Food writer, certified sommelier and culinary school graduate Hannah details her work in restaurants as a college student and adult, from Ciro and The Grog in (local to me) Newburyport, Massachusetts to New York City to the Hamptons, including famed eateries Bar Americain, Jean-George, Momofuku, and Nick & Toni's. Selinger draws back the curtain on front-of-the-house like a magician revealing their slight of hand tricks: above all, the fine-dining server should be silent, invisible, anticipatory (watch Season 2 of The Bear, especially the episode "Forks," to see this play out in Mikey's training at Michelin-starred restaurant Ever). Stories of drunk driving after shifts and getting fired after disclosing her father's terminal diagnosis are punctuated with handselling expensive bottles of wine, brilliant pairings of Budweiser beer and soft-shell crab, a lesson in eating whelk and oysters shucked by none other than Bobby Flay, and celebrities behaving badly (spoiler, but probably not a shock: Gwyneth Paltrow tipped 10% on a several thousand-dollar tab). Selinger doesn't pull punches: one lover has a girlfriend and only stays over when she's out of town; another tries to talk her into filming their sex.

The blurb (and introduction) promises an expose of the seamy underbelly of the industry, but it's nothing new for anyone who devoured Kitchen Confidential in 2000; Hannah's narrative begins in 2002 with much unchanged. We know how the long hours, low wages, and lack of sick and vacation time create an environment ripe for hedonistic pleasure-seeking: booze, drugs, sex in the wine cellar, and stealing from the till by not ringing in (or voiding out) cash transactions. Selinger experienced her share of absolutely traumatic sexual harassment, misogyny, fat-shaming, and bullying, from chefs, supervisors, colleagues, and even a female pastry chef--I believe all of it. She expertly relates the "can't see the forest for the trees" nature of trauma, describing how when you are in a toxic situation it can be difficult to extricate yourself and you can be unaware just how bad it is from inside, and why people stay in abusive situations, whether personal relationships or work ones. In the years since and thanks in part to the #MeToo movement, celebrity chefs have been called to account for their behavior; I can only imagine how triggering each new accusation and law suit could be.

The narrative is loosely arranged in a chronological order, with callbacks to previously mentioned incidents. I did find the writing uneven, repetitive in both phrasing (describing the taste of wine as pencil shavings twice is poor editing) and in re-sharing the same information. And yet, Selinger masterfully describes being allowed to eat only the heels of the delicious green olive bread she loves as a form of deprivation, both from her employer, who implies she needs to watch her weight and maybe she shouldn't be eating carbs when she's a size two) and in relation to her own low self-worth. The description of an over the top "rumination on rhubarb" dessert is exquisite, and I would have liked more of the same rich sensory detail applied across the board. Each chapter concludes with a recipe pairing for the content of the chapter, ranging from green olive bread to garlic-roasted leg of lamb with herb salsa to a bittersweet chocolate cream pie that punctuates how decadent and unnecessary rhubarb in four separate bite-sized desserts.

I received a free advance reader's review copy of #CellarRat via #NetGalley, courtesy of #LittleBrown&Company. A review will appear on HLBB on 3/25/2025

This well-written book was an opportunity to see a world I've never considered. I'm not a serious fine-diner, but it was fascinating to learn about the underbelly of that world and to experience through the life and stories of a smart, interesting woman whose passion for wine and food comes through beautifully in her writing. While the emphasis was on the restaurant experience, I also found the author's relationship with her family, particularly her father captivating. I'm sure if you are a fan of celebrity chefs, this book would be a fascinating read.

An insiders prospective of what it is like to be in the restaurant business as a wine expert. She tells her story the good, the bad and the ugly. I found this book to be honest and very entertaining and makes you appreciate seeing a side of the wine industry as a reader.

In the style of "Sweetbitter", Hannah recounts her time working in the fine dining restaurants of NYC. What is most obvious is her dismissal, denegration, and total lack of care or support in that world. It sounds like a horrific place for young people trying to make their way in the restaurant industry.. Plenty of nuggets of celebrity hype and afterwork hyjinks. I hope this book gets attention from TPTB in exposing the cruel and Misogynistic politics of the restaurant industry. Brava!