Being a good cook takes confidence, a sense of humor, and a little nerve. Alice May Brock

{HISTORY}

First, there was a woman named Alice. Then came her restaurant. Then came a song about her restaurant. Then a movie about the song followed. And then, following the woman, the restaurant, the song, and the movie, came a cookbook. 

If there was ever a one-thing-leads-to-another story, it would be that of Alice May Brock (1941-2024) and her illustrious cooking career made famous by Arlo Guthrie's 1967 best-selling album and song, Alice's Restaurant.   

An artist, a cook, a free spirit, and an all-around colorful character, Alice may not have been the world's most successful restaurateur, but she was certainly one of New England's most famous. 

As a carefree, fun-seeking flower child of the 1960s, Alice's zest for life bucked tradition from a young age, so it's no surprise that she would go on to live an unusual and creative life as an adult.  In her early 20s, newly married to a woodworker who was 10 years her senior, Alice and her husband bought an old church in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, that they intended to transform into a home and a creative space for their bohemian friends.

Not long after purchasing the church house, Alice opened a casual restaurant called The Back Room in Stockbridge, MA. When friends came to visit the church house one Thanksgiving weekend, 18-year-old Arlo Guthrie was among the crowd.  The vivacious Alice, her cooking, and a crazy set of events that ultimately led to Arlo going to jail on a littering charge inspired the songwriter in Arlo, and he began fiddling around with a tune and some lyrics. No one suspected that Alice's holiday invitation would become such a powerful muse, but in 1967, Arlo released his first album and his most well-known song Alice's Restaurant, based on that one Thanksgiving weekend. 

At just over 18 minutes in length, Arlo's song struck a chord with music fans and Vietnam draft protestors, and Alice's Restaurant became a sort of anti-war, anti-draft anthem.  In its instant popularity,  Alice and her restaurant became popular too. A film version of the song came out in 1969, and Alice's cookbook was released shortly after.

While the song, Alice's Restaurant itself has been a fan favorite for 60 years, Alice's own  real-life restaurants didn't have as much staying power. In total, she opened three restaurants between the 1960s and 1970s, and although each was popular in their own way, she couldn't keep them going for longer than a few years for various reasons.

Asked to play herself in the movie, Alice declined that invitation and instead focused on the cookbook, which highlighted her free-spirit approach to life and cooking, ultimately tying the whole storytelling theme of Alice's Restaurant together.  

Like sitting down for a good chat with one of your best friends, Alice's cookbook is very personable and conversational in tone. It details her thoughts on food preparation, meal planning, seasonings, and cooking techniques. It bolsters confidence, encourages creativity, and promotes a cheerful, can-do attitude on every page.  Enhanced by her own whimsical drawings and illustrations along with both black and white color photographs of Arlo, Alice, and their friends, Alice's Restaurant Cookbook is filled to overflowing with Alice's inimitable charm when it comes to writing about food, friendship, and philosophies on life.

Readers will find simple comfort food recipes and dishes that are ideally suited for entertaining or feeding a gaggle of friends. There are recipes that were popular at her restaurant. They are favorite recipes from Alice's family. There are recipes that were inspired by her friends,  and recipes that she whipped up with her own imagination and a bit of kitchen wizardry. 

Tucked in the back, this cookbook originally came with a 45 RPM vinyl record featuring Arlo and Alice and the song that made them both famous. The record went off on its own adventures some time ago and is no longer a part of this book's story, but to make up for this missing companion, there is another lovely feature... Alice's signature on the title page following the table of contents. She signed the book in red marker next to a handwritten date notation (Sunday, October 26th, 1969 Lenox, Mass). 

Arlo's song continued to draw fans for decades and remains a beloved favorite often played on Thanksgiving.  The last of Alice's restaurants closed in 1979. She continued to embrace her bohemian spirit, fluttering here and there around Cape Cod, painting, cooking, sometimes helping out in other people's restaurants, sometimes catching up with Arlo for a friendly meal or two.  She was never able to garner as much attention as her 1969 claim to fame, but you get the sense from her cookbook that friends, food, art and optimism mattered much more to Alice than being a cultural icon. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• 1969 Edition, First printing 
• 149 pages including index and author bio
• Contains original dust jacket 
• Signed by Alice in red marker 
• Illustrated throughout with black and white and color photography, and Alice's whimsical line drawings and illustrations
• Interesting recpes include Cheese Stuffing For Manicotti, Cannelloni or Lasagna, Curry Sauce, Alce's Favorite Thanksgiving Stuffing, Blueberry Pudding, Hot Punch with Rum, Spices and Dried Fruits, Marinade and Barbecue Sauce, Baked Carrots in Cream or Cheese Sauce, Alice's Grandma's Beet Jam, Karl's Seafood Saute, Chicken Marengo, Alice's Famous Chili, Oven Omelets, and Homemade Blintzes.

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition, this cookbook is clean and bright throughout with no cooking spots, stains, or notations. The dust jacket is fully intact but worn in some areas, mostly along the fold lines and edges. The spine of the dust jacket has been reinforced with archival paper on the inside to protect the chippy areas at the top and bottom edge. The decorated coverboards are clean and vibrant in color with just the slightest rubbing on the top and bottom corners on the front. The record that originally came glued inside the back cover is missing.  Alice signed the title following the table of contents in bright red marker and alongside a date and place notation written in black marker. The spine is tight and all pages are intact. Please see photos.

{SIZE}

Measures 10.25" inches (length) x 7.25" inches (width) x .75" inches (thickness) and weighs 1.45 lbs