“How impossible it is to forget the stories we tell ourselves, even when the truth should supersede them.” — Stephanie Danler Copy Share Image
“I'm sick of that, I said. Young, young, young, that's what I get, all day, everyday. But I know your secret…You're all terrified of… — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“I had created a life that was bent in service to all my personal cravings.” — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“I knew from books, movies, and Sex and the City how I was supposed to answer. I’ve always dreamed of living here, they say.… — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“You can’t cultivate them. The farmers used to take female pigs out into the countryside, lead them to the oaks, and pray. They don’t… — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“Remember this, I told myself. Remember how quiet today is. I had the newspaper, which I would keep for years, and I was on… — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“My palms were damp. That was the moment I realized I wanted the job. That job, at that restaurant specifically.” — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“I don’t know what it is exactly, being a server. It’s a job, certainly, but not exclusively. There’s a transparency to it, an occupation… — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“The lilacs shed as I walked the bridge. My phone buzzed twice and I turned it off. The city was radiant and I felt… — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“You will develop a palate. A palate is a spot on your tongue where you remember. Where you assign words to the textures of… — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“You will stumble on secrets. Hidden all over the restaurant: Mexican oregano, looking cauterized, as heady as pot. Large tins of Chef’s private anchovies… — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“When you’re older you will know that at some unconscious level not only did you see it coming, but you created it, in your… — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
“You will encounter a fifth taste. Umami: uni, or sea urchin, anchovies, Parmesan, dry-aged beef with a casing of mold. It’s glutamate. Nothing is… — Stephanie Danler Copy Share
