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I loved this book. The subject, about the ins and outs of restaurants, and a voyage to Italy to learn butchering among other things kept me glued to this audiobook. I think it's very good quality and will re-listen to it again I'm sure. Probably one of my favorite audible downloads so far.

This is a unique story from extended research from the author. It is very educational and entertaining. It'll keep you interested. I read the book and then later listened to the audiobook. The audiobook, as usual, was a much richer experience. Story telling is so much more entertaining.

The adventures in Italy were very interesting and enlightening.

Highly recommended and certainly worth the time and credit.

Absolutely enjoyable and I learned a ton about what it is like to become a cook by working in some of the world's best kitchens. Lots of funny stories and anecdotes. Highly recommended.

The stories in this book, as well as the food/restaurant insights, are fascinating. Thoroughly enjoyable.

This is definitely a "foodie" book. From his beginning as a line cook for Mario Batali to his explorations in Tuscany to learn to make home-made pasta, we follow the author on his quest to learn more about the food for which he has always had such passion. His zeal for his subject is contagious and will have your mouth watering, though I have read reviews from non-cooks who could not handle the rather extensive exegesis on short ribs and I must agree that he does get obsessive at times. I'm into cooking and food prep and Italy for that matter, so I followed him every step of the way and enjoyed the journey.

There was some language thrown in that I thought was unnecessary, not overly excessive, just more than I would like. Overall, I enjoyed the book so much that I bought 3 copies for my brothers and brother-in-law who are all chefs and foodies too.

Who would have though that and audible description of someone's culinary adventures and expeditions into learning the craft could be so entertaining. I find that there is just the right balance between insightful observation and humour in this book. I learned more about preparing pasta than I ever thought possible while realizing that it is also about a way of live. If you care about good food you will care about this book.

For the most part, this was a really enjoyable book. The glimpse into various extremely different food worlds was fascinating: from celebrity chef Mario Batali's 3-star New York restaurant to uncelebrated Italian women who make tortellini the way their grandmothers were taught by their grandmothers. I loved Buford's self-deprecating wit and his genuine interest in people of all stripes, as well as in the food they cook. Although the book is most known for its intimate portrait of Batali's kitchen, I found the chapters on the artisanal food producers in Italy even more appealing, making me want to fly off to Italy to feast on traditional dishes before they are lost to modern fast food. My only objection to the book was Buford's over-use of expetives. It is too bad he didn't learn from all those great cooks that seasoning is most appealing when laid on with a light hand.

The book is riveting! Tons of information and extremely candid. The narrator is just awful. Incredibly smug in tone which belies the self deprecating tone of the book. Worst of all, the narrator grossly mispronounces Italian and French words while trying to overdo the accent for each word. Also, when he reads quotes from Marco Pierre White, he uses a bad Scottish accent instead of a British accent. I have listened to this multiple times because of the wealth of information in it but the narration is just torture. The author would have been a great reader - he's very animated when I've seen him be interviewed. It looks like the author did indead read the abridged version. I really wished that he did this one, too.

This book is just okay. It tended to move a little slowly. It is a lot of kitchen talk about the behind the scenes workings of a restaurant which is is interesting for a few hours, but not for 12 hours. It's is probably great for those who are really interested in the restaurant business or are really into food.

A book for foodies, chefs, aspiring cooks, those with a history with gastronomy or restaurants and enjoy a good read on the subject will greatly enjoy this title. The story is quite a journey by a journalist who decided to immerse himself into the culinary world in such a way as not many have.

Michael Kramer presents this book in a consistant and pleasant manner. Some of his mispronunciations are a bit grating but he is presented with a challenge array of languages and kitchen lingo.He even manages to throw in a few sometimes laughable accents.

For those that complain about the language - take it for what it is... the way of many kitchens and restaurants. I'm sure that the actual events likely contained even more colorful language than what actually ended up in the book.