Can I Take Your Order?

America’s growing population of foodies have gobbled up chef’s tales like Kitchen Confessional by Anthony Bourdain and scores of books and TV shows about the kitchens of Mario Batali, Jacques Pepin, Alice Waters and others. But what about the tales from the front of the house? A man known only as “The Waiter” has been chronicling the turning tables at a white tablecloth New York restaurant he refers to as “The Bistro”. He’s been writing about his escapades on the Waiter Rant Blog since 2004. And now his blog is a book: Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip -- Confessions of a Cynical Waiter. The anonymous waiter revealed his identity in The New York Post yesterday morning. His name is Steve Dublanica, and he joins us on Word of Mouth to talk about his work.

We'll also hear the story of Jackie, a waitress at Dysart's Truck Stop in Bangor, Maine. The truckers who stop at the restaurant love Jackie, who's served them for decades. But after 26 years in the business, Jackie decided it was time to retire. This piece was produced Sara Paul for the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies.

(Photo by shoothead)