Simon Britchky is one of those acid-tongued writers of yore - the kind made bad restauranters tremble and good ones swallow. He is demanding with particular attention to ingredients and details, the kind that the general public normally overlooks. This latest creation reads like a "Who's Who" of culinary New York with many tales of all the ins and outs of the profession.

We read of decor, history, New York gossip, Brookly politics, Manhatten celebs and the like. But in the end, he writes about what he loves most - the dining experience and food in all its splendid varieties. The author is demanding, not accepting dirty forks, wrong orders, poor service, snobbery or laziness. But praise, when given, is bountiful and sincere. Like all of us he has preferences, his being French, seafood, fresh seasonings, elagant but comfortable surroundings and professional but friendly personnel.

Restaurants are listed alphabetically but other lists are also included - by type, cost, rating. As in his other books, the writing is polished, knowledgable and wicked (around NY he is called Simon "Bitchky"). I almost fell out of my chair with some of the reviews, the lower the rating the "better" (or worse depending on your point of view) the review. His top ratings are reserved for only the finest. There is always Lutece, not a restaurant but a place of gourmand worship. He eventaully collaborated with the owner on "The Lutece Cookbook," an instant best seller.

Buy this book even if you don't plan a trip to the Big Apple.

This is one of the best and most useful cookbooks by a great chef that you are likely to find. Too often such books aren't suited for the home cook and are more about ego than food. That is definitely not the case here. Andre Soltner was the owner and chef of the renowed Lutece, a New York institution, for three decades. In this book he shares some of the history of the great restaurant as well as his Alastian heritage. The focus of the book, however, is the food. Significantly, Soltner recognizes that he is writing for the home cook. He thoughtfully provides tips on how to find ingredients or acceptable substitutes for those of us who don't have access to an exotic wholesaler and suggests the best kinds of kitchen accessories to use. It is obvious that Soltner cooks these recipes in his own home. You don't need a first class professional kitchen to enjoy these recipes. Also, the recipes are designed for suitable portion sizes; these aren't recipes to feed a crowd that have been shrunk to fit the cookbook. Just because this book is practical, however, doesn't mean that it doesn't focus on the most sophisticated kind of food. There is plenty of classical French cooking in this book, but it all seems like something you can accomplish in your own kitchen. There are plenty of things in here that you won't want to cook - there's an abundance of organ meats - but you will thoroughly enjoy anything that you do prepare. This is a great addition to any kitchen library.

The collaboration between Britchkey and Soltner is a long one and began when the former became a food critic at large. He continually gave Lutece the highest award year after year for the very reasons found in this book: No fancy dancy, inside out topsy turvey "presentation", no exotic mixing of Indian and Southern cooking, no "tricks". What he admired was the sheer artistry behind the dish, the always fresh ingredients, the simple yet complete recipes that harken back to the chef's days as a boy in France and in particular, the Alsace region.

Many of these offerings are peculiarly French with ingredients that may not be common to average American cooks. Yet almost all can be prepared at home with a little bit of time and effort. This is NOT food for the diet crowd although Soltner's use of creams and butters and oils is entirely reasonable and serves to accentuate rather than hide flavors. Particularly appealing are the many stories of his childhood and early cooking days that are shared throughout the book.

If, like me, your idea of culinary hell is quinoa blini with kimchee "tartare", wasabi sorbet in a pesto tuile, and a two-inch stick of "roasted" tuna on an acre of herb sprigs, then this is the cookbook for you. Soltner's recipes appear remarkable today, since they are both delicious and totally unpretentious, almost simple. These recipes are classically French, from the Alsace region, and despite the fact that they were regulars in one of the world's greatest restaurants, many are also easy to prepare. There is neither fusion nor fussiness in this food, just respect for good ingredients and some tried and true techniques. You don't need to be a highly experienced or highly equipped amateur to try many of these; all you need is a bit of patience and a good appetite. Try the mushroom-Gruyere salad or the grilled trout. Of course there are some very sophisticated and difficult dishes as well. I never ate at Lutece and probably neither did you, but at least all our favorite entertainers did. So if you like true French food and would rather beat eggs than fend off paparazzi, you should buy this book.