Reviews
"Ambition, abandonment, revenge, the Napoleonic code, broken promises, gorillas, bad contracts, evil intentions, and lawsuits never-ending; they're all here in Randy Fertel's feast of a memoir, served with a healthy side of New Orleans history, and, for dessert, ville flottante ! Balzac would be envious; Tennessee Williams would feel right at home." -Valerie Martin, Orange Prize-winning author of Property and Mary Reilly, "A giant jambalaya of a book that throws into the pot a huge variety of ingredients that surprise, delight, burn the tongue, sear the heart, make you laugh until you cry--and beg for more. Randy Fertel's triumph, as a writer obsessed with history, is to have turned the story of his own disastrous family into the story of the city itself, and of its survival." - Betty Fussell, James Beard Foundation Award-winner and author of Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef, "Ambition, abandonment, revenge, the Napoleonic code, broken promises, gorillas, bad contracts, evil intentions, and lawsuits never-ending; they're all here in Randy Fertel's feast of a memoir, served with a healthy side of New Orleans history, and, for dessert, ville flottante! Balzac would be envious, Tennessee Williams would feel right at home." - Valerie Martin, Orange Prize-winning author of Property and Mary Reilly, "Funny, smart, poignant, and richly redolent of New Orleans, Randy Fertel's The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak is a brilliant memoir by a very talented writer indeed." - Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, Lots of New Orleans history in this family story, which is wilder than the gorillas and almost as juicy as the steaks.Roy Blount Jr., author, Feet on the Street: Rambles around New Orleans, A vivid, engrossing evocation of New Orleans, an exceptional city, in part because of characters like Randy Fertel's parents, Ruth and Rodney, the Empress of Steak and the Gorilla Man. A wonderful reading experience.Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief and Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, A giant jambalaya of a book that throws into the pot a huge variety of ingredients that surprise, delight, burn the tongue, sear the heart, make you laugh until you cryand beg for more. Randy Fertels triumph, as a writer obsessed with history, is to have turned the story of his own disastrous family into the story of the city itself, and of its survival.Betty Fussell, James Beard Foundation Awardwinner and author of Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef, A giant jambalaya of a book that throws into the pot a huge variety of ingredients that surprise, delight, burn the tongue, sear the heart, make you laugh until you cry--and beg for more. Randy Fertel's triumph, as a writer obsessed with history, is to have turned the story of his own disastrous family into the story of the city itself, and of its survival., Randy Fertel's soulful southern storytelling captures you instantly. I love how he uses the lens of family and food to tell the rich, complex history of New Orleans., Funny, smart, poignant, and richly redolent of New Orleans, Randy Fertels The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak is a brilliant memoir by a very talented writer indeed.Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prizewinning author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, "A giant jambalaya of a book that throws into the pot a huge variety of ingredients that surprise, delight, burn the tongue, sear the heart, make you laugh until you cry--and beg for more. Randy Fertel's triumph, as a writer obsessed with history, is to have turned the story of his own disastrous family into the story of the city itself, and of its survival." -Betty Fussell, James Beard Foundation Award-winner and author of Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef, "His mother was the 'first lady of American restaurants.' His father was 'odd, self-centered, and nuts.' Randy Fertel leverages a raucous New Orleans upbringing, in which Salvador Dali and Edwin Edwards play bit parts, to tell the story of an uncommon American family, defined, in equal measure, by bold swagger and humbling vulnerabilities." -John T. Edge, series editor of Cornbread Nation: The Best of Southern Food Writing, Ambition, abandonment, revenge, the Napoleonic code, broken promises, gorillas, bad contracts, evil intentions, and lawsuits never-ending; they're all here in Randy Fertel's feast of a memoir, served with a healthy side of New Orleans history, and, for dessert, ville flottante ! Balzac would be envious; Tennessee Williams would feel right at home., Funny, smart, poignant, and richly redolent of New Orleans, Randy Fertel's The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak is a brilliant memoir by a very talented writer indeed., His mother was the 'first lady of American restaurants.' His father was 'odd, self-centered, and nuts.' Randy Fertel leverages a raucous New Orleans upbringing, in which Salvador Dali and Edwin Edwards play bit parts, to tell the story of an uncommon American family, defined, in equal measure, by bold swagger and humbling vulnerabilities., "Lots of New Orleans history in this family story, which is wilder than the gorillas and almost as juicy as the steaks." --Roy Blount Jr., author, Feet on the Street: Rambles around New Orleans, "Randy Fertel's soulful southern storytelling captures you instantly. I love how he uses the lens of family and food to tell the rich, complex history of New Orleans." -Alice Waters, founder, Chez Panisse Restaurant, Lots of New Orleans history in this family story, which is wilder than the gorillas and almost as juicy as the steaks., A vivid, engrossing evocation of New Orleans, an exceptional city, in part because of characters like Randy Fertel's parents, Ruth and Rodney, the Empress of Steak and the Gorilla Man. A wonderful reading experience., Randy Fertels soulful southern storytelling captures you instantly. I love how he uses the lens of family and food to tell the rich, complex history of New Orleans.Alice Waters, founder, Chez Panisse Restaurant, Ambition, abandonment, revenge, the Napoleonic code, broken promises, gorillas, bad contracts, evil intentions, and lawsuits never-ending; theyre all here in Randy Fertels feast of a memoir, served with a healthy side of New Orleans history, and, for dessert, ville flottante ! Balzac would be envious; Tennessee Williams would feel right at home.Valerie Martin, Orange Prizewinning author of Property and Mary Reilly, "Funny, smart, poignant, and richly redolent of New Orleans, Randy Fertel's The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak is a brilliant memoir by a very talented writer indeed." -Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, "A vivid, engrossing evocation of New Orleans, an exceptional city, in part because of characters like his parents, Ruth and Rodney, the Empress of Steak and the Gorilla Man. A wonderful reading experience." - Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief and Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, His mother was the first lady of American restaurants.His father was odd, self-centered, and nuts.Randy Fertel leverages a raucous New Orleans upbringing, in which Salvador Dali and Edwin Edwards play bit parts, to tell the story of an uncommon American family, defined, in equal measure, by bold swagger and humbling vulnerabilities.John T. Edge, series editor of Cornbread Nation: The Best of Southern Food Writing, "His mother was the 'first lady of American restaurants.' His father was 'odd, self-centered, and nuts.' Randy Fertel leverages a raucous New Orleans upbringing, in which Salvador Dali and Edwin Edwards play bit parts, to tell the story of an uncommon American family, defined, in equal measure, by bold swagger and humbling vulnerabilities." - John T. Edge, series editor of Cornbread Nation: The Best of Southern Food Writing, "Randy Fertel's soulful southern storytelling captures you instantly. I love how he uses the lens of family and food to tell the rich, complex history of New Orleans." - Alice Waters, Founder, Chez Panisse Restaurant, "A vivid, engrossing evocation of New Orleans, an exceptional city, in part because of characters like Randy Fertel's parents, Ruth and Rodney, the Empress of Steak and the Gorilla Man. A wonderful reading experience." -Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief and Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend
