Dirty Dishes: A Restaurateur's Story of Passion, Pain, and Pasta (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Author), Anthony Bourdain (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his meandering memoir, New York restaurateur Luongo traces his American success story from a hasty, draft-dodging flight from Italy to his current position as a chef at the Upper East Side's Centolire. His rise from busboy to chef at Il Cantinori and the star-studded Sapore di Mare remains far more interesting than his descent and death sentence with a failed corporate Tuscan restaurant chain. Friedman (Breaking Back, and co-writer of several cookbooks) makes brief appearances as the writer assisting Luongo with his bad boy cooking memoir—and Luongo is shaped into both an uncompromising, confrontational chef and a person with an affection for his mother and good food. If it weren't for his uncompromising love of Italian food throughout, Luongo's reminiscences might seem bitter. He has a tendency to drop too many names and fight other celebrities' sense of entitlement. The trendsetting chef helped popularize Tuscan cooking and tells an engaging story even when he orbits outside the intense clatter of the kitchen. The book might disappoint hardcore foodies if it were not for a few incisive remarks on restaurant design, pasta portioning, how to skewer a critic—and recipes. (Jan.)
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Review

"You may not know the name Pino Luongo. Yet the Italian-born chef was synonymous with the high-powered New York dining scene of the '80s and '90s, his hot temper and even hotter restaurants providing endless grist for the city's gossip mill... Boldfaced names from the worlds of art, fashion and finance would follow Luongo... But beyond the stars... the most vividly etched character in the book is the grungy New York of the '80s, a place where nouvelle cuisine and crime rules. Luongo helps change that apocalyptic landscape, kick-starting not only the vogue for authentic, regional Italian cooking but the era of the emperor chef. " -- New York Post

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (December 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596914424
• ISBN-13: 978-1596914421
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #547,298 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story., January 5, 2009

By	Alison D. Curry (New York City) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having enjoyed many of Pino Luongo's restaurants -- Il Cantonori, Le Madri, Coco Pazzo, Tuscan Square, and Centolire -- it's a delight to meet the man behind the menus. The story is one of success and failure and more success. It seems particularly timely for New Yorkers -- that someone would start with nothing (Luongo immigrated to NY from Italy without so much as a word of English) build an empire (16 restaurants at one point!) and come to realize that the simple things are life's greatest rewards. Whether you love to cook, eat or simply read --- you will enjoy this story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pino's Passions bleeds from his heart into print with Dirty Dishes!, February 17, 2009

By	Anthony J. Priolo "Piccolo Sogno" (Chicago) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have to say, I have worked for Pino for almost 11 years at Coco Pazzo in Chicago and with out his passion for Italian food, and culture, there would be a lot of Italian Chefs in America lost in the kitchen (including myself). From his persistence for the truth of the Italian Kitchen, in his books, his teachings and his restaurants, he has inspired me to open my own Italian restaurant in Chicago. In this book, his true passion bleeds from his heart into print. This is a must have book, true to himself and to the reader.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dirty Dishes a good read, February 11, 2009

By	A Reader (Columbus, IN USA) - See all my reviews

I saw Pino, with whom I was totally unfamiliar, in an interview on TV, doing a little cooking and talking about his new book, "Dirty Dishes". I bought the book based on that short talk, and was not disappointed. It is a fascinating look into the business of being a successful restaurateur, as well as a culinary philosophy. I found it difficult to put down.