Food: A Love Story

Tell me a story... that will make me laugh

 Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

Publication date: October 21, 2014

Date read: October 5, 2021

Comedian Jim Gaffigan riffs on his favorite (and least favorite) foods across the U.S. Some material is duplicated from his stand-up specials, and some is new material. 

Note: as with most books by comedians, I recommend the audiobook when it’s read by the author. It’s basically makes it just a long stand-up special.

I love Jim Gaffigan. He’s one of my favorite comedians. So I might not be the most objective reviewer, but really, why are you picking this up if you don’t like Gaffigan’s stand up? But if you’re wondering “Hey, I enjoy his stand-up routines. Will I like his book?” the answer is - mostly - yes. The only downside for a fan of the comedian is that not all of the material in this book is new. It’s all his, but some of it has been covered in his stand-up as well as in this book. So you might have already heard some of the jokes. 

This is Gaffigan’s second book, after Dad is Fat, which I did enjoy a little more than this one, but I genuinely enjoyed them both. His first book was just based on his children and family life and, as a parent of small children, I found his stories more relatable to me. Also, the stories in Dad is Fat were more, well, stories. Food: A Love Story is more comments on various types of food. Both funny, but in a different style. They’re both worth reading, but which one you like better is probably going to be based on where you are in life rather than one book being objectively better than the other. 

In the end, this was a book that had me laughing along, even when I disagreed with his opinions. I did listen to the audiobook, which I highly recommend for both of his books, as it helps hearing the jokes from his voice. I can’t honestly say if the book would have been as enjoyable if I read it. 

Recommended if you like Gaffigan’s stand-up. If you don’t, or if you’ve never heard him, check it out if you like reading opinion pieces about food by normal, non-pretentious people and want a good laugh. 

Rating: 4/5 stars