Off the Menu [Paperback]

Stacey Ballis (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 3, 2012

As the executive culinary assistant to celebrity Chicago chef Patrick Conlon, Alana Ostermann works behind the scenes—and that’s just the way she likes it. But with developing recipes for Patrick’s cookbooks, training his sous chefs, picking out the perfect birthday gifts for his ex-mother-in-law, and dealing with the fallout from his romantic escapades, she barely has a personal life, much less time to spend with her combo platter of a mutt, Dumpling.

Then a fluke online connection brings her RJ, a transplant from Tennessee, who adds some Southern spice to her life. Suddenly Alana’s priorities shift, and Patrick—and Dumpling—find themselves facing a rival for her time and affection. With RJ in the mix, and some serious decisions to make about her personal and professional future, Alana must discover the perfect balance of work and play, money and meaning, to bring it all to the table—one delicious dish at a time…

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade; 1 edition (July 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042524766X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425247662
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Stacey Ballis dishes up another fabulous and soul-satisfying meal in her newest novel. With the perfect blend of humor and heart, Ballis' writing is powerfully honest and genuinely hilarious, and embodies everything I love about contemporary women's fiction. Off the Menu is an irresistibly delicious five-course read!”--Jen Lancaster, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Alana Ostermann has a great job working as an executive culinary assistant to Patrick Conlon (one of Chicago's top chefs), great friends (including one with whom she has been trading some "special" benefits), a great family and an adorable dog — all of whom love her dearly. So what if she still hasn't met her Mr. Right? But when an online dating service accidentally matches her up with a sweet, sexy transplanted Tennessean named RJ, Alana begins to think she may have found the missing ingredient in the recipe for a perfect life. Readers hungry for cleverly written contemporary romances will definitely want to order Off the Menu."—Chicago Tribune

“Witty and tender, brash and seriously clever, Stacey Ballis’ characters are our friends, our neighbors or, in some cases, that sardonic colleague the next cubicle over…Her storytelling will have you alternately turning pages and calling your friends urging them to come along for the ride. And in Stacey Ballis’ talented hands, oh what a wonderful ride it is.” --Elizabeth Flock, New York Times Bestselling Author

"ENTICING. Ballis writes a bit like Emily Giffin and Isabel Wolff, and the recipes will please gal foodies as well."—Booklist

"A wonderfully joyful ode to good food, best friends, tough choices and great love.  Off the Menu = one delicious read...that comes complete with recipes!  So much fun."  --Alison Pace, author of You Tell Your Dog First

"Stacey Ballis knows her readers like books smart and funny—and she always delivers." --Laurie Gwen Shapiro, Author of Brand X: The Boyfriend Account

About the Author

Stacy Ballis is the author of six foodie novels: Inappropriate Men, Sleeping Over, Room For Improvement, The Spinster Sisters, Good Enough to Eat, and Off the Menu. She is a contributing author to three non-fiction anthologies: Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume, and Living Jewishly. She is currently at work on two new works of full-length fiction for Berkley/Penguin. She was an educator for over fifteen years in Chicago including teaching high school English in the Chicago Public Schools and serving as Director of Education and Community Programs for Goodman Theatre for seven seasons before pursuing a full-time career in writing and consulting.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade; 1 edition (July 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042524766X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425247662
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stacey Ballis is the author of several novels, incuding Inappropriate Men, Sleeping Over, Room for Improvement, The Spinster Sisters, Good Enough to Eat, Off the Menu and Out to Lunch, currently available for pre-order, being released December 3, 2013. She is also a contributing author to the anthologies Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, and Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume, and Living Jewishly. She is currently at work on a new work of full-length fiction called Recipe for Disaster for Berkeley/Penguin, which will be out in December 2014.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 10 Reasons Why I devoured OFF THE MENU July 4, 2012

By Amy Hatvany

Format:Paperback

#1. The protagonist, Alana, is smart, sassy, and endearingly authentic.

#2. The cover has chocolate cupcakes on it!

#3. Stacey Ballis's writing style is self-assured and wickedly funny, filled with one-line zingers that made coffee shoot out of my nose.

#4. The relationships Alana has with her family and friends are so lovely, so intimately drawn, you feel as though you could walk into any of their houses, take your shoes off, and prop your feet up on their couch.

#5. The glorious descriptions of food will make you drool.

#6. Your heart will ache as you connect with Alana and her desire to find a lasting, meaningful love.

#7. A dog named Dumpling.

#8. Your heart will sing as you watch Alana stumble across an amazing, grown up romantic connection with RJ.

#9. Recipes for all the glorious food descriptions included in the back of the book!

#10. Cat + Fly paper = Hysteria.

I was so enamored with this story! I loved that Alana was fiercely independent, but at the same time vulnerable and sweet. I loved that she wanted to find love, but didn't link her self-esteem to whether or not she did. This is a truly wonderful beach read...Highly recommend!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down! July 5, 2012

By Lisa

Format:Paperback

Stacey Ballis just gets better and better. I loved, loved, loved reading Off the Menu. I felt like I was listening to a particularly articulate girlfriend recount her adventures. I'm so sad to reach the end because I want to stay in Alanna's world. And don't even get me started on the food descriptions... I'm hungry now!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Every middle-aged chubby Jewish girls fantasy, but completely untethered to reality. November 7, 2012

By crissy

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The protagonist has a great high paying job ( and don't worry, she'll remind you of her above average salary on a regular basis, as well as how much she gives her parents and saves in trust for the nieces and nephews, while maintainng her own very large condo and a cabin in the country too!), a perfect loving family who is embraced by all of her friends and who are welcome at dinner unannounced at just about every holiday. She has a crazy egotistical boss who is very demanding, but loves her and confesses that she is the sole heir to his tremendous fortune. Of course she has no time to date (and spends an unusual amount of time and description on her dog), but manages to meet the perfect gentile gentleman on an online dating site. He is, naturally, handsome,charming, artistic and romantic with a fabulous career of his own and he writes and speaks to her as only as a wishful- thinking woman would put such overly saccharine words in his mouth. I was half-hoping he would turn out to be gay or SOMETHING! The man is so perfect, too good to be true, in fact, as are all of her friends, by the way, that I only kept reading to see if her dog shitting in the guy's shoes was a clue to the eventual revelation that the dude was a con artist who had his real family in another state. But no. Her major conflict is a decision she has to make either to co-star on a TV show with her cooking Pro boss (for buckets of money, no less!) or work for an organization to teach teens to cook. AND SHE DOESN'T EVEN NEED TO CHOOSE THEN! She figures out a way to do them both. And, as an aside, they are so many references to, and instances of, anal leakages (gaseous and otherwise) by our protagonist and her dog, it's a wonder none of her close circle of friends didn't suggest treatment for her irritable bowel system.... And I certain could have done without the colorful details of it all.
If you want to read a really funny, smart, well-wriiten book about a woman who has real-life relationships, complete with the accompanying real-life messiness, and better recipes to boot - do yourself a favor and read Nora Effron's HEARTBURN.
As for OFF THE MENU, I think if the protagonist weren't self-described fat and forty, I'd relegate this book to the YA section. Read more ›

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A (TRUE) LOVE STORY July 10, 2012

By praetor1983

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Stacey Ballis' newest novel, Off the Menu, has at its heart a slightly fictionalized take on the wonderful romance and love suffusing her life.

Drawn with rich and layered characters - Alana, her over-the-top wonderful/annoying/loving/asshair/compassionate/jerk boss Patrick, her frankenpup Dumpling and bevy of amazing and colorful friends - the story pulls you in and doesn't want you to let it go.

A true delight in ordering this read off the menu was in the satisfaction of finishing it ... and wanting more. If all "chick lit" could be this good, I wouldn't find the time to go to work. A stunningly fun read. Now, go out and order/buy/pick-it-up - and I mean now.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars So boring! July 11, 2012

By Alex

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

All the characters are way too nice, funny, smart and charming that makes the book boring and flat. She met this perfect guy, they fell in love, of course, they are the perfect match. She has the usual bunch of great friends, her family is the best, she also has a great job (and she is the best, of course) with a charming boss who can't work without her... Period. End oft the story. There is not a single conflict, not a twist, nothing. It's too basic, even for a summer read.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Lacking substance August 12, 2012

By mattie180

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought the Kindle edition of this book based on the recommendation of a TV morning show. It was one of four books that they spotlighted, and the third of the four I read. I was sorely disappointed. NOTHING happened. The main character faced very little conflict, was not punished for her self-serving / judgemental ways, and pretty much coasted through the book as though it was a neat little fairytale. In addition, the author's constant jabs of the Spanish language (spoken by the protaganist's best friend) veered into insulting territory more times than I could keep track - it was very uncomfortable to read. The biggest offense was the book ending 80% through in order to bring me recipes from the book. I enjoy a light fluffy read, but wish I had avoided this one.