Service Included

[TAPrice]

The Daily News reports that a tell-all book about the dining room at Per Se will soon hit the stores. A choice quote:

New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni also provided a wealth of material. While every reviewer has tricks for taking notes, Damrosch writes, "Mr. Bruni had yet to figure out how to navigate this and got up between almost every course, clearly going to write it all down in the bathroom. This was a nightmare for the kitchen, because we never delivered food to a table when one person is up."

From the article, this looks to be mainly dish on celebrity dining habits. Honestly, not all that exciting.

Has a relatively young restaurant ever before generated a book like this? What do you bet waiters will soon be signing non-disclosure agreements?

[The Naughti Literati]

Hi! I'm new to the site, have been lurking for some time now. I love this board! I am a total bibliophile so I know that this is where I will be spending a lot of time.

That is not what the book is about at ALL, it's actually very good. Phoebe has nothing but the utmost respect for Thomas Keller, Johnathan Benno and her former coworkers and that really is clear in the book - that little bit in the Daily News was taken from the end, where she does do a small amount of dishing but not just bad things either.

I nabbed an advance copy of this at the Book Expo in June (I stalked the Harper Collins booth when I found out about it because of the extraordinary Per Se/TFL threads on HERE!) and will be back with a detailed review! It was a great read, the way the staff is trained is thorough (even waltz classes!), which shows in how people rave about the service - comes out in September and I highly recommend it.

Review to come!

Edited July 27, 2007 by The Naughti Literati (log)

[Fat Guy]

I have an advance copy languishing in my mail pile, which I haven't had the time to look at yet and probably won't until after the book is out. I'd be happy to send it to someone, if that person will post a review. PM me if you're interested -- first come first served.

[russ parsons]

i read the book a month or so ago. i found the parts about the behind-the-scenes at Per Se to be really interesting, but not at all in a salacious way. Just the idea that a restaurant would put the front-of-the-house through what amounted to a training camp and regular drills before opening was reflective of Thomas and Laura's madness (meant in a good way). And she kind of reflects the way you get seduced into their world view (read: drink the kool-aid).

on the other hand, I found her second-half digressions into her affair with another staff member to be at first distracting and then downright annoying. problem is, in the book she doesn't seem that interesting as a person and neither does he ... at least not enough that i would care about what comes off as essentially just another office romance.

eta: and i found it more than a little cringe-worthy that they apparently call each other "chef" in bed. that's taking work too far.

Edited July 27, 2007 by russ parsons (log)

[Fat Guy]

(Note: my copy has been claimed)

[The Naughti Literati]

i read the book a month or so ago. i found the parts about the behind-the-scenes at Per Se to be really interesting, but not at all in a salacious way. Just the idea that a restaurant would put the front-of-the-house through what amounted to a training camp and regular drills before opening was reflective of Thomas and Laura's madness (meant in a good way). And she kind of reflects the way you get seduced into their world view (read: drink the kool-aid).

on the other hand, I found her second-half digressions into her affair with another staff member to be at first distracting and then downright annoying. problem is, in the book she doesn't seem that interesting as a person and neither does he ... at least not enough that i would care about what comes off as essentially just another office romance.

eta: and i found it more than a little cringe-worthy that they apparently call each other "chef" in bed. that's taking work too far.

←

LOL!!! I have to agree with you there. I was awed by the training process too, and liked the rules that she discussed. The best part of the love affair she detailed was the menu at the end! Look forward to hearing the reviewer's thoughts (I'll be happy to do a different one when a new book comes available).

[Carrot Top]

eta: and i found it more than a little cringe-worthy that they apparently call each other "chef" in bed. that's taking work too far.

←

There's no exact emoticon to render my feelings on this and I hesitate to use words.

(read: drink the kool-aid)

Must be some strong kool-aid indeed.

I had no intention of reading this book as it just isn't within the realm of things I really like to read but now it must be confessed I will be looking for it at the library just to read of the (rather unbelievable) scenes you describe above.

I really wish you hadn't told us about that.

[Jmahl]

After seeing this thread I ordered the book on Amazon. I have a particular interest since my son Philip worked in the kitchen at Per Se at the opening and the fire. He left extensive notes and an employee manual. I am interested in seeing how "it" works from another prospective.

Jmahl

[nikkib]

when is the book published and what is the title?

[Jmahl]

when is the book published and what is the title?

←

"Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter"

Phoebe Damrosch; Hardcover; $16.47 a Amazon.

Jmahl

[Megan Kathleen]

After much ado- I apologize for the delay- my review:

A memoir of life in and around Thomas Keller's Per Se, Phoebe Damrosch's first book, Service Included, is a delight. It's a celebration of trueness to self and unorthodox decision-making, a tasting menu of anecdotes and life philosophy from a vibrant and fearless personality who is evidently equally talented as a server and a writer.

Colorful and self-effacing throughout the book, Ms. Damrosch begins her story in an admittedly dysfunctional restaurant in arguably the greatest restaurant city in the world, working her way up from humble beginnings after earning the terminal degree in the field of creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College. "I was posing as an artist to justify my work as a waiter," she says on the first page, laying the groundwork for a tightly constructed and enjoyable read tinged with wryness and playful irony.

The book is filled to overflowing with details of the author's life as a young, enthusiastic lover of food and culture in New York City, most notably the chronicle of a deep and lasting love affair from its squishy inception. The gentleman in question, to whom the book is dedicated, was in the midst of the dissolution of a long-term relationship with another Per Se staff member at the time. Indeed, things get personal enough to threaten the reader's interest from time to time; for the most part, Ms. Damrosch's technical mastery- in the presence of skillfully applied server sleight-of-hand- manages to save the day. Consistently witty and exacting comments about regulars, coworkers and critics at the restaurant liven the narrative. Among the most memorable scenes in the book are those that occur outside of the restaurant: the author and her coworkers enter the Manhattan night in search of bone marrow, a search for a storied (and nonexistent) single-cow artisanal cheese invites a joyful rationalization of living outside of one's means.

The author's spirited recollections of her work, first as backserver and then as a captain at Per Se, provide valuable insights from the world of service for veterans and civilians alike. Food may be Ms. Damrosch's lens on the human experience, but her keen critical eye, awareness of craft, and joie de vivre in Service Included suggest a promising future in writing.

[The Naughti Literati]

Fantastic review! She has an interesting blog on her site, www.pheobedamrosch.com that is worth checking out as well.

[The Naughti Literati]

Did anyone go to see her at Borders Columbus Circle on Tuesday night? I was going to, but there was NFW that I was gonna miss Junot Diaz at the Cervantes Insitute in midtown once I heard about that.

I do hope to catch her elsewhere sometime, was hoping she'd at least be at the New Yorker Festival! If I see anymore upcoming events, I'll post.

[Synergy]

I just bought this the other day (my christmas present to myself).

I read it in one sitting.

Very well written, exactly the kind of non fiction I like.

Food, relationships, there is even some travel in there!