The worst case scenario for Louisville chefs...

After a quick glance at next year's calendar, I noticed that 2011 is one of those years where Derby and Mother's Day fall on the same weekend. Both of these tend to be the busiest days in local restaurants and take a lot of effort to pull off a week apart, much less back to back on the same weekend.
To my brothers & sisters in food service, I feel for you. Well not so much for waitstaff, which will have quite the lucrative weekend. I feel more for the people in the back of the house.
At my last job, it would take us at least three days to prep for the endless maw of people for Mother's Day.
Oaks & Derby while not as busy as some places, still was no picnic. Hundreds of box lunches had to be made. We had to get to work early to serve brunch on both days before everyone went to the track. Then we had to wait around until everyone started arriving for dinner mostly drunk around 7:30-8:00. No one is ever in any hurry to order once they arrive and usually they are in no hurry to leave. I've put out dinners on Oaks night at 12:30 AM. Both are usually VERY long days. Throw Mom's Day into that picture and you have what will be quite the suckfest for most kitchen staff that weekend.
When making your reservations for Derby and Mother's Day, keep in the back of your mind that the grunts in the kitchen probably haven't slept much in three days. Your server is probably exhausted as well as hungover from spending all of their tip money at some bar the past few nights.
I'm so happy that with my current position, I don't have to go through all that this year

wow, that does sound pretty ugly. I stopped going out for Mother's day a couple of years ago. After the birth of my second son, i said to myself, i can pick up food off the floor and keep the boys' in their own chairs at home.

I just ask my husband for a cheesecake and that's about it.

Edited to add: one of the main reasons i stopped going out on Mom's day was the wait, it is absolutely ridiculous. Waiting in a crowded noisy area with four kids and a husband does NOT sound like an outing a mom will enjoy!