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Dear Pros,

You've got Kat here on this fine Saturday. A friend shared a meme with the group text earlier today posing the question: "If someone told me they saw you arguing with a stranger on the street, what would you immediately assume I was arguing with them about?" I responded that I assumed she'd be chewing someone out about them being careless with their dog's safety and she wrote back, "I would say you saw someone being snarky to someone in the service industry, and they needed a talking to."

Honestly, I got a little choked up — in a good way. I tend to be fairly confrontation-averse, but nothing raises my hackles quite like disrespect for people who work in hospitality. On the flip side, few things soothe them more swiftly than talking about why they matter so much. So if you'll indulge me, in the spirit of the season, I'd like to share why I'm so grateful to all of you who do this work.

I'm thankful to the hosts and reservationists who bear the brunt of the public's weird emotions, entitlement, and fits of hanger and can almost magically transform that into eager anticipation — and the occasional miracle. Cheers to the bartenders who essentially have to host a party every evening (and sometimes the afternoon) and make sure strangers feel every bit as warm and welcomed as their favorite regulars.

I want to high-five every server, runner, busser, and backwaiter who work in harmony to make sure that the people at my table know that when we're in their hands, the care and kerfuffle of getting exactly what we want on (and off) the table is taken care of. I'm bubbling over with gratitude for the cooks and chefs who stress over every nuance of buying, prepping, cooking, and plating the food that sustains me in a billion ways, and I wish there was the equivalent of an EGOT for all those porters and dishwashers who deal with the muck and mess of it out of sight, and then re-set the stage so it can all happen again tomorrow.

Holiday time can be complicated and intense for a whole host of reasons, and especially so if you work in restaurants. It's my fondest wish that, if you are one of these folks, you get a chance to feel the esteem and gratitude that civilians like me have for the work you do. And if you're snug as a bug on a barstool or at a table, maybe take a moment to properly thank these folks and tip accordingly. Otherwise, you might just find me waiting on the street outside.

Cheers,
Kat
kat.kinsman@foodandwine.com
IG: @katkinsman

Alarmingly, lots of people say that they don't tip at all.