It was hot, but not so hot that we weren’t anxious to make the appointments that had turned this trip to Melbourne, Florida from pleasure to business. But for “Tosto Chicks” Ainsley and Evelyn, a bright sunshiny day was about to turn partly cloudy with a possibility for a thunderstorm.
Hazel McIntyre of Hazel’s Caribbean Restaurant made it clear from the initial telephone call that she was going to be difficult. But our dynamic duo had no idea how hard this sale was going to be. The way they tell the story of Hazel goes like this…Hazel was mildly interested in the Tostobueno® when “the Chicks” showed it to her, and she wasn’t about to show her hand as she greeted them with a glazed over look as they entered the sparsely decorated joint with a Plexiglass case filled with
Jamaican beef patties next to the cash register and Red Stripe beer in the cooler behind it.
In fact, they say she was damn near disinterested until they opened the press kit, and unfolded a brochure with my picture in it. Now mind you, I don’t believe that a gander at my image could change the course of events, but this is what they tell me happened. Hazel’s cloudy disposition turned to pure sunshine.
She wanted to see the guy who designed the Tostonera…so they came for me. I was waiting near the car in front her restaurant hoping they would come out of the building victorious with money in hand. Instead, Ainsley tells me this woman wants to meet me. I don’t know much about who Hazel is in her life beyond the restaurant she’s run for six years, but I’d seen the look in her eyes before. So I took the initiative, immediately going into sell mode and before I knew it, I was in the back of the restaurant in Hazel’s kitchen peeling plantains and getting ready to show her some magic. I sliced and diced and fried. And when I was finally ready to put a slice in the press I took a deep breath that turned out to be unnecessary, because the Tostobueno® performed like The Ultimate Tostonera it was designed to be. The chips were perfect and the cups came right out of the mold. The gods had smiled on us again. When I finally looked up, there were at least three other women crowded into the small kitchen, suddenly inspired by the prospects of adding toston cups to Hazel’s menu filled with whatever their hearts desired. As for Hazel, she did a lot of giggling and cooing like a young schoolgirl. She bought a trio. And as I basked in the glow it suddenly dawned on me that my beloved “Tosto Chicks” had pimped me out. But that’s business. More importantly, once again we crossed the cultural divide and proved how valuable a kitchen tool like the Tostobueno® really is. Hazel McIntyre wherever you are, it was nice to meet you. I’ll be calling you soon to see how that Tostobueno® is working for you.
Chef DonClark The Ambassador of Plantains
