Black, White, and The Grey

The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Restaurant

By: Mashama Bailey, John O. Morisano

Narrated by: Mashama Bailey, John O. Morisano

A story about the trials and triumphs of a Black chef from Queens, New York, and a White media entrepreneur from Staten Island who built a relationship and a restaurant in the Deep South, hoping to bridge biases and get people talking about race, gender, class, and culture.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY GARDEN & GUN • “Black, White, and The Grey blew me away.”—David Chang

In this dual memoir, Mashama Bailey and John O. Morisano take turns telling how they went from tentative business partners to dear friends while turning a dilapidated formerly segregated Greyhound bus station into The Grey, now one of the most celebrated restaurants in the country. Recounting the trying process of building their restaurant business, they examine their most painful and joyous times, revealing how they came to understand their differences, recognize their biases, and continuously challenge themselves and each other to be better.

Through it all, Bailey and Morisano display the uncommon vulnerability, humor, and humanity that anchor their relationship, showing how two citizens commit to playing their own small part in advancing equality against a backdrop of racism.

Great Book

This felt honest and relatable while also subtly powerful. It was refreshing in today's world of fake news and disinformation. Loved it.

Practical experiential knowledge of “how to become an Anti-Racist”!!

Loved that this was read by the authors!!! And appreciated that the journey to equality is TRULY A LONG HARD ROAD for US ALL!!!
THANK YOU!!!

Great narration

I loved the book … best of all was how both narrators grew to follow a similar cadence as they narrated. I wanted more “in the trenches” info. The only part I did not like was chapter 8… it felt super long to me, and very, VERY dry. I hung in there, but I was expressing my exasperation as I drove until that chapter passed.

Simply outstanding

Thoughtfully written, and an incredible performance of the book. This is a must read for so many.

This books makes you examine your preconceptions.

My local library has a yearly reading challenge to read 12 books of 16 categories by the end of the year. One of the categories is a book in a genre you usually don’t read. I originally heard about “Black, White and the Grey” on a segment of Sunday Morning. I liked the story and the fact the book had recipes, so I decided to buy it. It set in my audible library for at least a year. I am so glad for the library challenge. I kind of thought it was a cook book( food is featured throughout the book) and I might not have picked it up to read, but I was looking for something different to read. I was not expecting this. it grabbed my from the first pages and it reads like a conversation you would have with a good friend. I believe It’s a good book to use to start a non-threatening conversation about race relations and relationships and some of the issues that are so pervasive in America right now. I live 2 hours from Savannah and my friends and I are making plans to celebrate our birthdays at “ The Grey”. This is a good book to use and audible credit on.