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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-proclaimed “restaurant man.” After college and a year on Wall Street, Joe bought a one-way ticket to Italy and worked in restaurants and vineyards. Upon his return to New York, he partnered with his mother, Lidia, and soon joined forces with Mario Batali, establishing one superlative Italian restaurant after another.
Writing vividly in an authentic New York style that is equal parts rock ’n’ roll and hard-ass, bottom-line business reality, Joe explains: how Babbo changed the way people think of Italian restaurants; how Lupa and Esca were born of “hedonistic, boondoggle R&D trips” through Italy; and how Del Posto managed to overcome a menu that was so ambitious that at first it could not even be executed and became the first four-star Italian restaurant in America. He lays the smackdown on the wine industry, explaining that no bottle of wine costs more than five dollars to make.
Joe speaks frankly about friends and foes, but at the heart of the book is the mythical hero Restaurant Man, the old-school, bluecollar guy from Queens who once upon a time learned to sweat it out and make his money through hard work. Throughout he stays true to the real secret of his success—watching costs but being ferociously dedicated to exceeding the customer’s expectations on every level and delivering the best dining experience in the world.
Writing vividly in an authentic New York style that is equal parts rock ’n’ roll and hard-ass, bottom-line business reality, Joe explains: how Babbo changed the way people think of Italian restaurants; how Lupa and Esca were born of “hedonistic, boondoggle R&D trips” through Italy; and how Del Posto managed to overcome a menu that was so ambitious that at first it could not even be executed and became the first four-star Italian restaurant in America. He lays the smackdown on the wine industry, explaining that no bottle of wine costs more than five dollars to make.
Joe speaks frankly about friends and foes, but at the heart of the book is the mythical hero Restaurant Man, the old-school, bluecollar guy from Queens who once upon a time learned to sweat it out and make his money through hard work. Throughout he stays true to the real secret of his success—watching costs but being ferociously dedicated to exceeding the customer’s expectations on every level and delivering the best dining experience in the world.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2012
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917 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
October 14, 2014
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 so 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's not Coca Cola and you should fucking send it back."
And for anyone who's ever been irritated by my refusal to eat at places that serve their water in Pizza Hut style plastic tumblers, I refer you all to this: "there are BBQ places I like but won't go to because I don't drink out of fucking Mason jars."
He also says he's known men who will leave women for using iodized salt in their home kitchens. Good.
It isn't Lit, the way, say, Bill Buford's Heat is lit (both, curiously, star Mario Batali). But it is entertaining.
Read: Memorial Day Weekend 2012.
A man after my own heart, he explains at length why fountain Cokes taste so 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's not Coca Cola and you should fucking send it back."
And for anyone who's ever been irritated by my refusal to eat at places that serve their water in Pizza Hut style plastic tumblers, I refer you all to this: "there are BBQ places I like but won't go to because I don't drink out of fucking Mason jars."
He also says he's known men who will leave women for using iodized salt in their home kitchens. Good.
It isn't Lit, the way, say, Bill Buford's Heat is lit (both, curiously, star Mario Batali). But it is entertaining.
Read: Memorial Day Weekend 2012.
May 16, 2012
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 REALLY want to get to know him better. If you do, you'll be rewarded. His thoughts and philosophy on food, wine and restaurant management are amazing. There's a reason why he is so successful; he's a cheap bastard, but he also will do whatever it takes to provide you - the restaurant customer - with a terrific, unforgetable experience. He also, underneath the tough-ass attitude, has a heart of gold. Joe cares about the quality of food and wine - which unfortunately, is not the case with most restaurant owners in the United States today.
Joe despises the industrialization of food, wine and restaurants; he, like me, hates restaurants like the Olive Garden with a passion. They have taken what is supposed to be an enjoyable experience steeped in tradition and turned it into trash - trash food, trash wine, fake experience. Same thing with wine. After reading this book, I will never drink Trader Joe's sludge again. Snobby, maybe. But why go for cheap crap when you can drink wine that has been in a family's vineyard for generations, and know there was a lot of love, blood sweat and tears that went into it? And that they cared about producing a quality wine?
One surprise, something I've always wondered about, is what happened to his father. After reading about him, I have far more respect than I ever had for Lidia (his mother, runs her own restaurant empire/tv show/books). Joe's description of the merging between the Old World immigrants in his family with the New World is quite fascinating, and within my own family - my mom's parents immigrated from the same general area as Lidia's family - things that didn't make sense to me back then do so now. Such as frugality, not wasting leftovers, among other things.
Joe is also an Ironman - and since I know quite a few Ironmen/women, and hope to do one myself someday, that tells me what I need to know about a person right there. Tenacity, persistence, determination and most of all - discipline.
One of the big negatives was the constant use of the F-word. It was simply too much and just not very effective. Also - "hundies" for hundred-dollar bills? Come on. While I understand Joe's feelings about working on Wall Street, he bashed Wall Street, and those who work on Wall Street, a little too hard. Ok, fine - it wasn't for him. But just because it wasn't his thing doesn't mean he has to bash it all - for some people, working with money and numbers IS what makes them happy - to each their own. And these people are the ones paying for his restaurant experiences.
Overall a good read and an eyeopener into the restaurant world.
Now I know better. Joe is testing you. He wants to see if you REALLY want to get to know him better. If you do, you'll be rewarded. His thoughts and philosophy on food, wine and restaurant management are amazing. There's a reason why he is so successful; he's a cheap bastard, but he also will do whatever it takes to provide you - the restaurant customer - with a terrific, unforgetable experience. He also, underneath the tough-ass attitude, has a heart of gold. Joe cares about the quality of food and wine - which unfortunately, is not the case with most restaurant owners in the United States today.
Joe despises the industrialization of food, wine and restaurants; he, like me, hates restaurants like the Olive Garden with a passion. They have taken what is supposed to be an enjoyable experience steeped in tradition and turned it into trash - trash food, trash wine, fake experience. Same thing with wine. After reading this book, I will never drink Trader Joe's sludge again. Snobby, maybe. But why go for cheap crap when you can drink wine that has been in a family's vineyard for generations, and know there was a lot of love, blood sweat and tears that went into it? And that they cared about producing a quality wine?
One surprise, something I've always wondered about, is what happened to his father. After reading about him, I have far more respect than I ever had for Lidia (his mother, runs her own restaurant empire/tv show/books). Joe's description of the merging between the Old World immigrants in his family with the New World is quite fascinating, and within my own family - my mom's parents immigrated from the same general area as Lidia's family - things that didn't make sense to me back then do so now. Such as frugality, not wasting leftovers, among other things.
Joe is also an Ironman - and since I know quite a few Ironmen/women, and hope to do one myself someday, that tells me what I need to know about a person right there. Tenacity, persistence, determination and most of all - discipline.
One of the big negatives was the constant use of the F-word. It was simply too much and just not very effective. Also - "hundies" for hundred-dollar bills? Come on. While I understand Joe's feelings about working on Wall Street, he bashed Wall Street, and those who work on Wall Street, a little too hard. Ok, fine - it wasn't for him. But just because it wasn't his thing doesn't mean he has to bash it all - for some people, working with money and numbers IS what makes them happy - to each their own. And these people are the ones paying for his restaurant experiences.
Overall a good read and an eyeopener into the restaurant world.
December 29, 2018
I knew nothing about this guy before reading the book. Fortunately he was able to teach me that he is one of the biggest douchebags to have ever walked this earth so I can avoid any cultural artifact he ever produces again.
I'll save you the trouble by paraphrasing him: "Being Italian rules and if you don't appreciate tiny subtleties in Italian wines you're uncivilized! I'm Italian! If you have ever sneezed into a handkerchief at a restaurant you practically deserve to die and you should never frequent my establishments. I used to bang so many broads! Cool, huh? Bet ya didn't see that coming! Anyway, some more about me. I'm great! Oh and I'm also Italian, ain't nothin' better than being me, being great, and being Italian! In that order too! Are you tired of reading the f word three times every two sentences for no reason other than I'm a lousy writer? Oh you want some advice on how to start a restaurant? F off."
-Joe Bastardianich
I'll save you the trouble by paraphrasing him: "Being Italian rules and if you don't appreciate tiny subtleties in Italian wines you're uncivilized! I'm Italian! If you have ever sneezed into a handkerchief at a restaurant you practically deserve to die and you should never frequent my establishments. I used to bang so many broads! Cool, huh? Bet ya didn't see that coming! Anyway, some more about me. I'm great! Oh and I'm also Italian, ain't nothin' better than being me, being great, and being Italian! In that order too! Are you tired of reading the f word three times every two sentences for no reason other than I'm a lousy writer? Oh you want some advice on how to start a restaurant? F off."
-Joe Bastardianich
February 26, 2016
A great business book, rags-to-riches story, self-help or thriller, you name it. And, of course, containg numerous insights into the world of restaurants and wine. Read if you a) like restaurants, 2) like wine, 3) like a good book. Here's my full review: http://artfoodwine365.com/?p=1049
Read
May 28, 2018DNF.
There isn’t a lot of food related writing I don’t appreciate. I didn’t get far enough into this one to find out if there is any actual food writing. It’s possibly not meant to have any.
I gave up on the whiny, jaded, it’s so unbelievably hard to run a restaurant tough-and-foul-guy talk before I ever found any narrative elements, or even any promising anecdotes.
This may wind up into an interesting read, but waiting for it surpassed my patience level.
There isn’t a lot of food related writing I don’t appreciate. I didn’t get far enough into this one to find out if there is any actual food writing. It’s possibly not meant to have any.
I gave up on the whiny, jaded, it’s so unbelievably hard to run a restaurant tough-and-foul-guy talk before I ever found any narrative elements, or even any promising anecdotes.
This may wind up into an interesting read, but waiting for it surpassed my patience level.
March 28, 2015
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 it showed me a whole different world out there. I kept saying to my husband, "Hey, listen to this! Joe is just as addicted to red Gatorade as you are!" "Hey, listen! Did you know everyone in the food business in New York is on the take??" "Hey, did you know Joe and Mario Batali would sit out on the front stoop of their restaurant, drink wine, and talk business?" Now my husband knows just as much about Joe's life as I do and he didn't have to read the book.
I wished he had mentioned MasterChef in the book. I was curious about how that show started and how he got to be a judge. I didn't care for all the cussing in the book. I'm not a prude; I also have a very colorful vocabulary at times, but I don't put it into print that often. (Not unless I want to really hammer home a point.) I suppose you could say Joe's personality really comes through. I've never been to New York, as I said, but I suspect a lot of New York is inside this book.
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 it showed me a whole different world out there. I kept saying to my husband, "Hey, listen to this! Joe is just as addicted to red Gatorade as you are!" "Hey, listen! Did you know everyone in the food business in New York is on the take??" "Hey, did you know Joe and Mario Batali would sit out on the front stoop of their restaurant, drink wine, and talk business?" Now my husband knows just as much about Joe's life as I do and he didn't have to read the book.
I wished he had mentioned MasterChef in the book. I was curious about how that show started and how he got to be a judge. I didn't care for all the cussing in the book. I'm not a prude; I also have a very colorful vocabulary at times, but I don't put it into print that often. (Not unless I want to really hammer home a point.) I suppose you could say Joe's personality really comes through. I've never been to New York, as I said, but I suspect a lot of New York is inside this book.
May 13, 2012
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 sustenance to support both. And he is disarmingly frank. Highly recommended if, for example, you enjoyed Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. (But if you can only read one of these type books it should be Blood, Bones, & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton. In a class by itself for the sheer joy of superior writing on the same topic.)
November 21, 2021
I’ve known of Joe after watching him as a judge on MasterChef. Besides that, there was very little I knew of him, so the book turned out to be quite interesting. I like the honesty with which he writes. His story about how he became a restauranteur is fascinating. The book showcases the business side of the restaurant industry, which is a fresh perspective to read about. Very different from the usual chef memoirs one gets to read nowadays. 3.5 Stars
June 16, 2019
The author, a restaurateur with a constellation's worth of New York Times starred reviews, tells of his life, from a bus boy working for his parents (successful restaurant owners, especially his mother, a terrific chef and businesswoman), to flirting with various career paths, finally to co-founding Babbo, del Posto, Otto, and other famous, highly successful dining establishments. The book has the framework of a biography, but it's also a sort of advice book for aspiring restaurateurs and definitely a philosophy of life and business.
Briefly a Wall Street bond trader, Bastianich certainly talks like one. The first rule of being Restaurant Man, he tells us, is being "a cheap fuck" (a quality which his partner Mario Batali is known for – see Bill Buford's memoir Heat). There's a lot of crude machismo and braggadocio in that vein; he comes off as an Anthony Bourdain who thinks he's got something to prove. There's a lot of Trumpian language like "very famous" and claims to be the first to bring a cuisine or style to America. "It took balls" to do what we did, he says repeatedly. He even claims to have invented the everything bagel. Speaking about a gay clientele, he notes they tried to "romance" him, but feels the need to add hastily, "believe me when I tell you the gays didn’t have much luck." Why would someone secure bother adding that? What reader would assume that, or care? Talking of the Mob guys who like to eat (sorry, dine) at his place, he notes "their shoes are like fucking mirrors." If he doesn't like someone, he lets you know it: "These guys are just complete fucking hemorrhoids." But style aside, the book has two good things going for it. One, his history is fairly entertaining. He had a paper route from a fingerless reprobate named Turtle. He planned to export toilet paper to the Balkans with Yugoslav gangsters. He toured Italy extensively, sampling the cuisines of the various regions. And second, for all his braggadocio, his philosophy is admirable. He claims to be cheap, and he watches the margins like a hawk for sure, but he doesn't short change the restaurant. He reuses the grease in his grease trap to fuel his truck. He thinks to replace the toilet seats in his restaurants regularly. He serves real Coke in glass bottles, not from a dirty soda gun. He gets the best linen and china. The lesson here is that constant hard work, total immersion, and fierce dedication to quality, not skimping, is the key to his success. It's a fascinating look into what it really takes to make it in one of the most challenging businesses.
Briefly a Wall Street bond trader, Bastianich certainly talks like one. The first rule of being Restaurant Man, he tells us, is being "a cheap fuck" (a quality which his partner Mario Batali is known for – see Bill Buford's memoir Heat). There's a lot of crude machismo and braggadocio in that vein; he comes off as an Anthony Bourdain who thinks he's got something to prove. There's a lot of Trumpian language like "very famous" and claims to be the first to bring a cuisine or style to America. "It took balls" to do what we did, he says repeatedly. He even claims to have invented the everything bagel. Speaking about a gay clientele, he notes they tried to "romance" him, but feels the need to add hastily, "believe me when I tell you the gays didn’t have much luck." Why would someone secure bother adding that? What reader would assume that, or care? Talking of the Mob guys who like to eat (sorry, dine) at his place, he notes "their shoes are like fucking mirrors." If he doesn't like someone, he lets you know it: "These guys are just complete fucking hemorrhoids." But style aside, the book has two good things going for it. One, his history is fairly entertaining. He had a paper route from a fingerless reprobate named Turtle. He planned to export toilet paper to the Balkans with Yugoslav gangsters. He toured Italy extensively, sampling the cuisines of the various regions. And second, for all his braggadocio, his philosophy is admirable. He claims to be cheap, and he watches the margins like a hawk for sure, but he doesn't short change the restaurant. He reuses the grease in his grease trap to fuel his truck. He thinks to replace the toilet seats in his restaurants regularly. He serves real Coke in glass bottles, not from a dirty soda gun. He gets the best linen and china. The lesson here is that constant hard work, total immersion, and fierce dedication to quality, not skimping, is the key to his success. It's a fascinating look into what it really takes to make it in one of the most challenging businesses.
October 8, 2013
Holy crap how do people not like this book? Okay, Joe swears a lot; and? (To be fair, I might be a bit more blase about this because I was in the Marines for 8 years, and really, to me this book only contained a moderate amount of swearage.)
This book is a no-bullshit crash course in the fundamentals of running a restaurant, with a lot of funny anecdotes included. I expected to read about Italy; I DIDN'T expect to be reading about Joe's predilection for white Capezios while he was in school (total hilarity, that; I'll never look at "MasterChef" the same way again) or about his stint on Wall Street.
To be honest, before I picked this up - completely on a whim while walking through my Barnes & Noble - Joe Bastianich was just "the guy who was supposed to out-asshole Gordon Ramsay on MasterChef" to me. Having read this, a lot of his criticisms and opinions about food make way more sense. All the way through this book, you can tell that this is someone who has great pride in what they do, who really loves food and wine and isn't interested in being the latest/hottest/most celebrity-est chef. I love the philosophy that eating out should be an experience, something special. I also like the attitude (that I'm sure gets called "snobby") that the chef and the sommelier probably know more about food and wine than the customer does (after all, that's their job, isn't it?), and just let them do their job.
This is a definite new favorite of mine and one I'm happy to have in my collection.
This book is a no-bullshit crash course in the fundamentals of running a restaurant, with a lot of funny anecdotes included. I expected to read about Italy; I DIDN'T expect to be reading about Joe's predilection for white Capezios while he was in school (total hilarity, that; I'll never look at "MasterChef" the same way again) or about his stint on Wall Street.
To be honest, before I picked this up - completely on a whim while walking through my Barnes & Noble - Joe Bastianich was just "the guy who was supposed to out-asshole Gordon Ramsay on MasterChef" to me. Having read this, a lot of his criticisms and opinions about food make way more sense. All the way through this book, you can tell that this is someone who has great pride in what they do, who really loves food and wine and isn't interested in being the latest/hottest/most celebrity-est chef. I love the philosophy that eating out should be an experience, something special. I also like the attitude (that I'm sure gets called "snobby") that the chef and the sommelier probably know more about food and wine than the customer does (after all, that's their job, isn't it?), and just let them do their job.
This is a definite new favorite of mine and one I'm happy to have in my collection.
August 18, 2012
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 me that we actually have a lot in common and I have a lot to learn from him.
I would recommend this book to everyone. Every single person ever! Unless you're sensitive about the F word, because Joe drops more F-bombs on one page than even I say in one hour! Which, if you don't know me, is A LOT! Anyway, this is a fascinating read and I'd be willing to bet even non-foodies and people not into the restaurant scene would still be entertained by Joe's tales of crazy New-York-via-Tuscany adventures. And there is so much knowledge here if you ARE into that scene. So, run to the library; grab this book; find the best espresso shop; and have a good read!
I would recommend this book to everyone. Every single person ever! Unless you're sensitive about the F word, because Joe drops more F-bombs on one page than even I say in one hour! Which, if you don't know me, is A LOT! Anyway, this is a fascinating read and I'd be willing to bet even non-foodies and people not into the restaurant scene would still be entertained by Joe's tales of crazy New-York-via-Tuscany adventures. And there is so much knowledge here if you ARE into that scene. So, run to the library; grab this book; find the best espresso shop; and have a good read!
September 9, 2021
Most people probably know Joe Bastianich from his role as judge on the TV show Masterchef. Lesser know is that he comes cooking/restaurant background, his mother being Lidia Bastianich and his partner on the New York restaurant scene being Mario Batali, of Iron Chef America fame.
This book goes into detail about his parents first 'red sauce' Italian place and how they rose from those humble beginnings to having one of the best Italian restaurants in New York. Joe was brought up in this background, worked in the business from around 10. Later he went on to become a Wall Street broker but gave it up as he found himself as just one of hundreds of others doing the same job.
After that he spent time in Italy, working and studying in the food and wine business. Returning to New York he opened his first restaurant and was moderately successful. But it wasn't until he met Mario Batali and opened Babbo that things really took off. Today, Joe, Mario and Lidia own some of the best Italian eateries in the USA and couple on other places in the world. What's probably made then successful is that this is not a chain, each restaurant has it's own unique style and menu and price point.
The best book about the food service industry since Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. He doesn't go into a lot of detail or specifics about cooking, but does a lot on wine, the customer experience, profit margins and other complications of opening and running a restaurant. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in such things or in the hospitality business in general.
I listened to the audio book that Joe narrates himself. He's certainly not the best reader but hearing it in his own voice makes it worth while.
This book goes into detail about his parents first 'red sauce' Italian place and how they rose from those humble beginnings to having one of the best Italian restaurants in New York. Joe was brought up in this background, worked in the business from around 10. Later he went on to become a Wall Street broker but gave it up as he found himself as just one of hundreds of others doing the same job.
After that he spent time in Italy, working and studying in the food and wine business. Returning to New York he opened his first restaurant and was moderately successful. But it wasn't until he met Mario Batali and opened Babbo that things really took off. Today, Joe, Mario and Lidia own some of the best Italian eateries in the USA and couple on other places in the world. What's probably made then successful is that this is not a chain, each restaurant has it's own unique style and menu and price point.
The best book about the food service industry since Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. He doesn't go into a lot of detail or specifics about cooking, but does a lot on wine, the customer experience, profit margins and other complications of opening and running a restaurant. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in such things or in the hospitality business in general.
I listened to the audio book that Joe narrates himself. He's certainly not the best reader but hearing it in his own voice makes it worth while.
July 10, 2025
I expected a lot more from the author. Very little is written about how to run restaurant. I ALSO CAN’T FIGURE OUT IF THE AUTHOR IS ANTISEMITIC OR LOVES JEWS. Jews seem to take a prominent position in his mind. It began to bother me. Wine is a big subject to the author. I don’t drink alcohol so much of the book was a complete waste.
January 27, 2013
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. Joe tells the story of how he grew up in New York, broke into the restaurant biz and eventually went out on his own, creating the first and only 4 star Italian restaurant in NYC and a full line of proprietary Italian wines. I found it interesting, but if you are not a big fan of restaurants, wine and cooking, you probably won't get much out of it. It's a quick read and has some good laughs, so enjoy.
September 14, 2012
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 audio version: The author reads his own story, which has a plus and minus--plus as he knows his own stuff and can stress the f-word in various ways without making it too boring, and the minus is that his monotone gets a little old, although it seemed about 1/3 of the way through something changed and he became a little more animated and his voice sounded different. It was kind of weird.
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 audio version: The author reads his own story, which has a plus and minus--plus as he knows his own stuff and can stress the f-word in various ways without making it too boring, and the minus is that his monotone gets a little old, although it seemed about 1/3 of the way through something changed and he became a little more animated and his voice sounded different. It was kind of weird.
June 11, 2012
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), and you will be exposed to heaping plate-fulls of F-bombs. This book will not only entertain and inform you, but it will surely change the way you look around you the next time you go out to dinner. Highly recommended!
August 23, 2012
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 whatever. The writing was vivid, funny, unfussy, and memorable.
P.S. I swear, on disc four, he must have been reading from a marked-up version of the manuscript. It sounded like he was trying to piece the sentences together as he went along. But it got better.
P.S. I swear, on disc four, he must have been reading from a marked-up version of the manuscript. It sounded like he was trying to piece the sentences together as he went along. But it got better.
August 2, 2012
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 businessperson or entrepreneur.
July 10, 2021
Loved it. Joe is much more fun and funny in "real life" than the persona you see on Master Chef. His family history is so interesting. I can't wait to eat at one of his restaurants in NYC some day. Bucket list. I really admire his constant striving for excellence at all levels.
January 30, 2018
Questo romanzo è una sorta di biografia di un noto ristoratore italo-americano. L'ho letto velocemente e mi è piaciuto abbastanza. Credo che non meriti una rilettura.
February 28, 2017
Questo libro mi ha stupito positivamente. Solitamente evito questi tipi di libri, ma dopo Open di Agassi, che è sicuramente il migliore nel genere "autobiografia dei personaggi famosi", ho deciso di provarci. Joe non è certo una persona amata da tutti, ha un carattere forte ed é molto arrogante ma dopo aver letto la sua storia capisco dove è nato questo carattere e se ci si spinge al di là di ciò, si incontra invece una persona colta, appassionata e divertente.
May 24, 2012
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 delved deeper into what seems like a really problematic relationship with his father, but he shied away from it. overall, wish it had been a bit fuller and that there were more revelations, but it was a quick, energetic read and i enjoyed it.
July 3, 2012
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 projects, along with Mario Battaglia and his mother Lidia Bastianich are legend: Babo, Del Postino, Eatalay. Also has winery in Italy. If you liked Kitchen Confidential or Heat, you'll love this one.
June 26, 2019
Restaurant Man provides a look behind the scenes of the restaurant into the industry itself, discussing everything from pricing, why steakhouses are so expensive, why wine matters, and why those dirty linens are the bane of every restaurant man's existence. In addition to learning so much about restaurants, anyone feeling as though he/she doesn't have enough ways to use the word fu!k will certainly find at a minimum 5o original ways to use the word, cheap fu!k being the most common, which were quite entertaining. This book is a must read for anyone who loves a good meal or thinks that the celebrity chef is the reason a restaurant succeeds. There is so much more to it!
May 26, 2012
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.) I'm looking forward to visiting Eataly.
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.) I'm looking forward to visiting Eataly.
July 16, 2012
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 himself talk.
May 13, 2019
Being in the restaurant industry is not easy. Restaurant man makes the personal hell that it is, sound endearing. Joseph Bastianich’s telling of his time as a restauranteur makes you want to quit your job and open up a pizzeria. Sad part is, it all feels authentic. Do not read this book and think it is the average restauranteur experience. It is unique and worth reading a few times to really get all those useful lessons and name drops.
July 19, 2021
A must read for anyone into the NYC restaurant scene, and who loves Italian wine and food. Excellent insight into the finances of owning a restaurant. I’ve been to several of his restaurants and I’m eager to go back. Hungry for crudo, risotto, grilled calamari and many of the other foods he describes in the book. He talks like the Italian from Queens who he is. Great audio to catch the nuances.
November 19, 2012
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.
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