PX This.

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"

So, what do you do in the industry?
Now? I’m a consultant. But I used to work directly in the industry for about 20 years— I started as a waitress, but I’ve also been a cocktail waitress, bartender, floor manager, hostess, GM, and Maitre d’.

And you have how many days off a week, generally?
It varies.

What did you do for breakfast yesterday?
No breakfast, just coffee with e-mails. I generally only have breakfast/brunch on weekends, in which case, I usually cook at home (unless I’m meeting with friends/guests).

Lunch?
Met friends at Hasaki, which came very highly recommended by another friend who also happens to work in the industry as a Maitre d’. It was very good; the fish was really fresh and the portions were generous. One friend at lunch is Finnish— he was visiting from out of town. His job requires him to travel frequently, and sushi is his favorite food. So basically, he’s eaten sushi all over the world, and even he said he liked the food at Hasaki a lot.
The industry friend that recommended Hasaki in the first place happened to show up unexpectedly for lunch, too. So she wasn’t kidding— it really is one of her favorite restaurants in NYC.

And afterward?
Strolled around a bit. Our Finnish friend had lost his scarf on the plane ride in and desperately wanted a new one. So we took him to John Varvatos in the former CBGB. He found a nice one there so he was happy about that.

Dinner?
Oh, lord. Entertained more friends from out of town, this time from Turkey. Every time they come into town it’s almost stressful taking them out. They are very well-known and very rich, and they’re used to nothing but the very best in everything. They always want to go to the newest, hottest place in NYC, and they never dine before 8pm (and then they’re always late). Trying to tell them there’s no available reservation is like trying to tell Robert deNiro the gorgeous hostess isn’t into him. It’s unfathomable.
So I suggested Maialino, since it’s new, and also because it’s in a fancy shmancy Schrager/Schnabel hotel and they looove hotels and architecture as much as they looove restaurants. Well, then of course they wanted a booking for 9pm… for EIGHT people. Ha ha ha ha ha haah I’m like Moses and the Red Sea up in this mutherfukker.

Well, wouldn’t you know 9pm at Maialino rolls around, and eight people are suddenly ten people— of course. Maialino was super sweet about the accommodations, so I guess I can’t really complain the salads arrived AN HOUR after they were ordered, no exaggeration I swear to gawd. Then the entrees arrived a good 45 minutes after the first course was done; no joke I looked at my watch and we were chowing down on pasta at 11:15pm.
Which was just okay, by the way. I mean, I get it— Danny Meyer blah blaah, but really? If this is supposed to be some outstanding extraordinary shit, then some peoples seriously need to get out more often.

And afterward?
Dinner ended very late, so everyone was exhausted afterward. Thank god. Because if it had been an hour earlier, I knooow the next request would have been "BoomBoom" at theStandard. Can you imagine? TEN people. That would have required a lot of text messaging, credential waving, and cruise directing, and I was so not in the mood for that.
Instead it was "Home, Jeeves…" for all of them. Hallelujah.

How much did you blow today?
Me, personally? $0.

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