Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll

How Food Lovers, Free Spirits, Misfits and Wanderers Created a New American Profession

By: Andrew Friedman

Narrated by: Roger Wayne

Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll transports listeners back in time to witness the remarkable evolution of the American restaurant chef in the 1970s and 1980s. Andrew Friedman goes inside Chez Panisse and other Bay Area restaurants to show how the politically charged backdrop of Berkeley helped spark this new profession; into the historically underrated community of Los Angeles chefs, including a young Wolfgang Puck; and into the clash of cultures between established French chefs in New York City and the American game changers behind the Quilted Giraffe, River Café, and other storied establishments.

Along the way, the chefs, their struggles, their cliques, and, of course, their restaurants are brought to life in vivid, memorable detail. As the '80s unspool, we watch the profession evolve as American masters like Thomas Keller rise, and watch the genesis of a "chef nation" as chefs start crisscrossing the country for work and special events and legendary hangouts like Blue Ribbon become social focal points, all as the industry-altering Food Network shimmers on the horizon.

A (mostly) oral history told primarily in the words of the people who lived it - from writers like Ruth Reichl to chefs like Jeremiah Tower and Jonathan Waxman - Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll treats listeners to an unparalleled 360-degree re-creation of the industry and the times through the perspectives not only of the pioneering chefs but also of line cooks, front-of-house personnel, investors, and critics who had front-row seats to this extraordinary transformation.

©2018 Andrew Friedman (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

I Was There

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in food and restaurants and food history. It's very well written, The food scene in LA was very exciting during this time.

What did you like best about this story?

I was in LA and part of the food, food writing and restaurant industry from the late 70's through the 80's. The book is well researched, but I can think of a couple of LA people that I'm sorry aren't included. Nevertheless, to read about the evolution of dining and eating as an art and the emergence of chefs as celebrities makes this book a fascinating page turner.

What didn’t you like about Roger Wayne’s performance?

I wish these narrators would do more research on pronunciation. I cringed every time I heard a person's name or food mispronounced...escpecially the French terms. How hard could it be to do a little checking before you get into the recording booth?

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It's too long, but very fun to listen to.

Any additional comments?

I bought the hard copy and was happy I did, because there are footnotes that are never part of the narration that enhance this author's work. Details that are interesting to the whole story and people involved are missing from the narration because of the lack of footnote narration.

loved it

What a great trip down memory lane. I was in the kitchen at Michael's, Trumps, and Spago through all of that. It was a madhouse but what an adventure. the only thing I struggled with was the narrator's horrific pronunciations of French culinary terms. Noteworthy are poissionier, cuisinier and garde manger. Loved it nonetheless.

Totally loved

Gave me insight into all the chefs I’ve grown to admire. It was intriguing to hear the stories behind the beginning of the celebrity chef scene.

great

well written
great read
well done
very much enjoyed the true stories
cant wait to read the follow

Good Book

For me, the book itself is awesome. The narration, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired. I know I'm probably nit-picking, but some prep on the part of the narrator and producers is necessary. Mispronunciation throughout drove me crazy; names of people, places and dishes inclusive. That said, I enjoyed this book very much.

Great History

I enjoyed this throughly! Unfortunate title right now, in the era of younger chefs that won’t pick it up thinking it’s going to glorify an unhealthy culinary life. I learned a lot from the 70’s and 80’s and actually lived the 90’s (actually still do what I do) in the San Francisco Bay Area. I knew the real people and it was a joy to see the history they built on from New York. I forgotten more than I realized. This is the era right before Food Network built celebrity chefs.

The reading performance is very hard to ignore

The stories are meaningful, entertaining, & seem well documented for an oral history.
Before purchasing this recording, I assumed the reviewers were nitpicking with their commentary on the performer's pronunciation & characterizations. I owe those reviewers a public apology.
It is stunning that any editorial team would allow this recording to be released. The author should pursue legal action.
I am a chef of the age of those profiled. I have known & still count several of the protagonists as friends. The spirit of those times is well captured. The events described , at least the ones I have first-hand knowledge of, are reported accurately. However, most of the main characters come off as far better people and in some cases better chefs than they actually were/are. As seems to be the case in most walks of life, it is hard to be a ground breaking success without being a bit of an animal. I think the author glosses over this idea due to a mild case of hero worship.

the industry in it's early years

if you have any hopes of making it in the service industry... be it chef, server, bartender...etc. it is good to know where the humble beginnings started and paved the way for you! this book can give those insights. amongst countless other

Amazing book!!

An absolutely fantastic book on American chefs from the 70’s and 80’s. As a chef I find my self constantly returning to this book for inspiration.

Interesting history, ok reading performance

The story is interesting, if you care about the subject. There’s a bit of repetition of quotations, close in time, which strikes the listener as odd, because they’re all specifically worded. (Maybe they were too good to use just once?) But otherwise the book takes a nice twisting path through contemporary American restaurant history.

The performance is just fine. All of the women’s “voices” are essentially identical and a little whiny. Accents drop out here and there, and some are unidentifiable. Names are sometimes mispronounced. All fine. But the cooking terms and food names are often wrong (e.g., abalone becomes a-beh-lon). This is a book partially about food, and you get the feeling the performer didn’t bother even to look up the words he didn’t know. Some of common English words are also mispronounced—very strange for professional voice work, and somewhat jarring for the listener.

In sum, the story is good and the performance passable. I’m not sorry I bought it and spent time on it.