The Underground Culinary Tour

November 15, 2016
A book that not only goes behind the scene and through the kitchen, but into the metrics that distinguish a thriving restaurant from a floundering one.As the founder of Avero, Mogavero provides data and analysis to thousands of restaurants worldwide, and he demonstrates how crunching the numbers need not be an impediment to culinary achievement. To the contrary, he writes, "I have told you something of a white lie in saying that this book is about data. It's really about creativity." He makes persuasive arguments that some of the best restaurants in the country--in one particularly interesting chapter, he cites the Brennan family of New Orleans fame--make creative use of data to enhance the customer's satisfaction in an extraordinary dining experience. Though the various chapters seem more like independent pieces than a cohesive whole (more of a buffet than a multicourse meal), the ones that give the book its title are most revelatory, as Mogavero guides readers on "a tour [that] has taken on the lore of legend for foodies, long whispered about but never penetrated by journalists or other outsiders." Each year, he invites a party of various movers and shakers in the restaurant industry to blitz through the New York City dining scene, hitting a bunch of places--from high end to food trucks--that are doing something particularly interesting or innovative. The guests are generally begging for mercy long before the eating and drinking stops, though the experience is easier to digest on the page, and the insights help point to what diners across the country are likely to appreciate next. As the author explains, because of the ubiquity of food blogs, other sites, and social media, "trends that used to take twenty years to go mainstream now take 12 months." Mogavero provides a surfeit of palate-cleansing insight.

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November 15, 2016

Eating out has gone from a special occasion treat to a daily occurrence for many people. Cooking TV shows usher viewers into restaurant kitchens and freezers, while smart phones allow diners to analyze wine list prices before placing an order. Mogavero, who developed and sells a restaurant management software frequently mentioned in the book, attributes restaurant success and longevity to managing four factors: ingredients, beverages, space, and an "X factor" unique to each entity. Two chapters detail the real-life "Underground Culinary Tour," an exclusive New York City tasting tour, overseen by Mogavero, for a select group of restaurant executives. Writing with journalist D'Agnese, other chapters explore how detailed income and expense data can minimize waste, manage inventory, help with training personnel, and uncover theft. VERDICT This work is more enlightening on the subject of how America serves food, than how it eats. Those interested in an analytical approach to owning a restaurant, nightclub, or bar will be especially interested in Mogavero's ideas. Readers wanting to know more about the inner workings of the service industry may also be an audience.--Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2016
People visit restaurants for food, fellowship, and fun. But the people who work in them and the people who run them have to make a profit if they are going to succeed. Mogavero holds an MBA, and he is determined to help ensure that the restaurant industry thrives through application of sound business practices. Although he concentrates on high-volume, high-end corporate restaurants and chains in New York and Las Vegas, his insights may prove equally valuable to mom-and-pop eateries. Mogavero cites training as a key component: the waitress who doesn't know how to open a bottle of wine shrinks the restaurant's bottom line. Employee fraud also cuts into a restaurant's financial viability. One of the book's most compelling chapters focuses on how Brennan's in New Orleans recovered from Hurricane Katrina's devastations. Students and anyone in the hospitality industry can profit from Mogavero's insights and rigorous financial-analysis and human-resources advice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)