um…
Uh…
RICHIE: What do you mean? Hear what?
Um…
Frank proposed to me.
(scoffs)
What did you say?
I said yes.
He’s like a really good guy.
That’s great, Tiff.
TIFF: Thank you.
And, and I want you to know
that nothing’s gonna change between us.
That’s awesome.
TIFF: You know. And…
Um…
I… Um…
And I love you. (sighs)
I love you.
(train rumbling)
♪ ♪
MANAGER: Hi, I’m sorry to interrupt.
I just wanted to let you know, no check tonight.
Thank you so much for dining with us.
WOMAN: Oh, my gosh.
MANAGER: Alright.
(man gasps)
MAN: Is he serious?
♪ ♪
(alarm beeping, stop
(sighs)
♪ ♪
You’re trailing today. Get changed.
No more forks?
No more forks.
(claps)
You look good.
Feels kinda like armor.
Yeah, man, that’s the point.
Start with tables 10, 20, 30, 40, so forth.
Stagger the reservations by 15 minutes
so we do not stack the kitchen.
Start with the two tops, move to the four, so forth.
All the servers take temperatures of the room.
They communicate.
How do they do that if they can’t speak?
This is our Hamachi.
You can see that it’s frozen
in liquid nitrogen and curled,
served on our basil gel.
Nineteen are a bunch of assholes.
Bogeys on 19. Walk everything fast.
ALL: Chef.
Chef, what do all these different colors mean?
JESSICA: Orange is a dietary restriction.
Yellow is outta town. Green is a VIP.
And blue means kitchen tour.
And what about those notes?
Table 15 likes to eat faster so we speed up their tickets.
Twentythree likes it slower,
so we add an extra amuse not to back up the kitchen.
Twentytwo doesn’t like people to speak to them.
How do you know all that?
Know what?
About the people eating?
We have a designated staff member
that researches each guest.
Yeah. Wiretap those motherfuckers.
What’s that ticking?
Waitlist.
The minute somebody noshows or cancels,
we pull somebody up.
How do they get here that fast?
Oh, we’ll send a car.
Gangster. Okay.
This shit is crazy. How do you do this all day?
I need you to stand in that corner
and get the fuck out of my way for one minute.
Five, distillation.
Eyes on four.
Twentyfour walking in five.
ALL: Chef.
Two, tasting amuse on deck,
get them out fast, please, thank you.
Twelve, walking out. Let’s pick it up.
Every second counts.
ALL: Chef.
Three going to 21.
Pick up two Hamachi, please.
ALL: Chef.
JESSICA: Eight walking in five.
Triplecheck five, please.
White chocolate allergy.
ALL: Chef.
Every night you make somebody’s day.
Huh?
You asked me how I can do this, and that’s how I can do this.
I think I see the pattern.
I’m very happy to hear that.
Thank you.
Three going to 21.
ALL: Chef.
Uh, One minute. Table desserts, please.
Nineteen, go. Twenty, go.
Hold 18.
ALL: Hold 18, Chef.
Thank you. We have a birthday on 24.
Pick up a cake, candle, and two balloons, please.
Kill 31.
Thirtythree, go.
Pick up Wagyu, please.
And 19 walking in four.
ALL: Chef.
Threeohfive, hands, please.
My hands, Chef?
Garrett’s hands, please.
Follow Garrett.
Yes, Chef.
Corner.
(indistinct conversations)
Oh.
(gasps)
WOMAN: Oh, wow.
GARRETT: Alright.
(woman chuckles)
We have the hibiscus tea
surrounded by a series of small bites.
And to finish it off,
the hibiscus cloud.
Beautiful.
GARRETT: Hmm.
How do we eat it?
That’s my favorite part.
(women gasp)
WOMAN: Wow.
WOMAN 1: Oh
WOMAN 2: Fun.
Fuck me.
Language.
Took the words right outta my mouth.
Enjoy.
WOMAN 1: Thank you.
WOMAN 2: Oh, my gosh. Do we just dive in?
WOMAN 1: Chef Terry’s done it again.
Chef!
Relax.
Chef.
Go.
RICHIE: Guest on nine.
Emily overheard her tell her family
that she was bummed that she was leaving Chicago
without getting a chance to try deep dish.
Got it. Thank you.
Slow down, eight and nine.
Surprise on nine.
ALL: Chef.
What’s the surprise?
Take a wild guess.
You’re gonna make ’em a deep dish.
Nope.
What’s up, dude?
Pick up for Richard.
Corner.
Corner. Behind.
Behind, Oliver. Behind.
Corner.
Chef.
JESSICA: Walk four Wagyu to 21.
P2 is no dairy.
ALL: Chef.
JESSICA: Pick up canapé for two.
Behind these two canapé,
go right into four more canapé.
That’s six, you’re going on two by four.
ALL: Chef.
Faster, please.
Fire six rabbit.
ALL: Chef.
JESSICA: Fire four Hamachi. One is nondairy.
I’m looking for a back on 42.
ALL: Chef.
By round.
Yes, sir.
JESSICA: Twelve, walking out.
Three going to 21.
Pick up two Hamachi, please.
CHEF: Basil gel.
JESSICA: Kill 31. 33, go.
CHEF: Tweezers.
MANAGER: Yes, Chef.
Micro basil.
Yes, Chef.
Micro basil. Fuck, yes!
Language.
JESSICA: Pick up Wagyu, please.
Three going to 21.
Send it.
Chef, can I bbring it to the table?
Go get ’em, Richie.
Thank you, Chef.
Walking addon on table nine.
ALL: Chef.
(indistinct conversation)
Alright. Look alive, team.
(patron clears throat)
Almost there.
Just another seven courses.
(laughter)
I know you guys have probably waited a very long time to be here.
Thank you.
Uh, but I couldn’t live with myself
if I let this beautiful family leave Chicago
without sampling one of my personal favorite dishes.
Pequod’s deep dish.
WOMAN: No. Oh!
You did not hear me say that. (gasps)
Mangia, baby.
Oh, my God. You all are wonderful.
No, stop it. You’re wonderful.
You guys good on drinks?
WOMAN: I can’t believe this.
That old fashioned’s not gonna drink itself.
You guys want some Bacardi and Diet?
Little B&D, should I send some over?
(all laughing)
Enjoy, guys.
What a service.
It’s way better than New York. Right?
WOMAN: Don’t you say that to my mom.
MAN: Hey, hey.
WOMAN: Don’t you say that to my mom.
MAN: I’m just saying.
(indistinct chatter)
WOMAN: I think it’s magic pizza.
Go.
Four seconds.
Three seconds.
Uh, apple cider gastrique.
Apple cider gastrique!
That’s my freakin’ boy right there!
Alright, let’s go.
(Garrett grunts)
Another one.
Go.
Oh, come on. That’s Bercy.
Wwait. Wait. No.
Velouté derivative.
That’s an Allemande.
Ooh, yeah, it sure is.
Oh! Oh! Hadouken!
MANAGER: Uh, what year did the restaurant open?
2012.
Yes.
And what year did we get our third star?
2012. Trick question. Nice try.
JESSICA: Correct.
And lastly, what were tonight’s specials?
We don’t have specials.
We do however have supplements,
including tonight’s caviar pairing.
Up your ass!
(laughter, applause)
Whoo!
(indistinct chatter)
♪ Romeo, save me, they’re tryin’ to tell me ♪
♪ How to feel ♪
♪ This love is difficult, but it’s real ♪
Fuckin’ go. Fuckin’ drive!
♪ We’ll make it out of this mess ♪
♪ It’s a love story ♪
♪ Baby, just say, “Yes” ♪
(mouths) Thank you.
Fuck.
♪ Oh, oh ♪
♪ Marry me, Juliet ♪
♪ You’ll never have to be alone ♪
♪ I love you and that’s all I really know ♪
♪ I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress ♪
♪ It’s a love story ♪
♪ Baby, just say, “Yes” ♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪
♪ Oh, oh, ohoh ♪
♪ ‘Cause we were both young when I first saw you ♪
(alarm beeps, stops)
RICHIE: Yo, let me ask you, am I the oldest stage
that’s ever staged here?
GARRETT: I don’t know, dude. Probably.
How old are you?
That’s an HR violation.
You’re not supposed to ask
Fuck off, Garrett.
How old are you?
I’m 30, dude.
Thirty.
And you’re like a chef?
What?
RICHIE: You like to cook?
You like, uh, rattle the pots and pans?
GARRETT: No, I don’t like
No, no, I don’t like to cook.
Then why you work at a restaurant?
GARRETT: I don’t know, man, because…
A couple of years ago, I had a drinking problem.
And I got sober.
I’m good now, you know, like I feel healthy
and I’m happy and I’m grateful.
And through that experience,
I learned about acts of service and…
I just like being able to serve other people now.
You know?
Service.
GARRETT: Yeah.
You know, I used to work for this guy who used to say
that taking care of people at the highest level
was like working at a hospital.
You know, like it was like medi
Okay. That’s a little much.
I’m just saying, I think that’s why restaurants
and hospitals use the same word, “hospitality.”
Yeah, no shit.
Hospitality.
I wanted to say thanks for a fun week, man. It was dope.
Thank you, my man. It was fun.
GARRETT: Yeah. Um, you know,
we have a new stage coming tomorrow morning,
and, um, I think we’re all really gonna miss you here.
Aah.
Fuck, man.
I’m just gettin’ the hang of it.
GARRETT: I know, I know. I know.
We have one more shift tomorrow, but, yeah.
Damn.
Let me ask you, like, what if, uh…
I mean, I don’t know what the situation is like,
you know, but…
if something opens up, you know…
Richie.
That’d be awesome, but you know it’s not my call.
Alright.
I mean, I got another job anyway.
I am needed elsewhere.
Thanks, bro.
(sighs)
(exhales)
(cell phone ringing)
Yo, cousin, what’s up?
What’s going on?
CARMY: I’m watching Fak do something
FAK: I’m recalibrating.
I’m watching Fak recalibrate.
Yeah, I’m recalibrating.
We, uh, we failed the fire suppression test.
Another one, dude?
CARMY: Yeah, yeah, another one.
We have one more shot.
RICHIE: How bad is it if we fail that one?
It’s fuckin’ bad
(screams) Goddammit.
Shit! Fuck, man!
FAK: Okay, I’m just
CARMY: Please be careful.
It’s bad, cousin. What do you need?
RICHIE: What do I need?
(scoffs) I don’t need anything.
Just calling to tell you I’m done.
CARMY: Yes, yes.
No, that’s right. How’d that go?
Bro, you’re going to fuck yourself.
RICHIE: It was fine.
(Fak groans)
Yo, I know you sent me there to get rid of me.
What… To get rid of you? Fak. Fak. Fak!
I fucking told you.
RICHIE: Yes.
Please!
Yes.
I was annoying you and you wanted me out of your hair.
(Fak screams)
What?
RICHIE: Yeah, you sent me
No, no.
RICHIE: No, cousin
No. No, no, no.
III sent you there
RICHIE: No, cousin.
You sent me there
to fucking humiliate me, you fucking jagoff.
Make me look like a fucking jagoff.
You’re the fucking jagoff, Carmen.
What the fuck you talkin’ about?
(screaming) Fuck! Fuck!
Yo! Fuckin’ Christ!
Fak! Jesus!
Stop! Stop it!
CARMY: Just fuckin’ stop.
FAK: Stop!
Yeah, I’ll talk to you later.
CARMY: Take a break.
FAK: I actually think I hurt myself.
(alarm beeping)
(water running)
Um…
(clock ticking)
(footsteps approaching)
Hey, I’m about to go over staff reviews.
You wanna observe?
Oh, uh, thanks.
I gotta finish this last bin.
‘Kay.
We loved having you here. Thanks for everything.
Thanks, Chef Jess.
(sighs deeply)
You know where the polish is? That bullshit keeps moving.
Try that drawer over there.
What are you making?
I’m just peeling mushrooms for the lamb des tournelles.
Peeling mushrooms?
Yeah. It’s just a nice little fun detail.
So when the diners see it, they know that someone
spent a lot of time on their dish.
Do you wanna have a go?
Alright.
Okay, so hold it like this.
Mmhmm.
Knife, 1300.
Grab the end and just peel like that.
So slowly.
Yeah.
Thirteen hundred, huh?
TERRY: Yeah.
Did you serve?
Dad did.
RICHIE: Yeah. Same.
Staff sergeant.
Corporal.
A lot of standards.
Yeah.
Turns out, I like standards.
(Richie scoffs)
(Richie sighs)
Did you move around a lot?
Yeah. You?
I know Carmen.
RICHIE: Yeah, I know.
I’m sorry that he pulled a favor.
Not at all. I don’t do favors.
How’s that?
That’s great.
Can I do another one?
TERRY: Yes, please do.
So why do you do this?
(laughs) I do it for a living.
No, but, like, don’t you have stages that do this shit?
Yeah, well, I like starting the day with this.
Why?
TERRY: Respect. Feels attached.
I think time spent doing this is time well spent.
RICHIE: Time well spent.
That’s what it’s all about?
Yeah, I think so.
When did that start?
Oh, I st… I tried to open a giant place years ago.
I had all these accolades. I was younger, I was on fire.
I was arrogant, and, uh…
I tried to move too fast.
I couldn’t keep the place open,
and the market crashed and I got killed.
Public wipeout?
Oh, yeah. The most public wipeout.
So how’d this place happen?
Well, now, that was on my…
My 38th birthday.
Hmm.
I was out walking all night, unemployed, angry, depressed.
Blaming everybody else for all the time I’d lost
and the money I’d lost, all of it.
And it was raining.
And I was walking through Lincoln Park. My phone had died.
And so I stood under this awning waiting for the rain to stop.
And I just stood there and stared.
And eventually the sun came up
and it turns out I was right there.
And then I walked ’round to the front
and I saw the sign.
It was an actual sign.
It was a restaurant for lease sign.
Like, um… (clicks tongue)
…never too late kinda thing.
TERRY: Yeah.
Never too late to start over.
How did you get the money to open?
Um, well, my dad had died the summer before,
and only child, my mum sold the house and put it in here.
Oh. Family business.
TERRY: Yeah.
You close with your ma?
Yeah, she’s my best friend. You?
My best friend’s ma was like my ma.
TERRY: Ooh, yeah?
What about your dad?
No.
Yeah. (laughs)
Are you close to yours?
Hmm.
Yeah. Yeah, it’s funny.
I learned the most about him when I was packing up his house.
All his belongings, like, his whole life.
And I found this stash of pocket notebooks
that he must have taken with him when he was on tour.
And full of all these details,
like the palm trees he’d seen or escargot he’d tried.
Or this time the ocean looked purple.
And, um, the way he wrote everything,
it was like a reminder,
like a… don’t forget this moment
or don’t forget this interesting, strange detail.
Hundreds of these entries.
JESSICA: Chef Terry?
And he’dhe’d sign each one off the same way every time.
Chef?
Yes, Chef?
Arnaud upstairs.
TERRY: Oh, thank you, Chef.
Don’t be a stranger, Richie.
Say hi to Carmen for me.
Yeah, will do.
TERRY: Thank you.
He believes in you, you know.
(Richie scoffs)
What makes you say that?
He told me.
He said you’re good with people. He’s not wrong.
Nice talking to you, Chef.
TERRY: Likewise, Chef.
Uh, ch… Chef?
Uh, you never said what he signed off with.
What’d your dad…
(“Love Story” by Taylor Swift playing)
♪ Marry me, Juliet ♪
♪ You’ll never have to be alone ♪
♪ I love you and that’s all I really know ♪
♪ I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress ♪
♪ It’s a love story ♪
♪ Baby, just say, “Yes” ♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪
♪ Oh, oh, ohoh ♪
♪ Oh, oh, ohoh ♪
♪ Oh, oh, ohoh ♪
♪ ‘Cause we were both young ♪
♪ When I first saw you ♪
