A review by chaptersoncapecod
Your Table Is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D' by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina

medium-paced

4.0

Cecchi’s memoir will open your eyes on decades in the restaurant business. From audacious and rude customers, abusive managers, angry chefs, addiction... no stone is left unturned in this story. 
 
He included many stats on how close the margins for restaurants really are, which shows how tough a business this can be. Sometimes it comes down to 50 guests a week, which is mind blowing. It’s even more mind blowing when you realize what’s actually happening behind the scenes - I was surprised to read about all of the partying and addiction of the workers. How did they ever keep the places afloat?! 
 
Cecchi mentioned that if you don’t immediately walk into a restaurant and receive a greeting of warmth, gratitude, and a smile, that restaurant is in trouble. I 100% agree - it does not feel good to be ignored upon entry, yet I find that there are places where this still happens and they’re still in business. I once knew someone who did FOH consulting - I wonder if she still does... 
 
Lastly, I loved the Stephen Starr tie-in with Le Coucou. I was a huge Starr fan in college, dining at his Philly and AC restaurants regularly. I’ve never been to any in New York, but hearing how involved he was from the interviews to building relationships with customers was inspiring. 
 
Overall, a fun read for me and I learned a ton about the ins and outs of restaurants (Fun fact - I’ve never worked in a restaurant). Oh, and I have to know, do people still walk into a super busy restaurant and tip the host or maitre d’ in an attempt to get a table? That seems outdated to me, but if you’re doing it, you gotta give at least $100. 
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