Serious Eater

April 15, 2019
A food blogger chronicles his rocky road to success. From childhood, Levine (Pizza: A Slice of Heaven, 2005, etc.) reports in an effusive, often self-deprecating memoir, he gravitated "toward the most delicious food I could find." He loved to eat, to discover out-of-the-way restaurants, and to recommend hidden gems to friends. After working unhappily in advertising, he finally was able to turn that passion into a career. In the 1990s, his books New York Eats and New York Eats (More) won praise (restaurant critic Ruth Reichl called him the "missionary of the delicious") and led to a local cable TV show, a short-lived show on public radio, and gigs as a freelancer. But with a wife and son to support, he needed a more secure way of making a living. His first idea was to launch EATv to give him a forum for his many food stories; when he failed to find backing, he came up with the idea of a food blog, Ed Levine Eats, where he could be both editor and star. "I loved everything about blogging," he writes. "I love the soapbox that it gave me, allowing me to proselytize about the food and the purveyors I felt so passionately about." He leaped into the blogosphere with high hopes: "Belief, passion, and willful naiveté are the first-time entrepreneur's best friends." However, the reality proved to be grueling. Levine recounts in detail the frustrations he faced as he tried to raise money, solicit advertising, and assemble a team of talented, energetic employees for a site he called Serious Eats. Forced into "constant money-raising mode," he found some support from family and friends but also faced repeated rejections from potential advertisers and, after nearly a decade, when he decided to sell the blog, from would-be buyers. "The day-to-day was exhausting," he writes, "a never-ending financial crisis." Finally, he found a buyer, and Serious Eats, he reports delightedly, is thriving. Recipes for bagels, spiced onion clusters, white clam pizza--and more--add further flavor to an entertaining memoir.

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Starred review from April 22, 2019
Food writer turned entrepreneur Levine tells of how he launched the James Beard Award–winning website Serious Eats website at age 54 in this passionate personal business history. Levine found his calling while writing a book titled New York Eats on the best non-restaurant food in New York City; it sparked a mission to celebrate “even the cheapest and most common foods, like pizza and hot dogs.” When writing opportunities for him started to dwindle around 2006, he began blogging and soon launched Serious Eats in an attempt to educate food lovers and keep “deserving food purveyors’ dreams alive.” Levine excelled at attracting talented staff and writers (J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and Stella Parks among them) but struggled at first to run the business. He writes of an “insane thrill ride” through office robberies, failed buyouts, and family investments that put his personal relationships at stake. “We were changing the way people cooked and ate,” he writes. “We taught people to think critically about received wisdom in food science.” Foodies and tech junkies will tear through this fast-paced tale from a food-loving entrepreneur who changed the course of food media.

June 1, 2019

In just over a decade, food blogs have gone from a niche for hobbyists to multi-millionaire dollar properties. Levine rode the entire wave; he started the blog that became the Serious Eats website in 2005, which he sold in 2015 after ten years of chasing money to keep the enterprise afloat. In that time, the concept, content, tone, and business model were constantly in flux. Levine had already cobbled together a freelance writing career while working in advertising and promotion. While he had some business training, he was naïve among venture capitalists, traitorous partners, and hard-nosed businessmen. But he had the support of friends and family and found excellent creative partners including J. Kenji Alt-López and Stella Parks, both of whom contributed a handful of recipes to the text. Alt-López also wrote the forward. Other positives include Levine's entertaining writing style, his impressive memory for food experiences, and a suggested playlist to accompany the book. While Levine never forgets to name-check a good meal or restaurant, the focus of this memoir is more entrepreneurial than culinary. VERDICT An exciting read for fans of the site and those interested in the start-up process from one who has been there.--Devon Thomas, Chelsea, MI

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2019
This is the very personal story of how Levine, accomplished writer for the New York Times and other publications and foodie extraordinaire, launched and eventually sold his first-of-its-kind food blog/digital business, Serious Eats. To be expected, his narrative is filled with the ups and downs of life: the passing of Levine's mother and father when he was in his teens; life in Los Angeles with his brother; a college-age search for purpose in Iowa; and his alternating music and writing careers. The tone is very conversational, full of lively and believable dialogue and events. Readers will see attempted acquisitions of Serious Eats?from the likes of Scripps, Reader's Digest, Cond� Nast, and American Express?fail. Marital and familial relationships are strained, and money issues figure prominently (of course). Yet through the eventual payday, Levine remains the same too nice man?and also provides readers with a bonus of eight somewhat-complicated recipes from his New York favorites, like white clam pizza and magic bagels. A reminder for all that good guys can finish first.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)