Publisher's Synopsis
"Black, White, and The Grey is a story about the mission, trials, and triumphs of two individuals with seemingly little in common--media start-up defector John O. Morisano and chef/partner Mashama Bailey--who came together to build what they hoped would be a special restaurant. In the process, Morisano and Bailey committed to having difficult conversations with each other about how their experiences as a White man and a Black woman in America had shaped their understanding of race, class, and culture. Bailey and Morisano tell their story in stereo, explaining how they went from unsure business partners to best friends as they turned a dilapidated Jim Crow-era Greyhound bus station in historic Savannah, Georgia, into one of the hottest restaurants in the country--The Grey--facing their inherent biases through honest, unflinching discussions along the way. Morisano provides the bassline and Bailey elucidates, as they reveal the rawness, vulnerability, and humanity that make their partnership so inspiring. It's a conversation that merits eavesdropping to find out how they play a part in bridging the deep cultural divide in America during a time of profound national division, activated racism, and raging classism. In celebration of the food and drink that brings people together, a recipe caps each chapter--from cocktails to shrimp to pie--peppering the narrative with food from their story. Everyone who is fascinated by chef and restaurant culture will savour the behind-the-scenes details of building and running a destination restaurant--in this case, one with historical significance and the stage for a larger cultural conversation."
