Kitchen Confidential reveals what Bourdain calls “twenty-five years of sex, drugs, bad behavior and haute cuisine.”
Last summer, The New Yorker published Chef Bourdain’s shocking, “Don’t Eat Before Reading This.” Bourdain spared no one’s appetite when he told all about what happens behind the kitchen door. Bourdain uses the same “take-no-prisoners” attitude in his deliciously funny and … deliciously funny and shockingly delectable book, sure to delight gourmands and philistines alike. From Bourdain’s first oyster in the Gironde, to his lowly position as dishwasher in a honky tonk fish restaurant in Provincetown (where he witnesses for the first time the real delights of being a chef); from the kitchen of the Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center, to drug dealers in the east village, from Tokyo to Paris and back to New York again, Bourdain’s tales of the kitchen are as passionate as they are unpredictable. Kitchen Confidential will make your mouth water while your belly aches with laughter. You’ll beg the chef for more, please.
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Anthony Bourdain was completely out of control as a young chef. If you want to read about the realities of the restaurant business, this book is for you. It is highly irreverent and you’ll find yourself wondering several times throughout the book how the author isn’t dead from his excesses. That being said, he is a good writer and the book …
HOLY MOSES. WHAT A VOICE!!! I cannot believe I haven’t read Bourdain’s books yet – after all, I just signed a cookbook contract myself and he is one of the most famous food writers in the world. After finishing this one I went out and bought them all.
His voice is so raw, so beautiful, so oddly poetic. It reminded me of Bukowski. I’m sure I’m not …
Anthony Bourdain suits me. I have watched every episode of every show he has done. The thoughts he had seemed my own. The depth of his emotion and love for the bad side of town were too similar to my own. When a reader at a local author event mentioned his books to me I felt kicked in the gut. How could I have not read his books before? I …
I finished this book not long before Bourdain’s tragic death. I adored the book and sadly caught a glimpse of his troubled soul through his accounts of his personal battles. Everyone who eats in restaurants owes it to themselves to discover some of the dirty secrets exposed here. RIP Anthony.
If you’ve ever wondered what goes on in a restaurant kitchen, read this book. It plants you face-first in the gritty, profane, and fast-paced life of the line cook. Bourdain went on to pen several mysteries, which I enjoyed just as much. He had a way with words, both on the page and on the television screen. A great talent who will be missed. RIP …
It was an interesting story about how the inside of some restaurant kitchens work in the high end restaurant business. The author is a one of a kind character.
an inside glimpse at the workings of a restaurant kitchen. eye opening
This is where it all began. Anthony Bourdain, who sadly is no longer here to entertain, to poke, to share his experiences, tastes and learning. Here he introduced the reader to the world of food and restaurants as it began for him. Bourdain was honest and earnest, hilarious and introspective…and real. This is a truly entertaining and satisfying …
Great read! First read about 10 years ago, reread last fall. Those who work in the restaurant or hospitality industry will definitely appreciate. No one tells a story like Anthony Bourdain. He’ll be greatly missed.
I’ve been a long-time fan of Anthony Bourdain’s TV shows, but have never gotten around to reading any of his books – what a shame! I loved every moment of this book, so much so that I delayed reading the last few pages for a few days so it wouldn’t end so soon.
I’ve never worked in the food service industry, so hearing about just what goes on …
Great look into what really happens in the kitchen behind the dining rooms we all enjoy eating in. This real and gritty story of Anthony Bourdain’s rise to high profile chef and food personality gives an interesting perspective on how little thought we give into all the amazing dishes that we drool over, the people involved, and the hardships …
Anthony Bourdain’s first book is something else. It taught me a lot about a man I thought I knew from television. I know I would never know the full man, I never got to meet and hang out with him, so I would never know what he was truly like, but reading his words was like getting to know him. Learning about his childhood, his time in France, his …
Makes me wonder how many meals I’ve eaten at restaurants that were prepared by someone on mind-altering drugs.
This book has colored my view of dining out forever. You can bet I’m not going to order the fish on a Monday. My first job was as a waitress. At the end of the summer, the maitre’d said, “You’re a very nice girl but this is not the job for you.” Now I am even more clear on what he was saying. The kitchen was rough and I went home in tears most …
Read this book years ago, make me appreciate the chefs, especially the line cooks whose jobs keep the food coming.
This was my first book by Anthony and it was a sheer delight. This man was a genius in so many ways. First as a writer, then as a chef and writer and most of all as a human being. This is a book not to be missed even if you are not a foody and the world will sorely miss him.
Good book sorry the demons got to him way to early in life! RIP!
Gives insight into the author and the underside of restaurant industry.
The nonfiction book that kicked the late Anthony Bourdain from Executive Chef as a mid-level NYC restaurant to a globally-famous travel writer and television show host. Smart, highly opinionated, frequently hilarious, sometimes cutting, and extremely informative, this book should be required reading for anyone who has been, is now in, or plans to …
Memorable. He was a great character in his own writing….I loved how willing he was to taste the world and explore people.