Reviews
An inside story that will be loved by history buffs, gardening fans, and bee lovers alike.
[Day] weaves details of the bees' lifecycle with accounts of charity events, interviews with chefs and several pages of Waldorf recipes... Honeybee Hotel is absorbing and readable.
Honeybee Hotel is a fascinating and heartwarming story of how nature checked into one of New York's most fabled hotels, and everybody was the better for it. Nobody knows the natural world of the city like Leslie Day.
Like a bee buzzing from flower to flower, Honeybee Hotel takes the reader on a journey from New York City's most storied hotel to a homeless shelter to the inside of a single honeycomb chamber to the ingredients of a Waldorf salad. The through line, of course, is honey. And this beautifully written book is as sweet and delicious as its subject.
A conversational book that weaves natural history, gardening, New York City history, and food into a whole that both entertains and informs. Leslie Day is obviously an engaged, thoughtful, and curious person with whom the reader will enjoy spending some time. Honeybee Hotel will appeal to gardeners, entomologists, historians, preservationists, foodies, and New Yorkers.
An engaging story of one of the most interesting buildings in New York City. Using a first-person approach, Leslie Day brings the Waldorf Astoria and its rooftop bees to life. New Yorkers, history buffs, foodies, honeybee lovers, and anybody interested in a good read will adore this book.
Book Details
Preface
Chapter 1. Welcome to the Waldorf
Chapter 2. The First American Tycoon: John Jacob Astor in New York City
Chapter 3. Before the Empire State Building, the Waldorf Astoria Stood Here
Chapter 4
Preface
Chapter 1. Welcome to the Waldorf
Chapter 2. The First American Tycoon: John Jacob Astor in New York City
Chapter 3. Before the Empire State Building, the Waldorf Astoria Stood Here
Chapter 4. Life of the Honeybee: From Egg to Adult
Chapter 5. A Good Chef Is Like a Musician: David Garcelon’s Journey
Chapter 6. Life of the Female Honeybee: Janitor, Forager, and Everything In-Between
Chapter 7. An Idea Blossoms: Chef Garcelon’s First Hotel Garden and Apiary
Chapter 8. Life of the Male Honeybee: The Drone
Chapter 9. Twenty Stories High: A Vision of the Waldorf’s Honeybee Garden
Chapter 10. Life of the Queen: Mother of Them All
Chapter 11. Bringing Bees and a Garden to the Waldorf
Chapter 12. Beekeeping through the Ages
Chapter 13. A Match Made in Heaven: St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Chapter 14. In the Dark of the Hive: The Sensory World of the Honeybee
Chapter 15. Across the Street, but Worlds Apart: Feeding the Hungry at St. Bart’s
Chapter 16. Apples, Lavender, Tomatoes, and Tarragon—Exploring the Waldorf’s Garden with Chef Betz
Chapter 17. Wings!
Chapter 18. Fare Share Friday: New York City Hotels Give Back
Chapter 19. Epilogue. Saving the Treasures at the Waldorf
Waldorf Astoria Kitchen and Peacock Alley Bar Recipes Using Honey
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Index