Super Chef: The Making of the Great Modern Restaurant Empires

Juliette Rossant, a business and travel journalist who also writes about the food business writes `Super Chef'. And, this is entirely a book about business, business people, and food people rather than a book about food. While it is good journalism, it has little in common with the culinary journalism of Michael Ruhlman, Robb Walsh, or Calvin Trillin.The subject of the book is the business careers of five restaurateurs and talented chefs who have been successful in starting and running at least two different restaurants. The subtitle is `The Making of the Great Modern Restaurant Empires' which brings to mind Emeril Lagasse, Jean George Vongerichten, Nobu Matsuhisa, Daniel Boulud, and Mario Batali, all of which are known as great chefs who have opened several different haute cuisine restaurants in major venues. Three of the five chefs featured in the book, Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Palmer, and Todd English, certainly belong to this group, but two, Tom Colicchio and the team of Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, seem somewhat out of place.Wolfgang Puck is by far and away the poster boy for the American Super Chef prototype. More than any other, he has turned his name into a brand. The fact that no one except Emeril Lagasse even comes close to Puck's celebrity is simply a measure of how clearly he stands out from the crowd. His business concerns include a `fine dining' company with its flagship Spago restaurants, a `fast casual' company with restaurants in the mold of Chilis and Bennigans, a foods marketer handling his trademark frozen pizzas and other foods, a line of cookware Wolfgang hawks on QVC, a series of cookbooks, and headlining appearances on Food Network shows and specials such as the `Master Iron Chef' series of shows. Last but by far not least is his Hollywood catering gigs where he wines and dines the Academy Awards celebrants and other high profile events. Since Wolfgang's career is so visible, it is easy to verify some of the author's impressions of Puck against other appearances.Two things about Puck are well known and are echoed in this book. The first is his great modesty in the face of a backbreaking schedule that can turn less well-tempered people into people whose company you simply do not want to share. Watching any Puck appearance on TV in a quiet atmosphere can see this. The second is his great skill under pressure. On the Food Network `Master Iron Chef' segment where Puck was competing against Masaharu Morimoto, Puck's dishes were so clearly better at using the theme ingredient that the competition didn't even seem fair. Other evidence is his behavior on specials about the Oscar catering gigs where his assistants comment that Puck seems to have ice water in his veins, as he simply never looses his cool while standing back and letting his team get the job done.The truly odd thing about the forty-two (42) pages about Wolfgang Puck in this book is that I recall but a single sentence about his cooking, where the author offers th

I'm what you call a foodie, but I was never that interested in the business side of fine cuisine...until I picked up Rossant's book. After reading it, I finally understood that people like Puck and the others profiled in its pages really transformed the way we eat in restaurants across the country and at home, too. The entertaining anecdotes on the super chefs reveal just how tenuous success is in the wacky restaurant world, and how passionate and motivated these men and women (especially the women!) must be to become stars. I found it more fascinating than to read about a basketball superstar or a movie heart throb. I especially like the introduction, which narrates the story of influential chefs from the 17th century on. It's clear, easy to absorb, and really makes sense of how haute cuisine came to this country. A page-turner.

Having been around for a while it was facscinating to reminisce about these well known chefs and and how they got there. Particulary how they chose the culinary road. Some chefs became celebrities by going horizontal, and others chose the vertical route. She presents the business and corporate in a readable manner. Ms Rossant writes in great detail and is very serious about her subject. I started reading this book and found it difficult to put it down.

having been around for awhile it was interesting to read and reminsce about well known chefs and how they started their careers. It was particularly interesting to explore how they chose to become a chef professionally and expanded their business across the country. Some chose to expand horizontally, some vertically. Ms Rossant goes into great detail with each of the 5 chefs both their assets and foibles. This is a very readable book especially from the business and corportate world. After all we all need to eat, but to go underneath the plate is terrific.

An absolutely delightful romp through the culinary world! "Super Chef" also provides an insightful look at the people who have built these empires of gourmet. Veteran correspondent Juliette Rossant's prose is infinitely readable, subtly discerning. However those who are looking for tell-all, celebrity gossip will be disappointed. This is an informed and open-minded look at a new genre of American success. I want to know when Ms. Rossant will be writing "Super Chef Europe!"