The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World : The Twin Towers, Windows on the World, and the Rebirth of New York

Tom Roston

Richard Ferrone (Narrator)

09-10-19

13hrs 6min

Abridgement

Unabridged

Genre

Nonfiction/Biography & Autobiography

As low as $0.00
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09-10-19

13hrs 6min

Abridgement

Unabridged

Genre

Nonfiction/Biography & Autobiography

Description

“Roston’s book…doesn’t just chart the dazzling opening and tragic end of a fine-dining establishment. It also tells the star-studded, no holds barred story of modern dining, American grit, and what it takes to make it in the toughest town in the world.” Town & Country magazine

A Town & Country Magazine Pick of Must-Read Books for Fall
An Amazon Editor’s Top Pick of Must-Read
A Booklist Pick of the Week

The remarkable story of a restaurant on top of the world—built by a legend, destroyed in tragedy—and an era in New York City it helped to frame

In the 1970s, New York City was plagued by crime, filth, and an ineffective government. The city was falling apart, and even the newly constructed World Trade Center threatened to be a fiasco. But in April 1976, a quarter-mile up on the 107th floor of the North Tower, a new restaurant called Windows on the World opened its doors—a glittering sign that New York wasn’t done just yet.

In The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World, journalist Tom Roston tells the complete history of this incredible restaurant, from its stunning $14-million opening to 9/11 and its tragic end. There are stories of the people behind it, such as Joe Baum, the celebrated restaurateur, who was said to be the only man who could outspend an unlimited budget; the well-tipped waiters; and the cavalcade of famous guests, as well as everyday people celebrating the key moments in their lives. Roston also charts the changes in American food, from baroque and theatrical to locally sourced and organic. Built on nearly 150 original interviews, The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World is the story of New York City’s restaurant culture and the quintessential American drive to succeed.

Praise

“Roston’s book…doesn’t just chart the dazzling opening and tragic end of a fine-dining establishment. It also tells the star-studded, no holds barred story of modern dining, American grit, and what it takes to make it in the toughest town in the world.” Town & Country magazine

“This isn’t just an account of the restaurant but also a history of fine dining over the past 150 years, rooted in the emergence of New York’s restaurant culture and following the ebb and flow of the city’s own tumultuous history over the second half of the twentieth century.” Fortune magazine

“In the foreground are the many stories of the founders of the restaurant, the local politics, key workers in the restaurant, the amenities, and the menus…Stories of creation and destruction told in an informed and compassionate voice.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Roston has woven together a riveting history of New York City since its near collapse in the 1970s and intriguing stories about the restaurant business…The World Trade Center was cold and ugly from its inception, but its restaurant was magical.” Paul Freedman, author of Ten Restaurants That Changed America

“With exhaustive research and crystalline writing, Tom Roston unspools the glamorous story of a culinary temple in the sky, of cooks and busboys proud to work amidst clouds, and of an era that today seems romantic and innocent.” Ted Allen, host of Food Network’s Chopped

Details
More Information
Language English
Release Day Sep 9, 2019
Release Date September 10, 2019
Release Date Machine 1568073600
Imprint Blackstone Publishing
Provider Blackstone Publishing
Categories Biographies & Memoirs, History, Cultural & Regional, Americas, Home & Garden, Food & Wine, Nonfiction - Adult, Nonfiction - All
Author Bio
Tom Roston

Tom Roston has been a journalist for over twenty years, working at The Nation and Vanity Fair, and was a senior editor at Premiere for a decade. His work has appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, and more. Roston writes about documentary films for PBS.org. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Narrator Bio
Richard Ferrone

Richard Ferrone recorded over 150 audiobooks including thrillers, romances, science fiction, and inspirational novels. He won the prestigious Audie Award and was a finalist for four Audie Awards, including for Best Solo Male Narrator. He was named an AudioFile "Voice of the Last Century" and a "Rising and Shining Star."  He earned many AudioFile Earphones Awards, including being named the 2011 Best Voice in Mystery and Suspense as well as the 2009 Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy. A science fiction fan, he narrated Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy. He also narrated works by James Patterson, Walter Mosley, John Sandford, Eric Van Lustbader, and Stuart Woods.

Overview

A Town & Country Magazine Pick of Must-Read Books for Fall
An Amazon Editor’s Top Pick of Must-Read
A Booklist Pick of the Week

The remarkable story of a restaurant on top of the world—built by a legend, destroyed in tragedy—and an era in New York City it helped to frame

In the 1970s, New York City was plagued by crime, filth, and an ineffective government. The city was falling apart, and even the newly constructed World Trade Center threatened to be a fiasco. But in April 1976, a quarter-mile up on the 107th floor of the North Tower, a new restaurant called Windows on the World opened its doors—a glittering sign that New York wasn’t done just yet.

In The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World, journalist Tom Roston tells the complete history of this incredible restaurant, from its stunning $14-million opening to 9/11 and its tragic end. There are stories of the people behind it, such as Joe Baum, the celebrated restaurateur, who was said to be the only man who could outspend an unlimited budget; the well-tipped waiters; and the cavalcade of famous guests, as well as everyday people celebrating the key moments in their lives. Roston also charts the changes in American food, from baroque and theatrical to locally sourced and organic. Built on nearly 150 original interviews, The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World is the story of New York City’s restaurant culture and the quintessential American drive to succeed.

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