Maître d's may be the gatekeepers, but here at Maître d' Diaries we will frequently step away from the door and talk to front of the house hospitality professionals who play all different roles in executing the service in restaurant operations.

Join us this episode for our chat with Maddy Maldonado, the beverage director of Jose Andres' Mercado Little Spain at Hudson Yards on the West Side of Manhattan.

Maldonado grew up in New Jersey, the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, surrounded by the wonder of food, love, and warmth while she helped her mother host large family gatherings. Maldonado first caught the hospitality bug doing pick up work with a caterer: listen in as she tells us how helping out at a party in the home of a wine collector with a 1,000 bottle cellar sparked a mentorship that led to a lifelong passion for learning and teaching about wine.