Servers’ looks trump experience

Pascale Le Draoulec’s article “Service That’ll Play in L.A.” (Oct. 24) makes it sound as if the poor restaurant owners just can’t find any good help these days in La-La Land. Just not enough career waiters, they say. My experience says that baloney needs to be stricken from the menu.

I recently moved to Santa Monica with my 30 years of experience working in some of the finest dining spots in Florida. I spent two months applying to virtually every fine dining house in Venice, Santa Monica and Brentwood and was consistently impressed with the fact that managers here don’t prize experience (which, admittedly, comes with a smattering of salt and pepper in the hair and a crinkle around the eyes) as much as they prize fresh faces.

Of course, any restaurant owner wants servers to be as appetizing as the entrees, but in Los Angeles, Paris Hilton and Zac Efron clones edge out those of us in the professional ranks nearly every time.

So if restaurant owners are serious about wanting to provide their guests with high-end service, maybe the owners and managers should focus on hiring those of us who have earned our aprons.

David Futch

Santa Monica