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Generation Chef: Risking It All for a New American Dream
Inside what life is really like for the new generation of professional cooks—a captivating tale of the make-or-break first year at a young chef’s new restaurant.
For many young people, being a chef is as compelling a dream as being a rock star or professional athlete. Skill and creativity in the kitchen are more profitable than ever before, as cooks scramble to reach the top—but talent isn’t enough. Today’s chef needs the business savvy of a high-risk entrepreneur, determination, and big dose of luck.
The heart of Generation Chef is the story of Jonah Miller, who at age twenty-four attempts to fulfill a lifelong dream by opening the Basque restaurant Huertas in New York City, still the high-stakes center of the restaurant business for an ambitious young chef. Miller, a rising star who has been named to the 30-Under-30 list of both Forbes and Zagat, quits his job as a sous chef, creates a business plan, lines up investors, leases a space, hires a staff, and gets ready to put his reputation and his future on the line.
Journalist and food writer Karen Stabiner takes us inside Huertas’s roller-coaster first year, but also provides insight into the challenging world a young chef faces today—the intense financial pressures, the overcrowded field of aspiring cooks, and the impact of reviews and social media, which can dictate who survives.
A fast-paced narrative filled with suspense, Generation Chef is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at drive and passion in one of today’s hottest professions.
For many young people, being a chef is as compelling a dream as being a rock star or professional athlete. Skill and creativity in the kitchen are more profitable than ever before, as cooks scramble to reach the top—but talent isn’t enough. Today’s chef needs the business savvy of a high-risk entrepreneur, determination, and big dose of luck.
The heart of Generation Chef is the story of Jonah Miller, who at age twenty-four attempts to fulfill a lifelong dream by opening the Basque restaurant Huertas in New York City, still the high-stakes center of the restaurant business for an ambitious young chef. Miller, a rising star who has been named to the 30-Under-30 list of both Forbes and Zagat, quits his job as a sous chef, creates a business plan, lines up investors, leases a space, hires a staff, and gets ready to put his reputation and his future on the line.
Journalist and food writer Karen Stabiner takes us inside Huertas’s roller-coaster first year, but also provides insight into the challenging world a young chef faces today—the intense financial pressures, the overcrowded field of aspiring cooks, and the impact of reviews and social media, which can dictate who survives.
A fast-paced narrative filled with suspense, Generation Chef is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at drive and passion in one of today’s hottest professions.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published September 13, 2016
10 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Karen Stabiner
14 books17 followersKaren Stabiner is a journalist and author of narrative non-fiction. She has co-authored the cookbooks Family Table, a collection of staff meal recipes and backstage stories from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group restaurants, and The Valentino Cookbook with Piero Selvaggio. Her feature articles and essays have appeared in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, as well as in the Los Angeles Times, Saveur, Travel & Leisure and Gourmet. Her work has appeared in Best Food Writing anthologies. Stabiner teaches at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 15, 2017
I love the behind the scenes books about foodie stuff, especially a chef's life.
Except this book completely missed the mark.
It's about a young chef opening his dream restaurant..all at a young age. I'm sure he is interesting or at least I hope so..but this book made it all a snoozefest for this reader.
I didn't really care to read about all the rambling backstories, the money troubles of sooo many people (I'd totally look in my own wallet if I wanted to cry about that) and if I'm reading a book that involves food at least give me some decent food stories.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review
Except this book completely missed the mark.
It's about a young chef opening his dream restaurant..all at a young age. I'm sure he is interesting or at least I hope so..but this book made it all a snoozefest for this reader.
I didn't really care to read about all the rambling backstories, the money troubles of sooo many people (I'd totally look in my own wallet if I wanted to cry about that) and if I'm reading a book that involves food at least give me some decent food stories.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review
September 7, 2016
The story of a young chef, his dreams of opening his own restaurant, and the journey he took to realize the dream. Interesting, however the book gets bogged down in details that derail the flow of it. I didn't really need to know the path of the sunlight across the dining room, nor the details on repairing a broken handle on a walk-in refrigerator. I did enjoy the creative dishes that the owner came up with. I finally had to give up on the book about halfway through, as it just became boring.
August 19, 2019
Focusing on young chef Jonah Miller and his opening of Huertas in NYC, this book walks us through the first year of restaurant ownership and all the trials and triumphs that entails. This is more about the business side than the food side. It's pretty incredible that Miller was able to open Huertas at such a young age and be as successful as he has been.
There are chapters sprinkled in about other chefs, and I didn't really understand the point of that, since the focus was so heavily on Miller and Huertas. I felt like it should have either featured several young chefs equally, or left the others out entirely. The way the book was set up, I kept waiting for Gavin Kaysen's or Stephanie Izard's stories to intersect with Miller's; and they didn't. So that was a choice I wasn't too sure about.
I would have appreciated more sensory descriptions of the dishes and more focus on the food itself; which is really not what this book was about. The story told is more about Miller's passion for opening Huertas rather than his passion for the food he's putting out. It's still interesting and totally reinforces the fact that restaurant life is not for me.
There are chapters sprinkled in about other chefs, and I didn't really understand the point of that, since the focus was so heavily on Miller and Huertas. I felt like it should have either featured several young chefs equally, or left the others out entirely. The way the book was set up, I kept waiting for Gavin Kaysen's or Stephanie Izard's stories to intersect with Miller's; and they didn't. So that was a choice I wasn't too sure about.
I would have appreciated more sensory descriptions of the dishes and more focus on the food itself; which is really not what this book was about. The story told is more about Miller's passion for opening Huertas rather than his passion for the food he's putting out. It's still interesting and totally reinforces the fact that restaurant life is not for me.
September 8, 2016
I dived in hoping for a business-leaning chef book written by a journalist, and I enjoyed watching Jonah's dream about his restaurant and work to get it off the ground. There was a lot of talk about location and start-up costs, but I was sure the narrative would turn to food once things got rolling.
It did, but only tangentially. The importance of keeping food costs down is discussed, as well as the benefit of fixed-price menus, raising the average ticket, and making "cocktails" when you can only serve wine and beer. But cooking itself isn't celebrated. I had a hard time picturing any of the dishes, and knew more about their price than how they tasted. Food descriptions rarely go over one sentence:
...that's it. I was disappointed.
Everything is looked at through a business and career-focused lens. We learn about several cooks on the line - not what kind of food they like to make or why they became a chef, but how much debt cooking school put them in. How they anticipate moving up the brigade ladder. Where they'd like to be in five years. Exactly how much they make, and how and why raises and promotions are doled out. People become a collection of numbers.
The writing style didn't agree with me, either. The whole book feels like a long newspaper article complete with quotes, reactions, and lots of figures. There were sections that went: 'Person A was thinking this. Person B was thinking that. Person A was really worried about what person B was thinking. So they had a meeting. After discussing X and Y, they decided on Z. But then Q happened, so they decided to go back to the drawing board.' It was a lot of narrative work for nothing.
I would have loved it if Stabiner pulled the story together around more cohesive themes. Instead of following a strict timeline the scope could have been widened out between major events, talking about how Jonah's leadership style evolved over time, say, or consolidating young Alberto's story into bigger blocks. That way there could be deep look at how Jonah's ethos compares to and evolved from his previous jobs, and Alberto's rise could be more effectively linked to that of his boss. While these themes are touched on they're split up to avoid muddying the timeline, losing any insight that may have been there.
Also, Stabiner's daughter worked at Huertas during the reporting that led to this book. The daughter was working front of house while Stabiner was observing the back so she claims no conflict of interest. I'm very glad it's mentioned in the acknowledgements but find it sketchy at best, and even if there was no conflict it does deprive us of any server or bartender stories that may have added to the narrative.
If you're interested in the money behind restaurants and the investing/business side of the industry you'll find Generation Chef informative. But if you're a foodie like me and prefer cooking in restaurant books you will be let down.
Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for providing a review copy.
It did, but only tangentially. The importance of keeping food costs down is discussed, as well as the benefit of fixed-price menus, raising the average ticket, and making "cocktails" when you can only serve wine and beer. But cooking itself isn't celebrated. I had a hard time picturing any of the dishes, and knew more about their price than how they tasted. Food descriptions rarely go over one sentence:
"The pintxo list led off with the gilda, named for Rita Hayworth's character in the 1946 film Gilda, a skewered white anchovy curved around a manzanilla green olive at one end and a guindilla pepper at the other."
...that's it. I was disappointed.
Everything is looked at through a business and career-focused lens. We learn about several cooks on the line - not what kind of food they like to make or why they became a chef, but how much debt cooking school put them in. How they anticipate moving up the brigade ladder. Where they'd like to be in five years. Exactly how much they make, and how and why raises and promotions are doled out. People become a collection of numbers.
The writing style didn't agree with me, either. The whole book feels like a long newspaper article complete with quotes, reactions, and lots of figures. There were sections that went: 'Person A was thinking this. Person B was thinking that. Person A was really worried about what person B was thinking. So they had a meeting. After discussing X and Y, they decided on Z. But then Q happened, so they decided to go back to the drawing board.' It was a lot of narrative work for nothing.
I would have loved it if Stabiner pulled the story together around more cohesive themes. Instead of following a strict timeline the scope could have been widened out between major events, talking about how Jonah's leadership style evolved over time, say, or consolidating young Alberto's story into bigger blocks. That way there could be deep look at how Jonah's ethos compares to and evolved from his previous jobs, and Alberto's rise could be more effectively linked to that of his boss. While these themes are touched on they're split up to avoid muddying the timeline, losing any insight that may have been there.
Also, Stabiner's daughter worked at Huertas during the reporting that led to this book. The daughter was working front of house while Stabiner was observing the back so she claims no conflict of interest. I'm very glad it's mentioned in the acknowledgements but find it sketchy at best, and even if there was no conflict it does deprive us of any server or bartender stories that may have added to the narrative.
If you're interested in the money behind restaurants and the investing/business side of the industry you'll find Generation Chef informative. But if you're a foodie like me and prefer cooking in restaurant books you will be let down.
Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for providing a review copy.
July 15, 2016
So, you wanna be a chef and open your own restaurant, huh? Well, you may want to read Generation Chef: Risking It All for a New American Dream before you take the next step. This book details the life of Jonah Miller, a talented young chef who found himself on "30-Under-30" lists from both Forbes and Zagat. Miller goes from being a sous chef to chasing his dream when he decides to risk everything to open Huertas, a Spanish tapas restaurant in New York City.
In Generation Chef's first paragraph, it's revealed just how daunting a task opening a restaurant can be. Author Karen Stabiner writes:
"Jonah Miller bounded up the steep narrow stairs, each tread worn at the center from over a century of use, the only reminder that this place had ever been anything but his. In fifteen minutes, when the doors opened for the first time, it would be Huertas, a Spanish restaurant that had the 26-year-old chef almost $700,000 in debt before he sold his first beer--on paper, at least, as restaurant investors knew how bad the odds were of repayment, let alone profit, any time soon."
Can you imagine being 26 and having that much money on the line while you attempt to do something for the very first time? I sure can't. It takes a special breed of person to be a chef/restaurateur; someone who not only has skills and passion, but also has the ability to endure a rollercoaster ride as they try to pursue their dream. And Jonah Miller is that kind of person.
Karen Stabiner does a tremendous job of chronicling Miller's first year, sharing both the highs and the lows and giving us remarkable insight into the business of food in the Big Apple--a city that loves to scrutinize its restaurants. It's all covered here: from the financial dramas at the outset to trying to please food critics who can make or break you. And throughout the narrative, you feel like you're right there alongside Miller as he busts his butt to achieve success while being tested at every turn.
"Starting a restaurant requires a plan, a willingness to sacrifice to implement it, and optimism, based in part on the anticipated behavior of strangers," Stabiner explains. "Maintaining a restaurant in the face of setbacks requires an almost foolhardy resilience, and a certainty that there is a way out of whatever is happening at the moment, that this isn't the dead end. Definitive notions of victory and defeat are for businesses that revolve around something more concrete than making people happy at mealtime."
Looking at reviews I found online, it would seem that Miller and Huertas have succeeded at making people happy at mealtime. A New York Times review said, "Mr. Miller shapes his menus so skillfully that it’s hard to imagine wanting more" and touted Huertas as a New York Times Critics' pick. And Yelp, the popular website that invites "ordinary people" to comment on restaurants, is full of mostly glowing reviews. Now that I know the story of how this restaurant came to be, I plan on paying Huertas a visit the next time I'm in NYC.
In Generation Chef's first paragraph, it's revealed just how daunting a task opening a restaurant can be. Author Karen Stabiner writes:
"Jonah Miller bounded up the steep narrow stairs, each tread worn at the center from over a century of use, the only reminder that this place had ever been anything but his. In fifteen minutes, when the doors opened for the first time, it would be Huertas, a Spanish restaurant that had the 26-year-old chef almost $700,000 in debt before he sold his first beer--on paper, at least, as restaurant investors knew how bad the odds were of repayment, let alone profit, any time soon."
Can you imagine being 26 and having that much money on the line while you attempt to do something for the very first time? I sure can't. It takes a special breed of person to be a chef/restaurateur; someone who not only has skills and passion, but also has the ability to endure a rollercoaster ride as they try to pursue their dream. And Jonah Miller is that kind of person.
Karen Stabiner does a tremendous job of chronicling Miller's first year, sharing both the highs and the lows and giving us remarkable insight into the business of food in the Big Apple--a city that loves to scrutinize its restaurants. It's all covered here: from the financial dramas at the outset to trying to please food critics who can make or break you. And throughout the narrative, you feel like you're right there alongside Miller as he busts his butt to achieve success while being tested at every turn.
"Starting a restaurant requires a plan, a willingness to sacrifice to implement it, and optimism, based in part on the anticipated behavior of strangers," Stabiner explains. "Maintaining a restaurant in the face of setbacks requires an almost foolhardy resilience, and a certainty that there is a way out of whatever is happening at the moment, that this isn't the dead end. Definitive notions of victory and defeat are for businesses that revolve around something more concrete than making people happy at mealtime."
Looking at reviews I found online, it would seem that Miller and Huertas have succeeded at making people happy at mealtime. A New York Times review said, "Mr. Miller shapes his menus so skillfully that it’s hard to imagine wanting more" and touted Huertas as a New York Times Critics' pick. And Yelp, the popular website that invites "ordinary people" to comment on restaurants, is full of mostly glowing reviews. Now that I know the story of how this restaurant came to be, I plan on paying Huertas a visit the next time I'm in NYC.
May 1, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed Karen Stabiner's "Generation Chef" -- an impressive work of long-form journalism that follows the rise of Chef Jonah Miller and his first restaurant, Huertas. It's almost a perfect book for me, except that I'm on the fence about the parallel narratives of other chefs running alongside Miller's. They give his story context, but I always found myself pushing through them to get back to the Huertas kitchen. 4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5. I'll be buying a copy!
June 2, 2017
Gives the reader insight into the physical, emotional, financial, and mental stresses of restaurant ownership and restaurant work. Very insightful and realistic. No Food Network glamorization of the life of a chef.
November 7, 2016
I adore anything with a detailed background story of restaurants, but while this had a lot of fascinating information, it tended to wander around and got a little too involved with various backstories that I had no interest in reading. What I enjoyed were the stories of how Huertas got started along with the day to day routines and staff duties. I tended to skim other backstories about peripheral characters and other restaurants that were not directly involved with Huertas.
That all being said, this would be an excellent book for any aspiring chef who is thinking of opening a restaurant, cafe, or food truck, as the detailed business information would be invaluable.
For me, I preferred The Fourth Star: Dispatches from Inside Daniel Boulud's Celebrated New York Restaurant and The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection
Thanks to the publisher for the advance reading copy.
That all being said, this would be an excellent book for any aspiring chef who is thinking of opening a restaurant, cafe, or food truck, as the detailed business information would be invaluable.
For me, I preferred The Fourth Star: Dispatches from Inside Daniel Boulud's Celebrated New York Restaurant and The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection
Thanks to the publisher for the advance reading copy.
October 3, 2016
It's like reading restaurant wars from Top Chef. The main story follows an up and coming chef open a Spanish restaurant in NYC and all the joys and tribulations that follow. Also has some side stories of other chefs (young and seasoned) and critics about what it takes to be a success.
July 3, 2016
As someone who liked to watch the cooking reality shows, I found this book very interesting and a quick read. I won it in a contest and I really enjoyed the behind the scenes look.
October 16, 2016
Fascinating insider's glimpse into the New York City restaurant scene. Also made me crave pintxos almost constantly.
October 30, 2016
Fans of Top Chef and/or Yes, Chef: A Memoir and those looking for a more indoor Krakauer-esque longform reporting book will be delighted by Generation Chef, which follows a young millennial chef and his team looking to open up NYC's next hottest restaurant. For the record, even though I myself am a millennial, I hate using that term because of all of the negative stereotypes it might connotate - however, in this case, it really showcases how the team at this restaurant is young, inexperienced, but committed to hard work and trying out a new way of doing things to bring great service and make a passion for a dream come true.
This book in general is very well written - I did not know anything about Huertas nor did I look anything up about it while reading it (despite DYING to do so) - and I felt like I learned so much about all of the people, the industry, and the vision behind Huertas. I was on the edge of my seat countless times during the book, wanting to see whether or not the chefs and servers were able to succeed. Did I mention I was dying to Google the people and the restaurant? Don't, it makes the reading that much more tense.
Really well done, like a longer, less pretentious New Yorker article - excellent narrative non-fiction. I loved this book! Highly recommended.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book in general is very well written - I did not know anything about Huertas nor did I look anything up about it while reading it (despite DYING to do so) - and I felt like I learned so much about all of the people, the industry, and the vision behind Huertas. I was on the edge of my seat countless times during the book, wanting to see whether or not the chefs and servers were able to succeed. Did I mention I was dying to Google the people and the restaurant? Don't, it makes the reading that much more tense.
Really well done, like a longer, less pretentious New Yorker article - excellent narrative non-fiction. I loved this book! Highly recommended.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 24, 2017
Karen Stabiner followed new restaurant owner Jonah Miller on his journey to open his first restaurant. Miller quits a good job to start his dream of owning his own restaurant. After raising $700,000 in investments - mostly from friends and family - he finds a space, renovates, hires his staff, and bets his future on Huertas. This behind-the-scenes look shows just how stressful and hard it is to open a new restaurant in New York City. From raising the investment money needed to trying to get a liquor license there is SO much that has to be done. Everyone hears how hard it is for restaurants to succeed and in this book you see that through Miller's eyes. But, at the end of the book Huertas has survived for 3 years and Miller is finally able to start looking into his next venture because he doesn't want to just be a restaurant owner, he wants an empire. Overall, an interesting book at the behind-the-scenes side of the opening of a new restaurant. There were a few chapters that were kind of slower and I felt like the epilogue crammed a LOT of information in one final chapter, but overall good.
June 13, 2020
Generation Chef was a decent read that I completed over two months. Compliments aside, the book was tedious at times. Unfortunately ironic, when there was promised “drama and suspense on every page”. Nonetheless, it is well-written. It reminds me a lot of a long road trip where the drive has its highs and lulls, as far as excitement, but once I reached the ending I had a feeling of satisfaction that I took the trip with Huertas. Hidden throughout the book are some great quotes, restaurant start-up insight, and a couple applicable life lessons that resonated with me. I’d recommend those who do decide to read this book, to be patient. While it is not captivating throughout, it has its moments.
September 1, 2018
Interesting book involving the setup, creation, trials, successes and failures in setting up a Basque-influenced restaurant named Huertas in NYC. It is the story of Chef-Owner Josh Miller’s dream to open a restaurant. On the journey, the author who had a birds eye view to all aspects of the creation and running of Huertas takes some detours along the way to discuss other chefs, restaurants and the industry as a whole. I enjoyed the story and think the book would be a great text in any culinary program. I also finished it in the mood for pintxos and raciones.
February 4, 2019
Once I figured out that this was mostly about a couple of chefs standing in for their generations, I started to really like this book. It's much more about a restaurant as a business than lots of other books about cooking. Which means there is a little less action, but it also illuminates a lot of issues of the small chef/business owner and I liked that, too. Nothing is perfect in this world, and lots of stuff actually really sucks but there is some optimism and there are some good long looks at the restaurant industry as a whole.
May 3, 2022
A really interesting look at what it takes to get a restaurant up and running in 2013 (at least in New York). Jonah Miller wants to build an empire and it starts with his first restaurant, Huertas, which has pintxos and drinks in the front half and a set menu in the back. There are ups and downs, but at the end of a year they're still there. And Spoiler Alert: The restaurant is still there. I checked.
July 21, 2017
This was really enjoyable, if you like food and/or restaurants. It's just a really great portrait of what it's like to be a chef/owner with a plan for a restaurant empire and no clear path to get there, beyond the first restaurant. I wish I could visit the restaurant profiled, but alas alack, it is in NYC which I GUESS is still the restaurant capital of the USA.
October 10, 2019
Taking me on the journey with the chefs and staff of restaurants I’d want to frequent. Knowing some of the hardships of being front of house helped me to see the stories from a first hand account. Applicable to any tough business model that it trying to make it in an industry in which people liking your business is imperative. Great read.
February 21, 2020
I enjoyed this book. It takes you on a chef's journey as he opens his first restaurant in NYC. We follow issues with location, staff, the liquor license board, and the food critics. It also gives you insight into other chefs' journeys, like Stephanie Izard's, in Chicago. Hard work for little reward!
June 7, 2017
The unique literary-novel style makes this book not just unusual but extraordinary. Even though it's in a narrative voice it is still packed with fresh insights. It also inspired me to make kombucha kalimotxo; equal parts spanish rose and cola kombucha - Topa!
August 1, 2017
if my fantasies ever ran towards running a restaurant this book, much better than Kitchen Confidential, would have effectively dissuaded me. I finished the book on a glorious early morning sale on Gull Lake. Not a beach freed, but a Sailing by the beach read. time to turn to something lighter.
February 28, 2018
Found myself completely hooked by the ups and downs of the subject’s new restaurant. The same kind of anticipation and suspense that comes with reading a mystery thriller. Who knew that a liquor license approval process could be such a nail biter?
June 2, 2022
Interesting insider look at what it takes to open your own restaurant. Definitely worth a read if that sort of thing interests you.
I only wish the narrative was a bit snappier and the vignettes of other chefs were more cohesive with the underlying story.
I only wish the narrative was a bit snappier and the vignettes of other chefs were more cohesive with the underlying story.
January 9, 2018
It was pretty good insight into the restaurant world. Got distracted with side stories.
Read
July 14, 2021Good insight into the tough NYC restaurant industry.
October 4, 2021
Couldn't get through it, more discussion on the business than people-story, just not in the mood for it.
January 12, 2017
A fast-paced read about a fast-paced biz. As a former professional cook I was riveted by the story of Jonah Miller and all he endured opening up his restaurant in one of the toughest business environments in the world. But I think this book would interest any small-business entrepreneur or anyone fascinated by food and great restaurants.
November 11, 2016
I’ve become a Top Chef addict and I love trying the food of Chicago’s celebrity chefs like Rick Bayless and Stephanie Izard so I was really excited to read this story of a new NYC restaurant opening and through their first year. My husband jokes about opening a diner one day and I think this book proves my nerves could never handle it! From the attempts to find backers, to find the perfect location and then to both hire and retain the best staff – that’s not even getting into the cooking. You clearly need nerves of steel to open your own kitchen especially on this kind of scale, in New York – at age 26!
The access Stabiner had to the Huertas staff to put this book out was fantastic. I can’t imagine how she basically lived at the restaurant for a year and didn’t insert herself into the story. Just reading along I was so nervous for the critics reviews to come in so I can’t imagine how Stabiner didn’t let her own emotions show. I thought it was so interesting to follow how Miller first conceived of Huertas and then let the concept flow a bit to meet the wants of both his customers and reviews. I also enjoyed the glimpses into the paths that other chefs took from Izard to others in California or Minnesota; it was very cool to see how differently things move all over the country.
I would have liked the personal stories between Miller and his partners and staff to be more in depth, but that’s just me being kind of voyeuristic perhaps. After all these people were still working together largely when the book was published and that might have been a bit much. I really felt like I needed to follow this with a reread of Sweetbitter for a really juicy peak behind the kitchen walls.
Let me just say I am hugely proud of myself for stifling the urge to Google Huertas until I finished this book! As I read I was so extremely curious to know if they were still in business or what might have happened. I managed to control myself – yes I don’t peak at Christmas presents either – but it was satisfying search to run as soon as I put my kindle down. Now I know where I’d like to go when I finally visit New York one day because Miller’s food sounds delicious. If you like food and watching the restaurant industry this is definitely a fun read – and hungry read. Have snacks handy!
Thank you Avery for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
https://guninactone.wordpress.com/201...
The access Stabiner had to the Huertas staff to put this book out was fantastic. I can’t imagine how she basically lived at the restaurant for a year and didn’t insert herself into the story. Just reading along I was so nervous for the critics reviews to come in so I can’t imagine how Stabiner didn’t let her own emotions show. I thought it was so interesting to follow how Miller first conceived of Huertas and then let the concept flow a bit to meet the wants of both his customers and reviews. I also enjoyed the glimpses into the paths that other chefs took from Izard to others in California or Minnesota; it was very cool to see how differently things move all over the country.
I would have liked the personal stories between Miller and his partners and staff to be more in depth, but that’s just me being kind of voyeuristic perhaps. After all these people were still working together largely when the book was published and that might have been a bit much. I really felt like I needed to follow this with a reread of Sweetbitter for a really juicy peak behind the kitchen walls.
Let me just say I am hugely proud of myself for stifling the urge to Google Huertas until I finished this book! As I read I was so extremely curious to know if they were still in business or what might have happened. I managed to control myself – yes I don’t peak at Christmas presents either – but it was satisfying search to run as soon as I put my kindle down. Now I know where I’d like to go when I finally visit New York one day because Miller’s food sounds delicious. If you like food and watching the restaurant industry this is definitely a fun read – and hungry read. Have snacks handy!
Thank you Avery for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
https://guninactone.wordpress.com/201...
December 10, 2016
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher (Avery Books).
[3.5 stars]
Generation Chef‘s look into a new restaurant’s first year of life is equal parts food and business book. I particularly loved getting a behind the scenes look at the ups and downs of an entrepreneurial restaurant venture. Running a new restaurant clearly takes courage and a steady hand and I was frighteningly nervous for Miller and his team as they approached each new milestone (applying for a liquor license, awaiting a New York Times review, etc). I realized how much I respect people who run small businesses and I’m fairly certain I couldn’t pull it off without an emotional breakdown.
Specific to the restaurant business, Generation Chef highlighted how hard a new restaurant has to work to get noticed amidst the NYC clutter. Stabiner provides illuminating color about the frenzied restaurant environment of the early 2000’s and the impact of social media. She also compares Miller and Huertas’ story with that of other famous chefs including David Chang, Stephanie Izard, April Bloomfield, and Gavin Kaysen. Generation Chef reminded me of Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter, minus all the drugs and sexual angst, and is a great choice for people interested in the business side of opening a new restaurant. Plus, it made an appearance on my 2016 Books That Make Perfect Holiday Gifts List!
For more reviews, visit my blog: https://www.sarahsbookshelves.com/
[3.5 stars]
Generation Chef‘s look into a new restaurant’s first year of life is equal parts food and business book. I particularly loved getting a behind the scenes look at the ups and downs of an entrepreneurial restaurant venture. Running a new restaurant clearly takes courage and a steady hand and I was frighteningly nervous for Miller and his team as they approached each new milestone (applying for a liquor license, awaiting a New York Times review, etc). I realized how much I respect people who run small businesses and I’m fairly certain I couldn’t pull it off without an emotional breakdown.
Specific to the restaurant business, Generation Chef highlighted how hard a new restaurant has to work to get noticed amidst the NYC clutter. Stabiner provides illuminating color about the frenzied restaurant environment of the early 2000’s and the impact of social media. She also compares Miller and Huertas’ story with that of other famous chefs including David Chang, Stephanie Izard, April Bloomfield, and Gavin Kaysen. Generation Chef reminded me of Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter, minus all the drugs and sexual angst, and is a great choice for people interested in the business side of opening a new restaurant. Plus, it made an appearance on my 2016 Books That Make Perfect Holiday Gifts List!
For more reviews, visit my blog: https://www.sarahsbookshelves.com/
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