A jazz musician can improvise based on his knowledge of music. He understands how things go together. For a chef, once you have that basis, that's when cuisine is truly exciting.

One must know combinations, one must have a true knowledge of food to be in the moment.

You have to be critical of what you do every day, to analyze it and be willing to push it further.

Chefs, as a whole, say yes to any project, fundraiser, or tasting because they have such a generous spirit.

I never considered Miles Davis a perfectionist; I always considered him as an excellence-ist, where deviation is actually kind of cool.

I couldnt really relate to the fraternity or party scene, to the people out in the mall every day protesting one thing or another. I felt like there was no one I could relate to.

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?