AUDIOBOOK
About
In this funny, frank, and tender memoir, the author of the New York Times bestseller A Homemade Life and the blog Orangette recounts how opening a restaurant sparked the first crisis of her young marriage.
When Molly Wizenberg married Brandon Pettit, he was a trained composer with a handful of offbeat interests: espresso machines, wooden boats, violin-building, and ice cream–making. So when Brandon decided to open a pizza restaurant, Molly was supportive-not because she wanted him to do it but because the idea was so far-fetched she didn't think he would. Before she knew it, he'd signed a lease on a space. The restaurant, Delancey, was going to be a reality, and all of Molly's assumptions about her marriage were about to change.
Together they built Delancey: gutting and renovating the space on a cobbled-together budget, developing a menu, hiring staff, and passing inspections. Delancey became a success, and Molly tried to convince herself that she was happy in their new life until-in the heat and pressure of the restaurant kitchen-she realized that she hadn't been honest with herself or Brandon.
With evocative photos by Molly and twenty new recipes for the kind of simple, delicious food that chefs eat at home, Delancey is a moving and honest account of two young people learning to give in and let go in order to grow together.
"A crave-worthy memoir that is part love story,
part restaurant industry tale. Scrumptious."
"When I sit down with Molly Wizenberg's writing,
it feels as though she's just across the counter, coffee cup in hand, sharing
an intimate truth…Inspiring, entertaining, and informative… A satisfying read."
"Charming…humorous, intimate, and honest."
"Fun and engaging."
"One challenge
of performing memoir is maintaining the authenticity of the author's voice.
Narrator Caroline Shaffer meets the challenge with an informal, conversational
tone that allows listeners easy access to this personal story…Shaffer handles
the occasional foreign word with aplomb, and her minimalist approach to
characterizations works well."
"Delancey is so riveting,
well-written, and interesting, I found myself wishing it were twice as long.
Molly Wizenberg writes as well about life as she does about food. Her voice is
so charming and funny and poignant, it made me want to invite myself over to
her place for dinner, where I would certainly overstay. I loved this book."
"You might think making pizza is a piece of cake
(or pie!) But Molly Wizenberg's tale of triumph as she and her husband learn to
make the perfect pie, and construct the restaurant to serve it in, make for
delicious-and dramatic-reading. Told with humility and humor, Delancey shows
that with hard work and determination, dreams can come true…no matter what obstacles
lie in your way."
"Molly Wizenberg writes with the sweet candor of
Laurie Colwin and the sly amusement of M.F.K. Fisher. Delancey is
the perfect restaurant tale-gripping, nutty, and yet somehow meant to be."
"Molly Wizenberg's Delancey is
so much more than a memoir about opening a highly regarded pizza restaurant. It
is a story about building a marriage and a beloved community through grit,
thrift, and self-determination in the pursuit of excellence. Ultimately this is
a story about wholeheartedly embracing the one you love without trying to
smooth away the rough edges or edit out the hard parts. It is also a most
delicious read that sent me to the kitchen as soon as I turned the final page."
"Delancey
is the extraordinary tale of what it means to build a life with the person you
love and the professional roller coaster ride that is opening and running a
wildly successful restaurant together. Molly Wizenberg has, in her inimitable
way, written a modern love story that marries razor-edged wit to warmth, and
passion to flavor; Delancey is an utterly delicious read."
When Molly Wizenberg married Brandon Pettit, he was a trained composer with a handful of offbeat interests: espresso machines, wooden boats, violin-building, and ice cream–making. So when Brandon decided to open a pizza restaurant, Molly was supportive-not because she wanted him to do it but because the idea was so far-fetched she didn't think he would. Before she knew it, he'd signed a lease on a space. The restaurant, Delancey, was going to be a reality, and all of Molly's assumptions about her marriage were about to change.
Together they built Delancey: gutting and renovating the space on a cobbled-together budget, developing a menu, hiring staff, and passing inspections. Delancey became a success, and Molly tried to convince herself that she was happy in their new life until-in the heat and pressure of the restaurant kitchen-she realized that she hadn't been honest with herself or Brandon.
With evocative photos by Molly and twenty new recipes for the kind of simple, delicious food that chefs eat at home, Delancey is a moving and honest account of two young people learning to give in and let go in order to grow together.
"A crave-worthy memoir that is part love story,
part restaurant industry tale. Scrumptious."
"When I sit down with Molly Wizenberg's writing,
it feels as though she's just across the counter, coffee cup in hand, sharing
an intimate truth…Inspiring, entertaining, and informative… A satisfying read."
"Charming…humorous, intimate, and honest."
"Fun and engaging."
"One challenge
of performing memoir is maintaining the authenticity of the author's voice.
Narrator Caroline Shaffer meets the challenge with an informal, conversational
tone that allows listeners easy access to this personal story…Shaffer handles
the occasional foreign word with aplomb, and her minimalist approach to
characterizations works well."
"Delancey is so riveting,
well-written, and interesting, I found myself wishing it were twice as long.
Molly Wizenberg writes as well about life as she does about food. Her voice is
so charming and funny and poignant, it made me want to invite myself over to
her place for dinner, where I would certainly overstay. I loved this book."
"You might think making pizza is a piece of cake
(or pie!) But Molly Wizenberg's tale of triumph as she and her husband learn to
make the perfect pie, and construct the restaurant to serve it in, make for
delicious-and dramatic-reading. Told with humility and humor, Delancey shows
that with hard work and determination, dreams can come true…no matter what obstacles
lie in your way."
"Molly Wizenberg writes with the sweet candor of
Laurie Colwin and the sly amusement of M.F.K. Fisher. Delancey is
the perfect restaurant tale-gripping, nutty, and yet somehow meant to be."
"Molly Wizenberg's Delancey is
so much more than a memoir about opening a highly regarded pizza restaurant. It
is a story about building a marriage and a beloved community through grit,
thrift, and self-determination in the pursuit of excellence. Ultimately this is
a story about wholeheartedly embracing the one you love without trying to
smooth away the rough edges or edit out the hard parts. It is also a most
delicious read that sent me to the kitchen as soon as I turned the final page."
"Delancey
is the extraordinary tale of what it means to build a life with the person you
love and the professional roller coaster ride that is opening and running a
wildly successful restaurant together. Molly Wizenberg has, in her inimitable
way, written a modern love story that marries razor-edged wit to warmth, and
passion to flavor; Delancey is an utterly delicious read."