SE WHAT? Keller

Chef Thomas Keller's Per Se restaurant is one of the most expensive in Manhattan (and therefore anywhere), with the standard guest check coming in at more than $400 per person for nine courses with a wine pairing. And that's just for the cheap seats in the back. For those with all the curiosity about such a place (and none of the coin), former Per Se server (and the first ever female four-star captain) Phoebe Damrosch has written Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter (William Morrow), which will be on shelves October 7.

The book is filled with juicy bits, running the gamut from gossip on Chef Keller to how celebrities greet each other in the high-powered dining room. We even learn that the staff stopped serving merlot after Sideways came out. How timely! After the jump, sink your teeth into the best items from the menu. Bon appétit.

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