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19th out of 40 books
—
43 voters
Restaurant Man
How does a nice Italian boy from Queens turn his passion for food and wine into an empire?In his winning memoir, Restaurant Man, Joe Bastianich charts his culinary journey from working in his parents’ red-sauce joint to becoming one of the country’s most successful restaurateurs. Joe first learned the ropes from his father, Felice Bastianich, the ultrapragmatic, self-procl...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
May 1st 2012
by Viking Adult
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Reviewing this for work... Which might be a bit of a challenge... Roughly 431,000 uses of the f-word (ok by me!) Favorite quote (on his impatience for poorly-conceived minimalist Menus): "You're a fucking restaurant. Cook something!"
A man after my own heart, he explains at length why fountain Cokes taste do awful in most restaurants. Half the time it isn't even Coke (I knewwwww it!) "it's always too sweet. It's flat. And it's unsanitary. You know it the second you taste it. It sucks because it'...more
A man after my own heart, he explains at length why fountain Cokes taste do awful in most restaurants. Half the time it isn't even Coke (I knewwwww it!) "it's always too sweet. It's flat. And it's unsanitary. You know it the second you taste it. It sucks because it'...more
Do you want to open your own restaurant? Really...? Have you considered taking professional help for that? Many people dream about doing it, a lot try it, many regret it and quite a lot lose a lot of money in the process. Yet a few do succeed...
Here, to help show you that it is possible, self-made restauranteur Joe Bastianich explains a bit about how he managed to turn his passion for food and good wine into a business empire. Of course there is no one-size-fits-all approach and it is good to he...more
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When I first started reading this book, I thought to myself: What an egotistical jerk. Who does Joe think he is? Every paragraph had at least 3 F-bombs; more often than not, it just wasn't necessary. Reading the first sections made one want to punch him for his arrogance; some publishers' reviews called him a "nice boy" from Queens. If that was the case, then I really don't even want to know what "bad boys" from Queens are like.
Now I know better. Joe is testing you. He wants to see if you REALL...more
Now I know better. Joe is testing you. He wants to see if you REALL...more
Joe Bastianich is best known these days as bald, steely-eyed judge on "Masterchef", but he's been working in the New York restaurant scene pretty much all his life. Joe's Mom, Lidia, was one of the first famous female chefs and his family owned a great Italian restaurant. Now, Lidia is a cooking force, with shows on TV, cookbooks, and multiple restaurants, and Joe has followed in the family footsteps expanding the empire in collaboration with the crazy fat guy in the orange Crocs, Mario Batali....more
This book intrigued me as I had never heard about Joe Bastianich until MasterChef. I figured out finally he was Lidia's son but I still had never heard of him.
I found this autobiography interesting. I learned so much about running an Italian restaurant in New York. Actually about running a restaurant, period.
I have never worked in the food industry. I've never even been to New York. I like wine but I've never tasted the good stuff he extols in his book. Still, this was interesting to me because...more
I found this autobiography interesting. I learned so much about running an Italian restaurant in New York. Actually about running a restaurant, period.
I have never worked in the food industry. I've never even been to New York. I like wine but I've never tasted the good stuff he extols in his book. Still, this was interesting to me because...more
I really loved this, but I've lived in NYC for years (currently in Philly, but that's beside the point), have been to many of the restaurants mentioned, know the scene he's describing, and am an admitted foodie. I'm not sure that anyone for whom those things aren't true will find this interesting in the same way. But to give Joe his due, there's an underlying theme here that's more universal. He's writing (well) about family and friendship and the world we encounter when we go out seeking the su...more
Originally posted at http://www.wherepenmeetspaper.com
Joe Bastianich (b. 1968) is a restauranteur and vineyard owner as well as a judge for the cooking show Master Chef. Son of famous restauranteur, Lidia Bastianich, Joe owns the New York City restaurants Becco, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamón, Otto, Del Posto, and Eataly among others. Bastianich has also established three wineries: Azienda Agricola Bastianich, La Mozza s.r.l, and Trinono. He lives in Greenwich, Conn...more
Joe Bastianich (b. 1968) is a restauranteur and vineyard owner as well as a judge for the cooking show Master Chef. Son of famous restauranteur, Lidia Bastianich, Joe owns the New York City restaurants Becco, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamón, Otto, Del Posto, and Eataly among others. Bastianich has also established three wineries: Azienda Agricola Bastianich, La Mozza s.r.l, and Trinono. He lives in Greenwich, Conn...more
3.5 stars - i could read about restaurant crap all day long, and being familiar with joe from tv and from mario batali etc, i was definitely the target audience for this book. it's highly readable, and full of straight-talk about the business of owning and operating successful restaurants. where it could have improved was that there was little to no insight into mario batali as a person, and not much insight into lidia bastianich, whose life i'd really like to know more about. also he could have...more
Joe Bastianich is the son of Lydia Bastianich, chef and star on TV food shows. He is also the long-time partner of Mario Battali and, together, they have opened numerous restaurants. The book is well written, informative, and will give you a front row seat into what is the full contact sport of restaurant siting, design, and management. Along the way, you will learn about food selection and pricing, characteristics of various employee groups from busboys to hat check girls (you will be surprised...more
I'm re-listening to certain discs of the audiobook because I can't bear to let it go. Which kind of says everything, right there. But, to sum up, it's a great memoir. I appreciated his no-holds-barred attitude and insight into the past, present and future of the restaurant business. This book deepend the way I think about wine, as well, although Bastianich has a strong anti-California bias, which is obvious bullshit. He probably included the origin story of a few too many of his restaurants, but...more
Me lo hanno regalato, altrimenti non l'avrei mai comprato: lui non mi piace, quella trasmissione tv è troppo spinta sulla pretenziosità. Inoltre 18 euro non li avrei mai spesi: mi sembrano un po' troppi per un libro di 300 pagine senza illustrazioni. Però il libro è interessante. Dal punto di vista letterario è zero, anche se l'editor ha saputo trasporre i pensieri di Bastianich in una forma molto scorrevole. Di rilievo sono invece tutti i consigli su come gestire un ristorante: da questo punto...more
This book was pretty good, actually. I love all the books about restaurants, and this one was good. What's interesting is that I learned that the author and Mario Batali recently settled a $5 million dollar lawsuit against them brought by their employees for them skimming tips from the employees. So, I kind of liked him when I read the book, but then that makes me think he's a jerk, because he is a multi-millionaire and he's skimming from people who wait tables to make a living? WTH? Also, I lis...more
Another interesting book about the food industry, I can't get enough of them! Bastianich has been incredibly successful opening restaurants and food related businesses, including the B&B in Las Vegas that I had the pleasure to enjoy a meal at last year.
I do think he did a disservice to his audiobook by narrating it himself. He has almost a monotone voice and I found that it was easy for me to zone out. I could quickly come back, because Bastianich had such a great story to tell, but wish he...more
I do think he did a disservice to his audiobook by narrating it himself. He has almost a monotone voice and I found that it was easy for me to zone out. I could quickly come back, because Bastianich had such a great story to tell, but wish he...more
Not a single expletive deleted. Fasctinating story of a son who worked in parent's restaurant in Queens. He was forced to go to Europe in the summers visitng his mother's friends homes restaurants and wineries. He developed an excellent palate. His knowlege of restaurant management is steller - margins, front of house, back of the house, customer service, suppliers. Book is quite an education. It's also funny, he describes his denim jacket with Rolling Stones painted on back. His restaurant proj...more
Were it not for Gordon Ramsay's silly television programme "MasterChef," I might never have known who Joe Bastianich is. His mother (Lidia Bastianich) I knew, but not the kid from Queens, who partnered with Mario Batali and grew to become one of the most successful restaurateurs in America. He is not a particularly likeable fellow in the first few chapters of the autobiography. He uses way too much vulgar language, apparently for effect. He's not terribly likeable after 275 pages but reveals him...more
My kind of business book - I do enjoy these sorts of stories, plus I feel that they're good for my brain from a professional standpoint. Plus it was hilarious, straightforward with no bs on the business stuff, and every other word is "fuck." Truly, a Restaurant Man's voice. A few of the chapters weren't entirely focused - they started off with a certain idea but then the narrative would ramble to something else - but the story as a whole flowed really well. A little boastful at points about pion...more
Holy cats, this just might be one of my favorite books ever! I feel like I just sat down at Joe Bastianich's table, popped open a bottle of his wine, and shot the shit with him for a couple of hours. I first learned about Joe from watching / obsessing over "Master Chef" and have loved his mom, Lidia, for years. At first, I HATED him!!! Absolutely could not stand the man! But I've grown fond of him and really came to value his critiques even if he is a jagoff at times! But reading his book taught...more
An interesting look at the celebrity chef restraunt scene from an insider.
Becco was either the first or second restaurant that I ever ate at in NYC. (I don't remember the name of the other restaurant, and neither does the friend that I went with.) On a family trip we took our young daughters there and they were delighted and have fond memories of the experience.
As we're headed to NYC this Fall, the book is a useful guide to the Bastianich and Batali empire. (Thanks for the tips Restaurant Man.)...more
Becco was either the first or second restaurant that I ever ate at in NYC. (I don't remember the name of the other restaurant, and neither does the friend that I went with.) On a family trip we took our young daughters there and they were delighted and have fond memories of the experience.
As we're headed to NYC this Fall, the book is a useful guide to the Bastianich and Batali empire. (Thanks for the tips Restaurant Man.)...more
I liked reading about how he and his partners started and ran all their properties, but I could have done without the egotistical, bombastic, predictable foul language. I realize that insulting the size of someone's dick may be meant metaphorically, and that repeated use of profanity may be meant to convey toughness and hipness, but what I really get is that the author is better at running food service operations than writing books.
I liked the light, yet thoughtful tone of this book. I assumed it would be Kitchen Confidential from the front-of-house perspective, but instead I found an occasionally introspective memoir. Clearly Mario Batali's success is closely intertwined with Joe's business acumen. Also, found it quite interesting as a lens into Joe's Mom's success (Lidia Bastianich). Recommended to fans of Mario or Lidia especially.
I read this book partly because I love to cook and eat, and partly because we bought our house from a chef who once worked for joe's mom at Felidia in NYC. I learned a great deal about what makes a great restaurant and about wine making. Joe is certainly full of himself and he uses the f-word way more than is necessary, but I appreciated learning about his creativity, drive and attention to detail.
3.5 stars
If one can get past the overuse of the f-word, this was an interesting report on life in the restaurant biz and how to be a success (he and Mario Batali are co-owners of NYC's Babbo, and Bastianich also owns other restaurants) interwoven with bits of his own life. That being said, since about the only wine I care about is a cold glass of Barefoot riesling, I thought there was a little too much talk about wine, although I realize there are many who would find it fascinating.
Note on audi...more
If one can get past the overuse of the f-word, this was an interesting report on life in the restaurant biz and how to be a success (he and Mario Batali are co-owners of NYC's Babbo, and Bastianich also owns other restaurants) interwoven with bits of his own life. That being said, since about the only wine I care about is a cold glass of Barefoot riesling, I thought there was a little too much talk about wine, although I realize there are many who would find it fascinating.
Note on audi...more
I've read several "restaurant memoirs" lately and this was probably my least favorite. One reason is that, although I usually do not mind some salty language, there comes a point when too much is too much, and this book crossed the line not only very early on but repeatedly. The "f" and "s" words are used almost every other sentence and after a while that became old and offensive.
Bastianich provides excellent insight into the world of running a restaurant. Having worked in a restaurant, I can vouch for the authenticity of his statements. Most people have no idea of what really goes on in the business. Between this and "Kitchen Confidential", you will begin to understand the realities of restaurant work. Plus, he's a Led Zeppelin fan - 'nuff said!
I found Restaurant Man to be enlightening, entertaining and hilarious. Joe Bastianich clearly knows what he's talking about, and if you're into what he's talking about (food, wine, Italy), and just generally have an appreciation for sassy Italian guys from the NY metro area, you will enjoy this book.
Del Posto is now at the top of my list for places to try.
Del Posto is now at the top of my list for places to try.
A few years ago I had no idea who Joe Bastianich was, then I caught him as the persnickety, staring judge on tv's MasterChef. Not only is he my favorite food competition personality but his funny, totally un-PC look at life as a Restaurant Man had me laughing out loud and loving every page. (And many of his remembrances and stories were echoed by my father-in-law, a longtime Restaurant Man.) Even if the restaurant biz isn't your world, Joe's book tells it like it is for pretty much every busines...more
Interesting book. Sent a copy to Drew even though he probably knows a lot of this stuff anyway.
Hard to decide what to think of Joe, especially after I learned he and his patner (Mario) paid $5 million in a settlement regarding kick backs on tips from their waiters regarding the wine sales from Joe's vineyard.
Hard to decide what to think of Joe, especially after I learned he and his patner (Mario) paid $5 million in a settlement regarding kick backs on tips from their waiters regarding the wine sales from Joe's vineyard.
A realistic view of what happens behind the scenes in the New York restaurant world. Written from the point of view of a restaurateur, Joe Bastianich talks about his family history in the business, his mother's influence on him and her success, as well as his professional partnership with Mario Batali. A good listen.
Having been in the restaurant biz, I thought this book was going to be a bit more insightful about the ins and outs, ups and downs and challenges of the business. And while he briefly covers his successes and failures, Joe Bastianich tends to use this book as a forum to tell us how fucking (his words, not mine) smart, fantastic, brilliant, advanced, etc he is. In short, this is not a tell-all insider's guide to the restaurant biz, but rather a perspective by a megalomaniac who enjoys hearing him...more
Most certainly not a family friendly book, but an aggressive look into what it really takes to be a success in the restaurant world. An excellent and engaging story! Would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in starting a restaurant or entering the industry, but also just to anyone who loves food and the dining experience.
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