Taking literary elements out of the equation and only focusing on the story, Danler illustrates the complex relationship with your restaurant "family," the habits you develop, making every guest feel like the most important person in the world, the FOH v BOH tension, the darker sides of the industry, all of it in a nostalgic, romanticized way. It's all a blur. You pick and choose what to remember. The restaurant industry is simultaneously one of the most unforgiving and rewarding places to be and I think Danler shows that in her novel.

Honestly, I don't think I would have liked this book if I hadn't spent so much time in the service industry. It's harder to relate to if you haven't been in it yourself. I just saw a piece of myself, a piece of my life in Sweetbitter. Actually, that's the perfect title. The whole experience is sweetbitter, bittersweet; the scale gets tipped both directions, and you're grateful for it.