Karen Stabiner

Karen Stabiner's Generation Chef, a copy of which I was fortunate to receive through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers scheme, delighted me. The pacing is such that I could hardly put it down; the narrative is focused, with little extraneous material. The omniscient perspective is such that I have no idea how Stabiner maintained a sense of neutrality: She did not once insert herself into the narrative (refreshing, given the trends of recent "food lit"), but she could not have been witness to show more all of the events or the conversations she recounts word for word. The story focuses on the protagonists--the owner-operators of Huertas, a "Basque-inspired" restaurant in the East Village of New York City--during their first year of operation between 2014 and 2015. Nothing seems to be contrived (and, in fact, one can corroborate much of the background by perusing articles at ny.eater.com and the October 2014 New York Times review by Pete Wells), so I'm left with a curious--though not unpleasant--sense that this entire project was the brainchild of a publicist: or, perhaps, the idea of one of the co-founders. What better PR is there than to write up your "story" in a way that is motivating, inspiring, captivating? That the Huertas kitchen apparently lacks the drama that is stereotype in the industry (as reified by the literature and on the airwaves) is a testament to the style and personality of Jonah Miller, chef and co-founder. That the restaurant succeeded, given the odds, is--the story goes--testament also to the acumen of business partner and general manager Nate Adler. It's not a spoiler that the place succeeded: it's part of the message.

And the message, overall, is inspiring. Stabiner addresses ambition, talent, skills, excellence, creativity, expectations, and prescribed pathways within established professions. She speaks to the Millennial predilection (or so it seems) to skip steps, circumvent expectations, go for all or nothing. How does one build up a reputation? What is quality, anyway? From whence originates trust? How do you build and manage--and motivate--teams? The kinds of issues that ride beneath the surface of this narrative are germane to any collaborative work environment; the book could be classed as a "leadership" or "entrepreneurship" text. And Stabiner is so skilled with (what I presume were) interviews and with her clear chronology that the various characters--none of whom appear to be conceits or other devices for the story (as, again, is often the case with narrative nonfiction)--present their thoughts and perspectives in rational and clear-headed ways. The reader is not programmed to be on anyone's "side" (again, as happens in much food lit); but the reader is rooting for the team. I am tempted to label this work "masterful" in part because so few books that have come before it seem to have accomplished what this one has.

Now, I wonder, since I am commenting on advance uncorrected proofs, whether the author will add a preface of some sort that details her method. (An epilogue, not included, was identified as forthcoming.) If not, readers might just wonder: "What is this book?" The fact that I'm over 1,000 miles from New York City did not make me enjoy the book less--even though I can dine at Huertas only vicariously. (I've previously reviewed NYC-centric books wherein the authors turn their noses at anyone who'd deign not to live in the City. This book is decidedly not of that camp.) The part of me that unplugs itself from the Internet had wished that Stabiner had gotten permissions to reprint the whole reviews from which she cites--perhaps as appendices. But, again, the picture is portrayed so clearly in the text that one need not pick up a device to corroborate: or, at least, one isn't tempted to do so. I remain surprised at my willingness to find everything in the narrative so believable. That sense, ultimately, is a testament of the skill of the author and the apparently remarkable content with which she was working. Brava to the author--and congratulations to the Huertas enterprise. show less

Q: What does a parent need to survive the college application process?
A. A sense of humor.
B. A therapist on 24-hour call.
C. A large bank balance.
D. All of the above.
Getting In is the roller-coaster story of five very different Los Angeles families united by a single obsession: acceptance at a top college, preferably one that makes their friends and neighbors green with envy. At an elite private school and a nearby public school, families devote themselves to getting their seniors into the show more perfect school--even if the odds are stacked against them, even if they can't afford the $50,000 annual price tag, even if the effort requires a level of deceit, and even if the object of all this attention wants to go somewhere else. show less

I often read CollegeConfidential.com for fun. I'm not a parent so I have no horse in the race (though one nephew is in college and the other will be in 2 years), but I find the frenzy over college admission fascinating (maybe because of my own experience in 1969 http://ennienyc.livejournal.com/267047.html). This novel is like a fictional CollegeConfidential.com, with elite LA private school students and their helicopter parents and dedicated counselors, and the nearby public school where the show more "perfect" daughter of Korean immigrants won't allow herself to consider a future without Harvard. Loved it. show less

Generation Chef is a front row seat to the roller coaster ride of an up and coming chef opening his first restaurant. This is the story of Huertas. We get to come along the restaurant's journey with Chef Jonah Miller, as he chooses the location, misses opening dates, hires staff, and tries to live up to preopening hype. I related to his anxiety over every decision made throughout the first tumultuous year of business. The battle for a liquor license, the staff changes, trying keeping show more customers happy while keeping an eye on the bottom line. It was an engaging book that made me want to book a ticket to NYC and sit down to a meal at the restaurant. The fact that I COULD made it all the more mouth watering. I expect that when the book comes out in September, many readers will do exactly that... in the footsteps of Pete Wells, who reviewed the restaurant in 2014. An interesting book for anyone who likes to live vicariously in the Top Chef world of today's foodie culture. show less