Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter

This was one of the fastest and most fun reads I've had in awhile. In "Service Included," Phoebe Damrosch writes about her life as one of the only female captains (a.k.a. waitresses) at the posh restaurant Per Se in New York City. Her knowledge of food was impressive and it was obvious that she's passionate about serving people some of the best food they will ever have in their lifetimes. As a former waitress, this book was very relatable. I've read a few memoirs by women who at one point in their lives claimed this underappreciated profession as their own, but I think that "Service Included" was my favorite for its brutal honesty and peek into a world so unlike my own.

Per Se is only one of renowned chef Thomas Keller's dining ventures. He also owns The French Laundry in California as well as Bouchon Bistro and Bouchon Bakery with locations in Las Vegas, New York and California. To say the least, Keller has been very successful.

Honestly, I don't know how Phoebe was hired to work at Per Se with her only experience being two stints working in smaller bistros in Brooklyn. I'm guessing that her wit and smooth talking had something to do with it. Some may think her narration is annoying because of her strong liberal leanings and heavy sarcasm, but I enjoyed it. Granted I don't agree with all of her opinions, but I can appreciate her sincerity and passion. 

"Service Included" is not only career-related to Phoebe's life. It also follows her love life as a single 20-something in New York City. Eventually, she starts going out with Andre, a sommelier (if you don't know what that is, it's the resident wine expert of a restaurant). Since they both work at Per Se, they have a lot in common and seem to have chemistry. You'd have to read the book to find out what happens between them, but I will say that I didn't really like his character despite Phoebe's obvious love for him.

"Service Included" made me miss the restaurant business. When Phoebe described the pumping adrenaline her job brought her and the satisfaction of finishing a shift at two in the morning, it reminded me of my walks home after working at my town's local cafe with my hard-earned tips snug in my pocket. Despite the daily demanding customers and usually thankless work, there is still nothing like working as a waitress and the rush it brings.

Cheerful Weather for the Wedding

"Cheerful Weather for the Wedding" by little-known Julia Strachey was originally published in 1932 but has been sorely overlooked until it was reprinted last year as a Persephone Classics paperback. I honestly had never heard of Strachey but after reading the following snippet of a description of the novel, I was intrigued:

"Waylaid by the sulking admirer who lost his chance with her, an astonishingly oblivious mother, and her own sinking dread, the bride-to-be struggles to reach the altar with the help of a bottle of rum" (taken from the back cover of the 2009 print).

This bride-to-be is Dolly, a privileged young woman preparing to marry the Hon. Owen Bigham and follow him to South America where he is in the diplomatic service. The novel takes place all in one day, Dolly's wedding day.

"Cheerful Weather" is in turns amusing and somber. Dolly's family are ridiculous characters that produce quite a few laughs with their silly antics. The somber part is that Dolly obviously is not in love with the man that she's about to marry and must drink almost a full bottle of rum before she can bring herself to walk down the aisle.

The "sulking admirer" is Joseph who Dolly spent a euphoric summer with on his private boat. Joseph never declared his love for Dolly though and struggles with this fact throughout the book. If you have ever liked someone but not had the guts to tell them so, you will easily relate to Joseph's troubles.

Strachey wrote only two novels, "Cheerful Weather" and "The Man on the Pier." She led a very interesting life, working as a model, photographer and writer. She married two times, each one ending badly. Besides her novels, Strachey also wrote an autobiography with her best friend Frances Partridge.

I fairly enjoyed this small novel at 119 pages. There were Virginia Woolf-esque descriptions, laugh-out-loud sections and romantic intrigue, enough to keep me turning the pages. The one thing that just didn't fit was a surprise thrown in towards the end that in some ways shed more light on the main character but with such blurry details that it was more of a shock than anything else.

Although this was by no means my favorite novel, it was well worth reading for its excellent character studies and apt descriptions of the time. I may even have to check out Strachey's autobiography "Julia: A Portrait of Julia Strachey" to find out more about the eccentric woman behind the novel.

Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life

 

Michael Greenberg, a columnist for the Times Literary Supplement, produced a very entertaining and at times poignant book when he compiled stories from his Freelance column to create "Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life." Each of the 44 chapters is a short story approximately 4 pages long, making this book quite a fast read.

The title and artistic rendering of a book on the cover are what first caught my eye and convinced me to pick this book up. I was led to believe from the description on its jacket that it had more to do with Greenberg's life as a writer as opposed to his personal life. After reading a few stories though, I found this to be incorrect. "Beg, Borrow, Steal" are the writings of someone who is inspired by the occurrences in a New York City resident's life as well as by the Big Apple itself. Only a handful of the chapters actually pertain to his life as a writer, which includes the at times hilarious "Everything I Hate in Fiction," a relatable tale for every writer of being utterly rejected by an editor.

Even though the stories didn't have as much to say about the technicalities of writing as I expected, I still enjoyed them thoroughly. One of my favorites was "Dachshund" about Greenberg's dog named Eli (a name I have a particular affinity for). The story follows Greenberg day by day as he tries to find a new home for his furry friend due to Eli's dislike of children, which does not exclude Greenberg's 4-year-old son.

Another funny story was "The Importance of Pronouns," a story about the night Greenberg's wife brings home a transexual coworker for dinner. Greenberg sets about taking vigorous notes on their visitor in order to "get his language right" and is promptly told that it is "her" not "his" (thus the title). 

There is the occasional poignant story as well including accounts of his difficult relationships with his father and brothers, his divorce, new marriage and daughter's manic breakdown. After reading "Beg, Borrow, Steal," you feel like you've really come to know the author as not only a writer but also as a father, husband, brother, son and friend. Greenberg is a writer to take note of for his honestly portrayed compelling tales.