Serving the people who serve us
“Working at a restaurant, you usually get familiar with the regulars. In fact, that’s expected. But what’s strange about that is the exception, the people who don’t want to be recognized, like the aging blonde escort who comes in religiously and places the same impossible order of poached and steamed [...]

Serving the people who serve us

“There’s nothing quite like watching a Marine, decked in a perfectly spectacular uniform, blowing chunks all over the floor of a restaurant. I can’t imagine the logic behind wearing all the gold and navy bells and whistles at 3 a.m., but Sgt. Pukey and his female comrade arrived in a [...]

Serving the people who serve us
“I’m waiting on a gentleman who, while small, looks a little rough around the edges. He’s somewhat dusty and there’s a distinct air of resignation about him. I ask, ‘Are you ready to order?’ and he says, ‘Boy, I sure am tired.’ I reply, ‘Did you want a minute to [...]

Serving the people who serve us
“Dining and dashing at my restaurant is bad for both your karma and your pride, as two examples prove. Take the drunk couple who sat at the counter and ordered buffalo wings while waiting for a cab. After spilling a whole cup of half and half on herself, the booty-short-clad [...]

Serving the people who serve us
“It was a bit of a slow night before a FedEx deliveryman came in to my restaurant and took a seat. By the looks of him, it had been a rough day, his uniform stained with bright white sweat rings. Even his shorts looked salty. Before he ordered, he left [...]

Serving the people who serve us
“As the door girl at a famous music store on Sunset Boulevard, I had a lot of odd celebrity encounters—like the time RZA came in at 11 a.m. reeking of marijuana and bought our most expensive drum kit. Or when Eddie Van Halen gave me his cell phone number to [...]

Serving the people who serve us
“He staggered into my bar and struggled to climb atop the bar stool. He ordered a cranberry/vodka and I sized him up pretty quickly; I pushed a glass of straight cranberry juice towards him, thinking that if he couldn’t tell I had left the vodka out of his drink, it [...]

Serving the people who serve us
“A usual workday at my coffee shop in the East Village turned out to be not-so-normal when a homeless man decided (or maybe the drugs decided) to stand up for himself. Normally, his antics were harmless, so we let him order water and pass his blurred days on our patio. [...]

Serving the people who serve us
“Cowboy Bob Dunnigan—‘Buckaroo’ to his friends—walked into the bar with a chainsaw and a shotgun. The chainsaw he laid across the bar top. ‘Um, what’s going on, Buckaroo?’ I asked. ‘I’m tired of waiting on the money your boss owes me. You and your customers get in the back room,’ [...]

Serving the people who serve us

“While some people were relaxing in preparation for Labor Day, the rest were apparently using the lead-up as an excuse to party. At about midnight, the drunks began to roll into my restaurant—and, of course, chaos ensued. Sure, there were plenty of memorable moments that night—a guy who made out [...]