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    Restaurant Man
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    Restaurant Man
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    Restaurant Man
    Audiobook8 hours

    Restaurant Man

    Written by Joe Bastianich

    Narrated by Joe Bastianich

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    How does a nice Italian boy from Queens turn his passion for food and wine into a nationwide empire? In his intrepid, irreverent, and terrifically entertaining memoir, Restaurant Man, Joe Bastianich charts his remarkable culinary journey from his parents' neighborhood eatery to becoming one of the country's most successful restaurateurs, along with his superstar chef partners-his mother, Lidia Bastianich, and Mario Batali.

    Joe first learned the ropes of the restaurant business from his father, Felice Bastianich, the original Restaurant Man, the ultrapragmatic and sharp-eyed owner of a popular red-sauce joint. But years of cleaning chickens and other kitchen drudgery convinced Joe that his destiny lay elsewhere. After a year on Wall Street, however, he realized that his love of food was by now too deeply ingrained, and after buying a one-way ticket to Italy, he spent over a year working in restaurants and vineyards there, developing his own taste and learning everything he could about Italian cuisine. Upon his return to New York, he partnered with his mother to open Becco and soon after joined forces with Mario Batali, an alliance that not only created a string of critically acclaimed and popular restaurants but redefined Italian food in America.

    Restaurant Man is not only a compelling ragù-to-riches chronicle but a look behind the scenes at what it really takes to run a restaurant in New York City, the most demanding, fickle, and passionate market in America, from dealing with shady vendors, avaricious landlords, and vitriolic food critics to day-to-day issues like the cost of linens ("the number-one evil") and bread and butter. Writing vividly in an authentic New York style that is equal parts rock 'n' roll and hard-ass, bottom-line business reality, Joe shares lessons learned from a lifetime spent in restaurants ("Anything you give away for free is bad") while recounting the stories of his own establishments-including how Del Posto managed to overcome a menu that was initially so ambitious that it could not be executed, to ultimately become the only Italian restaurant in America to be awarded four-stars from The New York Times.

    Joe speaks frankly about friends and foes, but at the heart of the book is the mythical hero Restaurant Man, the old-school, blue-collar guy who stays true to the real secret of his success-watching costs but ferociously dedicating himself to exceeding his customers' expectations and delivering the best dining experience in the world.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 1, 2012
    ISBN9781469201221
    Unavailable
    Restaurant Man

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    Reviews for Restaurant Man

    4/5

    48 ratings4 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I'll never walk into a restaurant the same way againThe book is a great read.If you work or if you don't work in the restaurant industry, I'd recommend this book.It is a great inside story of a hard business, an interesting look behind the scenes at one of the most successful restaurant groups in the world.After reading it, well, all I can say is that I'll never walk into a restaurant the same way again.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. I watch very little television and I am unfamiliar with the New York fine dining scene. I did not know who Joe Bastianich was before I started the book. Having enjoyed Grant Achatz Life on the Line, I was drawn to the book first by the genre, then by the title and maybe by the author's pose on the cover. I like the book for the ring of authenticity of the first person narrative, for the business perspective - Restaurant Man's gimlet-eye worldview - the framework on which the story is hung, and finally for the success story itself. I sought out Italian food and wine for two weeks during and after my reading! I cannot wait to go to New York and try his family of restaurants.
    • 5/5
      Joe N’s book is part memoir, part business guide on the ins and outs of running a successful restaurant (99-% perspiration, 1% inspiration)

      He covers it all, in true New Yorker fashion, so don’t be surprised when the f bombs hit. But there’s a lot of wisdom here, and I’d happily give a copy of this to anyone starting their own business, food or not. Just his philosophy about always touching the last three tables of the night, because those late diners are the customers you need, is gold
    • 4/5
      I wasn't quite sure what to expect from good ol' Joe, having watched him on the Master Chef TV show. The books was fascinating because he holds nothing back in describing the ups and downs and behind the scene issues of restaurant life---and what a life he presents!! He has an incredible background and reading about all of the things he has done shows a man who couldn't stop if he wanted to! I can't quite picture him smiling---laughing out loud when something hits him just right but smiles are just not quite worth the effort. His passion is right there in the way he describes things---forcefully to say the least! Really a great book to read.