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85th out of 116 books
—
19 voters
America the Edible: A Hungry History, From Sea to Dining Sea
by
Adam Richman
The host of Travel Channel’s most popular show explains how iconic American foods have captured our culinary imaginations—you won'tlook at a bagel the same way again!
In America the Edible, Travel Channel host Adam Richman tackles the ins and outs of American cuisine, demonstrating his own unique brand of culinary anthropology. Believing that regional cuisine reveals far mo...more
In America the Edible, Travel Channel host Adam Richman tackles the ins and outs of American cuisine, demonstrating his own unique brand of culinary anthropology. Believing that regional cuisine reveals far mo...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
November 9th 2010
by Rodale Books
(first published October 30th 2010)
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If you're a fan of Adam Richman from the Travel Channel's "Man vs Food," you may be expecting this book to be a bit of a companion piece to the hit show, full of stories about how Richman overcame various food challenges across the United States.
If so, "America the Edible" will probably disappoint you, as it did me at first.
If you take the time to read the introduction Richman includes in the book and realize what he's trying to do with the book--look inside the distinctive food of ten cities ac...more
If so, "America the Edible" will probably disappoint you, as it did me at first.
If you take the time to read the introduction Richman includes in the book and realize what he's trying to do with the book--look inside the distinctive food of ten cities ac...more
One of my absolute favorite authors is Anthony Bourdain. The guy is a genius with the written word. He's sometimes crass, often funny, and molds words with the ease of a poet. And he talks about food. It's a win-win.
So, when I saw Adam Richman (from Man v. Food fame) had a book out, I was eager to read it. On the show he seems charismatic, funny, and there's no doubting his excitement about food. The book must be great, right?
Not quite ready to pay the $25.99 sticker price for the hardcover, I...more
So, when I saw Adam Richman (from Man v. Food fame) had a book out, I was eager to read it. On the show he seems charismatic, funny, and there's no doubting his excitement about food. The book must be great, right?
Not quite ready to pay the $25.99 sticker price for the hardcover, I...more
I adore Adam Richman and find him a very likable guy. If anyone has seen his show "Man v. Food," expect his writing style to be very simila...moreI adore Adam Richman and find him a very likable guy. If anyone has seen his show "Man v. Food," expect his writing style to be very similar, except this time there is no "BLEEP."
I felt like it was more of a friend telling me stories than reading a book. Except that when it comes to his personal life, said friend leaves me hanging quite a few times. I...more
I felt like it was more of a friend telling me stories than reading a book. Except that when it comes to his personal life, said friend leaves me hanging quite a few times. I...more
I like the show Man Vs. Food, and I like Adam Richman on it, but I didn't particularly care for this book. There are two main problems: first of all, the prose is just too much. Richman's writing style is a strange mix of too conversational (there are only so many times you can write the word "awesome," and it's fewer times than you can get away with saying it) and overwrought. It gets pretty purple in places. The second problem is the sex, by which I mean that there are too many "I ate some foo...more
Honestly? I really wanted to love this book. I like Adam Richman as a tv host and I love his Travel Channel show Man v. Food, but sometimes a wonderful tv personality does not translate well into best-selling author/book. While Richman comes across as down-to-earth, funny, and likable on tv, the tone of his book made me feel like maybe he's just trying too hard.
For someone as well travelled, well educated, and widely experienced in the food industry as Richman, I expected to learn about more res...more
For someone as well travelled, well educated, and widely experienced in the food industry as Richman, I expected to learn about more res...more
This isn't a companion piece to "Man Vs Food". Each chapter is the story of a chapter of Adam Richman's life, a description of the city in which it was set, what he did while he was there, and (of course) what he ate. But my God, every story is about him either breaking up with, or charming the pants off, some girl. Sometimes, both happen to the same woman in the same chapter (and a lot of banana pudding is consumed when *that* happens).
But the overall effect is of being on a journey with a fri...more
But the overall effect is of being on a journey with a fri...more
There really is more than meets the eye (or stomach) with Adam Richman, I love his show "Man Vs Food", but after reading his book, I discovered that he is a talented and clever man with a sensitive soul and of course a love of food. He has immense knowledge of the history of America and the origin of American food and culture, which is highly impressive.
The book goes full circle, starting with Adam in LA as a struggling actor looking for work and then ending back in LA as a successful TV host, w...more
The book goes full circle, starting with Adam in LA as a struggling actor looking for work and then ending back in LA as a successful TV host, w...more
If anyone is expecting "Man v Food" from this book, you may be disappointed.
This book is Adam Richman's love letter to American cuisine through the viewpoint of nine cities from Los Angeles and San Francisco on the West Coast to Portland and Brooklyn on the East.
You get anecdotes of the people who he shares his meals with and get a guided tour of the food history of the cities he speaks of which influenced particular food styles whether it be the Asian influence cuisine of Los Angeles, the "Poli...more
This book is Adam Richman's love letter to American cuisine through the viewpoint of nine cities from Los Angeles and San Francisco on the West Coast to Portland and Brooklyn on the East.
You get anecdotes of the people who he shares his meals with and get a guided tour of the food history of the cities he speaks of which influenced particular food styles whether it be the Asian influence cuisine of Los Angeles, the "Poli...more
It's obvious to me that Adam Richman writes the way he would talk to a buddy. That may be a problem for some readers, but I actually like it. I can hear his voice, and, for me, that's a really good thing. I cannot speak to the accuracy of most of what he has written, as I haven't been to most of the places he has. After reading this book, however, I have an extreme urge to go visit Cleveland and I really, really wish I liked lobster. Although, after all those lobster rolls in one day, I'm surpri...more
I got this one from the library because I like watching Man vs. Food, and I kind of expected it to be more of the same. But it was more of a journal of Adam's experiences in several American cities, consisting mostly of eating and heartbreak. Seriously, I learned a lot about Adam Richman's love life reading this book. Ultimately, it was a nice, light bedtime read - Adam has a very friendly, accessible voice as a writer, and, of course, he's great at describing and recommending good eating experi...more
I am absolutely in love with Man v Food! It's a lighthearted show that can cheer me up no matter what, so when I heard that the host Adam Richman had a book I was super stoked to read it!
America the Edible is quintessentially a food journal. It takes the form of a city by city guide of the best places to eat in some of America's best foodie cities such as Portland, San Francisco and New York City. Richman talks us through some of the great eateries and their even greater eats with such enthusia...more
America the Edible is quintessentially a food journal. It takes the form of a city by city guide of the best places to eat in some of America's best foodie cities such as Portland, San Francisco and New York City. Richman talks us through some of the great eateries and their even greater eats with such enthusia...more
This book was an interesting combination of concepts. Part history book, part restaurant recommendation, and part trials and tribulations of Adam's love life. I kind of felt like it would be something Tucker Max would write if he was a total foodie. (And if he were a little less profane and inclined to spend large quantities of time drunk.) I learned a lot, but the writing style seemed to be a mashup. The history lessons were almost formal, whereas the rest of it was very casual, like a friend j...more
Adam Richman is a likeable guy, particularly as a TV host. He is not the most advanced writer.
That being said, I loved reading about his food adventures. I now have many new places to add to my "to try" list when in the cities he wrote about. He visits a mixture of tried and true tourist destinations and hole in the wall hidden gems.
What I didn't like were the anecdotes, particularly those dealing with his travel partners - who were almost always women he was dating. I don't really care whether...more
That being said, I loved reading about his food adventures. I now have many new places to add to my "to try" list when in the cities he wrote about. He visits a mixture of tried and true tourist destinations and hole in the wall hidden gems.
What I didn't like were the anecdotes, particularly those dealing with his travel partners - who were almost always women he was dating. I don't really care whether...more
Before I go on reviewing this book, I just want to fully disclose something. And that something is I am in love with Adam Richman. I have been for quite some time now. His love of food, his pop culture quips, I love it all. I think he is one of the sexiest men, and I have no shame in admitting that. Sadly, my attraction to him DID NOT influcence me to love this book as much as I wanted to.
There were some excellent parts and he has a way with words, that's for sure, but I just couldn't get into...more
There were some excellent parts and he has a way with words, that's for sure, but I just couldn't get into...more
I'm a bit torn about my starring of this book. From a culinary anthropology perspective it is rather interesting - I really enjoyed the background and history that Richman provided for each of the 10 metropolitan areas that he visited. I felt like sometimes the food descriptions got to be a little too much, though as the reader I now want to visit those places to experience it myself - but it was hard to get too excited simply reading the words on paper. But the things that really annoyed me tha...more
Adam Richman, not only is he funny on the show Man v. Food but shows his wittiness in America The Edible. Through out the book he takes you on the journey of his struggles between becoming a big time Hollywood actor to comforting and finding his true passion within the food across America. And because food is something that comforts us all and were all faced with a struggle in our lives he's easily relatable to.
I really wanted to like this book. I like Mv.F. Adam Richman seems charismatic and likable on it and I never fail to laugh at least once per show.
This book, however, is a different story. More an exercise in Richman telling the reader how awesome he is (read: sleeps with hot women and drives fast cars in exotic locales) then a travel book, I found this to be really disappointing.
This book, however, is a different story. More an exercise in Richman telling the reader how awesome he is (read: sleeps with hot women and drives fast cars in exotic locales) then a travel book, I found this to be really disappointing.
If you like to read about food (and I do) and you like travel (and I do) then you will probably enjoy Richman's testimony to edibles around the country. Richman is both hilarious and a pretty decent writer. It seems as though this book is not just about food though, but it also tells us about Adam's personal quest for love (through the meals he visits). I found it to be a fun read.
I skimmed and scanned this entertaining read, choosing to read the parts that the most interesting legs of Richman's food journeys to me. Richman is a FANTASTIC writer; he has a way with words that keeps you captivated and salivating, so much so that I read many parts aloud to my 8th grade students as listening minutes, (somewhat edited for content, of course). I had the pleasure of meeting him at a book signing and now have a signed poster in my classroom claiming "Man V. Food Loves Reading" -...more
Great book to read if you love food, Man v. Food, and travel. Adam was able to create a book that is part restaurant guide, part personal story, part travel guide, part cultural history, and even part recipe book. He is really funny and you can really breeze through this book. fun read.
I was not anticipating the close tie-in with Adam's love life and his culinary experiences. I suppose that stems from his rather sensuous approach to food. Regardless, I appreciated the sincere writing style, and hope to experience some of the eateries featured for myself.
I love Man vs Food..... This book..... Not so much. It more so felt like he had created a podium upon which he could laud his own sexual escapades and general greatness. Most of which felt exaggerated at best. There are a few decent recipes in there I guess....
I did enjoy this and the descriptions of the food do make you want to eat and eat and eat. However as others have pointed out the constant references to all the women he's had sex with along the way and how beautiful they all were (yeah, right) was quite jarring and rather unnecessary.
While certainly not the most literary or descriptive, this foodie travel log was fun to read and I'd definitely visit some of the recommended restaurants when next visiting their location. The narrative voice is very similar to Richman's Man vs. Food persona so fans of that show would likely enjoy this book -- I definitel did.
Part history, part anthropology, part cookbook, this conversational journal follows Adam Richman's journey around the country, detailing some of the best places to eat. Great travelogue. Adam captures the elusive spirit of place very well. Thoroughly enjoyable.
If your looking for the man v food epic meals challenges then this book is not for you, I love man v food but this book was brilliant as Adams search for just the best food, cities and people in America. Brilliant read!
Very interesting book. Not entirely what I had expected, with more culinary anthropology than I expected, but it really was a very interesting side to the book. Certainly worth reading, especially for a food lover.
Not what I was expecting based on the description of the book. I thought it would be more fact based, with an anthropological/historical perspective on the foods of different cities. There is some of that, but a lot of the book is about different places he has eaten and what he thinks about specific dishes he tries there. In retrospect, I guess that makes sense since I learned in the book's introduction that it is apparently based off of a food journal that he keeps. But I think his food journal...more
Amazing! Great combination of personal experiences, rich food history and delicious recipes! I can't wait to try the recipe for his Mom's Chicken soup!
This is very much a personal collection of food-eating experiences, a personal "history from sea to dining sea," a memoir, not a reference or general text.
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Dec 01, 2010 09:20am