A new memoir from a female sommelier is coming out this week, "Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly," by Hannah Selinger.

Thanks to the publisher, Little, Brown & Company, for gifting me an advance reading copy via NetGalley.

The author shares her experiences in restaurants, both as a server and eventually as a sommelier, in New York City during the early 2000s. She worked for chefs Johnny Iuzzini, Bobby Flay, David Chang and others. The #metoo era encouraged her to write this memoir and share her own stories of harassment, toxicity and trauma. This book shows an inside look at how difficult it is for women working in the restaurant industry.

I wasn't sure I was ready for another restaurant/wine world industry "tell-all" book, since the most recent book I'd read, Victoria James'  "Wine Girl" was so depressing and discouraging. But I found myself immediately engrossed in Hannah's story as she, new to the restaurant industry, threw herself into the mix and learned daily lessons, tips and tricks on navigating her job and the industry. She shares that she loved her jobs and felt addicted to the restaurant industry.

We follow Hannah's adventures at restaurants including The Grog, Bar Americain, BLT Prime, Jean-Georges, Sea Grill, Momofuku, Resto, and Nick & Toni's. 

Throughout, I cringe with sympathy for Hannah when she makes a mistake, when something bad happens, every time a chef calls her an idiot, or a restaurant patron is rude. I feel relieved when a kind co-worker takes her under his wing to help her learn about wine.

I eat at restaurants near daily, and always enjoy the virtual peeks into the back of the house operations, as well as the the behind-the-scenes drama in these industry memoirs. There are revelations, anecdotes and tales about restaurant diners, food writers, critics and celebrities, including Steven Spielberg, Bill Clinton, Jeffrey Steingarten, the Zagats, Frank Bruni, Gael Greene, and disappointing accounts of Christina Tosi's unkind behavior.

But the book is about Hannah, not a list of names to drop, and I enjoyed watching her learn to stand up for herself and go in a new direction. 

Each chapter ends with a recipe, from a Bourbon and Bundt cake and White Burgundy Braised Chicken to Farfalle with Mushroom Cognac Sauce and Bittersweet Chocolate Cream Pie. If your book club reads this book together, you'll have plenty of recipes to choose from to bring to your book club evening.

I found it easy to read through this interesting book in one sitting. It will likely make you hungry for good food and thirsty for wine while you read, too.

Hannah Selinger graduated from Columbia University but found herself working as a server at a hometown dive. She eventually moved back to New York and found employment at some of the most trendy, high-end restaurants. First working as a server, then "cellar rat" (stocking the wine cellar) and eventually as a sommelier. Envious? Well, you shouldn’t be.

Selinger exposes the toxic culture of the industry in her memoir Cellar Rat. She maintains that she changed many of the names of the people and establishments. Since I was not familiar with the New York dining scene, I googled the head chefs and restaurants that she mentioned. I found that she didn’t conceal their identities and what I discovered was shocking.

She never knew what the next day would bring. She thrived on the unpredictability of the restaurant business and found it thrilling and intoxicating. As a cellar rat and sommelier, she loved wines but hated the erratic personalities of management. On the romantic front, since her work was non-stop, her only relationships were at work. She now realizes that she was naïve and susceptive to the advances of unavailable, predatory men. Misogyny was prevalent, which didn’t surprise me in the early 2000’s but the rest she endured certainly did.

Why did she stay in the restaurant business for so long, enduring such emotional abuse and random dismissals without notice? This is essential information, and you’ll find out when you read the book.

"Cellar Rat is a page-turner that is difficult to put down". An original recipe related to the story is included at the end of each chapter. That’s just a plus. More importantly this opened my eyes to a life and subculture I was totally unaware of.

What I also appreciate is that she admits that a few of the dismissals were of her own doing and mistakes. She also admits that she grew up financially stable and had a financial support system when she needed it. She acknowledges that most restaurant workers aren’t afforded that luxury.

"Cellar Rat" will force you to look at the high-end restaurant industry differently. Selinger maintains that these abuses still occur today, and it is her mission to expose them. I think she succeeds in that.

(This review will be posted on UnderratedReads on March 25.)

ARC Book Review!

Cellar Rat by Hannah Selinger

4.5 / 5 ⭐️

If you enjoy reading memoirs I highly recommend Cellar Rat. It was exceptionally interesting to read about this woman’s experiences in the New York restaurant industry but what really got me was her descriptions of pain, suffering, and abuse. She frequently talks about how when people are in toxic or harmful environments it takes a while for that person to realize it. The parellels of different traumas were expertly executed.

I do wish she had talked a bit more about the ins and outs of her sommelier career but overall it was a beautifully written book about growing up, realizing ones own truths and humanity.

This book is for you if you like :

Memoirs
Fine dining
Realism

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Selinger takes us through how, despite wanting to be a writer, she accidentally stumbled into a career of being a server and later a sommelier in the restaurant industry in New York City. She rubbed shoulders with David Chang, Bobby Flay, and Johnny Iuzzini, and recounts how much she loved being a server, but also how much damage it did to her mentally. It was fascinating to read, especially about the abuse and misogyny that runs rampant in the industry, despite all the cozy Food Network show portrayals. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Cellar Rat by Hannah Selinger.

This is a memoir about a young, hopeful, writer who turns to the fine dining scene in NYC as a way to make ends meet. It's an interesting look into what it takes to become a trained server in a 3 star Michelin restaurant. It's not just a college job, it takes a tremendous amount of training and discipline. Her sumptuous descriptions of the food and drinks had me longing for an experience that is reserved only for the elite.

I can't help but feel that a portion of this book was reserved for the author to get her literary revenge on the people in the biz that did her dirty. The (now celebrity) chef that was responsible for her firing. The dessert chef that made everyone a cake for their birthday except her. And while, yes, not cool, the overuse of their full names made it clear that she wasn't leaving until the world KNEW. But, who's to say that I wouldn't have done the same thing. Get your justice girl!

A great autobiography about life in the underbelly of the restaurant beast. Funny, sad, poignant and a great read.

I love all things restaurant, chef, and insider info. This was very much all about the early aughts heyday of celebrity chef's gone bad culture. Selinger worked at some of the restaurants in NYC and experienced terribleness of the underbelly. I didn't love her choices but appreciated her story telling and pacing. I am curious to hear what the chefs she calls out have to say about this memoir. I was most surprised about her accounts of Christina Tosi.

3.5 stars but rounding down.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy Little, Brown and Company and Netgalley.

Most of us go out to eat at some point. We enter restaurants with expectations in terms of food, drink, and service, yet often don't think about those who work hard to ensure our good meals. Recently shows like The Bear have offered a fictional insight into the restaurant kitchen.

Author Hannah Selinger fell in love with the restaurant business and went on to work at many top restaurants with many well-known chefs. Here she recounts some of her experiences. In addition, Selinger shares details of her biography.

The restaurant world comes to life in these pages. Readers experience both the front and back of house. They may feel differently the next time they go out to dine.

Some reviews have noted the author's tendency to apologize for her "privilege." If this will put a reader off because of its tone, fair enough. Others may enjoy this account even taking note of the disclaimers. Also be aware that the author describes her book as "creative non-fiction" so not necessarily all factually true. That said, readers can tell that Selinger considered writing as a career since she tells her story well.

Foodies will decide if this is of interest to them. It just may be.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this title. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I couldn't make it past the prologue. The book immediately became political with the author apologizing where she went to college, for being a straight woman, for having privilege and money and mentioning Gaza. ... Life is too short at this point. It really is.

There are hundreds of books I could read right now and I just cannot read this one based on her apologize-for-existing prologue.

Maybe in a decade I'll be ready to listen to her apologize through 300 pages.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown & Company for an e-copy of CELLAR RAT to review.

I DNF'd.

Cellar Rat, by Hannah Selinger offers and inside look at the author's experiences in the restaurant and wine industry, although her perspective felt a bit harsh at times. The tone might appeal to readers who enjoy a no-holds-barred take on workplace dynamics. That said, the recipes at the end of each chapter were a nice touch.

As one who loves a well crafted meal, as well as a fine vintage of wine, I was immediately drawn into this book. Though it's not about how to prepare a fine cut of beef or serve a fancy Old World wine, you will find mentions of such things along the way. This is a memoir of the author's experience in the restaurant world with the majority of it being in what is referred to as Fine Dining. Most of these restaurants are in New York City, most of which you may be familiar with, if only by name and reputation. Some of the owners and chefs may also be familiar to you. If not, it won't limit your enjoyment of this book.

The author, Hannah Selinger, is quite passionate about her involvement in wine and food being her totally committed career, even though sometimes that career doesn't take to her quite as well as she would prefer. But from my limited involvement and knowledge of the restaurant world, that seems to be rather common. Hannah takes you through her entrance into this world, from beginning to end. She's a Columbia graduate, so she knows how to tell a story so that you can easily become committed to seeing this book all the way through to the end. She shares her emotions of both love and heartbreak. Some of that is due to her career while some involves the various people in her life whom she has encountered. Much of it is very relatable. At least, it was for me.

Honestly, I really enjoyed this book, even when I felt sad and angry at some of the abuses and loses that the author shares with us. It also reminded me of how I much prefer the life at the table or bar rather than anything involving the back of house or waiting tables. Nice to know of these things, but it's not a world that I want to be a part of. But reading this book makes me more sensitive as to what the various employees go through to try to eek out a living in such a specialized culture. With that said, I still love that world and very appreciated Hannah sharing her experiences with us.

This book annoyed me. First of all, the author felt the need to acknowledge everything negative and apologize for it. She apologizes for Columbia University, for being a straight white female, for being comfortable financially, and for telling her truth. She also then, consistently highlights her privilege while apologizing for it. It’s way too much.

She seems to enjoy being part of the conversation around David Chang. A quick Google of his name brings a lot of results directly naming her. I don’t know why this is so important to her that she needs to keep beating the dead horse. Her story is out there, there’s nothing new in rhos book.

The recipes were nice, but other than that, I can’t recommend this one.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I love a good behind-the-scenes memoir and enjoyed this one. I've seen a couple of reviews that say CELLAR RAT didn't bring much that was new to the table, but I think that misses the point of memoir. This is Selinger's story of *her* life in the restaurant industry, and her particular take is what interested me. There are some amusing reveals (such as what a terrible tipper Gwyneth Paltrow is), and some not-at-all-funny accounts of toxic behavior and abuse. But overall, rather than exposé, this is a memoir about why someone might remain enmeshed as long as Selinger did in an industry that seems to beat down so many who love it.

Thank you to #LittleBrown and #NetGalley for the DRC of #CellarRat. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This is a good "behind the scenes" memoir of the restaurant industry circa early 2000s New York City. Selinger spent her 20s working at various "celebrity chef" restaurants in NYC. What makes this memoir different is she was "front of house" - a server and then a sommelier - but still experienced the toxic, misogynistic behavior we've all heard about in restaurant kitchens. Selinger muses on why she stayed so long while taking ownership of her actions. Her appreciation for the food and wine shone through and including a recipe with each chapter was a nice addition.

Overall, a good debut and nice addition to the "food memoir" sub-genre.

3.5 stars

Much of what Hannah writes about doesn't come as a surprise after reading and watching other tell all stories about the restaurant business. She writes of being dedicated and going above and beyond and yet when Hannah, like all of us, makes mistakes she is fired, almost never given a second chance (which seems like the norm in this business.) The abusive work culture seems to be addictive to many and especially Hannah. She writes of other behaviors that speak to her addictive behavior (limiting food, excessive running, etc.). Like all good "Tell All" books, she blows up the public personas of several famous chefs such as, David Chang, Christina Tosi and Johnny Iuzzini, all of which I will never look at on TV the same now. So disappointing but not surprising I suppose.

I am so glad she pursued writing over the restaurant business as she has a way with words. The book was a bit slow for me at first but picked up in the last 25%. I found it clever that she place a meaningful recipe at the end of each chapter. I think the title is perfect and the cover eye catching.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley in exchange for my review. I have been unable to include the URL from Amazon.

3.5 stars. I have mixed feelings about this one. At first I was really into it, and there is something so interesting about the world of restaurants. I wanted to read this book because I read the author's article about David Chang after Carla Lalli Music shared it on her Instagram. I love the takedown of a famous bro, and I was hoping to hear even more in the book. Selinger is a strong writer, and she painted a picture of a fraught and problematic industry. The tone was pretty dark overall. But she didn't go into things as much as I wanted her to; I was often left with the feeling that we were missing something--which could be an echo of her own confusion in some of these moments? She also used the word "trauma" a lot, and while she shared some things that were certainly traumatic, it was used to the point that it felt buzzword-y. After reading the book, I also wonder about the people around her, especially the ones without the amount of privilege she had. She talks about a few people, but this is very much a memoir about one person's experiences. Overall I do think this was an interesting read, and I can see why Selinger has gone on to become a successful food writer, but the book as a whole ended up feeling a bit uneven.

I LOVE books about working in restaurants. There's this whole world we never see when we dine out, even though it is right there in our faces the whole time if we know what to look for. It also fascinates me because it is a job I could never do. I am not a people-person and would never have the patience. That's also why I always tip at least 30% because I can't imagine a worse job. Yet I am still drawn to books about that job because it is a whole world of its own.

It should not come as a surprise to anyone that the misogyny is as common in the food industry as it is in literally every other aspect of our every day lives. But that's not all this book is about. It's about being drawn into a world you had once never considered but grew to love, only to find it rejected you time and time again - and the personal growth (and stumbles) that come with that kind of pain.

The author truly started her career in the food industry after graduating from Emerson with an MFA. She'd previously worked in a pub in her home town between undergrad and grad school when she was still not sure which direction her life should go. But the industry would not let her go and after Emerson she threw herself right back into the fray.

This was the era of the so-called "bad boy" chefs. Personally, none of that era ever appealed to me, this explosion of celebrity chefs and cooking shows. I don't enjoy shows about restaurants and cooking. I don't like to cook, it's not fun to me, I don't want to see the food prepared. I am much more interested in the culture of restaurants. But people were willing to accept the volatile personalities because it made for good television; why wouldn't a chef be a total psycho? But the thing that always gives me pause is, if those chefs were willing to show the world that side of themselves on film, how much worse was it when the cameras weren't rolling?

Selinger had many roles throughout her time in the industry. She began as a server at Bobby Flay's Bar Americain. She didn't even last two months on the job, but she quickly moved on to another, and another, and another. The author began the journey to becoming a certified sommelier (something else I am SO OBSESSED with) and would reach the pinacle of her career as the beverage director for David Chang and Momofuku.

Along the way, there were many ups and downs. Selinger learns the difference between fine dining and fine fine dining, has to decide if reporting thieving managers is worth the risk, and tries to figure out why she stays in an industry for so long that tries to break her, over and over.

At times, it is almost painful to read. Selinger was drawn to the food industry after that stint between Columbia and Emerson. She's not an idiot, and she KNOWS how terrible it becomes for her. How stressful it is to be on eggshells all the time, never knowing when the boss might make an example of her.

And yet, she stayed. For years. Exactly why she did so is something the author explores, and there are quite a few times where she realizes it's time to go, but then decides to stay. Just one more job.

I loved the breeziness of the book, despite it covering such serious issues within the food industry. It felt like having a conversation with a friend who keeps going back to a who you know is no good for her, SHE knows is no good for her, yet nothing changes.

At the end of each chapter, the author includes a recipe that fits the content and theme of said chapter. Someone who is much better in the kitchen than I can attempt them though, as I have no skill in that department.

I also loved the fact that she named names. She lays bare the chefs on powertrips with out of control egos, because they found the magic key of making extraordinary dishes that were as beautiful to look at as they were delicious to eat. I had to Google a couple of the names, but many you will recognize if you were awake in the early 2000s to be bombarded by this era of chefs - Bobby Flay, David Chang, Johnny Iuzzini. Big surprise that so many from that time have been outed for their disgusting behaviors becuase they thought they were untouchable.

Highly, highly recommended.

So, I never worked in a right-of-passage job in the restaurant industry in my teens or 20s (unless you count one week working at McDonald's at age 16 -- I hated it so much, I switched to retail), but if you've read any celebrity chef memoirs, you've undoubtedly come across stories of abusive environments, especially against women. I think Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential was the first time I understood what really went on in famous and not-so-famous restaurants in New York City.

Hannah Selinger dealt with a strained childhood after her parents split up, including an abusive relationship with her step-father. Unfortunately, abuse continued later, when she worked as a server and then sommelier at some well-known NYC eateries. A Columbia University graduate with dreams of becoming a best-selling author, she kept working in the restaurant business because it was easy to get a job (but in her case, not so easy to keep a job), despite lecherous bosses, unhealthy working environments, and after-hours carousing that definitely was not for the faint of heart. As enthusiastic patrons of fine restaurants, excellent food and wine, my husband and I have never eaten at a fine dining establishment, wondering how the chef or managers were treating their staffs. I'm sure the despicable behavior that Selinger details in her absorbing memoir does not happen everywhere, but it sure happened at every NYC restaurant she worked at. Reading the book, I kept wondering why she continued to take the verbal abuse, predatory behavior and cutthroat working environments time and again. It's only when her beloved birth father developed ALS, that she found a reason to leave that path, and after her father passed away, finally get the courage to do what she originally wanted to do.

I appreciated that, in her prologue, Selinger points out that as a white woman from a privileged background, she ultimately could leave restaurant work behind, while so many others aren't able to make that choice. It can be a good-paying job, even if the work is harder -- or dangerous -- than most of us realize. Sadly, Selinger writes that the industry hasn't addressed these issues or found solutions. She doesn't hesitate to name-drop, and I was most appalled at how these high-powered chefs, owners and managers continue to get away with abusing employees. But my favorite tidbit was when she served a table that included mega-star Gwyneth Paltrow, who left only a paltry (pun intended) 10% tip on a huge tab.

Selinger doesn't say if she became a master sommelier, but I assume she did not, although she certainly had the love and knowledge of wine to have attained that. She went to culinary school (she says because an employer told her she was no good at anything), and I love that she included a recipe at the end of each chapter. She did put her wine knowledge to good use, writing copy for a wine merchant, and has had a successful career writing food and wine-related articles for national publications.

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone interested in food, wine and restaurants. Thanks to NetGalley, Little Brown and Company, and the author for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this memoir.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the advanced reader copy.

Hannah Selinger takes the reader on a ride through the almost decade that she spent deep in the heart of the high end restaurant world, where she was first a clueless server and eventually an industry-known sommelier and beverage director. Hannah manages to highlight the enticing lifestyle of working at a restaurant while also revealing the misogynistic, traumatizing underbelly of the industry. And, while I'm not someone who cooks, she managed to make even me consider trying out some of the recipes at the end of each chapter. This is less a memoir about food and wine, and more a telling of one woman's journey through an unforgiving business.

Cellar Rat is out March 25, 2025

I did enjoy this but I think I was expecting a little bit more — of what I’m not sure. If you’ve worked in restaurants this will be triggering, because it’s basically a gripe about each place the author worked. And were they fair gripes? Totally! But by the end of the book I was kinda feeling like girl if don’t like working in restaurants, there are other jobs!

But it is hard to leave a job when all of your career expertise is in that one area. And also just because this stereotypical toxic environment is how restaurants *are* doesn’t mean it’s how they should be. So I do have some empathy there, but it seemed like this book was kinda just a way to drag every person who ever slighted her. Is that annoying? Yeah. But do I kinda respect it? Also yeah.

The writing style was also a little hard to follow at times and there were some bits of information that it felt like I was supposed to know but weren’t actually explained, so that brought it down a star or two.