Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

So I read this while in labor. That's pretty much an adequate summary of what I really remember about this book.

Okay, to be fair, I also found the view of the inside of the kitchen a lot less interesting than billed, probably because after Bourdain wrote Kitchen Confidential, there was much in the way of copy-catting, culminating in a plethora of TV shows providing the same inside scoop. On the other hand, the view of Bourdain trying to move from being a lay-about to actually making something of a life for himself was fascinating

I feel like this book was superseded a bit by the explosion in cooking shows and networks and all that, but I also think this book precipitated that explosion in a way, so it's a victim of its own success, I guess? I read this entire thing in Anthony Bourdain's voice. Which makes sense, since he wrote it.

Really great book. I recommend the audiobook version which was narrated by the author.