An amazing story of how one man and his handpicked team took Restaurant Associates from a failing cafeteria chain to the highest levels of dining luxury setting. At the pinnacle of RA's glory, on account of a divorce, Brody's in-laws, who controlled its stock, dismissed Brody from RA. Almost instantly Brody created a restaurant empire of his own.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In this biography of restaurateur Jerome Brody, Freundlich (president of New York book packager Freundlich Communications) brings to the fore the man originally behind Restaurant Associates, the company that invented theme restaurants and fine American dining with such Manhattan eating places as the swank Four Seasons and Mama Leone's. The story of that company's development, Brody's subsequent removal and later building of his own restaurant empire, including the Grand Central Oyster Bar, is an interesting one, particularly in business and financial terms. But unfortunately, Freundlich spends too much time extolling the virtues of Brody and his "adored" second wife, Marlene. Freundlich repeats often that Brody, not Joe Baum, was the brains behind Restaurant Associates, mentioning "Baum's lifelong penchant for taking credit for all aspects of a restaurant's success whether or not he had anything to do with it." Brody's divorce from his first wife, whose father owned Wechsler Coffee Company, is glossed over, as is any personal information, so much so that his oldest daughter's death in 1972 is dispatched in a single sentence, with no cause of death provided. Famous names are dropped with the weakest of associations (i.e., author Michael Ondaatje is mentioned as a family friend of Brody's second wife). Brody eventually climbed his way back, creating, among other establishments, the private club Raffles and L'toile, pausing in between to breed racehorses. In the end, this biography of Brody is warmed-over fare.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful surprise,
By Kate Werley (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Time Well Spent: A Biography of Jerome Brody (Hardcover)
A dear friend in the restaurant business recommended this book to me, and I was a bit skeptical not being an advid reader of books devoted to restaurant themes. However, I found the book delightfully surprising. The behind the scenes story of the hardwork and hardship required by Jerome Brody to create such legendary dining establishments as The Grand Central Oyster Bar & Grill were insipiring and honest. Freundlich brilliantly wove personal antectodes through a buiness oriented biography, although more information on certain personal subjects (such as his children) would have been appreciated. However, today it seems so many writers include intimate personal information not necessarily wanted by readers, that the lack of graphic details gave me respect for Freundlich's decision to only include bits of personal information, therefore not divulgeing confidential information about famous acquaintances and friends such as Michael Ondaatje. Overall, the book appealed to a wide range of audiences and dealt with everyday themes such as dealing with terrible inlaws, something many of us can relate to! I've recommended it to several friends as well as my mother who seems to be enjoying the book, and I'll be sure to pass it along to others.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Timwe Well Spent by Laurence S. Freundlich,
By Frank j Sblendido (Ghent N.Y.) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Time Well Spent: A Biography of Jerome Brody (Hardcover)
A TIME WELL SPENT "BY LAWRENCE S. FREUNDLICH IS THE STORY OF A GENTLEMAN WHO APPEARED T O "HAVE IT ALL" ONLY TO HAVE TRE PROVERBIAL RUG PULLED OUT FROM UNDER HIM. HIS STRENGTH OF CHARACTER, THE LOVE AND LOYALTY OF HIS WIFE MARLENE, AND HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS HELPED HIM TO RISE TO UNPRECEDENTED HEIGHTS. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF JERRY BRODY WAS KEPT TO A VERY COMFORTABLE LEVEL WHILE LETTING THE BOOK CONCENTRATE ON THE MAN. THIS INDEED MADE FOR MUCH MORE PLEASURABLE READING. THERE IS A DELECTIBLE MIXTURE OF NEW YORK LIFE AND SOCIETY CONNECTED WITH HIS RESTAURANT SUCCESSES INCLUDING THE FOUR SEASONS, GALLAGHER'S STEAK HOUSE AND THE GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR. HIS ACHIEVEMENTS CONTINUED IN THE "BLACK ANGUS" CATTLE BUSINESS WITH WINNING AWARDS FOR MANHATTAN GAL AS NATIONAL BLACK ANGUS HEIFER AND PATRIOT AS NATIONAL BLACK ANGUS BULL JERRY BRODY'S BELOVED FARM "GALLAGHER'S STUD", WAS REPSONSIBLE FOR BREEDING A MILLION DOLLAR CHAMPION RACE HORSE, ALLEZ-MILORD, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER NEW YORK BRED WINNING THOROUGHBREDS. ONCE AGAIN MR. FREUDLICH WEAVES IN ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE FASCINATING LIFE OF JERRY BRODY. ANYONE WOULD ENJOY READING THIS STORY WHERE MANY LIVES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS AND THE NOT SO RICH AND FAMOUS WERE TOUCHED. HIS LOYALTY NEVER WAIVERED AND HIS BRILLIANT MIND NEVER STOPPED WORKING. THERE IS A LESSON TO BE LEARNED FROM THIS BIOGRAPRY - THAT SHEER "STICKTUITIVENESS" AND FOLLOWING A LIFE'S PASSION AND DREAM MADE HIS "TIME WEELL SPENT" I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE IN IT. BY BARBARA MONKMAN
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