Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

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Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

by Anthony Bourdain

3.93 · rating details · 35,724 ratings · 3,935 reviews

New York Chef Tony Bourdain gives away secrets of the trade in his wickedly funny, inspiring memoir/expose. 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 ...more

Hardcover, 307 pages

Published May 22nd 2000 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

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Apr 07, 2008

Jacob rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Foodies, counterculture cultists, sexdrugandrockandroll types

Shelves: nonfiction-biography-autobiography

My first exposure to Anthony Bourdain, via his show No Reservations, left me with with the sense of a true asshole who sneered down his nose with aging punk-rock disdain at people and things he deemed beneath him, and, honestly, it seemed like most people and things were beneath him. For some reason, even though he crossed my Southern sensibilities and turned me off to him on that first exposure, I kept watching the show and realized that there is a lot more to him than that first impression sug...moreMy first exposure to Anthony Bourdain, via his show No Reservations, left me with with the sense of a true asshole who sneered down his nose with aging punk-rock disdain at people and things he deemed beneath him, and, honestly, it seemed like most people and things were beneath him. For some reason, even though he crossed my Southern sensibilities and turned me off to him on that first exposure, I kept watching the show and realized that there is a lot more to him than that first impression suggested. No Reservations is now my favorite show and when I saw a copy of Kitchen Confidential for sale in the book store, I snapped it up and began reading it that night. I unfortunately wasn't able to keep his voice in my head (his delivery is a large part of the draw of his show for me) but the series of stories from his past that he lays out are captivating even when heard inside my skull as coming from the disembodied larynx of my standard reading voice.

Personally, I didn't find the shocking bits all that shocking. I've been backstage at good restaurants. I've heard it all before. Honestly, I'm not really all that hung up on food safety. Instead it was the parts dealing with his own erratic career path that kept me interested. Instead of leaving this book with the impression that Bourdain was an even bigger jerk than my first impression left me with (as someone suggested would happen), I left the last page of the book with an even more positive view of the guy. Sure, Bourdain is still cynical, obscene, and wears that brusque New York attitude like a badge of honor, but what stands out in his book is his glowing admiration for people who earned his respect for their willingness to work or pushing him down the right path as a chef (his almost loving references to Bigfoot and Pino are prime examples), his seeming compulsion to take in less than desirable underlings, and his complete willingness to point out when and where he screwed up. In this more recent update, he even points out that he learned he was wrong about Emeril Lagasse (as a chef and person, not as a TV Celebrity) and frequently comments that he isn't a top-tier chef because of his own mistakes. He even goes so far as to point out that the only reason he is able to hang out with and talk to the Michelin-starred chefs he always admired from afar is because of his notoriety as author and TV host.

This isn't some self-aggrandizing piece literary self-pleasuring. This is a very human piece of literature that reveals its author to be a man who may have grown up a couple of decades too late, but isn't too vain to admit that when he did it was in a large part because of those who took a chance on him and supported him when he was at his worse.(less)

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Rachel I really like Anthony Bourdain. I haven't read this book (though I can't wait too) but I love his show. Yes, he does sometimes look down his nose at ...more
Apr 26, 2008 05:00pm

John Yes, Jacob's comment really resonated with me. The first time I read this book I couldn't stand reading more than a few lines and put it aside.
...more
Jun 08, 2010 11:57pm

Mar 07, 2008

Patrick rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

Halfway through this book I remembered I don't have the slightest bit of interest in the culinary arts whatsoever. Luckily, I was listening to it on audiotape. Unluckily, cassette 4 broke and I had to read the rest with my eyes. I'm not sure why I picked this up, I guess because I heard Bourdain was the "punk rock chef," but besides listening to the Sex Pistols and Velvet Underground while he cooked, there's not a whole lot else going on of a punk rock nature. He was a drug addict,...moreHalfway through this book I remembered I don't have the slightest bit of interest in the culinary arts whatsoever. Luckily, I was listening to it on audiotape. Unluckily, cassette 4 broke and I had to read the rest with my eyes. I'm not sure why I picked this up, I guess because I heard Bourdain was the "punk rock chef," but besides listening to the Sex Pistols and Velvet Underground while he cooked, there's not a whole lot else going on of a punk rock nature. He was a drug addict, but the book kind of skips right over that, which would have been interesting; I'd rather it had been more of a total autobiography than just a chronicle of his history of the restaurant biz, but once again, it's my fault because that's clearly what the book is labeled as. I wanted dirty stories from the seedy underbelly of the high-class dining world, but it didn't really get much wilder than a bunch of cooks making racist, sexist, homophobic jokes. Dude, that's not exclusive to the culinary world, that's pretty much behind the scenes at any workplace, or really any time you get a lot of misplaced testosterone in one room. You're not leading a "pirate crew," you're supervising people who are following recipes. I rented a dvd from his show "No Reservations" and was again surprised at myself for forgetting I don't really care about exotic foods, and that's a traveling show, which I'm also not into. So now I'm watching like 3 hours of a guy I don't like, eating shit I don't care about, in places I'm not interested in going to. It should be noted that I do like Rachel Ray's "Tasty Travels," but that's another story I don't want to get into. The only really funny anecdote I found was when he was in an interview for chef at a new steakhouse in New York, things were going smoothly until the owner asked him, "What do you know about me?" Bourdain thought it over, not sure what he should say, so he said the truth, "Nothing." So then the guy gives him a weird look, and the interview ends with Bourdain knowing he's not getting the job. He walks a few blocks down the street before he realizes the guy actually asked, "What do you know about MEAT."(less)

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Oct 20, 2010

Tatiana rated it

Recommends it for: all interested in food and culinary business

Shelves: 2010, non-fiction, rc-toy-stories

If you are like me and love food, watching Top Chef and Food Channel, think that cooking is art, an outlet for creativity, consider chefs featured on such shows (including Anthony Bourdain) as super-sophisticated artists, you are up for a surprise with this book.

Bourdain definitely crushes all preconceived notions we might have about the industry. You remember those foul-mouthed, unkempt, ever-fired-and-hired kitchen workers with shifty pasts you've come across at some points in you...moreIf you are like me and love food, watching Top Chef and Food Channel, think that cooking is art, an outlet for creativity, consider chefs featured on such shows (including Anthony Bourdain) as super-sophisticated artists, you are up for a surprise with this book.

Bourdain definitely crushes all preconceived notions we might have about the industry. You remember those foul-mouthed, unkempt, ever-fired-and-hired kitchen workers with shifty pasts you've come across at some points in your life? I thought I simply had a misfortune of working in crappy places, but, apparently, all cooks are exactly like that! There is no such thing as a sophisticated cook, according to Bourdain. In his book, cooks are a dysfunctional lot - drug-addicted, unable to hold a "normal" job, people from the fringes of the society. Actually, Bourdain is one of these people himself. He supports this statement by numerous stories of his drug-, crime- and sex-infused culinary career. As for artistry in cooking, there is none. Cooking is all about mindless, unvarying repetition. Only a few executive chefs in high-end restaurants have a luxury of being creative with the food they make.

Besides the anecdotes about dysfunctional kitchen workers, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly is a sort of biographical account of Bourdain's cooking career. He talks about how his love for food came about. He takes us on his life journey - from a dishwasher in a seaside joint to an executive chef position in a swanky NYC restaurant. He describes his experiences in failed and successful businesses. Offers practical advice about the industry and food. The morsels of wisdom I am taking away from this book are: don't order specials and don't attend brunch buffets (apparently, both are dumping grounds for old leftovers); don't eat at places with dirty bathrooms; vegetarians are crazy and sickly people who can't be trusted.

As a narrator, Bourdain is very entertaining. He is a no-nonsense, no-holding-back kind of writer, sarcastic and witty and, I assume, quite honest about his exploits. One does start to wonder however if he is laying the bad boy thing a little too thick. It is interesting that in spite of his years-long heroine, cocaine, and alcohol addictions and his bad behavior at work, he not only managed to line one chef job after another in decent places (no McDonald's and Shoney's on his resume) but maintained a marriage as well.

While I thought the book was entertaining, I finished reading it thinking it needed some editing help. First, it is not very well structured, the narration is not cohesive in any shape or form, it reads like a bunch of anecdotes thrown together in no apparent order. The stories of debauchery become repetitive and redundant by the end where I started skipping chapters because none of it was new. Finally, seeing some pictures of people and places Bourdain talks about would have been great too.

Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to all food lovers and especially people who are toying with the idea of becoming restaurateurs or cooks. The author's advice and warnings about the business are sound. I, personally, am convinced not to ever get involved in this business, in any capacity, and will try to continue enjoying food knowing what actually goes on behind the kitchen doors.(less)

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Feb 05, 2010

Hayes rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, read-in-2010

The beginning is really interesting. He talks about his experience with food as a kid, his epiphany (losing his food "virginity" in France to an oyster), his out of control period at college and C.I.A. (not the spy factory, the Culinary Institute of America). It's great again at the end as he speaks about his second epiphany, his trip to Japan. I wanted to hear more about this, but I guess there's a book about that that I will have to read. I liked best the parts where he speaks about ...more

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Jul 25, 2008

Patricia rated it

· review of another edition

Advanced warning: I tend to take on the vernacular of whomever I'm reading, so now might be a good time to mention that Anthony Bourdain has a very colorful ... er ... style.

So, I've finished reading Anthony Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential, which is basically about all the craziness that goes on behind the scenes in the restaurant world. As I started reading the book, I thought I'd be of one of two minds by the end: either I'd never want to eat out again, or I'd want to chuck t...moreAdvanced warning: I tend to take on the vernacular of whomever I'm reading, so now might be a good time to mention that Anthony Bourdain has a very colorful ... er ... style.

So, I've finished reading Anthony Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential, which is basically about all the craziness that goes on behind the scenes in the restaurant world. As I started reading the book, I thought I'd be of one of two minds by the end: either I'd never want to eat out again, or I'd want to chuck the teaching career and become a chef. Now that I've finished the book, I can honestly say that I really don't want to do either. I still will eat out although I'll never have fish on Monday -- not that that's too difficult since I don't order fish unless I'm actually at a place where I can smell the salt water. And I don't want to become a chef. I'm not at all suited for that craziness when the mad rush comes in.

However, what I would love to do is to figure out how to take Bourdain's Gonzo-style management and use it in teaching. The thing about Bourdain is that he just takes his balls out and lays them on the table and says "Yep, there they are. Look at them." He's just the best kind of badass because he has the talent to back up his swagger, but he also is plenty capable of fucking up. The thing that's so sexy about that, though, is that when he does screw something up, he owns it. Is it occasionally inappropriate to lay one's balls on the table and issue the directive to look at them? Yes. Absolutely. Does he fall apart when he realizes that he's done the wrong thing? No. He shrugs his shoulders and accepts the repercussions. This isn't to say that he doesn't care or that he is a complete asshole. There is plenty of evidence in the book that he does care and that he takes his fuck-ups to heart and tries to do better--to correct the dish so that it works the next time. I already kind of have this attitude in teaching -- I have tried some things that haven't worked, and I've tried to own it and accept the repercussions, but I think I'll try to acknowledge this attitude a bit more, and I would really like to figure out how to get my students to take this attitude towards their writing.

This really struck me this week as I was finishing Bourdain's book and a list-serv that I'm a member of was filled with temporary and adjunct instructors who are all upset about an article that appeared in the June issue of The Atlantic Monthly. A majority of the members of the list are upset because the author of the article, who teaches as a community college and at a lower-tier state school, basically points out that not everyone is capable of passing a college English course and that it is often the job of those who teach the entry level courses, i.e., the people who stand on the lower rungs of the academic ladder, to be the hatchet men of academe. I agree with the author of the article. In an ideal world, as teachers, we want to help anyone who wants to learn. But nationwide, and especially in my state, we don't live anywhere near ideal when it comes to education.

Anyway, I'll start to get my syllabi ready for the fall semester soon, and as I do, I will be trying to figure out how to take a different approach to teaching this semester. A Gonzo-style approach.
(less)

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Nov 19, 2007

Jennifer rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, memoirs, biography, humor, library-book

Anthony Bourdain is very much the punk rock rebel of celebrity chefs. The chef who isn't afraid to refer to Emeril as an Ewok, and poke fun of culinary-school trained cooks, when at the same time, he is a celebrity chef, and a culinary school graduate. He knows this, and it's not a problem for him.

Kitchen Confidential is part memoir, part how-to, and mostly about sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. It's basically a history of Anthony's obsession with food and drugs from his days as a young boy...moreAnthony Bourdain is very much the punk rock rebel of celebrity chefs. The chef who isn't afraid to refer to Emeril as an Ewok, and poke fun of culinary-school trained cooks, when at the same time, he is a celebrity chef, and a culinary school graduate. He knows this, and it's not a problem for him.

Kitchen Confidential is part memoir, part how-to, and mostly about sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. It's basically a history of Anthony's obsession with food and drugs from his days as a young boy, until he finally landed a steady job, and got off the heroin. This is not the book you should read if you don't want to know who is cooking your food. If you'd rather be ignorant about what exactly is being served at Sunday brunch, skip this book. You may never eat fish on a Monday again.

In his typical style, he speaks his mind, sometimes harshly about the food industry. His cynicism and sarky nature are evident on every page, sometimes, honestly, it gets annoying. That may be due in no small part to the fact that I was reading this book as the new season of No Reservations started, so I might have just been on Bourdain overload.

I wanted to enjoy this book more, but as much as it was full of great writing, excellent imagery, and unique insight into the world of restaurants, I just found myself more annoyed than excited by the book.

I guess part of it was the fact that Bourdain seems to think that working all hours, miscreant geniuses, machisimo, and locker room humor are the sole province of kitchens. I guess it's a blessing that he's never worked in technology--especially in break-fix arenas. It's another place where calling someone a "cocksucker" means you like them, where even if you're a woman, you need to have a dick, or talk like you do. I guess I just felt like he wasn't giving me any new information. Get a bunch of guys together in a high stress, service environment, and you have to be abrasive, just to survive the night.

Anyhow... It wasn't a bad read. I do know now I never plan to work in a kitchen (the book also made me realize just how many cooks/dishwashers etc. I have known over the years, maybe another reason this wasn't such a revelation for me).

Anyhow, I'm going back to fantasy fiction for a while.(less)

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Jul 04, 2008

RatsRGods rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: the hungry and the horny

Recommended to RatsRGods by: my libido

I love food and I love hot sexy chefs with potty mouths.
I remember first discovering Anthony Bourdain on the Food Network many years ago. It was 3am and I was unable to sleep and here was this brooding, hot piece of ass chain smoking and touring Russia.
I never remembered his name but he haunted my dreams until I re-discovered him years later on the Travel Channel show, No Reservations.
In Kitchen Confidential, he is able to translate his sultry self onto paper.
But h...more

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Jul 01, 2008

Valerie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I think that Kitchen Confidential would have packed more punch for me if I had read it when it was first published (in 2000). Much of what Bourdain was revealing about the restaurant industry became pretty well known in the years after he wrote this book - at least to people who had any interest in it - so I wasn't blown away by such revelations as:

Unless you're one of us already, you'll probably never cook like a professional.

Why, you might wonder? Because the home chef ...moreI think that Kitchen Confidential would have packed more punch for me if I had read it when it was first published (in 2000). Much of what Bourdain was revealing about the restaurant industry became pretty well known in the years after he wrote this book - at least to people who had any interest in it - so I wasn't blown away by such revelations as:

Unless you're one of us already, you'll probably never cook like a professional.

Why, you might wonder? Because the home chef may not have the right tools, like a decent chef's knife. Really? Because I think that's probably the first thing that a home chef would invest in. Bourdain goes on to list a bunch of other things that are needed to cook like the pros, like a non-stick sauté pan and plastic squeeze bottles. And - get this - here's a top secret ingredient that's keeping your home kitchen from approaching the culinary levels maintained at Bourdain's former restaurant, Les Halles. Are you ready for it? Come a little closer... it's shallots! An ingredient that Tony describes as an item that is hardly found in a home kitchen.

Apparently we've come a long way in the past eight years. The behind-the-scenes of the restaurant industry have been exposed to us by numerous tv shows, books, and our familiarity with celebrity chefs. So there's not that much that seemed shocking or surprising when I finally got around to reading KC.

But it's not really Tony's fault that I was late in getting to his book. I actually really liked his writing style. If you've ever seen No Reservations (his Travel Channel show), you can probably hear the dry wit of his slightly gravelly voice, and that's what I heard as I read. He did a great job of staying true to his voice, and it was easy to imagine him narrating the story to me. Parts told early on, when he talks about how he became interested in food were very personal, interesting and funny. Following his crazy career path was a wild ride. And he really doesn't hold back on the details - the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly are all revealed - so it's still like a backstage pass in some ways.

My copy of the book had been revised to include a preface by Bourdain that acknowledges some of what I've mentioned above (mainly about changes in the public's awareness of the cooking industry), as well as an afterward that fills us in on the fact that Bourdain is no longer cooking at Les Halles, but working for the Travel Channel filming No Reservations, as well as some minor corrections to the text.

Overall, a great read if a little dated.(less)

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Mar 17, 2008

Carol rated it

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I am grateful to anyone who attempts to write something that is honest, and I think this is. Never mind anything about the person, their behavior or choices. If they are honest it seems to always work.

I'm left thinking about a few things. I'm pissed off at yet another profession women are not attracted to because they can't put up with the environment and juvenile behavior of a kitchen. I call bullshit on that. I also wonder why he left off the delivery guys in his description of the...more

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May 16, 2009

Russ rated it

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Recommends it for: Foodies or anyone looking for a good read

Shelves: 2007, autobiography, nonfiction, 2009, humor, food

Part autobiography, part manual on what and what not to do in the restaurant industry, "Kitchen Confidential" is definitely not for the faint-of-heart. Anthony Bourdain tells no-BS tales of insults, theft, yelling, screaming, sex, drug dealing, drug abusing, and, oh yes, cooking. I loved every minute of it.

Bourdain pulls no punches in describing the actual work that goes into running or working in a professional kitchen. Just reading it will make you feel overwhelmed. T...morePart autobiography, part manual on what and what not to do in the restaurant industry, "Kitchen Confidential" is definitely not for the faint-of-heart. Anthony Bourdain tells no-BS tales of insults, theft, yelling, screaming, sex, drug dealing, drug abusing, and, oh yes, cooking. I loved every minute of it.

Bourdain pulls no punches in describing the actual work that goes into running or working in a professional kitchen. Just reading it will make you feel overwhelmed. The "A Day In The Life" chapter, especially, gives one a good idea about the ins and outs of restaurant life. His book is full of very real characters - loyal, hard-working Ecuadorian cooks, drug users, degenerates, perverts, and your garden-variety wacko. Those are the folks who, at least at the time of the writing of the book, cook your food when you go out to eat. I especially enjoyed the tales of Adam Real-Last-Name-Unknown, Anthony's former bread-baker, who gets a chapter all to himself.

After all the punishing, intense descriptions of the hell that is the professional kitchen, it was nice to have some brief interludes where Anthony talks about specific restaurant-related topics - what not to eat, what tools a good chef or cook needs, the setup of a restaurant kitchen.

That leads me into what I did not like about the book - it's mostly about life in kitchens. Interesting, yes, but a bit monotonous after a while. I eventually lost track of which previously-mentioned people worked in which restaurants in Tony's career. The stories tend to run together - same tales of criminal acts and high stress, just in different settings. It might have been nice for Bourdain to provide a handy time line of places and people at the start or end of the book. Also, I think some of the terms could have been better defined for a non-professional audience. I realize Bourdain was writing to an audience of cooks and chefs, but the updated edition could have included a brief glossary to help the non-foodies.

Even with its faults, "Kitchen Confidential" is an entertaining book. And it is all true, because Anthony set out to tell the truth and nothing but.(less)

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Jun 07, 2008

Andrea rated it

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I read this book at the suggestion of my husband, who had worked for some time in restaurant kitchens. This was before I began watching either of Bourdain's two cable tv shows. His irreverent accounts of his chosen profession are tinged with a deeper sense of nostaliga, regret and acceptance. Something in his approach to life, in writing and on tv, is familiar and comforting (probably because I am also a New Jersey native). I have come to think of him almost as a lost cousin, and enjoy hearin...more

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Jul 20, 2007

Sydney rated it

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The book's author is clearly impressed with having passed through the esteemed halls of Vassar College, yet prouder still of his hard knocks and rough-and-tumble street degree earned working for a slew of restaurants. Much of the book is spent describing the working stiffs in the culinary field and their wildly anti-social and anti-establishment behavior and greedy incompetent restaurant owners. The anecdotes were mildly amusing for the first hundred pages but tiresome by the end. If you're stu...more

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Jul 01, 2008

Teresa Foote rated it

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I guess I was a little late jumping on the Bourdain-Train, but man, now I love him. This book is a great read; very funny, and hard to set down. I will say, he does a good job punking out aspiring chefs like me. However, the P.S. really brings it all back into perspective, and it's great to see how he looks back at his own memoir. If you like his TV show, you will definitely dig this book. If you've never heard of him, but you like food, you will probably like this book.

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Feb 02, 2009

JM Blevins rated it

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It took me a while to warm up to Anthony Bourdain. His first show, long ago, was hyped up so much I was determined not to like it. "No Reservations," my ass. Who cares if he gets himself into trouble? He's got plenty of money, a camera crew, and people throwing himself at his feet. This doesn't sound like a good recipe for a cutting-edge, hip kind of TV show.

My sister, not exactly a cutting-edge, hip kind of gal, once admitted to recording this show. This woman record...more

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Aug 04, 2008

Trin rated it

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Shelves: biography, food

This was enjoyably dishy (haha, do you see what I did there?). Bourdain may be a major bullshit artist, but for the most part, it’s highly entertaining bullshit, so I don’t really care. I did think the book really lost focus at the end and goes on quite a bit too long, but overall I found this to be an interesting read about a fascinating industry.

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Sep 22, 2009

Meika rated it

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I've been reading this to and from work. It's true what others have said, that it's a lot of him ranting about how tough it was as he was earning his spurs in the worst of the gritty, nasty, sweaty kitchens on the East Coast. He is a bit self-aggrandizing in that self-deprecating "I'm so hard-core I eat punk rock for lunch" way. But.... I still loved it.
I also like the fact that he admits to eating McDonald's, and liking it. I actually believe him too.

...moreI've been reading this to and from work. It's true what others have said, that it's a lot of him ranting about how tough it was as he was earning his spurs in the worst of the gritty, nasty, sweaty kitchens on the East Coast. He is a bit self-aggrandizing in that self-deprecating "I'm so hard-core I eat punk rock for lunch" way. But.... I still loved it.
I also like the fact that he admits to eating McDonald's, and liking it. I actually believe him too.

OLD REVIEW:This review is tangential...
I noticed that Anthony Bourdain had a brief quote on the back of another book I read recently, "The End of Overeating" by Dr. Kessler, saying that the book was thought-provoking. It's funny because A.B. airs a lot of dirty laundry in this book about sex and cocaine, bread and butter.
He spends a lot of time talking about how food is powerful and he's unapologetic about the hedonistic value of good food, using his childhood experiences of vichyssoise and raw oysters as a launching point for this brutal memoir. He argues for an adventurous approach to eating (with the exception of fish on Mondays or eating brunch) at the same time he extols the virtues of his mother-in-law's pot roast and lumpy potatoes. At one point, he takes a dig at the chain restaurant fare, saying that there's no cooking - just assembly.
So the point is, I left Dr. Kessler's book in total frustration, thinking that omg I have to stop enjoying food because if I enjoy food then I re-inforce this addictive behavior and it'll never stop!!! This book, even though the point is to paint a caricature of kitchen slaves who have withered hands and coke habits, has restored my sense of entitlement to enjoy food. It's like, Kessler slapped in one direction, this one slaps in the other direction. The message is: Pay attention to the food you put in your mouth! Pay attention to what it tastes like. If it is so lacking in character and essence that you have to slather it in fat, smother it in sugar and kill it with salt, you're robbing yourself of the real experience. (less)

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Jan 13, 2009

Carrie rated it

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I was disappointed in this book. I had heard great things about it, including how scandalous it was. I had envisioned a scathing expose of the restaurant industry and all the disgusting things you didn’t want to know. Instead, it was just the story of Anthony Bourdain and how gross and miserable his life was at one point, and what a hard-core chef he was. He did do some scandalous things – he had some serious addiction problems, and runs his kitchens like some kind of version of machismo h...more

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Aug 13, 2008

Jeremy rated it

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Shelves: bangor-public-library, food, biography-and-memoir

Really cocky people tend to both fascinate and frighten me, in both cases because I absolutely cannot, for even a second, relate to their train of thought. The idea of a person not only believing in themselves but actually behaving as though they are the bravest and most capable guy in the room, to the point where they stand up for themselves and reach lofty goals through bullheaded persistence alone, is not a thing I can easily process. If I met Anthony Bourdain, (whose last name does not cur...more

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Mar 03, 2008

Wolfman rated it

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If you've seen "No Reservations," Anthony Bourdain's show on the Travel Channel, you may have been intrigued and entertained by the globe-trotting sampling of exotic (and not-so-exotic) cuisines, and by Bourdain's rough-edged wit and constant cameraderie with fellow foodies. But unless you've read "Kitchen Confidential," Bourdain's part-memoir, part insider manifesto, part faux-chef's-manual, you might not be aware of his credentials as a professional food taster and pedigr...more

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Apr 02, 2008

Chilly SavageMelon rated it

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I come at Bourdain more as a traveler than as a foodie, and someone who found the Travel channel show before the books. I've never seen a travel show host like that before, not The Greatest, but far better than most. I quickly formed an obsession and might currently be suffering burnout - too much, too fast. I'm more likely to judge him on how "punk rock" he is (or isn't), than what type of chef. I was first turned off when going into the mainstream bookstore to look for him in prin...moreI come at Bourdain more as a traveler than as a foodie, and someone who found the Travel channel show before the books. I've never seen a travel show host like that before, not The Greatest, but far better than most. I quickly formed an obsession and might currently be suffering burnout - too much, too fast. I'm more likely to judge him on how "punk rock" he is (or isn't), than what type of chef. I was first turned off when going into the mainstream bookstore to look for him in print. Dude has a lot of books out right now... A cursory flip through some of his fiction had me thinking I'd be disappointed. Some of the other books looked like the work of an over-zealous PR agent juicing all they could out his ongoing 15 minutes. But KC is supposed to be the "one to read" and it doesn't disappoint.
I was more into his debaucherous tales of the past than the food snobbery bits. Having done time in kitchens myself (certainly as a "cook", but with perhaps fleeting glances at other's "chefdom") I was entertained with hyperbolic tales of getting slammed on the line, with criminal madness going on unseen by the patron eye. Yet another one who has "been there"...

But there are some strange inconsistencies: one chapter urging "those who want to cook like pros at home" to not under-estimate the importance of garnish, then claiming a lot of "Jackson Pollock" decoration to be unnecessary, and possible gay. His wanting to play both sides of the fence: having been SO down and out, then talking shit about high salary and name dropping a lot of stuff I'll never eat, and don't necessarily want to (I'll taste it, comped...), but I can chalk this unbalanced ego stuff up to "repentant crackhead's remorse". And as he says in the afterword, these are different times. But we know many kitchens, at various economic levels, are still kooky places. More than anything, it's clear that Bourdain possesses an ego that needed to soar beyond the building, no matter how fine an establishment that was...and I'm OK with that.
My real questions center around the mentioned but unexplored character of Nancy, his wife, with whom he has been "stealing horses with since high school". How exactly did she weather the worst of his debauchery era? Why would she stick around if it was really as bad as all that? Is she in fact some Sharon Osbourne character cracking the whip behind the scenes? And is this the woman with whom he has recently had the child that has inspired him to quit smoking? How is that possible at their age (early 50's)? But as you see, review reader, I may certainly be in danger of being too involved in this cult of personality... (less)

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Mar 06, 2008

Carol rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: A MUST for anyone contemplating a carrer in food service and foodies in general

Recommended to Carol by: While writing a review of "Heat", other reviewers mentioned that

Ah, now THIS is what I had hoped I'd get from reading "Heat" and didn't. This should be mandatory reading for anyone fantasizing about changing careers and becoming a chef. Although starting a new career at this point in my life, especially one physically grueling, would be absurd, I have to admit I have sometimes thought a wistful "what if.." No more. Bourdain lets you know that unless you MUST cook and just can't help yourself, are totally committed to having no perso...more

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Jan 06, 2008

Martine rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: foodies and lovers of gonzo journalism

Shelves: non-fiction, biography, memoirs, journalism-in-book-form, north-american, blokey-books

Anthony Bourdain's memoirs of his life as a New York chef are something of a legend among foodies, and it's easy to see why. A spectacular story full of sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll, Kitchen Confidential has nothing to do with the likes of Delia Smith or Nigella Lawson; the best way to describe the book would be 'On the Road with food'. Bourdain may be vulgar and rather full of himself, but there's no doubt he's a gifted story-teller, and he's on to a good story here. The first half of the bo...more

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Sep 07, 2009

Derrick rated it

· review of another edition

I was inspired to read this book after watching his TV show No Reservations, in which he is the narrator. I appreciate his sarcasm, his passion for food, and his colorful descriptions and observations of the cities he visits. I could not help but hear his voice as I read each word, with his snobby, arrogant, yet sentimental and honest tone ringing in my mind.
Bourdain told it "like it is." His experience working in kitchens of different culinary backgrounds, each consisting ...more

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Jan 13, 2008

Lulu rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: foodies, memoirs

So, while I'm not really a foodie - where is the official definition of a 'foodie' located anyway? - I eat in restaurants quite a bit for work and I like memoirs, so I was looking forward to this book. And I have to admit that Bourdain's stories kept me engaged until the end.

Like some other reviewers, I found his writing style irritating after a bit but it's not as if he doesn't have 'reader beware' warnings posted throughout regarding the content, tone and abrasive nature of his st...more

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Apr 26, 2008

Kerry rated it

· review of another edition

So I have seen this book around at airport bookstores and stuff, but never actually read it before. It is a crazy look into a chef's experience coming into his own in kitchens primarily in NYC. It is a rye, blunt, honest account of his experiences. His opinionated rants are told with enough humor and experience behind him that they aren't dull. His lack of self-aggrandizing is also cool. It put the preparation of food into a new perspective for me (a foodie wannabe). It definitely has me th...more

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Jul 28, 2008

Sarah rated it

· review of another edition

I've already learned so much about this book, such as: not to order fish in a restaurant on Mondays, and why average people should not go into the restaurant business blind, and that the business definitely has a seedy underbelly. Sometimes these aren't things you want to know, like bread being recycled in most restaurants and that ordering steak well done might not only incite insults, it might get you an inferior quality steak... Bourdain's narrative style is exactly how he speaks: witty, irre...more

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May 18, 2011

Laura rated it

· review of another edition

I enjoy Bourdain's snarky and honest attitude towards the world a diner rarely sees or understands. The mix of poetry and grit is classically Anthony Bourdain.

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Mar 25, 2008

JayeL rated it

· review of another edition

This was the first audiobook to which I listened and it set me on a path of loving audiobooks. Bourdain was extremely entertaining and the work lent itself to him as the narrator.

I had to listen to this book again after reading A Cook's Tour. It is great, funny, hip, but also irreverent and uses poor language. Bourdain describes his rise through the restaurant ranks and the people he has encountered on the way. Very funny descriptions of food. He also has some helpful hints about co...more

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Sep 03, 2007

Ian rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: multiple-reads

I had next to no interest in either food writing and cooking when I used to shelve the cooking section at a bookstore. That all changed when I picked this up out of curiosity and proceeded to read a chapter during every one of my breaks for the next week. It'd be a little dramatic to say this book changed my life, but Kitchen Confidential definitely played a major role in shaping two of my biggest current passions.

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Jan 04, 2010

Karen Powell added it · review of another edition

If you can read this, and still want to be a chef, you have truly found your calling. Bourdain describes the grueling work involved in running a restaurant, and it's enough to curl your hair: long hours, knife wounds, cranky waitstaff, and unreasonable demands from reastaurant owners in over their heads. He's very open about the seedy side of the business: how drugs and illegal immigration prop up many a restaurant. But he also points out the perks, like the booze and gourmet freebies chefs can ...more

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About Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain is the author of the novels Bone in the Throat and Gone Bamboo, in addition to the megabestsellers Kitchen Confidential and A Cook’s Tour.
His work has appeared in the New York Times and the New Yorker, and he is a contributing authority for Food Arts magazine. He is the host of the popular television show No Reservations.

More about Anthony Bourdain...

Books by Anthony Bourdain

Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Useable Trim, Scraps, and Bones

No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach

Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking

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“your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” — 85 people liked it

“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans ... are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit.” — 72 people liked it

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