Today Show

Tomorrow morning, between 7:30 and 8:00 AM I’ll be on NBC’s Today Show. It’s a prerecorded segment that’s part of a larger story about tipping. I’m shot in silhouette so no one will know what I look like. The producers tell me it’ll...

Mitzi’s Karma

I’m in the back having a cup of coffee with Mitzi, our newest waitress. Mitzi’s been toiling in the restaurant/hospitality biz for almost thirty years. Pushing fifty, she’s what we waiters call “a lifer.” “So Mitzi,” I ask....

Dying in Vain

“…and finally we have the rack of wild boar. Sauced with a porcini mushroom demiglaze and served over vegetable risotto, it’s the best dish of the night,” I say, concluding my recitation of the specials. “Wow,” my customer, a portly...

Outside Looking In

It’s a bright and cool Sunday afternoon. The sidewalks are choked with young couples walking dogs, moms pushing double-decker baby strollers, and middle aged husbands trudging behind their wives. I notice most of the men skipped their morning shave. I wonder if...

Shakira! Shakira! Shakira!

It’s a busy Sunday night. Louis and I are by the pick up window waiting for our food to come up. The line cooks are struggling to keep up with the orders. The sink’s piled high with plates waiting for a spin in the dishwasher. Above the convection...