Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Kitchen Con

The well-attended launch party for Trevor White’s first book was a testament to the popular man that he is. Milling around Thornton’s restaurant in the Fitzwilliam Hotel, guests were eager to get a first look at Kitchen Con, the first book from the inimitable publisher / writer.

In Kitchen Con, Trevor lifts the lid on, as he puts it, “the restaurant racket”. And he’s well qualified to do so. His family ran a hugely successful restaurant on St. Stephen’s Green (Whites on the Green, if my memory serves me correctly) in Dublin for many years. He became a restaurant critic at the tender age of 18, has eaten all around the world and now publishes the best selling annual Top 100 Guide in Ireland in conjunction with his successful magazine, The Dubliner.

Among the guests feasting on the delicious canapés prepared by Kevin Thornton’s Michelin Starred kitchen were writer Eamon Delaney, Gavin Friday and Amanda Brunker. Style queen Sonia Reynolds was with her legal eagle hubby Barry Lyons, relaxing after a hectic few weeks with Dublin Fashion Week.

Some of the other guests in attendance included Quentin Fottrell, Aoife O’Reilly, the dashing Michael O’Doherty, Roisin Tierney – Crowe, Ulick O’Connor and Helen Lucey Burke. Bombay Sapphire provided the potent martinis and Harvey Nicks did the goodie bags, rounding off a most successful launch (for those in London there was round two at Bentley’s Oyster Bar the following evening).

NYC publisher John Ryan, did the honours on the evening, during a week in which he himself was riding high on the publicity front – a documentary, a Late Late show appearance and countless column inches. Luckily he didn’t manage to steal Trevor’s limelight but made a witty speech in which he regaled the guests with made-up “facts” about Trevor.

One true fact about Trevor is that he’s written a highly entertaining, engaging and educating book; one that, if you’ve ever eaten out in your life, you’ll find of interest.