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Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter
While Phoebe Damrosch was figuring out what to do with her life, she supported herself by working as a waiter. Before long she was a captain at the New York City four-star restaurant Per Se, the culinary creation of master chef Thomas Keller.
Service Included is the story of her experiences there: her obsession with food, her love affair with a sommelier, and her observations of the highly competitive and frenetic world of fine dining.
Service Included is the story of her experiences there: her obsession with food, her love affair with a sommelier, and her observations of the highly competitive and frenetic world of fine dining.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 25, 2007
About the author
Phoebe Damrosch
2 books11 followersPhoebe Damrosch is a writer living in Brooklyn. Her first book, Service Included, was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year in 2007.
She has written for the New York Times, Food and Wine, the Daily News, and has been featured in the Financial Times, Entertainment Weekly, Elle, American Way, Eating Well, the New York Post, and Slate.
She has written for the New York Times, Food and Wine, the Daily News, and has been featured in the Financial Times, Entertainment Weekly, Elle, American Way, Eating Well, the New York Post, and Slate.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 530 reviews
September 14, 2019
It's a strange concept, to go to a restaurant and be told that the menu prices cover the cost of the seat, the clean napery, the cover and the food, but you must pay up to 20% more for the food to be served and the dirty plates removed.
This rests on the fake construct that if you really enjoyed your meal it was down to the wait staff and you should voluntarily pay for that. Fake because if they do the job they are employed for quietly and efficiently you will enjoy the meal, they don't really add to it, but they sure can ruin it without hardly trying at all.
So what are we expected to pay for then? Outside of their job description what else is it they contribute? Friendliness, and sometimes in an effort to get a bigger tip, an annoying over-helpfulness - filling your water glass when you've just taken a sip, hovering at your elbow so your private conversation is inhibited. But the friendliness is as fake as the concept of the serving staff contributed to you enjoying your meal.
You want to see friendly? Pay a 20% tip (and if your credit card slip comes with service charge added, you will note there is a blank space for you to add an extra contribution as well, fill it in) and next time you go, your name will be remembered and you will be treated as an honoured guest. Leave less than 10% and you risk having your wait staff turn ugly and tell you what they think of you in sarcastic terms. Leave nothing and feel the blast....
This book, exposes the fakery of their affection for customers, their greed, and often bad relations among the other staff based on whose in the money position. Its thoroughly enjoyable.
I was taught, out of my awkward not-very-tip-friendly UK way to serve like an American by a very cheerful girl who enumerated the many ways to milk a customer of a good tip. It was useful information, but when I became the restaurant manager, I found it wasn't particularly correct. A pretty girl, looking sexy, gets better tips than the most competent and friendly male waiters. Boobs, hair and a trout pout wins every time.
Much later, I was a bar owner and decided to try something different. I paid incremently increasing commission on sales and required my bar staff , male and female, to be genuinely friendly to customers (easy on a small island), whether or not someone tipped. Inside and outside the bar. And guess what, both sales and tips soared. I had people on a waiting list for jobs, people-sharing jobs and the best of those bar staff, ten years on, are still my friends, my closest friends.
I'd still be in the bar business, making good money, rather than the bookselling one which doesn't pay, but I lost the bar to drugs. The landlord of the premises was involved in a rather big international operation. But that's another story. Involved a lot more money than tips as well.
2 May 2011
This rests on the fake construct that if you really enjoyed your meal it was down to the wait staff and you should voluntarily pay for that. Fake because if they do the job they are employed for quietly and efficiently you will enjoy the meal, they don't really add to it, but they sure can ruin it without hardly trying at all.
So what are we expected to pay for then? Outside of their job description what else is it they contribute? Friendliness, and sometimes in an effort to get a bigger tip, an annoying over-helpfulness - filling your water glass when you've just taken a sip, hovering at your elbow so your private conversation is inhibited. But the friendliness is as fake as the concept of the serving staff contributed to you enjoying your meal.
You want to see friendly? Pay a 20% tip (and if your credit card slip comes with service charge added, you will note there is a blank space for you to add an extra contribution as well, fill it in) and next time you go, your name will be remembered and you will be treated as an honoured guest. Leave less than 10% and you risk having your wait staff turn ugly and tell you what they think of you in sarcastic terms. Leave nothing and feel the blast....
This book, exposes the fakery of their affection for customers, their greed, and often bad relations among the other staff based on whose in the money position. Its thoroughly enjoyable.
I was taught, out of my awkward not-very-tip-friendly UK way to serve like an American by a very cheerful girl who enumerated the many ways to milk a customer of a good tip. It was useful information, but when I became the restaurant manager, I found it wasn't particularly correct. A pretty girl, looking sexy, gets better tips than the most competent and friendly male waiters. Boobs, hair and a trout pout wins every time.
Much later, I was a bar owner and decided to try something different. I paid incremently increasing commission on sales and required my bar staff , male and female, to be genuinely friendly to customers (easy on a small island), whether or not someone tipped. Inside and outside the bar. And guess what, both sales and tips soared. I had people on a waiting list for jobs, people-sharing jobs and the best of those bar staff, ten years on, are still my friends, my closest friends.
I'd still be in the bar business, making good money, rather than the bookselling one which doesn't pay, but I lost the bar to drugs. The landlord of the premises was involved in a rather big international operation. But that's another story. Involved a lot more money than tips as well.
2 May 2011
September 15, 2007
Phoebe Damrosch has a perfectly pleasant prose style and a fairly charming way with a story. Unfortunately, this book will probably appeal mainly to those (like myself) who have actually waited tables.
Rather than being a front-of-the-house Kitchen Confidential, it comes across more as the usual self-pitying waiters' after-work bitch session, down to the snarky tips for diners that end each chapter. Sure, all of us in the profession wish that people were nicer to us, and had more realistic expectations. Unfortunately, it's our job to put up with these motherfuckers, and most of them don't want to hear us whine about it.
Rather than being a front-of-the-house Kitchen Confidential, it comes across more as the usual self-pitying waiters' after-work bitch session, down to the snarky tips for diners that end each chapter. Sure, all of us in the profession wish that people were nicer to us, and had more realistic expectations. Unfortunately, it's our job to put up with these motherfuckers, and most of them don't want to hear us whine about it.
February 28, 2008
Usually I eat up this sort of foodie porn: fires in the kitchen, romances among the staff, restaurant reviewers disguised in wigs. "Service Included" has all the right ingredients, but in the end--actually, less than half way through--it falls flat. Can't say that I care to know whether Andre the manager finally dumps his on-again-off-again girlfriend for Phoebe (our hero, the table captain at a chic New York restaurant). Whether Phoebe also succeeds at properly placing each and every sauce spoon when waiting on The Times's reviewer, again, can't say that I care.
When characters come across as error-prone flesh and blood, oh, I'll stay up all night reading, but New Yorkers who only aim to dazzle by name dropping, back to the library goes that book. It's clearly all going to work out pat and happy for our queen of the place setting, just as the writing workshops she takes on her day off will lead to this glossy covered book, which I'll trade with little hesitation for the neuroticisms of Ruth Reichl or the the warm mothering of Laurie Colwin.
When characters come across as error-prone flesh and blood, oh, I'll stay up all night reading, but New Yorkers who only aim to dazzle by name dropping, back to the library goes that book. It's clearly all going to work out pat and happy for our queen of the place setting, just as the writing workshops she takes on her day off will lead to this glossy covered book, which I'll trade with little hesitation for the neuroticisms of Ruth Reichl or the the warm mothering of Laurie Colwin.
December 19, 2009
This book is quite frankly terrible, and if it weren't such an easy read, I definitely wouldn't have finished it. Damrosch is bitchy, gossipy, and utterly convinced of her own superiority. The book is basically filled with a bunch of anecdotes about things she found funny or things that showed how awesome she is. The anecdote that most sums up her writing is an anecdote about a customer at Per Se crying because she thought Damrosch was going to go out for burgers with her after dinner.
When she's not talking about how awesome she is, the book is filled with anecdtes of things that she thought funny at the time. They mostly rise to the level of anecdotes you'd hear over a friend's dinner from someone you don't know very well, making small talk. Anecdotes about that "really funny" response you and a friend had at the same time, that you both laughed so hard about.
I've heard it said that things you should never describe to people are dreams, golf games, and great meals that you've had. Damrosch's last chapter is a description of a great meal she had at Per Se. It's the least offensive chapter of the book.
When she's not talking about how awesome she is, the book is filled with anecdtes of things that she thought funny at the time. They mostly rise to the level of anecdotes you'd hear over a friend's dinner from someone you don't know very well, making small talk. Anecdotes about that "really funny" response you and a friend had at the same time, that you both laughed so hard about.
I've heard it said that things you should never describe to people are dreams, golf games, and great meals that you've had. Damrosch's last chapter is a description of a great meal she had at Per Se. It's the least offensive chapter of the book.
December 30, 2011
Phoebe Damrosch had only been waiting tables for a short time when she landed a plum job at the newly opening Per Se restaurant, the New York project of famed French Laundry Chef Thomas Keller. In this memoir, Damrosch details her time at Per Se, from her extensive training to her nerve-wracking start as a backserver to her rapid promotion to table captain (waiter).
I've waited tables in fine dining restaurants myself (albeit not quite THAT fine) and have never had more than 2 days of training, so it was surprising to read about the months-long, rigorous education she received in all aspects of silverware placement, guest service and menu ingredients prior to the highly anticipated opening. She does a good job of giving readers an inside view of what a highly choreographed production a meal at a place like Per Se can be.
Damrosch also has some entertaining tales to tell, from the shenanigans engaged in by both the NY Times critic who was trying to remain anonymous and the staff who was desperate to spot him, to a misunderstanding caused by both a cow and a beer named Agatha. She engages in a bit of social commentary regarding gender roles in the service industry as well and theorizes reasons behind the both the dearth of other women in the captain role (she was one of 2 in multi-star restaurants in NY at the time) and the income disparity experienced by women who do achieve the higher ranks.
Although I enjoyed some of these aspects of the book, I walked away from it with the sense of having just had a tantalizing but ultimately unsatisfying meal. I've spent enough time in restaurants to know that they are constantly churning with entertaining stories, and the few she shared about Per Se seemed to be a rather anemic sampling from a place that should have been even richer than most. Part of the problem for me was that Damrosch spends a significant number of pages detailing her personal life, including extensive discussion of her affair with a sommelier. While restaurant romances are an integral part of life in that business, that topic was significantly less interesting to me than, say, the unique challenges of serving such a wealthy population, or the actual income earned by those in her position, both of which were alluded to but never discussed with the kind of raw honesty Anthony Bourdain mastered in Kitchen Confidential. This memoir might be worth reading for those with a particular interest in the gourmet dining and service industries, but it wasn't focused or engaging enough to recommend to a broader audience.
I've waited tables in fine dining restaurants myself (albeit not quite THAT fine) and have never had more than 2 days of training, so it was surprising to read about the months-long, rigorous education she received in all aspects of silverware placement, guest service and menu ingredients prior to the highly anticipated opening. She does a good job of giving readers an inside view of what a highly choreographed production a meal at a place like Per Se can be.
Damrosch also has some entertaining tales to tell, from the shenanigans engaged in by both the NY Times critic who was trying to remain anonymous and the staff who was desperate to spot him, to a misunderstanding caused by both a cow and a beer named Agatha. She engages in a bit of social commentary regarding gender roles in the service industry as well and theorizes reasons behind the both the dearth of other women in the captain role (she was one of 2 in multi-star restaurants in NY at the time) and the income disparity experienced by women who do achieve the higher ranks.
Although I enjoyed some of these aspects of the book, I walked away from it with the sense of having just had a tantalizing but ultimately unsatisfying meal. I've spent enough time in restaurants to know that they are constantly churning with entertaining stories, and the few she shared about Per Se seemed to be a rather anemic sampling from a place that should have been even richer than most. Part of the problem for me was that Damrosch spends a significant number of pages detailing her personal life, including extensive discussion of her affair with a sommelier. While restaurant romances are an integral part of life in that business, that topic was significantly less interesting to me than, say, the unique challenges of serving such a wealthy population, or the actual income earned by those in her position, both of which were alluded to but never discussed with the kind of raw honesty Anthony Bourdain mastered in Kitchen Confidential. This memoir might be worth reading for those with a particular interest in the gourmet dining and service industries, but it wasn't focused or engaging enough to recommend to a broader audience.
January 25, 2009
As a former waiter (not in a four-star!) and a person with interest in fine dining and ridiculous food, I tore through this book at a break-neck pace. I ignored silly things, like switching over the laundry and checking my email. I read Phoebe Damrosch's experiences as a captain at a four-star restaurant in NYC for all the self-indulgent guilt and glee that foodie porn can bring. Truffles truffles truffles truffles and truffle oil! This would have been insufferable if I still worked in a restaurant, though. I definitely felt like the author had moved on from the heart of the work.
Unfortunately, the pacing of the material was uneven. At first, Ms. Damrosch is a devoted foodie, schmoozing into her backserver's uniform on the dining floor at Thomas Keller's new brainchild. Brilliant! Then she spent too long mulling over her relationship with her co-worker boyfriend, and it almost lost my attention. Sorry, I don't care if you are dating a two-timing co-worker who still lives with his ex-girlfriend and there're dramatics. But then she got interested in local food and took a field trip to a dairy farm, served a NYT food critic, and shared a few eavesdropped stories from customer. I was re-engaged, until the book tapered off, resulting in happily ever after, a book deal, and a break with the service industry. It felt too Cinderella for me.
There are some watered-down political manifestos lurking in the pages. The gender discrepancies at the front of a four-star restaurant are interesting; even moreso because I only ever worked in lower-starred places, where the ladies outnumber the men by some order of magnitude. Some leftie politics & nouveau locavore sincerity soaks through the book, but this is by no means a "leftie book" or "eaters manifesto."
Unfortunately, the pacing of the material was uneven. At first, Ms. Damrosch is a devoted foodie, schmoozing into her backserver's uniform on the dining floor at Thomas Keller's new brainchild. Brilliant! Then she spent too long mulling over her relationship with her co-worker boyfriend, and it almost lost my attention. Sorry, I don't care if you are dating a two-timing co-worker who still lives with his ex-girlfriend and there're dramatics. But then she got interested in local food and took a field trip to a dairy farm, served a NYT food critic, and shared a few eavesdropped stories from customer. I was re-engaged, until the book tapered off, resulting in happily ever after, a book deal, and a break with the service industry. It felt too Cinderella for me.
There are some watered-down political manifestos lurking in the pages. The gender discrepancies at the front of a four-star restaurant are interesting; even moreso because I only ever worked in lower-starred places, where the ladies outnumber the men by some order of magnitude. Some leftie politics & nouveau locavore sincerity soaks through the book, but this is by no means a "leftie book" or "eaters manifesto."
September 16, 2019
This book was not at all what I thought it would be… probably because the title of the book led me to believe that the author would be sharing some interesting tidbits she overheard (by eavesdropping) while waiting tables. Not so! I got treated to a couple of them, but they felt like an afterthought. I thought this book was more an homage to Chef Keller and his restaurant Per Se than anything else.
I thought the writing was very disjointed and it read more like a diary. There was no smooth flow from one subject to the next. It was all very random. I could elaborate, but I am sick to death of this book and am glad to be done with it.
I thought the writing was very disjointed and it read more like a diary. There was no smooth flow from one subject to the next. It was all very random. I could elaborate, but I am sick to death of this book and am glad to be done with it.
March 14, 2009
My husband picked up this book a while ago. As a restaurateur he was interested in learning Chef Thomas Keller’s four-star secrets. Who wouldn’t be? To prepare for our April meal at French Laundry, I decided to give this book a try, even though my husband had warned me: its cheesy.
Service Included was way beyond cheesy. The first few chapters where we learn a bit about the intense training and preparation that goes into opening a 3-Michelin star restaurant really are quite interesting. Beyond that, the book turned into a boring love story about the author. Do I seriously need to know that where the author decided to put her Le Creuset Dutch oven when she moved into her boyfriend’s apartment? Do I care that they go on a weekend trip together to her cousin’s wedding? Isn’t this book supposed to be about the secrets of a four-star restaurant? Apparently not. It is all about the author's life while she was a waiter at a four-star restaurant.
Service Included was way beyond cheesy. The first few chapters where we learn a bit about the intense training and preparation that goes into opening a 3-Michelin star restaurant really are quite interesting. Beyond that, the book turned into a boring love story about the author. Do I seriously need to know that where the author decided to put her Le Creuset Dutch oven when she moved into her boyfriend’s apartment? Do I care that they go on a weekend trip together to her cousin’s wedding? Isn’t this book supposed to be about the secrets of a four-star restaurant? Apparently not. It is all about the author's life while she was a waiter at a four-star restaurant.
October 13, 2011
The title of this book is misleading. Early on, it keeps true to the promise of being a behind the scenes story of a four-star restaurant, but it veers swiftly off course after the opening of the restaurant. The author uses the restaurant experience as an excuse to talk about herself and her relationships, which I didn't sign up for - or feel particularly interested in reading about. Especially because my opinion of her fell after each chapter. For example, while I applaud her critique of fast food as being an unhealthy choice in one instance, she immediately negates her message by stuffing bone marrow down her gut for hours during a night on the town "tasting" with her co-workers. The message appears to be: "High-fat, high-salt foods are okay if they are expensive, but they are bad for you if they are cheap". Instances like this just made her seem pretentious and callous.
Near the end of the book, perhaps after realizing she has been only talking about herself and not any "four-star secrets"; she throws in a chapter ("I can Hear You") to try and make up for this by rattling off a series of supposedly scandalous or amusing things she overheard while working at Per Se. Too little, too late.
Near the end of the book, perhaps after realizing she has been only talking about herself and not any "four-star secrets"; she throws in a chapter ("I can Hear You") to try and make up for this by rattling off a series of supposedly scandalous or amusing things she overheard while working at Per Se. Too little, too late.
December 31, 2007
Service Included is an interesting behind-the-scenes look at service at a top restaurant. However, that's where my interest in the book ended.
To be successful, memoirs need to be more than the story of one person's experience. The must reach out and touch readers in a way in which a broad audience can relate. The author, in my opinion, falls in this aspect. Her story works when it focuses on her training to be a service captain and on the idiosyncracies of the patrons at the restaurant. When she turns (all to often) to her romance with a fellow employee, the book loses all interest.
To be successful, memoirs need to be more than the story of one person's experience. The must reach out and touch readers in a way in which a broad audience can relate. The author, in my opinion, falls in this aspect. Her story works when it focuses on her training to be a service captain and on the idiosyncracies of the patrons at the restaurant. When she turns (all to often) to her romance with a fellow employee, the book loses all interest.
November 22, 2020
I thought this book would contain juicy secrets. Earnestly, Phoebe Damrosch seeks to preserve the honor of guests who attend fine dining. If she hadn't fallen in love with Andre, then I would've been dulled by this book. It's educational to learn why single-cow cheese is not feasible but it's forgivable when a man and a woman explore the experience together.
I would be curious to learn if she and Andre have started a family and continue living in New York City. I think they would expose their brood to elegance from infancy. That's something parents ought to do if they can afford it.
One book, I hope Phoebe Damrosch writes again.
I would be curious to learn if she and Andre have started a family and continue living in New York City. I think they would expose their brood to elegance from infancy. That's something parents ought to do if they can afford it.
One book, I hope Phoebe Damrosch writes again.
November 10, 2011
Be warned: Don't be without food while reading this book.
Not only I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading this book, I also learnt a great deal about working in a restaurant, chefs, menus and food as well as picked up a lot of new vocabulary. Expect to be completely immersed in fine dining for a few days while you read it. For me, after I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal and Zaklete rewiry by Henryk Worcell, two quirky and fun books about the life of waiters in posh restaurants and hotels, Service Included comes a definite third. While the other two hold literary as well as historical interest, this one portrays a modern fine dining experience from both inside and outside perspective. In her entertaining and very enjoyable prose, Phoebe Damrosch walks the reader through all the steps of being trained as a "backserver" and a "captain" of Per Se, one of the New York's finest establishments and explains intricacies of a perfectly run restaurant. While taking her work at Per Se very seriously, Phoebe not only found her voice as a writer but also her boyfriend. Even though she no longer works at the restaurant, I love her advocacy work on behalf of her fellow waiters/servers. I couldn't agree more with the view that waiters should be recognized as professionals.
I enjoyed the humour of Service included especially all the tips directed at guests and their comportment, a diner's bill of rights, and all the interesting comments on New Yorkers and their fashions as well as the rules of the relationships. I felt transported to this great city that I visited only once but feel as if I know it so well thanks to literature and films.
I feel so ready to visit a fine restaurant especially that I share Phoebe's view on attitude toward food: never have what you had a million times already, be adventurous, don't rush the moment, enjoy it. Be in your now while experiencing great food and great service.
Not only I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading this book, I also learnt a great deal about working in a restaurant, chefs, menus and food as well as picked up a lot of new vocabulary. Expect to be completely immersed in fine dining for a few days while you read it. For me, after I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal and Zaklete rewiry by Henryk Worcell, two quirky and fun books about the life of waiters in posh restaurants and hotels, Service Included comes a definite third. While the other two hold literary as well as historical interest, this one portrays a modern fine dining experience from both inside and outside perspective. In her entertaining and very enjoyable prose, Phoebe Damrosch walks the reader through all the steps of being trained as a "backserver" and a "captain" of Per Se, one of the New York's finest establishments and explains intricacies of a perfectly run restaurant. While taking her work at Per Se very seriously, Phoebe not only found her voice as a writer but also her boyfriend. Even though she no longer works at the restaurant, I love her advocacy work on behalf of her fellow waiters/servers. I couldn't agree more with the view that waiters should be recognized as professionals.
I enjoyed the humour of Service included especially all the tips directed at guests and their comportment, a diner's bill of rights, and all the interesting comments on New Yorkers and their fashions as well as the rules of the relationships. I felt transported to this great city that I visited only once but feel as if I know it so well thanks to literature and films.
I feel so ready to visit a fine restaurant especially that I share Phoebe's view on attitude toward food: never have what you had a million times already, be adventurous, don't rush the moment, enjoy it. Be in your now while experiencing great food and great service.
April 1, 2008
What job requires you to memorize nine kinds of salt, know the breeds of cows, AND perfect the art of an 18th-century minuet? Why, being a waiter at a four-star restaurant, of course!
Damrosch's funny memoir chronicles her years spent as a backserver and then captain at Per Se, one of the big-time fancy restaurants in New York City. (Really big-time: it wasn't uncommon for a party to blow through $20,000 at one meal, egads.) She chronicles everything: from dealing with eccentric patrons (such as the frou-frou lady who requested an extra chair for a stuffed animal) to the intricacies of restaruant politics (especially when dating one of the sommeliers) to uttering a dreadful faux-pas in front of the food critic from the New York Times. She manages to convey the glamour of the place without name dropping, and her descriptions of the food are (Mmmmmmm!) dazzling. She briefly spends time delving into serious topics related to the job (such as gender politics) but the focus is more on enjoyment here. Damrosch's affection for and pride in her workplace shine through each word, which are as poised, elegant, and thoughtfully chosen as a meal at Per Se, I'd imagine. Very fun reading.
A note on the cover: Ohhh, who designed this thing?!? Between the subtitle and the jacketflap copy, one might be lead to believe that this book is about how to BE a diner at a fine restaurant -- an etiquette guide. Don't be fooled; it's nothing like that. Just funny stories and good memories, artfully told.
Damrosch's funny memoir chronicles her years spent as a backserver and then captain at Per Se, one of the big-time fancy restaurants in New York City. (Really big-time: it wasn't uncommon for a party to blow through $20,000 at one meal, egads.) She chronicles everything: from dealing with eccentric patrons (such as the frou-frou lady who requested an extra chair for a stuffed animal) to the intricacies of restaruant politics (especially when dating one of the sommeliers) to uttering a dreadful faux-pas in front of the food critic from the New York Times. She manages to convey the glamour of the place without name dropping, and her descriptions of the food are (Mmmmmmm!) dazzling. She briefly spends time delving into serious topics related to the job (such as gender politics) but the focus is more on enjoyment here. Damrosch's affection for and pride in her workplace shine through each word, which are as poised, elegant, and thoughtfully chosen as a meal at Per Se, I'd imagine. Very fun reading.
A note on the cover: Ohhh, who designed this thing?!? Between the subtitle and the jacketflap copy, one might be lead to believe that this book is about how to BE a diner at a fine restaurant -- an etiquette guide. Don't be fooled; it's nothing like that. Just funny stories and good memories, artfully told.
November 3, 2007
Delicious! This is exactly the light, frothy, tidbit-laden nonfiction I enjoy most. I love reading about food, and I love bits and pieces of information. Meanwhile, the greater message found in the narrator's insistence that we CARE about our food, that we eat well, and in full awareness of it's value, reminded me forcefully of Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle. Of course many of the ingredients she lavishes with attention are not at all local, but she also expounds on the locavore message that when available local eating trumps imported on many levels. Part of the standard training she reveals to us includes learning the names of the cows who produce the milk that makes the cheese that they serve in her restaurant. This is amazing to me! I was particularly delighted when she dipped into some Vermont travel, visiting a farm which produced some cheese we sampled at a local foods dinner here in Burlington and meeting the cows personally. I was also reminded of another book group title, Julie-Julia, by the adventurous attempt to reproduce one of the more difficult recipes in a small apartment kitchen. I thoroughly enjoyed all three of these books, and I thank you, Erika, Bethany, and Joanne, for bringing them to my attention!
September 12, 2011
I'm just not a foodie. I think you have to have a streak of foodie in you to appreciate this book. Damrosch worked in an ultra-high scale restaurant "Per Se." This book chronicles her experience there as well as her love life during the time.
I guess I was hoping for more restaurant dirt that I could connect to my own dining-out experiences. I will never eat at a restaurant like Per Se, so all the details appealed to me less. (Although I did find it amusing to imagine part of the wait-staff's training done by a dance coach.) As for Damrosch's love life, I didn't care. Maybe it's a stage-of-life difference, but I didn't feel like her life presented anything unique from many other single-looking-for-love women in NYC.
The chapter on justifying the exorbitant cost of the foodie-scene was thought provoking. Damrosch makes the argument that everyone chooses to spend their disposable income on something, be it food, TV's, cars, etc. Don't hate on foodies for indulging in their food-love. I disagree. Spending an absurd amount of money on a TV is just as morally questionable as spending an absurd amount on dinner. Both cases illustrate how extreme excess in our society can be.
I guess I was hoping for more restaurant dirt that I could connect to my own dining-out experiences. I will never eat at a restaurant like Per Se, so all the details appealed to me less. (Although I did find it amusing to imagine part of the wait-staff's training done by a dance coach.) As for Damrosch's love life, I didn't care. Maybe it's a stage-of-life difference, but I didn't feel like her life presented anything unique from many other single-looking-for-love women in NYC.
The chapter on justifying the exorbitant cost of the foodie-scene was thought provoking. Damrosch makes the argument that everyone chooses to spend their disposable income on something, be it food, TV's, cars, etc. Don't hate on foodies for indulging in their food-love. I disagree. Spending an absurd amount of money on a TV is just as morally questionable as spending an absurd amount on dinner. Both cases illustrate how extreme excess in our society can be.
November 5, 2009
This book is hard to rate because parts of it were SO great and other parts were SO dull! So I'll split my review.
Five stars to any parts of the book that are about the author's job, Per Se, or Thomas Keller. These chapters were fascinating and smartly written. This is not a memoir where a waiter rants about the profession--this is a well-crafted exploration of the world of fine dining. It's as close as some people will come to a restaurant of this caliber, and she explains everything so lovingly that you will feel as if you have just completed the Chef's Tasting Menu yourself.
Two stars to any parts of the book that relate to the rest of the author's life or her relationship with Andre. All the care with which she writes about food is abandoned when she talks about love. Never once did I feel anything in her descriptions of her romance. She apparently loves this man, but it did not come through in her writing. In these chapters I was shouting "Move along!" to the book.
Average: 4 stars. Well worth a read, even if you have to skip some chapters.
Five stars to any parts of the book that are about the author's job, Per Se, or Thomas Keller. These chapters were fascinating and smartly written. This is not a memoir where a waiter rants about the profession--this is a well-crafted exploration of the world of fine dining. It's as close as some people will come to a restaurant of this caliber, and she explains everything so lovingly that you will feel as if you have just completed the Chef's Tasting Menu yourself.
Two stars to any parts of the book that relate to the rest of the author's life or her relationship with Andre. All the care with which she writes about food is abandoned when she talks about love. Never once did I feel anything in her descriptions of her romance. She apparently loves this man, but it did not come through in her writing. In these chapters I was shouting "Move along!" to the book.
Average: 4 stars. Well worth a read, even if you have to skip some chapters.
January 2, 2021
Extremely boring book with misleading subtitle. There are no real secrets here and the waiters aren't doing much eavesdropping. Instead the first half of the book is about how the author went through training for the opening of a new four-star New York City restaurant. Yawn. Then she starts adding a few things about her love life. Bigger yawns.
At no point does she really name famous people she serves or have any interesting stories to share that might make for a fun book. It's unclear how this kind of nothing book gets a contract with a major publisher. Unless you are a New York server there is no reason to read it. If you want something that really spills secrets and has a lot of fun stories where celebrities are named, read Waiter to the Rich and Famous.
At no point does she really name famous people she serves or have any interesting stories to share that might make for a fun book. It's unclear how this kind of nothing book gets a contract with a major publisher. Unless you are a New York server there is no reason to read it. If you want something that really spills secrets and has a lot of fun stories where celebrities are named, read Waiter to the Rich and Famous.
June 15, 2012
I checked out this book because I thought it would be fun to read about a restaurant worker's crazy stories about her patrons. Unfortunately, there was only one chapter devoted to this particular topic; the rest was a relatively uninteresting culinary memoir of self-discovery, akin to Julie & Julia or The Sharper Your Knife The Less You Cry, but with sporadic political diatribes. Also, this book reaffirms that I have little to no interest in French fine dining.
December 27, 2015
I wish there were pictures included. There are pictures of "Per Se" (the restaurant where Phoebe Damrosch worked) and some of its dishes online; that helped me imagine what the author was writing about.
October 18, 2022
It's been a while since I've read one of these behind-the-scenes books from the restaurant and only the second from the waiter's perspective (the first being Waiter Rant). I loved Waiter Rant and really enjoyed Phoebe Damrosch's Service Included. While Waiter Rant takes place in “The Bistro”, an anonymised upscale Tuscan restaurant set in a New York suburb, Service Included describes Damrosch's time working at Per Se, from the time the restaurant was being set up, to when it received four stars from New York Times food critic Frank Bruni. Unlike many restaurant tales, none of the staff at Per Se can really complain about being poorly compensated and barely making minimum wage.
By Damrosch's account, she scams her way into the role. She starts off as a busboy in a Williamsburg cafe (the only white busboy) before being promoted to waiter (she figures it is because the waitstaff are uncomfortable making her mop up their spills and sort things out for them), then joins an ex-chef from the cafe at a new chichi place in Midtown. With this stellar resume, Damrosch decides to interview at Per Se where she presumably lands the job because she has read up on Thomas Keller, the French Laundry and purchased a copy of the French Laundry Cookbook.
It is at Per Se that Damrosch learns what top-flight service entails - to anticipate guests' every need so that they never have a chance to ask, to learn how to put the guest at ease - which might entail bending the rules in order to accommodate the guest, being coached by an 18th century dance specialist on movement, among other things. She starts off as a backserver but gets a chance to be made captain when her predecessor turns up drunk one day.
Overall, I enjoyed the tales Damrosch shared about working in Per Se. How the kitchen and restaurant operated, the personalities behind the restaurant and the dynamics between them. How the restaurant recovered from a fire on its first Saturday night, which resulted in a ten-week closure. The tips to restaurant patrons at the end of each chapter were mostly pretty meh and Damrosch's account of her budding romance with Andre, one of the sommeliers, takes up more real estate than ideal (although I do see why she devoted so many pages to this; they eventually marry although this isn't covered in the book). Still, a fun read for anyone interested in food and dining out.
By Damrosch's account, she scams her way into the role. She starts off as a busboy in a Williamsburg cafe (the only white busboy) before being promoted to waiter (she figures it is because the waitstaff are uncomfortable making her mop up their spills and sort things out for them), then joins an ex-chef from the cafe at a new chichi place in Midtown. With this stellar resume, Damrosch decides to interview at Per Se where she presumably lands the job because she has read up on Thomas Keller, the French Laundry and purchased a copy of the French Laundry Cookbook.
It is at Per Se that Damrosch learns what top-flight service entails - to anticipate guests' every need so that they never have a chance to ask, to learn how to put the guest at ease - which might entail bending the rules in order to accommodate the guest, being coached by an 18th century dance specialist on movement, among other things. She starts off as a backserver but gets a chance to be made captain when her predecessor turns up drunk one day.
Overall, I enjoyed the tales Damrosch shared about working in Per Se. How the kitchen and restaurant operated, the personalities behind the restaurant and the dynamics between them. How the restaurant recovered from a fire on its first Saturday night, which resulted in a ten-week closure. The tips to restaurant patrons at the end of each chapter were mostly pretty meh and Damrosch's account of her budding romance with Andre, one of the sommeliers, takes up more real estate than ideal (although I do see why she devoted so many pages to this; they eventually marry although this isn't covered in the book). Still, a fun read for anyone interested in food and dining out.
September 5, 2024
This book is most entertaining when focusing on her training as waitstaff and the tales dealing with diners. A very good perspective on how servers view dines. Some very good tips for behavior in a restaurant and diner- server interactions. Had this on my kindle for 15 years and finally read it on a trip.
November 16, 2017
I feel like this book was more about her love life than eavesdroping on anyone. Interesting and quick read, just not what i was expecting.
October 31, 2007
I *wanted* to like this book. I did. As someone who's worked in various customer service/retail positions, I thought that I would find common ground with the author as she related her experiences working with the most finicky of finicky people ever...those who spend the thousands of dollars necessary to eat at gourmet restaurants like Per Se in the Time Warner center (the same center I work in, though not at Per Se).
Some of the parts of this book were very amusing (my personal favorites were the real life "tips" for eating at Per Se at the end of each section). However, as someone who has literal interest in ever working at a gourmet restaurant, the author spends a lot of time discussing the technical details of both Per Se as a restaurant and the gourmet dining business in general. I found myself slugging through the (sometimes very) technical parts in order to get to the more interesting and amusing parts of the book.
I don't find anything wrong with explaining one's specialty to the readers in a book like this. However, an author runs the risk of losing their readers' interest if they don't make it *accessible* to those who do not have as deep of an understanding as they do. This is what happened with me even though I felt like it was well written. Some parts were clever, but all in all, it's not a book I was crazy about.
Some of the parts of this book were very amusing (my personal favorites were the real life "tips" for eating at Per Se at the end of each section). However, as someone who has literal interest in ever working at a gourmet restaurant, the author spends a lot of time discussing the technical details of both Per Se as a restaurant and the gourmet dining business in general. I found myself slugging through the (sometimes very) technical parts in order to get to the more interesting and amusing parts of the book.
I don't find anything wrong with explaining one's specialty to the readers in a book like this. However, an author runs the risk of losing their readers' interest if they don't make it *accessible* to those who do not have as deep of an understanding as they do. This is what happened with me even though I felt like it was well written. Some parts were clever, but all in all, it's not a book I was crazy about.
December 16, 2008
I detested this book. First of all, it does not live up to the blurb on the back. The person who wrote the blurb should have written the book. There is no eavesdropping fun in this book. I've been a waitress - I know there are great things that can be eavesdropped. I would much rather have read another book just about the restaurant industry, about Thomas Keller, not some silly little tramp in New York who feels compelled to bore us with her lukewarm love-life when we're really reading the book because it's about her work we're interested in.
Please don't buy this book. The author also felt it necessary to insult her "red-state readers" which led me to return my book, unfinished. I'm sure some gun-toting, Bible-thumping, homophobic, warmongerer wouldn't appreciate something as spectacular as this book.
Please don't buy this book. The author also felt it necessary to insult her "red-state readers" which led me to return my book, unfinished. I'm sure some gun-toting, Bible-thumping, homophobic, warmongerer wouldn't appreciate something as spectacular as this book.
September 11, 2012
I picked this up in Portland because I thought it might be interesting; it's the memoir of a woman who worked as a waiter in a four-star restaurant in New York for a year. It was okay, idk. Her prose was fairly engaging, but tbh, maybe because she only worked there for a year, it was fairly shallow. It looked like it might talk about gender a bit, but she didn't seem to really care or reflect on misogyny in the restaurant business. Too much of the book was taken up with her affair with this two-timing sommelier (she was the other woman). The stuff about how they train waiting staff in a four-star restaurant was really interesting, as was the stuff about how they spot reviewers, but in general it was a surprisingly boring book - I was hoping for more insight. Also, I really have to like the people involved to care about a book, and I didn't like anyone in this one.
April 23, 2009
Not much eavesdropping going on here...this is more of a behind the scenes look at the four star restaurant business. While not a "foodie" myself I did like the book and was amazed by everything that goes into creating the "perfect" dining experience for the Per Se guest. I do wish the author would have shared less of her love life and more of her love affair with food. I found her boyfriend smarmy (he continued to live with his ex-girlfriend while dating her among others) and not the least bit charming. To me that was just a distraction and I could have done without it. I also found the "tips" at the end of the chapter and the end of the book condescending and offensive (others in my book club thought they were funny - maybe it's just me...)and could have done without those as well.
September 17, 2012
This was a nostalgic book for me in many ways. I shared her wonder of TKRG. For me it was falling in love with food and realizing that it can be an art form. The attention to detail is always fascinating and inspires me to be more detail orientated. I really enjoyed the food and restaurant aspects of the book. However, I was getting a little sick of the Andre and Phoebe part of the book. A little too much drama and not enough finesse. This part of the book was a somewhat unwelcome part of the book.
I did however agree with the last line in the book completely. I'm very lucky to have experienced that. I too, compare all meals to that one {TFL}. Perfection is hard to duplicate.
I did however agree with the last line in the book completely. I'm very lucky to have experienced that. I too, compare all meals to that one {TFL}. Perfection is hard to duplicate.
November 16, 2011
This was interesting mainly because I had no idea that so much went into the dining experience at a four star restaurant. However, the book itself - the telling of the story - is bland, with occasional moments of interest. It's got a Julia & Julia vibe, with the author offering up a too-hearty dose of her personal life, with stories about the guys she has dated/is dating, random excursions to cheese farms that don't pertain to the actual restaurant story (even though you'd think they would), her relationship with her parents and family, and more.
I liked certain parts of it, but on the whole, I didn't care for it.
I liked certain parts of it, but on the whole, I didn't care for it.
December 8, 2007
I understand the dynamics of the restaurant business a bit better now and although I probably won't be dining in too many 4 star restaurants, I now know why they charge what they charge for their meals. Service is a very important part of dining out and just like everything else, you get what you pay for. I was distressed to learn that in many restaurants the cooks and chefs make less than the waitstaff because of tips. When I dine out, my food is almost always great--the service not so much. Sometimes I wish I could tip the chef instead of my waiter/waitress.
March 11, 2008
A interesting picture of all the effort required to make a highly acclaimed New York restaurant run properly from a waiter's point of view. It certainly makes you look at the dining out experience in a whole new light. I like the commentaries on some of the dining regulars. I also enjoyed the author's thoughts on the value of fine ingredients and food. Who is to say that a pair of cashmere socks, designer handbag, exorbitant concert tickets or a ritzy dining experience are necessary? Then again, can a fine bottle of aged balsamic vinegar enhance your life? You be the judge.
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