A story of how two people came together first as friends they formed a partnership for a restaurant. the ups and downs of the restaurant and their friendship. the funny times and the struggles as well yet it works and the constant work at making it work for them their employees and the people who keep coming back. A truly wonderful story.

I am literally obsessed with Mashama Bailey and anything she does. I loved this book written by her and John Morisano. It was wonderful reading about the history leading up to the creation of one of my favorite restaurants in the world, and the two people who made it happen. I really enjoyed and I will have to buy a copy for myself.

BLACK, WHITE, AND THE GREY by Mashama Bailey and John O. Morisano is "The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Restaurant." Bailey, a Black chef, and Morisano, a White entrepreneur join forces to renovate and open a formerly segregated Greyhound bus station as The Grey, an innovative restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. At the end of each chapter they share a favorite recipe. And with promotional blurbs from chef Marcus Samuelsson and others, this is clearly a text which deals with wine, food and the influence of African American cuisine, but it is much more. This text touches not only on the cooking and business side of running a restaurant, but also on "race, class, and culture" and the many uncomfortable conversations all of that involves. Together Johno and Mashama relate their story in an honest, intimate way – sometimes in alternating paragraphs, as if they were sitting beside the reader and interrupting each other. Unfortunately, my access to BLACK, WHITE, AND THE GREY expired before I could completely finish it, but I look forward to doing so.

I came across Chef’s Table on Netflix pretty late in the game and once I found it, I binge watched all episodes and all seasons. As I watched each episode and came across a chef that inspired and moved me I would immediately search for their cookbook. Mashama Bailey’s episode is one of my favorites and I was so excited to see an upcoming book release. I was expecting a full cookbook with shared stories that overlapped with what I had seen from Chef’s Table. But this book was so much more! It was an important and honest conversation between two business partners. It was about the racial issues that occur in Savannah and above all, it was about food and The Grey. In the earlier part of the book, Mashama states that at first she didn’t want to be a part of the book and I’m so happy she changed her mind. Her voice is needed and this book wouldn’t have been the same otherwise.

There are several recipes placed throughout the book. One I marked to try was the Crystal Beer Inspired Greek Wings. I love me a good wing! One recipe I did try was the Paper Plane, a drink recipe early in this book. While I’m not a bourbon fan, I think the addition of Aperol and lemon juice made the drink. It gives it a lovely citrus flavor. And really, bourbon IS the South. We clinked our glasses and said cheers to Scott!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Staten Island born John O. Morisano (better known as Johno to his family and friends) worked his way from working class to fairly well off. His work was not related to restaurants, yet he winds up buying an old Greyhound bus station in Savannah, GA and dreams of turning it into a restaurant. He ends up partnering with chef Mashama Bailey, who was also living in NYC at the time. This book is written by both Johno and Mashama in a kind of alternating dialog. We hear about how Johno went about searching for the right chef to partner with, how Johno and Mashama met and how they went about creating the restaurant The Grey.

This was an interesting book that not only was about food but also touched on race in America. There is a lot of discussion about how while Savannah is a diverse city, people of different races there are pretty segregated with where they live and work. Johno and Mashama hoped to make The Grey a place where all races would feel welcome. I found it interesting seeing the dynamic between these two writers. Each chapter ended with a recipe from Johno or Mashama.

I recommend this to fans of food writing with a side of social commentary.

Black, White, and the Grey is the story of Johno and Mashama and how they opened a famous restaurant in a renovated Greyhound bus terminal in Savannah.

This is a true story, and the voices are interwoven throughout the book but identified separately.
Johnno's writing is in plain type, and Mashama's in bold.
Johnno is the moneyman behind the deal - a white kid from Staten Island. Masham is his partner and the chef, a black woman from Queens.
The story begins with a traumatic event involving the restaurant's FOH manager and then flashes back through the development and evolution of the project.

I thought this was an interesting way to tell the story, and it definitely helped the reader to see both points of view. I found the book very challenging to "get into" but once I was about 1/3-1/2 way through it became more compelling.

It's a different take on how people of different backgrounds and races can work together.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is wonderful. It's gorgeous, it's thoughtful, and it's important. For fans of Bailey Mashama, fans of Southern food, or those interested in connecting food with the necessary political reckoning this country is going through, this book is for you.

A two person recount of how a restaurant comes to be. An investor with insight into the rhythm of a town, Savannah, Ga. If you have ever wondered how a really good restaurant is born, here is the story for you. Chefs are known for their creativity, this gives you a glimpse how that creativity works through stages. Mashama and John’s two distinct humans from differing worlds and points of view come together with a sense of purpose and community that echoes throughout the book. I loved the trip to Europe and how if informed the menu in the end. It was a lesson in vision shared through communication and experience. Each partner gives their take on the the birth of this sacred place as a meeting point for the community and a dining destination. The recipes at the end of the chapters were a comfort through this confined time.

An absolutely wonderful book that speaks to racism, bias, gender and class and how to people overcame it to open a highly regarded restaurant.

Did not finish book. The Publisher's watermarks diagonally across every page made the galley unreadable. Thanks to Net Galley and Ten Speed Press. Next time please enable reader facility.

Spectacular, instant classic and inspiration. In a time when we are separated, this food can bring friends and families together.