Maître d’ Diaries

When you work in restaurants you join an extended community of colleagues, ex-colleagues, and people your colleagues used to work with. These folks all over the world are connections and networks just waiting to happen. EMANUEL MOOSBRUGGER is one of those friends I never worked with but was destined to meet. Emanuel grew up in Austria and represents the fifth generation of his family running the BIOHOTEL SCHWANEN in Bizau. But before he took over the mantle of running the family business, Emanuel had wonderful adventures and training in NYC with Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group, and in San Francisco with chef Corey Lee at Michelin three-star restaurant Benu. Emanuel’s career embodies one of his credos: Achieving anything extraordinary can only come with extraordinary efforts.Listen in to hear Emanuel talk about: ~ Starting at the bottom and working his way up~ How being a hard worker helps you learn ~ What it was like to come to VIP central NYC from rural Austria~ When Daniel Boulud dissected a cocktail he created~ The upside of taking a job in which your are way over your head~ The relationship he had with Mick Jagger at Cafe Boulud~ The worst thing that happened to him in a restaurant~ What makes a hotel a BioHotel (they really do follow the moon phases!) ~ The importance of nutrition to have the energy we need to do this work

How do you become a better restaurant manager? THAT’S AN ISSUE! Have we lost the art of the clear? THAT’S another ISSUE, along with many others we discuss in this episode of the Maître d’ Diaries Podcast with guests ALISON ARTH & KIMBERLY BELLE.Between cultural reckonings and shifts in workforce expectations, leadership roles in hospitality have become more challenging than ever. Being an effective manager while juggling the multiple personalities and needs of your team is not something we should expect to come naturally. Often in F&B we don't teach people how to lead. We let them get really good at bartending, hosting, serving or cooking and then tell them, you're promoted, run a team. But that’s a whole different skill set.To that end we are delighted to chat with Alison and Kimberly about the important work they are doing with their hospitality coaching and consulting company SALT & ROE.Alison and Kimberly love this industry and the people in it and they are dedicated to helping us restaurant folks develop different ways of thinking and showing up, coaching us to learn the skills it takes to build and train effective leaders.Get ready to be inspired! With the right tools and support, running restaurants—and managing our own lives and careers—can be a whole lot easier and more satisfying.

Welcome to another WE’RE BOOKED episode of the podcast with scholar and professor PAUL FREEDMAN. Paul Freedman is the author of Ten Restaurants That Changed America, an essential historic tome for passionate restaurant fans as well as people fascinated by business success stories and the evolution of American society.Listen in as we discuss topics such as status and prestige access, the ways in which restaurants reflect American history, how restaurant going has changed from a sociological perspective, and how social media has impacted the behavior of American diners, especially the younger ones. And you’ll find out how and why Professor Freedman selected these ten restaurants as the most impactful, game-changing American icons.~ Delmonico’s~ Antoine’s~ Schrafft’s ~ Howard Johnson’s~ Mamma Leone’s ~ The Mandarin~ Sylvia’s~ Le Pavillon~ The Four Seasons~ Chez Panisse

Ever wonder how someone might go from being a psych major to clearing tables, to being a Michelin-star bartender? Join us for our chat with JENNA NORFLEET, head bartender at Francie in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Jenna’s front of the house career path epitomizes how sometimes the restaurant job you have to support yourself as a student ends up being more fun–and more accessible–than the field you were studying in the first place. Jenna has had an impressive rise through the ranks of front of the house service in the last few years, facing her fears and working hard to learn the craft. Listen in to hear about: ~ building egg white cocktails~ taking over an already established list~ kicking out intoxicated guests~ the importance of running your own race~ being able to assess body language ~ how she gets inspiration and perspective from dining out in other restaurants

Welcome to our first DESTINATION HOSPITALITY episode with our guest ANDREA ZANA, the general manager of the Hotel Il San Pietro in Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Listen in to hear what it’s like to be part of the operational family that runs one of the world’s greatest resort hotels, how Tom Cruise helped inspire Andrea to get into hospitality, why Andrea loves interacting with tourists, what it was like to work in top hotels in Florence, London, Paris, Milan, and why he sees luxury hospitality as a world full of opportunities. Get ready to be surprised by what great hoteliers like Andrea and the Cinque Family do to constantly evolve: including bringing a team of sixteen people from the hotel with him to Cornell University Hotel School for a week of professional development during the closed season. Andrea shouts out the importance of mentorship with the examples set for him by Claudio Ceccarelli, Simone Giorgi, and the Cinque Family, and how restaurants and hotels can be the stage, and we FOH folks the protagonists!

This episode we welcome Ahris Kim, the Director of Operations for NA:EUN Hospitality, the multi-award-winning group behind Atoboy, Atomix, and NARO in New York. Ahris, born in Seoul, Korea, and chats about the opportunity to combine her career passions and her heritage, the impact of the awards and accolades, her start in luxury hotels, working for Daniel Boulud, the importance of self care, and how it’s good to try as many different things as possible when you’re starting out. @hiyuwinefarms  @atoboynyc  @atomixnyc  @seoulsalon.nyc  @eparkato @jparkato  @foodeducationfund

With passion, partnership, and maybe a soupçon of beginners’ ingenuousness Ronan Duchêne Le May and his wife chef Alexia Duchêne opened Le Chêne, a très chic, très Parisien restaurant on Carmine Street in the West Village in less than six months. Incroyable! Listen in to our chat with Ronan to hear about how his love of restaurants drew him from his family winemaking world in Bordeaux to Paris, hospitality work, and how the couple’s decision to move to New York in 2023 has led to an adventure bigger than even they could have imagined. 

We are kicking off Season 4 with the iconic Daryl Coke, who runs the beloved wine programs at NYC’s Ernesto’s and Bartolo’s, and a deep dive into Spanish and Basque restaurants and wines. Daryl has been in New York for the past 16 years working at some of the city’s most beloved cult restaurants including The Beatrice Inn, The Fat Radish, Mission Chinese, Contra and Wildair.She also gives us the inside scoop on where she loves to eat around town (and in Spain), what she wishes people knew about wine service, and what guest behaviors she’d like to see 86ed. Listen in! You’ll come away hungry, thirsty, and with a long list of new restaurants you want to try. I know I did! @ernestosnyc@bartolonyc@dib@wildairnyc @[email protected]@missionchinesefoodny@lefrenchdiner@thaidiner @mommypais@cafeselectnyc@danny_bowen@fabianvhv@chefjeremiahstone@mozzy_sticks_87@pierrederrien84@opsnyc@luckycharliebk@unclelouny#SachaHormaechea #chefschef#porron #sansebastian #galicia #priorat #valentineday #womenwinemakers#coatcheck #86list #soigneryourself

Maître d' Diaries is back!Season 4 brings you more NYC front of the house folks, like Daryl Coke of Ernesto's and Bartolo, Ronan Le Chêne of Le Chêne, Ahris Kim of NA:EUN Hospitality, and Jenna Norfleet of Francie, along with the return of “That’s An Issue,” “We’re Booked,” and a new episode theme, “Destination Hospitality.” Listen in here for a taste of what’s to come. And check out our past episodes in Seasons 1 - 4!

Back in the year 2000 the Cherry Lane Theater hosted the premier of Becky Mode's side-splitting, lightening-paced one man show, "Fully Committed", and restaurant reservationists in basements and broom closets all around town felt seen. And maybe not a little bit exposed. An updated version of the show moved to Broadway in 2016 starring the great Jesse Tyler Ferguson who won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for his role as Sam, and the other 30-plus characters that populate this 90-minute whiplash inducing romp through the trials--and wins--of a New York City reservationist. Now Jake Shipley, an actor and FOH restaurant worker since his teens, is performing FULLY COMMITTED at the Phoenician Playhouse in Phoenicia, NY, to great acclaim, for two weekend only. Jake took an hour during his crazy performance schedule to chat with Maître d' Diaries about the role and the work. And the possible future of taking this behind-the-scenes in the restaurant world play back out on the road.

We are so happy to welcome New York Restaurant World Legend, Melba Wilson, to Maître d’ Diaries. Restaurants are all about creating community. The community that is fostered in dining rooms, across tables, in bars and lounges, AND the community we build INSIDE the restaurants where we work. One of the best things about the hospitality business is how it gives us the chance to work with and get to know people of diverse ages and backgrounds we might not meet otherwise. And when f&b folk are lucky enough to be out and about sometimes we get to meet friends of friends, or people we’ve admired from afar, and as a result our personal restaurant community continues to expand. This is what happened when Erica had the pleasure of meeting Melba Wilson at an event last year. Melba is the founder of the beloved Melba’s in Harlem, and she just recently opened the 4th Melba’s in Grand Central Terminal Dining Concourse. She is also a fixture on the New York food scene, a food insecurity activist, and a vibrant beacon of glamour and kindness.Being “born, bred and buttered in Harlem”, Melba knew she wanted to stay close to home so she could nurture and provide an exquisite yet comfortable dining experience to the community that raised her.Listen in to our chat to hear about: ~ How Melba learned all aspects of the restaurant business from her aunt Sylvia Woods of the iconic American Classic Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem~ The impact of growing up with grandparents who were gardeners~ What Josefina Howard said to Melba when she said she wanted to open her own restaurant, and how that changed everything~ How Melba took Windows on the World’s slow Sunday Brunches and turned them into the wildly successful Gospel Sunday Brunch that ran until Sunday, September 9th, 2001. ~ The inspiration she’s taken from 114th Street, Harlem’s historic Minton’s Playhouse, and gazing at the monuments of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman

You meet the best people working in restaurants! Case in point, this episode’s guest, Tatiana Mejia, maître d’ at Michelin-starred Francie in Brooklyn, and a dear friend.  Folks come to restaurant work via all different paths, many of us finding the right balance of physical activity, mental engagement, social interaction, and reliable income in a place we didn’t originally imagine ourselves belonging. One of the mission’s of Maître d’ Diaries is to share our love for the vocation of taking care of people through hospitality. To shine a spotlight on how the work of serving and hosting can be  a satisfying, fulfilling, and fun way to make a living. Listen in to hear: ~ What it was like to be maître d’ at the landmark Tavern on the Green (600+ people a night, 1,200 for brunch, in case you didn’t know!)~ The similarities and differences between working retail and restaurants ~ How working FOH can develop people skills and build community~ About crying in the coat check–the FOH version of crying in the walk-in~ How a weekly sauna ritual helps Tatiana sweat out the stress of the work week~ Her current favor savory martini

Ever wonder what it was like booking out a restaurant ON PAPER, before the dawn of online reservation platforms? At Maître d’ Diaries one of our raisons d’être is building a bridge between restaurant industry old guard and the vibrant, essential Next Generation populating the new post-pandemic workforce. One way we do this is by gathering and sharing stories from the trenches (or the floor, if you will).This episode’s guest, Roger Raines, has a LOT of stories. Roger started his illustrious hospitality career with one of the most respected restaurant groups in the country—Union Square Hospitality—back when tables were reserved over the phone by humans using a pencil and sheets of paper.And like many of the very best maîtres d’hotel, Roger is also a renaissance person with multiple cultural pursuits and passions that make him culturally aware and good to chat with at the front door of whatever restaurant he’s running.Roger’s first restaurant job was reservationist at Gramercy Tavern. He worked his way up through Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Maialino, and the opened new location of Union Square Cafe. Listen in to hear about:~ How much fun it used to be to run a wait list by phone and on paper~ What he hates about cell phones in restaurants ~ The difference of how people treat men and women at the door ~ What it was like to be James Brown’s road manager~ The upstate B&B run by USHG alum that we should all visit ~ What Tabla was like~ How awesome the Criterion Collection is

You meet some of the best people in the restaurant business. Folks like our guest Olivia Salomon, a server at Le Veau d’Or in New York City, who find joy and satisfaction taking care of other people and helping create memorable experiences for them. Whether it’s a warm welcome at the door or a server with a wonderful tableside manner, someone who is called to the work and does it with care can really make a difference in how we feel at the end of the day. The word restaurant derives from the French word for restoration. A place where you can restore your body with sustenance. And perhaps now more than ever, restaurants are places where we can revive our spirits and sense of well being. At their best, good restaurants feed our need to connect with other humans. All the more so if our server or maitre d’ is someone who’s passionate about spreading joy and love and positivity in the world.Listen in to our chat with Olivia to hear about: ~ How she figured out Pete Wells was coming in and then what happened~ The importance of mentorship and how we can support the Next Gen~ Why she loves the Danny Meyer 51% philosophy ~ How to hold the work of serving so it’s empowering rather than demeaning~ The difference between being a server and a maître d’~ The unexpected joy to be found taking care of older clientele~ Why kindness is the life hack Olivia wants everyone to know about~ How to deal with challenging personalities at the door

Tom Piscitello is a New York maître d’ legend! He ran the door at some of the city’s best Italian restaurants, including Coco Pazzo, Babbo, Beppe, A Voce, and Ci Siamo. Tom joined us from his terrazzo in Sicily, where he and his husband now live the semi-retired life of private hospitality, making beautiful memories for their guests at a 3-bedroom luxury lighthouse with a view of Mt. Etna, hosting and taking care of visiting friends and locals. Che bella vita! Tom saw it all working in the hottest spots in the 1990’s and turn of the millennium New York dining scene, and in this episode he shares some glimpses from behind the scenes and among the celebrity-filled tables at the restaurants that had the bella fortuna to have him as their host. Join us as we talk about: ~ How to make a good first impression on the welcome~ The two words that people always say when they’re lying~ The thing he can’t tolerate from guests or staff~ How great Esca was and what a genius Dave Pasternak is ~ One way to make a guest “yours for life”~ The time some old guy punched him for a table~ The qualities he looks for in a maître d’ ~ The one thing you should never ask on a first interview~ Tom's favorite part of Italian hospitality 

Welcome to our 3rd “We’re Booked” episode. Our guest is author, cookbook collaborator, and podcast host, Andrew Friedman.Andrew has made a career chronicling the life and work of some of our best chefs, and is currently collaborating on a memoir with Daniel Boulud, to be published by Grand Central Publishing in 2027.Andrew is the author of Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll: How Food Lovers, Free Spirits, Misfits, and Wanderers Created a New American Profession. Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll (Ecco 2018) tells the story of the evolution of the American chef in the 1970s and 1980s, and is essential reading for anyone in love with restaurants and restaurant history. To write it, Andrew interviewed more than 200 industry figures including legends such as Wolfgang Puck, Jeremiah Tower, Alice Waters, Jonathan Waxman, and Ruth Reichl. We started this podcast to have a place to share stories and preserve the rich history of the exciting world of restaurants we’ve been blessed to be a part of. Listen in as we: ~ go back in time to the incipience of “California cuisine” and its impact on the development of a distinctive American cuisine~ discuss the confluence of the Blue Ribbon after hours culture and the dawn of the food network in the early 90’s which ushered in the now seemingly perennial era of the celebrity chef~ highlight the importance of FOH staff being able to call a play in real time~ hear a real life example of the kind of hospitality behavior Andrew would like to see 86ed.

Fasten your seat belts for a spirit-driven ride through NYC modern cocktail culture with the beloved, legendary, Sarah Morrissey who worked on the front lines of the cocktail revolution in New York from almost the beginning. Recorded one Saturday over bagels pre-service at Le Veau d’Or, where Sarah’s the AGM and Bar Manager, if you don’t already have the pleasure of knowing Sarah, you’ll feel like you do after joining us for our chat. One of our main purposes at Maître d’ Diaries is sharing stories and preserving the incredible history of our ever evolving F&B business. During this episode you’ll get a comprehensive overview of all things cocktail, learn what a Sasha Bar is, and stroll down the streets of early 2000-2010’s New York City, past the legendary speakeasies and cocktail lounges that started it all, many of which are sadly closed, each of which played an important role in the way spirit culture has evolved in the 21st century. And you’ll meet some of the major innovators in the bartending world who directly impacted what we now experience as standard when we go out for a cocktail. Sarah epitomizes the amount of hard work, enthusiasm, and devotion to information acquisition required to work in beverage at a high level restaurant or bar. Her knowledge of all things spirits–and insider information about how the city’s most popular bars are run–is matched only by her incredible warmth and the down-to-earth genuine affection and appreciation with which she welcomes every guest she comes in contact with. You’ll also hear about Erica’s new favorite gin–just in time for the upcoming G&T season. Cheers! 

A “We Can Transfer That” episode happens at least once a season on Maître d’ Diaries. These episodes are designed to highlight the many transferable skills one can hone working the door and floor of a restaurant. It's sort of a "how did you get from there to here" interview that showcases the incredibly satisfying and multi-faceted careers that sometimes get their start when someone becomes a server, a host, or a busser. One of the best things about the hospitality business–and this podcast–is the people we get to meet. This year at Will Guidara’s wonderful Welcome Conference, Erica had the thoroughly joyful experience of meeting Bradley Knebel of Empowered Hospitality. Bradley was studying Mathematics at Georgia Tech when he got a job as a server and fell in love with hospitality. He turned his passion into a career, moved to New York City, and began working for Union Square Hospitality Group where worked in a variety of roles–which we elaborate on during our chat. Bradley is an impressively well-rounded F&B guy. He’s earned his Level 2 Sommelier Certification, taught classes at Murray’s Cheese, and in 2022 he was the opening general manager of Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, which earned a 3-star review in the New York Times, and two years in a row topped Pete Wells’ list of best restaurants in New York City.  Listen in to hear about: ~ What it was like to be involved in the Hospitality Included movement at USHG~ Bradley’s thoughts on the pay disparity between front and back of the house workers~ What working in HR can teach you about running a business~ What an independent HR company can offer smaller operators~ Why Bradley thinks that egos are the biggest killer of restaurants~ How it all sort of started for him at Longhorn Steakhouse~ How to help people become better leaders and how satisfying that can be~ The power of mentorship on both sides of the relationship

Maître d’ Diaries is a front of the house industry podcast designed to build community with other dining room professionals, foster pride in the art of hospitality, share stories from the front lines, facilitate conversation among OG restaurant folks and the Next Gen, and address the very real challenges that are facing the industry we love. We are delighted to introduce you to Sabrina Marte, an up-and-coming FOH star who has recently taken on the position of maître d’ at NoHo Hospitality’s Bar Primi in Penn Center. Sabrina is one of those people who lights up a room and exudes a welcome at the door that embraces each guest as they cross the threshold. While she may be what some people call a natural, you’ll learn that she also puts an enormous amount of thought into how she executes hospitality. Listen in on our chat to hear about:~ How she got into the business~ Who inspires her: shout outs to Sean Prinz, Inta Erglis, Trisha Devila, and Justin Sievers!~ All the love she has for NoHo Hospitality~ How what managers remember about us can make all the difference~ Pretty much the weirdest guest interaction you’ve ever heard ofYou’ll end up feeling that the future of hospitality is in good hands!

Join us this episode as we step away from the welcome and into the wine cellar for our chat with Raj Vaidya, whose career trajectory has taken him from a bagel shop in New Jersey all the way to being Chef Daniel Boulud’s International Wine Director, and now collaborating with Daniel Johnnes, as the Director of Operations for Pressoir, the organization behind wine festivals La Paulée, La Fête du Champagne, La Tablée, and much more. Born in New Jersey and raised in his family’s native Bombay and in Singapore, Raj attributes his passion for fine cuisine and wine to his family and their obsession with food and drink. Listen in to hear about: ~ How working breakfast in a diner in New Jersey taught Raj to understand the theater of service~ His thoughts on corkage~ How making an old lady cry early on in his career forever changed his understanding of what people are looking for when they come to a restaurant~ Tips for the two best ways to learn more about wine~ Some of the places Raj likes to eat in NYC~ Which two wine books he recommends for people who want the best general reference options~ Who he’s learned from over the years (shout out to Chefs Craig Shelton & Daniel Boulud, Brett Traussi, Daniel Johnnes, John Slover, Robert Bohr, Michel Couvreux, and more.)

Paris Pryor has been hearing about Maître d’ Diaries since long before we launched. In fact, her passion for the business and for hearing stories about restaurants past and present helped inspire our inception. Erica and Paris met while opening the Michelin-starred Francie in Williamsburg, Brooklyn during the pandemic and became fast friends. (Although some have asked if they are really mother and daughter!)Paris has experienced, accomplished, and learned quite a bit in the decade since she arrived in New York City in 2015, when she started moonlighting in the hospitality industry while pursuing her passion for theater at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Maybe her roots in the dramatic arts explain why she has one of the most sparkling dining room and tableside presences you’ll ever see. Very quickly, Paris was inspired by the vibrant excitement of her new stage, which has become a rewarding vocation and career.Paris got her start with USHG and participated in the reopening of the iconic Union Square Cafe, one of NYC most renowned and successful restaurants. Her first post as a kitchen server/food runner ignited her passion to learn more and she quickly moved up to private dining captain. Before long Paris was invited to join the pre-opening team at Manhatta, where she was restaurant manager.Listen in to hear about:~ How she teamed up with John Winterman and Chef Chris Cipollone to open Francie, and got the dream opportunity to work with and learn from NYC wine legend Raj Vaidya~ The unparalleled service and dining experiences she had at Cafe Carmellini & Restaurant Daniel~ The "disconnect of wanting to be connected" and why she thinks taking pictures in restaurants should be mostly 86ed~ How she established the reputation as the most loyal employee by trekking through the snow in the pandemic to deliver fried chicken to a certain famous personage

Welcome to our chat with Tizzy Beck, maître d’/manager at the Waverly Inn in the West Village. Tizzy is one of those people you meet and say, where have you been all my life? She’s a personality powerhouse, a native New Yorker and a born host. She's been featured in the New York Times for helping to kick off a New York style burger trend in Milan. Clearly she’s quite a badass. Listen in as we talk about how moving to Milan to work in fashion led her to becoming a restaurateur because she wanted to create the kind of American restaurant she was missing and knew would be embraced. Prior to opening Tizzy’s Bar & Grill, Tizzy had never worked in a restaurant, and she believes that thinking like a guest (as opposed to an employee) has made her a certain kind of owner. We also discuss what it’s like to work in a legendary restaurant where photography is not allowed, how our Maître d’ Spidey Sense helps us when a celebrity we don’t know arrives, a great meal she and her partner Mark Ladner had at Fasano, and how she wants to make sure we all just “keep it classy”.

Dante and Erica look back at 2024 and the holiday season in NYC. We talk about our aspirations for 2025, the physical challenges of doing a job that has us on our feet most of the day, what it’s like to do a restaurant brand refresh in a popular 15 year old restaurant, and what it means to have a purge party. Listen in for Dante’s reaction to the news that Maître d’ Diaries has a YouTube channel, what’s new for Season 3, and Erica’s current obsession with what the runway to 60 looks like. You’ll also get a preview of some of the guests for Season 3.

Maître d’s have a lot of great stories, and sometimes we get to meet really interesting people while just doing our jobs.  In honor of ELECTION WEEK we’re offering up a wholly positive, but still dishy behind-the-scenes story of what happened when President and Mrs. Obama came to dinner at Maialino in New York City.  Listen in to hear how Roger Raines graced telling a private party that they couldn’t be seated until everyone in their party had arrived, and what happened when he inadvertently tried to check the Presidential Football. God Bless America

Welcome to the 2nd “We’re Booked” episode of Maître  d’ Diaries, a front of the house restaurant industry podcast. On our “We’re Booked” episodes we chat with authors who write about restaurants and restaurant life, and the specialty book sellers who collect and curate the books we long to own and read.  This episode we welcome food writer, author, and entrepreneur Leslie Brenner.  Leslie has won two James Beard Awards, published five food & beverage oriented books, and an award-winning novel. She has been the food editor at The LA Times, restaurant critic and dining editor at The Dallas Morning News, and writes the award-winning Substack and Websites, Cooks Without Borders.  Join us as we discuss what it’s been like writing about food for decades, researching trends, working with chefs and restaurateurs, and the need to constantly reinvent yourself as a journalist and f & b professional.  You’ll hear the stories behind her books:  ~ Fear of Wine, (Bantam, 1995) Illustrated by Wall Street Journal Wine Columnist, Lettie Teague ~ American Appetite: The Coming of Age of a Cuisine (Avon Books, 1999)    ~ The Fourth Star: Dispatches from Inside Daniel Boulud’s Celebrated New York Restaurant (Clarkson Potter, 2002)  Along with:  ~ Her favorite new wine book ~ Tips for aspiring food writers ~ All the different tricks and costumes a restaurant reviewer has up their sleeve ~ How good restaurant criticism can contribute to the quality of a city’s dining scene ~ The importance of anonymity for food critics today ~ Why she thinks a star system in restaurant reviewing is a good thing ~ Anticipating impact of the Michelin Guide coming to Texas

Thanks for joining us at Maître d’ Diaries, and welcome to our first “That’s an Issue!” episode.  At Maître d’ Diaries we spend a lot of time thinking about the management of dining room operations and how we could do it better. While we are well past Covid–knock on wood–our industry is still very much in a culture correcting moment. It seems like every six months there is a new Major Issue.  To that end, our guest this episode is Preston Lee, who we discovered on Instagram.  Preston is the founder of The 30% Rule, and if your feed is as food & restaurant oriented as ours, maybe you’ve already found him, too.  Preston’s vibrant videos caught our attention for their engaging presentation of high level systems designed to help independent restaurants be more successful through hospitality training and management.  Join us for our chat with Preston.  If you work in the FOH you’re sure to feel seen and get lots of inspo as we discuss how:  ~ “if it’s measured, it can be managed” ~ people always pick consistency over their desired product ~ elevated food is easier than elevated hospitality ~ that restaurant failure rate you’ve always heard about is fake news ~ training is pretty much everything

“We Can Transfer That.” If you’ve spent much time in restaurants, you’ve no doubt heard or used the phrase “We can transfer that,” which refers to transferring a drink tab from the bar to a table. Do you ever look at people with really cool restaurant-adjacent jobs they seem to have crafted to perfectly suit them and wonder how they got there?  Many of us feel that the world would be a kinder, more civilized place if everyone worked in customer service for at least a year. The transferable skills that are honed taking care of people in a welcoming, hospitable, efficient, unflappable way can be applied to how we move through life and how we treat the people who take care of us. They can also lead to other fun and satisfying work.  To that end, at least once a season Maître d’ Diaries will interview someone for a “We Can Transfer That” episode in which our guest talks about how working in dining room service helped them gain knowledge, hone skills, and make connections they now use in hospitality adjacent roles and careers.  Who better to be our first “We Can Transfer That” guest than our friend, Shari Bayer?  Shari is the founder of New York City culinary & hospitality focused Bayer Public Relations, the host of the popular All in the Industry podcast on Heritage Radio Network, and the author of Chefwise: Life Lessons from Leading Chefs Around the World (published by Phaidon last Spring). Shari’s worked in restaurants since she was in high school, went to culinary school, attended the Food Studies Program at NYU, and boasts some serious OG credit having worked at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago. Join us to hear about how Shari went from summer jobs at Bennigan's and Chili’s to running her own company, sharing the stories of behind the scenes talent in the hospitality industry on her award-winning podcast, and traveling to visit chefs in their restaurants all over the world.

Get ready for a serious OG Alert.  You’re about to spend some time with restaurant legend Barry Wine of the famed Quilted Giraffe.  American cuisine and fine dining–along with the concept of signature dishes going viral–can be traced to the Quilted Giraffe, which opened almost 50 years ago in 1975.  The Quilted Giraffe epitomized the excess and extravagance of the 80’s in New York City. It’s been called “the Studio 54 of New York’s restaurant scene” because of the rock stars, models, socialites, movie stars, and Wall Street millionaires who had regular tables there.  In addition to being a huge celebrity scene, the Quilted Giraffe was a pioneer and a game changer in the business. They introduced tasting menus, an 18% service charge in lieu of tips, the inclusion of Japanese ingredients and techniques, and “must have” dishes like their caviar beggar’s purses and tuna wasabi pizza. In its lifetime the Quilted Giraffe consistently held 4 stars longer than any other restaurant, and for a while was known as the most expensive restaurant in the country, and maybe the world.  Did you, like us, miss out on experiencing the Quilted Giraffe IRL? Listen in to hear about some of the moments in American restaurant history upon whose shoulders we all stand today, including:  ~ The 3 Michelin Star restaurants in France that inspired Barry & Susan ~ The Howdy Doody litmus test they used for hiring ~ The pranks Barry would play on regular guest Warren Beatty ~ How his 25 trips to Japan impacted what they did at QG ~ What top model rock star wife they spilled red wine on ~ What restaurants Barry Wine likes now ~ Some uncanny parallels between what they did at the Quilted Giraffe and some of the things we saw in The Bear 

Get ready for a guest and a restaurant that are unapologetically analog. Building community among our FOH colleagues is the primary reason we started Maitre d’ Diaries, so it’s fitting that wine & spirit OG and self-proclaimed connection artist, Ryan Looper, launched us on the trail to meet the bewitchingly romantic restaurateur, Tina Vaughn, co-owner of Eulalie, in Tribeca.  Tina and her husband Chef Chip Smith have a decidedly nostalgic, if not utopian, approach to restaurant ownership, which you will quickly discover when you try to make a reservation.  Eulalie books tables exclusively by phone, has a long (and enjoyably quixotic) voice message, actually calls you back, presents hand-written menus, envelops you in a quiet dining room (by NYC standards) and respectfully suggests you put your phone on a time out while you dine. Located in the former space of Montrachet, Corton, and Batard, Eulalie earned the second 3 star New York Times review for this talented couple. Their first was for The Simone on the Upper East Side, which opened in 2013 and closed in 2022 after the pandemic.  Listen in to hear:  ~ Tina’s journey from Rockette to wine pairing whisperer ~ Chip and Tina’s tres romantique “meet cute in a restaurant” story  ~ How a wine from Chateau de Cenac in Cahors gave the restaurant its name ~ The ways in which working with Larry Forgione, Jean-Louis Palladin, and Patrick O’Connell influenced Chip’s cooking ~ Where Tina and Chip like to dine when they aren’t working ~ Why Tina would like to see table times 86ed

Cherif Mbodji’s passion for hospitality is deeply rooted in his upbringing in Senegal. When he came to America in 2000 to attend the University of Michigan, he had no way of knowing that homesickness for the liveliness and generosity of his big family in Senegal would lead him to a career in hospitality.  When Cherif stumbled into Rain, a Thai restaurant on the Upper East Side, he got a summer job as a busser that kicked off a journey that took him to the dining rooms of the China Grill Group, Bouley, and Daniel Boulud, to being nominated for a James Beard Hospitality Award in Houston with his partners Aaron and Victoria Pappas Bludorn. Join us to hear: - What it was like to grow up in a family of 9 kids - Their family tradition of always saving a plate of food in case a stranger or visitor passes by - The time Cherif got in big trouble with Charlie Rose - How he created an 8-top in a packed dining room and saved the job of a bigwig’s assistant  - What he learned about the real role of manager on the floor at Bouley  - How working for Dinex prepared him to run his own business - What’s happening in Houston with Bludorn Hospitality Group

Meeting a kindred spirit like Andrea Needell is exactly why we started this podcast.  Andrea is the bar director and general manager of Clay, an American farm to table restaurant located in the space once occupied by the historic Perks Jazz Club in Harlem.  Clay is a neighborhood restaurant that people travel for, known for its wine and beverage program as well as its tasty local ingredient driven menu with French and Italian influences. Like many restaurateurs, Andrea, who runs Clay with Chef Gustavo Lopez, and Gabriela Davogustto, is a philosopher at heart and puts a lot of thought into her leadership role.  Listen in to hear: What celebrity chef insisted on shaking the hand of the dishwasher first when they came back to meet and thank the kitchen team A shout out to Jasmin Allen, CEO of Armand De Brignac, who gave her some of the best leadership inspo ever That sometimes a door closing means the door that’s opening is the one you’re supposed to be walking through How the false layer of anonymity provided by masking during the pandemic impacted guests’ behavior Why the pandemic shifted their way of thinking about hospitality to the belief that Hospitality Requires Reciprocity Why she believes there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done to train restaurant guests in the difference between a server and a servant  How the powerful tool of respectfully declining service has helped them organically curate a clientele that reflects their values 

This summer we were lucky to catch up with Luis Terreros while he was on a break between his position as opening AGM of Cafe Carmellini and taking on the new role of General Manager at Chef Michael White’s soon to open, much anticipated restaurant, Santi.  Luis hails from Cuenca, Ecuador, and has been working in New York City fine dining for the past 24 years. During that time he’s worked with some of the best chefs in the business, including Eric Ripert, David Bouley, Daniel Boulud and Andrew Carmellini. Luis got into the business thanks to his brother and his trajectory from busser to GM is a true industry success story.  Join us to hear how Luis came to New York really wanting to work as a musician or comedian but ended up catching the fine dining bug; what he loves about the work; the managers who’ve inspired him along the way (shout out to Rachel Ossakow and Nicholas Lorentz!); why he says Daniel Boulud took his youth; and how through some crafty training at home with bedsheets, Luis snagged his first job as a busser at Le Bernardin.

Tomorrow, September 5, 2024, New York City public school students head back to the classroom, so what better date to drop our episode with the multi-talented Traceena Lynch? Traceena is a senior at Food & Finance High School in NYC, and thanks to the professional training programs run by the non-profit Food Education Fund, she already has a ton of experience in the hospitality and culinary fields. In addition to being an avid baker, Traceena has worked as a host, waiter, busser, and dining room manager. Already!  We met Traceena this summer at the launch party for the fifth issue of Pass the Spatula, the magazine that's created by Food Education Fund students.  Join us to get to know this delightful rising star of the Class of 2025. You’ll also learn more about the important work of FEF, and hopefully be inspired to join us in supporting and mentoring NYC public school students. These are amazing young folks with bright futures in the business.

These days restaurant gatekeepers come in all shapes, sizes, and sartorial styles, but our guest Jorge Escudero is cut from the fine cloth of what many of us might consider a classic maître d.  Jorge has welcomed guests at iconic establishments over the years, including The Beatrice Inn, The 21 Club, and Sérêvène in Miami Beach. Now he’s at the door of chef Angie Mar’s deeply personal, glamorous, plush velvet, white tablecloth, silver service escape-to-another-much-finer-world restaurant Le B, in Greenwich Village.  Join us to get to know Jorge and hear about his journey from Peru to the New York fashion industry, to finding a home in fine dining hospitality. Jorge regales us with tales of the legendary and sadly closed 21 Club, and a reprehensible guest whose behavior will make you sick to your stomach. He also shares some tips on what he considers the importance of conducting ourselves “like ladies and gentlemen” when out to dine, and how if you’re going to shake a maître d’s hand, discretion is key.

Welcome to our energized interview with Caprice Benedetti, a woman of a certain age who’s in the middle of her first foray into hospitality. At an incredibly high level. We started Maître d’ Diaries because we wanted to build community, connect with more FOH folks, and bridge the OG / Next Gen gap in the industry. It’s no secret that being part of the Dinex Diaspora ourselves, many of the folks we’ve interviewed so far are ex-Daniel (Boulud employees).  Last fall, in one of the most significant and anticipated restaurant arrivals of the year, chef Andrew Carmellini and his partners in NoHo Hospitality, Josh Pickard and Luke Ostrom, opened the glorious, glamorous, glossy Cafe Carmellini. If you’re in the business, you know how to read a room and how to spot a natural. And that’s what Caprice Benedetti is–a natural presence at the door and on the floor, even though this is her first job in the business.  Join us as we talk to this captivating, hilarious, actor, voice over artist, and model about how she got into hospitality, what it’s like to run the door at one of the Best New Cocktail Bars in the country, and how hospitality is really “inhospitable to your feet.”

It’s the Grand Opening of Maître d’ Diaries, Season Two, and we are kicking off the season with the man, the legend, the Brad Pitt of Cheese, John Winterman.  Long before the restaurant Ever in The Bear there was Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, where a pre-Silver Fox John Winterman cut his fine dining teeth. John’s illustrious career path took him to San Francisco to work with great Gary Danko, New York to work with Daniel Boulud, and then to open Batard in Tribeca with Drew Nieporent and chef Markus Glocker, which was awarded 3 Stars by the New York Times and won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant 2014. John hangs out in Brooklyn now where he is co-owner of the beloved Francie, Michelin-starred restaurant with chef Chris Cipollone.  Give a listen for a behind the scenes glimpse into what it was like to work in the dining rooms and run the door at some of the country’s fineest dining rooms, the gentle nature of developing a relationship with regular guests, the powerful impact FOH & BOH workers being on the other side of the table every once in a while, and how he feels about people filming in the restaurant without permission.

Welcome to Season Two of Maître d’ Diaries!  We are a Front of the House Industry podcast that takes you behind the podium, between the tables, and inside the heads of the people who run your favorite restaurants.   Take a listen to our trailer for a taste of what’s to come in Season Two, including interviews with:  ~ Barry Wine of the legendary Quilted Giraffe ~ Andrea Needell of Clay in Harlem ~ John Winterman of Francie in Brooklyn ~ Caprice Benedetti, Portrait Bar at The Fifth Avenue Hotel ~ Jorge Escudero of Le B in Greenwich Village ~ Tina Vaughn of Eulalie in Tribeca ~ Cherif Mbodji of Bludorn Hospitality in Houston ~ Traceena Lynch, a senior at Food & Finance High School in NYC ~ Luis Terreros, Dinex Alum, Cafe Carmellini & Chef Michael White's new resto ~ Shari Bayer, All in the Industry Can’t wait to share these wonderful folks with you!  ~ Erica & Dante

Four years ago in the great unknown landscape of 2020 Aaron and Victoria Bludorn, Cherif Mbodji, and their team–many imported colleagues from New York City and the Dinex (Daniel Boulud) Diaspora–opened the much celebrated Bludorn restaurant in Houston, Texas.   A little less than four years and two more restaurants later, on July 8th, 2024, Hurricane Beryl hit the Houston area and many homes and businesses were without power for a week or more.   Cherif Mbodji is the COO of Bludorn Hospitality Group, and a week after the storm, we were scheduled to do an interview. As you can imagine, we ended up talking about what was going on in Houston and how their three restaurants were handling the aftermath of the hurricane. We also got to hear the thrilling tale of how Cherif pulled off getting the power back on at their flagship Bludorn. In honor of Bludorn’s 4th anniversary, this bonus episode takes you behind the scenes of the drama and difficulties that ensue when Mother Nature takes your business out of your hands.  Restaurant operators will recognize the emotional roller coaster of trying to get the electricity back on. Diners and restaurant fans will get some insight into the agility, creativity, and doggedness it takes to re-open the doors of your neighborhood restaurants after a forced closing.  Join us for this special episode, and get excited for Season Two of Maître d’ Diaries, coming soon!

Welcome to the final episode of Season One of Maître d’ Diaries. Like most restaurants, the podcast has taken much longer to get up and running than we could have imagined, with lots of starts and stops, largely out of our control. To wrap up Season One we figured it would be a good time for you to get to know us better.  Dante and Erica are old friends who met at the Four Seasons Hotel Boston in the 90’s. We followed our hospitality dreams to NYC, worked in some of the finest restaurants in the city, were here through 911, and within years of each other left New York to move back to our respective home states (Hawai’i and Pennsylvania).  Working fine dining restaurant operations can take its toll on a spirit and a life, and we each had our own cocktail of reasons for leaving town.  Then, “just when we thought we were out…” we were unable to resist the allure of the city we love. Now we are both back, rolling up our sleeves and pitching in to do our part in post-Covid New York restaurant life.  We started the podcast as a way to build community and foster conversation amongst other FOH folks. We are having a wonderful time reminiscing about restaurants in the 90’s and 2000’s, for sure, but we are also enjoying real talk about the state of hospitality today, and gazing forward at what it can be in the years to come.  Join us as we interview each other, and find out how Dunkin’ Donuts and TGI Friday’s figure into our pasts.  #hospitality #restaurants #restaurantpodcast #restaurantlife #maitred #foh #service #nyc #nyrestaurants #86list #soigneryourself #wecantransferthis #werebooked #maitred  @dante_camara @ericawcantley

Aloha and welcome to our first Pop-Up episode of Maitre d’ Diaries the Podcast, where we record interviews from our visits to colleagues in restaurants around the country and the world. On Dante’s most recent visit home he had lunch at Fete in Honolulu with his dear friend and sustainability proponent, Natalie Aczon, after which we had the pleasure to interview the co-owner of Fete, James Beard Award-Winning Chef Robynne Maii.  Dante has been boasting about Robynne and her husband Chuck Bussler’s restaurant Fete since it opened, and he was bursting with hometown pride two years ago when Robynne won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific. Robynne and Dante have more than Honolulu and a love of sustainability in common, though. During our chat we discovered that both Dante and Robynne boast Rocco di Spirito’s Union Pacific as their first job in New York City. Listen in to hear about how she came to work at the world renowned Kitchen Arts & Letters, how it connects to her unique New York 911 story, what made Robynne and her husband Chuck decide to move back to Hawaii and open Fete, and much more!  @robynnemaii @asknataliehawaii @fetehawaii @chuckbussler @beardfoundation @roccodispirito @kalnyc @mattsartwell @zunicafe 

Aspen Maye, Food & Beverage Manager at the Arlo Hotel in Williamsburg, is relatively new to the hospitality business, but she’s a quick study and has already put a lot of thought into how to run a door, make people feel welcome, and add some silliness into training her front of the house team. Listen in as we learn about the 10 to 5 rule, what a Sasha Bar is, and why Aspen thinks everyone should work in hospitality for at least a year. (We wholeheartedly concur!)

We are so honored to welcome Drew Nieporent to MaÎtre d’ Diaries!  Drew is one of America's great restaurateurs. He has been an integral player in the NYC food world landscape for decades, supporting the community, making connections, and always bringing the good time and warm welcome. Drew has played a significant role in shaping the dining scene in this country into one of our premier cultural, artistic, and recreational pursuits, with iconic venues including Montrachet, Nobu, Batard, Rubicon, and Tribeca Grill.  A stellar career like Drew’s doesn’t happen by accident. Augmenting his studies at Cornell, he worked his way up from the bottom studying the rise of McDonald’s, learning fine dining service on international cruise ships, and working with the great showman Warner LeRoy at Maxwell’s Plum and Tavern on the Green.  Listen in as we chat about those early days, how his father’s job impacted his choice of profession, how Drew met and ended up hiring David Bouley as the first chef at Montrachet, the storied evolution of the 239 West Broadway space, how Drew feels about Instagram and what restaurant behavior he’d like to see 86ed!

Maître d's may be the gatekeepers, but here at Maître d' Diaries we will frequently step away from the door and talk to front of the house hospitality professionals who play all different roles in executing the service in restaurant operations. Join us this episode for our chat with Maddy Maldonado, the beverage director of Jose Andres' Mercado Little Spain at Hudson Yards on the West Side of Manhattan. Maldonado grew up in New Jersey, the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, surrounded by the wonder of food, love, and warmth while she helped her mother host large family gatherings. Maldonado first caught the hospitality bug doing pick up work with a caterer: listen in as she tells us how helping out at a party in the home of a wine collector with a 1,000 bottle cellar sparked a mentorship that led to a lifelong passion for learning and teaching about wine. 

Welcome to the first episode of We're Booked! where each season we will chat with people who write books about restaurants! Where better to kick off this deliciously decadent series than at the venerable Kitchen Arts & Letters, the world renowned bookstore opened in 1983 by the legendary Nach Waxman? For almost four decades Waxman was a veritable biblio-maître d' whose by-hand sales and curation made Kitchen Arts & Letters a beloved and important gastronomic library and research center.  Join us in the stockroom at KAL--goosebumps!--as we chat with managing partner, Matt Sartwell, about the history of the store and some of our favorite books about restaurants.

It's been quite a year for Chef David Viana and Managing Director Neilly Robinson, partners in New Jersey's Heirloom Kitchen, Heirloom at the St. Laurent Social Club, and the systemically innovative, vibrantly delicious, Lita. Last summer we visited David and Neilly six weeks after Lita, their Modern Iberian Restaurant in Aberdeen Township, NJ, opened. Since then, Esquire Magazine and the James Beard Foundation have recognized Lita as one of the country's Best New Restaurants. We agree, and we think Lita also boasts an important new approach to restaurant staffing. You're going to want to hear about how Viana and Robinson are blending BOH & FOH to foster growth and career sustainability for their team members. Join us for our chat about the vision and intentionality behind this beacon of exciting hospitality and its creators' game-changing model for sharing the wealth. 

One fine August afternoon Dante & Erica met up at Cafe Spaghetti and had the fortuitous pleasure of running into chef/owner Sal Lamboglia, who gave us a preview of their new venture, Swoony's. Of course we pulled out the microphone to record the impromptu visit! Listen in to hear about Sal and Dante's meeting at Andrew Carmellini's A Voce and the inspiration behind the newly opened and already warmly embraced Swoony's on Columbia Street, a block away from Cafe Spaghetti.

Giovanna Cucolo is the managing partner and wine buyer of Brooklyn’s Cafe Spaghetti and the recently opened Swoony’s, two of Carroll Garden’s most comfortable, fun, popular restaurants. She's worked in many of the city's top dining establishments with some of the country's great restaurateurs, and brings all that experience home to Brooklyn and the Columbia Waterfront district. Giovanna is a true renaissance woman and a consummate host. She loves the hospitality business and brings a dose of stoicism and “don’t take yourself too seriously” to her management style, which translates directly into the vibe in the dining rooms she pilots. Her multilingual background and education in the classics informs both how she thinks and how she builds her team. In this episode you’ll hear about: Her time at Club Med Her pollinator garden and bird watching Her wine mentors Josh Nadel & Jorge Riera The importance of speaking more than one language What restaurant behavior she’d like to see 86ed And much much more!

It was a maître d' reunion! One of the many things chef Daniel Boulud taught those of us lucky enough to have worked with him is the importance of recognizing and celebrating milestone moments.  In that spirit, to partake in the @30atdaniel celebration in the spring of 2023, Dante and Erica invited seven former Daniel maître d's to talk about what their time working the door for Daniel meant to them and to their careers. You'll hear stories and tributes to Daniel from: Markus Draxler Elvir Dzananovic Karim Guedouar Cherif Mbodji Maite Montenegro Carrie Sumner John Winterman

Join Erica and Dante as they chat with mentor, inspiration and former boss, chef Daniel Boulud, during an epic dinner at Restaurant Daniel in April 2023. Daniel shares his thoughts about the fine dining scene in NYC when he arrived in 1983, who were the maitre d's who held the power, how the role has changed, and the gastronomic history behind his award-winning restaurant Le Pavillon.

Who better to have as our first guest on Maître d’ Diaries than maître d’ extraordinaire, Michael Cecchi-Azzolina? Michael has had two huge hits in a row this past year. His memoir, Your Table is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître d’, is a best seller that's being touted as a front of the house Kitchen Confidential; and his Greenwich Village boite, Cecchi's, opened this summer to great acclaim and has fast become one of the hottest tables in town. We interviewed Michael this spring before his restaurant opened, and checked back in with him last week to hear how it's going. Come join us for our chat!