Just a suggestion. If you have a small party (1 or 2), walk up to the podium close to lunch opening, and talk/beg/be nice to the hostest/host and ask if they can squeeze you in since it just opened.
People may disagree with me, but I've done it several times due to a plan or emergency change, and I'd say 3 outta 5 times it's worked for me.
Here is a funny story about that...
Colleen and I walked up to the podium on a trip. Can't remember which trip but who cares...
So there is a guy in front of us trying to get a reservation for 2 as well. The hostess said "We are only taking reservations for 4"
I then asked her as he was walking away (AND he was complaining he never gets to eat there) "If those two want to share a table with us can we be seated?" She said "sure."
So I ran back and got the dude and said to him in there EXACT WORDS...
"Hey buddy, you have a party of two, and I have a party of two as well. We can eat there and share a table since they are only taking tables of 4. We just have to share a table and I am willing to do this as long as you don't mind."
He looks at me in that face that he is so mad at them still and says...
"I only have 2 of us and she said we need to have 4 people to eat there." He threw his arms up and walked away shaking his head.
Now I wanted the filet REALLY bad but I figured it really was not worth sharing ANYTHING with a moron like that just to get that filet.
I was STUNNED. I probably should have explained it to him again...but I just could not believe that just happened.