My Place At The Table: A Recipe for a Delicious Life in Paris

(Hardback)

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In this debut memoir, a James Beard Award-winning writer, whose childhood idea of fine dining was Howard Johnson's, tells how he became one of Paris's most influential food critics My Place at the Table is the story of how a timid Connecticut boy grew up to be a bon vivant and the dining critic of the largest newspaper in the French-speaking world. It is also a touching and funny coming-of-age story about the healing role of food. Until Alec Lobrano landed a job in the glamorous Paris office of Women's Wear Daily, his main experience of French cuisine had been the occasional supermarket clair. An interview with the owner of France's best cheese shop for his first article nearly proves a disaster because he speaks almost no French. As he slowly rises to become the taste arbiter of the world's best food city, Lobrano describes the lessons learned from leading culinary figures, the dining revolution caused by the birth of the modern bistro, his favourite and least favourite restaurants and most memorable meals, what it's like to write for the French, and why our show-off culture is bad for food. AUTHOR: Alec Lobrano writes regularly on food and travel for many publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and Conde Nast Traveler. He has appeared on CBS Morning News, the TODAY show, Chef's Table, and Iron Chef. He lives in Paris.

Reviews

A redoubtable restaurant critic and 30-year resident of Paris sets the table with an enticing menu of memories...Lobrano writes with mouthwatering elan, dash, and feeling.Kirkus Lobranos story is inspiring, and his prose lush and inviting. Readers will savor every last page.Publishers Weekly Rest assured, theres never a dull moment in My Place at the Table. Its a veritable feast of humility, humor and emotion.BookPage Like so many food-lovers, Alec Lobrano dreamed of a life in Paris.Unlike the rest of us, he made the dream come true.In this warm, delicious, and extremely candid book, he lets us in on all his secrets.Everyone who loves French food will want to read this memoir. Ruth Reichl A flat-out wonderful read, full of the stories and secrets that make eating in Paris what we want to be doing right now. Lobrano has a genius for finding characters at every level of the food chainthe peasant chef, or thegrande damehome cook, or the bistro revolutionary with his simple, perfect dishesand for owning up to tasting foods for the first time and describing them withsurprising poetic flair.ReadingMy Place at the Tableon a New York subway, I did something I have never done:I missed my stop. Bill Buford, best-selling author ofHeatandDirt In this coming-of-age tale, Alec Lobrano chronicles his discovery of taste during a challenging youth, which led him to emerge asone of the most astute and brilliant writers on French cuisine. Few understand France, and its cuisine, as deeply as Alec, and readers will devourMy Place at the Table, which isseasoned by his sharp humor, a soupon of heartbreak, and the satisfaction of triumph, all framed by his reminiscences of delicious diningat Pariss most lauded tables. This book is truly a recipe for pleasure! David Lebovitz, author ofMy Paris KitchenandFrench Drinks Alexander Lobrano's beautiful memoir about finding himself through writing about food is charming, wise, and often very funny. An American who has lived in Paris for more than thirty years, he offersfresh insights into French culinary culture. Alice Waters A long-lasting love story with the French food scene told withwit, verve, and great expertise." Chef Alain Ducasse Lobrano excels in weavinga full and timeless human story with bits of mouthwatering epicureanism.He elevates food to an essential anchor of memory in a rich and dynamic human story and shows us that deliciousness, in food and in writing, is achieved through authenticity, clarity, and vulnerability.This book is another example of why Alec Lobranos voice is so important: His writing is a meticulous, generous, and joyful affirmation of life. Daniel Rose, chef, New York City (Le Coucou) and Paris (Chez la Vieille) All I really wanted to do was go to different places to eat, and then write it all down, says a young Alexander Lobrano inMy Place at the Table. Thank goodness he followed his appetites, which eventually led him to Paris, renown as a food critic and now, the author of a memoir thats by turnspoi

Author Bio

ALEC LOBRANO writes regularly on food and travel for many publications, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and Conde Nast Traveler. He has appeared on CBS Morning News, TODAY, Chef's Table, and Iron Chef. He lives in Paris.