Rating: 
Summary: Something's Burning in the Kitchen (It's the Chef's Wife)
Review: This is one of those memoirs by someone who has an interesting story to tell, but who you might not actually want to know personally. I felt the same way after reading A Walk Across France (fun idea, impossible couple) and yes, Kitchen Confidential. Without having read the blurbs for Wife of the Chef ahead of time, I found myself being reminded of Anthony Bourdain's book. And although I couldn't put Kitchen Confidential down, I wouldn't want to know Mr. Bourdain. Febbroriello seems to have all her nerves on the outside. She is certain that people can't appreciate all the hard work she does. She is a finicky eater and is sensitive about people's reactions to that. She looks younger than her years and is offended when others want to do business with someone who looks a bit older. And she is working in what is still, for the most part (Chez Panisse, notwithstanding), a testosterone-rich profession. No wonder she comes across as a bit prickly. Wife of the Chef moves along briskly and doesn't pull any punches. Febbroriello dishes the dirt on the customers, the restaurant staff, and herself. No one escapes, although the Chef does come out the least scathed. I'd love to eat at her restaurant and I enjoyed reading her book, but I think I might find her just a little exhausting to be around. Even on her (admittedly rare) days off.
Rating: 
Summary: Febbroriello Bites
Review: Unfortunately, the author is a person who can not write and does not like food. What this amounts to is uninspired, even crude, descriptions of food (she somewhat sheepishly, yet still with pugnacious pride, refers to a dessert as "icky," while at another point she demands "What exactly was marrow, and why, why, why would anyone want to eat it?" Perhaps you yourself do not care for marrow, but such disgust from someone whose livelihood centers on food?). What it also means though, is that this author's narrative holds together about as well as a string of personal anecdotes stitched together to meet the basic grading requirements for an undergraduate creative writing course (some of the chapter titles are especially indicative of the mundane events described therein: "Putting Away the Pickles," or, ouch, "Once Upon a Brine." Food people: enough with the silly puns already.). Febroriello reports that she finished her bachelor's degree in English in less than four years. The skid marks on that quickly earned English degree are obvious in this book. She should have stayed in school for the duration. Even more unfortunately, this writer does not like people. I mean to say, she SERIOUSLY does not like people. This is most evident in her nonstop nasty descriptions of customers, waiters and waitresses, customers, suppliers, reviewers, and customers. Her family members don't make out so well either: "My sister Devin will never work in another restaurant, and it's not just because I fired her for not coming to work. (I had no idea that she was really sick. I thought she was faking.)" I know Febbroriello was aiming for "caustic," or "biting," or at least for grabbing Anthony Bourdain's muse by the ankles and hanging on. She misses badly, whingingly, and meanly. Her representations of those who enter her restaurant to work or dine even sink to embarassingly crass stupidity. For example, in trying to describe the warm camaraderie shared by staff at the end of a long night, she narrows in on, again, complaints about the customers. If Febbroriello really did hear her staff say that one female diner "looked like she'd been ridden hard and gone to bed wet," she makes a grave mistake in assuming that her readers would shake their heads "and laugh along with them" as she did upon hearing this remark. Oh dear. I read through this scene in the same way one averts one eyes from a traffic accident. Bourdain is certainly no genius with a pen (and the continued comparison is unavoidable, since the rip-off of his Kitchen Confidential is undeniable here), but at least his cockiness is backed by a sense of the absurd, an obvious interest in others, and a love of the weird life he has built for himself. None of that is present in this book. Actually, this book might be considered a valuable dieting tool-- it took away my apetite.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as interesting as I thought
Review: When my French husband who is a chef recommended me the book I thought, "Wow... this must be an interesting read." But after the first 2 chapters I knew it would be easy to put this book down and forget about it but I had to finish it anyway. I am the same age as the author and my husband opened his own restaurant in Thailand. Some of her stories I could relate to but there was too much whining as 1 reviewer mentioned. The writing needs work but then again this is her first book. The compilation of the book seemed messy as she jumps from one story to another. I would recommend The Fourth Star instead.
Rating:
Summary: Makes Nanny Diaries look like Flaubert!
Review: While the author has some great, great stories (and they're very close to my own experience), she's a dreadful writer! Please, don't think this is anything resembling a well-crafted book--she's just not a convincing author. Unlike Bourdain,who really as a flair for language, she can't make any situation or character come alive. Great idea, poor execution. Don't waste your money.
Rating: 
Summary: Wife of the Chef is a quick, fun read.....
Review: Wife of the Chef is a quick, fun read that's almost like eating potato chips while watching the Food Network. The book takes you through a day in Courtney's life which helped me to see how many tasks must be accomplished to keep a restaurant running smoothly. I was touched by her description of a customer the restaurant staff call Mrs. Bourbon and I laughed when Courtney was carded by Liquor Control while she applied for the liquor license. I also loved the differences between Courtney's childhood food experiences and her chef husband's memories. I laughed. I cried. I laughed some more. This is a great book for anyone who thinks they might want to own a restaurant or just loves to cook.
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