Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the advanced copy of this book. As a former restaurant worker, I really related to everything Hannah wrote in this book. The line of work is addicting and terrible and wonderful all together- there are still times today where I think "maybe I should go back to serving". Hannah Selinger is a great writer and excellent at expressing the dark feelings that go along with being overworked and underappreciated, as well as expressing the thrill one can get from working a busy night.
I loved this memoir- it was a deep look into restaurants in New York, growing into an adult in the early 2000s, and handling unexpected grief. I will definitely be recommending this one!

Hannah Selinger's is an excellent writer, whose style packed both quite a bit of (often dark-ish) humor and also plenty of reflective swlf-awareness that I quickly grew to appreciate. However, if I am being honest, what I enjoyed about "Cellar Rat" above all else was the cavalcade of deep glimpses I was given into the restaurant industry, a world I personally have never inhabited before. Selinger's tales both gave me anxiety in the pit of my stomach, but also appreciated perspective on how such a life can have its attractive, and frankly almost addicting qualities.

I love a food industry memoir. And this was a great one! Hannah’s writing is engaging from the first paragraph and the only thing I found myself skimming were the recipes (some of which I want to make…someday).

In this memoir, Hannah recounts how she fell in love with restaurants, rose through the ranks to become a sommelier, but the industry continuously broke her heart.

A great read!

I am a former restaurant worker and devoured this book. It felt so true to my own experiences with the industry. Cellar Rat reminded me of the seduction, the controlled chaos, and the heartbreak of working in restaurants. I was sent right back to some of my favorite memories and some of my not so great ones.

This book really had me reflecting on my past life, the ways the restaurant industry controls every moment of you, and the types of people it attracts. There was so much for me to relate to in these stories.

I loved the dark humor of the recipes at the end. They often made me laugh.

This book doesn't get 5 stars only because I felt that each chapter was written unevenly. They all started out great. The endings always felt like they fell off instead of true endings to the story.

Pretty good detailing of life working in the depths of restaurants! I enjoyed it, laughed with her, raged with her, and felt for her. It feels a lot like my time in the toxic brew that is the restaurant industry. You feel loved and reviled all at the same time, and I can say I’ve had the experience of showing up to work to find a chain and padlock on the door. It’s wild how alike it was in the same era NYC vs Midwest. I’d love to read more from her!

Cellar Rat is a memoir by Hannah Selinger chronicling her time working in restaurants as a server and sommelier during the early 2,000s. Selinger started working in restaurants at an early age and Cellar Rat reveals the way interactions with those in higher positions and restaurant owners, as well as the daily grind of restaurant work, shaped her identity for over 10 years.

I have been in love with watching celebrity chefs on Food Network for many years now, and especially seeing the women who work in this industry and become highly successful. When I saw Selinger’s memoir, I knew I needed to read it. Her work in the industry shows the grueling hours, the thankless effort, and the toll it takes on you physically and mentally. She mentions throughout the book, her love for restaurant work and the benefits it brought with it, but also the toxic environment and relationships she encountered over the years. I found this to be very relatable, as I had a similar experience in the workplace.

The book documents Selinger’s childhood and the relationship she had with her father, and the abusive relationship with her step-father. She shares snippets about her family throughout the book, with more focus on her father at the end. There are also recipes shared at the end of each chapter.

I felt like there was some repetition in the story, throughout the chapters, and most of the writing felt like an overview of her time in the industry. I would have liked to hear more about her journey to becoming a sommelier and her time in culinary school, to give a more in-depth feel to her story.

If you are looking for a behind the scenes peek into the restaurant industry, Cellar Rat offers a gritty look at the toll it takes on its employees and gives some insight into some of the big names in the restaurant world from the early 2,000s, that are still a part of the celebrity food world today.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There was little that was new here, and what was new left a lot to be desired in the way of intrigue. Google the author and you'll get the salacious details in already published articles and vignettes.

What I did like were some of the restaurant industry insights but again, I could source those tidbits elsewhere, like a Reddit forum.

By the author's own admission, she had no particular passion for the restaurant industry and went on to complete culinary school just because some famous head chef told her she'd never amount to anything. And I got the sense she wrote a book simply because said chef also wrote a memoir; she simply wanted to match or one-up his achievements.

Look, I get being fueled by others' doubts of your competence and capability, but if all signs point to being in an unhealthy situation for your wellbeing and sanity, it's time to cut your losses.

This book left me feeling used, like I was part of some low-stakes high school comparison game drama. Do not recommend.

Hannah Selinger is dishing out the juicy details of her experiences in the New York restaurant world, and she's naming names! Having no experience working in restaurants myself, Hannah does a great job of conveying the feeling of what it's like to be on staff in a bustling restaurant. Some of the stories she shared were uncomfortable, some were funny or sad, and some made me cringe for her. For anyone who is curious about what it's like behind the scenes of some famous fine dining establishments, this book pulls back the curtain.

Hannah's self-awareness and introspection throughout this book were impressive. I liked how she took some of her more painful experiences in her restaurant career and tied them to aspects of her non-restaurant life. I also enjoyed the end of the book and how she was able to bring the story full circle (no spoilers!).

As a fan of memoirs and someone who loves to hear other people's stories, I really enjoyed learning something new about the world of fine dining restaurants through the experiences of Hannah Selinger.

My Instagram review will be posted to my static grid as well as to stories one week prior to publication date. I will update this review with the link once the Instagram review is live.

If you're familiar with Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, you know that behind the scenes at those fancy restaurants, it's a hellish inferno, a group of mostly young people supposedly working as a team, but in reality it's dog eat dog. Hannah Selinger recalls her career as a waitperson and then a sommelier. It sounds so civilized and highbrow. It isn't.

The stress seems to bring out the worst in everyone, and from the top on down, everyone pitches in to make it worse. Even our hero, Hannah, makes a series of bad decisions, mostly about who to date, but also about who to work for and when to call it quits.

Fortunately, she eventually comes to her senses and remembers that she wanted to be a writer, not a waiter or even a wine expert. I hope reliving these experiences was helpful for her, it certainly reinforced my desire to never wait on people for a living. Dishy read with lots of details and naming names. (Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy.)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of "Cellar Rat" by Hannah Selinger. I was drawn to this book as a former waitress/hostess interested in reading a behind-the-scenes take on the fine-dining world of New York City restaurants. The author is unapologetic about her recounting of the numerous problems/issues with the restaurant world, notably the misogyny, harassment, and undervaluing of women in the profession. I enjoyed the book and raced through it but will admit to being triggered about some of the author's recounting of different aspects of the "underbelly." Overall a great, eye-opening read.

This book was a delight. I devoured it (no pun intended). You will love this book if you are someone who is a food or wine lover, follows celebrity chefs, or has or is currently working in the service industry. Hannah Selinger wrote a captivating memoir of her time working her way up in the restaurant scene in New York City. Her pacing was wonderful - I especially loved the recipes at the end of each chapter. She poured her heart into this book. It took an honest look at an industry that is dopamine-fueled and undoubtedly broken, especially as a female working in it. I have had similar experiences serving in fine dining restaurants - portions of Hannah's story felt very much like my own.

I am looking forward to reading future books by Hannah.

Cellar Rat straddles both the food and wine industries, but doesn’t quite commit itself to one or the other. Hannah‘s restaurant experience is unique in that she shares stories that include notable names in the American culinary scene. I had moments where I wanted to reference the memoirs of some of these chefs to see if she was a character or merely a footnote based on their shared experiences and impact. Hannah weaves a story of loss, finding identity, and growth; one in which I think many young adult adults can relate to.

Since I am a woman working in wine and I love reading food and beverage industry memoirs, I knew I'd have to read this! Cellar Rat is an accessible, fast-paced guide to working in the mid-aughts NYC restaurant scene, and unusually, Selinger is writing from the Front-of-House POV. Admittedly, she's not really exposing anything new as far as workplace toxicity and villainous celebrity chefs (though I'm all here for the name-dropping!), but hers is a fresh reflection. As a wine person, I also appreciated reading another sommelier's thoughts.

It's hard to qualify why I'm giving Cellar Rat four stars instead of five, but I think part of it is that I want more information from her. The book is an overview - more or less - a brief summary of a decade's experiences. For instance, I wanted to hear even more about her journey into wine. Did she get certified, and how was the process? I loved her reference to Madiran, and I appreciated that she fell for wine as an intellectual pursuit (that part sounds familiar!). Go more in depth!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have to be honest, this book really took me by surprise with how well written, organized, and genuinely interesting it was! I was not familiar with the author’s writing in food, travel, or other magazines, but after reading her book I will have to make a concerted effort to read some of her pieces.

This book is a fascinating journey through the author’s foray into the food world. From a waitress to fine dining, to sommelier, to writer, Hannah gives the reader an enthralling visual of her life, the ups and downs, from the exciting opportunities working with future celebrity chefs to lowest lows being let go amidst Profit and Loss scandals at the bar, to the drugs and alcohol plaguing the community.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Phew. If you’re fascinated by restaurant culture this book is for you. Hannah is not afraid to name names in this book chronicling her time spent in New York City restaurants. Hannah’s stories can be hard to read and there should be trigger warnings for verbal abuse and sexual assault though the accounts are wonderfully written and a true testament to what it means to work in the industry.

Thank you, Hannah for sharing your stories.

At the ripe age of 65, I'm using this book as a continuation on the understanding of the millennial generation. (I'm refusing to become one of the "get off my lawn" or "back in my day" people). It's my review, I can use it as a learning tool, or to hopefully help others too!) Selinger was a perfect muse for my studies.
Her book is her examination of her days in the restaurant business in NYC during the 80's. A little different than most of the books in this genre, she was not a chef, but worked "in the front of the house". Predictably, the same behaviors as many of the other books took place. The extended work hours, the numbing pace of the job, the after hours partying. Selinger doesn't hold back on naming names, telling us of rude, manipulative, sexually abusive people in the industry at the time. I'm sure the book has ears burning in NYC!
What I really appreciated about the book was in the personal growth that Selinger made, and it seems, continues to make. At first she comes across as rather conceited, and having an extremely high opinion of herself. She jumps into the party life, drinking and using cocaine a lot (kudos for her honesty). She seems to repeatedly fall for men who are seen as alpha males by other people in the business, and seems surprised when she finds out she was being used. This helped me to see her as a young person who really was unsure of herself or her place in the world. She thought she could overcome the anxiety caused by trying to be the person others thought she was (or should be). However, she repeatedly crashed emotionally, finding herself at rock bottom. I think that this is not just something new that millennials experienced. If we are being honest with ourselves, those of us "boomers" were basically the same. We, too, tried to show that we were confident, smart, and ready to take over the world. A favorite piece of advice was "fake it until you make it". Remember hearing, suck it up buttercup and be a man? We wouldn't take the advice of the older generation, nor listen to them when they tried to help. And we too crashed and burned! Myself, more times than I want to remember.
For myself and for Hannah, we would have been farther ahead to listen to our elders. Not to throw up roadblocks against them. I have realized this over the years. And so did the author, as she writes about her life now, older and wiser. And for my generation, stop being the stereotypical grouchy boomers and try to help the younger generations. Just think what we could accomplish if we would let our guards down and met each other halfway! We could help prevent the abuse and heartache that Selinger experienced. She survived, but think of all the people who succumb to drug overdoses, suicide, homelessness, and low self esteem. We could maybe help them!
And that's why I am really keen on this book. The author has her beginning, her journey through the dungeons, and then coming out the other side as a seemingly well-adjusted person. Kudos to her!
(Now I have to run, there's some pesky neighborhood kids on my yard!)

I received a free copy of, Cellar Rat, by Hannah Selinger, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Hannah Selinger has worked in restaurant in New York. This was an interesting read, I enjoyed the recipes in this book too.

I've read a respectable number of food-and-restaurant-industry memoirs, and when I saw that this one was mainly about the 2000's in New York, and written by someone who was not a chef then but a front-0f-house person (and one who went on to be an award-winning writer), I knew I just had to read it.

To start, I've got several things in common with Hannah Selinger: we're about the same age, and there are some uncanny parallels in both our family and educational backgrounds (though I never lived in Massachusetts, and she was at Columbia while I was at The Other University in NYC). But she was right in the thick of restaurant life in 2005-2008, and I was merely adjacent: I never worked in restaurants myself, but my partner did, as an culinary-school extern, a stagiaire, and a part-time line cook at a Michelin-starred joint before leaving to concentrate on other pursuits. He didn't work in any of the same places as Selinger; they never crossed paths. But if we were to investigate we'd probably discover only a couple degrees of separation. My partner's restaurant experience as part-time kitchen worker, and a male one at that, would have been extremely different to Selinger's, and I've long had a bit of an itch to scratch just wondering what it would have been like for *me* if I'd ever gotten into restaurant service work myself at the time, in my 20's. Well, itch scratched.

Selinger's recounting of the high highs, and the low lows, of NYC restaurant culture at that time (and largely still today, if we're honest) is a juicy treat, and also a surprisingly mournful one as her tone is often one of grief for the lost highs -- those amazing feelings of being part of a well-oiled machine, and of pleasure derived from being seen as an expert in wine -- as well as for her younger self, a girl who arguably did not have enough self-esteem to weather the lows. Critics might say there's a contradiction here, in someone who constantly reminds the reader that She's Really Smart! She Went To Columbia! And Don't You Forget It!, but also owns up to shockingly bad judgement at times, in the workplace but especially in her romantic life. But that contradiction is all too common, really, and in particular for us women, and in particular for us women who came of age in the 1990s and 2000s. Writers more astute than I have delved into the confusion and rot at the heart of millennial culture; the struggle is real. And this is also part of what makes Selinger such an interesting case. Some abuses are simply blatant, some lines crystal clear. But how do we parse the gray areas between victimhood and personal responsibility, between effect and affect, between youth and wisdom? All this, set against the backdrop of flashy NYC restaurants and nightlife.

It's a little hard to put my finger on why this book was 4 star read for me rather than a 5. Maybe because there's a kind of gap between genres that isn't always bridged. There's the technical stuff, and the juicy gossip -- the workings of the business, or at least the part with which Selinger was involved, are well-explained; and, like, it's literally not news that David Chang and Johhny Iuzzini are a$$holes, but they're maybe not even the worst folks here, and Selinger isn't afraid to name names and get into details! -- but there's also a coming-of-age story, told from a distance after years of remove (and possibly years of therapy). The latter doesn't always feel fully integrated, and I think it's related to how Selinger occasionally comes off as overly defensive, or rigid in her own perspective.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and I got a lot out of it. I would definitely recommend, and have already done so. In fact after I told him about it, my partner plans to get the audiobook version as soon as it comes out.

Final PSA: It's not invisible Parks Department workers who plant the flowers down the middle of Park Avenue, or in most public streets across NYC. It's public volunteers! Nearly anyone can do it! The more you know... :D

Great book. Very interesting book about the restaurant industry, and the author's rise and fall. Meeting celebrities, etc.

Hannah Seling's captivating memoir offers a raw and intimate look into the often-hidden realities of the restaurant world. More than just a chronicle of her professional journey from server to sommelier, this deeply personal account unveils the complexities of navigating a high-pressure industry through the lens of a privileged, Ivy League-educated white, cisgender woman. Seling doesn't shy away from the harsh truths: the grueling hours, the inadequate compensation, and the pervasive lack of empathy that characterize this demanding field. She masterfully portrays the toxic environment she encountered, painting a vivid picture of the relentless pace and the emotional toll it exacts. However, her narrative is not solely one of struggle. Interspersed with accounts of hardship are moments of pure joy—the transcendent pleasure of a perfectly executed dish or an exceptional glass of wine, experiences that illuminate the passion and artistry at the heart of the culinary profession. Seling’s honest and unflinching reflection on her unique perspective within this challenging industry makes for a compelling and thought-provoking read.