Spiced is my story, and a work of nonfiction. But, in the interest of privacy, some names and identifying characteristics have been changed or simply left out. I’ve also taken the liberty of compressing time lines and moving a few events out of sequence in order to advance the story. However, all of the nicknames (with the exception of two) and all the other crazy stuff that happens, along with the outrageous things that are said, are absolutely true. Restaurants are full of nutty people who do nutty things, and that’s why I love them.