3.5 Obsession Maybe Stars
This was a telling of how certain things that make an impression as a child can truly impact our lives. Dan Ahdoot took the feeling he had experienced with his father while dining out, experiencing the bond, etc., and became obsessed with following the path of all things food above all else for most of his current life.

I love Dan Ahdoot. He was just incredible on Bajillion Dollar Properties, and as a guest on Doughboys. I was THRILLED to see this book on NetGalley. He is such a talented writer, and what could be a super dull book about food is just so much fun!

Food has become the one true constant in Dan Ahdoot’s life, he writes, whether it’s coming from a place of fascination or as a response to grief. In the intro, he writes that food “has turned me into a gun owner, an animal rights activist, an [alleged] arsonist,” and part owner of the prestigious New York restaurant Estela.

This isn't a traditional food memoir, since culinary arts seem to be more of a throughline in these narratives about his life, which is thoroughly enjoyable. Between these essays, Ahdoot, who’s amazing on Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, has a great literary voice, and he’s consistently funny — every page has a great one-liner. After graduating with honors from Johns Hopkins University, he gets accepted into medical school, a plan that he abandons to pursue stand-up comedy, booking underwhelming gigs at colleges, to the chagrin of his family.

“When I graduated from college, I moved to New York City to be a stand-up comic. That’s a sentence that haunts my immigrant parents to this day.”

Another of my favorite elements is Ahdoot’s precise way of using his discerning palate to describe complex dishes, like when he tries a beef cheek ravioli, he writes, “You know when something is so good, it leaves you confused? Yeah.”

I would rate this book 3 1/2 out or 5 stars

Can you imagine having a child who graduates from John Hopkins University with honors who plans on attending medical school at Cornell University but instead gives it up to be a comedian. You may know the author from his time on television. From a young age the author was a foodie with his father being a middle child it was his thing to do with his father. They went to some the best restaurants of the time around New York City the likes of Mezzaluna, Les Halle's and Le Cirque. While food is the undertones of this book there are few story lines to follow with him being a comedian, a television star and other ventures along with his personal relationships. There is humor sprinkle throughout the book while some maybe a little sophomoric you still get some pretty good laughs especially when he describes the hunting adventures with college friends especially when you consider his friend and himself not being noted as typically the hunting type. While this is not in my opinion the likes of "Kitchen Confidential" it is still a pretty good read.

Ahhh food - so many good times and, at times, not so much.

The author obviously has a handle on funny - he tells his story with funny experiences and those that are not so funny (hunting!!!!!??? wjy???).

While I only considered this book okay, my co-worker, at the library, read it and fell in love with it.

Obviously, this is a book that means different things to different people.

Dan Ahdoot is a comedian, actor, podcast host, and a huge fan of good food. In this memoir, he looks at the things his love of food have led him to do, both good and bad. From unfortunate career moves to hunting and cooking with wild game, it's a hilarious adventure with surprisingly contemplative moments. There are a few things in this book that give me pause — like how casually he jokes about starting a forest fire. But overall, it showed me some new perspectives and was very enjoyable along the way.

First--this is quite amazing funny in spots. Dan Ahdoot is an entertaining storyteller. If you're looking for a traditional foodie memoir, this is probably not it. The chapters are more like individual essays than a memoir.

Some details might be too graphic at times for readers, so keep that in mind if you're reading this while eating! (hunting descriptions and an unfortunate bathroom experience)

Many thanks to Crown and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.