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Summary: Really interesting reading for food lovers!
Review: And the purpose of this book is....Well, to be honest, I was not quite sure. Then two hours passed, and I was still reading it.That was my first impression of Chef's Night Out, the latest publication from Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, the same team that brought us Becoming a Chef, Culinary Artistry and Dining Out. Chef's Night Out serves as a mouthpiece for over one hundred chefs, highlighting their favorite restaurants, what they eat, and why they eat there. The index of contributing chefs reads like a Who's Who of American cooking: Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud, Todd English, Rick Bayless and Francois Payard, to name but a few. The restaurant recommendations, however, range from upscale destinations like Nobu, Bobby Flay's choice for inventive Japanese cuisine, to downtown recommendations like Pho Bang, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's house of pleasure of simple Vietnamese food. What makes the book really interesting is reading why the chefs like to eat at a certain restaurant -- understanding what a great chef thinks makes a great restaurant serves up an unusual learning experience. Additionally, there is a multitude of short educational essays throughout the book -- not all of which come from chefs. Stephen Beckta, sommelier of Cafe Boulud, writes an outstanding piece, unveiling his wine philosophies: Serving Wine to Industry Insiders, Wine and Food Pairing Guidelines, Matching Wines and World Cuisines, and Palate of the People, describing how a client's palate is often based on their geographic origins. His three-page article alone makes the book worth picking up. So, if you are the kind of food lover who has the money to spare and loves to read easily-digestible short stories -- like Norman Van Aken's snippet on Cooking in Miami, Charlie Trotter's tips on creating a memorable dining experience, or just that Mario Batali likes well-done hot dogs from Gray's Papaya, then this is one for you. --Jeremy Emmerson
Rating: 
Summary: A must-own book for restaurant lovers across the USA!
Review: CHEF'S NIGHT OUT authors Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page are hosts of a new show of the same name that is aired on TaxiVu in the backseats of New York City taxicabs. They interview top chefs about their favorite places to eat in the city, and provide insider tips on what to order when you're there and what else not to miss. This book tells where 100 top chefs across the U.S. like to eat on their nights off -- where Daniel Boulud eats in New York City, where Charlie Trotter eats in Chicago, where Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel eat in Los Angeles. I can't imagine a better book to guide me to great restaurants in San Francisco, Washington, DC, Detroit or New Orleans -- or any of the other dozens of cities covered. Even if I don't make it to all of these places, I still enjoy reading about them and learning more about how top chefs think about food and restaurants. Still, after reading CHEF'S NIGHT OUT, I'm planning a trip to New Orleans so I can check out Uglesich's (a favorite of everyone from Todd English to Anne Rosenzweig to Charlie Trotter)!!
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Summary: Where the best chefs eat and why!
Review: Chef's Night Out by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page tells you where the best chefs across America like to eat and why. This simple idea packs a lot of information into it. It's not just a list of four-star restaurants. You also find out where they go for burgers and oysters and pizza and steak and in the process you find out what they think makes for a great burger and oyster and pizza and steak. It's an education just to read about why they like these places and the food they serve, even if I never make it to half these places (which are in cities from New York to Los Angeles, but also cities I never go to like Atlanta and Baltimore). There are also a lot of interesting articles on things like what kinds of wine to drink with different ethnic foods, which is worth the price of the book in itself. This book is a must for any professional chef who wants to know how the top 100 chefs think about food (and who they are).
Rating:
Summary: Where the best chefs eat and why!
Review: Chef's Night Out by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page tells you where the best chefs across America like to eat and why. This simple idea packs a lot of information into it. It's not just a list of four-star restaurants. You also find out where they go for burgers and oysters and pizza and steak and in the process you find out what they think makes for a great burger and oyster and pizza and steak. It's an education just to read about why they like these places and the food they serve, even if I never make it to half these places (which are in cities from New York to Los Angeles, but also cities I never go to like Atlanta and Baltimore). There are also a lot of interesting articles on things like what kinds of wine to drink with different ethnic foods, which is worth the price of the book in itself. This book is a must for any professional chef who wants to know how the top 100 chefs think about food (and who they are).
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Summary: FUN book!
Review: Gosh, what a treat this book is! I love reading about each chef's approach to food, and I love to know where they eat and why. This surpasses a tool like Zagat's because these people really know how to rate a place. They aren't bowled over by presentation alone, they really know what quality food is and they appreciate it wherever they find it. I live in a very small place with one fine dining establishment and not many good places to eat otherwise, so I can hardly wait to get out of town and try some of the places that I've read about.
Rating:
Summary: FUN book!
Review: Gosh, what a treat this book is! I love reading about each chef's approach to food, and I love to know where they eat and why. This surpasses a tool like Zagat's because these people really know how to rate a place. They aren't bowled over by presentation alone, they really know what quality food is and they appreciate it wherever they find it. I live in a very small place with one fine dining establishment and not many good places to eat otherwise, so I can hardly wait to get out of town and try some of the places that I've read about.
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Summary: A Fun Book, for reading, information...and DREAMING!
Review: I may not get to travel that much (except maybe to Chicago), but when I do, I sure do like to have all my ducks in a row. That's why I love this book. I can read about different places I want to travel to, and see what restaurants the "real" residents will be eating in. It's arranged so you can take it city by city, but once you are in a particular city, you can read right straight through it. Even if I don't get to Los Angeles, I sure will know where to eat there!
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Summary: Great for anyone who travels regularly
Review: I travel a lot on business and am always looking for interesting places to take clients or grab a quick bite myself. This book is great! I especially like the wine tips, and having all the addresses and phone numbers right there. And the comments from the chefs are fun to read! I will definitely browse through this before every trip.
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Summary: Fabulous guide for traveling foodies!
Review: I truly had trouble putting this book down. First I checked out the NYC scene, then I read about the city I had just visited, and then on to the city I will next visit. So many restaurants, and so little time! I'm especially looking forward to exploring some of the non-descript, inexpensive places that the chefs recommend.
Rating:
Summary: A mouth-watering gastronomic tome.
Review: I'm hungry....I find CHEF'S NIGHT OUT, the most recent book from foodie factory Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page (authors of BECOMING A CHEF, DINING OUT, CULINARY ARTISTRY and the BECOMING A CHEF JOURNAL -- all within the past five years), useful. Or inspirational, anyway. This wildly overdesigned book basically asks a hundred top American chefs where they like to eat out, both in their own cities and other places. You can use it as a guidebook (I will have to eat in La Iguana Feliz and Nicholas the next time I am in Portland, La Folie and Chava's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, Etats-Unis in New York -- these are cities I think I know well, and these places are new to me), for your general food education (with its appendixes and lists), or read it just for fun. CHEF'S NIGHT OUT is pure pleasure....
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