Dipnut's response proceeds from his own days as a lead sauté chef - interesting to me because, although I've never eaten in a fine restaurant, I've never sat in any half-way decent one without musing on the endless hours, hard work, and chronic logistical nightmares that must be a chef's lot. This must be so even for a restaurant that attains only to the status of being able to produce acceptably tasty dishes on a consistent basis; I can only imagine the love of craft and obsessiveness (and complete renunciation of sleep) that running a great restaurant requires. I'll never experience the fruits of such an obsession, but I could never regard it as a trivial manifestation of the irrational and sublime human longing for perfection.
I know it seems crude, but I can't help remembering the Monty Python restaurant sketch that starts with the dirty fork.
Posted by: Alex Bensky on February 28, 2003
Alex: Ha!
Moira: I'll tell ya, I've long believed that being a truly great chef is as challenging as being a great painter. Except you'll never get as much appreciation, because no matter what, your art will always be ephemeral, and enjoyed by only a few people at a time.
Posted by: Dean Esmay on March 01, 2003