Ryan Bartlow

Plucking Essentially Basque off the shelf at the cookbook’s launch party, which Caper hosted at Ernesto’s on the Lower East Side. (Photo by Elijah Edwards.) I t’s been a few months since the first hardback copy of my cookbook, Essentially Basque, arrived. It was around 2:00 p.m. on a Monday. I was sitting in Bartolo’s back dining room, scrolling on my phone, when Anastasia, our general manager, said, “Hey, Ry, there’s a package here for you.” I looked at her, trying to hide my smile.

SAVEUR, "The 15 Cookbooks We're Most Looking Forward to this Fall" From expert chef Ryan Bartlow and longtime Anthony Bourdain collaborator and food writer Laurie Woolever, Essentially Basque is a comprehensive cookbook that brings Spain's Basque region—a destination beloved for its fresh produce, vibrant food culture, and unforgettable dishes—to your table.

Bartlow, left, in Bartolo’s kitchen on opening night in July 2025. I t is a given that, when you work in restaurants, you work when no one else does. That means missing birthdays, holidays, family functions, concerts, sports events, funerals. Attendance is an exception. Absence becomes routine. Early on in my career, I got accustomed to the unorthodox schedule. I learned to see the upside.