Dirty Dishes : A Restaurateur's Story of Passion, Pain, and Pasta

Intro; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; Foreword by Anthony Bourdain; Introduction by Andrew Friedman; 1. The Fugitive; 2. Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here; 3. Land of Opportunity; 4. Home Away from Home; 5. Start Spreading the News; 6. Dirty Dishes, and Other Things That Bring Out the Beast; 7. High Tide; 8. Why Pasta Matters; 9. Mothers and Sons; 10. Critical Condition: The Problem with Restaurant Reviewers, Blogs, and Surveys; 11. Strange Bedfellows; 12. The Hidden Table: Running a Reservation Book; 13. The Restaurant Junkie.;The ultimate insider's story: a warts-and-all memoir by the legendary restaurateur, from his boyhood in Tuscany to his rise, fall, and rebirth in the New York food world. Everyone has an opinion about Pino Luongo. To Tony Bourdain, he was the notorious Pino Noir, the shadowy kingpin of a restaurant empire. To Manhattanites, he was either the savior or the scourge of the city's dining scene. To the many fans of his cookbooks, he was the herald of Tuscan cuisine. In Dirty Dishes, Luongo emerges to tell his side of the story. And it's quite a story: After an idyllic (and well-fed) childhood in Tuscany, Luongo came to New York as an actor, and, after quickly washing out, fell into the restaurant business. Within ten years, he had risen from a position as a dishwasher to build a string of the hottest restaurants in the city, including Le Madri, Coco Pazzo, Tuscan Square, and Centolire. For a decade, he was one of the undisputed kings of New York nightlife, building a reputation for brilliance, volatility, and charm - as well as a long list of hilarious and jaw-dropping "Pino stories." But after a flirtation with a corporate chain went sour, he cashiered his restaurants and returned to his first love, the kitchen. Pino has had an incredible life, full of amazing twists and famous names- and he's a born storyteller. Along with his expert coauthor, Andrew Friedman (who helped craft Don't Try This at Home), he's created an immensely readable inside look at the New York restaurant world, in all its Byzantine glory. The ultimate insider's story: a warts-and-all memoir by the legendary restaurateur, from his boyhood in Tuscany to his rise, fall, and rebirth in the New York food world. Pino Luongo is among the most successful and renowned restaurateurs in the world. He has started and maintained restaurants in New York, the Hamptons, and Chicago, including Le Madri, Coco Pazzo, Tuscan Square, Il Cantinore, and Centolire Intro Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Foreword by Anthony Bourdain Introduction by Andrew Friedman 1. The Fugitive 2. Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here 3. Land of Opportunity 4. Home Away from Home 5. Start Spreading the News 6. Dirty Dishes, and Other Things That Bring Out the Beast 7. High Tide 8. Why Pasta Matters 9. Mothers and Sons 10. Critical Condition: The Problem with Restaurant Reviewers, Blogs, and Surveys 11. Strange Bedfellows 12. The Hidden Table: Running a Reservation Book 13. The Restaurant Junkie. 14. A Star Is Bored: Interview Questions for Young American Chefs15. The New Normalcy 16. Closing Time Epilogue: Cooking at Last Appendix: Recipes, My Way Acknowledgments.