On the Line
by Christine Muhlke, Eric Ripert
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Book Reviews of On the Line
Book Review: Beautiful, engaging, superb book detailing the inner workings of one of New York's finest restaurants
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Eric Ripert is one of the most celebrated chefs in New York City. He's the man at the helm of New York's Le Bernadin, one of the city's most highly regarded restaurants. He hangs with the likes of Anthony Bourdain and his credentials certainly make him more than qualified to write a book about cooking and the restaurant business. This book is a beautiful love letter to the restaurant industry and specifically, Le Bernadin. We get to see how the kitchen is set up, how the tables are stationed, the 129 things that floor staff should never do, and the list goes on. You really get a feel for how this place works and it is quite impressive. In addition to the well written account of all thing Le Bernadin, you also get a nice selection of recipes from the fabled restaurant, though so many are a bit outside the realm of reality for those untrained as Chefs. A stunning, beautifully designed book that should prove interesting both to those in the industry and people that want to know more about it. Though Ripert's writing style isn't nearly as engaging as Anthony Bourdain's, this is definitely a very rewarding read even if it might seem like bit of a PR piece for Le Bernadin. As a huge bonus, the latter half of this book consists of many recipes from Le Bernadin's seafood heavy menu. The items sound fantastic, though sometimes a bit too challenging for the novice to attempt. A great book cover to cover.Book Review: Not really a "cook book", more of a time capsule with recipes.
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Have you ever wanted to shadow a chef for a day? Have you ever wondered exactly what goes on in the kitchen and what they keep on hand? Ever wonder in painful detail how a fine dinning restaurant is run?
If you said yes to at least two of these questions, you will like this book. If you failed to answer yes to any of them, then move on to a different book.
As a normal read for a food network/Hell's Kitchen fan, this was painfully boring and dull. I was looking for juicy stories about the staff, the customers and cooking. Instead I got what seems to be a record of how one restaurant is run--in such detail it seems like an employee manual or time capsule in case everyone quit and it needed to be re-created from scratch.
So why did I give it 4 stars? Because it actually delivers what is tells you it will. My issues were more because of what I THOUGHT the book would be like and less with what it actually is. One of the Amazon "Tag Suggestions" is restaurant management--something I 100% agree this book with provide at least some background into--but for the normal consumer, look for something you will really enjoy more than this dry manual like book.
Book Review: Great book, but as yet unrecognized.
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
'On the Line' unfortunately has been neglected due to the releasing of some major cookbooks by other chefs. 'The Fat Duck Cookbook', 'Alinea', 'A Day at El Bulli' were all released around the same time as this book. They are also all immaculate in their design, and have special quirks that set them apart.
On the Line comes with a striking presentation (albeit not as much as the more expensive true cookbooks listed before), lots of photographs, tons and tons of information (to how much food they order, to what the staff does, to how much they spend), all wrapped up with a look the staff and the history of the restaurant.
'On the Line' is a great book for those interested in how one of the best restaurants in the world operates, and probably is the better book for someone who's a non-cook to purchase (plus it's cheaper). It doesn't give recipes and doesn't mean to be a cookbook, so it's really unfair that it is probably being compared to all the other books released around the same time. Not only is it a good coffee table book, you'll probably also learn a lot.
Book Review: Unique book. Love it.
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Chef Ripert does something unique here: he invites you backstage at Le Bernardin, and lets you hang out in every corner of the restaurant. From the wee hours when the night porter finishes cleaning to the time the first deliveries start coming in not much later, to the full day of prep, lunch and dinner service, you're there to witness the tightly choreographed mayhem of a high end restaurant.
I love that the book doesn't read like an add for the restaurant. Ripert's frustrations and mistakes are laid bare alongside his triumphs. He reveals the whole history of the restaurant, the layout of both front and back of the house, the general workflow, and he gives in depth portraits of the workers at all the major positions. He also reveals the process behind his recipes ... the long path from inspiration to final dish.
Oh, and he shares some recipes. I'm sure they're great. But recipes are easy to find; the backstage pass that Ripert so generously offers is much more exciting.
Book Review: Beautiful, light, interesting
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Having worked in a restaurant (a chain, nothing fancy) years ago, I picked this up thinking I'd hear a lot about the "drama" in restaurants - staff fights, romances, etc.
What it is, instead, is a quick and (despite the size) light read about how this one superstar restaurant is set up. Listings of various trivia points, such as how much the monthly flower bill is, or how many pounds of fish come through in a day, are fun and somewhat unbelievable. The vignettes and profiles of some of the employee's days are also quite amazing.
The "food porn" pictures are fantastic, and the included recipes look fascinating, though I don't know that I would ever use them.
Foodies who have been to Le Bernardin - or any big name, big city, luxury restaurant - would likely enjoy this, just to see what happens behind the scenes. This is definitely more of a coffee-table book than anything too deep or serious, but it's very well done.