"waiter rant" news and stories

I started reading Waiter Rant sometime in the fall of 2004. I was stuck in a job that wasn't particularly busy and so I would pass the hours reading blogs and exploring the internet (the boredom I experienced at that job is what prompted me to start blogging, which eventually led me here to Slashfood). Having never worked in a restaurant, I was fascinated by the stories that the Waiter posted and would check back every day, hoping for a new post (this was long before I learned to use an RSS reader). I, along with many of his other readers, was thrilled when he announced that he had gotten a book deal and would be bringing his stories to live between two covers.

Waiterrant fans, the wait is over, the book has arrived and the Waiter has been revealed. He is Steve Dublanica and the New York Post has an exclusive interview with him in which they dish about the blog, the restaurant and how he was almost outed by Russell Crowe. Steve has also been guest blogging over at Powells.com this week, so go over and check out what he wrote this week.

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With a hat tip to Mr. Bruni, the restaurant critic who took a turn as a waiter, the Waiter stepped out of uniform and took a turn as a reviewer. The Waiter of WaiterRant.net is best known for his sharp, humorous accounts of the daily goings-on in the busy Bistro where he works. While no customers were screaming for their food or throwing fits about receiving the "wrong" table, the review of Mary's Fish Camp is no less interesting. He gets a recommendation from his waitress, samples a few dishes and leaves well-satisfied. Ever thought of a career change, Waiter?

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Frank Bruni, a New York Times restaurant critic, just spent a week working as a waiter in a restaurant to see how the other half lives. Though he still experienced the difficulties and irritations of the job after only a few days, he was at an excellent restaurant and he got to leave after only a week. Maki Itoh, whose food blog is the oft-mentioned i was just really very hungry, has written her own account of what it is like to work in a restaurant. She worked as a host in one of New York's most popular sushi restaurants back in 1998 and covers more than a week's worth of celebrities, regulars and why the job isn't as easy as it looks.

And for a truly entertaining, ongoing account of waiting tables, be sure to check out Waiter Rant, the blog of an anonymous waiter, who tells tales of everything from tipping, both good and bad, to the people who sniff rubber wine corks. He is also nominated as the Best American Blog in the 2006 Bloggies.

The always-funny Waiter Rant recently posted an extensive list of tips entitled "How To Order Wine Without Looking Like An Asshole." Just what it sounds like, this is a collection of common sense advice with gems such as "don't ask 'what's cheap?'" and "don't smell the plastic cork." There are suggestions about tipping on wine and not trying your hardest to stump your waiter about the soil in which a particular grape is grown. Also, there's plenty of practical advice, such as knowing that some states, such as New York and Florida, allow patrons to take the rest of their bottle of wine home as long as it's in a special bag. The more than 100 comments that accompany Waiter's post are pretty informative as well.