At Balthazar
The New York Brasserie at the Center of the World
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
Explore the iconic and beloved restaurant Balthazar in this “beautiful New York love story. Nobody could have written it better than Reggie Nadelson, who captures the tastes and smells, the glamour, nitty-gritty, and the theater of the restaurant and of the city itself” (Nigella Lawson, award-winning chef and author).
Balthazar has been a staple in the New York restaurant scene since it opened its doors in 1997. Frequented by celebrities and locals alike, it has evolved from an intimate French brasserie to a legendary New York institution, now more successful than ever as it serves about a half a million meals a year.
MK Fisher Award finalist Reggie Nadelson was granted unrestricted access to owner and brilliant restaurateur Keith McNally, the restaurant, the kitchens, the present and past staff, the restaurant’s archives, and more. She follows the twenty-four-hour cycle of the SoHo hotspot and explores the history of both French brasseries and downtown Manhattan, weaving together a savory tale of design, economics, celebrity, and—of course—delicious food.
Featuring stunning color photographs and ten new recipes from Balthazar chef Shane McBride, this beautifully designed book celebrates the rich history and continued success of this renowned restaurant. As New York Times bestselling author and chef Ruth Reichl insists, “There’s never been a restaurant like Balthazar and never a book just like this.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Granted unlimited access to Balthazar, one of N.Y.C.'s preeminent bistros, journalist and novelist Nadelson (Blood Count) has produced a gilded portrait. Balthazar was the brainchild of restaurateur Keith McNally, and transplanted French tradition to Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, becoming a center for expense-account tourism. Nadelson, a native New Yorker, scopes the restaurant from the labyrinth basement to the grand tilted dining-room mirrors, profiling busboys and sous chefs while also venturing to a Kansas slaughterhouse and Bordeaux vineyard in an effort to encompass the entire Balthazar food chain. Her exploration leads her into the history of SoHo, New York, bistros, and Paris. Balthazar was Nadelson's breakfast nook for years and her praise is unstinting: she depicts food, ambience, and staff as flawless, with McNally the (remote) nonpareil. A guilty confession that she doesn't like oysters not even Balthazar oysters is as hard as Nadelson hits. All that being said, Nadelson offers artful depictions of the evanescent magic that dining out can provide; few who read this book will be able to resist making a reservation.
