WAITER RANT:
Thanks for the Tip - Confessions of a cynical waiter
- Steve Dublanica -
I judged this book by its cover - it stood out! On a shelf at the library, surrounded by mundane food related books, it caught my eye. I noticed the quote on the cover from Anthony Bourdain. I thought, if this book is anything like Bourdain's books I'll love it.
It was no Kitchen Confidential, but, the Waiter Rant was ok. It gave me the basics of what I expected - a behind the scenes peek into the life of the wait staff. I learned a lot about what holidays are like to waiters, how not to make and break reservations, and what the minimum level of tipping is required before you are called a bad name. The rest of the book was a mix of stories, highlighting the terrible behavior some customers exhibit. The running theme was that some diners thought themselves superior to the lowly serving staff. The way it was written could have come across as whiny, which most reviewers have commented about, however, I did not view it that way. I saw it as a working mans rant about the world he was throw into.
If you like memoirs on anything foodie, you'll love this. If you cannot stand books with characters who complain, then do not order this book.
RATING : READ
Seems to me it would be hard to write about that job without doing a bit of whining! People can be such jerks to the ones who serve them. Of course, I could also see writing a hilarious book that totally mocks all those jerks!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by all the negative review of this book. Most of the reviewers harped on the 'whiny factor'. I really didn't read it like that. You are right I think, complaining about a job could easily sound like whining.
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