Feeding Frenzy: Across Europe in Search of a Perfect Meal

By Stuart Stevens

Book Overview

Friends and fellow New Yorkers Stuart Stevens and Rachel "Rat" Kelly share two passions: exercise and eating. Having exhausted nearly every posh Manhattan restaurant, former model Rat suggests they take their buffed bodies to new gastronomic heights via a tour of Europe's Michelin three-star restaurants. Rat's boyfriend will underwrite the trip--but only if they do the twenty-nine restaurants on their list in twenty-nine days. What follows is nothing less than gustatory madness, a wacky dash in a cherry-red 1965 Mustang across England, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and France through Europe's greatest food temples. Filled with hilarious misadventures, priceless exchanges with star chefs, wild excess, breathtaking scenery, and sensual depictions of once-in-a-lifetime meals, Feeding Frenzy will delight travelers and epicures alike.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345425545
• ISBN13: 9780345425546
• Release Date: May 1998
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

not for public reading

Laugh out loud funny! You don't have to be a gourmet to enjoy reading about this parade through so-called "fancy restaurants"!

Delicious, humorous, nice yarn

Unlike many other reviewers I liked this book immensely. I doubt that many of us have eaten at many (or any) of these gourmet palaces described in the book, but we can still dream. I enjoyed the whole setup - the decision to go, the pair that traveled, the 65 Mustang, the sheer gall of the adventure...but most of all, the food.The descriptions of both the land, the people, the buildings and all the internal machinations of running and thriving in the ruthless business were enlightening and enjoyable. Especially good were the many conversations with the various chef-owners and their differing philosophies. Some of the places are no longer in business - so what? At least they once were and they served food on the order not found in America. Did I consider the author opinionated? Sure, that's why I bought the book. I wanted to hear from someone NOT paid to hype these places.If I go to Europe I plan to take this book and try out some of these places. Buy the book.

Very creative, very unique adventure

I picked up this book by accident in Central London. By the time I had made it out to the airport and by shuttle flight to Amsterdam, I was done reading it! It is a terrific, engaging, fast moving adventure across Europe. Very well written and outside the mold. Highly recommended to anyone who is getting bored of the same old thing in travel narratives. Congratulations to Stuart Stevens on his sense of humor.

The perfect holiday read for 'foodies' and Europhiles.

While it's not in the Bill Bryson league, as far as belly-laughs go, it's amusing , light, and rightly debunks the nonsense perpetrated by the Guide Michelin. There are maybe half-a-dozen places you'll want to try...and many more that you'll avoid assiduously! If you're a food-lover and bound for Europe, this is a must-read. M.F.K. Fisher is the doyen of food-writers, and Stevens isn't in her league and doesn't pretend to be; but he's the kind of person you'd like to travel with. That's high praise. I reckon.

A hilarious romp, perfect summer reading

Grab a lemonade (or a glass of wine) and sit out in the back yard with this delightful book. A bit thin in spots, and I would have appreciated translations of some of the dish names, but all in all a near perfect summer read. What could have become a boring recitation of mindbogglingly good meals is instead a witty commentary on the fine dining scene. Just don't read this when you're hungry.