MADreads

A different view of restaurant kitchens

August 24th, 2007 Mary K. - Central

There are many books by or about famous chefs, but Dishwasher: One Man’s Quest to Wash Dishes in all 50 States by Pete Jordan looks at restaurant work from a totally different perspective, from behind the dish washing machine. And the inside view of restaurants and the wages and treatment of some of the workers, made me look at restaurants and their kitchens in a new way.  Who knew there was such a thing as the “bus tub buffet” and that workers in the kitchen might be eating whatever is left on a customer’s plate?  And some of the kitchens he describes are pretty appalling.

Jordan describes his experiences in an entertaining and humorous fashion.  While the idea of the quest was interesting, I found the stories about the individual places, the people Dishwasher Pete meets along the way, the history, and the stories of famous people who washed dishes at different times in their lives to be the most interesting part of the book.

Jordan even has a section about Madison, when he was here he worked at the Memorial Union and delved into the history of MULO, a labor union that was started by kitchen workers and still exists.  He also washed dishes in many other places: on an oil rig, briefly on a train, and at a ski resort.

Jordan is a likeable young man who eventually found his way in the world and is now living in Amsterdam.  Before this book, he self published a zine called Dishwasher.  He also has a website.

Entry Filed under: Nonfiction