Nine Lives

“Baltzley has a clear passion for food, which will attract readers drawn to the personalities behind the dishes, but his eye-openingly honest account of drug addiction clearly separates his story from most foodie memoirs… After following Baltzley on his breakneck trip through both high-end and middle-of-the-road restaurants across the country, readers will wonder what this unusual chef’s next life will bring.”
—Booklist

“Nine Lives is a compelling story of perseverance and the power of food. I’m honored to have been a part of Brandon’s journey.”
—Wylie Dufresne, Chef /Owner of wd~50, Alder

“Nine Lives is a cool mix of food and drugs. Baltzley’s story is captivating. His voice is raw and honest. Makes you hungry, and repulsed all at the same time–but in the best way possible. The frenetic energy in his life is captured by the bullet train fast narrative. A great work of art.”
—Nic Sheff, best-selling author of Tweak and We All Fall Down

“Nine Lives is a compelling story about my industry and the perils of its least endearing ingredient, addiction. It’s a crazy journey through the life of Brandon Baltzley, a phenomenally talented, self-taught, but self-destroying, chef. Poignant, heartbreaking, funny and ultimately victorious, it’s a story about being happy with yourself, which is sometimes harder than any dish you can cook. Life, like food, is easy to fuck up.”
—Hugh Acheson, James Beard Award winning chef and author of A New Turn in the South

“If James Frey and Anthony Bourdain had a love child, Brandon Baltzley would be their delightful and devilish spawn.”
—Michael Nagrant, Chicago Sun-Times food critic and contributor to the Alinea cookbook