Stuffed: Adventures of a Restaurant Family

Patricia Volk's memoir, `Stuffed' is much less a culinary memory than it is a recollection of what, to some readers, may seem like a simultaneously wise and dysfunctional Jewish-American family which happened to be instrumental in the shaping of the Jewish delicatessen in America.When I picked this book out to read, with it's title and photograph of the giant Morgan's restaurant dining room on the back cover, I was expecting... Read Full Review

I am 46 years old, third generation garment manufacturer, and grew up with Morgens being my all-time favorite restaurant. Cecil was a fantastic host, who entertained me with jokes, whenever I went in with my Father, and Uncle. Audrey was a beautiful woman, who did a great job helping to run the place. My family ate there at least 3 times a week for lunch, and often entertained customers, after work for drinks and dinner. When... Read Full Review

The earlier reviewers have one thing about right--this book is a lot more than a semi-food-based memoir about growing up Jewish in Manhattan in the middle of the last century. It's really about nearly everybody's family: the terrific characters, the loonies, the distinguished, the pathetic--you name it, they're in the book. Volk's style is an amazing balancing act, dancing between opposites. Sometimes when you're expecting... Read Full Review

Volk dazzles! It is hard after reading such a perfect book to adequately sum up its thorough brilliance my own words. In Stuffed, you will glean lasting images of characters you grow to care about with deep tenderness. And this fondness grows exponentially with each page as Volk introduces you to all the wonderfully complex characters who sit around her dining room table. Through the aperture of food and family, Volk's endearing... Read Full Review