Restaurant Books

This book does an excellent job of providing a mouth-watering overview of the most popular types of cuisine in Japan, ranging from Yakitori restaurants to Tempura, Shabu-Shabu, Soba, Sushi and many foods unheard of in the West. It's got typical menus and "fun facts to know and tell" and great pictures, along with maps of Tokyo's top restaurant districts. Very useful for anyone visiting Japan.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Michela Scibilia's "Venice Osterie" is the original guide to eating well in Venice -- the guide that other guides "consult." First published in English in 1995, Michela, originally from Treviso, is "more Venetian than many Venetians," according to Alessandro Tusset, owner of Elzeviro publishing house. "She truly loves Venice, and it comes through in her book."

Michela's honest and entertaining take on local restaurants, complete with photos of the owners and/or chefs, guides the visitor to some of the best eateries Venice has to offer. Michela has lived in Venice for many years, and has a deep passion for the town.

Venice is a curious city. So many people want to steal a piece of her, to be connected to her, without giving back. So many people without credentials speak with authority about Venice -- people who visit on a superficial level. Venice is like a lover that you can never leave completely... one who demands total commitment. Many arrive in Venice; many write about Venice -- but only a few have the courage to risk the depths the lagoon demands. Michela is someone who has married Venice, and understands that the food of Venice is connected to the Venetians themselves. She respects the food.

Her dedication reads: "To the children who will be born in Venice."

That says it all.

Cat Bauer
Author, "Harley's Ninth"
"Harley, Like a Person"
former contributor to the International Herald Tribune's Italian supplement, "Italy Daily"
Venetian resident since 1998

Written by Victoria-based, award-winning journalist Ross Crockford, Victoria: The Unknown City is an in-depth guide to one of Canada's and the world's top tourist destinations. Packed with directions, recommendations, and tidbits of history regarding everything from popular bars to the remnants of the original Fort Victoria to local haunted locations and advice for avoiding long waits and bad seats on the BC Ferries, Victoria is the "go-to" guide for experiencing all the adventure and wonder the city has to offer. Black-and-white photographs and an index round out a solid guide to tourist activities from sports to dining to shopping, nightlife, and experiencing local media. Recommended as a supplemental resource for Victoria vacationers looking to get the most out of their visit.

I read this book cover to cover in one night. As a former New Yorker, it made me aware of some spots I'll be sure to try next time I'm in town. Mr. Fleischmann's style of writing is easy to read and fun at that.

You have to appreciate it from the point that this is not a Zagat or Fodors. It is one writers view of on a very particular group of dining spots, especially those on the Upper West Side.

A good read and a great gift for your friends in NY.

Aloha!

As co-author of Hawaii Restaurant Guide 2002 I was looking over your listing and noticed that you currently show "Unknown" under publisher info. The correct publisher name is Holiday Publishing Inc. I'd appreciate it if you would update your listing.

Mahalo,

Robert Carpenter
Author

I recently received a copy of Hawaii Restaurant Guide 2003 and have to say that it is the most complete resource of its type I've seen. The reviews have good solid depth and include a lot of back-up cultural information. I now feel that I know what to expect before I walk into one of those places. The money saving tips were an added bonus.

I eat out 7 days a week, at least 2 meals a day. Being something of an amatuer cook myself, I know how much butter is lavished on restaurant meals (even the italians use it) -- enough to earn you a coronary bypass by the age of 12. So what a lifesaver (literally) to find this book! Jones and company have done exhaustive reasearch to find the healthiest food in L.A. Not a lot of attention is paid to outlying areas (Torrence, Lakewood, Norwalk and the like; but there probably isn't much there anyway), but most restaurant guides stick to L.A. Proper (Downtown/Wilshire/Bev Hills/Hollywood/Ventura Blvd etc.). There are also great tips for eating at restaurants of which I'm already a patron -- fat-free lunch at Chin Chin! Included are many coupons to set you on your course of healthy dining. I hope this books sells well enough to merit a yearly update.

I LOVE eating out with the Healthy Dining book. The authors make it so easy to find healthy *and* terrific-tasting choices at my favorite restaurants. When I use the book with my friends and family, we also save money (besides calories and fat) with the great $$$ coupons!

Hering's Dictionary is a very convenient reference guide for the experienced culinary worker, student or aspiring gourmet. A basic foundation of cooking knowledge is needed to truly utilize the text. This is not a recipe book. It is a fantastic tool for menu preparation and extremely useful for verifying terms found in other cookbooks. Hering's shows you the tradition definition of a myriad of classical preparation. The essential ingredients, method and presentation are given for thousands of dishes. The reader is expected to possess the basic knowledge needed to actually prepare the dish. But Hering's is indispensable in ensuring that the proper ingredients are used for a dish as it is to be described on a menu.

This book is very nicely done. The write-ups on each pub are informative, historic, and very descriptive, and the photos are great! This was excatly what I was looking for. The size of the book is nice, too, and although smaller, it could still be used as a coffee table book. Having been to Ireland twice, this book brings it all back!