Make Mine Medium Rare

I went out to dinner tonight at Louie Bertolas where I worked while I was in high school. I like to go there once in a while and catch up with the owners, DM and MA. I started working for them at the beginning of my freshman year. I was only 14 but they hired me anyway to wash dishes. After a few months, DM trained me to be a cook and I spent the rest of my high school days behind the grill. It was a fun place to work and is the reason I can cook as well as I can today.

DM and MA were a big influence on me when I was young. I have not written much about my childhood so far, mainly because I block most of it out. I have a great relationship with my dad now, but we were not always close, especially through my teen years. I am not sure I would have turned out to be the man I am if it wasn't for DM and MA. It was like I was in the big brother program and got two of them. It is funny because they are two totally different people which is probably why they have done so well in business together.

DM is the penny pincher that everyone needs as a business partner. His favorite saying when I was cooking for him was "take care of the pennies and nickels because the dollars can take care of themselves." Working for DM was not always a picnic. He could be demanding and damn annoying at times. He taught me the value of hard work. He also taught me responsibility as he let me open and close the kitchen even when I was 15.

MA was almost DM's polar opposite. He was the calming influence in the restaurant. He was everyone's friend. More laid back, relaxed, easy to get along with. He taught me people skills and how to stay on an even keel. He mainly worked the bar over my four years at the restaurant. They were both very good to all of employees. I remember they used to give us advances on our pay and let us pay them back over time. How many of your bosses would do that for you.

They moved the restaurant after I went into the Navy out of the ghetto and into Martinez. So if you ever find yourself hungry in Martinez, look for a three story house downtown with a red and white sign in the front with the name Louie Bertolas on it. Don't let the look of the place fool you. There is no where else where you will get a great prime rib dinner for under $11.00. Not to mention the cheapest drinks in town. Tell them Mac the Knife sent you. That was my nickname back then.

Speaking of that, every dishwasher had a nickname. My all time favorite was a guy we called "Doc." We called him this because he had obvious PHD qualities. He was seriously dumb. One day he actually said to us - "why you guys call me doc? I ain't gonna be no doctor." That was a big relief to the rest of us.