Your Table Is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D'

I thought this book was a fascinating look into the NYC restaurant industry, from a front-of-house point of view instead of your standard chef/back-of-house view. From his unique position and career in the restaurant industry, we get a lot of info about how a restaurant operates when seating diners, how the staff interacts up front, and all the myriad ways guests either intentionally or accidentally make a restaurant's night hell.

Yes, the restaurant industry is rife with sex, drugs, and alcohol. That was true in the 80s, and while outside scrutiny has improved working conditions overall, remains mostly true today. What I enjoyed most about this book aside from the insider tips and anecdotes was seeing the author go through a bit of character development and distancing himself from these things as his career progresses. People rating this book poorly because they don't agree with the author's lifestyle choices aren't giving the book the chance it deserves, in my opinion.

Just a really interesting, entertaining book about an industry I don't work in, but am fascinated by.

Thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for the audio!

As someone who spent several years in a restaurant (although not NYC) this made me nostalgic and grateful I got out at the same time. The author really hits the nail on the head when he describes the camaraderie, addiction, and absolute moments of panic that come with restaurant work. Sometimes entertaining and sometimes depressing (just like working in a restaurant), this memoir is full of juicy tidbits. I would rec this to anyone with a history in the field, or any diner who cares to glimpse behind the curtain.