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Book

I'm not trying to be difficult : stories from the restaurant trenches

Call Number

  • 921 N674 (CEN)

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Edition

First edition.

Publication Information

New York : Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group, [2025]

Physical Description

ix, 276 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm

Summary

"Drew Nieporent has been a staple of the New York dining scene for decades, establishing a host of iconic restaurants like Nobu, Tribeca Grille, and Montrachet. But his career started from much more humble beginnings-the grill at the local McDonald's. A middle-class kid from New York's East Side, Drew spent his childhood tagging along with his father to help restaurants get their liquor license, igniting a lifelong obsession with food. His passion took him on a winding, continent-spanning journey, crossing paths with legendary chefs, iconic athletes, and movie stars as he grew into one of the most influential names in the culinary world. From waiting tables on a cruise ship to getting his first three-star review; from squabbling with Cornell professors to partnering with Robert De Niro; this is more than a story of one man's extraordinary life-it's a story of an evolving industry. As culinary trends come and go and relationships blossom and combust, Nieporent navigates it all with a simple yet powerful philosophy: Give the customer what they want. Told in Drew's unforgettable voice, "I'm Not Trying To Be Difficult" is a rollicking memoir that feels like sitting across the dinner table from someone who has seen it all-one of the last great restaurateurs"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents

  • Author's note
  • City kids
  • Higher education
  • Warner LeRoy and the three-ring circuses
  • A tour of the le's and la's
  • Redefining downtown and the birth of Montrachet
  • The review (and its aftermath)
  • After the storm
  • Bob and building Tribeca Grill
  • Going West
  • Nobu The beginning
  • Nobu Continued
  • Heavy days
  • The Corton years
  • Batard rises, health falls
  • The beginning of the end
  • The end
  • Acknowledgments
  • Appendix: Myriad Restaurant Group.

Subjects

Added Authors

Jamie Feldmar