What was your first job in the food industry?

At the age of 13 I became a busboy in Turkey to help out my parents. We were very poor. By age 16 I had become a bartender—there were no age limits for tending bar.

Did being a teenage bartender make you popular with your friends?

Not really. If one kid can get booze, they all can. Turkey could have an army of teenage bartenders back then. I don't know the rules now; I've only been back twice in 16 years.

How did you wind up in Seattle?

I got a job with Royal Caribbean cruise line and worked as a waiter for three years while traveling all over the world. My friend and cabinmate got married and moved here. I came to visit for a few days and got into a car wreck that shattered my knee. Then I met my ex-wife. We had kids and I started working here.

Most cruise ships these days are best known for giving people "the shits." Pretend that's a question.

My cruise ship was very professional and clean. Imagine a Westin hotel—no, imagine better than that: a Westin hotel inside a Sheraton hotel inside a boat. Full of people who had money. We couldn't be dirty or the company would be sued. All we could do was work hard, be clean, and flirt with women. It was one of the best experiences of my life.