Maître d’ Diaries is an award-winning front of the house industry podcast hosted by two OG New York maître d’s, Dante Camara and Erica Cantley.
We take you behind the podium, between the tables, and inside the minds of the people who welcome and serve you in your favorite restaurants.
You’ll meet industry pros, hear stories of dining room nightmares, service successes, and luxury excesses, get tips on how to be a good guest, find out how the people who take care of you take care of themselves, and learn what restaurant behavior we think needs to be 86ed.
How do you get the help and support you crave to grow in your profession, and as a person?
Have you ever wished you had a mentor? Or two or three?
Listen to our chat with Paz Altamirano for some great tips and inspo on how to find and activate MENTORSHIP in your life.
You’ll hear about:
~ How Paz got on the track of finding mentors in her maître d’ work
~ The importance of being humble and able to accept feedback in order to grow
~ The thrill of taking walk-ins
~ Tricks for not taking things at work so personally
~ The value of intergenerational friendships
~ Giovanna Cucolo’s mindset advice for making the door your own
~ And of course more of the annoying things people do in restaurants that Paz would like to see 86ed!
6 Jun 2026
S4 - Episode 11 - Arnold Rossman
Is it possible to age into rather than out of the business? As we gain experience and perhaps take on leadership roles within our restaurant groups, is the concept of work life balance even viable for chefs and restaurant managers?
Our guest Arnold Rossman is an industry legend and a veritable posterboy for longevity in restaurant operations. Arnold has over forty five years of experience in all facets of the food & hospitality industry. He’s worked as dishwasher and busser, cook and server, maître d’, ops director, executive chef and everything in between.
Arnold arrived in NYC in 1977 during the summer of the Son of Sam, worked at Empire Diner and Danceteria in the days of disco, in San Francisco for great chefs including Jeremiah Tower, Traci Des Jardins, and Bradley Ogden, at the legendary women-owned La Tulipe in New York, and on the hot line at Le Cirque his second day at the job.
Join us for a delightful conversation that includes:
~ Arnold’s story of getting his big break in the kitchen of at Le Cirque with almost no experience
~ His philosophy that service is a gift
~ The importance of taking the high road
~ What he learned about intention from cleaning spinach
~ The power of anticipation
~ The time one of the mirrors fell down (with guests underneath it!) at Balthazar
~ Why he wants to be the one to throw out any drunk person or give someone the Heimlich maneuver
~ How the pandemic pause helped him readdress the essential matters in his life
~ Why he became the Director of Mirth at Pastis
~ Starstruck moments including meeting the great food writer Elizabeth David
And be sure to stay on until the end when he shouts out a list of OG FOH legends who have mentored and inspired him throughout his career.
30 May 2026
S4 - Episode 10 - Mardee Bennett
It’s no secret that some of the best front of the house players started out as English majors and thespians. Which comes first, a penchant for performance and storytelling, or the need for a paying gig?
For sure the dining room can be a stage. The curtain rises when the door opens, and no matter how we feel or what might have happened that day, the show must go on. And like putting on a play, pitching in, working hard, and the adrenalin rush of pulling off yet another night is part of the fun.
Our guest Mardee Bennett is the maître d’ of acclaimed regional Italian restaurant Borgo in New York City. He’s also a singer, actor, and award-winning playwright. Join us for this delightful chat with Mardee which includes highlights such as:
~ Moving to New Orleans & getting a job at Commander’s Place
~ How the maître d’ controls the weather (in the dining room!)
~ The importance of finding the right restaurant fit for you
~ The first and last time he snapped his fingers at a server
~ How being an actor and actually liking people are hospitality superpowers
~ His favorite star-struck moment
~ What he learned about humanity when a guest who insulted him ended up with her bashed her head in and covered with blood
~ The time they had a naked man in the restaurant
~ Gospel music and the rituals that help him get into the right head space
~ His feelings about technology & a few things he’d like to see 86ed
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
19 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
76
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
71
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