Waiter to the Rich and Shameless
Confessions of a Five Star Beverly Hills Server
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Narrated by:
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James Patrick Cronin
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By:
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Paul Hartford
About this listen
A down-and-out musician chops off his hair to become a server at the top of the Hollywood food chain, discovering a cloistered world of money, fame, bad behavior, and intrigue.
Waiter to the Rich and Shameless is not just a peek into the secretive inner workings of a legendary five-star restaurant; it is not just a celebrity tell-all or a scathing corporate analysis. It is a top-tier waiter's personal coming-of-age story, an intimate look into the complicated challenges of serving in the country's most elite, Hollywood-centric dining room while fighting to maintain a sense of self and purpose.
Of the many millions of food service workers around the globe, only a tiny number ever ascend to a top-level position at a world-renowned restaurant catering to iconic celebrities, moguls, and politicians. As one of those select few, Paul ("Pauli") Hartford is the first waiter to open the door into a cloistered, coveted world of money, fame, bad behavior, and intrigue. He peels back the veneer of civility and culture at the nation's most preeminent celebrity hangout, the Cricket Room, in Beverly Hills, California. He exposes the epic human foibles of its elite clientele, the dining room's corrupt corporate culture, its clandestine culinary practices, and the heartbreaking struggles of its beleaguered waitstaff.
This keenly-observed story also traverses Pauli's 10-year evolution from a jaded, party-hungry rock musician who moonlights as a bartender, into a snobbish and pretentious waiter, and finally into a polished and sophisticated server who takes his job so seriously that it drives him to the brink of illness. Pauli finds himself at first seduced by his famous guests' glamour and self-indulgence, then accustomed to it, and finally appalled by it.
For obvious reasons, some details and specifics about the real Cricket Room have been cleverly disguised, but discerning listeners will easily connect the dots.
©2014 Paul Hartford (P)2016 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Isle of Palms
- A Lowcountry Tale, Book 3
- By: Dorothea Benton Frank
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Dorothea Benton Frank is a treasure of American letters with numerous New York Times best-sellers to her credit and a portfolio full of critical acclaim. “Mixing high drama and high jinks” ( Booklist), her third Lowcountry novel follows the fortunes of the dysfunctional Abbot family. Looking to set her life aright, Anna Lutz Abbot returns to her South Carolina lowcountry hometown. And as she attempts to right past wrongs, Anna receives help and support from a quirky cast of lovable locals sure to endear themselves to listeners.
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A feel good story
- By Sheryl on 02-04-13
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Back of the House
- The Secret Life of a Restaurant
- By: Scott Haas
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Food writer and clinical psychologist Scott Haas wanted to know what went on inside the mind of a top chef - and what kind of emotional dynamics drove the fast-paced, intense interactions inside a great restaurant. To capture all the heat and hunger, he spent 18 months immersed in the kitchen of James Beard Award-winner Tony Maws's restaurant, Craigie on Main, in Boston. He became part of the family, experiencing the drama first-hand.
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Truly horrible narration
- By Fidge on 03-28-15
By: Scott Haas
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I Regret Nothing
- A Memoir
- By: Jen Lancaster
- Narrated by: Jen Lancaster
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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New York Times best-selling author Jen Lancaster has lived a life based on re-invention and self-improvement. From Bitter Is the New Black to The Tao of Martha, she’s managed to document her (and her generation’s) attempts to shape up, grow up, and have it all - sometimes with disastrous results...Mistakes are one thing; regrets are another. After a girls’ weekend in Savannah makes her realize that she is - yikes! - middle-aged (binge watching is so the new binge drinking), Jen decides to make a bucket list and seize the day.
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The Smug Is Strong With This One
- By T. Filowitz on 05-24-15
By: Jen Lancaster
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Stories I'd Tell in Bars
- By: Jen Lancaster
- Narrated by: Jen Lancaster, John Fletcher
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Older, but not wiser, Lancaster goes back to basics in this hilarious essay collection about everything from taking community policing classes to accidentally getting high with her waiter after a fancy dinner. These are the tales she'd tell if she met you in a bar... if she weren't too lazy to put on pants and go to a bar. Offering advice ranging from how to remain happily married to a man who refuses to blow his damn nose already to not creating An Incident at the cheese counter during an attempt at Whole30, she's you, only louder.
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self absorbed
- By D D H on 06-15-19
By: Jen Lancaster
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They Call Me Supermensch
- A Backstage Pass to the Amazing Worlds of Film, Food, and Rock'n'Roll
- By: Shep Gordon
- Narrated by: Shep Gordon
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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In the course of his legendary career as a manager, an agent, and a producer, Shep Gordon has worked with and befriended some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, from Alice Cooper to Bette Davis, Raquel Welch to Groucho Marx, Blondie to Jimi Hendrix, Sylvester Stallone to Salvador Dali, Luther Vandross to Teddy Pendergrass. He is also credited with inventing the "celebrity chef" and has worked with Nobu Matsuhisa, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Roger Vergé, and many others.
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It's like he's never seen the words before
- By Joe F. on 11-01-17
By: Shep Gordon
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Restaurant Man
- By: Joe Bastianich
- Narrated by: Joe Bastianich
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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How does a nice Italian boy from Queens turn his passion for food and wine into a nationwide empire? In his intrepid, irreverent, and terrifically entertaining memoir, Restaurant Man, Joe Bastianich charts his remarkable culinary journey from his parents’ neighborhood eatery to becoming one of the country’s most successful restaurateurs, along with his superstar chef partners: his mother, Lidia Bastianich, and Mario Batali.
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If you liked Kitchen Confidential you'll...
- By J.D. McPherson on 02-19-16
By: Joe Bastianich
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You're Better than Me
- A Memoir
- By: Bonnie McFarlane
- Narrated by: Bonnie McFarlane, Alexander Cendese
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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In the spirit of Mindy Kaling, Kelly Oxford, and Sarah Silverman, a compulsively listenable and outrageously funny memoir of growing up as a fish out of water, finding your voice, and embracing your inner crazy person from popular actress, writer, and comedian Bonnie McFarlane.
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Sandy!!! She wrote a book...it's crazy, a book!!!
- By Jonathan Placek on 03-02-16
By: Bonnie McFarlane
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Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll
- How Food Lovers, Free Spirits, Misfits and Wanderers Created a New American Profession
- By: Andrew Friedman
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll transports listeners back in time to witness the remarkable evolution of the American restaurant chef in the 1970s and 1980s. Andrew Friedman goes inside Chez Panisse and other Bay Area restaurants to show how the politically charged backdrop of Berkeley helped spark this new profession; into the historically underrated community of Los Angeles chefs, including a young Wolfgang Puck; and into the clash of cultures between established French chefs in New York City and the American game changers.
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the reader makes the audiobook - unfortunately
- By Lawrie Thicke on 04-20-19
By: Andrew Friedman
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The Devil in the Kitchen
- Sex, Pain, Madness, and the Making of a Great Chef
- By: Marco Pierre White, James Steen
- Narrated by: Timothy Bentinck
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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In The Devil in the Kitchen, White tells the story behind his ascent from working-class roots to culinary greatness, leaving no dish unserved as he relays raucous and revealing tales featuring some of the biggest names in the food world and beyond, including: Mario Batali, Gordon Ramsay, Albert Roux, Raymond Blanc, Michael Caine, Damien Hirst, and even Prince Charles.
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A chef / restaurateur must.
- By Brandon on 07-18-16
By: Marco Pierre White, and others
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Single State of Mind
- By: Andi Dorfman
- Narrated by: Andi Dorfman
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Andi Dorfman, breakout star of ABC's The Bachelorette and New York Times best-selling author of It's Not Okay, returns with this new collection of her adventures as a still-single gal surviving and thriving in New York City.
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Shallow
- By c63989 on 01-10-18
By: Andi Dorfman
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30 Before 30
- How I Made a Mess of 20s, and You Can Too
- By: Marina Shifrin
- Narrated by: Marina Shifrin
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Something was nagging Marina Shifrin. As a freshly minted adult with student loan payments and a “real” job she hated that paid her enough to get by if she also worked two other jobs, something needed to change. Marina and her friend each made lists of 30 things they’d do before the age of 30. The first thing on Marina’s list was, “Quit My Shitty Job”. So she did, and just like that the List powered her through her twenties. Told with humor and heart, 30 Before 30 will entertain, motivate, and challenge listeners to get out of their comfort zones and live their best lives.
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Inspiring read
- By Chris Gledhill on 12-18-18
By: Marina Shifrin
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White Girl Problems
- By: Babe Walker
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Babe Walker, center of the universe, is a painstakingly manicured white girl with an expensive smoothie habit, a proclivity for Louboutins, a mysterious mother she's never met, and approximately 50 bajillion Twitter followers. But her "problems" have landed her in shopping rehab - that's what happens when you spend $246,893.50 in one afternoon at Barneys. Now she's decided to write her memoir, revealing the gut-wrenching hurdles she's had to overcome in order to be perfect in every way, every day.
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Hysterical
- By Kimberlykate on 02-01-13
By: Babe Walker
What listeners say about Waiter to the Rich and Shameless
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- First time Xbox'er
- 07-13-17
Wow
Very interesting read! I knew the restaurant business is hard work but I have a new appreciation. I'm glad to know that Johnny Depp is as cool as I've always imagined :)
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1 person found this helpful
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- Ewenanne
- 07-15-17
Love a Good Industry Tell All!
Having worked in the same industry (albeit back-of-house) for 30+ years, the life is pretty much the same. Comiserate along!! Great listen / read!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 06-26-20
Excellent!
I loved this book! Right from the beginning, you feel like the author is speaking directly to you. The person narrating on audible did a great job telling the story and had a very fitting tone for the overall feel. It was interesting, entertaining, and frequently comical. I'm assuming the people who wrote bad reviews because of it being "vulgar" didn't understand the initial warning. The author explains right in the beginning that it's a book about his life, which involves working in a restaurant and warns the reader of some adult content. The word "shameless" is in the title; what else did you expect!? The majority of content we read without conflict, deviation from the norm, and a little vulgarity is usually pretty dull anyway. So, yeah, if you were looking for some spiritual awakening or Christ-driven inspiration, this probably wasn't the book for you, and you should've listened to the warning. Anyone that likes to laugh and can appreciate a good story that is probably relatable to most- will enjoy this book!
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- Michael Pehowdy
- 12-23-22
Great!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! So many interesting, wild, and funny stories. Outstanding narrator too!
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- Yari Pagani
- 03-08-17
amazing
If you work in this type of environment you will enjoy reading it and not only that but you will see your self in first person active as the main character. Great reading! Thanks for sharing your stories... .................
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3 people found this helpful
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- KIC
- 07-13-17
Not quite as many stars as the "Cricket Room"
For the most part, it was a really enjoyable story. The author, a conceited fellow who must be a product of his LA / music scene environment, tells his own story with skill and an entertaining flair.
Much of his humour and POV is sexist misogyny, which got old and annoying quickly. Again, this is likely a product of the time and place.
I enjoyed the stories of the patrons antics, the descriptions of the meals, and I have a much deeper appreciation for the art of service than I did before listening to this book.
My partner and I save up through the year to have one 5-star dining experience per year on our anniversary, and we've always appreciated the effect of truly excellent food and service, which is why we will spend $500+ on a single meal for a very special occasion. The author truly appreciates and enjoys creating this experience as well, and it was great to get the server's perspective.
Even at a 5-star restaurant, it is still exceptional to receive the type of service he described.
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2 people found this helpful
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- K-MOG
- 09-20-17
Not what I expected, but interesting
Much of the authors private life and debauchery is presented, but this and the life as an upper class waiter was interesting.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Andrea Pastorella
- 04-11-17
A Binge readers delight
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Its fun to read especially if you have worked in the restaurant and service business. But even if you haven't you can learn something new.
What did you like best about this story?
That the rock star, want- to- be, got over himself and found some truth. The story is revealing and with authenticity. When Pauli was serving J Depp and his family he saved them from having an allergic reaction to foods he knew they couldn't eat and also managed to sell a very expensive bottle of wine , which then in the end was not preferred
What does James Patrick Cronin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Character and expression makes one pay more attention to detail.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Pauli's wife is such a saint its amazing that she would actually put up with him and his friendship with Jens.
Any additional comments?
Its a page turner, a binge readers delight! What's next??
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- Amanda Y. Davis
- 07-12-17
Wow!
I am not sure what I expected from this book but I must say, it was great! It was the perfect amount of celebrities and how they really are and the life of a server! I really enjoyed the honesty that I heard from Paul throughout the book.
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- Yvette
- 11-14-17
Fly on the wall. Loved the sneak peek.
I enjoyed the view into Hollywood. This writer pulled into the story and didn't let me go until the last page.
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1 person found this helpful