Gourmet Magazine had an article, from 2000, exploring how far a $20 could get you with high-end restaurants sans a reservation.
There were 50 people lingering in the foyer of Sparks Steak House, a bastion of male power, when I entered at 8:15 with a male friend. We were told it would be 9:45 before we could be seated. I asked to be put on the list.
Given the size of the crowd and the length of the wait, I decided to reach for my right pocket. I waited until the man behind the podium was alone (Rule No. 6) and rested my left hand lightly on his back. Suddenly, I was Fred Astaire and he was Ginger Rogers. He knew exactly what to do. He pivoted toward me and turned his right hand from face down to face up, giving me a target. I slipped the bill into his hand and said again, “This is a really important night for me.”
He disappeared briefly, then 45 seconds later, he reappeared at my elbow. “Right this way,” he announced, and led us to a table. I had jumped a 50-person line and saved myself an hour-and-a-half wait. Forget Frank Sinatra. I was now James Bond.
I think I’ve slipped a $20 to a maître d’ in the past and it has worked. In today’s climate, however, I’m not sure how well this would work; it may even work better since more folks are skimping while dining out.
Restaurant hospitality
Bruce Feiler details his experience as the maître d’ at Union Square Cafe in a 2002 article for Gourmet Magazine.