The Bottom Line
One of the best "I had a taverna in Greece..." books. If you like Peter Mayle and Carol Drinkwater's books on France, you'll enjoy this one on Greece.
Pros
- Well-written - not an amateur account
- Byron is an engaging narrator and an optimist, though a practical one
- It definitely captures the tone of Crete
- A quick read you're sorry to see end.
Cons
- Text only, no photos except on the cover, but you'll still feel as if you've seen it all.
Description
- Foodies will enjoy Bryan's insights on Greek food in general.
- Dreaming of your own taverna as an expatriate? This might be a wake-up call - but essential reading if you're determined.
- It's a great book to read on the plane going to Greece.
Guide Review - Crete on the Half Shell
It seemed like an idea that could not go wrong - a hamburger restaurant in the tourist town of Plakias, Crete, filled with desperate tourists and expatriates yearning for something not Greek to eat. While I can't understand that yen, experienced chef Byron Ayanoglu describes the steps in putting together the enterprise in endlessly entertaining detail. Putting your "best foot forward" is essential in this enterprise - in Greek thought, stepping over the threshold with the wrong one curses the business. Oops. Maybe that explains it....
One of the things I enjoyed about this book is that the Greek Ayanoglu is an experienced chef who understands food and business, unlike many amateurs who start up similar enterprises. So his challenges are not brought about by accident - it's more like the inexorable wheels of Fate are grinding against this heretical idea of a restaurant on the south coast of Crete.
Crete on the Half Shell
Bryan Ayanoglu
Hardcover: 270 pages
Also available in paperback
Publisher: HarperFlamingo Canada
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0002006359
ISBN-13: 978-0002006354
