BY KEN ALAN

For the professional concierge, making reservations is a true art form. My rules of thumb: Know the best times to make the call (2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. during the week); know when not to (steer clear of the 4 p.m. team meeting and the 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. dinner rush); know which gatekeepers to forge relationships with; and have an understanding of how the all-important cancellation list can work in your favor.

Here's a peek inside my own Little Black Book (actually, it’s a little Blackberry) for my best contacts.