Restaurant Books

Though the other stories have much cinematic potential, my favorite of this collection has to be "Dirk Snigby's Guide To The Afterlife." Funny and snarkily irreverent, it is full of the absurdities that is the currency of organized religion. In the right hands, "Dirk" could be the next "Dr. Strangelove" -- a chilling satire on what we fear most after taking that final breath in this life as we open the door to the next. Who knows, perhaps Dirk might in fact be our Guide. Pick up a copy of this anthology for this story alone.

an excellent collection of short stories that will make wonderful movies. standouts :gone to mum's
dirk snigby
some pig
waltzing matilda.
sit back with a long cool drink and enjoy.

_The Hustler, It Happened One Night, High Noon, Minority Report_ and _All About Eve._ Quite an impressive list, but what do these movies all have in common? Give up? They all started as a short story.

Next Stop Hollywood is the brainchild of Steve Cohen and Jonathan Davis. Each year they partner with St. Martin's Press to publish original short stories that are judged by a panel of Hollywood insiders via an international contest, with winning entries compiled into the anthology. Their criteria? Finding stories that would make a great movie or TV project. More than 600 entries were submitted and narrowed down to a mere 15.

Using the same judging criteria, I chose three stories from Next Stop Hollywood to highlight.

Perry Glasser's "An Age of Marvels and Wonders," tells the story of a lonely old man slowly going blind and the young woman who comes into his life. Raylene is a walking hard luck story--with two kids, no money and an abusive ex-husband. Is it any wonder she's skeptical of an offer of help? Bob may slowly be going blind, but he sees far more than mere eyesight allows.

"Gone to Mum's" by Barry Simiana is a richly detailed and poignant story of missed chances, stolen moments, heartbreak and redemption. Simiana's narrator takes readers along on his journey of self-discovery amid the rugged backdrop of Australia. The author paints emotion on his canvas, stunning the reader with the simplicity and honesty of his prose.

"The Good Kid" by Brian Richmond, is a clever tale of deception. Marty is a bank robber on the run with nowhere to go. The kid is more than willing to help. But is he helping himself or Marty? O. Henry would have approved.

With Hollywood scrambling for fresh ideas, it's nice to know that the art of the short story is not completely forgotten.

Armchair Interviews says: Kudos to Cohen and Davis for their part in reviving an endangered genre.

I thoroughly enjoyed these short stories, especially "Dirk Snigby's Guide to the Afterlife". Dirk and the devil would be a hit on the silver screen!

Perry Glasser is a wonderful writer and an inspiration in my own writing. His forthright yet crafty style will leave you complete. You won't be disappointed!

While I am biased becuase I stay at Marriott properties regularly, I did find this book useful. Bill speaks in a way that is easy to understand and shares some great tips on how to provide excellent service. Also, I learned some great mgm't related ideas as well. This book is not fancy, but deserves to be read.

If you've stayed in a Marriott hotel and you've wondered how they put everything together you'll learn about it in this book!

Ran into a copy of this succint biographical book at the Sydney Marriott alongside the Bible/Gita/Buddhist manual, and I wasn't too sanguine about something from the hospitality industry being too relevant to me. But this slim, easy read may actually connect with almost any business person. More so if you are in any way related to customer services or marketing.

Without skipping any beat on chapters of glorious prose, ala TypicalBusinessBook, it shoots straight from the gut about the tenets of Marriott -- how with sheer determination it shot to the big league from a small cottage inn, the MBE leadership style of Marriott (the younger Marriott that is) who prefers to walk his troops instead of boardroom inertia, lessons in team building, the importance of listening to all the levels of the organization, codifying past experiences into business philosophies (not the usual "Best Practices" bromide that is bandied about in elite echelons of business) etc etc.

In all respects, a hidden business gem of a book.

Now the million (ok, 11) dollar question. You can imagine how I got my copy. So would I *buy* this book if I had to? For the basement price, and for the simple but compelling REAL WORLD lessons, most likely yes.

Everyone has probably seen a Marriott Hotel product on one of their drives. They are everywhere and have a diffeerent line of hotels to suit every need from Fairfield Inns, Residence Inns, Courtyard, Marriott, Ritz Carlton and others. What you may not know is the story of how those hotel came to be and what drives the success at Marriott. From their langthy Standards of Operation, to thier treatment of the thier employees is all explained for you to read. You get a great insight on a great company.

While this is not a biography, there are many biographical moments where Mr. Marriott give a little insight on him and why he does what he does at the company. He explains some of the moments from when his father started the busines, to his army days to his life now.

This is not you typical business how to book either because much of the information is geared to Marriott and the lodging industry while leaving it readable for all who want a book on success and business. He also helps to give insights on the Lodging and food industry and should be a must for Hotel and Management Students.

Since I work for a Marriott product, it has help me to understand the organization better which makes me a better employee and more focused. The company has a great reputation and this book helps to define what is expected.

He does explain the four rule of decision making which are:

1. Be willing to make decisions. He fells this are the most
important.
2. Do you homework. Just do not do it to obsession.
3. Listen to your heart. Some times your heart knows best.
4. Don't waiste time regretting. Sometimes a decision will look
better in hine sight, but some times you win, some times you
loose. Just roll with them.

This is a very inspriational book also. Where he speach about his personal experience with a heart attact and his religion.

Recommended for all.

In The Spirit To Serve, Bill Marriott offers advice on how to develop the type of management basics and solid core values that made his company an industry leader. These ideas are neither new nor radical. They are the simple lessons that Mr. Marriott has learned during his lifetime tenure at Marriott.

· Take a hands-on approach to your firm. Don't sit at your desk. Walk around your facility and interact with your employees. Make sure they know that you care about what they do.
· Managing well depends on listening well. Cultivate patience and keep an open mind when listening to ideas from employees and customers.
· Give your employees the tools they need to work. Make sure employees are properly trained for their jobs. After training, make sure there are support systems in place to assist employees.
· Offer exceptional employee incentives. Marriott has offered employees a toll-free consultation service, profit-sharing programs, promotion from within and several recognition programs.
· Encourage teamwork among workers. Create an environment in which the rewards of working together outweigh the rewards of individual interest.
· Don't take your partners for granted.
· Discover what works best and do it. Develop detailed standard operating procedures. The right way of doing things is worth making a habit.
· Balance who you are with where you are going. Maintain order within your organization while embracing change.
· Don't let growing pains destroy what you have built. Stay close to the daily grind of your business during periods of growth. Keep a close eye on quality control.
· Don't waffle over decision making. Stand by the decisions you make.
· Learn to recognize boom and bust signals. Pay attention to colleagues, reports and other indicators in your industry to get a realistic picture of what is happening. Don't be overconfident.

I found this book to be quite informative. It essentially covers the trials and tribulations of 6 `super' chefs in the pursuit of their eatery empires. Like you and me they have their share of personal challenges and I thought this book covered it quite well. Definitely worth a read, might just give you insight on some things you need to be aware off while building your restaurant empire.

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Super Chef by Juliette Rossant is real find for all of us who love food (and who doesn't?) It's fun, informative and no calories! It makes the top of my list for gifts from a good summer read into the holidays.
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Write on, Ms. Rossant!
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The author uses a wealth of detail to give real insight into the personalities of super chefs and the key to their success. A fascinating and entertaining read!

I'm what you call a foodie, but I was never that interested in the business side of fine cuisine...until I picked up Rossant's book. After reading it, I finally understood that people like Puck and the others profiled in its pages really transformed the way we eat in restaurants across the country and at home, too. The entertaining anecdotes on the super chefs reveal just how tenuous success is in the wacky restaurant world, and how passionate and motivated these men and women (especially the women!) must be to become stars. I found it more fascinating than to read about a basketball superstar or a movie heart throb. I especially like the introduction, which narrates the story of influential chefs from the 17th century on. It's clear, easy to absorb, and really makes sense of how haute cuisine came to this country. A page-turner.

Juliette Rossant, a business and travel journalist who also writes about the food business writes `Super Chef'. And, this is entirely a book about business, business people, and food people rather than a book about food. While it is good journalism, it has little in common with the culinary journalism of Michael Ruhlman, Robb Walsh, or Calvin Trillin.

The subject of the book is the business careers of five restaurateurs and talented chefs who have been successful in starting and running at least two different restaurants. The subtitle is `The Making of the Great Modern Restaurant Empires' which brings to mind Emeril Lagasse, Jean George Vongerichten, Nobu Matsuhisa, Daniel Boulud, and Mario Batali, all of which are known as great chefs who have opened several different haute cuisine restaurants in major venues. Three of the five chefs featured in the book, Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Palmer, and Todd English, certainly belong to this group, but two, Tom Colicchio and the team of Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, seem somewhat out of place.

Wolfgang Puck is by far and away the poster boy for the American Super Chef prototype. More than any other, he has turned his name into a brand. The fact that no one except Emeril Lagasse even comes close to Puck's celebrity is simply a measure of how clearly he stands out from the crowd. His business concerns include a `fine dining' company with its flagship Spago restaurants, a `fast casual' company with restaurants in the mold of Chilis and Bennigans, a foods marketer handling his trademark frozen pizzas and other foods, a line of cookware Wolfgang hawks on QVC, a series of cookbooks, and headlining appearances on Food Network shows and specials such as the `Master Iron Chef' series of shows. Last but by far not least is his Hollywood catering gigs where he wines and dines the Academy Awards celebrants and other high profile events. Since Wolfgang's career is so visible, it is easy to verify some of the author's impressions of Puck against other appearances.

Two things about Puck are well known and are echoed in this book. The first is his great modesty in the face of a backbreaking schedule that can turn less well-tempered people into people whose company you simply do not want to share. Watching any Puck appearance on TV in a quiet atmosphere can see this. The second is his great skill under pressure. On the Food Network `Master Iron Chef' segment where Puck was competing against Masaharu Morimoto, Puck's dishes were so clearly better at using the theme ingredient that the competition didn't even seem fair. Other evidence is his behavior on specials about the Oscar catering gigs where his assistants comment that Puck seems to have ice water in his veins, as he simply never looses his cool while standing back and letting his team get the job done.

The truly odd thing about the forty-two (42) pages about Wolfgang Puck in this book is that I recall but a single sentence about his cooking, where the author offers the opinion that Puck is not a great chef, but he is very good. The book says as much about Lagasse's cooking talent, and Emeril is not even the subject of the book.

The book says much more about contracts, leases, locations, and partnerships, and the extent to which these things take the empire building chef away from the kitchen. I really regret that Daniel Boulud was not a featured subject in the book, as he is one of the very few chefs I know have written on the challenges of switching from cooking to creating a chain of high end dining restaurants. The author accurately reflects Boulud's observation that one needs a very different set of skills to pull this off. The author's main contribution to this insight is that the chef who does it must, like Wolfgang, have and maintain a relatively pleasing personality in order to build up a team of people who are willing to stay with you and embrace your vision and level of food and service quality.

In spite of the very large cast of characters, the book gets close to none of the supporting characters and does not get very close to the featured chefs. One of the most revealing anecdotes was the encounter between Charlie Palmer's Las Vegas employee Andrew Bradbury and a very tired and pallid Microsoft founder Bill Gates where Gates took an unexpected half hour quizzing Bradbury on how the sommelier planned to use Microsoft products in selecting wines at Palmer's Mandalay Bay Aureole restaurant.

One story which shows just how much a restaurateur changes from chef to businessman when they open multiple restaurants is the fact that Charlie Palmer spends a lot of time and energy setting cost thresholds for food purchases at his various restaurants, varying levels to meet local conditions, cuisine, and clientele. This immediately illuminates some of Rocco DiSpirito's weaknesses as a restaurateur when he seemed to ignore both the kitchen and the books at Rocco's on 22nd, as seen in the second `The Restaurant' series.

This book is a good read whether you are interested in business or in restaurants. If your interest disappears if there has been no mention of garlic in the last two pages, this may not be the book for you. On the other hand, if you really like all aspects of the food business, you will get a major dose from this book. You will find it especially revealing if you have the slightest interest in going into the food business. The chapters on the two girls and Colicchio are interesting, even if they don't fit the book's premise as well as Puck, Palmer, and English.

I almost wish the author would do a book featuring the non-chef restaurateurs who have, for example partnered with DiSpirito in New York and Morimoto in Philadelphia. Recommended reading.

An Angel for Solomon Singer was a great book! In the book, this man named Solomon Singer does not like where he lives. It has a great ending because in the end he ends up liking where he lives. Solomon had dreams, and one of his dreams came true because he sneaked a cat into his hotel room. The illustrations are great, and the artist was very creative. The artist make the buildings fade into stars, and the streets fade into fields, and that is very creative. It helped us to understand his dreams and the author's metaphors. I think you would like this book, and I think you should buy it.

This is one of those works that will stick with you. It is rather difficult to discribe. I do note, after talking to several people, and reading several reviews on this site and others, that each person who reads this one finds something a bit different. Myself, I was haunted, in a good way, and yet disturbed at the same time. The wonderful prose pulls you into this unknown mans life. The wonderful art work keeps you there. I personally love the work. I do recommend though, that it would probably be best to read this one with the young reader rather than let them try it by themselves for the first time. I find it difficult to think that a very young person would be able to identify with the lonely man in this story nor understand just what is happening (as a matter of fact, after several readings, I'm not all that sure myself, and I am as old as dirt). Be that as it may, this is certainly one worth giving a read, several reads as a matter of fact!

I bought this book thinking it would be a good one for my nieces and nephew; it really is. While the book is slightly sad, I feel it is appropriate to share with children as it profiles how one can find happiness in their own cirumstances through different vehicles. The vehicle in this main character's life is his "wishes" and his association with a common activity and the people who make the activity meaningful.
Read it, read it again, share it and share it again.

I like this book because it's very creative. It shows a lot of thought. Solomon learns a lesson to use his imagination more. He knows he cannot have balconies, change his walls a different color. And that is why he did not like his hotel at all. The author doesn't use simple words. For example, he doesn't say "a quiet voice said..." He says "a quiet voice like Indiana pines in November said..."
I recommend this book for all people.

I think it is one of the most perfect books ever. Since my mom bought it, well,I'm encouraged. Because I'm a student, I could have it for my schoolbook. If I could give it ten billion stars, I'd yell out, "Hey, Solomon Singer!" (Giggle!)

The books arrived in excellent condition, they are high quality books. The other reviewer mentioned the quality of the paper isn't high, I disagree, I think it's great. I bought this book for my wife. She is from Hong Kong and already cooks amazing chinese food (her father is head chef at an LA Chinese restaurant). She's now venturing into french food and has made several dishes (more so from Bouchon)

My wife is a former paralegal, now a stay at home mom. She's had no formal training from a cooking school. With that in mind, she can realistically make about 30% of the food from French Laundry and about 50% of Bouchon's recipes. The reason why they are so difficult is that it is tough to find fresh food that is mentioned in the book. You don't find rabbit, frog legs or veal at the local Schnucks or commissary (we're military). Some of the techniques require tools that aren't readily available to regular "non-chef" consumers.

Bouchon - Our favorite has been the flatiron steak and the trout from Bouchon. My wife said it was fairly simple to make. Very little prep time. The french fries came out delicious and they too were easy to make.

French Laundry - The salmon tartare came out nice. Again, the directions were easy to follow. The rest of the dishes in this book however are much more involved. The book itself has great pictures had great write-ups on certain techniques.

While the books were expensive (We normally get $5 cookbooks from the bargain bin), they are well worth it. I am one lucky man . ..

Beautiful coffee table book. Limited is use for an amateur, or even a serious amateur. But it's fun to read and the photography is stunning.

So much more than just cookbooks! It's very visual, makes you excited about cooking and partaking. Emphasizes simple flavors of food, don't complicate what can easily achieve perfection on its own.

The Complete Keller is completely wonderful. Beautifully written and photographed, these books are a wonderful escape to Keller-world.

These books are outstanding - the level of description, the quality of the books themselves, the full color pictures of what the dishes look like... I gave it as a Valentine's Day gift to my girlfriend who loves them - and keeps calling the books "Food Porn".

This is a great beginner's cookbook, especially for those with a limited budget and limited pantry space. The recipes are "forgiving" in the respect that substitutions (and sometimes even omissions) don't ruin the end result. Even my meat-eating spouse enjoys everything I make from this book (and it's sequel: Beyond the Moon: From the Author of The Horn of the Moon Cookbook).
Because this cookbook is by one person, rather than a collective like the Moosewood series, key ingredients (spices and staples) are utilized throughout the book. A great gift for a college student. Recipes include cheese and eggs, but not sugar. I just wish it wasn't going out of print!

I got this book purely on the reviews on Amazon and I was not disappointed! I can tell this book will easily be my new favorite cookbook. I have read it from cover to cover and cannot wait to start experimenting with dishes.

I will update my review after I have made several recipes from it.

As a single 20 something I live first hand with wanting to eat healthier but not having the desire to make much more than microwave dinners at times. However the delicious variety of this cookbook gets me into my kitchen and cooking.

The recipes are hearty and one dish lasts for days. It is a wonderful feeling having friends want to come over to eat dinner. My personal favorite crowd pleasure is the cheesy corn chowder. I had my 9 year old little sister ask for seconds and she is an extremely picky eater.

I feel so much better after eating vegetarian. I have multiple food allergies and this cookbook has never let me down in offering a plentiful variety of mouth watering choices.

This is the best vegetarian cookbook ever (if you include eggs and dairy in your diet, that is). These aren't namby-pamby low cal/low fat blah recipes, but hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, even-the-kids-will-love-it recipes. I've never made a recipe out of this book yet that was a dud. No bizarre ingredients, no complicated directions. Everything here works, and is wonderful. Highly recommended!

I've owned this cookbook for at least 15 years. I rarely think to recommend it to other people, because the Horn of the Moon cookbook is like a favorite sweater: comfortable, easy to get along with, and ultimately satisfying. It's not fancy, but that's the point; it's what you turn to when you want to relax.

The Horn of the Moon was (and presumably still is) a vegetarian restaurant in Vermont, very much in the same genre as Moosewood in upstate New York. (In fact, if you're a fan of the Moosewood cookbooks, you can stop reading right here and click on the Buy button. There's no question that Moosewood fans will love this cookbook.) The New England background influences the choice of ingredients; as you might imagine, maple syrup is used frequently as a sweetener. (Not that I mind in the least, as it's my personal favorite, particularly with anything chocolate.) You'll also find plenty of winter vegetables, such as butternut squash and parsnips.

Horn of the Moon also has an emphasis on _healthy_ eating, not just eliminating meat; sweeteners are unrefined, flour is usually a mix of whole wheat with white, and so forth.

Chapters include breakfast, soups, salads, simple meals, main courses, desserts, and "celebrations, or cooking for the masses." While its chapter about ingredients was probably necessary when the book was written in '87, you probably don't need it today; most ordinary grocery stores carry tofu and whole grain flour nowadays.

I've used this cookbook so often over the years that its spine is broken, and the book falls open to several pages that have a *lot* of food stains on them: maple cornmeal muffins, creamy Italian dressing, baked artichoke dip, shepherd's pie, pumpkin pie (this is my pumpkin pie recipe of choice), Greek walnut pie. As you can tell, I have many favorites, so I'll tell you about just a few.

The artichoke dip is what I make on evenings when the two of us want "something" but a full meal is too much, and it uses items that I always have in my pantry. (Okay, so I make SURE I have these items in my pantry, just so I can make the dip.)

Unlike most recipes for shepherd's pie, the Horn of the Moon recipe is emphatically _not boring_; I admit that it takes a couple of hours to assemble the melange of mushrooms, fried tofu (*do* take the time to fry it), brocolli, corn, cheddar, and several other veggies... but it's a guaranteed way to make a tummy happy.

The Greek walnut pie could have been called, "Baklava for people who have other things to do" because it's so easy to assemble (ground walnuts, maple syrup, cinnamon, eggs piled into a filo pie crust) but it gets rave reviews when I bring it to buffets because rolling the filo on top gives it awesome presentation.

As you can tell, this is a book that has a special spot on my cookbook shelf. I think it'll earn a spot of distinction on yours as well.

Such a wonderful cookbook with so much history of Mrs. Wilkes' life in Savannah, Ga..
Mrs. Wilkes is the original great cook of Savannah, yes, before Paula Deen!

The narratives of memories from years past are wonderful additions to the recipes in this gem of a cookbook. I particularly appreciated the personal remarks by the Wilkes family about many of the recipes. Having grown up in the south myself, I continue to be amazed at the simplicity of southern cuisine (yes, it's cuisine!) while at the same time being so wonderfully sublime! I've found more recipes I want to try in this book than in any other I've bought in a long, long while.

I enjoyed many meals at Mrs. Wilkes Boardinghouse during my six year tenure in beautiful Savannah, GA. I can't tell you how the atmosphere and family-style serving add to these wonderful recipes. You wouldn't think they could get any better, but you'd just have to go there and see for yourself! The experience just takes you back to another time. You're seated at large tables with other folks who've waited in line (that wraps around the corner and down the block on most days) right along with you. Then they bring out the food (there's no ordering, everyone gets the same thing) and it's passed family-style around the table. There is nothing like it. I highly recommend a visit to Mrs. Wilkes Boardinghouse which is located on Jones Street (between Bull and Tattnal Streets) in the heart of the historic district.

I enjoy the stories interlaced with the recipes in this book. I am looking forward to making pies, macaroni and cheese, and many of the other wonderful recipes in this cookbook. I think new cooks would find the recipes easy to follow, and everyone would find the stories entertaining.

`Mrs. Wilkes' Boardinghouse Cookbook' is a collection of recipes attributed to Sema Wilkes of dishes served at her famous Savannah boarding house (which no longer takes in boarders). The recipes are augmented by a series of articles on the history of the Wilkes family and the restaurant by John T. Edge, a widely and favorably recognized writer on southern culinary matters.

The most interesting aspect of the recipes in this book is that they are as much an interest as an historical record as they are a basis of culinary inspiration. The most interesting books with which to compare this work may be, for example, `Rome, at Home' by Suzanne Dunaway and the books on Sicilian cookery by writer/actor Vincent Schiavelli. The most similar book I have seen is Ms. Sally Ann Robinson's charming little book, `Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way'. A non-culinary comparison may be to a manual on how to do decorative painting in the style of the Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs. I say this only to enhance the value you can anticipate from this notable book.

This volume contains recipes for `Comfort Food Central'. Ask a hundred second generation Americans to name their top five favorite dishes and recipes for virtually all these dishes will be in this book. Main dishes include fried chicken, chicken cacciatore, roast beef, beef bourguignonne, meatballs, meatloaf, chop suey, corned beef and cabbage, and chili. This is the typical collection of both classic Southern dishes mixed with Americanizations of famous foreign dishes. All other types of dishes show a similar selection of favorites. The dessert chapter stays just a bit closer to home by featuring primarily cakes, such as pound cake, red velvet cake, carrot cake, and fruitcake and pies (and cobblers) such as lemon meringue pie, sweet potato pie, pecan pie, peach pie, and blackberry pie.

Many of the savory recipes are simply `dump and heat', where the procedure could hardly be any simpler. Recipes for chili and beef bourguignonne which in some hands take on epic dimensions are so simple in this book that you need to look twice to be sure this is the dish being made. This simplicity is achieved in many cases by using one or more classic darlings of 1950's cooking, canned, condensed soup, canned mushrooms, bouillon cubes, French dressing, and bottled mayonnaise. This doesn't mean the results of these recipes are not tasty, it only means the dishes may be a lot different than what you may be expecting. This is definitely not Julia Child's beef bourguignonne. Even such staples of Southern cooking such as fried chicken are done in a highly abbreviated way with no brining and no buttermilk marinade.

Another caution with these recipes is that many have not been scaled down from boarding room proportions to suit a family of four. Still another concern is that like a lot of recipes in `Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way', there is a certain sameness in a lot of recipes. All the potato and macaroni and chicken and egg salads are about the same except for the star ingredient. Again, this doesn't mean they are poor recipes, it just means they all reflect a time when supermarkets didn't have radicchio, fennel, Belgian endive, celery root, and leeks. So, lots of recipes had to depend on celery, onions, and carrots.

Since this oversized book with lots of excellent pictures and really interesting text lists at only $29.95, the quality of these pictures and text and the `archeological' interest of the recipes is more than enough to make this book a worthy addition to your cookbook collection. If you want to make pies, read Nick Malgieri. If you want to bake cakes, read Maida Heatter. If you want to make meatballs, read Marcella Hazan. If you want to make barbecue, read Steve Raichlen. If you want classic Southern cooking, read Edna Lewis. If you want to make beef bourguignonne, for heavens sake, read Julia Child, Tony Bourdain, or Thomas Keller. But, if you want a taste of Savannah boardinghouse cooking, this is your book.

Aside from supporting recipes for preparations such as meringue, sauces, dressings, and piecrusts, there are virtually no cooking instructions here. Even the index fails now and then in that there are prepared ingredients mentioned in some recipes for which there are no entries in the index. So, I have no clue to how to make a `Kitchen Bouquet' mentioned as an ingredient in several recipes. And, I suspect a great part of the quality of the food at Mrs. Wilkes boardinghouse can be attributed to the skill of the staff and to the quality of the ingredients rather than to the excellence of the recipes.

As long as you buy this book for the right reasons, you will not be disappointed.

Wow, this is some cookbook. I picked it up in the Orlando Airport, and have been enjoying it ever since. Highly recommend it.

A recent salad made wonderfully by a friend convinced me that there is just about as much art in making salads as anything else. It made me think of the excellent 1905 Salad at the Columbia Restaurant which we get every time we're there. It has just the right combination of things and an especially fine dressing. But here's a case of "Don't try to do it at home" unless you are really accomplished at that sort of thing. The time we tried to do it, following the recipe provided exactly, it didn't taste anything like what you get at the restaurant. And we had purchased their own dressing. Anyways, they have have a new location in Palm Beach which I want to visit. The best we've tried is the one in Sarasota. You can go afterwards to see the Rubens tapestry cartoons at the Ringling Museum of Art. That's a fun afternoon.

This is a wonderful recipe that also goes into the history of the restaurant. I love the columbia and always got to the one at St. Armands circle when I am in Florida. I love the ropa vieja and cuban snawhiches are quick and easy

y la historia..te cautiva.
Lo que me fascino, fue el gaspacho...

This is such a wonderful cookbook. In South Florida, I visited Columbia and loved the food. I purchased it to try something new. The recipes are authentic with some background narrative woven in there. The language is easy and you can follow the recipe without any problems. Of the recipes I tried, most could be prepared from a well-stocked pantry, not necessarily a huge trip to the grocery store like some cookbooks demand. There are some really great seafood recipes in here too. You'll love the simple Cuban sandwich in here too. I believe this cookbook is well worth the price.

This book packs more than a wallop for those not just starting out in the business but for those currently needing a educational review of how to make it work. As an Accountant, I deal daily with my clients who own restaurants and I think this guy should go out and do some seminars. The Gas in this book is worth every fill up restaurant owner(s). You cannot afford not to buy this book. Its easy to read, understand and makes perfect sense. It's not a text book from college but a real live Jo who knows what he writes. KUDOS and I look forward to doing some cooperative advertising with this author.

Cooking With Gas:The Official Guide for Restaurant Start-ups and Operations by Luke Saucier is a must read for anyone contemplating initial owning or operating a restaurant. It is a concise guide written with clarity and humor covering all aspects of starting and running a successful restaurant. Mr. Saucier draws on many years experience in this business to produce a well written guide which is indispensable to a first time restaurant owner or manager. In thirteen succint chapters Mr. Saucier covers aspects ranging from the decision to franchise or not, site location,financial controls to cost controls, risk management, taxes and The Holy Trinity of the restaurant business,Quality,Service,and Cleanliness. This is an essential read for the first time restaurant owner or operator.

COOKING WITH GAS is a brilliant, fun, and highly practical book that every aspiring restaurateur needs to read -- several times. Luke Saucier has written the best book ever on how to be successful in the highly competitive restaurant business. Valuable opinions and good writing make Saucier an outstanding teacher for those who hunger for success.

Written by restaurant business veteran Luke V. Saucier III, Cooking With Gas: The Official Guide for Restaurant Start-ups and Operations is a practical, no-nonsense manual to getting a restaurant business off the ground and running it successfully. Chapters cover deciding whether to franchise, organization types and paperwork that must be filed with the state, how to control food and labor costs, risk management, taxes and much more. An absolute "must-have" primer to read cover to cover before investing one's assets, time, and energy into a restaurant start-up or franchise.

Great book explaining the pittfalls one encounters in all business ventures as well as those specific to the restaraunt business. The author uses tongue in cheek humor to keep the readers interest in the often serious and problematic issues (opportunities) encountered daily in this business. Through his experience he is able to describe hyper competive atmosphere where you are competing against international franchises (brand loyalty) and small to medium locals who have developed their own cutomer loyalty that is often difficult to overcome. You should keep this book nearby to consult when you will inevitably encounter some of the problems described in the book.

This is the perfect guide for anyone planning a trip to Italy. Pocket-sized, and beautifully illustrated, Gelato, will be the ultimate way for any tourist to get the inside scoop, literally, on Italy's gelato hot spots. Gelato is a way of life and with this book you can experience Italy through the eyes of someone who knows the best places and hippest areas in the country. This will definitely make your Italy trip all the better. If you like this book and want to learn about Michael McGarry's newest venture check out [...]

A wonderful book, but whatup with the price? So bizarre, as I purchased it online for $10 + shipping. Check around before you buy, someone's database is broken.

When investment banker Michael McGarry's wife received a year-long art history fellowship in Bologna and Rome, he wasn't sure what he would do while she was working. A visit to Bologna's La Sorbetteria convinced him that his calling was gelato. And so began a year of first-hand research that culminated in this impressive book. If you love ice cream, you'll love this book. McGarry reviews over 50 gelaterias in northern Italy as well as Rome and Naples. He plans a follow-up volume on southern Italy and Sicily. Interspersed with reviews, McGarry explains the history of gelato and how it is to be eaten properly. He also includes a glossary of over 75 flavors, which is very helpful for any serious gelato lover/traveler. The author has a special place in his heart for the legendary Roman gelateria, Gioliti. "Half of it is the experience. It is always packed and there is always a scene he says," he says. Gelato changed McGarry's life. He has left investment banking and started his own publishing company.

I was given this book right before I went to Italy for vacation. I am not the biggest Ice cream fan but I have been told that Gelato is an experience of its own, which I found to be very true. This book is very funny, it had me laughing out loud at certain parts. Not only does the author take you visually through the gelataria, he lets you know what to expect and gets you prepared to face the "gelato man". He even gives you tips for when you get jammed up, with what is call his "go to cones".

Great book!

"Gelato: Finding Italy's..." by Michael McGarry is not only a book about Gelato, it is a "how to" book for enjoying Italy. I will give a copy to everyone I know who is embarking on a trip to Italy whether it's for the first or fifteenth time. It is well researched- full of history, practicle tips, and richly flavored with humor. The guide is well organized and creatively illustrated. And it's just the right size to fit in a large coat pocket next to your passport. However, if you're not planning a trip to Italy soon- you can still drool over this book at home- it will be the inspirations for a host of sweet dreams. Ciao, J Kordonowy