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Liked It “I was so consumed by this book. I even went to New Orleans and ate at the suggested Restaurants.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“I was so consumed by this book. I even went to New Orleans and ate at the suggested Restaurants. ”
Loli L wrote this review Thursday, July 30 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Poppy's first foray into the realm of culinary fiction - a resounding success!”
Heather M wrote this review Friday, June 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I've been a fan of Brite since she published Lost Souls, and while this new series is nowhere near her old dark modern fantasy, it's still filled with the quality of writing that I've grown to expect of her. The characters are lively and believable, the descriptions of the food will leave you drooling, and the plot is the high quality standard that Brite-lovers have come to love.
cailement wrote this review Saturday, January 5 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
That said, the main characters in this book are gay. Now, I have no problem with this, like I said, quite the opposite, I've enjoyed Brite's other books quite well, but if you have a problem with it, then perhaps this book is not for you. And mores the pity, you'll be missing out on some excellent writing.
I'm very much looking forward to reading the sequels. ”
“Book 1 in the Rickey & G-Man series (Prime, Soul Food, D*U*C*K follow). Rickey & G-Man have been friends since they were kids. Now, Rickey wants them to open their own restaurant based on Rickey's idea of a menu that includes liquor in all the items. The man that offers to help them get started is a well-known chef, but Rickey doesn't know if they should trust him. A rival has a grudge against Rickey and wants to see him not only fail - but dead! Thus begins the new careers for both Rickey & G-Man.”
RuthlessBatty wrote this review Tuesday, April 8 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This introduction to the series feature Rickey and G-man is funny, witty and sensual. Forgot, the sex, give me the food! If Poppy ever writes a cookbook, I'll be first in line to buy it. ”
tmmercury wrote this review Friday, October 12 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I love, love, love this book and this series. It's so service industry and so New Orleans. Makes me want to work in a restaurant and live in New Orleans again.”
superjen wrote this review Thursday, September 6 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I love New Orleans.
Lady Crow wrote this review Thursday, July 19 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
There's one writer who is phenomenal at bringing me back to the city without having to board a bus, train, plane or embark on the 14 hour drive south. Her name's Poppy Z. Brite. She was once known for writing gothic horror/vampire/gay rock star and mass murderer novels but moved on to writing about the raging restaurant business down there because her husband, Chris DeBarr is an award-winning chef who currently works in the restaurant Delachaise, where I'm definitely dining when I visit New Orleans again,
Liquor tells the story of Rickey and G-man, two chefs who have been together since they were 16 in mind, body and spirit. They remind me a lot of me and Chris - Rickey's a hothead, the idea man, the one who kicks himself in all kinds of ways if he's not moving forward. G-man's more level-headed, the only person in the world who can look Rickey in the eyes to calm him down, just as talented as Rickey but would be happy cooking in a line for ever as long as Rickey was beside him. He comes up with ideas as well and is co-owner of the restaurant, Liquor, but his calm spirit is able to level Rickey out. He'll kick some ass if need be, however.
It does stink that Poppy's publisher decided to market the book as a murder mystery and not more as a beautiful slice of New Orleans culture. I'm sure they were marketing in the only way they could figure was viable at the moment, especially since she wasn't writing under the guise of horror, but "murder mystery" doesn't seem to be an apt description to me. Amazon dubs it "foodie lit." OK. That's hip to be square enough.
I loved the descriptions of the recipes, the excitement of opening the restaurant (it reminded me very much of the energy that happens before opening a show), the descriptions of just how hard a kitchen staff works and just how hard they drink afterwards. When I worked as a cocktail waitress in New Orleans, there was nothing better than ending my shift and getting something cool and alcoholic. I would often meet Chris in a bar afterwards and rest my weary stumps and enjoy the booze. My sister's boyfriend, Nate, is interning at North Pond in Lincoln Park and he was asked "Do you drink or anything?" by someone he works with. He has a medical condition that doesn't allow him to drink and his coworker said, "No drugs? No booze? Nothin'? Man, how can you stand doing this job without altering your mind in someway?" Totally. He wonders that himself.
I also loved her handful of references to the best New Orleans book ever, Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Liqour is in a part of town that, unfortunately, we know very well and Poppy described it to a tee.
Here are some quotes from amazon.com about the book that sum up my thoughts very nicely:
"As much a love letter to the Big Easy as it is to the demanding (and sometimes debauched) lifestyle of a chef ..."
"The plot is pretty boilerplate, but Brite's characters are as refreshingly unpretentious as a healthy helping of comfort food." Publisher's Weekly (Which probably explains my addiction for reading all things Poppy right now. "Boilerplate" is a good term for it ... it's definitely not a manual on rocket science, but she's a solid writer. It kind of drove me nuts that she threw herself into it, but what can you do? Yes, it wasn't her, but it was her Doc Brite character and that provides enough cheese for Rickey's straws.)
"...it will be an eye-opener for anyone who has never seen what really goes on behind the scenes in a fine-dining kitchen." Elliot Swanson
Yes. If you've ever worked in the food industry (either front of house or on the lines), if you've ever spent time in New Orleans other than skulking around on Bourbon Street and if you like fine food and liqour, this book is for you.
And there's a spot of murder and a dab of mystery as well, I suppose.”
“Having read and enjoyed Poppy Z. Brite's previous horror novels, I was not put off at all by her transition to another genre. The reason for this is that I not only enjoyed Brite's stories, but I really enjoyed her writing style. Good writing is good writing, regardless of genre, and this book was my proof. I enjoyed this book as much as I did her horror novels. In fact, I might even have enjoyed it more, due to the the higher level of character development in "Liquor." I felt that with this book, Brite made the leap from "good horror writer" to "good writer."”
m0ntr0se wrote this review Thursday, April 12 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
