Ludo Lefebvre is a culinary prodigy who worked at his first three-star Michelin restaurant at age fourteen. By twenty-five he was running his own kitchen in Los Angeles—winning accolades for serving the most imaginative, forward-thinking food the city had ever seen. In 2007, he traded fine dining—with its endless pomp and bottomless resources—for the freedom to cook outside the box, even if it meant sacrificing his skilled kitchen brigade and drafting an eight-year-old to clean green beans and separate eggs.

The result was LudoBites, a "touring" restaurant that, like a rock 'n' roll band, roved the streets of Los Angeles, playing to different sold-out crowds every four months, bringing together old-money customers with a new generation of ambitious eaters who cram in elbow to elbow and cheek to cheek for the chance to sample Lefebvre's inspired, wildly imaginative food.

LudoBites is the chronicle of that journey. Each chapter showcases the story and the outrageously inventive food of the seven different LudoBites incarnations, featuring recipes that merge the techniques Lefebvre perfected in his years at the finest French restaurants with the simplicity forced upon him by the limits of a pop-up kitchen.

Essays prefacing each chapter give an unprecedented glimpse into the mind of "the chef of the future" (Time), a culinary genius who breaks all the rules, and beautiful, full-color photographs offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of the pain, drama, and triumph inherent in his creative process. As innovative and inviting as the unique chef it captures, LudoBites is a fascinating look at food and a revolutionary new way of cooking.