Thoughts on the New Minimum Wage

For those who do not know, the federal minimum wage recently went up to $6.55/hr and will increase to $7.25 this time next year.  Great, that’s fine.  However, the server minimum wage remains the same $2.13/hour that it has been since 1991.  First, there is no moral justification for paying servers less than any other profession.  The whole, “they make their money from tips” thing just doesn’t wash.  Not unless the government is going to pass a law that says if you don’t tip 20% regardless of service then you spend a night in the poky.  And a law like that is just as crazy as a law that says CEO’s, salesmen, and retail manager’s can receive bonuses that are separate from their salary, but servers have to chose one or the other.

Servers should make the same minimum as any other proffession and then tipping can go back to being what is was supposed to be, a bonus for a job well done.  As the law stands now not tipping is against the law, however the government punishes the victim rather than the offender.  You see server’s still have to pay taxes on tips even if they don’t get them.  And in today’s economy they are not getting any.  The restaurant server is an endangered species in America.

NFNS: Big Daddy’s Cliché Kitchen

UPDATE: Big Daddy’s Kitchen has been renewed for 13 more episodes.  Read HERE.

So now I have watched the worst kept secret in history, Aaron McCargo Jr. is the Next Food Network Star winner.  Hence forth to be referred to as the NFNS winner because “star” seems an extreme long shot.  Boring.  My thoughts skew negative.  Aaron did the poorest of the three finalists last week and this week was no different.  Aaron’s pilot seemed like an exercise where he tried to incorporate as many cooking show clichés as possible.  Also, he did what he called “Jerk” seasoning, but it was no where close.  I don’t know what it was, but it wasn’t Jerk - if it doesn’t have Scotch Bonnet peppers it isn’t Jerk.  As usual he was hard to understand and seemed to be at his best when he forgot the camera was on.  All and all, it was not a winning performance.

Adam’s concept was brilliant although I may be biased; I have been shopping a similar show for the past few months.  Adam was funny and entertaining, he stuck with the only thing he is good at, BBQ, but once again his expertise was drawn into question when asked why he put rosemary into a dry rub his answer was, “for flavor.”  Really?  I would have never thought that?  Lisa on the other hand was scary good.  I mean she seemed so natural it was like she had been doing this her entire life or least since ‘93 when the Food Network first went on the air (like Bobby Flay).  Lisa also credited guest host/producer Gordon Elliot with helping her put her vision on film.  Nice move, Lisa, he’s an important man in this industry.  Gordon’s reaction to each during taping was an important factor on how things went.  He seemed to have to correct Adam and Aaron more than he did Lisa to whom he usually just said, “beautiful.”

Some other things caught my attention in the show.  When each contestant was introduced to the live studio audience, Adam and Lisa’s interaction with the crowd was suspiciously demur while Aaron seemed to already be in celebration mode.  Curious.  Also, it was interesting to see how loud Kelsey Nixon’s ovation was.  It was clear that everyone on hand knew that she was the best.  I have been watching Google Trends all evening.  GT is a list of the hottest 100 keyword searches on the world’s most popular search engine, Google.  It is updated every hour and all night “lisa garza” has been searched more than “aaron mccargo,” and that friends is a direct indication of who the viewers want to see.  And not to be forgotten in this is the fact that TFN got their real winner of “Star” in the form of Mary Nolan. 

Lisa, I know we will see you again soon.  There is chatter about the Fine Living Network, a perfect fit.  Good luck.  It appears that she is doing ok already as she is on tour for Whole Foods, the Texas-based grocer.  This is from the web-based magazine SideDish,:

The Liza Garza Train stopped in Austin this weekend. She’s on a Whole Foods Market statewide tour (3 weekends in Dallas, 2 stores in Houston, and the flagship store in Austin this weekend). People stopped Lisa everywhere on the streets. At the Lamar store, customers asked for her autograph on anything and everything, including a wooden tasting spoon, as she did a cooking demo of cod with peach salsa. And she never once cried.

Adam, please consider two things, culinary school (just for some fine tuning) and trying out for Last Comic Standing, you are a riot.  I like the way your mind works.

Aaron, good luck with your new show.  I hope you prove all of your doubters (self included) wrong.  You are a good person and deserve to have good things happen for you.  And, hey, even if Big Daddy’s Kitchen only airs the six guaranteed episodes that is still six more than I have, and I am jealous.  Well, I do have a cooking show available on youtube which is more than most people.  Ok, I feel good about myself again.  Now I have to get ready for my phone interview in the morning with Food Detective host Ted Allen.  That’s right, I’m name dropping.