A memoir for foodies, but a bit too in the weeds with food writing for the masses. His story begins with promise, but peters out fairly quickly.

Felt this book started well but after a number of chapters it became boring. Too much food, shallow characters. Left book half way Felt waste of time

Some of us realize at a young age that we are different from other kids. If we were lucky, our families embraced this difference instead of punishing us for not being the same. The author of this book knew he was different but wasn't given any support, only ridicule and derision, but he managed to "escape" and follow his dream of living in Paris. Oh, what discoveries he made. We are the lucky ones to get to read about the delicious meals he tasted and the people he met while building a career as a food writer. If you are a fan of this genre, pick up this book. If you have funds for traveling, there's a solid list of recommendations at the end of it on where to spend your money. I think this book might be a sleeper hit--at least it should be to those that love good food and well done food reviews.

OK, you are a an American with limited knowledge of French and it seems a fun idea to move to Paris and mix with the elite crowd and get stuck into cordon bleu grub. Good luck, but writing an arresting account of the wheeze is quite a challenge. Is it me or is a lot of 'I did this and then ate that' stiff pretty boring. I really did not care if the langoustines were flabby.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a hard book to rate and came to around 3.5 stars for me.

This is a memoir about Lobrano's life, not just his time in Paris. We hear about his childhood and a couple trips home as well as his struggle to become a culinary writer. There's a bit of jumping around so it's not a totally linear memoir. There's also references to sexual assault that are brought up, reflected on for maybe a page, then never discussed again. This is true of a few anecdotes and I guess I was expecting more reflection or reactions to some of the stories included in this book.

That being said it was an interesting read that I think captures a point of time in Paris. Eating delicious Parisian food is something some of us dream of and living vicariously through this book is nice. I was surprised that the last chapter of this book is a list of recommended restaurants, which I'm sure are impacted by COVID-19 and may not remain very relevant.

I loved the background and the stories, but I started to glaze over the food descriptions. I love food and traveling and it is always interesting to read about other people's adventures and motivations.

Absolutely loved it!! The cover and description caught my eye by chance, and while I'm no gourmand, it sounded like it could be a interesting read. Quite the understatement, as I savored my favorite book of the year! Though I love good food and wine, I don't have a particularly educated palate. And sadly, I've never been to Paris, though I hope to remedy that one day. The reading of this book felt like a little intimate trip to Paris, with a very experienced guide, and I adored absolutely every page.

I confess to a certain envious fascination with people that are born doing exactly what they love doing as adults. In his early years, Alexander Lobrano was intrigued by interesting foods, and avidly kept a very descriptive diary. This was despite both practices being strongly discouraged by the adults in his life. His perseverance prepared him for his place as a critic in a wide range of dining establishments. His charm and passion for his work flow right onto these pages, and I highly recommend that you take advantage of sharing these experiences with him. Alec is even generous enough to share his favorite restaurants with you as the perfect close to the story. Well done!

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book so that I may provide an honest review.

The description of this book intrigued me immediately and was a welcome escape after many months of cancelled trips and none on the horizon. Further delighting me was the fact that the author, Alexander Lobrano, grew up in the town in which I currently live and his descriptions of our Connecticut shore town were vivid and filled me with nostalgia. I love reading food and travel writing and this was the very best of both genres. Lobrano also interspersed poignant, introspective and sometimes rather raw personal insights and stories which added a deeper level to his story telling. I turned each page of this book with anticipation of what was on the next and was very sad when it came to an end. This is a fantastic read and I am looking forward to recommending it far and wide when it is published.

A thoroughly enjoyable book. I found myself transported to Paris (and other parts of France), sitting next to the author as we enjoyed meal after meal of great French cooking. His descriptions are detailed, effusive, and luscious. Of the food, the service, and of the surroundings. A world that I will never have the chance to experience first-hand, I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to live vicariously through him!
In addition, I really enjoyed the way that Lobrano laid bare his soul. From his childhood through the current day. It took an unbelievable amount of courage to share all that he did. I don't want to give any spoilers, but suffice it to say that it's amazing, given the childhood experiences he had, that he became such a well adjusted person.
And the people he met! From a poor dairy farmer to Princess Caroline, to immigrant cooks to fashion and food moguls. And he dishes a little on all of them! How fun!
If I had a chance to converse with the author, I would tell him that some of us find our way in life through family, some through our work, and he through food. What a great path to take!
Bravo! Highly recommend!

I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of Alexander Lobrano’s book, My Place At The Table. The humor easy to understand and I immediately like him. I loved the book until he moved to his second apartment in Paris. The book then lost some interest for me and seemed to be a list of what Alec ate and with whom. The book was enjoyable enough except for one thing. Why would someone want to include the molestation he endured as a child from his aunt’s boyfriend? I see no reason to include that story; it adds no value to the book. Overall, I enjoyed My Place At The Table.

My Place at the Table was the perfect book for me to read during this time when I am unable to travel during Covid. Alexander Lobrano allowed me to visit Paris and France, both seeing the cities he visited and eating the delightful foods available in them. Because I miss travelling to Paris desperately-shopping in the markets, eating in the restaurants, and speaking with the people who live there, while reading his book, I was allowed to escape my life here and pretend to be a partner in his adventures.

His writing is fresh, beautifully descriptive and he was very honest about himself. I liked that he gave background concerning his childhood because I think it informed the man he became. His list of restaurant resources at the end of the book will be particularly useful when the world opens for travel.

This was one of the best memoirs I’ve read in a very long time. I highly recommend it to everyone who likes food or travel or reading about people.

I love travel and food memoirs so I was excited to read Alexander Lobrano's My Place at the Table.
Alex finds a love for solitude and food. From eating at his family meals on summer vacations to dining at Howard Johnson's. He takes off for Europe and emerges himself in small bistros, farm cooking, peasant food and Michelin-starred restaurants. He dines with Julia Child, Giorgio Armani who proves to be a challenging dinner partner, Ruth Reichl and other luminaries on his journey from fashion writer to food critic.
I found this memoir very enjoyable and Alex has inspired me to explore many old French cookbooks including my late mother's Larousse Gastronomique and Julia Child's Art of French Cooking.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.