And the purpose of this book is.... well to be honest I was not quite sure. Then two hours passed and I was still reading it.

That was my first impression of Chef's Night Out the latest publication from Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page the same team that brought us Becoming a Chef, Culinary Artistry and Dining Out.

Chef's Night Out serves as a mouthpiece for over one hundred chefs highlighting their favorite restaurants, what they eat and why they eat there. The index of contributing chefs reads like a who's who of American cooking - Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud, Todd English, Rick Bayless and Francois Payard to name but a few. The restaurant recommendations however range from uptown destinations like Nobu, Bobby Flay's choice for inventive Japanese cuisine to downtown recommendations like Pho Bang, Jean-Georges's house of pleasure for simple Vietnamese food.

What makes the book really interesting is reading why the chefs like to eat at a certain restaurant - understanding what a great chef thinks makes a great restaurant serves up an unusual learning experience. Additionally there is a multitude of short educational essays found throughout the book - not all of which come from chefs. Stephen Beckta sommelier of Cafe Boulud writes an outstanding piece, unveiling his wine philosophies; Serving Wine To Industry Insiders, Wine & Food Pairing Guidelines, Matching Wines and World Cuisines and Palate of The People; describing how a client’s palate is often based on their geographic origins. His three-page article alone makes the book worth picking up.

So if you are the kind of food lover who has $21 to spare and loves to read easily digestible short stories like - Norman Van Aken's snippet on Cooking In Miami, Charlie Trotter's tips on creating a memorable dining experience or just that Mario Batali likes well done hot dogs from Gray's Papaya this is one for you…