I follow the Serious Eats website, and this book is pretty much an extension of what you see online. There are recipes, food trends, lists of best places to eat, and so on; I imagine that the restaurants sections of the book will become outdated quickly with the constant change in the industry. However, it is certainly worth a browse. ( )

The recipes in this book are certainly interesting, and it definitely provided some useful dishes to add to my culinary arsenal. However, that isn't the focus of this book. The focus of this book is to discuss various eateries and restaurants throughout the US and particular dishes of note. This is great if you can afford to travel. I can't.

Though, fortunately, Portland (OR) did come up on the list a few times, so I'll make a note of the places they suggested in the book for future reference if I'm hungry in Portland with some cash to spare. ( )

Seriouseats.com is a popular website that labels itself "A Food Blog and Community." You can find out where to get the best burger, the best sandwich, the best anything in most major cities.

Now they have published a book, Serious Eats: A Comprehensive Guide to Making and Eating Delicious Food Wherever You Are, and it is a fascinating book, especially if you are the kind of person who likes lists. (Me! Me!)

Some of the chapters include:

Fried Chicken: 12 of Our Favorite Spots
5 Gelato Spots We Love
11 Pies We Love From Coast to Coast
10 Favorite Farmers Markets
I love that they include street food, which is so hot right now. They have
5 Taco Trucks We Love
20 Favorite Street-Food Stops
Within each chapter, they share the best places across the country to get the specified food, but they also include recipes from each category for those who prefer to cook and don't travel much.

But if you do travel, this book is invaluable. I have been to many of the cities they visited, and have tried some of the food they recommend, but I wish I had it before I traveled. From now on, this book will be the first place I turn to when I visit other cities.

The end of the book has some unique stuff in it, including a chapter titled "College Town Eats". They share their daily agenda, which is so interesting. For example, they took a day trip to New Orleans, where they left New York at 4:45am, and returned at 9:30pm, making 12 stops at restaurants in between; that is just crazy! In Chicago they made 12 food stops between 10am and 6pm.

The section on New York City, where I live, gave me an entire list of places to try, including City Bakery for a pretzel croissant and a breakfast pastry at Locenda Verde. I sometimes get red velvet cupcakes at Two Little Red Hens, but now I must try their cheesecake.

The directory at the end of the end of the book lists the states and each place mentioned in the book, along with their web addresses.

This book is so much fun, it's the perfect gift for your favorite foodie, and if you live in one of the many cities they have covered, it is essential. ( )

SERIOUS EATS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO MAKING AND EATING DELICIOUS FOOD
Ed Levine
Coookbook/Food Guide
November 2011
Clarkson Potter
ISBN: 978-0307720870

Part cookbook, part traveling guide, Serious Eats is all food love. Created by the people behind the popular website, this self-style comprehensive guide does a quick decent job of rounding up where to go to find the best good grub and how to go about making it yourself.

The introduction by Ed Levine is a quirky celebration of all things food, but not "foodie", in appreciating great meals, good ingredients and no stuffiness.

Featuring real-world descriptions and gorgeous photography by Robyn Lee, the guide has a defense of oatmeal in the breakfast chapter, pages upon pages of pizza oven investigations, and a burger section that includes discussion of regional variation and bun choice -- as well as acknowledging that American cheese is important to a good burger.

Although more an addition to a well-stocked home culinary library than one of the essential cookbooks, Serious Eats does provide opportunities for fun browsing sessions. ( )