Short Synopsis
A rising young chef lays bare his gripping story of culinary triumphs, consuming drug addictions, and his continuing quest to stay on top.

Full Synopsis
At twenty-six years old, Brandon Baltzley was poised for his star turn as the opening chef at Chicago's hotspot Tribute. People called him a prodigy—the Salvador Dali of cooking—and foodie blogs followed his every move. Instead, Brandon walked away from it all and entered rehab to deal with the alcohol and cocaine addiction that had enslaved him most of his adult life.

Brandon grew up in the South with no father and an addict mother. At nine, he was prepping vegetables in the back of a gay bar. From there, he went on to deep-frying with Paula Deen to cooking in an array of Michelin-starred restaurants, including Grant Achatz's world-renowned Alinea. In between, he was touring the country with his heavy metal band, Kylesa—and doing his first stint in rehab.

Like Gabrielle Hamilton's Blood, Butter and Bones, Brandon's Nine Lives is about blazing a way out from a rough childhood through talent and an unbridled passion for the craft of cooking. A story that's still being written as Brandon works with Crux, the pop-up culinary collective he founded, and plans for the opening of his own restaurant, Nine Lives serves up a raw and riveting memoir about food, rock-and-roll, and redemption.

"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

"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, author of Tweak

"If James Frey and Anthony Bourdain had a love child, Brandon Baltzley would be their delightful and devilish spawn." ---Michael Nagrant, Chicago Sun-Times

"George Newbern stoically narrates this difficult memoir, unemotionally describing the lows of chef Baltzley's drug-addicted depths and the redemptive highs of recipe reinvention." ---AudioFile