Monkey Dish: The Waiter's Tale

by Michael J. Curley

It's the spring of 1973 and Hank Morgan, a recently discharged Vietnam veteran, is bored. Looking to fill some time, he applies for a job cutting the grass at a country club. "We don't need any more groundskeepers," he's told, "but we do need a waiter." Hank tells the club manager he has no experience in that line of work. He's a working-class kid from Chicago, who grew up eating meat and potatoes and little else. As he often says, "pizza was exotic fare in our house." His favorite restaurants were hot dog stands and diners. "We'll train you." And with that, Monkey Dish , a novel with a dash of cookbook and a generous helping of humor, follows Hank as he works his way through the restaurant world of the 1970s and 80s.

Genres: Humor

145 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2018

Reviews

[Kerry Kjargaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have great respect for wait staff and even more now

What an interesting and well written autobiography. I sincerely hope you continue to write. I loved your sly sense of humor with your coworkers and especially with your customers.

[Pat Mathews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, funny book!

Interesting book about a Chicago waiter and the many friends he makes at each job. Told with humor and also a little history of Chicago.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about the experiences of people in various occupations. It makes me more aware and appreciative of the work involved.

[Stephanie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not something I would normally pick up but I'm not upset that I did! It was very interesting getting a glimpse into the life of a waiter during a different time period! Part of the reason I like this book is also the same reason I don't like it lol. The main character jumps from job to job and it's kind of hard to follow at times. I loved seeing what it was like for him to work at different restaurants though!

[Mtzlplk]

I won this book on a free giveaway! I enjoyed it very much. It was a bit like reading someone's personal journal. I liked the main character and hope he reappears in other works by this author. Certainly learned a lot about a career field I had never considered. Nothing but respect for people that can do this job and stay sane. Thanks Michael J. Curley.
I think we must have grown up at the same time. I caught myself laughing more than once at some reference to those crazy hippie days. Seriously good time reading this.

[SydneysBookNook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monkey Dish was something I certainly have never read if I did not win it in a giveaway. It follows the journey of Vietnam War veteran Hank as he finds his purpose as a restaurant waiter. Moving through the 70s and 80s, the novel gives insight into the restaurant business through short vignettes and anecdotes of Hank's life, weaving together to form a full narrative. It was an interesting premise that held my interest, but was not overly engaging.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ebook as a Goodreads giveaway. This book was sorely needing a good editor. There were a lot of errors that I caught, and some I just glossed over because I was too tired to keep annotating. Kinda wished it was a novel instead of vignettes of personal life as a Vietnam vet turned waiter. Really a 2 and a half for me because it really needed more editing.

[LybGyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m going to pause on reading this book right now. Each time I pick it up and read a bit I think that just maybe the plot will develop in such a way that I will understand what the plot is or where the story is going. That hasn’t happened yet.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delectable

I'm a fan of 'foodie memoirs' and wanted to read this be wise I thought it was one. It's marketed as a novel but I'm happy to say it reads like a memoir. My only criticism is that it ended to soon for me. I want more!

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some interesting parts, but could have used an editor.

Half the time I wasn't sure if it was a "biography" or a novel.

[Cindy White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really three 1/2

This book was a pretty good read but again but I don't think I would read it again. Everyone has certain their type of genres they prefer.

[Aubrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok Read

Interesting view on all the ins and outs of being a waiter at different joints. It was an ok read, but not something I would be likely to recommend.

[Geraldine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wouldn't normally be the sort of thing I'd choose to read, so I'm very grateful that The StoryGraph giveaway gave me the chance to try it. It tells the story of a man who, having left the military after the Vietnam war, finds himself taking a job as a waiter which leads to a long career as he moves from one restaurant to another. My one problem with the book was the way it spoke about women. I'm not sure if this came from the author himself, or if he was trying to reflect the attitudes of the time (the start of the book is set in the early 70s). Either way, it made for some pretty uncomfortable reading. Otherwise, the book is an interesting insight into the world of restaurants and waiting tables.