I HEAR SHE'S A REAL BITCH

This riotous, bracingly honest and much talked about memoir, from an outspoken, world-renowned and super-connected restaurateur, takes you on a behind-the-scenes tour of the food-obsessed, inherently sexist restaurant industry—for fans of Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential and Sophia Amoruso's #GIRLBOSS

A sharp and candid memoir from a rising talent (um, “rising talent”?? What do I have to do to have ACTUALLY RISEN?? Be Jeebus? Or just a long-haired dude? Like, how many more restaurants do I have to open to have “made it”? I AM FORTY YEARS OLD, not some ingénue) in the restaurant world, and an up-and-coming literary voice (okay, fair. I accept “up and coming” in this context). Toronto restaurateur Jen Agg, the outspoken woman (I take umbrage at “outspoken.” SO MUCH UMBRAGE. It's SUCH a little,
Canadian-style slap in the face, and so gendered. It's derisive at its core and suggestive of other dismissive words we throw at those who dare to have any sort of opinion, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, like “rabble-rouser” or whatever and basically is a subtle suggestion to the reader of something negative, as though speaking “out” is something we should not do. And it precedes or follows my name ALL. THE. TIME.) behind the popular The Black Hoof, Cocktail Bar, Rhum Corner, and Agrikol restaurants, is known for her frank, crystal-sharp, and often hilarious (OMG, manage their expectations. Gawd) observations and ideas on the restaurant industry and the world around her. In the last decade, she has built an empire in the city's restaurant scene, tastemaking (ugh,
“tastemaking.” Barf) today's food trends long before they were considered trendy: charcuterie, bone marrow, bitters, snout-to-tail, crudo (Guys! I INVENTED all those things!!). Along the way, Jen has garnered equal parts praise and criticism (WHAT. CRITICISM) for her work ethic, her business savvy (I genuinely think savvy should be in quotes here) and her honesty in taking on the city's food and restaurant scene—the “bro” (and bro shouldn't be) machismo, the fashion of food (OMG, it's FOOD, not a DVF wrap dress), the curse of the food blog (YEP, there are some brutal ones out there) and annoying restaurant customers (hashtag NOT ALL CUSTOMERS).

I Hear She's a Real Bitch is Blood, Bones & Butter meets #GirlBoss (IS IT, THOUGH?), with Jen's unmistakable and sometimes laugh-out-loud-funny voice tracing her career, from her idyllic (“idyllic”) suburban upbringing and an early appreciation of a cocktail (read: REAAAALLLY liked drinking as a teen); to the birth of her first bar (torn from my V to my A) and the mistakes that led to its death (mostly that I was IN MY 20s); to the disaster that follows a bad review (I dunno about “disaster”), to finding her groove as the one in charge; to
the explosion of success that arrives on the doorstep of The Black Hoof seemingly overnight (yeah, totes OUT OF NOWHERE PURE LUCK!); and the art of building the perfect restaurant washroom (I'll give you that—it IS a f**king art). At the center of it all is Jen's journey as a boss (my JOURNEY!), and a creative person, and her expression of both as a restaurateur in an industry that is still so dominated by men (like, SO, SO dominated).

Caustic yet intimate, and wryly observant, I Hear She's a Real Bitch is an unforgettable glimpse into the life of one of the most interesting, smart, trail-blazing voices of this moment. (Okay, that part's true.)

JEN AGG is the owner of The Black Hoof, Rhum Corner, and Cocktail Bar in Toronto and she does not agree with you. I Hear She's a Real Bitch is her first book.