Michael Gibney (1)

I really wanted to like this book, and when Gibney is telling a story, it's fast-paced. But the story keeps getting interrupted by his explanations of the food industry and attempts to educate the reader about fancy food (and fancy food terms). Not being fluent in Spanish was also a drawback for me, since many of the interactions in the kitchen are in that language, and Gibney never takes the time to translate for us. That's just frustrating to read. I'm not getting the message at the end of the book either...if you've been working nearly non-stop at the restaurant since 9am, know you have to be back for another long day tomorrow starting at 8:30am, why the hell are you still up sitting on your front steps drinking a beer and smoking at 5 in the morning?? Go to bed!!

I grabbed this as a fast read when I needed a book, and it is a fast read, but much of it is just tedious.
… (meer)

Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have a fascination with the restaurant world. I never had the impression it was glamorous like television tried to make it seem. In my head it was always this seedy, sexy, corrupt place where sometimes delicious food got made. Most chef memoirs support that theory and Sous Chef was no exception. What I liked about this one and what I think set it apart from others is that Gibney titles each chapter after a part of a chef's day and really took the time to walk the reader through the life of a sous chef in 24 hours. I felt the stress along with him. The pain. The agony. The excitement. He wrote it in such a way that captured me from the beginning and though at times I found my interest waning a little, I was fascinated to the end. Such a unique perspective and definitely an educational read.… (meer)