Gabrielle Buffong at Wild Cherry.
When Gabrielle Buffong arrives 35 minutes late to her reservation at Le Veau d’Or, the staff send over champagne. She’s apologetic when she can catch her breath between saying hello to everyone who comes over—the host, the maître d’, several servers, and even several diners.
Stories of transplants moving to New York City with a high-minded dream, only to find themselves toiling in the service industry are a dime a dozen. What makes Gabrielle Buffong’s story unique is that she used the midnight oil she burned in service to get ahead in her intended pursuit—working as an archivist for one of New York’s world class museums—while establishing herself as one of the city’s most beloved and most recognized maître d’s.
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