Black, White, and The Grey

The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Restaurant

By: Mashama Bailey, John O. Morisano

Narrated by: Mashama Bailey, John O. Morisano

A story about the trials and triumphs of a Black chef from Queens, New York, and a White media entrepreneur from Staten Island who built a relationship and a restaurant in the Deep South, hoping to bridge biases and get people talking about race, gender, class, and culture.

Named One of the Best Cookbooks of the Year by Garden & Gun • “Black, White, and The Grey blew me away.” (David Chang)

In this dual memoir, Mashama Bailey and John O. Morisano take turns telling how they went from tentative business partners to dear friends while turning a dilapidated formerly segregated Greyhound bus station into The Grey, now one of the most celebrated restaurants in the country. Recounting the trying process of building their restaurant business, they examine their most painful and joyous times, revealing how they came to understand their differences, recognize their biases, and continuously challenge themselves and each other to be better.

Through it all, Bailey and Morisano display the uncommon vulnerability, humor, and humanity that anchor their relationship, showing how two citizens commit to playing their own small part in advancing equality against a backdrop of racism.

©2021 Mashama Bailey (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“From the first few paragraphs of Mashama Bailey’s prologue, you know that you’re dealing with a writer of uncommon honesty. She and partner John O. Morisano offer us an illuminating exploration of what it takes to build something and understand one another, and in the process remind us that restaurants are about much more than just food - even though every recipe, from the Dirty Rice to the Clams Oreganata to the Country Pasta, is proof that Bailey is one of our country’s brightest chefs. Black, White, and The Grey blew me away.” (David Chang, author of Eat a Peach)

“ The book arrives at an ideal time to help facilitate the tough, continuing conversations around social justice and equity in the food space.” (Bill Addison, The Los Angeles Times)

“The fact that neither author narrates like a pro is part of the appeal: It feels as if you’re overhearing a real conversation about the ways their partnership has been tested...together they fitfully map out a small-scale blueprint for racial cooperation.” (Jennifer Resse, New York Times)

Great Book

This felt honest and relatable while also subtly powerful. It was refreshing in today's world of fake news and disinformation. Loved it.

Practical experiential knowledge of “how to become an Anti-Racist”!!

Loved that this was read by the authors!!! And appreciated that the journey to equality is TRULY A LONG HARD ROAD for US ALL!!!
THANK YOU!!!

Great narration

I loved the book … best of all was how both narrators grew to follow a similar cadence as they narrated. I wanted more “in the trenches” info. The only part I did not like was chapter 8… it felt super long to me, and very, VERY dry. I hung in there, but I was expressing my exasperation as I drove until that chapter passed.

Simply outstanding

Thoughtfully written, and an incredible performance of the book. This is a must read for so many.

Important Lessons

The book was a bit slow and the beginning quite jarring, however I found the lessons and insight very important. JohnO's voice grated on me a bit, and I wish he didn't have to describe men by their appearance and height (so male!), but I know the sincerity was there. I loved hearing from Mashama and was so glad that she joined in the telling. We need more JohnO's and more Mashama's willing to do the hard work.

Should have gotten the hard copy...

The story and writing are decent but the narrating is hard to get through. It sounds like it's being read to a kindergarten class. I kept checking to make sure I didn't somehow accidentally slow the speed but nope... it's just the way it's being read.

Read it!

A warm, touching, heartfelt story about struggle . wonderful characters. I learned so much about race relations. I hope to become a better person after reading this. just an awesome book.

Mehunker

As an owner of 4 restaurant/bars and a market this book was a godsend! It should be required reading from every restaurant owner and anyone who thinks they might want to be a restaurant owner. And, while their magnetic push and pull was driven by race at times, it is a path forward for any two or more people from different backgrounds that go into business together, any business not just a restaurant.

This books makes you examine your preconceptions.

My local library has a yearly reading challenge to read 12 books of 16 categories by the end of the year. One of the categories is a book in a genre you usually don’t read. I originally heard about “Black, White and the Grey” on a segment of Sunday Morning. I liked the story and the fact the book had recipes, so I decided to buy it. It set in my audible library for at least a year. I am so glad for the library challenge. I kind of thought it was a cook book( food is featured throughout the book) and I might not have picked it up to read, but I was looking for something different to read. I was not expecting this. it grabbed my from the first pages and it reads like a conversation you would have with a good friend. I believe It’s a good book to use to start a non-threatening conversation about race relations and relationships and some of the issues that are so pervasive in America right now. I live 2 hours from Savannah and my friends and I are making plans to celebrate our birthdays at “ The Grey”. This is a good book to use and audible credit on.

Absolute must read

A true delve into the hardships one faces in developing a restaurant as well as in everyday life. A view into the heart and it’s yearnings and overlapping confusion that plagues us all as humans but doesn’t have to plague us as long as we have the emotional intelligence to recognize what it is. Beautiful book and I am so happy that Mashama came in to help it really become the writing that it needed to be whole. Without her, sorry John o, it would not have been the great work that it is. But it did take the amazing group/family effort to make it beautiful!