Kitchen Con: Writing on the Restaurant Racket

by Trevor White

"The difference between Gordon Ramsay and a talking pig is that Gordon Ramsay never shuts up."
—From Kitchen Con Our consumer culture can’t help but get wrapped up in designer crazes— these days our collective attention is focused on the designer food frenzy. Chefs are our newest celebrities and their restaurants are their stages, but hidden behind the elegant façade of fine dining exists the stark and sometimes shocking reality of the food industry. Renowned food critic Trevor White exposes what goes on behind the scenes in the high-stakes world of the restaurateur. Diners, be this biting critique of restaurant culture shows today’s most celebrated restaurants for what they really greedy, ostentatious businesses solely dedicated to the fame of their owners. Kitchen Con pays tribute to the history of dining out, starting with the first restaurants and moving on to the most fashionable and well-known kitchens in New York, Paris and London. Witty, humourous and polished, White takes his reader on a whirlwind trip through the restaurant racket, sparing no one!

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Cooking, Memoir

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Being a completist who feels compelled to finish a book once I've started it, it was a long painful slog through Trevor White's Kitchen Con. It's been a while since I've read any food lit and I thought that a book that brazenly took its title from Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential (my first foray into food lit and the book that sparked my love for the genre) must have something to back up the claim. Alas, I should have read the title as a warning, more than anything else, more fool me.

I couldn't quite figure out what this book was supposed to be. The subtitle claims it is "Writing on the Restaurant Racket" and I thought it was perhaps an expose on food criticism in the way Kitchen Confidential gave a behind the scenes glimpse at the chaos that is the restaurant kitchen, or the way Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation was a condemnation of industrial food production. But Kitchen Con seemed more of an incoherent mish mash of White's rambling thoughts on food - a chapter on how more people than ever profess an interest in food but don't actually cook (there's a new insight...); a chapter on how guidebooks are one huge con job (mildly interesting, if you can get past White's annoying tone); a chapter on celebrity chefs (skip White and read the autobiographies of the chefs themselves instead); several chapters on White's various career moves as a food writer (who on earth is White and why should we care about what he did?); an incoherent chapter on waiting (read Waiter Rant instead); a chapter on reservations and getting a table when dining out (mildly interesting, probably the best chapter in the book); and a chapter on White's sudden conversion to food critic who actually wants to know about the provenance of the food he eats (read Schlosser or Michael Pollan instead).

All in all, the best thing about this book was probably the bibliography, as most of the books there are probably better reads than White's Con.

[Suzie Quint · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think I've read a book that was so whiny and self-absorbed since I read Sean Astin's book. White is an Irish restaurant reviewer who doesn't cook. This comes up repeatedly since he seems to feel it needs to be justified. The first half of the book isn't terrible (not great, just not terrible). The second half of the book descends into a social conscious diatribe that's spewed across the pages in a stream-of-consciousness fashion that sometimes makes no sense at all.

FREX, he decries the movie Supersize Me for reasons I agree with, but later, as his social conscious kicks in and after a truly mind-numbing display of mental gymnastics, he decides the movie is actually on the right side. (That would be the side of the nanny state.)

There are one or two highlights such as the interview with Anthony Bourdain whose views of the politics of food were refreshingly broad after White's diatribe that the government needs to step in and force people to eat a healthy diet. (Which comes across as utter nonsense when one considers what he says about the powerful food lobbies.) I was also rather amused by the things he says about Bono, who White grudgingly admires. It's actually amusing because White is so clearly resentful (and I suspect green with envy) of his countryman's success.

Despite the inclusion of Bourdain and Bono, the biggest irony in the book is when he mentions the influence reporters, politicians and celebrities have on public opinion. The first two he sees as reasonable but the influence of celebrities seems inexplicable to him. And yet White--whose only claim to fame is whatever celebrity he's acquired as a restaurant critic--seems to think his voice is worth hearing.

In spite of all this, I finished the book. Much like Austin's book, it had the fascination of a train wreck.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful perspective on the power of restaurant reviews, the other side of food writing, mostly negative, whiny and critical, though often funny and interesting. White worked for Zagat and exposes the guide as not publishing accurate reviews. There's not much written on the business side of restaurant reviews, so White's work provides welcome insight.

[carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My copy is slightly different. John bought this at Powell's in Portland and I'm wondering if it was a review copy initially because it has a totally different cover than the three that are showing up here. Anyway, so far, so good; quippy, funny, and making me not want to eat out. More on that later. I need to briefly deviate from precocious narrators and post 9/11 fiction.

[Itisme · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a library loan. I enjoyed White's style and as a foodie food the book a pleasure to read and the topics covered very important.

I think his presentation was truthful and as he can be hard on others, he is equally hard on his own misdeeds.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

gave up on this. It wasn't what I thought it'd be. Oh well...at least I've come to grips that it IS ok to eject from a book I'm not liking.

[Desyl · Rating 1 out of 5]

home. schlock. marco pierre white gossip only +

[Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not too much to say about this one. It's a shame that paper and ink were wasted to print it.

[Trevor]

Ha Ha this book was written by me... jk

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty funny.Especially the Bourdain interview. It's not like I didn't know this stuff already,but this is entertaining.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't a bad read just by the end I was getting tired of the clown with the red Afro.

[Kristyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull and repetitive.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough to finish, but the second half kind of drags.