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abrswf's review
1.0
I so hate this book. I would have thrown it across the room and then tossed it into the nearest garbage can early on, but it was a gift from a very kind friend and I felt obligated to finish it. Reading this barely edited book length rant/autobiography felt like being pinned in a bar by a loud, drunk person with a hand clamped on your arm, leaning into your face breathing alcohol fumes as they bellow their personal life at you. Agg spares the reader nothing, including graphic descriptions of her masturbation and early sex life, a nude self portrait with lady parts spread, and endless rants about people who have disappointed her. I'd forgive most of that if Agg had actually experienced the sexism she claims to war against (apparently by tweeting), but she's actually a highly privileged person whose restaurant starts were funded by others and who seems to prefer to put white men in the power positions in her restaurants. (And whose first restaurant apparently paid no taxes at all -- she takes no responsibility and blames this entirely on her first husband -- stiffing the Canadian taxpayers some $300,000). She's a poseur, in short. And an egotistical, selfish person, too. Ack, do not read this piece of crap posing as an edgy book.
miloulou's review
2.0
Beautiful writing when it came to food, establishing a restaurant and running them. I'm not even a foodie and I fell in love with the passages and care that went into menus and meals and the whole experience of dining out (which is what I primarily go for).
Really disliked other parts. The author screams at you, for the entire book, that she is "not like other girls". At all. Because any characteristically female traits are weaknesses and she is disappointed in herself for them, but don't you dare forget she likes sex. What was the purpose of describing her 12 year old awakening? There should have been more reflection on puberty, sexuality, etc. Ended on an anti-climatic 'we never talked about it again".
Really unexpected nude drawing of author? Yikes?? Reminds me of old royalty who build statues of themselves. Description of black pin up girls/guys, and then picture of it? Good. That's art.
The casually cheating with your so-called best friend's boyfriend, doing it again, on your own husband - maybe I read it wrong, but she wasn't up front about it until later? The lack of a purpose to these areas was so odd - so you want an open relationship but your husband isn't into that, and it's the patriarchy's fault?? Way to project your own lack of commitment on everyone else.
Her childhood was basically a train wreck - why the smugness about going to a "special" school when you don't care at all about your education and spent it smoking/drinking? Super confused about the inclusions of these parts of her life because there wasn't really any reflections on being a selfish person, destroying other people's trust, sleeping around as a woman, or even the female friendships! Like did it get better? I assume not given the severe lack of female friends mentioned in the book (plus the explicit mention that the author has never met any "cool" enough girls to merit long term friendships). Why was this written in such a smug, bragging way, when you're basically a female bro? Really weird too how often there would be bragging about f*ing someone. Like it's not that hard as a woman? On top of all that, for all the feminist rhetoric, there were barely any mentions on actually hiring women and putting them in positions of power? Or the very evident need to be surrounded by guys and not finding other women cool?
Such a weird read overall. Amazing passages on the restaurant industry, observations about human interactions, struggles for women in the industry, and then the obvious blind spots to how uninteresting talk of her sex life would be to literally anyone else.
Really disliked other parts. The author screams at you, for the entire book, that she is "not like other girls". At all. Because any characteristically female traits are weaknesses and she is disappointed in herself for them, but don't you dare forget she likes sex. What was the purpose of describing her 12 year old awakening? There should have been more reflection on puberty, sexuality, etc. Ended on an anti-climatic 'we never talked about it again".
Really unexpected nude drawing of author? Yikes?? Reminds me of old royalty who build statues of themselves. Description of black pin up girls/guys, and then picture of it? Good. That's art.
The casually cheating with your so-called best friend's boyfriend, doing it again, on your own husband - maybe I read it wrong, but she wasn't up front about it until later? The lack of a purpose to these areas was so odd - so you want an open relationship but your husband isn't into that, and it's the patriarchy's fault?? Way to project your own lack of commitment on everyone else.
Her childhood was basically a train wreck - why the smugness about going to a "special" school when you don't care at all about your education and spent it smoking/drinking? Super confused about the inclusions of these parts of her life because there wasn't really any reflections on being a selfish person, destroying other people's trust, sleeping around as a woman, or even the female friendships! Like did it get better? I assume not given the severe lack of female friends mentioned in the book (plus the explicit mention that the author has never met any "cool" enough girls to merit long term friendships). Why was this written in such a smug, bragging way, when you're basically a female bro? Really weird too how often there would be bragging about f*ing someone. Like it's not that hard as a woman? On top of all that, for all the feminist rhetoric, there were barely any mentions on actually hiring women and putting them in positions of power? Or the very evident need to be surrounded by guys and not finding other women cool?
Such a weird read overall. Amazing passages on the restaurant industry, observations about human interactions, struggles for women in the industry, and then the obvious blind spots to how uninteresting talk of her sex life would be to literally anyone else.
dja777's review against another edition
Maybe if I had reached the part where she starts working in restaurants it might have been more interesting, but I just couldn't make myself push through it any more.
happyglowlucky's review
5.0
One of the things I love about Goodreads (and winning books on it) is the chance to learn about (and read) books I would not normally stumble across on my own. This is one of those books! I love the title, I love the sassiness of the author, and I love the way it gave me a glimpse into a world that has nothing to do with my own....one of the big draws, to me, about reading is just that: to learn about worlds I would not otherwise know about. I enjoyed the writing style, and how it drew me in, and I liked learning about the restaurant business.
flohbeutel's review against another edition
slow-paced
"Wow, you really got lucky with this place, huh?" I just smiled and said, "I don't believe in luck." But I heard that all the time - how "lucky" I was, as though it had just happened, an indignity that I'm sure [male cowoker] didn't have to suffer.
But here's the thing - Jen Agg was incredibly lucky. Her first business, a bar she opened up because she thought it would be fun, was a gift from her parents. When this business went under, her boyfriend gave her money and a space to open up her first restaurant.
She was privileged all throughout the book and didn't even see it. No, she describes how hard it was on her.
Also weird was how she managed to write 368 pages with barely any advice about business and/or for restaurateurs.
I was not a happy reader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Dementia and Death of parent
kickpleat's review
4.0
A good look at the restaurant business from the back of house to the front. While Jen Agg has had plenty of success, she's had failures too and I liked her perspective on not letting a failure destroy you but pick yourself back up and try again. I also now want to go eat and drink at her rum bar next time I'm in Toronto.
kjf's review
2.0
https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/akwjwk/justin-bieber-hailey-baldwin-we-get-it-you-have-sex-yummy
robinsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
A while ago I read [book:Generation Chef: Risking It All for a New American Dream|29496568], the story of a young chef determined to open a renowned restaurant, and the business and food selection processes were most interesting. Jen Agg's story is from an opposite POV, in that is she was not a chef but a trained bartender, running her own cocktail bar in Toronto. After Agg lost the bar business she opened The Black Hoof, a restaurant featuring charcuterie, the craft of curing meat such as salami, sausages, pates, and more, even though she had no training in the culinary arts. But before she gets to the biz of running a restaurant, she covers her teen years and what led her to opening what would become world famous eateries in Canada.
It took me a bit to get interested in what Jen had to say but turned out this was this a rocking read! I had never heard of Agg before but I was instantly captivated by her blunt and outspoken personality which came through loud and clear (and you get a clear picture of just how much sex she does get!). This is a perfect book for Anthony Bourdain fans.
For more on the restaurant biz, try [book:The Fourth Star: Dispatches from Inside Daniel Boulud's Celebrated New York Restaurant|474140], [book:Restaurant Man|13242872], and [book:Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany|139220], and the novel, [book:Sweetbitter|26192646].
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital review copy.
It took me a bit to get interested in what Jen had to say but turned out this was this a rocking read! I had never heard of Agg before but I was instantly captivated by her blunt and outspoken personality which came through loud and clear (and you get a clear picture of just how much sex she does get!). This is a perfect book for Anthony Bourdain fans.
For more on the restaurant biz, try [book:The Fourth Star: Dispatches from Inside Daniel Boulud's Celebrated New York Restaurant|474140], [book:Restaurant Man|13242872], and [book:Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany|139220], and the novel, [book:Sweetbitter|26192646].
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital review copy.
sssnoo's review
1.0
I haven’t read this book but am responding to Jen Agg’s stint as a judge for the Food52 Piglet cookbook contest. She was a round two judge and reviewed 2 books. The rules state the judge should cook at least three recipes from each book. Jen is a known rule breaker, says she stated up front she had no intention to cook any recipes due to extenuating life circumstances and went on to flippantly judge the books based on a quick read - because as a restaurant professional she feels she can judge recipes just by reading them.
Well, flipping the table, I am an avid reader and have reviewed Jen’s style and type through her judging, her Twitter feed, the end notes of her book and her followers. I can easily judge a book/memoir without reading it - no problem. This one is not worth reading. Jen may have more to write in a memoir after she grows up a bit, but her “rule breaking” persona is just brutish and used as a defensive tool to avoid personal responsibility. I think the take home message to s the restaurant industry is male dominated and misogynistic- welcome to the reality of most professions.
I wouldn’t spend money on this book. Check it out from the library and thumb through it but it isn’t a keeper.
Well, flipping the table, I am an avid reader and have reviewed Jen’s style and type through her judging, her Twitter feed, the end notes of her book and her followers. I can easily judge a book/memoir without reading it - no problem. This one is not worth reading. Jen may have more to write in a memoir after she grows up a bit, but her “rule breaking” persona is just brutish and used as a defensive tool to avoid personal responsibility. I think the take home message to s the restaurant industry is male dominated and misogynistic- welcome to the reality of most professions.
I wouldn’t spend money on this book. Check it out from the library and thumb through it but it isn’t a keeper.