Obligatory this didn’t happen today but a few years ago.

I wanna start by saying drugs and drug use are pretty common place in the restaurant industry, mainly alcohol and cocaine are the most common. One to wind you down after work and one o get you going for a rush. Other drugs are not hard to find.

Well I was a bit of a hippy growing up, I’m talking white boy with dreadlocks that played bass is a slightly psychedelic rock band so naturally I started a pretty good relationship with hallucinogenic drugs, mainly mushrooms and acid.

Fast forward a couple years, I’m out of culinary school in my early 20s working away for a restaurant that had one of the best kitchen crews I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.

I got the rare Friday off so I start making plans with my buddies to take the day for a much needed mushroom trip as I hadn’t done them in a couple years.

Around 230 we take our dose, about 5.5 grams each and start waiting for them to kick in.

Now for anyone who has never done them they can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to kick in. So me and my buddies are just smoking weed and playing video games. About 40 minutes after taking them I got a call from work

“So and so cut his hand pretty bad we need you in ASAP”

So being the good employee I am I say “yeah no problem I’ll be there in 30 minutes”

Get off the phone and my buddy buddy asks “uhhh, dude what did you just agree too”

Without missing a beat “I’m going in to work, guy cut his hand”

“Dude were are like 10 minutes out from tripping”

“Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck”

I panic briefly but remember past experience of friends having bad trips and calm myself down. Knowing we have a good crew I’m thinking shit maybe I can just hide down on fryers for the night or something.

I get in, not tripping to bad yet, colours are brighter and I’ve got a warm feeling in my stomach. Okay I fucking got this. Stroll over to the reservation book. About 150 people between 6 and 8, right in the middle of when I’ll be peaking. Okay I’m fucked…

Get onto the line and turns out I’m working sauté with a guy I’m so in sync with we barely have to talk. I ask to take the easy job of setting up pans and plating figure I’d set myself on fire if I was the one cooking

As we get into the bulk of the rush I start tripping harder and harder, things look like they are breathing, getting minor hallucinations in my peripheral vision but I’m keeping my shit together

At about 7 we are just flying, food is coming out so well and the guy calling out orders is keeping everyone motivated and says “holy shit the sauté boys are killing it tonight”

I can’t contain myself anymore and just burst out laughing, everyone looks at me like I’m crazy. As I’m laughing I manage to say “I’m on fucking mushrooms man” which sends the whole kitchen into an uproar that can be heard from the dining room

Word got around quick to everyone and they are all making fun of me and pointing and laughing. Word gets to the owner; he comes back takes a look at me and asks the board caller “has he been putting up food?”

“Yeah he’s been killing it”

“then I don’t give a fuck what he’s on, just keep killing it”

Rest of the night goes smooth so I guess it wasn’t much of a fuck up in the end but it was a hell of an interesting night for sure.


TL;DR: forgot I took mushrooms, accepted a shift at work.

Edit: thanks for silver and gold you heathens. But as many other people do I’d prefer you to give your money to local addictions services in your area

Edit: extra story. I currently work at the same place this happened at but they sold the place last year. It’s a marina restaurant so it’s seasonal but next summer will be my 11th in a row, I’m currently the sous chef for the new owners. We are open year round but on a lot smaller of a scale cause winter is cold in Canada.

Edit: holy shit guys I just got off my second shift of the day. This got way bigger than I expected I’ll try to reply to as many people as I can

Edit, I’ve now been recognized from this post. Shout out AB and DS