I live in New York and I'm in New York basically all the time. I spend a lot of my time in my restaurants, and I feel like that's why they're successful.

I was hired as a sous-chef at a restaurant on the Upper East Side. The chef liked to drink - some mornings we would find him sleeping. Two weeks after its opening, I became the chef. I was 20 years old, and way over my head. I had to hire the cooks and do the menus.

I want to go to college and go back to Georgetown. It's a really cool place.

I love the culture of grilling. It creates an atmosphere that is festive but casual.

In those days, the main requirement to be on the Food Network was being able to get there by subway.

I wasn't passionate about food until I'd been cooking for a while. I started long before food became part of the mainstream media. I just wanted to cook, period.

I think New York has the most diverse and best quality representation of so many different cuisines at all levels.