Overblown. You can get a table anywhere with enough planning ahead. You only need to be rich and famous to get a table at the trendiest of trendy places at the last minute. And it depends on location. You can get a table at a very nice restaurant at nearly the last minute in Chicago, but in New York you would need to make a reservation ahead of time.

I think Next in Chicago is one of the hottest tables around, and I have had season tickets to them since they opened.

The Little Owl in NYC is very tough to get a table at since the Times' critic raved about it six years ago or so. It's a small restaurant with not many seatings per night. I figured out when their reservations window opened, made a calendar reminder, and got a 7pm table on the night I wanted.

Just takes planning.