The Dish

More about the book

Acclaimed chef writer Andrew Friedman offers an engaging exploration of the intricate processes and people involved in creating a single restaurant dish, providing a vivid snapshot of the contemporary restaurant community and food supply chain. On a typical evening at a modern American restaurant, diners place their orders, a routine that fuels the establishment. Friedman slows down this process, focusing on a dish from Chicago's Wherewithall restaurant, tracing its journey from order to table through real-time kitchen and field reporting. As the kitchen team prepares the dish, Friedman introduces readers to the key players, including the chefs who design the meal, line cooks, sous chefs, and dishwashers who keep operations running smoothly. The narrative extends to the producers, farmers, and ranchers who supply the restaurant, highlighting their vital roles in the supply chain. Readers will experience visits to Midwestern farms, witness the beef aging process, participate in grape harvesting at a Michigan winery, and ride along with delivery drivers, all while learning about the often-overlooked immigration stories of farm and restaurant workers. This book is a captivating journey into the world of restaurant dishes, offering insights into our food systems and celebrating the unsung heroes of the culinary world. It promises to change how readers perceive every restaurant meal they enjoy.