Voices from the Kitchen: Personal Narratives from New York's Immigrant Restaurant Workers

by Marc Meyer (Editor)

27 personal histories of immigrant restaurant workers in New York City whose stories of persistence, hope, and endurance show how vital they are to our country

Compiled by a longtime chef who knows how indispensable—and fascinating—they are

Immigrants play an essential role in the growth, resiliency, and overall success of the food industry. In an age of rising anti-immigrant rhetoric, their voices must be heard.

“Restaurants as we know them in the US would not exist without immigrant labor,” begins Marc Meyer's preface to this unique collection. With these words, Meyer makes clear his commitment to centering the voices of the staff members who make his restaurants possible.

All of the contributors came to New York from another part of the world—Mexico, Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, and beyond—and all found their foothold in the restaurant industry. Among them

Angel V., an openly gay dissident lawyer from Venezuela who survived two kidnappings before coming to the US Islam, from Bangladesh, who worked as a runner and expeditor and is now building his own mosque in Jamaica, Queens Carlha, a Dominican sous-chef at Shuka who still makes rice the way her father taught her when she was a child Their stories are a window into the staggering range of life experiences that immigrant workers carry with them. They are by turns funny, dark, poignant, surprising, and relatable. Most of all, they deserve our respect and our solidarity.

All author proceeds from the book will be distributed evenly among the contributors.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Food, Politics

240 pages, Hardcover

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

Marc Meyer is a longtime New York City chef, specializing in Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and known for his commitment to sourcing locally, seasonally, and sustainably. He and his partners operate five restaurants in New York City: Cookshop, Vic's, Rosie's, Shuka, and Shukette. When not in the kitchen, Meyer donates his time to an Indigenous community center in Mexico.

Reviews

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marc Meyer is a New York-based restaurateur. In Voices from the Kitchen, Meyer presents 27 short autobiographical vignettes from people who have worked at his various restaurants. All of these individuals are immigrants, many from Latin America, and their paths to the US and into the restaurant industry have all been varied. Just like the general working population, some have an inherent passion for their work and have spent years learning new skills and expanding their responsibilities, while others are grateful for the income and stability and have had more varied job history. This was an interesting read, though the stories did run together at times.

Further reading:
Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs, edited by John Bowe - a similar book from a quarter century ago with a wider industry scope
The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, and What Comes After by Corey Mintz

My statistics:
Book 13 for 2026
Book 2319 cumulatively

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Restaurants as we know them in the United States would not exist without immigrant labor. We would not be able to build them, staff them, or produce the food we serve without the people who have come to this country from other nations." Those are the first two sentences of this very enlightening book that tells the story of 27 different people who immigrated to the U.S. and ended up working in restaurants in New York City at some point in their life.

The editor - Marc Meyer - is a longtime NYC chef and co-owner of the Bowery Group of restaurants, so he knows what it takes to work in a restaurant. He also knows that his own restaurants would not run without these people who come to the U.S. looking for a better life, work hard (often working multiple jobs at a time), pay taxes and contribute to their communities, and contribute to their families back home.

Each chapter is another story taken entirely from interviews conducted by the author with each person. It's their story in their own words - what their life was like growing up in their home country, why they felt they had to leave, what the journey was like coming to the U.S., how their life has been since being here, how they ended up working in the restaurant industry, and what their plans are for the future.

What I really loved was that not only did these stories show the real side of these people, but he shared the stories from immigrants from all over - everywhere from South America to Egypt to Africa to Ireland.

I always believe that one of the best ways to learn more and expand your horizons to better understand people that are different than you. This book does an excellent job of letting you do that.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sophia]

Thank you Beacon Press and Edelweiss for this ARC! This is such an important read (at all times) but especially right now. At a time when the president and his followers are blaming immigrants and trying to deport them this shows how critical immigrants are to our country. The world is fed a fantasy of the ‘American dream’ and how great of a life you’ll live once here, but they don’t tell you that you have to start all over once you get here. That a lot of times your education and credentials won’t matter here. That you’ll be working harder than anyone to provide for your family back home and for yourself. Every narrative shows how hard each person worked once they came to America, at times even working 2 jobs and way more than 40 hour weeks! Immigrants are vital to this country, and if you need further proof this book will show how important they are and how without them this country wouldn’t work.

[Maureen Hanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Voices from the Kitchen' is the type of book that I have been yearning to come across for some time now. What I appreciate about the compilation is that each narrator describes their life from start to present, and each story reads like a structured interview, however it is uninterrupted by the interviewer. This style contributes to the sense that you are being told stories not only by a coworker but also a friend. As each narrator recounts some of the most significant moves or phases of their life, we hear a personal recollection of the history of the country that they have moved from and the events occuring in the US at the time of their arrival.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Aptly Titled

This gathering in of those who came to America and stayed to serve in our many restaurants was fun and enlightening to read. Such hard workers are a delight to hear and learn from. From so many nations, and so many languages they have evolved to become the backbone of the food business. I enjoyed this very much.

[Nyla L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook. Learning about these peoples experiences and cultural backgrounds was enlightening. I really appreciate this project for giving voices and amplifying the tales of these people.

[Ron Frampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book shows how important immigrant workers are to this country.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Voices From the Kitchen, really touching of NY immigrants lives. Brilliant 👏

[Syd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply moving and incredibly important.