The maître d' (short for maître d'hôtel, literally "master of the hotel") in a suitably staffed restaurant or hotel is the person in charge of assigning customers to tables in the establishment and dividing the dining area into areas of responsibility for the various servers on duty. He or she may also be the person who receives and records advance reservations for dining, as well as dealing with any customer complaints and making sure all servers are completing their tasks in an efficient manner. In some localities or traditions particularly small organizations like a single restaurant the post is also known as the headwaiter or host. The origin of the term is in medieval courts, where the holder was an important courtier, like Olivier de la Marche in 15th century Burgundy.

A sommelier (pronounced / suh-mal-'yAy), or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service. The role is more specialized and informed than that of a wine waiter.

Their principal work is in the area of wine procurement, storage, and wine cellar rotation. They are also responsible for the development of wine lists and are responsible overall for the delivery of wine service and training for the other restaurant staff. Working along with the culinary team, they pair and suggest wines that will best complement each particular food menu item. This entails the necessity for a deep knowledge of how food and wine, beer, spirits and other beverages work in harmony. It could be argued that the role of a sommelier in fine dining today is strategically on par with that of the executive chef or chef de cuisine. A professional sommelier also works on the floor of the restaurant and is in direct contact with restaurant patrons. The sommelier has a responsibility to work within the taste preference and budget parameters of the patron.

In modern times, a sommelier's role is considered much broader than working only with wines, and must encompass all aspects of the restaurant's service, with an enhanced focus on wines, beers, spirits, soft-drinks, cocktails, mineral waters, and tobaccos. Some restaurants will employ a sommelier for water, one for whiskies, one for cigars, and so on.

Stephen Morrissey pouring at Intelli LA

Little did I know back in 1979 when I took a Bartending Course that I would have the opportunity to travel , make a great income , have flexibility to do the things I wanted while working , and meet great people along the way. The top ten reasons I am still waiting on tables and loving it are the following.

Due to the increasing labour shortage there is a growing demand for leaders in the Hospitality Industry as never before so when you become proficient in what you do the opportunity to make your mark is easier and the rewards greater.

As the need for serious and skilled employees increases in the future, working conditions will improve so that you will not see the long laborious 12 - 14 hours shifts that some workers face nowadays. Unless the owner wants to see continued high turnover in his establishment the main onus will be to do whatever he or she can to keep the good employees they have.

"I would like to thank Steve Nicolle - my new guest blogger who willing to share with us his knowledge & experience in Food & Beverage Industry". ~elvan

                                                     Steve Nicolle

Steve Nicolle currently teaches Bartending & Wine at Georgian College and is co-author in the "Wake up Live the Life you Love" Book Series. He is from Ontario, Canada and happily married with two boys 6 and 4 years old

A graduate of Hotel Motel Restaurant Management and a Certified Sommelier Steve has held many front of house positions from Maitre'd to Bar Manager and Sommelier.

Nearly 30 years of experience, Steve has traveled extensively in the Hospitality Industry providing excellent customer service from remote isolated resorts to luxury cruise ships.

Providing valuable insight from his experiences Steve is available to speak to students about how to go about choosing their destiny in the Hospitality Industry throughout North America.

As well Steve is available to conduct wine tasting at your venue.

Steve can be contacted at: http://www.stevetalks.ca/

Visit Steve's Blog at: http://waiterextraordinaire.blogspot.com