Rating: 
Summary: Not his best work, but still enjoyable
Review: The Bobby Gold Stories follows in the mafia-esque footsteps of Bourdain's previous efforts at fiction, and comes up somewhat short. There's not a whole lot of character development here, and what serves as a plot is rather choppy and incoherent throughout most of the book. It was almost like Tony couldn't decide if he wanted to write a novel or a bunch of short stories. Sadly, references to the food service industry were sorely lacking in this one. I think he should keep that, as it really sets him apart and makes his work that much more unique. Regardless, it was still fun to read, and I look forward to more of his work.
Rating: 
Summary: Hungry for good crime fiction? Spend the day with Bobby Gold
Review: There's something about the Mafia and food, a not altogether strange connection between wiseguys and restaurants. Where would the Godfather saga be without the scene in which Michael takes care of that family problem by serving up a hot lead aperitif in an otherwise quiet little neighborhood eatery? Or consider that if Tony Soprano isn't standing in front of the refrigerator stuffing his face, he's meeting his cronies at some restaurant. Who knew that whacking people could make a guy so hungry?So, at least in the fictional world, food and restaurants play an important role in organized crime. THE BOBBY GOLD STORIES, the latest excursion into fiction by bestselling author and noted food celebrity Anthony Bourdain, capitalizes on that connection by offering up a concoction that mixes Bourdain's insights into restaurant culture, his keen ear for street-seasoned dialogue, and his ability to draw characters as colorful and pungent as a bowl of ripe chilies. Weighing in at under two hundred pages, THE BOBBY GOLD STORIES is surprisingly rich. As the story opens, Bobby Gold, college boy gone bad, is being arrested on a Florida highway for having a load of South American marching powder in the trunk of his car. Bobby then finds himself enrolled in the penitentiary, where he eventually majors in the Darwinian art of beating the hell out of people before they beat the hell out of him. After several years in prison, Bobby is back out on the street --- older, wiser, and considerably larger and more dangerous than when he went in. Bobby reluctantly puts his hard-earned skills to work for his boss, Eddie, a reasonably well-connected lower-echelon mob wannabe. In his official capacity, Bobby is head of security for NiteKlub, Eddie's Manhattan restaurant. Off the books, Bobby draws on his pre-med knowledge of human anatomy while smacking around people who have in some way inconvenienced the lugubrious Eddie. But Bobby isn't as cold-blooded as you might think, and he's frustrated by the unpleasant way he earns a living. He's not happy. But just when the clouds are beginning to darken, he meets Nikki. She's sexy, smart, as streetwise as Eddie, and a chef at NiteKlub. But that kind of package doesn't come without strings. THE BOBBY GOLD STORIES is the third work of fiction for Anthony Bourdain, who has also written two works of nonfiction, including the bestselling KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL. Bourdain is very much at home writing crime fiction. His sharp eye and sharper wit provide the necessary mix of mirth and menace that mark the best of the genre. If you're hungry for good crime fiction, spend an afternoon with Bobby Gold. He'll show you a wild time. --- Reviewed by Bob Rhubart
Rating: 
Summary: This book is unfinished
Review: Too bad. I was hoping for a book as good as (or even better than) Bone In The Throat or Gone Bamboo. Instead he gives us some great characters, rushes them into interesting relationships, and then develops neither. There's no pay-off at the end when it could have gone so many different ways. Shame on you, bro!
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