Books

My Place at the Table: A Recipe for a Delicious Life in Paris

Charming, gripping and often poignant, MY PLACE AT THE TABLE is a coming-of-age story that vividly recounts how a timid boy from the suburbs of Connecticut became one of the most influential dining critics and food writers in France.

When Alec Lobrano hears of an editorial opening at Women’s Wear Daily, he impulsively applies for the job because it’s in the Paris office. He is ridiculed by his new colleagues — his French is comical and he knows nothing about fashion.

After he confides a desire to become a restaurant critic to his landlady, she gives him a piece of advice that will become the compass of his career: “The first thing you have to learn is how to decipher the cook’s intentions.” He admires the temples of haute cuisine but prefers the more sincere pleasures of the city’s earthy bistros, where a series of chefs become his guide to the soul of French cooking. Soon, fork and pen in hand, Lobrano finds himself at the forefront of a revolution, breaking stories in magazines on both sides of the Atlantic about the young chefs shaking up the bistro scene with exciting dishes inflected with international ingredients. Before long, he has accepted an offer to become the dining critic of the largest business newspaper of the French-speaking world.

With hilarious scenes, unforgettable encounters, and larger-than-life characters, including James Beard, Julia Child, and Paul Bocuse, My Place at the Table has all the elements of an absorbing novel. It is also the riveting portrait of a gay man struggling to overcome the reverberating shame and guilt of a long-buried childhood secret.

Published here for the first time is Lobrano’s invaluable “little black book,” the ultimate insider’s guide to his all-time-favorite restaurants in Paris.

Praise for MY PLACE AT THE TABLE

“Like so many food lovers, Alec Lobrano dreamed of a life in Paris. Unlike the rest of us, he made the dream come true. In this warm, delicious, and extremely candid book, he lets us in on all his secrets. Everyone who loves French food will want to read this memoir.” — RUTH REICHL

“A flat-out wonderful read, full of the stories and secrets that make eat- ing in Paris what we want to be doing right now. Lobrano has a genius for finding characters at every level of the food chain — the peasant chef, or the grande dame home cook, or the bistro revolutionary with his sim- ple, perfect dishes—and for owning up to tasting foods for the first time and describing them with surprising poetic flair. Reading My Place at the Table on a New York subway, I did something I have never done: I missed my stop.” — BILL BUFORD, best-selling author of Heat and Dirt

“Alexander Lobrano’s beautiful memoir about finding himself through writing about food is charming, wise, and often very funny. An American who has lived in Paris for more than thirty years, he offers fresh insights into French culinary culture.” —ALICE WATERS
“In this coming-of-age tale, Alec Lobrano chronicles his discovery of taste, which led him to emerge as one of the most astute and brilliant writers on French cuisine. My Place at the Table is seasoned by sharp humor, a soupçon of heartbreak, and the satisfaction of triumph, all framed by reminiscences of delicious dining at Paris’s most lauded tables. This book is truly a recipe for pleasure!”
—DAVID LEBOVITZ, author of My Paris Kitchen and French Drinks

“A long-lasting love story with the French food scene told with wit, verve,
and great expertise.” —CHEF ALAIN DUCASSE

“Lobrano excels in weaving a full and timeless human story with bits of mouthwatering epicureanism. His writing is a meticulous, generous, and joyful affirmation of life.”
—DANIEL ROSE, chef, New York City (Le Coucou) and Paris (Chez la Vieille)

“Poignant, hilarious, wise, and bravely honest. Mouthwatering, too. Lobrano writes beautifully about food. But he’s just as adept at mining life’s truths. Lobrano’s debut memoir is a lovely feast.”
—TOM SIETSEMA, food critic, Washington Post