Chef of the Future!, Apocalypse Now and The Wilderness Years Summary and Analysis

Bourdain is only twenty-two-years old when he lands the job of chef at a theater district restaurant called Tom H. The restaurant is named after one of its owners named Tom whose business partner, Fred, is also Tom's lover. Most of the kitchen staff and customers are gay men, and because of the restaurant's location, it also draws a contingent of celebrities and gossip columnists.

Bourdain soon finds himself in another situation where the restaurant is failing because it is owned not by true restaurant owner types, but by two men who had a dream of converting a brownstone and serving meatloaf to celebrities. Bourdain finds his hands tied when attempting to make any alterations to the menu, but he works steadily because...