Bourdain Hits Bookstores, Coral Gables

​Ever read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential? It's a really great book, an exciting and sometimes disgusting glimpse into the seedy underworld of the professional chef. It was through Kitchen Confidential that everyone learned why fish on Mondays is a bad idea, why you should never trust a sous chef with a coke problem, and what exactly one means by "feed the bitch." And it was all told through Bourdain's cantankerous, bile-filled voice. After Kitchen Confidential, suddenly everyone wanted to be a part of the food world.

It's been ten years exactly since Bourdain debuted that tome and went from being a chef in a New York City French restaurant to an international food superstar. And in that time, the restaurant world has changed pretty dramatically too. Well, Bourdain is back to chronicle that slide in his new book, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, which hit bookstores yesterday.

In Medium Raw, Bourdain once again tries to take his readers back behind the curtain of the restaurant world. This time, he sets his sights on the big names in food -- David Chang, Alice Waters, Top Chef winners, and more -- and attempts to answer the big question: "Why cook?"

It would be a truly monumental feat for Bourdain to pen an exposé like Kitchen Confidential again. While early reviews for Medium Raw have been mixed, you can decide for yourself whether Bourdain has done it again by picking up a copy today.

Of course, you can do one better by checking out the silver-haired star when Bourdain visits Books & Books in Coral Gables (265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables) on June 30. He'll be there  signing copies and meeting with fans starting at 7:30 p.m. To purchase a ticket, just buy the book -- at Books & Books' website, that is.

Happy reading -- and eating.