- ISBN13: 9780865476929
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
New York is the greatest restaurant city the world has ever seen.In Appetite City, the former New York Times restaurant critic William Grimes leads us on a grand historical tour of New York’s dining culture. Beginning with the era when simple chophouses and oyster bars dominated the culinary scene, he charts the city’s transformation into the world restaurant capital it is today. Appetite City takes us on a unique and delectable journey, from the days when oysters and turtle were the most popular ingredients in New York cuisine, through the era of the fifty-cent French and Italian table d’hôtes beloved of American “Bohemians,” to the birth of Times Square—where food and entertainment formed a partn… More >>
Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York
Margaret J. Bailey
March 4, 2010 at 10:30 am
I enjoyed this book immensely until I read his lines on page 283..how Politically Correct..how dismissive of 2 airplanes commandeered by rich,educated Saudis..who determined to kill Americans..and this author so offhandidly says”..on September 11 ,after two jetliners slammed into the Twin Towers..”
that was just too much. How liberal of him..
My parents and my husband and I danced and dined at the Windows on the World..my brother and I ate meals there..my friend,neighbor,Patrick O’Keefe died,as a firefighter with Rescue 1,trying to save the lives of all those innocent people.
No,I won’t buy another copy of this book.The cowards,the politically correct,don’t deserve a cent of my money.
Rating: 1 / 5
SamIam
March 4, 2010 at 12:43 pm
The dust jacket’s back flap shows the author sporting a self-satisfied look; for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. I certainly hoped to read a dynamic telling of New York’s culinary history; instead, I found a narrative far more worthy of airline cuisine. While Mr. Grimes might have researched his topic, his prose has all the fluidity of crumpled sheet metal (a flaw that rather contradicts the back cover’s “engrossing” proclamation). In Mr. Grimes’ hands, “to be” becomes a crutch. In addition, the transitions within chapters felt clunky. As a result, the book simply felt rheumatic.
This history of New York’s restaurants ends, incongruously, with a sampling of Mr. Grimes’ take on a few restaurants during his tenure as New York Times critic. Not only do his critiques not meld with the historical bent of the rest of the book, but none of them even have the saving grace of wit. I would hope that Mr. Grimes would have had a few zingers in his four-year tenure–why could he not have used them?
Would I judge every writer this harshly? Certainly not. I have higher expectations for pretigious journalists (and some, such as AA Gill, David Remnick, and Bill Bryson, have returned the favor by creating effortless, readable prose). Appetite City simply doesn’t reach its potential.
NOTE: Since my original review 12 December 2009 (it’s now the 20th), several people have either condemned my review or written their own favorable reviews. A majority of them began their careers as amazon reviewers this week and with this book. In addition, two of these people list [...] emails on their “about me” pages. While I certainly believe folks have a right to their opinion (as do I), I take issue with the blatant cronyism evident in the defense of Mr. Grimes. Why would you make your New York Times work email so readily traceable when reviewing a book by your coworker if you wish to maintain any pretense of objectivity?
Rating: 1 / 5
Ginny Homer
March 4, 2010 at 1:40 pm
This book took me by surprise. I could not have imagined that a tale of defunct restaurants could be so lively and so funny. Mr. Grimes has managed to summon up, generously and with great wit, bygone places, people, and an entire era.
Rating: 5 / 5
Albert Simons
March 4, 2010 at 3:19 pm
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Grimes is an excellent writer who really brings his subject to life. I found myself immersed in the tastes and excitements of New York from the 1800’s until the present. In the author’s capable hands, food becomes a fascinating prism in which to understand the history of a great city.
Rating: 5 / 5
Edie Sousa
March 4, 2010 at 5:47 pm
My overall impression of this book is that Mr. Grimes was exhausted after doing the research, which I must say was extensive and scrupulously done. I can only imagine the vast amounts of information that were available. But, having found it all and strung it all together, he failed to find the statue hiding in the marble. As he approached the end, it became more of a timeline: and then there was, and then there was, and finally. Where was the editor on this project? In my opinion, what should have been a lively history of a rich topic read more like a somewhat humorless dissertation. There were moments of comic relief, but overall I feel that the subject deserved better.
Rating: 2 / 5