Im not even the chef but I know exactly how it feels to be the only woman and boss (immigrant person of color on top of that) in a kitchen full of men.
I was interviewed 20 years ago for “New City” question posed was the difference between male and female chefs…I basically paraphrased most of what Leah said…brava to all the gals who are killin it out here and Thank YOU for this thoughtful piece
Agreed on Michelin, for the most part, ignoring places that aren't tasting menus. I gotta be honest - though I love the idea of going to tasting menus - the price is the first factor that pulls me out (I can go spend $150 for myself at Girl & the Goat and be stuffed to the gills - but some tasting menus I've had the pleasure of eating, make me want to go to a drive thru afterwards - also, as you pointed out, it's more about the chef than the diner, so a lot of dishes in a tasting menu do not have an impact in terms of pleasure). That said, I'd love to go to Alinea or Grace or Smyth one day. But I'm going to guess that I won't be as happy afterwards as I would be at G&tG or Momotaro or Monteverde or El Che.
I think Stephanie Izard deserves 2 stars for G&tG. I think her incredible merging of flavors, ingredients and cuisine make her the most interesting chef in Chicago (and probably LA, too) for sure. I am always blown away by how her mind works on competition food shows. She puts flavors together than no other celebrity chef does in these instances. Sure, she's fun, but I know that she's a serious chef first and foremost.
The thing that kept burning my ass this season watching The Bear was Carmy's absolute insane non-negotiable of changing the menu every day. I'm not saying it's not done or that it's impossible. But considering his team, considering the restaurant's lack of investors and lack of a team large enough to devote to R&D, it's insane. He thinks he needs to be his dickhead NY boss in order to be successful, but he doesn't. He just needs to put out craveable food that is made at a high standard. He needs to be Boka, not Alinea.
I want to point out an omission - though the restaurant doesn't exist anymore, Iliana Regan held a star for several years before leaving Elizabeth. Just felt it important to mention her.
Hello, I recently interviewed female chefs in Michelin kitchens in Chicago (Galit, Sepia, and Lula). It was a part of an assignment. They shed some more light on this topic. Let me know if you'd like to read. Thanks!
This is a super considerate piece, thank you for the perspective!
Thank you for reading!
Im not even the chef but I know exactly how it feels to be the only woman and boss (immigrant person of color on top of that) in a kitchen full of men.
I was interviewed 20 years ago for “New City” question posed was the difference between male and female chefs…I basically paraphrased most of what Leah said…brava to all the gals who are killin it out here and Thank YOU for this thoughtful piece
Agreed on Michelin, for the most part, ignoring places that aren't tasting menus. I gotta be honest - though I love the idea of going to tasting menus - the price is the first factor that pulls me out (I can go spend $150 for myself at Girl & the Goat and be stuffed to the gills - but some tasting menus I've had the pleasure of eating, make me want to go to a drive thru afterwards - also, as you pointed out, it's more about the chef than the diner, so a lot of dishes in a tasting menu do not have an impact in terms of pleasure). That said, I'd love to go to Alinea or Grace or Smyth one day. But I'm going to guess that I won't be as happy afterwards as I would be at G&tG or Momotaro or Monteverde or El Che.
I think Stephanie Izard deserves 2 stars for G&tG. I think her incredible merging of flavors, ingredients and cuisine make her the most interesting chef in Chicago (and probably LA, too) for sure. I am always blown away by how her mind works on competition food shows. She puts flavors together than no other celebrity chef does in these instances. Sure, she's fun, but I know that she's a serious chef first and foremost.
The thing that kept burning my ass this season watching The Bear was Carmy's absolute insane non-negotiable of changing the menu every day. I'm not saying it's not done or that it's impossible. But considering his team, considering the restaurant's lack of investors and lack of a team large enough to devote to R&D, it's insane. He thinks he needs to be his dickhead NY boss in order to be successful, but he doesn't. He just needs to put out craveable food that is made at a high standard. He needs to be Boka, not Alinea.
I want to point out an omission - though the restaurant doesn't exist anymore, Iliana Regan held a star for several years before leaving Elizabeth. Just felt it important to mention her.
Hello, I recently interviewed female chefs in Michelin kitchens in Chicago (Galit, Sepia, and Lula). It was a part of an assignment. They shed some more light on this topic. Let me know if you'd like to read. Thanks!