My Place at the Table: A Recipe for a Delicious Life in Paris
- Downloads：4821
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-07 10:19:16
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Alexander Lobrano
- ISBN：B08WJRM1FJ
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Lezley
，
Airmail
Susan McBeth
，
Alec Lobrano's reflections on his life in his new memoir， My Place at the Table， are as delectable， sumptuous， and satisfying as the exquisite food he has written about as one of the world's premiere food critics。 His word pairings are as much a feast for the senses as the food he writes about。 Just one of many examples: "The oysters arrived， and the architecture of the meal I'd constructed quieted my mind。 The iodine-rich rush of the fleshy oysters braced me for the future， while the wine blunt Alec Lobrano's reflections on his life in his new memoir， My Place at the Table， are as delectable， sumptuous， and satisfying as the exquisite food he has written about as one of the world's premiere food critics。 His word pairings are as much a feast for the senses as the food he writes about。 Just one of many examples: "The oysters arrived， and the architecture of the meal I'd constructed quieted my mind。 The iodine-rich rush of the fleshy oysters braced me for the future， while the wine blunted my fear of it， and the melted butter the sole had bathed in was soft balm for my sadness。" I feasted on this gorgeous book for only 2 days， because I couldn't help but gorge myself。 。。。more
Ann Mah
，
On the surface it's charming and effervescent， but this memoir of Paris food critic （and friend） Alexander Lobrano is weighted with memories and emotions that cracked my heart open。 If you love France and food， you will love this book。 On the surface it's charming and effervescent， but this memoir of Paris food critic （and friend） Alexander Lobrano is weighted with memories and emotions that cracked my heart open。 If you love France and food， you will love this book。 。。。more
Susan
，
The only problem I had with this book is that it ended。 I liked the story， loved the author and would love to sit and have a meal and a chat with him。 It was at turns funny， sad， inspiring。 His descriptions of the meals and streets of Paris make me want to hop on the TGV right now and go out for an amazing meal。 Extra bonus was the list of restaurants at the end of the book。
Kiersten
，
My Place at the Table is the first memoir by self-described suburban Connecticut kid Alec Lobrano， who through his own grit and determination， transformed himself into one of France's most respected food critics。 Lobrano， who curiously seemed to care not a bit about fashion， used a fashion editor position to make his way to Paris， and pave his own way into the food world， by pushing the boundaries of his assignments; meanwhile， educating himself on French food， one meal at a time through a numbe My Place at the Table is the first memoir by self-described suburban Connecticut kid Alec Lobrano， who through his own grit and determination， transformed himself into one of France's most respected food critics。 Lobrano， who curiously seemed to care not a bit about fashion， used a fashion editor position to make his way to Paris， and pave his own way into the food world， by pushing the boundaries of his assignments; meanwhile， educating himself on French food， one meal at a time through a number of unexpected sources， his first landlady， neighbors， salty upstart and established chefs。。。The book is a love letter not only to his adopted home of Paris （though perhaps not so much its high society crowd）， but to the chefs and restaurant staff who tend to the serious business of food within in。 While Lobrano treats us to many of the innovative and groundbreaking meals in bistros and fine dining establishments， many take root in generations-old family recipes， the simple country food of Normandy， Alsace， Archeche， the Basque region。。。 We also get a glimpse of his heartbreaking childhood， the son of an heir to the Drake Baking Company and an accountant， who desperately want to mold him into a more "normal" boy， all the while hiding a disturbing family secret。 One strategy is to send him on a summer-long cross-country boys camping trip， where he ironically develops not only a taste for solitude， but for local cuisine beyond the white bread world of Connecticut。 This dysfunctional childhood full of odd characters gives us insight into his handling of encounters with such legendary figures as Yves St。 Laurent， Helene de Rothschild， Giorgio Armani， though the most charming of all， a disastrous lunch brokered by his mother with Ruth Reichl。 That his mother "acted like a puppy digging up a just-planted garden" bonds the two of them， leading to his most plum and coveted of assignments， for the now-dearly departed Gourmet magazine。 An unexpected bonus is the inclusion of Lobrano's Little Black Book， of his favorite Paris restaurants， ranging from "shockingly expensive' to the very humble。 A quick Internet survey shows most of these are still at least operating on a takeaway basis， so will hopefully be there when we all eventually get there！ 4。5 stars， rounded down。 Entirely possible that over time and further reflection， it evolves into a 5。。。Thank you to NetGalley， Houghton Mifflin Harcourt， and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
celtic bookgirl
，
A fascinating read for anyone who loves food！While I had never heard of the author， I am always up for a good culinary read， especially one that involves travel or other countries。 This book did not disappoint。 Warm and engaging， the writer never comes off as pretentious as some food critics unfortunately do。 He weaves an engaging tale that details how he faked his way into his career， using his love of food to ultimately position himself as a respected food journalist。 His descriptions of not j A fascinating read for anyone who loves food！While I had never heard of the author， I am always up for a good culinary read， especially one that involves travel or other countries。 This book did not disappoint。 Warm and engaging， the writer never comes off as pretentious as some food critics unfortunately do。 He weaves an engaging tale that details how he faked his way into his career， using his love of food to ultimately position himself as a respected food journalist。 His descriptions of not just the food he discovers， but also the people that he meets along his journey， draws readers in as if they were there beside him。 And speaking of food， be warned- this book will leave the reader hungry and seeking a meal such as the ones that Alexander enjoys himself。 So many dishes are detailed in mouth watering terms that I wanted to run out and find something- anything- that could possibly measure up to those tantalizing delights。 The writer is kind enough to end the book with a listing of his own favorite places （including price ranges） in France。 Unfortunately， since the only traveling that this reader is currently doing is of the armchair variety， my hopes of being able to share in such a meal are slim to none， but a girl can dream， can't she？I requested and received this e-book as an ARC （Advanced Reader Copy）。 I thank NetGalley， the publisher and the author for allowing me to read and give an honest review this title。 。。。more
Miraculous
，
so excited to be reading this book
Rennie
，
It feels like it’s been so long since I read a good foodoir， and especially one about France。 They can be so pretentious for some reason。 This was such a delight！ He is an absolutely lovely writer - warm and touching with an incredible eye （and memory） for detail （you can tell he’s been a journaler）。 Although weirdly for as much as I loved it I didn’t get on with the actual food writing so well。 It’s the style that turned me off food writing initially until I discovered other variations， i。e。 me It feels like it’s been so long since I read a good foodoir， and especially one about France。 They can be so pretentious for some reason。 This was such a delight！ He is an absolutely lovely writer - warm and touching with an incredible eye （and memory） for detail （you can tell he’s been a journaler）。 Although weirdly for as much as I loved it I didn’t get on with the actual food writing so well。 It’s the style that turned me off food writing initially until I discovered other variations， i。e。 melodramatically descriptive， lots of nonsensical-sounding things like onions creating “drama” and flavors being sensual and things that just generally don’t say anything meaningful about food， in my humble far-from-culinary-expert opinion。But the way he weaves food into his stories more than makes up for it。 It just has so much heart， and it’s wonderful to see his trajectory from Connecticut boy who knows he’s somehow different to Parisian food critic。 It has some very tough and emotional moments too， but he writes it so well and makes every story so meaningful。 Just the best kind of memoir writing， really。Plus it’s delightfully star-studded: Ruth Reichl， Julia Child （one of my favorite scenes in the book + fabulous Julia quote）， even the sweetest James Beard cameo。 Love this！ 。。。more
Susanne
，
Thank you to the author， Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I very much enjoyed this memoir of an awkward young boy from US suburbia who ends up as an influential food critic in Paris。 It's not linear as such， there is some jumping back and forth， but following along with the author as he forges his own path， develops his taste buds and becomes adventurous in spite of himself is a great read。 Thank you to the author， Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I very much enjoyed this memoir of an awkward young boy from US suburbia who ends up as an influential food critic in Paris。 It's not linear as such， there is some jumping back and forth， but following along with the author as he forges his own path， develops his taste buds and becomes adventurous in spite of himself is a great read。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
，
Lobrano writes an amusing memoir about his love of food， travel， and writing。 He discusses living in Paris and working as a writer。 The many faces and places of Paris are revealed。 I am not a fan of French cuisine。 I read the book more for the cultural part and his observations of the people he encounters。 My personal favorite is his cantankerous concierge whom he had to bribe to be nice to him， which failed。 I think readers will enjoy his discussion of food， his own personal history， and the ma Lobrano writes an amusing memoir about his love of food， travel， and writing。 He discusses living in Paris and working as a writer。 The many faces and places of Paris are revealed。 I am not a fan of French cuisine。 I read the book more for the cultural part and his observations of the people he encounters。 My personal favorite is his cantankerous concierge whom he had to bribe to be nice to him， which failed。 I think readers will enjoy his discussion of food， his own personal history， and the many flavors from the City of Lights。 Thanks To Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the early read。 。。。more
Michelle W。 - Sweaters & Stilettos
，
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this memoir。 I specifically requested this book because of COVID; that is， I hoped it would be a lovely escape that would， if not mimic， at least give me a bit of the pleasure of travel back。 It did and I would recommend it for that reason alone in these continually gloomy times。COVID aside， this was a lovely little look into the life of someone who has successfully forged their own path。 The novel is an easy read。 Each chapter is a bite-sized look Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this memoir。 I specifically requested this book because of COVID; that is， I hoped it would be a lovely escape that would， if not mimic， at least give me a bit of the pleasure of travel back。 It did and I would recommend it for that reason alone in these continually gloomy times。COVID aside， this was a lovely little look into the life of someone who has successfully forged their own path。 The novel is an easy read。 Each chapter is a bite-sized look at a particular memory。 The writing is fluid and descriptive while resting at the border of flowery。 I enjoyed the easy pace， but it didn't provoke or demand。 The impression is that the author wrote this as much for himself as for the reader。 A position that commands respect from this particular reader for not coming across as arrogant or self-congratulatory。 The addition of years would have helped greatly， though。 It was difficult trying to figure out when things were occurring; I assumed the chapters followed a forward progression。 The last few chapters deviate from this and include vague references to the year。 A strange， but welcome departure。Unlike most people， I am not in love with Paris。 Paris is a place I neither like nor dislike; I've only been once many years ago。 It's always been like the Popular Kids to me。 Full of fashionable， but aloof people， who if they don't consciously consider themselves above you， their sub-conscious projects this through their mannerisms etc。 The author does not agree。 He falls in love with Paris early on in his life and moves there at the first opportunity。 Seeing it through his eyes is a new look at a place。 I don't think I'd go straight to "welcoming"， but Mr。 Lobrano gives the impression of an easy transition where he can finally become himself。 This is always a good story for me。 I love a happy ending and I may be a bit more enamored of Paris （and France as a whole） than I was before。The narrative is also peppered with interesting people， who he describes so well I almost feel like I've met them。 （It does not hurt that I can also google many of these famous names。） Yet， it's not the celebrities that I most enjoyed， but the chefs。 He describes the chefs and their restaurants in detail。 And then， of course， he describes the food。 Don't read while you're hungry。 Some of the meals sound so good my mouth was watering。 The recipes are delightful and described in full-length glory。 It’s easy to imagine yourself sitting in these cafes with a glass of wine enjoying the simple company of a good meal。 It’s escapism; pure and simple。 I thoroughly enjoyed it。 Now， if only I could visit Paris sometime soon; it’s definitely worth a new trip based on this memoir alone。 。。。more
Mister Moose
，
A worldly elegant and very well written book that recounts a fascinating life with honesty， wit and style。
Prathap
，
Paris-based food writer Alexander Lobrano's memoir is a delightful romp through the annals of food journalism as it was conducted in the 80s and 90s。 Admittedly， food journalism has undergone drastic transformation in the past decade since the advent of internet that completely transformed the landscape once populated by expert restaurant critics with anyone with access to internet。 Which is perhaps what makes the book so special because Lobrano trains a whimsical lens into his eventful career t Paris-based food writer Alexander Lobrano's memoir is a delightful romp through the annals of food journalism as it was conducted in the 80s and 90s。 Admittedly， food journalism has undergone drastic transformation in the past decade since the advent of internet that completely transformed the landscape once populated by expert restaurant critics with anyone with access to internet。 Which is perhaps what makes the book so special because Lobrano trains a whimsical lens into his eventful career that enabled him to rub shoulders with legends of French gastronomy while living in Paris and present it to his American readers through numerous feature stories and profiles。 （something unthinkable for a freelance food journalist to achieve in present day Paris） Lobrano landed a fashion magazine editor job in Paris in the mid 80s but his heart was always in food journalism。 Years later， he quit his job and became a freelance writer based in Paris and continued an eventful career by reporting on France's cuisine， writing several guidebooks， holding the position of the Paris editor of the prestigious Gourmet magazine and winning （including James Beard） awards。 A truly eventful career， filled with delectable details。 True to what one would expect from a food journalist's memoir， the book's pages are filled with meal after meal of deliciousness Lobrano got to enjoy as he navigated his career in Paris。 Excellent read。ps: received an arc with thanks from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Ruth
，
Some of us realize at a young age that we are different from other kids。 If we were lucky， our families embraced this difference instead of punishing us for not being the same。 The author of this book knew he was different but wasn't given any support， only ridicule and derision， but he managed to "escape" and follow his dream of living in Paris。 Oh， what discoveries he made。 We are the lucky ones to get to read about the delicious meals he tasted and the people he met while building a career as Some of us realize at a young age that we are different from other kids。 If we were lucky， our families embraced this difference instead of punishing us for not being the same。 The author of this book knew he was different but wasn't given any support， only ridicule and derision， but he managed to "escape" and follow his dream of living in Paris。 Oh， what discoveries he made。 We are the lucky ones to get to read about the delicious meals he tasted and the people he met while building a career as a food writer。 If you are a fan of this genre， pick up this book。 If you have funds for traveling， there's a solid list of recommendations at the end of it on where to spend your money。 I think this book might be a sleeper hit--at least it should be to those that love good food and well done food reviews。 。。。more
（a）lyss（a）
，
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。This is a hard book to rate and came to around 3。5 stars for me。This is a memoir about Lobrano's life， not just his time in Paris。 We hear about his childhood and a couple trips home as well as his struggle to become a culinary writer。 There's a bit of jumping around so it's not a totally linear memoir。 There's also references to sexual assault that are brought up， reflected on for maybe a page， then never discussed a I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。This is a hard book to rate and came to around 3。5 stars for me。This is a memoir about Lobrano's life， not just his time in Paris。 We hear about his childhood and a couple trips home as well as his struggle to become a culinary writer。 There's a bit of jumping around so it's not a totally linear memoir。 There's also references to sexual assault that are brought up， reflected on for maybe a page， then never discussed again。 This is true of a few anecdotes and I guess I was expecting more reflection or reactions to some of the stories included in this book。 That being said it was an interesting read that I think captures a point of time in Paris。 Eating delicious Parisian food is something some of us dream of and living vicariously through this book is nice。 I was surprised that the last chapter of this book is a list of recommended restaurants， which I'm sure are impacted by COVID-19 and may not remain very relevant。 。。。more
Sharon Starr
，
Absolutely loved it！！ The cover and description caught my eye by chance， and while I'm no gourmand， it sounded like it could be a interesting read。 Quite the understatement， as I savored my favorite book of the year！ Though I love good food and wine， I don't have a particularly educated palate。 And sadly， I've never been to Paris， though I hope to remedy that one day。 The reading of this book felt like a little intimate trip to Paris， with a very experienced guide， and I adored absolutely every Absolutely loved it！！ The cover and description caught my eye by chance， and while I'm no gourmand， it sounded like it could be a interesting read。 Quite the understatement， as I savored my favorite book of the year！ Though I love good food and wine， I don't have a particularly educated palate。 And sadly， I've never been to Paris， though I hope to remedy that one day。 The reading of this book felt like a little intimate trip to Paris， with a very experienced guide， and I adored absolutely every page。I confess to a certain envious fascination with people that are born doing exactly what they love doing as adults。 In his early years， Alexander Lobrano was intrigued by interesting foods， and avidly kept a very descriptive diary。 This was despite both practices being strongly discouraged by the adults in his life。 His perseverance prepared him for his place as a critic in a wide range of dining establishments。 His charm and passion for his work flow right onto these pages， and I highly recommend that you take advantage of sharing these experiences with him。 Alec is even generous enough to share his favorite restaurants with you as the perfect close to the story。 Well done！ 。。。more
Erin Loranger
，
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book so that I may provide an honest review。The description of this book intrigued me immediately and was a welcome escape after many months of cancelled trips and none on the horizon。 Further delighting me was the fact that the author， Alexander Lobrano， grew up in the town in which I currently live and his descriptions of our Connecticut shore town were vivid and filled me with nostalgia。 I Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book so that I may provide an honest review。The description of this book intrigued me immediately and was a welcome escape after many months of cancelled trips and none on the horizon。 Further delighting me was the fact that the author， Alexander Lobrano， grew up in the town in which I currently live and his descriptions of our Connecticut shore town were vivid and filled me with nostalgia。 I love reading food and travel writing and this was the very best of both genres。 Lobrano also interspersed poignant， introspective and sometimes rather raw personal insights and stories which added a deeper level to his story telling。 I turned each page of this book with anticipation of what was on the next and was very sad when it came to an end。 This is a fantastic read and I am looking forward to recommending it far and wide when it is published。 。。。more
Randal White
，
A thoroughly enjoyable book。 I found myself transported to Paris （and other parts of France）， sitting next to the author as we enjoyed meal after meal of great French cooking。 His descriptions are detailed， effusive， and luscious。 Of the food， the service， and of the surroundings。 A world that I will never have the chance to experience first-hand， I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to live vicariously through him！In addition， I really enjoyed the way that Lobrano laid bare his soul。 Fr A thoroughly enjoyable book。 I found myself transported to Paris （and other parts of France）， sitting next to the author as we enjoyed meal after meal of great French cooking。 His descriptions are detailed， effusive， and luscious。 Of the food， the service， and of the surroundings。 A world that I will never have the chance to experience first-hand， I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to live vicariously through him！In addition， I really enjoyed the way that Lobrano laid bare his soul。 From his childhood through the current day。 It took an unbelievable amount of courage to share all that he did。 I don't want to give any spoilers， but suffice it to say that it's amazing， given the childhood experiences he had， that he became such a well adjusted person。 And the people he met！ From a poor dairy farmer to Princess Caroline， to immigrant cooks to fashion and food moguls。 And he dishes a little on all of them！ How fun！If I had a chance to converse with the author， I would tell him that some of us find our way in life through family， some through our work， and he through food。 What a great path to take！ Bravo！ Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Donna Boyd
，