I know I've been posting a lot of staff-related occurrences lately, but this is worth a huge mention.
After a year of battling with cancer, Chef Mike (aka Big Basco, the Deacon... among other names we won't mention), our exec. sous, has gone through his last round of chemo and has been declared cancer-free. He is now celebrating his self-dubbed 'rebirth day.' I could think of few things more worthy of celebration lately. It has been a long road, and the challenge has been one of the biggest physical and mental feats of accomplishment I have even witnessed one of my friends achieve. Mike has been part of our team for a long time, coming here from New Orleans in 2004. After Katrina, I was the last to move down and complete the brotherhood.
For us, the challenge has been supporting our friend while working short-handed for so long, but that is nothing compared to the struggles Mike has survived (including multiple surgeries). An operation like ours needs a personality like Mike's around. It's just good to finally have him back. Now he can finally say he "beat the shit out of cancer, and that's something that ain't no joke." God bless him. The team lives on!
