The Reservation

On the morning of its biggest reservation of the year, a restaurant descends into accusations and acrimony in this entertaining tale from Kauffman (I’ll Come to You). Danny, the operations assistant at Aunt Orsa’s, the only fine-dining establishment in a small Midwest college town, is shocked to discover that 22 steaks are missing from the fridge. Orsa, the owner, assumes the theft was an act of sabotage by a disgruntled employee who knows the restaurant is expecting a large group that includes bestselling author John Grisham. With her lists of suspects in hand, Orsa shakes down the staff, from the gruff Chef Oz, who yells at everyone, to Shannon, a new mom on the kitchen staff who desperately wants to be front of house where the big bucks are. As the day progresses and Grisham’s arrival looms, the stressed-out staff begins to better understand each other’s motivations, and the story develops into a profound meditation on what it means to be connected, which Kauffman elucidates with a light touch when a bar guest reflects on the nature of storytelling: “The story of one man was never about just one man.” It’s a pitch-perfect mash-up of Clue and The Bear. Agent: Michelle Tessler, Tessler Literary. (Feb.)