On the Line

This is without a doubt one of the very best looks inside a restaurant, in this case the Michelin rated Le Bernardin in New York City. Like many a cookbook, it is the tale of the early efforts of the founders (in this case a brother and sister who had a modest bistro in Paris), their successes (positive reviews led to American patrons), their move to a New York stage. And then young chef Eric Ripert enters, to take over, and build upon these successes to create what is generally regarded as the best seafood-centered restaurant in New York. And like many other celebrity chefs, Ripert provides recipes and insights into what goes upon the plate. For that alone, this would be a worthwhile acquisition for any serious cook. But what sets this book apart from the long list of "name" chef books in recent years are the many sidebar pieces and profiles of the people who contribute to the daily operation of a successful restaurant. We meet the porter who arrives to inspect the daily deliveries of produce, fish, and meats (including amounts and prices). The dishwashers who labor behind the scenes to wash the pots, pans, fine china, and crystal. The sommelier, the host, the servers, the many kitchen stations, chefs, apprentices, and specialists who all play a role in meal preparation. We are shown the floor plan for the many cooking stations, refrigerators, ovens, etc., that come into play to prepare your meal. There is even an minute by minute breakdown of several of the functions, to show how this is a coordinated effort aimed at providing a great meal, to each and every customer. There are many cookbooks and many alleged insiders guides to the heart of a chef; but On the Line is easily the most thorough portrayal of all that goes into making a great restaurant work like Le Benardin. Four Stars, Worth a Detour.

Eric Ripert is not only an amazing chef, but he's also an amazing person. I truly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it for anyone else who is a fan of Eric Ripert!

A very different and fun "cook book", you don't have to be cooking anything out of this book to be able to appreciate it.As a professional chef I find many things in it very informative, and if you are a fish guy like me then it doesn't get much better than a book from one of the most outstanding fish restaurants in the country in the last twenty years.Even if you like to have a small collection of chef's or cook books this one should be in it.

Insightful look at the inner workings of a great restaurant. If you are a diehard foodie who gets more excited by restaurant cooking than home cooking, but have never worked in a restaurant and want to know how it all works, you'll probably love this book. There's a decent amount of info on fish cookery, recipes, the value of Wondra flour, etc as well, but the real gem is the insiders look at a very successful restaurant.

This is a fine book. Typically I find food/kitchen books will fall into one of three categories. There is the recipe reference type. You have the beautifully illustrated "food porn" as Bourdain likes to call it. Finally there is the memoir type of book (see the aforementioned Bourdain). I find it difficult to pigeon hole this book as any one of these genres. Ripert and Muhlke have crafted an excellent snapshot of a day in the life of Le Bernadin.

Written when there was some doubt as to Le Bernadin's future, this lovely book provides not only a compendium of the restaurant's dishes, but also a look inside the history, structure, attitude and skills that have made this one of the best and most gracious restaurants in the world. The recipes are excellent and (unlike many books of this ilk) within the grasp of a moderately experienced home cook. The Le Bernadin essence is in obtaining the finest quality ingredients carefully and respectfully preparing them...but the real insights in the book are into how the restaurant continually strives for excellence and the approaches and techniques it employs to achieve it.

Is it a cookbook? No, but it has recipes. Is it a biography? Yes, but of a restaurant rather than a person. More than anything it is a day-to-day look at the workings of a wonderful restaurant. Detail is not spared. How much fish...how many napkins...details about the workers and their lives. And it is all put together in a way that is cohesive and entertaining. The lavish photos are unabashed food porn. The book is pretty, entertaining, instructive and well-worth the modest expense.

In On the Line, chef Eric Ripert takes readers behind the scenes at Le Bernardin. Published in 2008. I purchased this used library copy on Amazon. Great condition!

This is a Christmas gift for my son who is pursuing a career in culinary arts! He is very much a fan of Eric Ripert...I’m sure it will be a hit!!

A fanatasic book that's well worth keeping on the book shelf and great for anyone starting off in the catering industry.