Book Review: Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential

February 2, 2009

By Melissa Sachs

: Image via Wikipedia

If you eat, drink, dine, go to restaurants, like tattoos, loud music, crass behavior, the Food Network, or have a personality, you should read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential.

Likewise, if you have ever worked in a kitchen, a restaurant, a take-out joint, served food as a waiter/a waitress/a waitron, I am guessing you have already read this book. If not, take a few days, read the book, and come back a better man, woman, or animal.

This book will change your dining experience. Most likely examples:

It will change the way you look at dinner rolls on a dining table.

It will change the way you engage with your server as you try to read his or her body language to see if what you ordered is worth ordering or if you should expect to get sick.

You will want to eat a raw oyster in France.

It will increase your urges for exotic foods and intense experiences.

You will be awestruck at the talent that executive chefs must bring. (The details! The precision! The cooking is only part of it!)

You will bow down to the unapologetic being named Anthony Bourdain.

(Heck, you may even add No Reservations to your netflix queue.)

Whatever the press says about Anthony Bourdain and his book is probably true. This book should come with a warning. High adrenaline zone – enter at your own risk. (There were a few nights when I actually had to put the book down for fear of my own anxiety attack.)

But, I always came back because A.B.’s writing is as addictive as his ex-heroin habit.

When you are finished with this book, trust me, you will lick your fingers and beg for second helpings (speaking of, where is the server’s tell-all retort?).