Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter (P.S.) by Steve Dublanica
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Hi, I’m Steve,

and I’ll be your judgmental spy tonight

NONFICTION: Waiter Rant

Ah, how do I describe Steve Dublanica, the author of the sensational book Waiter Rant? He is, first and foremost, a quintessential New York waiter. This book – blook if you are being fussy – is born from Dublanica’s award-winning blog, The Waiter Rant. The blog garners million of hits and comments – both constructive and destructive – propelling its owner, now turned published author, to a dizzying heights of fame. To be honest, I envy Dublanica’s stroke of luck.

On the contrary, Dublanica’s life, some nine years ago, was dismal at its best. Unceremoniously laid-off from a health care company, he sought his brother’s help to make him a waiter at an Italian restaurant, Amici’s. Dublanica soon discovered the neurotic working environment in a restaurant, when a fellow waiter trying to decide whether or not he is gay.

The story – tied up in a form of restaurant anecdotes, captivating dialogues and his personal life – is set against the backdrop of New York at current time. Environment of the restaurant business in America is best described as “the survival of the fittest,” where the waiters fight for the best time to work to earn more tips above their meager basic salary. However, I am guessing, the author’s wits pull the reader closer to him – if not, it is his blatant honesty which tantamount to vulgarity at times.

Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip — Confessions of a Cynical Waiter is part exposé and part payback. The Waiter spends a lot of time hilariously skewering diners who have the audacity to ask for another table, question organic ingredients, or leave a lousy tip. Owners, managers, and fellow servers receive similar treatment for their paranoid, backstabbing, and occasionally drunken behavior.

 Having failed to fend off insane owner and backstabbing at Amici’s, he was later fired from the restaurant. He quickly resurrected from his misery after being employed as chief waiter by Fluvio – Amici’s previous cook. Dublanica fancied himself as the “Waiter Jedi” of The Bistro, where he towered above other waiters and waitress when he got to decide on the shifts.

This is a pretty funny book. There are stories in here that will make you smile and warm your heart- proposals, couples discussing having a baby, waiters and waitresses looking out for each other. There are also hair-raising tales- stories of kitchen staff and servers coming to work almost deathly ill.

If you’ve ever worked in food service, Waiter Rant will make you smile with rueful recognition; if you haven’t, the book may change your restaurant manners or — once you read chapter 12 (simply titled “Filth”) — stop you from ever eating out again.

Six year later, Dublanica woke up and, well, found himself still a waiter. From what he deemed as an in-between job in his life had turned into a career. Perhaps, that explains the cynicism in his writing. Trapped in such a thankless job, as your monthly income depends largely on the tips you get, Murray began describing his stint at The Bistro in an anonymous blog. He shielded his identity to protect the interest of the establishment.

With the phenomenon of superstar chefs in full swing (if not incipient decline), it’s about time for a celebrity server. In 2004, Dublanica became a blogger calling himself the Waiter and began dishing front-of-the-house dirt about his upscale New York City–area restaurant. Four years later, waiterrant.net gets more than 2 million hits per month, has won a Bloggie Award for Best Writing (they exist), and has a very hot book in the stores.

Book Review: Waiter Rant