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Behind Bars: The Straight-Up Tales of a Big-City Bartender
 
 
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Behind Bars: The Straight-Up Tales of a Big-City Bartender (Paperback)

~ (Author) "My last day on the job, a chilly December night in 2001, didn't turn out the way I had long pictured it in my mind..." (more)
Key Phrases: melon martini, chilled cocktail glass, bar gig, New York, Kahiki Lounge, Ketel One (more...)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

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Customers buy this book with Cosmopolitan: A Bartender's Life by Toby Cecchini

Behind Bars: The Straight-Up Tales of a Big-City Bartender + Cosmopolitan: A Bartender's Life
  • This item: Behind Bars: The Straight-Up Tales of a Big-City Bartender by Ty Wenzel

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A superb memoir of urban life . . . sharp-witted and complex. . . . Behind Bars delivers a subtle and mature personal narrative." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Wenzel's pulp-fiction prose can hold its own against Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. . . . Compulsively readable." -- Elle

Review

"Wenzel's pulp-fiction prose can hold its own against Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential....Compulsively readable."
- Elle

"A superb memoir of urban life...sharp-witted and complex....Behind Bars delivers a subtle and mature personal narrative."
- Minneapolis Star Tribune


"Wenzel''s pulp-fiction prose can hold its own against Anthony Bourdain''s Kitchen Confidential. . . . Compulsively readable." (Elle )

"A superb memoir of urban life . . . sharp-witted and complex. . . . Behind Bars delivers a subtle and mature personal narrative." (Minneapolis Star Tribune )

Product Details

  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (November 11, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312311036
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312311032
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #562,593 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

Ty Wenzel
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Customer Reviews

32 Reviews
5 star:
 (18)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (7)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This book accomplished what I always wanted to, February 14, 2004
By Bruce (Boston) - See all my reviews
I've never written a review for a book I've read on Amazon before, but I felt compelled to do so here. I was given this book for Christmas by two separate people, probably because I'm a bartender myself. Let's face it, a bartender's memoir isn't exactly to be read as the apex of literary accomplishment, so I'm not sure why people can be so aghast at Behind Bars' few flaws. Wenzel has captured exactly what it's like to serve drinks to a vast myriad of people (drunks, suits, etc.), with such an honest verve that I felt as if I were sitting in front of her listening to the anecdotes on a really busy night. Her writing is raw and extremely fun. The Islamic bent from which she comes from was an interesting facet of the mix, too. This book isn't War & Peace, but it is really fun and, for me and many other bartender's I've loaned out to, quite representational. I don't think many of my customers know that I'm using "sex appeal" to keep them coming back for more. In fact, I think they are under the impression that I really am riveted by everything that comes out of their (most of the time) drunken rants. But I'm not. And Wenzel explains this, and why. I think raving drunks won't like this book because it reveals their weakness too much. Wenzel does NOT sugar-coat anything.

Her poignant and sometimes harrowing narrative was very intimate for me, and I wished I'd visited her on my last trip to New York (back when she was still tending bar on the Bowery). We could have commiserated together and laughed at it all. I await her next work eagerly, which I read about on her site.

Overall, not pretentious like some other "insider" books I've read, fun and very revealing.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fasten your seat belt!, August 21, 2003
By A Customer
This book is loads of fun. Both informative and catty, Wenzel dishes up her share of dirt from behind the bar. I've always fallen in love with my bartenders, so it was fun to hear what it's like to be on the other side. Made me glad that I'm a good tipper too... I recommend this book for everyone looking for an enjoyable read.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun fun fun, August 13, 2003
By A Customer
Just finished the book yesterday and really enjoyed it. Never worked in the service industry but I got the feeling that I knew the ins and outs when I was done - and it's not for the faint of heart. It's easy to see why servers of any type could get so sarcastic after many years dealing with drunks and irrational diners. But it's funny too. Lots of insider tid bits, pet-peeves (which I'll keep in mind next time I'm ordering at a bar) and a funny glossary of terms I never knew existed. It's not whiny or apologetic. You can take it or leave it if you're an "orphan" (gotta read it to find out what that means) but I know service industry folks will love this. Definitely a fun summer read. Very entertaining.

Jim

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Marginal
I bought this book nearly three years ago because as a bartender and aspiring writer, I wanted someone else's take on what the lifestyle can be like. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Rock Snob

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible
I would not recommend this book. Don't know what the publishers were thinking by printing this book. Bar fly stories that are shallow and pathetic.
Published on May 10, 2006 by QuantumQ

2.0 out of 5 stars Pet Peeve #1
The book starts off with Ty describing her last day as a bartender. As the book continues, you as the reader get a quick and dirty tour of how she started in the business, a sort... Read more
Published on February 15, 2006 by T. Taylor

4.0 out of 5 stars funny, well written tale of bartending in New York City
This quick read is both a story about bartending, and a story about New York City. The characters, places, and even to a degree the politics are all mid-to-late 90s NYC lore, and... Read more
Published on January 23, 2006 by L. Rephann

5.0 out of 5 stars An insightful and intriguing memoir from a one-of-a-kind woman
The narrator, Ty, is unique as a Turkish-born Muslim woman who came to America, got her degree, worked a few unsatisfying fashion industry desk jobs, and finally found fulfillment... Read more
Published on October 12, 2005 by Jessica Lux

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read
Witty, funny, sexy and filled with great prose, Ty Wenzel penned an inciteful look into the bar scene of one of New York's hot spots. Read more
Published on February 21, 2005 by David S. Singer

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Informative
I have always loved bartenders. It was a treat to read Wenzel's account of mixing drinks in NYC and what a joy/nightmare it can be. Read more
Published on July 15, 2004

2.0 out of 5 stars A few anecdotes does not a book make
As a former bartender I hate to say something bad, but how much experience can a person get in two bars across 10 years? Read more
Published on July 6, 2004 by Paul A. Steckler

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful Jewel
Just finished Wenzel's account of her ten years in the bartending biz. I really liked the way it was categorized into sections, like "Sex with a Twist" and "Tip or Die in... Read more
Published on February 22, 2004 by Devin Henley

1.0 out of 5 stars A New Low in Rant Lit
What was St. Martins Press thinking? Unbelievably bad writing by a person with absolutely nothing to say. Read more
Published on February 20, 2004 by John from NYC

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