Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll: How Food Lovers, Free Spirits, Misfits and Wanderers Created a New American Profession Hardcover – February 27, 2018 by Andrew Friedman (Ecco )

The in-depth history of how the profession of chef went from "behind the scenes" to "into spotlight" as the chaotic, riotous world of modern restaurant culture came to be. There were a lot of familiar names here, and I was particularly amused by the Tom Colicchio's story as well as that of Jonathan Waxman, both of whom I've enjoyed on Top Chef and other cooking shows. I was surprised at the glancing mention of Anthony Bourdain, as he seemed to embody the title so well, but maybe he didn't agree to be interviewed. Much attention to Jeremiah Towers and Alice Waters, but there were others I have never heard of who played large roles. It was fun to read of places I've been and what went on behind the swinging door to the kitchen

Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll transports readers back in time to witness the remarkable evolution of the American restaurant chef in the 1970s and ’80s. Taking a rare, coast-to-coast perspective, Andrew Friedman goes inside Chez Panisse and other Bay Area restaurants to show how the politically charged backdrop of Berkeley helped draw new talent to the profession; into the historically underrated community of Los Angeles chefs, including a young Wolfgang Puck and future stars such as Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Milliken, and Nancy Silverton; and into the clash of cultures between established French chefs in New York City and the American game changers behind The Quilted Giraffe, The River Café, and other East Coast establishments. We also meet young cooks of the time such as Tom Colicchio and Emeril Lagasse who went on to become household names in their own right. Along the way, the chefs, their struggles, their cliques, and, of course, their restaurants are brought to life in vivid detail. As the ’80s unspool, we see the profession evolve as American masters like Thomas Keller rise, and watch the genesis of a “chef nation” as these culinary pioneers crisscross the country to open restaurants and collaborate on special events, and legendary hangouts like Blue Ribbon become social focal points, all as the industry-altering Food Network shimmers on the horizon.

Told largely in the words of the people who lived it, as captured in more than two hundred author interviews with writers like Ruth Reichl and legends like Jeremiah Tower, Alice Waters, Jonathan Waxman, and Barry Wine, Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll treats readers to an unparalleled 360-degree re-creation of the business and the times through the perspectives not only of the groundbreaking chefs but also of line cooks, front-of-house personnel, investors, and critics who had front-row seats to this extraordinary transformation.