Definitely not like any other memoir I have read.
This is an entertaining, yet enlightening read. It opens your eyes up to different aspects of the restaurant industry you may not have too much knowledge about.
Although plenty of name dropping, it keeps your attention and leaves you wanting more.

A decades-spanning look at life in high-end New York restaurants. The author worked his way up the ranks to become maître d’hotel in several of the city's prestige eateries. There's name dropping galore - which is exactly what you want in a book about Big Apple restaurants - as well as an affectionate recollection of the author's outer borough childhood. Cecchi-Azzolina also readily acknowledges the changes in the hospitality industry by acknowledging the offensive behavior common when he started in the business. The book's second half is stronger than the first, as Cecchi-Azzolina gets into the nuts and bolts of how restaurants are run and offers valuable hints for getting those good tables. Lots of fun.

"Your Table Is Ready" is a memoir written by Michael Cecchi- Azzolina over a long career as a maître d' in New York City. I was very excited to read this book written by someone who worked in the restaurant industry for so many years. I really enjoyed his vivid descriptions of working in the different restaurants and the interesting people that he worked with and served. I disliked the beginning of the book and felt that it moved too slowly. I appreciated that he stated that although we are living in a different time, he wanted to represent how life truly was; however, some of his descriptions of women were offensive.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of the ebook in return for an honest review.

I love these juicy, behind the scene looks, especially if they are restaurant tales.

I have always thought working in the food industry must be really difficult. Juicy tales and not so juicy tales but it is remarkable to see how addiction is prevalent in the industry.

The author writes his memoir with an open heart and gives us an insider's world that melds rich, royalty, and not so nice people.

Pacing is excellent and I keep expecting the author to whisper to me "come here girl, I have so much juicy gossip for you".

This is a fun one! Your Table Is Ready (available in both print and audio on 12/6) is a memoir and an unofficial coming of age for both author Michael Cecchi-Azzolina and the restaurant industry.
Checci-Azzolina shares his memories of working in some of NYC’s top restaurants since the early 80s. There’s many stories of coke-fueled shifts, celebrity encounters, and penises dangling free behind waiters’ aprons.
It’s all great fun until the AIDS epidemic hits and the world changes drastically.
As the 90s matures into the 00s, the insanity and drugs calms a bit— although penises and celebrities still make an occasional appearance.
Michael Cecchi-Azzolina definitely knows how to tell a story. Your Table is Ready had me up all night as I continually read ‘just one more chapter’ and left me hungry for more.

Wow! I must say that, in reading some of the reviews of this book, I am left very confused. Why do people have to insist on putting their personal biases onto the life experiences of an author? It's not like he's asking for their approval of his lifestyle, he's simply relaying what he went through and experienced.
That being said, I found the author's story to be fascinating. From his early upbringing in the culture of the Italian mob, all the way to the end when he reflects on life with his daughters. In between, you will find stories of rampant drug use, the AID's pandemic, and dealing with unstable employees, chefs, and owners. And full of interesting stories about eccentric, or mean, or egotistic diners. And the celebrities! The book is full of fascinating tidbits about all of our favorite stars!
I think the point of the book is to recognize the growth of the author. The culture of the restaurant industry is not his fault, he simple lived through it. I'm sure that, like most of us, if he had the chance to do it over, he would do it much differently.
I honestly could not put this book down!
I hope the author has success if he does decide to open his own restaurant. Although, I bet after reading about themselves, some of the "celebrities" will not be visiting (here's looking at you, Anna Wintour)!

Interesting read. Love all the details.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

7/10

[book:Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly|33313] is a great book. It was ground-breaking when it came out, revealing the under(pork)belly of the restaurant industry, the sex, the drugs, the debauchery. That book did for the restaurant business what [book:The Jungle|41681] did for the meat packing industry.

"Your Table is Ready" is similar to Kitchen Confidential in that it focuses on the drugs, sex and general debauchery of the restaurant business. Whereas Anthony Bourdain's book was from the perspective of the kitchen (back of house), Michael's book comes from the perspective of the maitre d'hotel (front of house).

When I first started writing this review I was going to say, essentially, "it's a good book and a fun read but it was already done with Kitchen Confidential". But as I started writing, I realized that wasn't fair to say. Simply because a book isn't the first on a subject shouldn't make it any less of a good book.

This is a good book. Michael has worked in some amazing restaurants and so can provide the requisite amount of celebrity name-dropping to keep you engaged. The stories, while maybe not overly surprising, are definitely entertaining. I have to admit, I never fully understood the role of the maitre'd besides just sitting people at a table. This book completely opened my eyes to the complicated nature of the job and the grave importance it has for the success of a high-end restaurant.

Any fan of Kitchen Confidential will like this book. In fact, any person interested in the restaurant industry (especially in NYC) will enjoy this book.

Well done Michael.

#netgalley #yourtableisready

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, St. Martin’s Press and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

An interesting, entertaining, thoughtful memoir about the service industry.

The FOH version of Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential," Michael Cecchi dives deep into the secrets of fine (and not so fine) dining. This fast-paced memoir accurately describes restaurants, restaurant owners, VIP customers, relationships in the industry, and the (more often than not) drug use that happens right under your nose. This memoir appeals to not only the seasoned restaurant employee, but also will to those that have never worked hospitality. Michael Cecchi nails it on the head with the tips and tricks about ordering from a restaurant, how food is prepared, what happens when food is sent back, and includes hilarious anecdotes while he is at it!

I will definitely be purchasing this book for family and friends when it comes out.

I have just read Your Table Is Ready by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina.

This is the “Tales of a New York City Maître D'”- “A front-of-the-house Kitchen Confidential” from a career maître d’hotel who manned the front of the room in New York City's hottest and most in-demand restaurants.”

This is a memoir by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina- who talks firsthand about his long career in the New York restaurant industry.

A book that tells it like it is, with all the good, the bad, and all the in between.

He tells us about the drugs, alcohol, addictions, abuse, crime, aids, and treatment of employees in this service industry.

We also hear about the beauty, glamour, creativity, and what it takes to succeed in this industry.

I must say that I did enjoy this memoir, as it didn’t hold anything back. Who does not enjoy a great evening out in a restaurant with cocktails, wine and fine food, plus attentive service?

I have been in the service industry myself for a great many years. Not the restaurant business, but I know how long the hours and demands can be. I am one to always appreciate and enjoy a good restaurant story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy to read and review.

#NetGalley

Memoirs usually teach the reader a few things and then this one the author teaches us how to put drugs up our rectum, how to talk about women like their penis receptacles and not a person and we also learn how to trick a critic into believing your restaurant is top notch. It isn’t all bad though we hear about celebrities, funny incidents and also a very interesting chapter on watching people jump from the block Brooklyn Bridge and how it was great for business. This isn’t to say he was unsympathetic because it was duly noted how Sandy felt the first time he saw it happen. All in all most of the chapters were very interesting, the characters mentioned were entertaining and that then when being laid it on by a clueless college student I thought him to be very gracious. Having said all that though I don’t think this book was for me. I was looking for funny stories and celebrities talk and I got drug use, debauchery and all the hot women he got to speak to aunt sleep with. That is not to say this book isn’t good, it just isn’t for me. I still get the three stars because as I said some of the chapters were very interesting and if you want to what I named above you like the whole book I’m sure. Please forgive any errors as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own. I want to thank the author And Net Gally for this review copy

I always feel a bit funny rating someone's memoir and normally I don't. Who am i to give someone's life experiences 3 to 4 stars? But as a member of NetGalley,I will do my due diligence here! I really enjoyed this memoir and enjoyed reading this book. Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC!

“Your Table Is Ready” is a look back over the maitre d’ career of Michael Cecchi-Azzolina. He was the maitre d’ of many restaurants - known and unknown - in New York City for 30+ years. If you want to know about the restaurant front of house area during the 1980s and 1990s, this might be a book that interests you. In general, I enjoy books like this because waiting tables is not something I ever would want to do - but that doesn’t mean that I don’t find it interesting. As other reviewers have pointed out Mr. Cecchi-Azzolina does a lot of name dropping - but that’s literally it - he drops the names of famous folks and, for the most part, moves on with his story. I was not a fan of his writing style - too many cuss words for my taste - or the drug and alcohol infused world that was NYC during the 1980s. But, that’s what he experienced during this time, so I’m going to accept that fact - after all it’s his memoir. What I found a bit confusing was that while the book was mainly in chronological order, due to his acting career, he took breaks and I sometimes had an issue trying to figure out the new time period. While I cannot say that I enjoyed this book, it was an interesting one to read.

This is the perfect gossipy tell-all by a person that knows all there is to know about the glamorous (and less so) sides of the restaurant business. A terrific read all around!

3.5 Michael himself said 3 to 4 stars was good! A very interesting and enlightening read but not for everyone, I now believe everyone in the restaurant industry does drugs and has sex all day long. J/k. A memoir is only as good as the stories and I like how he name drops but doesn’t over inflate. A very interesting life.

I generally love books like this, but I couldn’t find this particular narrator likable. Very little to do with actual customer interaction; lots to do with workplace use of drugs and alcohol, sex, and general bragging. None of the stories seemed fully formed. A lot of name dropping without much more. I didn’t enjoy it, yet I do hope it finds an audience.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for access to a digital ARC.