Restaurant Man
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4.4 • 18 Ratings
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
The New York Times Bestselling Book--Great gift for Foodies
“The best, funniest, most revealing inside look at the restaurant biz since Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential.” —Jay McInerney
With a foreword by Mario Batali
Joe Bastianich is unquestionably one of the most successful restaurateurs in America—if not the world. So how did a nice Italian boy from Queens turn his passion for food and wine into an empire? In Restaurant Man, Joe charts a remarkable journey that first began in his parents’ neighborhood eatery. Along the way, he shares fascinating stories about his establishments and his superstar chef partners—his mother, Lidia Bastianich, and Mario Batali.
Ever since Anthony Bourdain whet literary palates with Kitchen Confidential, restaurant memoirs have been mainstays of the bestseller lists. Serving up equal parts rock ’n’ roll and hard-ass business reality, Restaurant Man is a compelling ragu-to-riches chronicle that foodies and aspiring restauranteurs alike will be hankering to read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The restaurateur/wine producer and rising television (MasterChef) personality, behind Batali et al. charts his personal and professional journey in this salty, rollicking memoir. Bastianich's father, Felice, owned an Italian restaurant in Queens where the young author learned the business alongside his mother and now-famous chef, Lidia. The family spent summers on the Italian-Yugoslav border, where local foods, wines, and the people behind them made a deep and lasting impression. Through lessons at home, at the family restaurant, at school, and on the streets, including time on Wall Street during the early 1990s, Bastianich sought his own identity. The strong pull of his heritage and its food and wine, however, soon transformed him into a "restaurant man" like his father. Early lessons came hard, even while his family history helped, and success did, too. His meeting with Mario Batali and the opening of their first joint project, along with his own winemaking and wine-selling ventures rewrote contemporary Italian cuisine. Though the author takes gutsy credit for innovations like the "everything bagel" and bar dining, his forthrightness about the business nitty-gritty and his own failures and mistakes are bonus takeaways along the utterly readable way.
Customer Reviews
Great read for anyone that owns or worked in a restaurant
This book is funny realistic and inspiring !
Restaurant Man
If I ever had the words to put down on paper to write a book, they would be all of the same. Joe has taken my entire life in this industry & sumerized it with this book. Great read. What a connection joe and thanks for confirming what I have been teaching to others. Italy is always my greatest love.