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Bread and Butter
Britt and Leo have spent ten years establishing Winesap as the best restaurant in their small Pennsylvania town. They cater to their loyal customers, they don’t sleep with the staff, and business is good, even if their temperamental pastry chef is bored with making the same chocolate cake night after night.
But when their dilettante younger brother, Harry, opens his own restaurant, Britt and Leo find their lives thrown off-kilter. Important employees quit and reappear in Harry’s kitchen, their “classic” menu starts to seem overly safe, and romance threatens to bubble up in the most inconvenient of places. As the brothers struggle to find a new family dynamic, Bread and Butter proves to be a dazzling novel that’s as much about siblinghood as it is about the mysterious world behind the kitchen door.
But when their dilettante younger brother, Harry, opens his own restaurant, Britt and Leo find their lives thrown off-kilter. Important employees quit and reappear in Harry’s kitchen, their “classic” menu starts to seem overly safe, and romance threatens to bubble up in the most inconvenient of places. As the brothers struggle to find a new family dynamic, Bread and Butter proves to be a dazzling novel that’s as much about siblinghood as it is about the mysterious world behind the kitchen door.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
109 people are currently reading
2224 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Wildgen
15 books134 followersMichelle Wildgen is a writer, editor, and teacher in Madison, Wisconsin. In addition to being an executive editor at the literary journal Tin House, Michelle is the author of the novels Bread and Butter: A Novel (forthcoming from Doubleday), But Not For Long and You’re Not You (both available in paperback from Picador), and the editor of an anthology, Food & Booze: A Tin House Literary Feast (Tin House Books). You’re Not You has been adapted for film, starring Hilary Swank and Emmy Rossum.
Michelle’s nonfiction has included a weekly column on food television as well as individual essays on a wide range of topics: from American Girl doll Rebecca Rubin, Burt Reynolds’ 1970s fan mail, and obscure Wisconsin card games to the craft of writing, fresh mozzarella, deer-hunting for the neophyte, and the number of times one has to endure anaphylactic shock before giving up shellfish for good.
She received her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and has taught fiction and nonfiction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Tin House Summer Writers’ Workshop, and the Iowa Summer Writing Festival.
Her fiction, personal essays, and food writing have also appeared in publications including The New York Times, O, the Oprah Magazine, and anthologies such as Naming the World and Other Exercises for the Creative Writer, Dirty Words, Best New American Voices 2004, Best Food Writing 2004 and 2009, Death by Pad Thai and Other Unforgettable Meals, and journals including StoryQuarterly, TriQuarterly, Prairie Schooner, and elsewhere.
Awards and honors include a scholarship to Bread Loaf, residency at the Hall Farm Center in Vermont, and the Virginia Faulkner Award for Excellence in Writing from Prairie Schooner.
Michelle’s nonfiction has included a weekly column on food television as well as individual essays on a wide range of topics: from American Girl doll Rebecca Rubin, Burt Reynolds’ 1970s fan mail, and obscure Wisconsin card games to the craft of writing, fresh mozzarella, deer-hunting for the neophyte, and the number of times one has to endure anaphylactic shock before giving up shellfish for good.
She received her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and has taught fiction and nonfiction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Tin House Summer Writers’ Workshop, and the Iowa Summer Writing Festival.
Her fiction, personal essays, and food writing have also appeared in publications including The New York Times, O, the Oprah Magazine, and anthologies such as Naming the World and Other Exercises for the Creative Writer, Dirty Words, Best New American Voices 2004, Best Food Writing 2004 and 2009, Death by Pad Thai and Other Unforgettable Meals, and journals including StoryQuarterly, TriQuarterly, Prairie Schooner, and elsewhere.
Awards and honors include a scholarship to Bread Loaf, residency at the Hall Farm Center in Vermont, and the Virginia Faulkner Award for Excellence in Writing from Prairie Schooner.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
February 24, 2014
This book was one I should have absolutely loved. It had all the components for stuff I like...family drama, food, even the cute little twirly spaghetti fork on the cover. I just didn't love it. I couldn't connect with any of the characters. The only emotion it evoked from me was anger at the way Thea was treated and hidden. That was it. Even what I have to assume was the catalyst was mundane and rather ridiculous. A mental breakdown which ends up in Amish country eating pies. Unlike other reviewers, the talk of the dishes didn't do it for me either. All that talk about veiny lambs neck and other things I wouldn't ever want to eat. I finished the book because I kept thinking there had to be something good about it. There wasn't. The ending was for me as bland as the beginning, and middle. I just didn't care about any of it. It became a chore for me, and more than once I wanted to take that twirly spaghetti fork off the cover and poke my own eyes out.
August 6, 2016
How is this novel in any way like Kitchen Confidential?! The whole tone is muted and took what could have been an exciting story about the inner workings of restaurants and family dynamics and made it a snore. Not a single character felt fleshed out enough, and neither was the plot. A restaurant opening, romantic affairs, and a mental health breakdown could have made for some sort of excitement, but instead they were dealt with perfunctorily. I'm not sure if the author was just going for a certain detached tone, but it failed, at least for me.
March 23, 2014
I was excited to come across an advance copy of this--I'll read anything that has to do with food, dining, cooking. This sounded like the ultimate insider view of the restaurant world, in novel form to boot. So I was surprised and disappointed by how it fell so flat. At one point I had lost my bookmark, and I'm not sure I ever found the actual place I had left off because I was skimming through page after page of what seemed like the same conversations taking place in the same settings by the same people. Unfortunately, it just plods.
October 10, 2015
I just couldn't make myself care for the characters or the plot line in this story. It was a slow story and I felt like the characters were not developed enough. All the food terms in the beginning were confusing too.
October 10, 2015
I couldn't finish this book, it was just not for me. I couldn't seem to like any of the characters, (they were too pretentious) the storyline bored me and all the food talk was just too much. Ugh!!
March 14, 2014
Misogynistic and twee. Three brothers: two are already successful restauranteurs in a fictional Pennsylvania town. Their slightly bi-polar brother opens up a hip new place in the same town. The food terms are thrown around, hash slung, the women in the book, notably Camille and Thea, are treated like non-entities--why? Have you ever heard of kouign amann? It's a pastry from Breton which is "unspeakably fussy and arcane". No, I've never heard of it either, and that's where the twee comes in. The descriptions of slicing, dicing, cleaning up the kitchen, etc., sound a lot more glamorous than they really are. I wouldn't have even finished this book but had nothing else to read. Just not that great.
August 12, 2014
I was excited to read this book when I found out I had won a copy. I like reading food related stories. Which is what the book cover and the summary indicate to. It does discuss food but that is about all. There are brief moments of food but not what I craved. I wanted to be immersed in the whole food experience with the three brothers. I thought with them being in the restaurant business that I would get to read about all of the yummy food that they served and my mouth would be watering. As I said none of this happened. This book is more about the relationship between the brothers, family, love, and growth. Which I had no problems with but the brothers were not that interesting. So if you are looking for a foodie related book to read this is not that book.
October 10, 2015
What a bore.
September 18, 2014
Two things are clear from reading this book. One is that Michelle Wildgen is a foodie and has a real passion for the subject. Her descriptions of the food and the cooking of it are the literary version of food porn. You can almost taste the meals from her descriptions. Her ability to describe food is what I enjoyed most about the book. After reading a chapter of Bread & Butter what I really wanted to do is get into the kitchen and cooks something.
The other thing that is obvious from reading this book, at least to someone who has spent some time in a professional kitchen, is that Wildgen has never actually worked as a cook for any length of time. Everything the characters talked about was high end. Chefs more than often tend to personally veer towards simpler foods and the dishes so lovingly described here are nearly universally high end and complex. The foods she has her characters serve are more at place for the foodie who loves reading Bon Apatite and Food & Wine Magazine. She writes about chefs in a way a foodie would want a chef to be, not in a way that chefs really are. You don’t see the characters sitting down and eating a really well prepared chicken or simple pasta dish. It may sound harsh but the one word that comes to mind when reading this books is, Poser. And that is what makes the comparison of this book to Kitchen Confidential not work is it is clear the Kitchen Confidential was written by someone who actually worked in a professional kitchen. If Kitchen Confidential is the professional’s culinary drama, then Bread & Butter would be the amateur.
Beyond the fact that it doesn’t stay true to what working in a kitchen is like the rest of the book is fine. None of it really comes off as an amazing drama, but it also isn’t bad. The characters are generally likeable and, while pretty pretentions, don’t come off as snobbish or overbearing. The drama between the family members feels a bit forced at times but generally still works.
http://homeofreading.com/bread-and-butter/
The other thing that is obvious from reading this book, at least to someone who has spent some time in a professional kitchen, is that Wildgen has never actually worked as a cook for any length of time. Everything the characters talked about was high end. Chefs more than often tend to personally veer towards simpler foods and the dishes so lovingly described here are nearly universally high end and complex. The foods she has her characters serve are more at place for the foodie who loves reading Bon Apatite and Food & Wine Magazine. She writes about chefs in a way a foodie would want a chef to be, not in a way that chefs really are. You don’t see the characters sitting down and eating a really well prepared chicken or simple pasta dish. It may sound harsh but the one word that comes to mind when reading this books is, Poser. And that is what makes the comparison of this book to Kitchen Confidential not work is it is clear the Kitchen Confidential was written by someone who actually worked in a professional kitchen. If Kitchen Confidential is the professional’s culinary drama, then Bread & Butter would be the amateur.
Beyond the fact that it doesn’t stay true to what working in a kitchen is like the rest of the book is fine. None of it really comes off as an amazing drama, but it also isn’t bad. The characters are generally likeable and, while pretty pretentions, don’t come off as snobbish or overbearing. The drama between the family members feels a bit forced at times but generally still works.
http://homeofreading.com/bread-and-butter/
Read
December 30, 2013dnf I couldn't get into it
October 1, 2015
You know, I think one needs to be more of an epicurean than I am to appreciate this book. I'm kind of a foodie, I think, but this was way above my pay grade. The esoteric food lingo was all Le Cordon Bleu, and I'm more a Pioneer Woman type of gal. I got pretty weary of the weird and unpronounceable dishes (never mind the gross-out factor of some of them) that were considered haute cuisine. I should have gotten my first clue when one of the main characters, in a scene from his childhood in the very first chapter, spent his allowance on a lamb's tongue. He and his brothers all have grown up to become restaurateurs and even competitors. It's a pretty interesting topic, and there was some fascinating stuff about the start-up, staffing, running and managing of a high end gourmet restaurant, but I just didn't find any of the characters appealing enough to go all in for this one.
February 23, 2014
As just an American enjoying food, I did NOT like this book at all. It was written really well, like fine literature but to me, it was just boring. The preface started off so great - the kid buying a lamb's tongue with his own allowance money - bringing back memories to me of pig's feet, ears, homemade Sauerkraut, pickled eggs, None of three chefs were serving anything I've ever eaten, using names that we so foreign that they made the food useless. . The cover was cute, Bread & Butter written out in spaghetti being wound up on a fork. There were no recipes and I didn't see a whole lot of sibling rivalry. Was just totally disappointed and glad to be done with this book --- maybe a chef would enjoy it!?
February 4, 2015
This book was even more enjoyable than I was expecting! Usually I don't like books that lack "likeable" characters, but I didn't mind it in this case. It has a definite restaurant industry insider feel, so I think some of the satire and in-jokes probably went over my head. I'm guessing the author used Madison-area restaurants and the Berge family as models, but, if so, she does a great job of using those only as starting points/inspiration. She has her own story to tell, and she seems to really enjoy telling it, reveling in the chaos of busy kitchens. I was worried that this book would make me really hungry all time, but since the sumptuous descriptions are saved mostly for dishes like lamb's neck, that wasn't a problem.
October 24, 2013
Great food and restaurant industry porn yet the characters were lacking for me. I do wish these dishes described existed near me -- if you like a good dish description its a fine read - just don't expect to be wowed by the brothers.
Read
April 29, 2014well, it took forever, so I'm pretty glad it's over.. was an ok read.
no errors(a lot of the food stuff could've been misspelled, however, since I didn't recognize much!)
no errors(a lot of the food stuff could've been misspelled, however, since I didn't recognize much!)
July 6, 2015
Loved reading about the inner workings of a restaurant! I hope all readers appreciate what it takes to put a delicious meal on your table!
September 12, 2016
Great descriptive writing, vibrant characters and an engaging plot. Loved this book and the food descriptions were so good it made me hungry!
February 5, 2023
I don't know how I feel about this book. It felt too real for me which is good if that's what you're looking for in a book. I read to escape and enjoy so the real life stories aren't always my top rated reads.
I enjoyed learning more about the relationships the brothers had. The dynamic with the age gaps is certainly interesting - there are similar age gaps in my own family. The insider look of the restaurant industry was different for someone not in the industry, but it was very dry to read. This book overall had no exciting moments. I kept waiting for something about it to grab me, but nothing really happened.
Overall, I felt like I had stepped into the lives of the brothers for a specific timeframe, then stepped back out and they kept on living. Nothing compels me to want to know more. I didn't hate it, but it didn't excite me.
I enjoyed learning more about the relationships the brothers had. The dynamic with the age gaps is certainly interesting - there are similar age gaps in my own family. The insider look of the restaurant industry was different for someone not in the industry, but it was very dry to read. This book overall had no exciting moments. I kept waiting for something about it to grab me, but nothing really happened.
Overall, I felt like I had stepped into the lives of the brothers for a specific timeframe, then stepped back out and they kept on living. Nothing compels me to want to know more. I didn't hate it, but it didn't excite me.
January 23, 2025
Um....terrible book. I only didn't give this a one star because I couldn't finish and it might have gotten better. The plot goes basically no where, and u have to appreciate the food industry to even be remotely interested. Don't recommend
September 20, 2020
Very enjoyable delicious read. Loved all the flawed characters. I’ll walk into a restaurant with renewed respect. And I am going to try lamb’s neck..
February 23, 2014
I won Bread and Butter by Michelle Wildgen as a goodreads first read. This book is simply delicious. I have read many memoirs about cooks and cooking, and plenty of mysteries that involve chefs or cooks (with the food primarily as an amuse bouche), but this is a complex novel, rich with beautiful, often lyrical language, and a good story, not only about three brothers, Leo, Britt, and Harry) and their passion for food, but about the raveling, unraveling, and knitting back together of relationships.
Leo and Britt are less than two years apart in age, while Harry, the youngest of the three brothers, is a good ten or more years younger. While Leo and Britt follow generally linear career paths which eventually lead to them opening a very popular restaurant, Winesap, in their home town of Linden, PA, Harry's path is anything but linear. He was close to finishing a Ph.D.in literature at the University of Michigan when he suddenly starts following a "food chain" that eventually leads to his return to Linden and his opening his own restaurant there. He is broadly traveled, having worked, for example, on an Alaskan fishing boat and as a chef on an island in Lake Michigan, and when he returns to Linden and announces he is opening a restaurant, the entire family is taken by surprise. Harry manages to convince Britt to join him in his business venture, and Britt splits his time between Winesap, and Harry's new place, eventually named Stray.
Harry is a mysterious and flamboyant person, a brilliant chef - wildly experimental and risky - and Stray reflects his personality. As the story unfolds, we begin to see the cracks beneath the surface in all of the brothers, cracks that are revealed first in more than the usual ebbs and flows of the restaurant business - cracks, that if left ignored, could result in a disastrous end for both; and then even deeper cracks in the soul and spirit of each brother - again, cracks that if left ignored could result in devastating psychological damage for each brother as an individual and in their relationship as colleagues and brothers.
The naming of restaurants is an important theme in this novel. The name Winesap comes from the variety of apples the brothers' parents grow. Stray is almost an afterthought, at least in the planning stages, reflecting Harry's eclectic approach to food and the casual yet elegant style of his restaurant - it's a place on the outskirts of the "better" part of Linden, and it is almost like a stray animal finding its way by scrambling and begging for food and affection. As the story unfolds, however, I realized that "Stray" is, at heart, the inner nature of Harry's personality.
The characters develop like the layers of a fine wine; just when I thought I understood a character, subtleties that I hadn't noticed became critical character traits. It would be easy enough to review this book without comparing it to a fine meal, one that builds slowly and simply to a magnificent, very satisfying finish, but to NOT do that does this book a disservice. This was a wonderful read. I look forward to reading more books by Michelle Widgen.
Leo and Britt are less than two years apart in age, while Harry, the youngest of the three brothers, is a good ten or more years younger. While Leo and Britt follow generally linear career paths which eventually lead to them opening a very popular restaurant, Winesap, in their home town of Linden, PA, Harry's path is anything but linear. He was close to finishing a Ph.D.in literature at the University of Michigan when he suddenly starts following a "food chain" that eventually leads to his return to Linden and his opening his own restaurant there. He is broadly traveled, having worked, for example, on an Alaskan fishing boat and as a chef on an island in Lake Michigan, and when he returns to Linden and announces he is opening a restaurant, the entire family is taken by surprise. Harry manages to convince Britt to join him in his business venture, and Britt splits his time between Winesap, and Harry's new place, eventually named Stray.
Harry is a mysterious and flamboyant person, a brilliant chef - wildly experimental and risky - and Stray reflects his personality. As the story unfolds, we begin to see the cracks beneath the surface in all of the brothers, cracks that are revealed first in more than the usual ebbs and flows of the restaurant business - cracks, that if left ignored, could result in a disastrous end for both; and then even deeper cracks in the soul and spirit of each brother - again, cracks that if left ignored could result in devastating psychological damage for each brother as an individual and in their relationship as colleagues and brothers.
The naming of restaurants is an important theme in this novel. The name Winesap comes from the variety of apples the brothers' parents grow. Stray is almost an afterthought, at least in the planning stages, reflecting Harry's eclectic approach to food and the casual yet elegant style of his restaurant - it's a place on the outskirts of the "better" part of Linden, and it is almost like a stray animal finding its way by scrambling and begging for food and affection. As the story unfolds, however, I realized that "Stray" is, at heart, the inner nature of Harry's personality.
The characters develop like the layers of a fine wine; just when I thought I understood a character, subtleties that I hadn't noticed became critical character traits. It would be easy enough to review this book without comparing it to a fine meal, one that builds slowly and simply to a magnificent, very satisfying finish, but to NOT do that does this book a disservice. This was a wonderful read. I look forward to reading more books by Michelle Widgen.
August 31, 2016
Bread and Butter is a delicious combination of hope and despair. Filled with mouthwatering descriptions of restaurant food and heart-warming scenes between loved ones, this is a wonderful story about the joys and challenges of starting a business, sibling rivalry, and being a grown-up.
Introduction
Harry is back in his hometown of Linden, Pennsylvania, to follow in his older brothers’ footsteps of opening a restaurant. Leo and Britt, having been in the restaurant business for years, think that Harry is taking on more than he can handle. So when Harry’s new restaurant is a success (and when Harry and Britt start falling for the same girl), the three brothers begin to feel the competition and strain in their relationship.
Discussion
Wildgen did wonders with the character-building; the third-person narrative she uses to shed light on each of the three brothers’ thoughts is surprisingly intimate, and I became increasingly attached to these three throughout the story. I really enjoyed Leo’s quiet presence, Britt’s sophisticated charm, and Harry’s boldness, and I like how these characters are inherently good even though they start cracking apart later on.
The time spent with each of the three brothers is also divided nicely; each brother’s concerns and storyline are individualized and cultivated, and in the end integrated into the overall progression of the story. The humanness that Wildgen shows through all her characters is both optimistic and realistic in the sense that they fall down and get back up again, a refreshing difference from stories that only tell of the falling down part. It’s a pretty even battle between hope and despair, which is more fun than seeing one emotion overpower the other.
The plot is slow-going, and it took me a few chapters to really get into the story. (And awkward side note: I actually thought Britt was a girl when I first started reading and got really confused.) But the restaurant business is full of tension and excitement, so Bread and Butter picks up the pace soon enough. There’s a lot of action, dialogue, and introspection, and everything is just so well-balanced. It’s fascinating to read about what goes on behind a restaurant, from building a menu to keeping tabs on customers, and the restaurant setting naturally builds up a lot of tension and animosity, contributing to the pace of the story.
And oh my god the food is just incredible. Roasted pears, oyster fritters, lamb’s neck, chocolate cakes… can I just jump into the book and take all the food please? Reading about food is almost good as eating food, and I felt so content from eating all the textual food in Bread and Butter. Delicious!
Conclusion
Food, family, friends – Bread and Butter's got it all! This well-balanced story incorporates delicate family ties, fragile romances, and simmering emotions, with lots and lots of tasty food. If you like slice of life stories, food, and sibling rivalry, give Bread and Butter a try!
Paper Breathers (Book Reviews & Discussions)
Introduction
Harry is back in his hometown of Linden, Pennsylvania, to follow in his older brothers’ footsteps of opening a restaurant. Leo and Britt, having been in the restaurant business for years, think that Harry is taking on more than he can handle. So when Harry’s new restaurant is a success (and when Harry and Britt start falling for the same girl), the three brothers begin to feel the competition and strain in their relationship.
Discussion
Wildgen did wonders with the character-building; the third-person narrative she uses to shed light on each of the three brothers’ thoughts is surprisingly intimate, and I became increasingly attached to these three throughout the story. I really enjoyed Leo’s quiet presence, Britt’s sophisticated charm, and Harry’s boldness, and I like how these characters are inherently good even though they start cracking apart later on.
The time spent with each of the three brothers is also divided nicely; each brother’s concerns and storyline are individualized and cultivated, and in the end integrated into the overall progression of the story. The humanness that Wildgen shows through all her characters is both optimistic and realistic in the sense that they fall down and get back up again, a refreshing difference from stories that only tell of the falling down part. It’s a pretty even battle between hope and despair, which is more fun than seeing one emotion overpower the other.
The plot is slow-going, and it took me a few chapters to really get into the story. (And awkward side note: I actually thought Britt was a girl when I first started reading and got really confused.) But the restaurant business is full of tension and excitement, so Bread and Butter picks up the pace soon enough. There’s a lot of action, dialogue, and introspection, and everything is just so well-balanced. It’s fascinating to read about what goes on behind a restaurant, from building a menu to keeping tabs on customers, and the restaurant setting naturally builds up a lot of tension and animosity, contributing to the pace of the story.
And oh my god the food is just incredible. Roasted pears, oyster fritters, lamb’s neck, chocolate cakes… can I just jump into the book and take all the food please? Reading about food is almost good as eating food, and I felt so content from eating all the textual food in Bread and Butter. Delicious!
Conclusion
Food, family, friends – Bread and Butter's got it all! This well-balanced story incorporates delicate family ties, fragile romances, and simmering emotions, with lots and lots of tasty food. If you like slice of life stories, food, and sibling rivalry, give Bread and Butter a try!
Paper Breathers (Book Reviews & Discussions)
March 13, 2014
Bread and Butter is a novel that follows three brothers running competing restaurants in Pennsylvania. It shows what happens behind the scenes in restaurants, from drama between chefs to strange customers and everything in between while all the while demonstrating what it really means to be family.
I have to say first off, that I am a huge foodie. To the point that my girlfriend sometimes implies that I'm a snob. I'm always on the search for good eats, and I'm a sucker for a good chef story. This can be contributed to the fact that I was raised by a professional chef, who taught me how to love food. When I saw Bread and Butter, I knew I had to check it out.
Unfortunately, this fell a bit flat for me. I hate to use the b-word here, but when I was reading this, I was often bored. The interactions between characters felt forced at times, and at best seemed strangely put together. Though written fairly well, pages seemed to drag on at parts, and it made it hard to continue onward to the end of the book.
One thing I did love, however, were the author's descriptions and preparations of dishes throughout Bread and Butter. These were excellently written, though they were torture to read on an empty college-budget stomach. These were the shining moments in the text, and made the rest seem dull in comparison. Have a snack nearby for when you get to these vivid descriptions.
Plus, I adore the cover of this one. Isn't it darling? It's one made to lure you in from the start.
This is a solid book that is worth a read if you get it. Despite the lagging and characters at times, the overall story is interesting and the foodie bits are worth it alone. I didn't get much of a Kitchen Confidential vibe from it as the blurb suggests, but fans of chef reality shows would probably enjoy this one. Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for the chance to read this.
This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
I have to say first off, that I am a huge foodie. To the point that my girlfriend sometimes implies that I'm a snob. I'm always on the search for good eats, and I'm a sucker for a good chef story. This can be contributed to the fact that I was raised by a professional chef, who taught me how to love food. When I saw Bread and Butter, I knew I had to check it out.
Unfortunately, this fell a bit flat for me. I hate to use the b-word here, but when I was reading this, I was often bored. The interactions between characters felt forced at times, and at best seemed strangely put together. Though written fairly well, pages seemed to drag on at parts, and it made it hard to continue onward to the end of the book.
One thing I did love, however, were the author's descriptions and preparations of dishes throughout Bread and Butter. These were excellently written, though they were torture to read on an empty college-budget stomach. These were the shining moments in the text, and made the rest seem dull in comparison. Have a snack nearby for when you get to these vivid descriptions.
Plus, I adore the cover of this one. Isn't it darling? It's one made to lure you in from the start.
This is a solid book that is worth a read if you get it. Despite the lagging and characters at times, the overall story is interesting and the foodie bits are worth it alone. I didn't get much of a Kitchen Confidential vibe from it as the blurb suggests, but fans of chef reality shows would probably enjoy this one. Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for the chance to read this.
This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
March 30, 2014
Britt and Leo have spent ten years running Winesap, the best restaurant in their small Pennsylvania town. They cater to their loyal customers; they don't sleep with the staff; and business is good, even if their temperamental pastry chef is bored with making the same chocolate cake night after night. But when their younger brother, Harry, opens his own restaurant—a hip little joint serving an aggressive lamb neck dish—Britt and Leo find their own restaurant thrown off-kilter. Britt becomes fascinated by a customer who arrives night after night, each time with a different dinner companion. Their pastry chef, Hector, quits, only to reappear at Harry's restaurant. And Leo finds himself falling for his executive chef-tempted to break the cardinal rule of restaurant ownership. Filled with hilarious insider detail—the one-upmanship of staff meals before the shift begins, the rivalry between bartender and hostess, the seedy bar where waitstaff and chefs go to drink off their workday—Bread and Butter is both an incisive novel of family and a gleeful romp through the inner workings of restaurant kitchens. (from Netgalley)
My Thoughts
I enjoyed this story about three bothers - Britt, Leo and Harry. I thought the author did a great job balancing typical sibling rivalry with traditional love of family. The three men each have their own distinctive personalities and it was fun spending time with them. The behind the scenes look at the restaurant business was pretty entertaining and provided a few laugh out loud moments.
Many thanks to Doubleday, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
My Thoughts
I enjoyed this story about three bothers - Britt, Leo and Harry. I thought the author did a great job balancing typical sibling rivalry with traditional love of family. The three men each have their own distinctive personalities and it was fun spending time with them. The behind the scenes look at the restaurant business was pretty entertaining and provided a few laugh out loud moments.
Many thanks to Doubleday, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
March 6, 2014
If running a restaurant is a daily balancing act of time, money and creativity, brothers Britt and Leo are performing a successful high wire act at Winesap, the most cosmopolitan and pricey dining establishment in their home-town of Linden, just outside Philadelphia. Enter their well educated, well traveled intense and charming younger brother, Harry, who decides to open a small but innovative bistro in a "bold and foolhardy" part of town and begins a case of restaurateur sibling rivalry.
While this book is filled with behind the scenes recipes and details that food enthusiasts will definitely appreciate, I personally found the narrative a bit plodding and pedestrian and a few of the various concoctions described to be a little avant-garde for my obviously unrefined palate. The romantic aspects of the story as well as the brother's pseudo problems and rivalry are yawn producing and appear to be an afterthought in what should have been a non-fiction behind the scenes look at the restaurant business.
This is a case where the writer's descriptive excursions into food preparation is the tasty "bread and butter" portion of the novel but the character development and story line are hopelessly bland and without flavor.
Reading BREAD AND BUTTER is akin to eating a full meal at one of those restaurants where the main course is little more than a taste and you come away feeling hungry. Personally, I'd prefer more emotionally and satisfying reading material, sort of like a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.
While this book is filled with behind the scenes recipes and details that food enthusiasts will definitely appreciate, I personally found the narrative a bit plodding and pedestrian and a few of the various concoctions described to be a little avant-garde for my obviously unrefined palate. The romantic aspects of the story as well as the brother's pseudo problems and rivalry are yawn producing and appear to be an afterthought in what should have been a non-fiction behind the scenes look at the restaurant business.
This is a case where the writer's descriptive excursions into food preparation is the tasty "bread and butter" portion of the novel but the character development and story line are hopelessly bland and without flavor.
Reading BREAD AND BUTTER is akin to eating a full meal at one of those restaurants where the main course is little more than a taste and you come away feeling hungry. Personally, I'd prefer more emotionally and satisfying reading material, sort of like a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.
February 9, 2014
"Bread and Butter" is the story of three brothers who grew up in a family where food and cooking was truly an art. Leo and Britt grow up to run a successful restaurant. Their younger brother, Harry, comes back to town and wants to start his own restaurant. Chaos ensues.
For whatever reason, this book really reminded me of some of the foodie reality t.v. shows that you see a lot these days. You as the reader sort of become a fly on the wall watching not only what happens between the brothers (a lot of drama) but what happens in the restaurants. At some points, I did fall out of the story because some of the interactions between the characters seemed to drag on a little bit. Because this feels like a reality show, I sometimes felt that I was merely watching the action rather than being engaged.
I appreciated that the story tackled the relationships of brothers. I feel like I find way more books to read about sisters but not brothers so this was definitely refreshing to me.
I love foodie fiction so I loved reading about all of the foods that the brothers were cooking. Don't read this book when you are hungry or you may be liable to chew on the pages!
For whatever reason, this book really reminded me of some of the foodie reality t.v. shows that you see a lot these days. You as the reader sort of become a fly on the wall watching not only what happens between the brothers (a lot of drama) but what happens in the restaurants. At some points, I did fall out of the story because some of the interactions between the characters seemed to drag on a little bit. Because this feels like a reality show, I sometimes felt that I was merely watching the action rather than being engaged.
I appreciated that the story tackled the relationships of brothers. I feel like I find way more books to read about sisters but not brothers so this was definitely refreshing to me.
I love foodie fiction so I loved reading about all of the foods that the brothers were cooking. Don't read this book when you are hungry or you may be liable to chew on the pages!
April 24, 2014
This is a quiet book about the restaurant business set in a small town outside of Philadelphia. The publisher’s blurb contends that this is “the story of three brothers running competing restaurants in the same small town - and the sibling rivalry, culinary snobbery, and romantic jealousy that burns among them.” I find that to be quite an overstatement.
It is more of a book in which nothing much happens at all. It takes place over approximately a year, after which time we hardly know the brothers any more than we did at the start. Nor could I come up with more than a two or three word description of their love interests. What we do learn about, on the other hand, are some of the ups and downs of running restaurants. We don’t even get much information about the food they serve up, except for a veritable parade of the names of very obscure dishes along with a hint of some of their unconventional ingredients.
Evaluation: At the end of the book that talked about food on every page, I was left oddly unsatisfied and hungry for something of more substance.
It is more of a book in which nothing much happens at all. It takes place over approximately a year, after which time we hardly know the brothers any more than we did at the start. Nor could I come up with more than a two or three word description of their love interests. What we do learn about, on the other hand, are some of the ups and downs of running restaurants. We don’t even get much information about the food they serve up, except for a veritable parade of the names of very obscure dishes along with a hint of some of their unconventional ingredients.
Evaluation: At the end of the book that talked about food on every page, I was left oddly unsatisfied and hungry for something of more substance.
August 30, 2015
Definite industry porn. And at first, I felt a bit adrift; too many details-- so specific--so inside--that I couldn't keep the brothers straight without effort. Even then there were several sentences and images that were gloriously crafted. I definitely get why this book would leave some people cold, but for me it was delicious. I disliked Britt, fairly quickly- he's an ass for most of the book. And, I don't see the comparison to Kitchen Confidential, or even why that would be thought desirable. This isn't gritty kitchen memoir, insider rant, or dishing. Not a documentary. It is a fairytale with beautiful people, conflict and drama (real, but not fleshed out ) that wraps up nicely. What Wildgen has done is present so many little true moments of the spirit/soul of place in a restaurant, the spirit that makes itself known every once in awhile when you are open enough (read: tired) to look around - after a shift, making it through an amazing or boring or disastrous service, or when someone cracks the perfect joke and heals the surface wounds. And that was truly lovely to witness.
May 8, 2014
A lot of things go into making the perfect meal ~ you need fresh ingredients, proper timing, and a flair for the unusual. When I started reading "Bread and Butter", I'd hoped to find all of those things. Sadly, I did not. The premise sounded promising ~ exotic and delicious foods, witty kitchen banter, and the sibling rivalry between brothers as they preside over their elegant restaurants. But the reality was something entirely different. The character personalities were confusing, the gourmet food was unappetizing, and the pace was ploddingly-slow. No matter how much butter you put on this bread, it is still soggy and unheated.
*I received this book in a GoodReads First Reads giveaway.
*I received this book in a GoodReads First Reads giveaway.
February 13, 2014
Thanks to the publisher for an advanced reading copy.
I can happily read anything set around a culinary theme, and I suspect that I wouldn't have found this story of brotherly rivalries and bonding as interesting if it hadn't been centered around restaurants. But it is! The author has clearly spent time in restaurants and has good insight into their intensity, and I wanted to try all the dishes she describes (especially those desserts - holy cow!). Her characters tended to meld together for me, especially in terms of dialog, but the restaurant angle is strong enough to make food lovers salivate.
I can happily read anything set around a culinary theme, and I suspect that I wouldn't have found this story of brotherly rivalries and bonding as interesting if it hadn't been centered around restaurants. But it is! The author has clearly spent time in restaurants and has good insight into their intensity, and I wanted to try all the dishes she describes (especially those desserts - holy cow!). Her characters tended to meld together for me, especially in terms of dialog, but the restaurant angle is strong enough to make food lovers salivate.
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