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Pancakes in Paris: Living the American Dream in France
Now a New York Times Bestseller
Paris was practically perfect...
Craig Carlson was the last person anyone would expect to open an American diner in Paris. He came from humble beginnings in a working-class town in Connecticut, had never worked in a restaurant, and didn't know anything about starting a brand-new business. But from his first visit to Paris, Craig knew he had found the city of his dreams, although one thing was still missing-the good ol' American breakfast he loved so much.
Pancakes in Paris is the story of Craig tackling the impossible-from raising the money to fund his dream to tracking down international suppliers for "exotic" American ingredients... and even finding love along the way. His diner, Breakfast In America, is now a renowned tourist destination, and the story of how it came to be is just as delicious and satisfying as the classic breakfast that tops its menu.
Paris was practically perfect...
Craig Carlson was the last person anyone would expect to open an American diner in Paris. He came from humble beginnings in a working-class town in Connecticut, had never worked in a restaurant, and didn't know anything about starting a brand-new business. But from his first visit to Paris, Craig knew he had found the city of his dreams, although one thing was still missing-the good ol' American breakfast he loved so much.
Pancakes in Paris is the story of Craig tackling the impossible-from raising the money to fund his dream to tracking down international suppliers for "exotic" American ingredients... and even finding love along the way. His diner, Breakfast In America, is now a renowned tourist destination, and the story of how it came to be is just as delicious and satisfying as the classic breakfast that tops its menu.
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
May 7, 2016
I'm definitely not objective since I'm part of this story but I love the way it's written.
It's also a chain of twist of faith that makes you wonder about life, the way it can unfold to give you opportunities to learn from one and an other and enjoy life.
It's a human story, it's my kind of book!
Love it!
It's also a chain of twist of faith that makes you wonder about life, the way it can unfold to give you opportunities to learn from one and an other and enjoy life.
It's a human story, it's my kind of book!
Love it!
June 17, 2022
Real Rating: 4.5* of five
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Do not even think of eating...that is, reading...this book on an empty stomach.
This is a memoir. It's not a happy-families, aren't-people-grand memoir. It's a people will help you...if you make it so it's either help you or admit they're letting you fail because reasons story. The working-class background Author Carlson comes from doesn't lead him to pursue academic excellence or anything other than box-ticking adequacy. His emotional life is, it's plain, neglected completely. He doesn't exactly tell us this but the stories he tells are tendentious. Lucky for him, he inspired others to help by being too good to just abandon.
What matters to most of us, in reading memoirs, is seeing either ourselves in the other make good, or ourselves as we wish we could be. In Author Carlson's case, I saw an American man making his way in a world that doesn't love Americans very much...Paris. And making that way against many kinds of social, political, and cultural odds. After all, how many working-class cooks (NOT a chef!) still less plain ol' restaurateurs do you know about? He's the guy with the idea that no one thinks is great but him. He sells the idea to enough money people that he gets to open his dream: American breakfast food in, of all places, the capital of world-wide food snobbery, Paris, France.
It works. It really, really works. Go look at the website linked in the description! So perfectly American...so popular in Paris. Despite EuroDisney.
Author Carlson does a lot of describing in this book. And he lards in a lot of French. (Well, it stands to reason, but be aware!) It's clear as day to me why he tried to make it as a screenwriter: he has a visual imagination. There's a minuscule recipe section containing recipes I can vouch for from having made them several times apiece, in my own weird variations and under Rob's very attentive eyes, over the years. (This book is six years old now and this is my first review of it! How gauche of me.) But most of all, Author Carlson's love of his creation, Breakfast in America, and his love of France, French food, a French guy who becomes his husband, and the world of making people happy (I contend that's the only reason people go into the food business) made me happy.
Should you read it? You bet your sweet bippy. And on Kindle, all the photos and the miscellaneous stuff shows up very well, which makes the regular price a bargain. (The sale price is incitement to riot.) Go get one now. It's a summer beach trip spent in good, fun company learning about how someone with real, honest-to-gawd stick-to-it-iveness makes it in this world.
By doing everything that scares him witless.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Do not even think of eating...that is, reading...this book on an empty stomach.
This is a memoir. It's not a happy-families, aren't-people-grand memoir. It's a people will help you...if you make it so it's either help you or admit they're letting you fail because reasons story. The working-class background Author Carlson comes from doesn't lead him to pursue academic excellence or anything other than box-ticking adequacy. His emotional life is, it's plain, neglected completely. He doesn't exactly tell us this but the stories he tells are tendentious. Lucky for him, he inspired others to help by being too good to just abandon.
What matters to most of us, in reading memoirs, is seeing either ourselves in the other make good, or ourselves as we wish we could be. In Author Carlson's case, I saw an American man making his way in a world that doesn't love Americans very much...Paris. And making that way against many kinds of social, political, and cultural odds. After all, how many working-class cooks (NOT a chef!) still less plain ol' restaurateurs do you know about? He's the guy with the idea that no one thinks is great but him. He sells the idea to enough money people that he gets to open his dream: American breakfast food in, of all places, the capital of world-wide food snobbery, Paris, France.
It works. It really, really works. Go look at the website linked in the description! So perfectly American...so popular in Paris. Despite EuroDisney.
Author Carlson does a lot of describing in this book. And he lards in a lot of French. (Well, it stands to reason, but be aware!) It's clear as day to me why he tried to make it as a screenwriter: he has a visual imagination. There's a minuscule recipe section containing recipes I can vouch for from having made them several times apiece, in my own weird variations and under Rob's very attentive eyes, over the years. (This book is six years old now and this is my first review of it! How gauche of me.) But most of all, Author Carlson's love of his creation, Breakfast in America, and his love of France, French food, a French guy who becomes his husband, and the world of making people happy (I contend that's the only reason people go into the food business) made me happy.
Should you read it? You bet your sweet bippy. And on Kindle, all the photos and the miscellaneous stuff shows up very well, which makes the regular price a bargain. (The sale price is incitement to riot.) Go get one now. It's a summer beach trip spent in good, fun company learning about how someone with real, honest-to-gawd stick-to-it-iveness makes it in this world.
By doing everything that scares him witless.
April 24, 2019
The author goes to France (Paris and Rouen) as a student, falls in love with France, and dreams of going back. He eventually does when the idea of setting up an American style diner with American breakfasts and hamburgers for lunch and supper occurs to him as a unique business enterprise. Of course, this being Paris espressos and alcohol must be served. His clientele varies from tourists, expatriate Americans, and the locals who even drink the American style coffee offered!
There is humour sprinkled in all of this, as well as anguishing moments overcoming the French bureaucracy. This autobiography, like most, can become too self-absorbed.
If you ever think how glorious it would be to run a restaurant the author can disabuse you of this quickly with the constant renovations, staff problems (its very difficult to fire someone in France), health inspector issues, and quirky customers.
Anyway all best wishes to Craig Carlson for pursuing his Paris dream, sadly his two restaurants are located are either side of Ile de la Cite where the devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral took place this April.
There is humour sprinkled in all of this, as well as anguishing moments overcoming the French bureaucracy. This autobiography, like most, can become too self-absorbed.
If you ever think how glorious it would be to run a restaurant the author can disabuse you of this quickly with the constant renovations, staff problems (its very difficult to fire someone in France), health inspector issues, and quirky customers.
Anyway all best wishes to Craig Carlson for pursuing his Paris dream, sadly his two restaurants are located are either side of Ile de la Cite where the devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral took place this April.
August 23, 2016
I smiled and laughed way too much through this poor guy's trials and tribulations. I felt so bad, but he wrote in such a way that you could not help it. It's not a woe is me book. He does describe all his problems, but he doesn't linger on them. He complains how the system works and how unfair it is, but he just goes on trying to fulfill his dream.
I enjoyed reading and living Craig's dream. I found it to be very entertaining and interesting. It's amazing what people will do. Those French laws were definitely set up for the employees and not the employers. I am so hungry for an American diner breakfast right now. HA!
This is one memoir that I truly enjoyed and would definitely recommend. I also enjoyed the fact that it took place in Paris. One place that I always wanted to go, but never made it.
Thanks Sourcebooks and Net Galley for providing a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. This was definitely a winner in my opinion!
I enjoyed reading and living Craig's dream. I found it to be very entertaining and interesting. It's amazing what people will do. Those French laws were definitely set up for the employees and not the employers. I am so hungry for an American diner breakfast right now. HA!
This is one memoir that I truly enjoyed and would definitely recommend. I also enjoyed the fact that it took place in Paris. One place that I always wanted to go, but never made it.
Thanks Sourcebooks and Net Galley for providing a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. This was definitely a winner in my opinion!
March 26, 2017
From its very first page, I had a sense that this wasn't going to be your typical business memoir. Says Craig Carlson, "Notre Dame always reminds me of that mysterious interplay between heaven and earth, between the seen and the unseen."
Pancakes in Paris is equal parts business, travel, and human drama with a side of all-day breakfast and bottomless coffee.
Carlson comes from modest beginnings, yet he made it to college with virtually no parental support. He took a year abroad in France during college and fell in love with Paris. He then returned to the States, completed his journalism and film degrees, and ultimately became involved in the movie industry. Early in his film career, he returned to Paris and realized there was a potential need for American diner-style restaurants. He begins to percolate the idea, despite his complete lack of business and restaurant background!
Every step of the journey makes you root for the success of Breakfast in America (BIA), and Carlson himself. Not only do we learn about the challenges of getting investors on board, but Carlson details many, many amazing instances of French labor laws. He had no idea how employee-focused those laws are before opening BIA!
Craig (whose name is hilariously mangled by practically every Parisian), has a warm and gently funny writing style that's like you're talking about his life over a couple of burgers. He interjects French words throughout, which I thought might bother me as the book progressed. But he strikes the perfect note with their use just as a bilingual speaker might do -- not too much and often in humorous spots.
His writing does veer into the folksy sometimes, which could bother some readers. For example: "But despite our défense de fumer (no smoking) sign, there was no way of stopping the pesky second-hand smoke from moseying on over there."
Although at first I thought Carlson might be a leetle too full of himself with this sentence, "But thanks to such an eclectic mix of regulars found only in Paris, BIA was fast becoming a neighborhood hangout like no other in the world," I also came to believe in his humble and caring attitude as I read on.
This book isn't just about business and Paris. Craig shares many personal reflections, including his experiences with coming out and finding a life partner in Julien. He is self-deprecating and genuine.
To my surprise, there are four recipes at the end of the book as well. Two are from BIA and two from Julien's mother Elisabeth. The perfect blend of American and French styles, just the note this entire book hits!
Thanks to Craig Carlson, Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pancakes in Paris is equal parts business, travel, and human drama with a side of all-day breakfast and bottomless coffee.
Carlson comes from modest beginnings, yet he made it to college with virtually no parental support. He took a year abroad in France during college and fell in love with Paris. He then returned to the States, completed his journalism and film degrees, and ultimately became involved in the movie industry. Early in his film career, he returned to Paris and realized there was a potential need for American diner-style restaurants. He begins to percolate the idea, despite his complete lack of business and restaurant background!
Every step of the journey makes you root for the success of Breakfast in America (BIA), and Carlson himself. Not only do we learn about the challenges of getting investors on board, but Carlson details many, many amazing instances of French labor laws. He had no idea how employee-focused those laws are before opening BIA!
Craig (whose name is hilariously mangled by practically every Parisian), has a warm and gently funny writing style that's like you're talking about his life over a couple of burgers. He interjects French words throughout, which I thought might bother me as the book progressed. But he strikes the perfect note with their use just as a bilingual speaker might do -- not too much and often in humorous spots.
His writing does veer into the folksy sometimes, which could bother some readers. For example: "But despite our défense de fumer (no smoking) sign, there was no way of stopping the pesky second-hand smoke from moseying on over there."
Although at first I thought Carlson might be a leetle too full of himself with this sentence, "But thanks to such an eclectic mix of regulars found only in Paris, BIA was fast becoming a neighborhood hangout like no other in the world," I also came to believe in his humble and caring attitude as I read on.
This book isn't just about business and Paris. Craig shares many personal reflections, including his experiences with coming out and finding a life partner in Julien. He is self-deprecating and genuine.
To my surprise, there are four recipes at the end of the book as well. Two are from BIA and two from Julien's mother Elisabeth. The perfect blend of American and French styles, just the note this entire book hits!
Thanks to Craig Carlson, Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2017
We ate in the Latin Quarter location in 2010 due to the recommendation of either Frommers or Rick Steves. It was good and better priced than the typical Paris restaurant. I had the hamburger which was tasty and yet between the meat and bun, something altogether different than the same combination in America. It tasted neither American nor French to me, but maybe British. I thought at the time how difficult it would be to set up a supply chain for American foods in Paris. So when I saw that the founder had written a book I curious as to how deep he would go into the process.
Reading the book you realize that supply chain was maybe the least of the problems running a restaurant in Paris. He touches on it, but it doesn't get a lot of ink. It's the labor laws that are outrageous. That anyone works at all is a testament to personal integrity because the law pretty much allows people to feign any kind of illness physical or mental and then collect full pay for a year or two without working. How any business can sustain itself while paying for freeloaders and featherbedders is hard to imagine. The novelty of this restaurant and the fact that the profit margin on breakfast food is greater than other meals is probably what saved him. The troubles with the workforce and the government were such that Craig Carlson even acknowledges that his attitude about it makes him seem like some "right-winger," which he is not. That alone shows you how the Left-Right divide in France is made up of entirely different criteria than here in America.
The book gets off to a slow start in my opinion. His attempts at funding for his restaurant are too detailed and too forced with humor. His Hollywood career is barely mentioned in specifics which might have been more interesting than what he gives us about his time working at Disneyland. You get the impression that he doesn't want to name drop and it might have kept him from revealing some of his better stories. But once Carlson secures the funding from the restaurant the book really takes off and the suspense and problems along the way carry the story to the finish line.
You come away from the book liking Craig Carlson and happy for his success, and yet I wonder if his honesty about dealing with the French legal system won't cause him more problems in the future. I would never try to start a business in France after reading this.
Reading the book you realize that supply chain was maybe the least of the problems running a restaurant in Paris. He touches on it, but it doesn't get a lot of ink. It's the labor laws that are outrageous. That anyone works at all is a testament to personal integrity because the law pretty much allows people to feign any kind of illness physical or mental and then collect full pay for a year or two without working. How any business can sustain itself while paying for freeloaders and featherbedders is hard to imagine. The novelty of this restaurant and the fact that the profit margin on breakfast food is greater than other meals is probably what saved him. The troubles with the workforce and the government were such that Craig Carlson even acknowledges that his attitude about it makes him seem like some "right-winger," which he is not. That alone shows you how the Left-Right divide in France is made up of entirely different criteria than here in America.
The book gets off to a slow start in my opinion. His attempts at funding for his restaurant are too detailed and too forced with humor. His Hollywood career is barely mentioned in specifics which might have been more interesting than what he gives us about his time working at Disneyland. You get the impression that he doesn't want to name drop and it might have kept him from revealing some of his better stories. But once Carlson secures the funding from the restaurant the book really takes off and the suspense and problems along the way carry the story to the finish line.
You come away from the book liking Craig Carlson and happy for his success, and yet I wonder if his honesty about dealing with the French legal system won't cause him more problems in the future. I would never try to start a business in France after reading this.
August 20, 2017
Ah Paris... you complicated bitch. This is the story of a hardworking man fighting for his American dream in France. Things got ugly.
Labor laws in France are absolutely shocking. It's a place where a groundskeeper can beat your horse to death and successfully sue you for wrongful termination. Our MC had a waiter who worked one month out of the twelve he was paid for and a cook who asked for a raise then took two years off - paid years off!
There were multiple law suits, government crack downs, Anti and Pro Americanism, nights in jail, blackmail, and somewhere along the way the forty year old virgin realized he was gay. Somehow that last bit of personal craziness just blended in with the rest.
Breakfast in America is now a success but... damn.
The next time you go to France appreciate every open store and restaurant, they are individual miracles.
August 23, 2016
Incroyable! I enjoyed reading Craig Carlson's humorous memoir about his life, dreams, struggles and obstacles in opening and running a restaurant in Paris.
Since the author spent much of his adult life in Paris, he occasionally used French expressions, but translated them in English in the same or next sentence. I felt that this added authenticity to his story.
Learning about business and work rules that exist in France to protect the employee was an extra bonus.
Several days after writing this review I am still thinking about Pancakes in Paris, so I've rounded 3.5 stars up to 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and the author, Craig Carlson for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this ebook on my kindle.
4⭐️
Since the author spent much of his adult life in Paris, he occasionally used French expressions, but translated them in English in the same or next sentence. I felt that this added authenticity to his story.
Learning about business and work rules that exist in France to protect the employee was an extra bonus.
Several days after writing this review I am still thinking about Pancakes in Paris, so I've rounded 3.5 stars up to 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and the author, Craig Carlson for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this ebook on my kindle.
4⭐️
February 1, 2017
A surprisingly touching memoir, this easy read follows Craig Carlson's journey from his first visit to Paris as an under-grad through his trials and tribulations of opening up a diner in Paris. This book is perfect for any francophile or foodie and while his journey to open his diner is certainly bumpy, he's very candid in sharing his problems while remaining passionate about the venture. The writing is not sophisticated but the story is charming and captivating and by the end you'll find yourself checking airfare deals to France or at least craving some good old fashioned pancakes. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book.
August 3, 2019
Remind me to never open a restaurant, especially in another country. I was so stressed about the author’s problems that I had trouble reading it. When he had a nervous breakdown, it was almost a relief because he got the help he needed in his life and career. I kept thinking that his problems were caused by being too nice to people. He admitted this when he said that his husband finally joined the business to be the tough guy. I would like to try his pancakes and bacon! The book finished around 2015 and already seems frozen in the past as he mentioned being so excited about Harvey Weinstein visiting the restaurant and loving being so close to Notre Dame.
December 19, 2020
Dream BIG!
An uplifting memoir of how dreams can come true. The ups and downs of this journey were amazing and yet through will power, good friends and belief in himself, Carlson achieved his dream and then some. Paris is always romantic, so discovering his true love there is the icing on the pancake of this remarkable story.
An uplifting memoir of how dreams can come true. The ups and downs of this journey were amazing and yet through will power, good friends and belief in himself, Carlson achieved his dream and then some. Paris is always romantic, so discovering his true love there is the icing on the pancake of this remarkable story.
September 22, 2016
The American dream has become harder for ordinary people to attain, but Carlson is living proof that it can happen; yet some of us may need to go somewhere else to find it. In his upbeat, congenial memoir, “the pancake guy” chronicles his journey, from the kid of a wretchedly dysfunctional home—and I don’t use the term lightly—to the owner of Breakfast in America, his own restaurant franchise in France. This title was a bright spot in my reading lineup last month, and it can be a bright spot in yours too. Thank you to Sourcebooks and Net Galley for the DRC, which I received free in exchange for an honest review.
Is this a thing that any kid in America could have done? Not so much. Carlson has a rare blend of intelligence, organization, and social skills; above and beyond all else, he possesses unstoppable determination, clear focus, and a work ethic that never flags for one tiny minute until he discovers he is close to working himself to death. Those lacking talent and determination may never reach the end of the rainbow as this author has done; that much is clear. But oh, what fun to share the ride with him!
Given his family’s expectations for him, or lack thereof, it’s amazing he finished high school, and his acquisition of a college education is more remarkable still. But it is his junior year at a state college in Connecticut that plants the seed that will sprout and grow into a way of life; he is invited to spend his school year in Paris. Once he’s there, the tumblers click, and he knows that he has found his people.
As Carlson’s story unspools, he debunks stereotypes believed by many Americans, and a few of them are ones I believed too until I read this memoir. Carlson delivers setting in a way much more immediate than any number of Google searches can provide, but it’s his insights regarding French culture, law, and society that make his memoir so captivating. The prose is lean and occasionally hilarious. He plucks choice, juicy vignettes from his journey all along the way, and this makes us feel as if we are riding quietly on his shoulder taking it all in as he goes.
If you’ve never been to France and don’t intend to, you can still enjoy this book. If you don’t like pancakes or any aspect of the traditional American breakfast, it doesn’t matter. Carlson is enormously entertaining, and so his story stands on its own merits. I am furthermore delighted to see that the only recipe that is inserted into his narrative is actually a joke. A small collection of actual recipes is inserted at the end, and although I never, ever, ever do this, I intend to try one of them out tonight! But even if you skip the recipe section entirely, you should read this memoir. It’s too much fun to miss. The best news of all is that it’s available for purchase right now.
Get it, and read it!
PS...Watch out for the recipe for "The Mess", which includes his delicious, artery-clogging home fries. The potatoes came out great, but The Mess fails to list all ingredients; I gathered all the ingredients and came across the point where you're supposed to add the bacon. What bacon? Happily I read it ahead of time and am good enough in the kitchen to figure it out. Also, instead of standardized measurements telling you to add a quarter cup of this and half a cup of that, he tells you how many ounces. My guess is it's because he's been cooking in France so long. Once you figure the whole thing out it's delicious, and what he calls 1 serving actually was enough to feed myself, my husband (a Japanese man with a lesser appetite than our immense Viking author) and our daughter. Yum.
Is this a thing that any kid in America could have done? Not so much. Carlson has a rare blend of intelligence, organization, and social skills; above and beyond all else, he possesses unstoppable determination, clear focus, and a work ethic that never flags for one tiny minute until he discovers he is close to working himself to death. Those lacking talent and determination may never reach the end of the rainbow as this author has done; that much is clear. But oh, what fun to share the ride with him!
Given his family’s expectations for him, or lack thereof, it’s amazing he finished high school, and his acquisition of a college education is more remarkable still. But it is his junior year at a state college in Connecticut that plants the seed that will sprout and grow into a way of life; he is invited to spend his school year in Paris. Once he’s there, the tumblers click, and he knows that he has found his people.
As Carlson’s story unspools, he debunks stereotypes believed by many Americans, and a few of them are ones I believed too until I read this memoir. Carlson delivers setting in a way much more immediate than any number of Google searches can provide, but it’s his insights regarding French culture, law, and society that make his memoir so captivating. The prose is lean and occasionally hilarious. He plucks choice, juicy vignettes from his journey all along the way, and this makes us feel as if we are riding quietly on his shoulder taking it all in as he goes.
If you’ve never been to France and don’t intend to, you can still enjoy this book. If you don’t like pancakes or any aspect of the traditional American breakfast, it doesn’t matter. Carlson is enormously entertaining, and so his story stands on its own merits. I am furthermore delighted to see that the only recipe that is inserted into his narrative is actually a joke. A small collection of actual recipes is inserted at the end, and although I never, ever, ever do this, I intend to try one of them out tonight! But even if you skip the recipe section entirely, you should read this memoir. It’s too much fun to miss. The best news of all is that it’s available for purchase right now.
Get it, and read it!
PS...Watch out for the recipe for "The Mess", which includes his delicious, artery-clogging home fries. The potatoes came out great, but The Mess fails to list all ingredients; I gathered all the ingredients and came across the point where you're supposed to add the bacon. What bacon? Happily I read it ahead of time and am good enough in the kitchen to figure it out. Also, instead of standardized measurements telling you to add a quarter cup of this and half a cup of that, he tells you how many ounces. My guess is it's because he's been cooking in France so long. Once you figure the whole thing out it's delicious, and what he calls 1 serving actually was enough to feed myself, my husband (a Japanese man with a lesser appetite than our immense Viking author) and our daughter. Yum.
December 28, 2017
Je t'aime!
May 22, 2018
Sometimes you have to follow your dream halfway across the world to make it a reality. Both Carlson and I know this to be true.
Pancakes in Paris is the story of Craig Carlson and his fulfillment of his American Dream. Craig grew up in Connecticut and lived an interesting childhood. On a whim, he took a French class in his youth and he became obsessed with all things French. It wasn’t until he visited Paris that he knew Paris was where he belonged.
Paris, ahhh a food mecca if there ever was one. Craig noticed there wasn’t an American diner anywhere in the city limits and made it his mission to create one. He had no experience in the food industry but that didn’t detract him. Breakfast in America was born and the rest, they say, is history.
I absolutely loved this book! It has everything I love in a good Food Memoir: humorous yet honest voice, descriptions so accurate I can taste the food and lots of adventures. I loved how wacky Carlson’s customers are and how incredibly popular a diner is in Paris. If Julia Child was alive today, I’m sure she’d be a regular customer. The next time I travel to Paris, I will be sure to stop by Carlson’s diner.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 5 stars
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/
Pancakes in Paris is the story of Craig Carlson and his fulfillment of his American Dream. Craig grew up in Connecticut and lived an interesting childhood. On a whim, he took a French class in his youth and he became obsessed with all things French. It wasn’t until he visited Paris that he knew Paris was where he belonged.
Paris, ahhh a food mecca if there ever was one. Craig noticed there wasn’t an American diner anywhere in the city limits and made it his mission to create one. He had no experience in the food industry but that didn’t detract him. Breakfast in America was born and the rest, they say, is history.
I absolutely loved this book! It has everything I love in a good Food Memoir: humorous yet honest voice, descriptions so accurate I can taste the food and lots of adventures. I loved how wacky Carlson’s customers are and how incredibly popular a diner is in Paris. If Julia Child was alive today, I’m sure she’d be a regular customer. The next time I travel to Paris, I will be sure to stop by Carlson’s diner.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 5 stars
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/
August 18, 2020
A diverting account of running a restaurant as an American in Paris. It has a lot of the tropes common to the American in Paris--overcoming a lack of sophistication, the gap between Americans and their government (when in the hands of Republicans), and the horrors of French bureaucracy (although as a business owner, Carlson's struggles were truly nightmarish).
Carlson is an engaging character as a blue collar kid from a rough upbringing who first falls in love with the French language, then the country, and finally a French citizen. I hope Breakfast in America is still serving pancakes the next time I'm in Paris.
Carlson is an engaging character as a blue collar kid from a rough upbringing who first falls in love with the French language, then the country, and finally a French citizen. I hope Breakfast in America is still serving pancakes the next time I'm in Paris.
May 31, 2017
4.5 Stars
October 13, 2017
Very sweet carefree memoir of Craig and his adventures 0f living in Paris and how it became his goal of opening a diner. Lots of laugh out loud funny moments and the real struggles to get a business open in another Country.. It does seem Craig is living his dream.
BIA is now added to my bucket list should I ever find myself in Paris.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
BIA is now added to my bucket list should I ever find myself in Paris.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2016
I admit it, I will ready any book that has Paris in the title. It’s a dream of mine to visit Paris someday, though I admit I’m afraid I may have such high expectations, I worry that it won’t live up to it! So, Pancakes in Paris was chosen solely because it had Paris in the title.
This was a very interesting and enjoyable read. It is an account of Craig Carlson actually setting up a restaurant in Paris called Breakfast in America. It was fascinating watching his dream come alive. It was not an easy journey and I admit I would have probably given up many times through the process. It is a look into the workings of the small business bureaucracy in Paris. I’ve jumped through some similar hoops in the United States, but it is nothing like what he had to go through.
I love that it also gives a peek into more of the French culture. One of my favorite parts was when Craig was going to be called into the police station for questioning regarding some of his staff. When the police learn that he is on vacation, they say to let him enjoy his vacation and he can meet with them when he returns. I admire the French’s notion that vacation is sacred and important to your health and well being. So sacred that employers are actually told to remind their employees to take vacation.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing is not fantastic, but his personality does shine through, and the story is interesting enough to hold it’s own. I like that he didn’t try to interject too much personal life into this story. There is just enough personal thrown in to let you get to know Craig as a person and it added to the story that he was telling.
If you love anything about Paris you will enjoy this book. If you own a small business and are curious about what it’s like to set one up on in foreign country, you will enjoy this book. If you like to read about people who make their almost impossible dreams come true, you will enjoy this book.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very interesting and enjoyable read. It is an account of Craig Carlson actually setting up a restaurant in Paris called Breakfast in America. It was fascinating watching his dream come alive. It was not an easy journey and I admit I would have probably given up many times through the process. It is a look into the workings of the small business bureaucracy in Paris. I’ve jumped through some similar hoops in the United States, but it is nothing like what he had to go through.
I love that it also gives a peek into more of the French culture. One of my favorite parts was when Craig was going to be called into the police station for questioning regarding some of his staff. When the police learn that he is on vacation, they say to let him enjoy his vacation and he can meet with them when he returns. I admire the French’s notion that vacation is sacred and important to your health and well being. So sacred that employers are actually told to remind their employees to take vacation.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing is not fantastic, but his personality does shine through, and the story is interesting enough to hold it’s own. I like that he didn’t try to interject too much personal life into this story. There is just enough personal thrown in to let you get to know Craig as a person and it added to the story that he was telling.
If you love anything about Paris you will enjoy this book. If you own a small business and are curious about what it’s like to set one up on in foreign country, you will enjoy this book. If you like to read about people who make their almost impossible dreams come true, you will enjoy this book.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2016
I was surprised to see I didn't get bored while reading this book. I am not one interested in reading about people's businesses, about how they fulfilled their dreams and passions, and the process of all that. What drew me to this book was "pancakes". This is what set in motion the narrator's business idea, too: to open a classic American diner outside US, in Paris, France.
It sounds charming and exciting, but reading about all the things he had to go through to make it happen makes one realize this was no small task. I appreciated his honesty and openness: he wrote about his bad decisions, his failed attempts to make ideas work, his missed opportunities in love - all these give the book authenticity.
I read this book at a point in my life where I needed a nudge to go after what I want. This sure is a nudge, but a realistic one, telling you bluntly that there is no place for dreamers, but only for workers who are willing to roll their sleeves and get to work. By telling his life story and letting the reader in by revealing the background of his childhood, the author makes the book even more personal and honest. I liked how he looked back and saw how all the hard things in his childhood and early years of adulthood were teaching moments for what he planned to make in Paris.
This memoir is a recommendation for those interested in opening their business or reading about the behind the scenes of a restaurant running, those interested in food, and those who like a straight-forward told memoir.
I received a free e-book copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.
It sounds charming and exciting, but reading about all the things he had to go through to make it happen makes one realize this was no small task. I appreciated his honesty and openness: he wrote about his bad decisions, his failed attempts to make ideas work, his missed opportunities in love - all these give the book authenticity.
I read this book at a point in my life where I needed a nudge to go after what I want. This sure is a nudge, but a realistic one, telling you bluntly that there is no place for dreamers, but only for workers who are willing to roll their sleeves and get to work. By telling his life story and letting the reader in by revealing the background of his childhood, the author makes the book even more personal and honest. I liked how he looked back and saw how all the hard things in his childhood and early years of adulthood were teaching moments for what he planned to make in Paris.
This memoir is a recommendation for those interested in opening their business or reading about the behind the scenes of a restaurant running, those interested in food, and those who like a straight-forward told memoir.
I received a free e-book copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.
July 24, 2016
NetGalley provided a copy of the ePub in exchange for an honest review.
Craig Carlson’s Pancakes in Paris—Living the American Dream in France takes the reader on his journey from Connecticut to California to France. He came from the ‘other side of the track’ without a consistent support system and yet he was able to forge a positive path for himself. The many tools he gathered along the way helped him make his dreams come true.
Carlson is drawn to the pull of Paris upon arrival during a college exchange program. When he returns after college he has the plan to open an American diner in Paris. Without a background in business or in restaurants, he moves ahead enthusiastically with a plan to become a restauranteur in the culinary capital of the world. His detailed account of his personal and professional journey provides insight into his determined character. The reader will be impressed with his integrity, honesty, passion and true grit. Carlson is a positive force and is unstoppable. Pancakes in Paris is a most enjoyable memoir.
Craig Carlson’s Pancakes in Paris—Living the American Dream in France takes the reader on his journey from Connecticut to California to France. He came from the ‘other side of the track’ without a consistent support system and yet he was able to forge a positive path for himself. The many tools he gathered along the way helped him make his dreams come true.
Carlson is drawn to the pull of Paris upon arrival during a college exchange program. When he returns after college he has the plan to open an American diner in Paris. Without a background in business or in restaurants, he moves ahead enthusiastically with a plan to become a restauranteur in the culinary capital of the world. His detailed account of his personal and professional journey provides insight into his determined character. The reader will be impressed with his integrity, honesty, passion and true grit. Carlson is a positive force and is unstoppable. Pancakes in Paris is a most enjoyable memoir.
October 5, 2016
I can honesty say that this is not a book I would have picked up if I had been in a bookstore.
Carlson book was part of the selection for this month’s My Book Box.
It is actually pretty good once it gets going. The first couple chapters were a bit slow, but once Carlson decides that he wants to open the diner the book does take off.
The success of the memoir is Carlson’s voice and his willingness to not try to disguise the fact that sometime he is an idiot. He is just as messed up as you are. He is a dreamer but he is a mess. And that is great.
The book will make you want to eat pancakes after reading. It will also make you want to visit Paris, but most likely, will not want to make you open a business in Paris. (Though it does bring a whole other level of understanding to an Asterix book) Carlson’s memoir does cover the period after 9/11 and the infamous Freedom Fries debacle.
Thank you, to My Book Box because otherwise I would not have read this charming memoir.
Carlson book was part of the selection for this month’s My Book Box.
It is actually pretty good once it gets going. The first couple chapters were a bit slow, but once Carlson decides that he wants to open the diner the book does take off.
The success of the memoir is Carlson’s voice and his willingness to not try to disguise the fact that sometime he is an idiot. He is just as messed up as you are. He is a dreamer but he is a mess. And that is great.
The book will make you want to eat pancakes after reading. It will also make you want to visit Paris, but most likely, will not want to make you open a business in Paris. (Though it does bring a whole other level of understanding to an Asterix book) Carlson’s memoir does cover the period after 9/11 and the infamous Freedom Fries debacle.
Thank you, to My Book Box because otherwise I would not have read this charming memoir.
August 12, 2018
The various blurbs of Pancakes in Paris suggest it is as good as a stack of American pancakes, hot off the griddle. Indeed it is easy to digest, not poorly written, if a little heavy handed at times. However, like the American breakfast food it lacks substance, and fails to keep the reader full for any length of time. A one-sided memoir that doesn't engage in any satisfying way with why the barriers the author experienced exist, but instead falls into the trope of alienating the French as nonsensical and anti-business without any more thought, this book may indeed be as American as pancakes are. Indeed the book becomes another iteration in a long line of 'American dream' books, which follow a similarly beaten path that is only thrown into greater relief by its general disregard for context in which it occurs. The overly dramatic writing and clumsy foreshadowing cling to the surface of the memoir like corn-syrup based maple syrup. It isn't an unenjoyable read, but it is one I found deeply unsatisfying. But, hey, I've always been more of an oatmeal kind of girl.
September 5, 2016
Craig Carlson wrote Pancakes in Paris about fulfilling his dream of opening an American breakfast restaurant in Paris named Breakfast in America. While I enjoyed the book, I wished the beginning sections about his early life and the in depth details about funding, etc. of Breakfast in America could have been condensed a fair amount. I enjoyed the book more once he got to the operations in Paris. I loved reading about Paris and the people there and liked learning about the labor laws in France and operational issues he encountered. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks of the chance to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2016
I was in Craig's study abroad program at UCONN so I thought it would be fun to read and reminisce about it 32 years later....but I didn't expect to learn so much more about him, his trials and tribulations, his impact on so many people and his successful life. Good, funny read and a great gift especially for the holidays.
December 18, 2020
Great humorous writing with insights into French life, traditions, customs, and the way of running a business. The book makes you cringe towards the end when Craig is dealing with various peculiarities of the French labor law. All throughout the book, the reader is rooting for the character, so the semi-happy ending (he seems to attract a lion's share of lawsuits, but things end generally well) is nice.
Some of the interesting insights for those who love France and Paris' gastronomic scene include the existence of the Avignon mafia that originally loaned Craig the start-up money, the dire state of the restrooms and ventilation in old buildings, the work habits of permanent personnel with access to unlimited 15-day medical leave doctor notices, the crazy Sri Lankan immigrant worker scam and various other scams people seem to be running.
Fun and interesting read. I tended to avoid anything American during my Paris visits (most of the attempts would likely yield an over-burned super-well-done thin-patty hamburger anyways), but will try to stop by BIA next time I'm there, assuming the line is not too forbidding.
Some of the interesting insights for those who love France and Paris' gastronomic scene include the existence of the Avignon mafia that originally loaned Craig the start-up money, the dire state of the restrooms and ventilation in old buildings, the work habits of permanent personnel with access to unlimited 15-day medical leave doctor notices, the crazy Sri Lankan immigrant worker scam and various other scams people seem to be running.
Fun and interesting read. I tended to avoid anything American during my Paris visits (most of the attempts would likely yield an over-burned super-well-done thin-patty hamburger anyways), but will try to stop by BIA next time I'm there, assuming the line is not too forbidding.
August 17, 2020
Starting up an American diner in Paris has to be fun, right...well, maybe. As Craig Carlson tells his story of discovering France, realizing the only thing it's missing is a good American breakfast, and then working to correct that oversight, I wondered how this man kept going. His tale is likely familiar to anyone who's attempted to start a business: the struggle to find investors, navigating the rules and regulations, figuring out how to manage a staff. Yet, he attempted to do all of this in France, where cultural barriers worked against many of his efforts. As I read the descriptions of the challenges Craig came up against, which included a short stint in prison because of party thrown by one of his employees who turned out to be working illegally, I wondered how he made it as far as he did before collapsing from the stress of it all. Fortunately, he also fell in love with a Frenchman, which was my favorite part of this memoir (!), and figured out how to delegate, which perhaps we all need to learn.
August 20, 2021
I enjoyed this memoir very much! It was written in the first person with much honesty and intimacy. Carlson's family of origin was dysfunctional, but he was resilient and had the help of many caring adults and mentors, beginning in his childhood.
There were many, slightly too many, detailed descriptions of Carlson's struggles with landlords, employees, and French laws as he pursued his dream to establish American diners in Paris. His relationship with Julien blended well with the ongoing successes and setbacks of his business life.
In addition to being an Anglophile, I am a Francophile, so the references to French language, culture, and sights of Paris made this memoir so appealing to me. I fell in love with the French language in Mr. Holt's classroom in high school, and my favorite academic experience was a class in Western Civ taught all in French during my sophomore year of college.
The inclusion of recipes at the book's end was a great idea!
There were many, slightly too many, detailed descriptions of Carlson's struggles with landlords, employees, and French laws as he pursued his dream to establish American diners in Paris. His relationship with Julien blended well with the ongoing successes and setbacks of his business life.
In addition to being an Anglophile, I am a Francophile, so the references to French language, culture, and sights of Paris made this memoir so appealing to me. I fell in love with the French language in Mr. Holt's classroom in high school, and my favorite academic experience was a class in Western Civ taught all in French during my sophomore year of college.
The inclusion of recipes at the book's end was a great idea!
July 4, 2018
This was an amusing and heartfelt memoir of a nice guy who loved everything French ever since he was a boy and had the unique idea of creating an America Diner in Paris. It was interesting to read about all the ups and down of running a business in a countrry other than the one you grew up in and how things you took for granted that were common knowledge in your country were not exactly the same in another place.
I think the starting up of the business seemed to take very long and would have liked to read more about the day to day running of the diner and different customers and less about the legal problems with employees, and the actual writing was alright, but not great. However, I would still reccomend this book to someone interested in reading about an American living in Paris.
I think the starting up of the business seemed to take very long and would have liked to read more about the day to day running of the diner and different customers and less about the legal problems with employees, and the actual writing was alright, but not great. However, I would still reccomend this book to someone interested in reading about an American living in Paris.
May 27, 2018
A romping fun memoir about an American screenwriter who opened up a pancake diner in the gastronomic capital of the world, Paris. While the writing is littered with cliches (e.g. "[This vision] would require a whole new set of twists and turns before my crazy dream could become a reality") it didn't come across as cumbersome. Rather, because the storytelling is so tight, the narrative moved steadily forward through to its satisfying conclusion.
January 8, 2020
an easy read – fascinating and fun. Also an amazing tale of an American who had never owned a small business, making a success of opening not one but eventually three restaurants in Paris, despite the famously employee-friendly French labor laws. I'd like to check out his diners ... except that when in Paris, we prefer eating at crêperies and the like : )
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