Both the front and back of the house can be frustrating, demanding, rewarding, infuriating, and amazing places to work. In my humble experience, here's why. More

You know it's a late night when you're going home on a subway full of people making their morning commute, equipped with coffees and briefcases. More

Why did the super nice couple who professed their love for me, the wine, the cheese, and the place, leave nary a tip? Why did the angry man who grumpily guzzled his wine tip fifty percent of the bill? I'll ever know. People are endlessly mysterious in their tipping ways. More

I blog by day and wait tables by night. I'm excited to bring you Served, dispatches from the front of the house. Enjoy! I remember Zach Brooks’s reaction upon news that I worked in one of his favorite spots: “That place is like the Cheers of wine bars,” he said. Sometimes, it is. I Want to Play but Have to Work I really, really didn’t want to leave the New York Food and Wine Festival on Saturday and book it to a long night of waiting tables. I mean really didn’t want to leave. I waited until the last possible moment, then tried to hunt down a cab. The task proved more than a little challenging. When I finally got... More

I blog by day and wait tables by night. I'm excited to bring you Served, dispatches from the front of the house. Enjoy! It was one of my first nights hostessing at the fancy, stuffy restaurant where I worked for more than a year. Our clientele happened to be predominately over the age of sixty. In no time, I would apprehend the immeasurable import of flats. (A revelation!) But that night, I still insisted on sporting beautiful shoes with the highest of heels. I did know that we were always to walk our customers all the way through the dining room to the restrooms. Simply pointing was unacceptable, never mind that the route was as straightforward as could be. One... More

We waiters all have different things that provoke us; things that make us grumble to each other, “I hate people!” Things that inspire even the most warmhearted and sweet to harbor homicidal fantasies. Here are a few of mine. More

I blog by day and wait tables by night. I'm excited to bring you Served, dispatches from the front of the house. Enjoy! It’s kids’ night at my restaurant. “I’ll be back to close,” says our boss B., the owner. He’s on the way to a birthday celebration for D., his friend who works with us. Our other manager is at the birthday party, too. “We’re going to have our own crazy party while you’re gone,” I tell him. “That’s what I’m worried about.” J. and K. are our elders for the evening—they’re both 27. “I always forget that you’re 27,” B. says. He seems to think they’re younger. As for me, I am the baby. I rang in my... More

I blog by day and wait tables by night. I'm excited to bring you Served, dispatches from the front of the house. Enjoy! Thursday, September 11 was a perfect Columbia evening. The rare kind that made me feel all warm and fuzzy about my collegiate life. McCain and Obama (Columbia College class of '83!) came to Lerner, our ugly student center, to talk about public service as part of the ServiceNation Summit. The weather was end-of-summer dusk gorgeous. Police and other security-types were everywhere. Snipers hung out on the roof of Butler Library. Streets were closed, campus entrances were locked, and masses of frustrated people were shuffled through labyrinths of barricades. And a Good Time Was Had by All The... More

I get to the restaurant to find a party in full swing. Every once in a while, we close to the public for some sort of private event. Parties are often good money. That doesn’t mean they’re fun to work. More

I blog by day and wait tables by night. I'm excited to bring you Served, dispatches from the front of the house. Enjoy! My composer friend U. returned yesterday to Columbia in New York from conservatory in London. We sat on the library steps in the sunshine and talked about how much she’s grown and grown up. She said, “I used to be so intimidated by these brilliant musicians.” Now, they are her friends. “When we’re drinking together and singing in the streets of Brick Lane,” she explained, “I’m not focusing on how talented they are.” Being surrounded by accomplished people can be incredibly inspiring. It can also be challenging, even discouraging. U. told me she will miss living, working,... More