I believe Bourdain had already become head chef at Les Halles in NYC before KC was published That is correct. EDIT: You also need to read the article, in whic

I believe Bourdain had already become head chef at Les Halles in NYC before KC was published That is correct. EDIT: You also need to read the article, in which he says: If I hadn’t enjoyed a freakish and unexpected success with Kitchen Confidential, I’d still be standing behind the stove of a good but never great restaurant at the age of fifty-three. I would be years behind in my taxes, still uninsured, with a mouthful of looming dental problems, a mountain of debt, and an ever more rapidly declining value as a cook. Bourdain is under no illusions about his own value as a cook, as opposed to his value as a writer. And he'll be the first to tell you.