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Business Management Book Store > Business Management books beginning with H
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Hungry for Paris: The Ultimate Guide to the City's 102 Best Restaurants |
Author: Alexander Lobrano
Published: 2008-04-15 |
List price: $16.00
Our price: $10.88
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As of: November 20th, 2008 07:19:12 AM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 A delicious reading experience!
Lobrano introduces the Paris traveler and diner not only to the wonders of French cuisine, but also to the cosmopolitan charms of the Parisian neighborhoods in which he dines. Each review includes mini portraits of his many intimate acquaintances which adds another delightful layer to the reader's vicarious Paris dining experience. A true raconteur, Lobrano, with great wit and authority, helps educate all readers in the pleasures of the French table. Essays sprinkled throughout are humorous and engaging. All restaurant reviews include contact information and a quick synopsis of specialities. An invaluable addition to anyone traveling to Paris as well as a great airplane read on the way over.
sour grapes suck
I can't believe the mean spirited comments by I. Xenos on "Hungry for Paris." To dismiss Lobrano's wonderfully written and thoughtful essays as being "American" and therefore not accurate is stupid. Perhaps Pudlow wrote these comments since his outdated book is not selling.
All Paris bound tourists, especially english speakers, should own a copy of this well done book.
>>By I. Xenos (NYC, NY) "Oh please", July 12, 2008
>>Being American in Paris does not qualify one to write an authoritative book on Paris restaurants .
In a Word, Fabulous!
As a Paris resident and food travel pro, my job is to refer clients to the best dining options around the world. I rely on a combination of personal experience and expert food journalist knowledge to make the best possible suggestions. It is often the equivalent of being asked to arrange a blind date though, since individual preferences vary and expectations are high, i.e. "This is our first trip to Paris and we can't wait! Can you suggest a charming restaurant in a fun area, with great food and wine that is not too expensive?" What is charming, fun, with 'great food & wine', and affordable for me personally might not be to someone else. I usually need to ask more questions to understand what the client is expecting, so that they aren't let down.
In my experience, I have found that what most people are actually looking for is an ambiance suggestion, yet, most culinary guides heavily reference the chef and menu items. Knowing the chef trained with Ducasse and that the writer dined on langoustines with ginger foam is significant - perhaps more for serious foodies than the casual visitor - but where a chef trained and what 'was' on the menu doesn't say enough about what to expect overall.
Hungry for Paris is one of the few reference books that I trust based upon M. Lobrano's discerning palate and his extensive dining experience in Paris. However, it is the "In a Word" section at the end of each listing that is the most valuable in my making a decision. For instance, page 259 recommends restaurant Carte Blanche in detail, and then sums up, "Excellent, imaginative contemporary French food in a pleasant setting with well-drilled service makes this restaurant in the heart of the city well worth seeking out." Based on the detailed entry plus the summary, I would know what the client will most likely experience as well as who is in the kitchen and what kind of food will be on the menu.
Congratulations (and thank you) to Alexander Lobrano for setting expectations while comprehensively paving the way to the best dining suggestions.
A Wonderful Guide and a Charming Read
Having just returned from Paris, I highly recommend HUNGRY FOR PARIS as a superb source of restaurant information and an absolutely wonderful read. What I especially loved about this book is that it offers a brilliantly chosen selection of restaurants for every possible occasion and pocketbook; guidebooks that offer 500 or 1000 restaurants are of no use to me--how do I know which ones are really good? Lobrano's sensible selection solves this problem, and even better, his writing is sublime. With great originality, he's created a hybrid book that's a mixture of a guidebook, a memoir and a delightful portrait of Paris. I loved this book!
 Mixed bag(uette)
I think this is probably a good book for anyone looking for a vicarious Parisian dining experience. There are some very interesting commentaries about the kinds of eats and eating establishments that exist in Paris (and elsewhere in France). Someone not familiar with Paris and not headed there anytime soon can nevertheless enjoy the descriptions of food and environment that author Lobrano provides in his chatty book.
There is, in my opinion at least, a really insightful chapter on dining alone in Europe that goes beyond the vicarious and hits the bulls eye on the practical side of travel.
Author Lobrano, clearly a Paris insider, also has a lot to offer the actual visitor to that city with lists of some great sounding restaurants and menus that seem much less covered by other food guides. He ventures, for example, into the far corners of several districts of the city that are seldom frequented by visitors, but deserve exploring just for the food to be had there.
The book will be less interesting to someone knowledgeable about food and Paris. There is a lot of space given to comments on "French cooking 101" that aren't going to appeal to someone already in the know about the scene. Also mildly irritating is the author's inclusion of extensive details about his dining partners, the dispositions of the waiters/hosts/chefs at the restaurants visited and other superfluous chit-chat about mood, environment, etc.
When all is said and done, opinions about food and restaurants are entirely subjective. At his best, Lobrano is a well-informed expat in Paris who supplies the reader with some interesting dining possibilities. Some wading through verbose commentary is needed to get to the good stuff. It may be worth your time if you are not as familiar or comfortable with the city as Lobrano is. On other hand, there are other sources of dining advice, as at least one other reviewer has suggested--notably the Pudlow guide which is frequently updated and speaks to a local audience.
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