Hunger Like a Thirst: From Food Stamps to Fine Dining - A Restaurant Critic's Journey by Besha Rodell | Memoir, Food Writing & Culinary Inspiration for Home Cooks and Food Lovers

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A witty and lively memoir from food writer and New York Timescontributor Besha Rodell, one of the world’s last anonymous restaurant critics

When Besha Rodell moved from Australia to the United States with her mother at fourteen, she was a foreigner in a new land, missing her friends, her father, and the food she grew up eating. In the years that followed, Besha began waitressing and discovered the buzz of the restaurant world, immersing herself in the thrilling lifestyle and community while noting the industry’s shortcomings. As she built a family, Besha realized her dream, though only a handful of women before her had done it: to make a career as a restaurant critic.

From the bustling streets of Brooklyn to lush Atlanta to sunny Los Angeles to traveling and eating around the world, and finally, home to Australia, Besha Rodell takes us on a delicious, fascinating journey through her life and career, as well as exploring the history of criticism and dining and the cultural shifts that have turned us all into food obsessives. Hunger Like a Thirst shares exquisite stories of the joys and hardships of coming-of-age, the mouthwatering meals she ate along the way, and the dear friends she made in each restaurant, workplace, and home.

2025