Review of KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL
Authentic, unapologetic, and seriously fucking cool
I don’t know exactly when I learned of Anthony Bourdain, but it was certainly after he came into the mainstream after his 2000 bestseller Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly hit shelves (when I was just 9 years old). I knew little of his decades of professional experience in the kitchen. I knew him only as the man with the coolest job in the world on his many hit television shows such as No Reservations and Parts Unknown.
I feel slightly embarrassed I knew so little about him before reading Kitchen Confidential. Bourdain was a regular writer, as I learned from his book, and he’s published a wide range of stories and non-fiction. I already have my eye on some more books to read, especially a new biography on him that is a compilation of stories from those close to the Chef.
Anthony Bourdain died of suicide in 2018 to the shock of most. He was candid about his past drug abuse and scandalous lifestyle he led in early career, but as the man “with it all” in mid and late adult life, ending it all in a French hotel room didn’t exactly seem like it was in the cards.
I’m not sure what triggered me to look into books on Bourdain, but I vaguely recalled that part of what launched him into the limelight was an early memoir of sorts, and the prospect of listening to him read the book was a huge plus. Like most that were fans of his, I missed his unapologetic commentary on, well, everything.
His Kitchen Confidential did not at all disappoint. His style seems unchanged for decades, a steady man exuding an effortless cool that few ever achieve. Listening to 2000 Bourdain sounded no different than 2017 Bourdain, to my great satisfaction.
What made this book additionally interesting to me is that I spent six years in my late teens and early 20s working in restaurants. I worked front of house, but so much of the drug and alcohol fueled shitshow that is the debauchery filled restaurant business felt homey to me as I listened. The adrenaline pumping weekend dinner rushes, walking out with stacks of cash after a double shift, and weeknight partying were defining aspects of my undergraduate years. I was so good at my job and making so much money during those years that I seriously considered leaving college to pursue a full-time career in fine dining. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like had I taken the plunge.
If you haven’t already, I’d highly recommend reading Kitchen Confidential, especially on audio. It’s a quick, funny, and shocking read about the “back of house.” Oh, and take it from an expert -- don’t order the specials, they’re mostly just old food. You’re welcome.
Published: January 2000
Format: Audio
If you think this sounds interesting, bookmark these other great reads:
Uncanny Valley: A Memoir by Anna Wiener (2021)
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance (2015)
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