Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I believe in focusing on details.
I am actually a very gentle person.
Cooking is exactly like making music.
You've got to give away what you love.
My father was a successful entrepreneur.
My plan is to work on a master's in philosophy.
I worked in 40 restaurants over a five-year period.
My parents couldnt be looser. It was the ultimate laissez faire upbringing.
Cuisine is only about making foods taste the way they are supposed to taste.
My parents couldn't be looser. It was the ultimate laissez faire upbringing.
The idea that you have to pursue greatness... it's up to you; it's your life.
I have always considered desserts to be of equal importance to the savory food.
A quarter century of running a restaurant - that's a long time to do one thing.
The art of cooking is among the most intimate things that we can do for another.
If people give me a year or two of their best effort, then I am their friend for life.
One must know combinations, one must have a true knowledge of food to be in the moment.
I’m all about making money. It’s the greatest thing, because it means you get money to spend.
I'm really not that comfortable with people. I mean, I love individuals, but I'm not very social.
Fernand Point's philosophy instilled what cuisine is all about: generosity and hugeness of heart.
You have to be critical of what you do every day, to analyze it and be willing to push it further.
When I graduated I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I didn't want a conventional career.
To me, searching for perfection isn't anywhere near as interesting as trying to find your own voice.
I have a certain point of view, a certain way to plate food, certain ingredients that I like to use.
It's a challenge to demonstrate that you can prepare some really interesting food with humble ingredients.
For over 20 years, I have been saying that Chicago is by far one of the greatest food cities in the world.
Chefs, as a whole, say yes to any project, fundraiser, or tasting because they have such a generous spirit.
What I was reading was already part of my psyche, but finally someone else was saying it's okay to walk alone.
I would always be embarrassed to read out loud in class because I would transpose words and letters and things.
I have a goal so lofty it's almost embarrassing to talk about. And that's to be the best restaurant in the world.
I wasnt using college as a stepping stone to law school or some other career. I just wanted a liberal-arts education.
I don't know how to put this gently, but I'm trying to tackle the biggest question of all, which is the God question.
I wasn't using college as a stepping stone to law school or some other career. I just wanted a liberal-arts education.
I love faltering. I love, in a sense, coming up short. Because you learn nothing from success. You learn so much from failing.
I never considered Miles Davis a perfectionist; I always considered him as an excellence-ist, where deviation is actually kind of cool.
You know the old adage that the customer's always right? Well, I kind of think that the opposite is true. The customer is rarely right.
If you ever want to get anywhere in life, you're going to have to push it, and somebody's going to push you to get there. End of story.
Life's too short. You may be on this planet for 80 years at best or who knows, but you can't just pedal around and do the same thing forever.
In my case, vertical food was less about standing things up than layering things: more an attempt to gain texture by weaving things together.
The most successful food, I think, is food that both appeals to the super-sophisticated diner or foodie and to the lay diner at the same time.
I don't ever want to lose that mind-set where you've got to be able to realize different ideas-slash-fantasies-slash-possibilities in your life.
If you want the meaning of families and life and religion and philosophy rolled into one package, all you need to read is The Brothers Karamazov.
Students need to learn how to think critically, how to argue opposing ideas. It is important for them to learn how to think. You can always cook.
Ultimately, I want to prepare food that will be recognized equally in Tokyo, London, and Paris. I am after that universality, that transcendence.
If you want the meaning of families and life and religion and philosophy rolled into one package, all you need to read is 'The Brothers Karamazov.'
My fantasy is to have a restaurant where there are no written menus, but where you just ask people, What are you in the mood for? Fish? Meat? White wine?
My fantasy is to have a restaurant where there are no written menus, but where you just ask people, 'What are you in the mood for? Fish? Meat? White wine?'
You can't be afraid to not have everything figured out. There's too much pressure on young people today to have it all figured out when they're in college.
I got on a Dostoyevsky kick right after college. I started with 'Crime and Punishment,' went on to 'The Possessed' and then 'The Brothers Karamazov' and 'The Idiot.'
All four elements were happening in equal measure - the cuisine, the wine, the service, and the overall ambience. It taught me that dining could happen at a spiritual level.
I don't understand people who spend their twenties hanging out in bars and going to football game. That stuff is so boring compared to really applying yourself to what you do.