This is episode 2 of the podcast pickymenu by pickymenu, published on March 25, 2026.

Do you know that moment before a restaurant opens? When everything looks calm, peaceful, almost romantic? Yeah, that's because you haven't seen the briefing. Every shift starts with what is basically a military intelligence meeting. The chef walks in like, Tonight's special is a delicate sea bass with a citrus reduction. Cool. How do I explain that to someone who just asked for ketchup with their steak? They'll let you taste it too, not because they love you, but because in about 20 minutes, someone's going to ask, What does it taste like? And, uh, fish is not an acceptable answer. Then comes my favorite part, reading the bad reviews. Service was slow. Waiter seemed overwhelmed. Oh really, I wonder what gave it away. The 14 tables or the emotional breakdown behind the POS. But if you pay attention, you start to see patterns. And if you don't, you become the next review.