Phoebe Damrosch: Service Included

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Phoebe Damrosch isn't writing about eavesdropping on illicit affairs or financial schemes – though there is one chapter stuffed with hilarious gems. What the subtitle of Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter (Morrow 2007) refers to her revealing the intricate job that she performed at Per Se. Her story is the story of someone new to the service industry, hesitant at first, and then falling in love with every aspect of the trade. It is also the story of her falling in love with a sommelier at Per Se. As the inside story of the passion and focus required to really do the job of fulfilling the needs of a guest before they know they even have the needs. Phoebe is George Plimpton, bringing us a portrait of profession from the inside. Service Included is not just a waiter's story, but also the story of the training and service at one of the finest restaurants in America. Some of the story will be familiar; the fire that shut down Per Se just as it was opening, The New York Times review by Frank Bruni, the inclusion of a 20% gratuity in the bill, and a description of some of Thomas Keller's signature dishes. But Phoebe takes us inside how she got her first position as "backserver", the rigorous training, which included tasting and learning about all the ingredients in the dishes prepared at Per Se's as well as the wine list and pairing –it came in very handy to have a sommelier as a boyfriend! In the months of training for this restaurant's opening, we not only learned glassware series and the names of the cows that produced the milk from which our butter was made, but were coached by an eighteenth-century dance specialist... It seemed absurd at the time, but much of it came in handy. (p. 41) Phoebe writes of an imaginary couple, the Bitchalots, who complain about everything and are a waiter's worst nightmare. There are plenty of tips sprinkled throughout the book to make us all better customers, such as, "There is no need to say that you are allergic when you don't like something. Not only are allergies very serious, but also you have every right to your personal taste" (p. 73). The book also includes a number of Per Se's rules for front of the house employees, such as: "Rule #20: When asked, guide guests to the bathroom instead of pointing" (p. 23) that leads to a fun discussion of how close to the bathroom the waiter is required to go. Phoebe discussed the difficult issue of her being the only female captain, and a waiter's gender: The fact that I was aware of my gender in this world struck me as odd. It was as If I were some sort of invention of an invention. Wasn't hospitality or servitude in essence women's work? Apparently, when it involved six-figure salaries and health care, it wasn't. It took some time to understand where my own power lay and that I was at an advantage as a woman. (p. 80) Who knew that male waiters made more in tips and that it was unusual for a woman to tip a female waiter? It isn't clear what Thomas Keller and his management thought of Phoebe's early departure. Certainly, they welcome her back to dine at Per Se with Andre, her sommelier. They shouldn't complain about the picture she paints of the restaurant, its staff, and the cuisine. This isn't just a book for all those people who were waiters in college or bused at a local bistro, nor is it a lecture on waiter appreciation (depsite the trials and tribulations of the "Bitchalots"). Service Included makes a good read because it details the nuances of waiting without being boring. Also, it is about more than restaurants: it portrays Phoebe's growth far beyond the front of the house. As for the gossip and really funny stories about guests, turn to the chapter called, "I Can Hear You" and you won't be disappointed -- Super Chef won't spoil it. However, you may never eat unselfconsciously at a restaurant ever again. Previous articles: FOOD FLICKS: Thomas Keller's French Laundry Adam Sandler's Secret Spice: Thomas Keller Stock by Thomas Keller [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Thomas Keller, Per Se, Service Included --> back to Super Chef