Members with This Book
Most Helpful Reviews
see all reviews
Liked It “For me, this was a page turner and I took each opportunity, no matter how small, to read a few pages here or there. I love the idea of robust foods savored in the season of their prime and the benefits this model of consumption gives to the local grower. Among many, one of my favorite quotes...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Although written with obvious respect for Alice Waters, her personality was conveyed, to me, as commandeering without responsibility. Seems as though the food movement to which she is credited, came about rather haphazardly and in the midst of a drug-induced lifestyle that just happened to...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
see all reviews-
“This is very gossipy and almost like reading a very long New Yorker article; but I kept reading. If you love food and food movements and food gossip - great read.”
maryanne b wrote this review Wednesday, August 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“For me, this was a page turner and I took each opportunity, no matter how small, to read a few pages here or there. I love the idea of robust foods savored in the season of their prime and the benefits this model of consumption gives to the local grower. Among many, one of my favorite quotes by Alice Waters is “Food shouldn’t be fast, and it shouldn’t be cheap”. I’m a person who carries anxiety after reading a McDonald’s poster boasting an 89 cent hamburger. True, except for a few years in college when Taco Bell burritos were what my food budget could support, I’ve never been in a situation where I had to worry about sustenance for myself or a hurting hungry child. I know this isn’t the case around the world, or even in America, so I’m not one to castigate corporate agriculture and the role they can play in raising the standard of living in less fortunate situations. In this story, I was thrilled to see that the Montessori way (sensory, experimentation, optimism, confidence) influenced Alice during the early days of Chez Panisse . I imagine her Edible Schoolyard project and the publicity associated with it will make a big imprint on the path to restoring the health of America’s youth. On a reverse note, the book doesn’t present her as a personality one would likely want to hang with for too long. Her story is littered with glimpses implying “control freak” as well as a pretension surrounding her talented taste buds. It’s mentioned more than once that others in her life handle her dirty work. But so it goes with many visionaries whose accomplishments are described using the word “revolution”. In her case, The Delicious Revolution.
Darla wrote this review Thursday, July 23 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
One other point about the writing, there were many unfamiliar adjectives and verbs. I resorted to circling and consulting a dictionary in batches so as to not miss a message. But, if the words riposte, espalier, elegiac and depauperate are in your vocabulary, you shouldn’t have a problem.
”
“With a great subject like Alice Waters and a her restaurant it would be hard to write a bad book. What James Beard was to American cuisine, and Julia Child to French, Alice is to slow food. She is not the only one who cared about slow food, sustainability, and giving back, she's just the catalyst for the changes that we see now.
Cheese Wench wrote this review Sunday, March 1 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I got to see her speak when I lived in VT and there are a few things you should know:
1. She is just as passionate in person as she reads on paper
2. She is a petite little woman. (I'm only 5'4" and I felt like an Amazon standing next to her)”“Having just gone to Napa, I found the subject interesting. It may be awful to say, but I got a little tired of reading the menus. I wanted to be eating the food, not reading about it.”
LoriSuzanne wrote this review Friday, September 26 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I live in Berkeley and Chez Panisse is in Berkeley, not far away. Love the restaurant, loved the book. I've been to lots of great restaurants (e.g., Babbo in New York, The French Laundry in Yountville, etc.), but I keep coming back to Chez Panisse. ”
Thom M wrote this review Sunday, April 27 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Although I've never had the pleasure of dining at Chez Panisse, I've always admired Alice Waters. She does great community work with children & sustainable gardens. She's lived quite an amazing life. For me, it's a book that I can read, put down & come back to later. A great glimpse into an entrepreneur's world...you'll be surprised.”
Nadja M wrote this review Wednesday, March 26 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Adulatory -- but probably the most comprehensive work on the restaurant's history. I could have done with more context and background -- but again, that's the historian in me. Sigh. Always wanting more!”
Maureen O wrote this review Thursday, February 28 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I have only begun reading this. No comment so far, but I tremendously admire and value what Alice Waters has done for today's cuisine being basic, simple, whole, fresh, and slow. The way it should be... AMEN!”
Jo-De D wrote this review Saturday, October 20 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Although written with obvious respect for Alice Waters, her personality was conveyed, to me, as commandeering without responsibility. Seems as though the food movement to which she is credited, came about rather haphazardly and in the midst of a drug-induced lifestyle that just happened to include the intention to create great food.”
KateJ wrote this review Monday, September 3 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Displaying 1-10 of 10
