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Out of Line: A Life of Playing with Fire
Blood, Bones, & Butter meets A Devil in the Kitchen in this funny, fierce, and poignant memoir by world-renowned chef, restaurateur, and Top Chef judge Barbara Lynch, recounting her rise from a hard-knocks South Boston childhood to culinary stardom.
Celebrated chef Barbara Lynch credits the defiant spirit of her upbringing in tough, poor “Southie,” a neighborhood ruled by the notorious Whitey Bulger gang, with helping her bluff her way into her first professional cooking jobs; develop a distinct culinary style through instinct and sheer moxie; then dare to found an empire of restaurants ranging from a casual but elegant “clam shack” to Boston’s epitome of modern haute cuisine.
One of seven children born to an overworked single mother, Lynch was raised in a housing project. She earned a daredevil reputation for boosting vehicles (even a city bus), petty theft, drinking and doing drugs, and narrowly escaping arrest—haunted all the while by a painful buried trauma.
Out of Line describes Lynch’s remarkable process of self-invention, including her encounters with colorful characters of the food world, and vividly evokes the magic of creation in the kitchen. It is also a love letter to South Boston and its vanishing culture, governed by Irish Catholic mothers and its own code of honor. Through her story, Lynch explores how the past—both what we strive to escape from and what we remain true to—can strengthen and expand who we are.
Celebrated chef Barbara Lynch credits the defiant spirit of her upbringing in tough, poor “Southie,” a neighborhood ruled by the notorious Whitey Bulger gang, with helping her bluff her way into her first professional cooking jobs; develop a distinct culinary style through instinct and sheer moxie; then dare to found an empire of restaurants ranging from a casual but elegant “clam shack” to Boston’s epitome of modern haute cuisine.
One of seven children born to an overworked single mother, Lynch was raised in a housing project. She earned a daredevil reputation for boosting vehicles (even a city bus), petty theft, drinking and doing drugs, and narrowly escaping arrest—haunted all the while by a painful buried trauma.
Out of Line describes Lynch’s remarkable process of self-invention, including her encounters with colorful characters of the food world, and vividly evokes the magic of creation in the kitchen. It is also a love letter to South Boston and its vanishing culture, governed by Irish Catholic mothers and its own code of honor. Through her story, Lynch explores how the past—both what we strive to escape from and what we remain true to—can strengthen and expand who we are.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2017
69 people are currently reading
1117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 106 reviews
April 17, 2017
Author Barbara Lynch takes readers on a wild ride as she recounts her path to becoming a celebrity chef. She holds nothing back from the reader: from growing up in the projects, being raped at a very young age, to her drug use. This isn't your typical celebrity chef memoir. It's so much more as she is so self effacing and as satisfying as her fig sauce must taste like.
I read an advance copy and was not compensated.
I read an advance copy and was not compensated.
December 21, 2017
Really enjoyed hearing about her rough childhood in Southie and how she triumphed through pure brains and guts. Fascinating to read about the Boston restaurant scene at the turn of the century. The book does suffer from poor editing but her voice and passion comes through loud and clear.
January 1, 2017
Good, pithy foodie/chef memoir. Candid & earthy and I want homemade pasta now
November 1, 2017
I liked the book but ultimately didn't particularly like Ms. Lynch. I admire her rise to the top against all odds and find it amazing that she is self-taught, I just feel badly for her daughter and husband. There comes a point in her story when I just wanted to ask, "what about your husband?". She seems to be lacking in self-awareness. I'm hoping that everything turns out well in her personal life and the lives of those who love her.
Back to the book, it is a compelling read.
Back to the book, it is a compelling read.
June 23, 2017
There's so much to like about Barbara Lynch as a person, a chef, an entrepreneur, and a general badass. She is amazing. This book, however, is not. Her childhood story--All Souls meets Good Will Hunting meets The Town--is incredible. But in this retelling it is flat and sort of matter-of-fact. Lynch went out of her way in her publicity campaign to praise the ghostwriter on this project, saying that she really captured her voice. But, I've had the very good fortune of hearing Barbara Lynch tell some of these stories in person, and I have to disagree. There is no fire here, no throwdown, and the whole thing would have been better for a slightly more sophisticated editorial structure. Lynch may be from the Projects, but her food is elevated, elegant, and innovative. I think this book could have been more of all of these things.
July 16, 2023
I started this book inclined to root for the author, with admiration for her spirit and successes, especially given her background. But her "voice" became increasingly irritating, self-aggrandizing episodes and worse, tedious reading. The whole book turned into a self-promoting justification of many areas in her journey that she may harbor guilt over. Maybe someday, someone else - a better writer - would reveal the other sides, and tell the whole story.
June 2, 2017
Loved it so much I am going to go to B&G Oysters in Boston next month! I had no idea she was from Southie.
May 25, 2017
It is always good to read about success stories. She had quite a hard knock scruffy life and managed to rise above it all . I wasn't interested in so many stories of her petty thievery and pranks as a young girl but I understand that those stories set the stage for her tough personality . She hung in there against many obstacles and won so that is inspirational.
May 21, 2017
Ghost-writer, however, Lynch admits it & is understandable given her business & personal back story. Grit defined, that's Lynch's life. She provides such inspiration in her story - not because she has "broken the glass ceiling" in so many ways but because of her perseverance & refusal to diminish her internal need to fulfill her dreams. My son wishes to be a chef & we don't have the means to put him through the schooling. I think he should read this!
May 8, 2017
I have dined at every one of Barbara Lynch's restaurants over the years and attended classes at Stir. I've followed her career as it rose, excited to have a taste of every new place as they opened. Being someone who has always been interested in food and dining, I have grown to know a number of people in the Boston restaurant industry, but only tangentially ever came within her sphere. But for those of us who love the world of food and dining it is painfully obvious how hard it is for a woman to make their mark, and more importantly, to do so in the big and bold way that she has.
This memoir is a fascinating and funny account of Barbara Lynch's time growing up as a woman in hard-scrabble Southie, which in itself is unusual. Most of the lore, the movies, and the literature about that deep dark heart of Boston are told by men, about men. Some of the stories she tells are heart-wrenching, while others will leave you in laughter, or wonder. She defied the odds and ended up building a food empire that has delighted the palates of thousands. Reading this book deepened my admiration for her drive, her eye for detail and most of all, her joie de vivre. In these pages she is blunt, she is honest, and she is daring, but she also she shares the side of her that doubts, questioning her place and actions in the world, which in turn makes her seem not like some untouchable celebrity chef, but someone who is relatable and just as human as the rest of us.
And there is a bonus! The recipes at the end...just reading them will make one drool.
OUT OF LINE is a brilliant and moving memoir that every food lover should read.
This memoir is a fascinating and funny account of Barbara Lynch's time growing up as a woman in hard-scrabble Southie, which in itself is unusual. Most of the lore, the movies, and the literature about that deep dark heart of Boston are told by men, about men. Some of the stories she tells are heart-wrenching, while others will leave you in laughter, or wonder. She defied the odds and ended up building a food empire that has delighted the palates of thousands. Reading this book deepened my admiration for her drive, her eye for detail and most of all, her joie de vivre. In these pages she is blunt, she is honest, and she is daring, but she also she shares the side of her that doubts, questioning her place and actions in the world, which in turn makes her seem not like some untouchable celebrity chef, but someone who is relatable and just as human as the rest of us.
And there is a bonus! The recipes at the end...just reading them will make one drool.
OUT OF LINE is a brilliant and moving memoir that every food lover should read.
June 1, 2017
An earthy, honest and wonderful read from one of the great chefs of Boston, Barbara Lynch. Out of Line is a memoir that shows what hard work, perseverance, and "solid steel quenelles" can get a person who is willing to bust ass and learn how to prepare great cuisine. Lynch shares stories from her tough upbringing in the projects of Southie, pulling no punches and hiding behind no curtains. As a former line cook and chef I found this book to be endlessly fascinating and an inspiration. While perhaps not the flashiest prose stylist, Lynch tells a story really well, and her voice is conversational and transports the reader from meal to meal, scene to scene, in a way that made me feel like I was standing behind the line with her.
September 17, 2017
I loved the first half of this book, and some of the personal aspects of the last half. The last half of the book seem to read like a resume or advertisement, and felt like it wasn't edited well. Also, there's a point where she's talking about an ice cream flavor in Boston called "Curse Reversed," named for the Red Sox World Series win in 2004. She states that the Red Sox beat the Yankees in that series, but they beat the Cardinals (you can't have two teams from the same league in the World Series). The advertising feel and the editing issues broke my heart after a great start.
March 5, 2020
i've had the pleasure of dining at menton (foie gras "hot dogs" will forever stand as the best thing i've EVER eaten. also, personally dropping the equivalent of a mortgage payment for the bill was a stand-out moment...) loved reading about the amazing food she's created, didn't love her stories.
May 30, 2017
Quenelles of Steel!
Loved this book from starts to finish. So much more than a chefs story; the time, place and lives behind Barbara Lynch.
Loved this book from starts to finish. So much more than a chefs story; the time, place and lives behind Barbara Lynch.
June 25, 2017
Can't decide how I feel about this memoir. It's blunt and full of self-promotion. But it just didn't seem to ring true to me.
May 1, 2022
Bold and honest, with a clear passion for her work, Barbara Lynch delivers a memoir that is a must-read for any foodie or anyone from Boston.
This has long been on my to-read list, and once I started listening, I was hooked. Lynch tells her story chronologically, from a rough childhood in Southie to the heights of culinary success that she couldn't even dream of as a kid. Her descriptions are memorable and vibrant, from being protected by none other than Whitey Bulger from gunshots to eating homemade bread in rural Tuscany. Her food descriptions are particularly scrumptious, making me long to try my hand again at fancy meals in the kitchen (or at least go to one of her restaurants, most of which are still open!). She is honest about the struggles in her life, and, in some ways, this memoir is an outgrowth of her processing and healing. I would love a follow-up on this memoir to hear how she weathered the pandemic; I know (from news articles) that she temporarily closed her restaurants in January 2021, and I want to know the inside scoop behind this. The voice actor for this book is excellent; she pours so much emotion into the words that I felt like I was listening to the story being told for the first time.
If you are interested in a memoir and particularly one that focuses on restaurants and the Boston scene, pick this up! I definitely recommend the audio!
This has long been on my to-read list, and once I started listening, I was hooked. Lynch tells her story chronologically, from a rough childhood in Southie to the heights of culinary success that she couldn't even dream of as a kid. Her descriptions are memorable and vibrant, from being protected by none other than Whitey Bulger from gunshots to eating homemade bread in rural Tuscany. Her food descriptions are particularly scrumptious, making me long to try my hand again at fancy meals in the kitchen (or at least go to one of her restaurants, most of which are still open!). She is honest about the struggles in her life, and, in some ways, this memoir is an outgrowth of her processing and healing. I would love a follow-up on this memoir to hear how she weathered the pandemic; I know (from news articles) that she temporarily closed her restaurants in January 2021, and I want to know the inside scoop behind this. The voice actor for this book is excellent; she pours so much emotion into the words that I felt like I was listening to the story being told for the first time.
If you are interested in a memoir and particularly one that focuses on restaurants and the Boston scene, pick this up! I definitely recommend the audio!
June 28, 2018
Barbara Lynch grew up in the hardscrabble Southie area of Boston in the projects. She was the sixth of seven children, so she never got much attention from her mother and her father died before she was born. She and the gang of kids in her neighborhood got into all kinds of trouble growing up. But when Barbara discovers food and cooking she realizes this is her passion. Completely self-taught Barbara is a true rags to riches story of working her way up from nothing to owning multiple successful restaurants. I really liked the first half of the book that was more about her childhood and how she got into cooking, but the second half seemed like too much information was crammed in. She opened restaurant after restaurant like it was nothing with no details of how she managed to do that. She was doing so many things I don't know how she ever slept. And major events like when she almost died from sepsis were just kind of glossed over. I like her story and she's obviously successful and working hard to give back to her community, but the book wasn't great. I feel like it could have been told better with not as much childhood detail and more details about her adult professional life. Overall, it was OK but not one I would really recommend.
April 11, 2018
Great book offering great inspiration to anyone who knows they can succeed, whether or not they conform. Grand Chef Barbara Lynch grew up in South Boston, and let's you know all about it in an f'ing wicked fun way, Whitey Bulger, et al. You're pulling for her from page one... and when she goes to Italy, cooking and eating through a great first visit, you can almost taste the food, and you want it! Then, and there!
It's almost as though she is possessed with the need to cook, to build layers of great tasting food, to build her own monuments to all sorts of excellent eats and drinks in her hometown, while also becoming a world renowned powerhouse. She seems surprised by it all. The book makes it seem like it happened fast, but you know she worked her ass off, barely stopping to breathe for years...and when you are done with the book, you just want to book a flight and head back east for a Lynch-Gruppa food crawl, ending with elegance and a great sigh of pleasure at Menton.
READ THIS BOOK, AND FIND A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR MOUTH!
AND LET US KNOW WHEN YOU TRY THE FOOD IN PERSON!
BRAVA, CHEF!
It's almost as though she is possessed with the need to cook, to build layers of great tasting food, to build her own monuments to all sorts of excellent eats and drinks in her hometown, while also becoming a world renowned powerhouse. She seems surprised by it all. The book makes it seem like it happened fast, but you know she worked her ass off, barely stopping to breathe for years...and when you are done with the book, you just want to book a flight and head back east for a Lynch-Gruppa food crawl, ending with elegance and a great sigh of pleasure at Menton.
READ THIS BOOK, AND FIND A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR MOUTH!
AND LET US KNOW WHEN YOU TRY THE FOOD IN PERSON!
BRAVA, CHEF!
May 25, 2017
Barbara Lynch is a highly respected culinary figure and a strong female voice in a mostly man's world. The book looks at the makings of a chef from a more unorthodox background. No sugar coating the world she grew up in and no making excuses for past indiscretions, this is who she is and how it shaped her point of view.
The biography is at its high points when discussing her early life, the rise in the culinary world and her travels. I liked learning about behind the scenes of restaurants as well as the fantastic events she has been able to be a part of as a James Beard recipient.
Where it falls down a bit is during her adult life and her relationships. There was no warning, no leading up to the change in her life and i found myself doubling back to see if i missed anything where it was previously mentioned. I have nothing personal against her family life, I just am not sure it was either given the time to discuss the changing relationships.
The biography is at its high points when discussing her early life, the rise in the culinary world and her travels. I liked learning about behind the scenes of restaurants as well as the fantastic events she has been able to be a part of as a James Beard recipient.
Where it falls down a bit is during her adult life and her relationships. There was no warning, no leading up to the change in her life and i found myself doubling back to see if i missed anything where it was previously mentioned. I have nothing personal against her family life, I just am not sure it was either given the time to discuss the changing relationships.
July 19, 2017
3.5 stars. Ms. (Chef) Lynch relays an interesting memoire of growing up in South Boston and, certainly not a given in her life, becoming a successful chef and businesswoman. Her book doesn't note a co- / sub-author, but she enthusiastically thanks an author in the Acknowledgments, so there seems to be someone in the background - and good on her; being an author is hard enough without taking on the project from another field. All told, the writing is good - certainly it's lively - and Ms. Lynch's story is indeed remarkable. I would have appreciated more information about actual hands on cooking, working in a professional kitchen, and running a large business, and, overall, less personal information (there's a lot of "TMI" in this book, at least for my taste). I don't live in Boston, or even the northeast US, but would love to dine at one of the author's restaurants if given the chance.
September 7, 2017
I really loved reading this book because I have a shared background with Barbara in that we both grew up around the South Boston area around the same time. The writing style is engaging, and inspiring, and a bit off-color -- she is from Southie, after all, so the language is colorful. Here's an example:
"Gobs of spit were also weapons called lungies or deucies (because it took two fingers to lob them). I'd hock up whatever I could, gob it into my hand, and fling it at kids I didn't like or at sitting ducks like altar boys, stuck serving the priest saying Mass, who couldn't fight back" (39). Reading this book also inspired me to WANT to cook more, and to want to try out different, creative recipes. That is in itself a feat since I'm usually the type to do whatever is easiest and quickest. I highly recommend reading this book if you have any interest in cooking, overcoming a difficult childhood, or just want to read an engaging memoir.
"Gobs of spit were also weapons called lungies or deucies (because it took two fingers to lob them). I'd hock up whatever I could, gob it into my hand, and fling it at kids I didn't like or at sitting ducks like altar boys, stuck serving the priest saying Mass, who couldn't fight back" (39). Reading this book also inspired me to WANT to cook more, and to want to try out different, creative recipes. That is in itself a feat since I'm usually the type to do whatever is easiest and quickest. I highly recommend reading this book if you have any interest in cooking, overcoming a difficult childhood, or just want to read an engaging memoir.
March 10, 2018
I knew that Southie residents are a very tight-knit bunch, but to read about it from someone who grew up there, and still feels connected well into adult life, even if she doesn't live there anymore, that's an eye-opener. I never knew just how poor Southie was, or how absent the fathers were, either physically or through lack of emotional support. Single mothers were the order of the day and Barbara Lynch's mother was one who raised a family without the support of welfare. I love that Lynch willed herself into the food service industry mostly self-taught with heavy doses of on-the-job training. I also love when a book mentions food, or has recipes, as this one does! Must try Ligurian potato salad. Boston is a character in the book as well, so it had that going for it, too. It was a little history lesson on the desegregation of Boston Public Schools in the 1970's-'80's. I knew I was witnessing history then, but I didn't live it. what a story.
February 3, 2018
Interesting woman, Barbara.
Wild child. Had to find her own way. Stubborn. Doesn't always make the best decisions.
But loved the book. I too grew up in Mary Ellen McCormack housing project in South Boston but didn't run the streets the way she did. She had a missing father and passive and detached mother. Yet she tapped into her love of food and cooking and made a very successful life for herself, opening several acclaimed restaurants and winning many awards.
I also was thrilled that her love of cooking was encouraged by a culinary arts teacher, Susan Logozzo, at a technical vocational high school where I used to teach, Madison Park in Roxbury, in Boston. All too infrequently are wonderful teachers (esp. vocational teachers) acknowledged for what they do for students.
Wild child. Had to find her own way. Stubborn. Doesn't always make the best decisions.
But loved the book. I too grew up in Mary Ellen McCormack housing project in South Boston but didn't run the streets the way she did. She had a missing father and passive and detached mother. Yet she tapped into her love of food and cooking and made a very successful life for herself, opening several acclaimed restaurants and winning many awards.
I also was thrilled that her love of cooking was encouraged by a culinary arts teacher, Susan Logozzo, at a technical vocational high school where I used to teach, Madison Park in Roxbury, in Boston. All too infrequently are wonderful teachers (esp. vocational teachers) acknowledged for what they do for students.
September 18, 2017
I was shocked to find out in the acknowledgements that she had a ghost writer because the writing was so bad. The descriptions of recipes and of meals was always lovely and evocative, but the rest of the narrative felt unemotional and blustery.
Also, there is a big factual mistake any Boston reader would have picked up on. The Red Sox didn't "beat the Yankees in the 2004 World Series," they beat them in the ALCS and then went on to beat the Cardinals in the World Series. For Lynch to spend the whole book puffing herself up as a Bostonian and then not a) knowing that b) at least double-checking was a little silly.
Also, there is a big factual mistake any Boston reader would have picked up on. The Red Sox didn't "beat the Yankees in the 2004 World Series," they beat them in the ALCS and then went on to beat the Cardinals in the World Series. For Lynch to spend the whole book puffing herself up as a Bostonian and then not a) knowing that b) at least double-checking was a little silly.
October 10, 2017
Really enjoyed reading about her experiences. Her can-do attitude and general willingness to put herself out there are inspiring! I didn't love the writing style as much, it felt a little choppy and rough to me, though that seems to fit her character. I guess a different style might have not felt very authentic. At times it was a little hard to get through lists of chefs she worked with and their affiliations, but it seemed like it was important to mention and recognize them by name. Overall, an interesting read that I'd recommend to anyone who is interested in chefs, the food industry, or reading about a Boston celebrity.
May 28, 2018
Barbara Lynch is one of Boston's most famous and successful chefs and one of the few that are homegrown. Lynch grew up in the chaos of South Boston during the school busing crisis and the reign of Whitey Bulger. She has the Irish Catholic Southie gift for storytelling, which is to say that it is likely very engaging in person. On paper, I found her storytelling to be a little random, flip and grandious about the relationships, opportunities and seminal moments of her life. An interesting journey to culinary success that is probably better expressed as stories told over dinner at one of Lynch's many excellent restaurants.
August 15, 2017
I really liked this book until about 200 pages in when things got a little convoluted. I absolutely loved reading about Barbara Lynch's life and I drooled over all of her food and restaurant descriptions. One thing I couldn't get past was her somewhat callous reference to her affair - I thought she glossed over something that was very important and was potentially hurtful to many people. I really grappled with that section and almost stopped reading the book because of it. Otherwise, I liked this read.
May 27, 2018
While there are some interesting anecdotes and recollections in this memoir, it is uneven in its telling. Lynch rushes through the final third of the tale, sharing her alcohol problems and recovery all too briefly when compared to her elaboration of other life changing moments. I found the descriptions of mothering (or not) of her daughter somewhat appalling. Her self reflections on her sexuality, success and current state of mind seemed to pander to her readers. A strong editor probably would have helped make this a more engaging read.
August 8, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It made me want to go to her restaurants. Her early life has influenced her professional career in many ways. She certainly has explored many aspects of life: cooking, painting, sexual orientation, motherhood and marriage. She is such a contrast to many of the male chefs, like Todd English, who threw things at his employees. Barbara wanted them to feel like family and encouraged them to advance both inside and outside of her domain. Congratulations to a Southie success story.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 106 reviews