That's exactly what she did. She clipped her nails and then filed them. I thought I was going to hurl.
As many of you know, I'm a literary agent. I get to go out to yummy lunches with editors from publishing companies - a lot. Today I was to have lunch with an editor from Random House at Les Halles - an old (former) favorite of mine and the home turf of chef/author/television host Anthony Bourdain. My assistant made a reservation and confirmed with me, the editor and the restaurant. I arrived at 12:25 for a 12:30 reservation. I gave the hostess my name and let her know that someone else would be joining me, he would give her my name. Given that this editor and I aren't familiar with each other I couldn't exactly spy him and yell "Yo Jack, over here!".
By 12:45, still no editor. I start calling my assistant, she starts calling the editor (he wasn't in his office...he was at the restaurant) and round and round we go. I approached the hostess' stand TWICE to confirm that they knew/understood my last name (it's noisy in there) and that someone would be asking for me. I also asked the waitress to do this. By 1PM I was starving, I ordered an appetizer and entree (I had skipped breakfast this morn...big mistake).
At this point the hostess has placed a mother and child to my left. I am literally wedged into my little bistro table by a baby carriage and thus lost all use of my left elbow for cutting my steak. On my right? THE NAIL CLIPPER LADY. Surely this was a circle of hell.
I get back to my office -- the editor was at the restaurant and the hostess' kept telling him I had not arrived and they had no record of my reservation. I have the electronic reservation in my email inbox.
So that cost me...a good editorial meeting, about $42 and 2 hours. Damn you Les Halles.
8 comments:
On the plus side: you are Jane Bond, taking pictures of people with your secret menu-phone, while your disgusting subject remains none the wiser.
Jane Bond?
Oh man, that's even better than my other alias...Fanci Crew.
But...but...Anthony.
Anthony needs to get back in the damn kitchen.
Or at least kick a few butts out front.
That was irresponsible! The restaurant owes you and the other editor a free lunch. I mean, how could they not put one (you) and one (him) together and get two? Two people, both expecting another person and neither of their expected people show up...all they had to do was ask each of you the name of the person you were expecting.
If butts could be kicked, I bet Anthony could kick a few.
Totally gross about the nail clipper. NASTY!!
I thought people clipping nails on the subway was revolting. Oh my god. That woman deserved to be openly videotaped and publicly shamed. Please send that photo into Bourdain's website.
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