Jen Newton, beverage director, Rose Mary

I find that usually if a restaurant is open Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, that’s the time. On weekends, everyone wants to dine out and people are coming in from the suburbs. Tuesday is the hidden gem. A lot of people in the industry usually go out on Sunday and Monday, so for people not in the industry, Tuesday is a little slower.

For Rose Mary, get here earlier rather than later. I know people always cringe when you have to dine early. Get here so you can get in at 5 p.m.; we have a lovely patio that is open seating. I’m a beverage director, so I’m always going to eat at the bar — people don’t always know that a lot of restaurant bars do full service. That’s another way to get in. Most of the time, our bar is completely full with diners. People have like 17 dishes at the bar.

Don’t call to ask about last-minute reservations. Use OpenTable — we don’t have a live reservationist here until 4 p.m., [so] it’s easier for us. You can only imagine the line we get for reservations and walk-ins. We might not be able to pick up the phone immediately.

We have a lot of people offering money to our hostesses for seats, sometimes up to $100 to $200, and they politely decline. Just don’t bother. I’d walk in, get on the wait list, and then go check out a cocktail bar nearby and just wait. That’s what I would do. – As told to Anthony Todd