Bookshot #63: Kitchen Confidential

I should have listened to The Quiet Man.   He would always tell me, back in our undergraduate days that I should take a non-fiction writing class and I never managed to get around to it.   After reading Kitchen Confidential, I now wish that I had.

I also have to thank Chef Bourdain for lending a hand in digging a grave for an idle dream of mine- that of opening my own bar or restaurant.  Well, maybe it's not totally buried- but whether Kitchen Confidential is a little embellished or not, I was left with the impression that Bourdain strives to give the reader a remarkably clear eyed honest view of how the restaurant business works- and more to the point, how much time, hard work and effort people put into it to succeed. 

Starting with Bourdain's first oyster (on a trip to France as a child) Kitchen Confidential takes the reader on a wild ride from a rootless existance at Vassar to the kitchens of Provincetown, where Bourdain gets his first experiences cooking in a restaurant and where he gets motivated to be the best he can possibly be.  (Apparently, telling this guy he can't do something is like catnip to him-  he proves willing, throughout the book to run through various metaphorical brick walls to prove people wrong.)  

Dropping out of Vassar, he gets into the Culinary Institute of America and upon graduating in 1978, embarks on a wild ride through the New York restaurant world- working at some good restaurants, some bad restaurants, some shady restaurants- he enjoys an interlude in an Italian restaurant before ending up at Les Halles.

I think the secret to the success of this book is Bourdain's writing style. It's hard to describe but there was something about the way he tells the stories that he does that always made me want to keep reading. And I read this book quickly- very, very quickly partially because it was just that good and partially because I always wanted to see what was going to happen next. His descriptions of food, the hilariously profane, salty atmosphere of the various kitchens that he's worked in over the course of his career all seemed to conspire to make the world of restaurant business seem exotic and alluring while at the same time thoroughly turning the reader off from the business.

But it's not all crazy shenanigans with Bourdain. He dispenses practical advice as well (metal rings to make your food taller to amaze your friends, invest in some good solid knives, never eat fish in restaurants on the weekens) and the ultimate strength of this book lies in his ability to turn his acerbic wit onto himself as well- a chapter late in the book, 'The Life of Bryan' takes a look at hard working chef Scott Bryan, who, unlike Bourdain, had spent his career working hard and making all the right choices which really illuminates an underlying theme of the book: namely that the restaurant business can be tough, but if you work your ass off, you can find success.

Overall: Bring on Medium Raw! I love Bourdain's writing style, I love this clear, unflinching look at the restaurant business and I loved this book. **** out of ****.