“Sweetbitter” by Stephanie Danler

My husband, Jeff, worked as a dishwasher, prep chef, line cook and sous chef before moving to California more than 20 years ago to become a software marketing executive. I often make him tell me stories about his career as a chef. This fascinates me because I am a big foodie. I love restaurants, reviews, menus, recipies and cookbooks of any kind. I keep lists on electronic stickie notes on my laptop that read “Places for Lori and Jeff to eat in Marin,” “Places for Lori and Jeff to eat in San Francisco,” and places for “Lori and Jeff to eat in Oakland.” It doesn’t matter that we never go to dinner in Oakland, what matters is that I have collected the hottest restaurants in each of these cities on my list, because I am a foodie. “Sweetbitter,” the debut novel by Stephanie Danler, is the perfect book for a restaurant-loving reader, or anyone who enjoys reading well-written, coming-of-age stories. Danler once worked at New York City’s Union Square Café, so her novel is based loosely on first-hand, behind the scenes restaurant experience. Her main character Tess is hired to be a “backwaiter” and her role is a metaphor for anyone who has ever felt like the new kid on the block in a neighborhood of bossy veterans. If, while reading this book, you wonder if Danler’s portrayal of restaurant life is realistic, wonder no further. Chef Gabrielle Hamilton (who wrote the fabulous “Prune,” and “Blood, Bones and Butter”) recently reviewed “Sweetbitter” for “The New York Times” and said the author did an “outstanding job” and called the book “brilliantly written.“ This book is just a sexy, smart and satisfying read from beginning to end. I look forward to seeing what Danler comes up with next. When I finished the book I was left with just one question: Who will play Tess in the film version? The author just signed a six-figure movie deal.  To purchase this book on Amazon click here.