Not Dead Yet!

I’m sorry I haven’t posted in a while. The due date for my manuscript is fast approaching and I’m allocating all my energy to that end. I will get back to posting on a regular schedule as soon this process is completed. Hopefully it won’t be much longer. Other...

Restaurants: The New Sweatshops?

There’s a great article on Time.com titled Restaurants: The New Sweatshops? “Eating out has become as American as apple pie, but for those manning the kitchen, restaurant work is anything but an American dream. Dishwashers, waiters and delivery people are increasingly...

The Best of Creative Nonfiction

A while back I mentioned one of my old posts, Cold Autumn, was selected for inclusion in W.W. Norton’s anthology, The Best of Creative Nonfiction, edited by Lee Gutkind. Well, it finally went on sale and you can buy it at fine bookstores everywhere or by clicking...

Behind Enemy Lines

It’s a perfect Friday evening and I’m sitting at a wrought iron table outside Café American. Sitting across from me Beth and Celine, two of my former co-workers, are drinking Cosmopolitans and chattering away like schoolgirls. Hiding out of view behind a street corner...

Ask the Waiter – Late Night Dining!

Dear Waiter: Here’s a question that came up tonight, and I’d like your opinion: How late is too late to go into a sit-down restaurant, of either “fancy” or”chain” variety? Because of my work schedule and preferences, I rarely eat at...

Ask the Waiter – Are you a Liar?

Hi Waiter: I’ve been reading your blog for some time now as well as other waiter blogs and I do have a new appreciation. Have you ever lied to a customer? Have you ever served a customer something other than what they specifically ordered? For example – if...

Ask The Waiter

Waiter: Over the past year, my girlfriend and I have forsaken going to church in favor of the other American Sunday morning ritual—brunch. Most of the brunches in our part of the world, are buffet-style, which is generally okay with me since it allows me to eat at my...

The Great Dane

“I’m gonna kill him.” “Take a breath,” I reply. “Calm down.” “I’m gonna kill his entire family,” the big man sputters. “And after I kill him I’m gonna strangle his children and rape his mother.” The man’s words push against me like an angry wave. My stomach clenches...

Ask the Waiter – Tell Tale Signs

Waiter, I have been reading your blog for quite a while and really enjoy your stories… My question is: What are the tell-tales for a bad restaurant vs. a good one? What kinds of things signal that this may be a $100 a plate establishment but they aren’t...

Ask the Waiter – Foreigners!

Dear Waiter If someone with a foreign accent forgets to tip, do most waitstaff realize that tipping isn’t a universal practice outside the US and forgive them, or do they get angry about it? Trust me, we get angry about it. This is how we get paid. It’s your...