Lutece: A Day in the Life of America's Greatest Restaurant

The slight exaggeration of the subtitle is virtually the only hyperbole to be found in this involving, personalized, instructive multi-starred review of the famed Manhattan restaurant. The book is no mere promo piece (although Lutece owner-chef Andre Soltner couldn't ask for more), since Daria also takes readers through the commercial food chain, from distributor to restaurant kitchen to the diner's plate. The day at Lutece we read about starts at 5:30 a.m., and on this particular morning there's a certain tension as the staff awaits a New York Times review which they hope will counter negative comments in New York Newsday . It's crucial that food critic Bryan Miller affirm Lutece's four-star status (he does); as Soltner explains, ``the fear of failure'' keeps a chef great. Daria ( The Fashion Cycle ) introduces us to the workers, most specifically to Soltner and to his wife of 30 years, Simone, and shows us the exacting professionalism of them all. We spend a lot of time in the kitchens--the book includes a few Lutece recipes--witnessing the complicated logistics of food preparation. Readers learn that serving and feeding diners well is a considerable accomplishment--and deserving of a generous tip. (Dec.)