\n<\/aside>\nAs the Maitre D’ at some of New York City’s trendiest restaurants, Michael Cecchi-Azzolina is the man to know if you want a table. Over his 35 years in the industry, he’s been the gatekeeper at River Cafe, Raoul’s, Minetta Tavern, and Le CouCou among others. Now, he’s finally telling all in his upcoming book \u201cYour Table Is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maitre D ‘.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through the years, Cecchi-Azzolina has frequently rubbed elbows with the rich and famous as the front of house for some of the city’s hottest spots. \u201cWhether it’s a celebrity, a billionaire, a head of state, or someone else, it’s very exciting,\u201d he told the Post. \u201cOh my god, I get to meet this person \u2014 a Supreme Court justice, a prime minister, a president, Johnny Carson, these people who are legends in my lifetime. It’s humbling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a lot of people don’t understand what a true Maitre D’ does,\u201d says Cecchi-Azzolina. \u201cIt’s a lost art form. Curating a dining room, curating the experience, where people sit in the room, where you place a famous person, how you build a flow. The energy becomes incredible if it’s done correctly.\u201d<\/p>\nAuthor Michael Cecchi-Azzolina says his craft is a \u201clost art form.\u201d <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCecchi-Azzolina writes that in a tough city like New York, the gig can even be downright dangerous.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn addition to catering to A-listers, Maitre D’s often have to say no. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s difficult. You only have a certain number of tables, and everyone wants a great table, but that’s impossible,\u201d he says. \u201cRestaurants are not democracies, just as I don’t sit court side at the New York Knicks. You have to have some swagger behind you to get that kind of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a tough city like New York, the gig can even be downright dangerous, as Cecchi-Azzolina learned when a mafia captain wanted to kill him. \u201cThat story really shows life in New York \u2014 and what might happen if you control a table,\u201d he says with a laugh. \u201cMy career, which paralleled the changes of New York City from the ’80s to the present seen through the eyes of the restaurant world, sheds light on this myriad of crazy characters.\u201d<\/p>\n
As restaurants continue to struggle with staffing shortages and the fallout of the pandemic, the number one message he hopes to impart is this: \u201cHow incredible the people who work in the restaurant are. How hard they work to get you a meal. The pressure they go under makes some of them awful, but others rise to the occasion to become the most incredible, loving people in the world that you want by your side.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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As the Maitre D’ at some of New York City’s trendiest restaurants, Michael Cecchi-Azzolina is the man to know if you want a table. Over his 35 years in the industry, he’s been the gatekeeper at River Cafe, Raoul’s, Minetta Tavern, and Le CouCou among others. Now, he’s finally telling all in his upcoming book …<\/p>\n
A New York City Maitre D’ tells all<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[4],"tags":[33195,39673,2740,39674,9212,4809],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nA New York City Maitre D' tells all - harchi90<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n