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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
funny
informative
medium-paced
dark
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Incredibly entertaining whirl through the New York restaurant scene, particularly in the coke-fueled '70s and '80s, and then through to the pandemic, from the perspective of the front of house. I feel somewhat unshockable by bad customer -- or management -- behavior (over a decade in retail, baby!) but I had moments at least approaching shock.
I have a bone to pick with whoever edited this, though -- or rather, didn't. It's incredibly sloppy in places, with incorrect punctuation (may I introduce you to my friend the semicolon? You need to meet her) and tenses that shift within paragraphs. This offends me the way dirty silver or rude bartenders would offend the author. Come on, guys!
Still, I do kinda want to go to the author's new(ish) restaurant in the West Village and try their "New York Happy Meal": a martini and fries for $25.
I have a bone to pick with whoever edited this, though -- or rather, didn't. It's incredibly sloppy in places, with incorrect punctuation (may I introduce you to my friend the semicolon? You need to meet her) and tenses that shift within paragraphs. This offends me the way dirty silver or rude bartenders would offend the author. Come on, guys!
Still, I do kinda want to go to the author's new(ish) restaurant in the West Village and try their "New York Happy Meal": a martini and fries for $25.
slow-paced
A tell-all of behind the scenes of the New York restaurant world. I picked it up primarily because it takes place in NYC in the 1980s and 1990s, when I was there and it was fun to see places I went to mentioned.
Repleated tales about people doing drugs and having weird, impersonal sex in the context of a restaurant isn’t that interesting to me.
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
funny
informative
fast-paced
Only the last three to four chapters were remotely interesting. I was hoping for a dishy memoir (no pun intended) about what it’s like to work in fine dining. This wasn’t it, although the very last few chapters started to get there.
The entire first part of the book takes place in the 80’s which just feels completely irrelevant. The author drones on and on about drugs and AIDS and sex but not in a way that is remotely interesting.
I’d skip this one. Perhaps this fellow was a great waiter/maitre’d but a great storyteller he is not.
The entire first part of the book takes place in the 80’s which just feels completely irrelevant. The author drones on and on about drugs and AIDS and sex but not in a way that is remotely interesting.
I’d skip this one. Perhaps this fellow was a great waiter/maitre’d but a great storyteller he is not.