Connie Forbin >>
The French Room
Experience: 20 years
Biggest Tip: a three-week trip to Zimbabwe
Connie made Dallas dining history in 1995 when she became the first female server in fine dining—and she debuted as a captain, not a busser. Before her super server status, she worked 10 years at the Bistro at the Adolphus, where her polished style so impressed a customer—the GM of Air Zimbabwe—that he flew her and several other staffers to his headquarters in Africa to train his staff. She has plenty of loyal regulars, but she keeps an eye open for first-timers who might be intimidated by the menu. “I spot them right away,” she says. “I tell them I’m just a country girl from Wichita Falls, and I’ll be happy to answer any of their questions.”
<< Melissa Hagen
Mecca
Biggest Tip: $20 on a meal and two cups of coffee
“That’s the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it,” sings Melissa as she slithers through the crowd, both arms lined with plates piled high with biscuits and gravy. She’s the happiest waitress in the happiest restaurant in Dallas. For eight years, she and her co-workers have created the “greatest support group in town.” She serves them all—cops, millionaires, construction workers, more cops, businessmen, “and bunches of Southwest Airlines employees.” She pours her first cup of coffee at 5:30 a.m. and averages “about 50 pots” before she clocks out at 1:30 p.m. “Divine intervention” drove her to Harry Hines and work at the Mecca, a place where “jobs only become available when someone dies.”
Tamara White >>Abacus
Biggest Tip: $1,200
Working in the creative environment at Abacus allows Tamara to be close to her three passions: food, wine, and art. An accomplished artist—several of her contemporary paintings hang in executive chef Kent Rathbun’s home and in sister restaurant Jasper’s—Tamara paints every morning in her Oak Cliff studio. After hours of solitude, she hits the floor, ready to interact with an international list of clientele. “The greatest part of my job is the diversity,” she says. “It’s the closest thing to working for yourself.” Her pet peeve? “I like to be called a ’server’—not a ’waitress.’”
<< Linda Donahue
Dunston’s Prime Steak House on Lovers Lane
Experience: almost 17 years
Where to Find Her: backroom
Every night, a seemingly endless stream of Park Cities and Preston Hollow insiders head straight past the salad bar for the backroom. There, in the “Cheers of Dallas” setting, they’re greeted by Linda, who not only knows them by name but also has their favorite cocktails delivered by the time they’re settled. It was almost 17 years ago that she answered an ad in the paper, and today the no-nonsense waitress still loves the fast pace. Her best quality is consistency; nothing ever ruffles her feathers. If a customer isn’t happy, she “kills them with kindness until they become a regular.”
Anne Fagan-Vincent >>
Louie’s, Bailey’s 1st and Ten
Katie Fagan
Primo’s (she’s the manager)
Anne’s Biggest Tip: an engagement ring
Katie’s Greatest Asset: high energy
This twin-sister act has turned more than a few heads during their 16 years of waitressing around town. The same clientele—”fringe Parkies, media and advertising types, and yuppies”—frequent all three establishments and, after a couple of pops, tend to get the gals confused. They worked as a team for five years, but now Anne works the east side and Katie takes the west. Which one is the evil twin? “I’d say Katie’s nicer than I am,” Anne says. “But that’s just because she’s a manager.”
<< Jelena Puccio
III Forks
Experience: 20 years
Best Asset: setting financial goals and making them
Jelena has a husband, two sons, two dogs, three cats, three lizards, and a full-time job. In her spare time, she works on and off at Dillard’s (“I love retail”) or manages her son’s soccer league. Four to five nights a week she “lives for serving” her loyal customers at III Forks. She’s as philosophical as she is efficient. “You have to be able to read people,” she says. “Some expect you to entertain while others just want good service.” She and her husband “tag team” the care of the family, and working nights affords her quality time with her kids. “I’ve been snubbed by high-society people when I tell them I’m a waitress,” she says. “But I don’t care. I want to be a good mother, and working at III Forks allows me to make more money working fewer hours.”
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