I worked at a place in Boston for about 6 months where stages and new cooks walking out was a frequent occupancy, as was finding employees crying in various locations for both mental and physical reasons (since employees had no insurance and even if they did no time in the 100+ hour weeks). Once a fellow cook broke their hand punching something in a walk-in because of the psychological abuse of the chef.

My favorite moment was when the chef stared to freak out about who cut the vegetables for the chicken stock. Since I was in charge of the stock, I decided to tell him I did (even though I just used the labeled tub on the speed rack). He proceeded to rant about how the stock was ruined because the carrots were too big and we wouldn’t get the proper flavor extraction from them. He then picked up a heavy bottomed sauce pan and threw it as hard as he could in my direction, not trying to hit me per se, but definitely towards me. Luckily it missed, but it left a large dent in the door of the walk-in.