I just finished reading the book Delancey: A Man, A Woman, A Restuarant, A Marriage. It is written by Molly Wizenberg the New York Times bestselling author of A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table and the blogger behind Orangette. Her writing is honest, funny, poignant, and for a foodie – a must! I love a book where you feel like the author is an old friend and the read is like a conversation you are having in your kitchen, over a cup of coffee.
Molly writes about what her life was like while her husband was preparing to open a pizzeria. I should let you know – she had me at pizza! Once I realized that her husband is as crazy about pizza as I am – I was hooked! One of my favorite lines in the book is when her husband says “people will always want to eat pizza! The same way they’ll always want hamburgers and barbeque!”
Synopsis from the book: 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 that 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.
Her story brought me back to the day my husband and I decided we were going to move to Ohio. I had obvious concerns about moving: good schools, good neighborhood, was there a Lord & Taylor or Bloomingdale’s, and a must… good pizza (please let there be good pizza!).
Her husband Brandon, was inspired to open his restaurant and modeled it after Di Fara’s Pizzeria, his favorite pizza place in Brooklyn, NY. The owner De Marco has been making pizza for 49 years and takes the pies out of his 800 degree oven by hand! Watch this short 15 minute documentary, on Di Fara’s Pizza (http://vimeo.com/16077855) it’s beautifully done.
Delancey, is truly is a story about a man, a woman, a restaurant and a marriage. I loved it, and working backwards excited to read her first book A Homemade Life. I just checked it out of the library and can’t wait to get started on it this weekend! Enjoy!