Article Response: "Pocket Full of Dough"

In movies, we always see the wealthy guy walk into a popular, expensive restaurant without a reservation, slip the maître d’ a hundred dollar bill, and the wealthy man is seated almost immediately. But the question on hand is, “Does this really happen in real life?” Well, according to Bruce Feiler, in his article “Pocketful of Dough” it does; and it is a lot easier than one would expect. Feiler, who works for Gourmet magazine, makes a deal with his editors to see if he can get into New York’s finest restaurants using a $20, a $50, and a $100 bill, then the magazine will pay for his meal. So he does this. On different nights, he will take a date and try to get into New York’s most exclusive restaurants, with waiting lists rumored to be anywhere from 50 people to 2,700 people. The restaurants he visited included Balthazar, Union Square Café, Nobu, Le Bernardin, Sparks Steak House, and Alain Ducasse. And without a reservation, Bruce Feiler managed to get a seat at all of these restaurants by dressing properly, acting dignified, being polite, smiling, building a good relationship with the staff, and offering the maître d’ a little “extra.” This article surprised me. Only a hundred dollars to jump a 2,700-person waiting list? I was not surprised that bribing a maître d’ would help your chances of getting into a restaurant, but with out being somebody I did not think Bruce Feiler would get in this easily. But realistically, it is not extremely surprising that the maître d’ would accept the tip. If you think about it maître d’s are making minimum wage or less, plus the occasional tip, while trying to live in one of the world’s most expensive cities. If they have a chance to take home an extra $20-$100, they are going to do it. Feiler made a good point when he discussed how older generations found bribing a maître d’ to get a seat much more acceptable then it is found today. Yet, this still goes on, and the maître ds risk their jobs every time they accept the bribe. This article was very interesting to read and sheds a new light on the “underground” ethics of the New York restaurant industry. KAtelynn, M