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basilkumquat's review
4.0
Loved seeing the different personalities and roles that make up the food scene in NYC! So interesting to see a small snippet of their lives.
vll295's review
4.0
In this book, we get a firsthand experience learning about what drives some of the food businesses of NYC. I enjoyed the perspective and interview to know why the people are choosing to do what they do. I would not recommend reading this book if you haven’t eaten recently. This book was a fun read and makes me want to visit all of those locations. I enjoyed the story!
sandrinepal's review
4.0
This book made me want to live in NYC (except maybe the Rikers chapter) *and* have enough money to eat out all the time... What? Some people read romance novels. A girl can dream, right?
nuhafariha's review
2.0
I liked the casual way the author went about examining food in the city, but I feel like her choices were somewhat informed by her socioeconomic status, especially since those whom she chose to focus on were based on her pre-existing networks. I wish she had also talked to those in fast food restaurants, those in ethnic restaurants (beyond just Halal Guys), and focused more on the diversity of food & food choices. For example, why not interview those who work at McDonalds? Why not interview a Chinese fast-food restuaranteer? Why not comment on the way certain foreign foods are elevated to be exotic & expensive, like Japanese sushi, while others are thought to be cheap such as Indian or Chinese? Most of the restaurants in this book were upscale & created European/American food. In other words, it's the same as watching the Food Network & complicit in the system that constantly perpetuates the exoticism of "foreign" food even though it's the food of millions in America. Overall this book was enjoyable to read, there could have been more critical thinking into the representation & dialogue about food in the book.
lauhi's review
interesting, entertaining, but not juicy enough. If I was a New Yorker, this would be a great book...hearing about places you know is always so much more fascinating.
bamahnken's review
4.0
I received an advance reader copy for Food in the City in exchange for my honest review.
Food and the City by Ina Yalof is hardly just about food in NYC. In the Author's Note at the beginning of the book Ina gives a disclaimer right away- she is not a food expert, she enjoys eating good food but she is an investigative journalist and more than the food, this book is about the people in NY driving the food industry.
Each section starts off with a short overview of the chapter by Yalof, then it is divided into different restaurants and a key player in each respective restaurant. You get a short description by Yalof introducing you into each restaurant/shop and then you are reading the other person's words. I felt like I was actually meeting these people, everything i read was truly authentic New York. I found the stories so interesting, some focused very little on the food but still kept you captivated and painted an accurate picture of NYC. You are reading many different perspectives, some of the people in this book are immigrants, some were born in NY, some had little to start with and others were basically born into the business. What they all have in common is their passion and drive to make their businesses successful.
I appreciate the fact that this is not about famous chefs from TV but everyday people with restaurants and companies that were made popular not by being televised but from word of mouth and the occasional write up. I can't wait to try some of the places I learned about in this book, and now I have a little history to go along with my meal! Food in the City, 4.5/5 stars
Food and the City by Ina Yalof is hardly just about food in NYC. In the Author's Note at the beginning of the book Ina gives a disclaimer right away- she is not a food expert, she enjoys eating good food but she is an investigative journalist and more than the food, this book is about the people in NY driving the food industry.
Each section starts off with a short overview of the chapter by Yalof, then it is divided into different restaurants and a key player in each respective restaurant. You get a short description by Yalof introducing you into each restaurant/shop and then you are reading the other person's words. I felt like I was actually meeting these people, everything i read was truly authentic New York. I found the stories so interesting, some focused very little on the food but still kept you captivated and painted an accurate picture of NYC. You are reading many different perspectives, some of the people in this book are immigrants, some were born in NY, some had little to start with and others were basically born into the business. What they all have in common is their passion and drive to make their businesses successful.
I appreciate the fact that this is not about famous chefs from TV but everyday people with restaurants and companies that were made popular not by being televised but from word of mouth and the occasional write up. I can't wait to try some of the places I learned about in this book, and now I have a little history to go along with my meal! Food in the City, 4.5/5 stars
sgs's review
4.0
Well now I'm gonna eat my way around the city! Fun premise, great choice of venues/styles of food, wonderfully written and organized.