What do you think?
Rate this book
Nine Lives: A Chef's Journey from Chaos to Control
A rising young chef lays bare his gripping story of culinary triumphs, consuming drug addictions, and his continuing quest to stay on top while staying sober
At twenty-six years old, Brandon Baltzley was poised for his star turn as the opening chef at Chicago’s hotspot Tribute. People called him a prodigy—the Salvador Dali of cooking—and foodie blogs followed his every move. Instead, Brandon walked away from it all and entered rehab to deal with the alcohol and cocaine addiction that had enslaved him most of his adult life.
Brandon grew up in the South with no father and an addict mother. At nine, he was prepping vegetables in the back of a gay bar. From there, he went on to deep-frying with Paula Deen to cooking in an array of Michelin-starred restaurants, including Grant Achatz’s world-renowned Alinea. In between, he was touring the country with his heavy metal band, Kylesa—and doing his first stint in rehab.
Like Gabrielle Hamilton’s Blood, Butter and Bones , Brandon’s Nine Lives is about blazing a way out from a rough childhood through talent and an unbridled passion for the craft of cooking. A story that’s still being written as Brandon works with Crux, the pop-up culinary collective he founded, and plans for the opening of his own restaurant, Nine Lives serves up a raw and riveting memoir about food, rock-and-roll, and redemption.
At twenty-six years old, Brandon Baltzley was poised for his star turn as the opening chef at Chicago’s hotspot Tribute. People called him a prodigy—the Salvador Dali of cooking—and foodie blogs followed his every move. Instead, Brandon walked away from it all and entered rehab to deal with the alcohol and cocaine addiction that had enslaved him most of his adult life.
Brandon grew up in the South with no father and an addict mother. At nine, he was prepping vegetables in the back of a gay bar. From there, he went on to deep-frying with Paula Deen to cooking in an array of Michelin-starred restaurants, including Grant Achatz’s world-renowned Alinea. In between, he was touring the country with his heavy metal band, Kylesa—and doing his first stint in rehab.
Like Gabrielle Hamilton’s Blood, Butter and Bones , Brandon’s Nine Lives is about blazing a way out from a rough childhood through talent and an unbridled passion for the craft of cooking. A story that’s still being written as Brandon works with Crux, the pop-up culinary collective he founded, and plans for the opening of his own restaurant, Nine Lives serves up a raw and riveting memoir about food, rock-and-roll, and redemption.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2013
80 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 3, 2013
An interesting, if incomplete, autobiography. Incomplete because the author isn't even 30 yet, and one hopes he will be cooking for a good long time yet. He's had quite a struggle with crack cocaine, and though he details various of his binges and rehabs, he never talks much about the mental state he's in at any given time. I would have liked better more interior detail and less exterior. He gets fired a lot, but one never really gets that he cares, or how he feels. He falls in and out of love a lot, but again, there's no real insight into his feelings. And he's kind of a know-it-all. But again, a very talented, relatively young man, which in my experience anyway, is another way of saying "kind of a know-it-all".
It sounds like I didn't much like the book, but I did. I really enjoyed the brief tours of many famous kitchens. I especially liked Baltzley's way of talking about food. I never had any question how he felt about THAT, which is probably why I wanted more feelings about things other than food.
It sounds like I didn't much like the book, but I did. I really enjoyed the brief tours of many famous kitchens. I especially liked Baltzley's way of talking about food. I never had any question how he felt about THAT, which is probably why I wanted more feelings about things other than food.
January 28, 2014
First off, I'm married to a chef, and I understand that almost everyone who becomes a chef has some sort of reason why they choose that punishing lifestyle. Some reason why they torture their bodies and souls in the service of others. Cooking is art and self expression. And addiction- booze, drugs, sex and maybe a mix of all three. But, damn, Brandon Baltzley, you didn't seem to learn anything. You crashed and burned bridges so many times, and got nothing from it. I guess you might be growing up finally, but that's yet to be seen.
June 11, 2013
Something tells me that this young man still has a few more ups and downs coming.... The only thing I got out of this book is a desire to eat at Alinea
March 27, 2018
I don't know much about what goes on in the kitchen-so I did learn a little. Otherwise, this book seems to repeat itself:
Uneducated guy who has a talent gets his dream job-and he blows it. (7, 8 or 12 times-I don't know)-and he meets a girl and gets laid a lot. As the reader, this got boring and repetitive.
The language seems to alternate in the book, which makes it hard to tell which is his voice-When taking about his life he uses a lot of 4 letter words and sounds like he's a redneck-but when speaking about food and the kitchen-he sounds super pretentious-I don't understand most of the terms.
Just an amateurish effort.
Uneducated guy who has a talent gets his dream job-and he blows it. (7, 8 or 12 times-I don't know)-and he meets a girl and gets laid a lot. As the reader, this got boring and repetitive.
The language seems to alternate in the book, which makes it hard to tell which is his voice-When taking about his life he uses a lot of 4 letter words and sounds like he's a redneck-but when speaking about food and the kitchen-he sounds super pretentious-I don't understand most of the terms.
Just an amateurish effort.
February 19, 2020
Honestly needed to read a book like this at this point in my life. Definitely resonated.
July 26, 2013
I actually only made it to page 85 of this book, but considering how many books I have out of the library right now that I really WANT to read, continuing with this one just didn't seem worth it. When the author is writing about his experiences cooking the stories are enjoyable and somewhat unique, but the amount of time he spends on his drug addiction, women he's slept with and repetitive mistakes he's made gets old really fast. His writing style is a bit repetitive for my taste, I think he needed a better editor. I picked this up randomly figuring it would be a quick, entertaining and interesting read, but not so much . . .
January 23, 2015
This is less a book about food/cooking/restaurants and more a book about how chronic substance abuse can overshadow talent and make an individual squander numerous culinary opportunities that many people would kill for. I found myself literally mad at times when he would screw up yet another fantastic opportunity at a restaurant because of his substance abuse problem. I wish him well, but I suspect he's not completely outta the woods yet. Not a tremendously great chef book (in my opinion), but a great book on the perils of drugs and addiction. I think another reviewer said the book was 1/25th food and 24/25ths substance abuse. That about sums it up...
June 7, 2013
I debated about giving this a full four stars because there were so many times during the book that I couldn't believe this guy keeps getting second chances after all his fuck ups. But on the other hand, he really does work his ass off (even when he's on crack).
Anyway, I love reading behind the scenes of the food industry. It's such drama and ego.
It was well written and I liked the theme of the "nine lives" meaning the many times he has reinvented himself and his career. If we can afford it, I would love to visit TMIP when it finally opens.
Anyway, I love reading behind the scenes of the food industry. It's such drama and ego.
It was well written and I liked the theme of the "nine lives" meaning the many times he has reinvented himself and his career. If we can afford it, I would love to visit TMIP when it finally opens.
July 1, 2013
I have a severe case of indigestion after reading this book... However, I did "clean my plate."
The book is 1/25 about food and the foodie scene, and 24/25 about the author's addictions. He says that now he can handle drinking and an occasional binge - I wish him the best, but not sure what message this sends to the multitude of other cooks/chefs with addiction problems (his observation).
Much better read was "Life on the Line," by Grant Achatz of Alinea - a place where this author got his dream job, but blew it shortly thereafter when he had a relapse.
The book is 1/25 about food and the foodie scene, and 24/25 about the author's addictions. He says that now he can handle drinking and an occasional binge - I wish him the best, but not sure what message this sends to the multitude of other cooks/chefs with addiction problems (his observation).
Much better read was "Life on the Line," by Grant Achatz of Alinea - a place where this author got his dream job, but blew it shortly thereafter when he had a relapse.
August 7, 2013
It was engaging, and interesting (and I think not ghostwritten? I'm not sure why this part is so important to me, but it is). I don't understand how someone can get hired after being fired so many times, but I guess that's just the industry. I haven't read too many chef memoirs (but several are on my list), so I have no idea how it compares. It is riveting, and scary, but as some other reviews have said, it's just stating facts. I would have liked a little more background into mental state and growing up and context.
May 30, 2014
Baltzley is not a writer by trade, and he's not masquerading as one either. he throws himself into writing this book like he threw himself into alcohol, drugs, and cooking. This is a book full of curse words, drugs, sex, and...a lot of delicious meals, though they are described more in the style of Anthony Bourdain than Ruth Reichl...which is to say they are not described from the point of view of a writer trying to help you envision these flavors but as a chef, who expects you to know them.
July 7, 2013
It was great to read about his life in the culinary world he introduced me to techniques I want to try on my own, I won't discount his troubles because they were his own but he seems to be a high functioning addict and from what I can tell based on his self-negotiations to keep drinking we can probably look forward to a sequel!
November 28, 2013
This book wasn't bad. It wasn't ah-mazing either. I did wonder how he kept getting hired after being fired so much...people in the restaurant industry don't check references? He likes to say 'fuck' a lot. Haha. I do want to check out his new restaurant, TMIP, though when it opens! I will say I am intrigued.
March 30, 2014
Good read. I do wish he'd gone into more detail about working on the farm, as that seems to be what he's focusing on now. Im intrigued to see how his restaurant/farm has turned out, as its a very cool concept.
October 22, 2013
A great story of a talented young chef who struggles mightily with his demons. I couldn't put this book down!
June 13, 2014
My kind of book. Memoir of a chef / addict. His struggles in and out of the kitchen. Good writing.
July 5, 2015
I loved this book
December 31, 2015
Plain and simple – a look inside the life of a drug addict.
Read
January 13, 2018Not my favorite chef book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews