The Plain Dealer Friday! Magazine, Published December 16, 2005
Kim Crow

Some of the most coolly competent -- yet outrageously glamorous -- folks in Cleveland can be found manning the reservation desks at our hottest restaurants.

To do this demanding job, it takes far more than a pretty face. There are customers who don't have a reservation, folks who don't like their table, folks who drink too much or folks who stalk out because their egos haven't been as well-buttered as their crusty rolls.

And they all have to go through that front desk.

It's a delicate tiptoe through the tabletops, requiring equal amounts sass and finesse, good humor and good manners. After years of dining-out experiences marveling at these smooth operators (and yes, sniggering at some of the less-smooth ones), we finally had to ask -- how do they do it? How do they deal with their demanding clientele yet still look unruffled and gorgeous at all times?

Dressing the part
When it comes to dressing the part, most hosts and hostesses agree: The more professional you look, the better.

"We have a lot of corporate people coming here," says Thomas Piechowski of the Foundation Room at the House of Blues in downtown Cleveland. "So a suit is most appropriate. I'm crazy about Brooks Brothers -- beautiful, serviceable clothes, or Valentino or Hugo Boss. And Paul Smith can do no wrong these days. I love his shirts."

Piechowski, 50, recently returned to Cleveland after living in New York for more than a dozen years, and for him, conservative is a new look. "I've worn some wild styles in the past, so for me, a crisp white shirt is different and fresh!"

"I try to reflect our restaurant, which is very classy," says Maggie Metzner of Three Birds in Lakewood. "Our attire is very dressy: skirts and heels."

Ean Carroll of Boulevard Blue in Cleveland likes to get creative. "I try to look professional, but I add a little spice," he says. "I wear a lot of bright colors, pastels, different shades of purple and lavender -- but I'll wear them under a sweater or jacket to tone it down. You just want a flash of brightness. You don't want to overwhelm people.

"I think our guests want to see a greeter with his or her own personal flair, not a cookie-cutter look," Carroll continues. "It's all part of the dining-out experience."

Jakiya McIntyre of the Cheesecake Factory at Legacy Village in Lyndhurst sees thousands of people each week at the popular chain spot.

"I need to be comfortable, but also really cute," she says with a giggle. "It can be cold with the door opening and closing all the time -- so I wear a lot of sweaters, something fuzzy and off the shoulders, and yeah, maybe a little sexy!"

Best feet forward
The most painful conundrum of all: Really fabulous shoes are not comfortable.

"My feet are killing me all the time," admits Piechowski. "I want to punch Kenneth Cole in the nose."

"I like to wear heels, but I usually end up in these little tennie things," says Shanna Sheline of Parallax in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. "In the summer, it's a lot of cute sandals, but now we're running up and down stairs to the coat-check room all night -- I'm sticking to flats."

"Usually my shoes are very stylish -- until midnight. Then you might see me slip into something that's much less stylish," says Tiffany Monday of the tiny, chic Downtown 140 in Hudson.

"Stilettos are popular with us," says Three Birds' Metzner. "I'm used to a higher heel. Flats actually hurt more at the end of the night."

"Style can hurt, but I'd rather make it work for fashion," says Boulevard Blue's Carroll. "I buy a lot of shoes at Aldo -- they're trendy, so by the time they're trashed, they're out of style anyway."

More than a pretty face
But being a successful front-of-the-houser means far more than having a great outfit. You also need a crash course in the human psyche -- the hungry human psyche.

"The challenge is keeping cool," says Sheline of Parallax, one of the most buzzed-about, solidly booked restaurants in the city. "When people start filing in, and they're waiting even with a reservation and they're hungry, well. . [laughing] the thing that keeps me confident is that I know we're going to make them happy in the end."

"Of course, we try to accommodate everyone," says Marco Rossi of Ponte Vecchio downtown. "But I have been in this business 33 years, and I've learned to read people.

"Some people bluster, say they've made reservations they haven't. But if you walk in on Saturday night and are humble, kind, I'm going to do everything I can to get you a table."

"My approach is that everything is fixable," says Piechowski of the House of Blues. "Enter apologizing. Find out what the core problem is. Ask what it is he or she wants you to do. And we get as close as we can."

"You have to kill them with kindness," agrees Monday of Downtown 140. "We strive to be gracious and listen to what they have to say. And once they do sit down, it will be wonderful."

"It's not worth it to come up with elaborate excuses; honesty really is the best policy," says Carroll. "We're straightforward about our mistakes -- and correct them as best we can."