Summary

Sweetbitter recounts the story of the first year in New York of the narrator, a 22-year-old woman who remains unnamed to readers for much of the novel. In Chapter 1 of the first section, “Summer,” the narrator recounts her arrival in New York: she had to circle back to get change for a toll booth before she could arrive in the city. Next, she picked up a key to her shared apartment from a barman who was a friend of her new roommate. She applied for a job at a restaurant and had an interview with the general manager, Howard. She noticed that Howard was attracted to her. She was offered a job.

In Chapter 2 the narrator began training to work in the restaurant. She did not immediately become a server, but instead began to train as a backwaiter. She joined the rest of the...