"Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain

[walter maier]

I apologize if this has been discussed already, but has anyone read or heard of the book Kitchen Confidential?  Chef Anthony Bourdain is the author.  A co-worker of mine is reading it and said the book can make you think twice about going out to eat.  The book is available at Amazon, and received many favorable reviews.  "Never order well-done, or fish on Mondays"

[Rail Paul]

Interesting discussion of this book going on right now in the Food and news media section of eGullet.

Does make you stop and think about what happens to your food when you send it back...

[Lreda]

I am also reading this book at the same time as his other book " A Cook's Tour". I think that the perspective is written more towards the faceless and tourist NYC restaurants that he worked in through the 80's and 90's. Customers are now too smart in NJ with forums such as this to help both spead the word about the great and lousy cusines and policys of restaurants. I also purchase fish on Fri & Sat but don't over-order so as I can run-out Mid Sunday. If on those rare occasions that I don't run out we have family meal on Monday and trust me. My staff knows what going on and wouldn't eat what wasn't still good. Also some fish have better refrigeration life that others ( i.e. Salmon, Scallops & Monkfish) compared to others (i.e. Chilian Sea Bass, Tuna & Halibut). Overall I found the book so far to be a good read. Unfortunately it reminded me of my party days from the 80's, I still can't remember 1986 all that well. When I finish both books, most likely with whatever is left from my fridge after NYE on NY's day on my couch I'll give you all a better prospective.

Happy New Year & Great Dining

Louis Reda

Chef/Owner

An American Grill  

[Rachel Perlow]

Quote: from Lreda on 4:50 pm on Dec. 28, 2001

Happy New Year & Great Dining

Louis Reda

Chef/Owner

An American Grill  

Is that the American Grill on Rt 10 West in Randolph? If so, Jason and I ate there last year and enjoyed it very much!

[Lreda]

Thanks, I hope you didn't eat there on Monday. Monday's cassoroule day at The Grill. BG. I'm enjoying the books more because it shows the life and pressures & great fun doing our thing.It really is a special little club we have. I have to say the most enjoyable thing I see is when someone who digs what we do gets to sneak a peek in the kitchen or look over your wine cellar. The look like a 5 year old at Disney. Thanks for the shout out. Lou

[Rosie]

Lou is a very good chef and runs a top notch restaurant. If you haven't tried An American Grill in Randolph be sure to put this establishment on your list for 2002. They have a full bar and a very reasonable wine list. The place is very pretty also.

[steffie]

I, too, read the book and wasn't too alarmed--but then again, I'm not a rude diner. I rarely send something back--instead, I go to dine.com or restaurantpoll.com and document my opinions on those sites. On the rare occasions when I send something back, I do apologize--and don't send something back in a nasty manner. I'm not apologizing for the nasty people in the kitchen who sabotage food--I think that's awful, but in college, I did a stint in a kitchen and rudeness is sometimes met with rudeness. For instance, I remember this one gentleman, he said, "And step on it." And, lo and behold, the cook stepped on it and put it in the "to go box."

So--I do believe you have to be a bit wary.

However, Bourdain's book didn't document constant nastiness like this. Basically, he gave the diner insights on what restarateurs do as a general practice.

Case in point--most chefs feel as if those who order well-done steaks don't deserve the prime steaks because they can't tell the difference. Therefore, the cooks call these "reach-ins." They reach into the back of the freezer for the non-prime steaks and throw them on the grill to cook them into shoe leather. Another insight that Bourdain imparts upon the reader is that brunches are, for the most part, items that didn't sell during the week.

I didn't finish this book and fear going out to eat again.

It's fun reading and I recommend it for any foodies out there.

[=Mark]

The only problem I had with the book was the section on seafood, sh*ll

fish in particular.  Bourdain starts out saying that he would continue eating raw oysters, even at the risk of getting sick.  Then later in the chapter he relates that he would never again order mussels because he had once gotten sick from a bad one.  Then in the same paragraph he states that he would probably pick the "good" ones out of a companions dish.  Huh?  If he has the ability to pick the good ones off someone elses plate, why would this ability prevent him from spotting the bad ones on his own plate?

This quibble aside I still enjoyed this book, and would recommend it as well as his current "Cooks Tour" for anyone interested in food and travel (in that order!).

(Edited by markstevens at 3:48 pm on Jan. 14, 2002)

[jade]

I just finnished reading kitchen confidential by Anthony Bourdain,i dont know if anyone else has read it but it is certainly well worth the read.

If you have not read it,please go and get it i promise it is good.

jade

[Phatlouie07]

i've read kitchen confidential...it's a great read...favorite chapter is about that a man named bigfoot...for someone like bigfoot to remember the lifetime guarantee on pots and pans...that's pretty damn cool...hmm..it'd be cool to meet bigfoot...anyways..this book changed my perspective on eating out at restaurants.

[Grub]

Just finished reading "Kitchen Confidential" -- awesome! Really enjoyable stuff; laughing out loud-stuff in several sections. And for an amateur, food enthusiast cook, it seemed quite informative -- as well as inspiring, and downright frightening in parts... And of course, in these Victorian times, it's always refreshing to read an author unafraid of using all the fucking words in the English language...

Absolutely excellent. I've never done this before, but I think I'm gonna read it again -- back-to-back -- before I pass it on to others to read.

[pork]

Funny that this topic only has 10 posts over four years, considering the author is a member of the forum.

I just found the topic because I was considering "Bourdain and Bigfoot" as an answer to the "what two culinarians would you want to dine with" thread. That made me wonder "who is bigfoot anyway" after all these years, because I am not in the NY scene and never knew. One search, and here I am in the thread for KC.

So, who the hell is bigfoot anyway?

Edited January 21, 2006 by pork (log)

[gruyere]

So, who the hell is bigfoot anyway?

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Read the book Kitchen Confidential. Bigfoot is a restaurant owner who is succesful because of his attention to detail and cost control. If you're a supplier don't give Bigfoot anything but the best price. If you don't he'll find out and you will pay dearly. Bigfoot has an innate sixth sense for the business, but nevertheless works bloody hard. Bourdain worked for him for a period and developed a great respect that served him well throughout his career.

Edited January 21, 2006 by gruyere (log)

[pork]

read it a coupla times, loved it. was looking for a name.

[BouchonIntern]

read it a coupla times, loved it.  was looking for a name.

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I believe it is the owner of Cafe Riviera, but I could be wrong.

[rosebud]

So, who the hell is bigfoot anyway?

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I directly asked the man this question a few years ago when he was in Washington at a bookstore a couple of blocks away from DC's outpost of Les Halles. Bourdain was doing a book signing when the paperback came out (and, since he himself had sorta disparaged his own novels, I grabbed a new, little book he had written about "Typhoid Mary." It was a quite fascinating, non-fiction book which got almost NO publicity).

I asked the question because I ASSUMED everybody in NYC knew who he was writing about. Not so, apparently. And, he declined to answer because the guy is still working and Bourdain thought that he would be hurt by "outing" him as Bigfoot. I can live with that.

[ahr]

It's easy enough to find with a web search. An accurate speculation has even already been made in a previous eG thread.

[M.X.Hassett]

It's easy enough to find with a web search.  An accurate speculation has even already been made in a previous eG thread.

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You mean this Post

[pork]

hahaha interesting! Thanks!

I don't know why I wanted to know; just did.