Who’s who in the dining room

Here are the key positions you’ll find at most upscale restaurants. The more formal
the restaurant, the more people you can expect to see milling about the dining room.
The terms may vary by restaurant.

Host or hostess: Greets guests and, depending on the restaurant, may also take
reservations. The host usually handles walk-ins and helps with seating at the bar and
with taking items to coat check.

General manager (G.M.): The G.M. oversees all restaurant operations that don’t fall
under the executive chef’s purview -- from budget to staffing and service issues.
Generally, the G.M. works in an office, but he or she can often be seen pinch-hitting
in the dining room.

Maitre d’: From the French maitre d’hotel (“master of the house”). The maitre d’
oversees the seating chart, making sure VIPs get the best servers and choice tables. He
greets guests upon arrival (sometimes getting a monied handshake) and ensures
smooth table flow. If a table lingers too long, for example, it’s the maitre d’s job to
tactfully offer those guests a drink at the bar. Depending on the size of the restaurant,
the maitre d’ sometimes doubles as floor manager.

Floor manager: A catch-all position overseeing the dining room and perhaps fulfilling
the duties of a maitre d’ or captain at restaurants that don’t have them.

Captain: Oversees several tables in a section of the restaurant and has a team of
staffers (front waiters, runners, back waiters, bus people) at his disposal. He stays in
the dining room, making sure everyone in his section is having a smooth dining
experience. He greets the table; takes appetizer, entree, dessert and coffee orders; and
“drops” the check. He is also in charge of pacing the meal so that entrees don’t arrive
when you’re halfway through your starter. At restaurants with table-side service, the
captain is responsible for flourishes such as filleting fish or carving fowl. The position
exists in the most formal New York restaurants (Per Se, Daniel and Le Bernadin);
Spago, Patina and Osteria Mozza don’t use them, but Providence and Craft L.A. do.

Waiter: Fulfills the same function as the captain in less formal restaurants, minus the
oversight of other tables, which is left to a floor manager.
Front waiter: The liaison between the kitchen and the waiter, he also assists the waiter
or captain with wine and beverage service and helps “mark” or set the table before
each course.

Sommelier or wine director: Assists guests with food and wine pairings, tactfully
gauging what the guests will want to spend. He also typically purchases wine for the
restaurant, arranges staff tastings and assembles the wine list.

Maitre fromager: If the restaurant has a substantial cheese selection, chances are it
also has a master of cheese. He presents cheeses at the table and serves them, making
suggestions when appropriate about wine pairings. He also cares for the cheeses,
keeping them at the right temperature and aiming for peak ripeness. There are only a
handful in L.A., at restaurants such as Patina, Comme Ca and Spago.

Runner: Responsible for bringing dishes from the kitchen to the table. Using table
positions (provided by the waiter), the runner drops dishes in front of the appropriate
guests.

Back waiter/bus person: Responsible for “table maintenance”: refilling water glasses
and coffee cups, clearing finished dishes, crumbing the table.