At first it was a simple wheel barrow, then a cart pulled by a horse. The food was made at home and sold on the street. Samuel Jones may have been the first to create an indoor space for diners (SRO) and then (with customized appliances) a kitchen. When streets started to get congested, these 'eateries' moved off to the side and, eventually, lost their wheels. To attract more women and families, booths were added. The evolution of this once (and future, it seems,) favorite eatery is beautifully told and illustrated in The American Diner, by Michael Karl Witzel. When the men went of to fight in WWII, women moved behind the counter ... and became an American Icon! There is diner slang: "zeppelins in a fog" for sausages and mashed potatoes, for example. They were known for good (local) food and great service, clean restrooms and endless cups of coffee. With the creation of the interstate highways (which bypassed so many of the small towns), faster cars, etc. the fast food establishments took over with generic food the same everywhere (but you could grab it and eat it in the car) and the diner declined. Fortunately, it is making a comeback.

Seems waitressing isn't the bad job so many seem to think it is. The hours allow a mother to be home when her children get in from school, and the money is better than an office or factory job. The difference may be is that those interviewed for Counter Culture: the American Coffee Shop Waitress, by Candacy A. Taylor all worked in the smaller, local diners, etc. Here, they establish a customer base of folks who become friends and a waitress may serve three or four generations of the same family. None denied it was hard work, but many are working well into their seventies and eighties, not because they have to, but because they love what they do. An eye opener of a book about a dying breed of the American work force. Very interesting!

For a different look at the job, this time from a high end restaurant, there's Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip - Confessions of a Cynical Waiter, by The Waiter, Steve Dublanica. Part biography, part memoir, part "what do I want to do when I grow up" musings, this book started as a blog. The author started out studying to be a priest, worked in the health care industry and various other jobs before starting to wait tables. The blog was a way to cope, and vent frustrations. Anonymously he was able to talk about the good, bad, rude, and surprising moments of the job. It caught on and he was asked to write a book (where he had to give up being anonymous ...) A different customer base, plus alcohol and the fancier meals offered make this a contrasting look at the profession from Counter Culture, but also an interesting read. (A wonderful observation from Constant Reader is that one book is about serving people and the other about deserving tips and such without really earning them). (See what you think!)

Reading Hermit With Dog