On a warm Sunday afternoon as I drove south on McKnight Road headed to Pittsburgh, my son Zach sat next to me as I pointed out a business on my left-hand side.
“I was the potato and bun man at Ponderosa Steakhouse right there where that new Vitamin Shop is…” I blurted out.
My son slowly rolled his eyes. I realized that perhaps I had mentioned this factoid to him before.
After all I was proud that was my first “official” employment opportunity where you actually pay taxes to Uncle Sam. That’s when you know that you have really hit the big time job market. While wearing the plastic cowboy hat, double-knit pants and polyester shirt uniforms was a humbling experience for sure, especially when I was hitchhiking to work, it was nonetheless a real job.
I still remember with vivid detail the pressure of timing the baked potatoes in 45 minute increments to come out to meet the supply demands of the meat guys, the Steak Grillers.
“Bakers down,” They would yell.
I would take each aluminum foiled individually wrapped spud and smash it down with the palm of my hand, cut once through the center with a knife and do the four-corner fluff, then brush with butter. Next I would stack a dozen high on a tin server and slid them over to the steak guys. (My older brother Dave had the job before me and set the bar high with his karate like speed so I paled in comparison. A point the grillers would remind me of often.)
I was also responsible for the French fries or steak fries as we called them. Always having to make sure there were plenty of fresh, crisp fries for the next steak eater who didn’t want his starch baked.
Meanwhile the “bun-girl” who also handed filled drink orders would look to me to supply her with the oven toasted rolls. You talk about pressure, when the dinner rush was on we were a machine. I really looked up to those steak guys though; they were so calm and collected under fire or over fire. I aspired to someday move over in front of that huge char-grill.
“Shep” was the best of the best, Ponderosa’s “Top Gun.” I didn’t see him again for thirty years until I was at a basketball game and the referee looked really familiar. It hit me like a Mike Tyson punch as I called out, “Shep!” I was surprised that I remember his name since I can’t usually remember what I had for lunch.
It turned out that he remembered me too. I must have made an impression as potato boy which made me feel good. It turns out that Mark Sheppard is an attorney who graduated from Notre Dame. A decade ago, we ended up working together on some projects for Catholic Charities when he chaired the Board. He was instrumental in rescuing the orphans in Haiti after the devastating earthquake. I knew he was a solid person! Those steak guys were special after all.
Ponderosa led me to my next big gig… cooking for Eat N Park. Remember their slogan “There’s always something special cookin’ at Eat N Park?” When I was there they just weren’t always sure what it was!
When the waitress said to me, “Are you going to get me my order or just stand there and talk about the weather?”
When I thought about what she said I chose talking the weather which lead me to KDKA TV. There were many jobs in between but I will always remember that first one!
20 years ago I transitioned into the Morning Host at KDKA-Radio and recently my morning partner Kevin Battle and I exchanged early job experiences On-Air. Now due to social media, one of the other Grill masters Bob Sherer (not sure of the spelling), who lives out west reached out to me.
“I heard you were talkin” about Poderosa and the Grill guys… do you remember me?”
“Absolutely!” I said.
“A friend told me he was waiting for me to say my name!” Bob wrote.
“I told him I didn’t want to reveal how the Grill guys got all the dates by using his name!” LOL
What a crazy connection after all these years.
Post your first real job and see who comes out of the woodwork!