Diary of a Bartender: Brooklyn to Big Sur, a life at work

Herb Evans raised himself on the streets of Brooklyn. He forged a path into the greater world, first on a Navy submarine, later in theaters, night clubs, and restaurants in the Village, on Third Avenue, on Broadway, in Malibu, and eventually, in Big Sur.Through this collection of essays and reflections, Herb traces this path from Brooklyn to Big Sur, on a journey that has shaped his life through work. Betty Smith told the tale of a tree that grew in Brooklyn, Frank McCourt wove the saga of Angela’s Ashes. Here, Evans has his own stories to tell. ***A restaurant is show business, and the bar is the stage. A bartender is the talent, the stage manager, and the director all rolled into one. Everybody wants to know the bartender.Herb’s start in the business came at 80 Warren Street in Manhattan. Each day he’d be sent to a new venue, a new job. He always had work, because he never said no. Delivery boy, sandwich guy, griddle cook, waiter, or bartender. He’d get the gig and take the stage.Herb finished his career at Nepenthe, one of the world’s most beautiful sets. What lay between lies within.