Television Show Review: Whites

Whites directed by David Kerr (British Broadcasting Corporation. 2010)

Starring Alan Davies, Darren Boyd, and Katherine Parkinson.

Celebrity Chefdom

In a world where Gordon Ramsay rules, Anthony Bourdain sarcastically entertains, and celebrity chefdom somehow continues to rise, it was only a matter of time before a comedy in the culinary world would emerge to please the masses. I was thrilled to see Whites arrive. But, I was equally as disappointed to see it quickly vanish, cancelled after one season.

Based in Reality

Roland White (Alan Davies) had a seemingly promising career ahead of him. Alas, he is now a past-his-prime chef in a dead-end restaurant, at the White House Hotel. Roland is a gifted-but-lazy chef. The show’s writer, Matt King, used his experience in the kitchen to form the premise for the television series. In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, King states,

“Whites is totally based on Hanbury Manor, where I worked. It’s a facsimile. Roland is a composite of several chefs I know who can’t be bothered any more. They’ve kind of missed the boat, missed out on Michelin stars and cruise along.”

Interestingly, because of Matt King’s background, the entire cast trained at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen in order to adequately play their roles in a proper culinary fashion. 

Recounting the Tale

In the first episode, we find Roland meagerly sitting in his office writing his “poignant” autobiography while watching his sous chef, Bib (Darren Boyd), flounder in his attempts to keep the busy kitchen afloat. 

Roland, finally noting Bib’s inability to survive the hectic kitchen alone, allows Bib to hire another line cook, named Skoose (Stephen Wright). The only problem is, Skoose vocally covets Bib’s job, as he intends to be a head chef of his own restaurant in only four years.

Time to Develop

What ensues is restaurant hilarity. But, the series was cancelled after only a year. It was not cancelled due to disinterest, but rather because BBC couldn’t secure the money to run the show for a second season. Unfortunately, Whites needed time to develop its characters, a notion writer Matt King laments.

“In our minds, it was a getting-to-know-our-characters series. It’s not a lot of time to explore seven characters. It was always, ‘We’ve set up this world, with series two everyone knows the characters and we’ll explore it from there’.”

Series two could have developed plot after the world was set up, an unfortunate consequence of really taking time to introduce the characters. Series one is a bit slow, but it’s just as funny. With equal parts sarcasm, wit, and slapstick comedy, I found Whites to be hilarious and entertaining. Though the show is cancelled, I think it still entertains. The world needs a chef comedy to interact with the Anthony Bourdains and Gordon Ramsays of the world, it’s sad that this one found its end.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

Have you seen Whites? Did you enjoy it? Are you sad it's been cancelled? Share your thoughts below.
---
Posted by: Andrew Jacobson


Affiliate Links:  Amazon.com

Book Review: Medium Raw

Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain (New York: Harper Collins Books, 2010. 281 pp)

Anthony Bourdain, born in 1956, attended Vassar College and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. He has worked as a cook and chef in many institutions strewn across the New York City map. Bourdain contributes articles to the Times, New York Times, Observer, the Face, Scotland on Sunday, and Food Arts Magazine. An addition to Kitchen Confidential, he has written two crime novels – Gone Bamboo and Bone in the Throat. Bourdain was the executive chef at Brassiere Les Halles and is currently the host of the Travel Channel program: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. Bourdain resides in New York City.

Honesty is the Best Policy 

The last time the literary world saw Anthony Bourdain was in his memoir, Kitchen Confidential. It was filled with stories of him at his most crass, whilst revealing the shady world of the culinary underbelly. However, with Medium Raw, Bourdain becomes more vulnerable and honestly explores his own sordid past as well as his recent acclaim in this hilarious autobiographical work.

Much like his previous book, Bourdain discusses the ins and outs of the culinary world. But, what made this book stand out isn’t that he talked about food — which is the reason I picked it up — it’s that he discusses his own life. He is incredibly honest, and the tale behind his rise to fame, as well as the extreme obstacles on the way make Medium Raw a compelling read.

Bourdain, simply put, possesses a magnetic personality. If you’ve ever watched his television show, No Reservations, you know exactly how this book reads — with hilarious and intricate verbiage.

The Present 

Bourdain was once plagued with serious life problems. Recognizing this fact, he tells the tale of his past juxtaposed with his present in Medium Raw. He opens the book by describing a private sit-down with the most respected chefs in America during which they eat a bird that is illegal in America — Ortolan. He concludes this first chapter, and begins the rest of the book, by reflecting in the shock of his current position,

“What could my memoir of an undistinguished — even disgraceful — career have said to people of such achievements? And who are these people, anyway?” (xviii).

Bourdain then proceeds to admit his naïveté about much of the culinary industry when he wrote Kitchen Confidential, and even apologizes to some of the many friends he has come to know since writing the novel.

The Past 

Bourdain also takes time to lament on his sordid past.

“I was holed up in the Caribbean about midway through a really bad time...my daily routine began with me waking up around ten, smoking a joint, and going to the beach — where I’d drink myself stupid on beer, smoke a few more joints, and pass out until mid-afternoon. This to be followed by an early-evening rise, another joint, and then off to the bars, followed by the brothels. By then, usually very late at night, I’d invariably find myself staggeringly drunk — the kind of drunk where you’ve got to put a hand over one eye to see straight” (25).

This kind of amazingly non-narcissistic and honest tale, the kind I wouldn’t expect from Bourdain, is thought provoking and moving. He meanders between past and present, offering new tales and new critiques, as well as new praises.

This book is far superior to Kitchen Confidential, a book I particularly enjoyed. This autobiographical work is compelling, honest, and raw (thus, the title). Though he talks about a myriad of topics, they all center around what he has experienced as an individual. If you enjoy humor, honest stories about a life, or just food, I suggest you start reading Medium Raw now.

Verdict:  4 out of 5

Book Review: Kitchen Confidential

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain (New York: Harper Perennial, 2007. Updated Edition 312 pp)

Anthony Bourdain, born in 1956, attended Vassar College and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. He has worked as a cook and chef in many institutions strewn across the New York City map. Bourdain contributes articles to the Times, New York Times, Observer, the Face, Scotland on Sunday, and Food Arts Magazine. An addition to Kitchen Confidential, he has written two crime novels – Gone Bamboo and Bone in the Throat. Bourdain was the executive chef at Brassiere Les Halles and is currently the host of the Travel Channel program: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. Bourdain resides in New York City.

Some Conversations

Reading a book is fun. If not, why would so many people do it? Am I right? In all seriousness, reading provides people with simple and complex pleasures. One person might become enamored with an illustrative setting; another may empathize with the struggles of a protagonist. In non-fiction literature, a certain power exists in the interaction between writer and reader. In other words, it is as if reading a book transforms the countless pages of text into a lively conversation. Kitchen Confidential exudes a conversational sense that I am in fact sitting down in a greasy spoon with Anthony Bourdain, discussing his life in the culinary business.

And what a life it is. If you believe that the restaurant kitchen is a simple and clean paradise, I cannot stress enough that you ought to avoid this book. Bourdain is loud, rude, and honest about his experiences in his industry.  The hands preparing your food have a story and your probably do not want to know it.

Hell’s Kitchen

Bourdain’s straight-forward storytelling displays his magnetic personality. His stories simultaneously exalt and demonize the kitchen as if it was ethereal and evil. Bourdain convinces me that my restaurant visits should never conclude in the ordering chicken or fish on a Monday; he reveals that my carefully cooked dish passed through the hands of undocumented immigrants; he also divulges the dark secret about my perfectly cooked sourdough bread: it was crafted by the hands of a drug addict. “Never fear,” he hypothetically declares! Your meal tastes great! Plus, Bourdain controls his kitchen like a demanding demigod – although nowhere near as perfect.

Concerning his operation, Bourdain proudly proclaims,

“But God protects fools and drunks, and we were certainly both foolish and drunk much of the time” (51).

Revisionist History or You Didn’t Think I’d Try Another Pun Did You?

Despite his raw and gritty style, Bourdain’s tome is inconsistent. The book feels like an autobiography as it flows in chronological order, but the writing lacks description when it moves from era to era. I found myself at times imagining Bourdain in a specific era and suddenly he mentions using a cell phone or laptop.  The images created in my head around his story begin to feel false as I edit them into the correct era.

However, Kitchen Confidential provides an informative view into an industry typically concealed behind the walls of customer service.  If you wish to maintain the illusory perception that the chef stands behind the curtains focusing on the finishing touches of your blandly ordered meal, I guarantee this book is not for you. On the other hand, if you enjoy No Reservations , wish to sit down with Bourdain at a greasy spoon, and are prepared for his verbal onslaught, I recommend this book.