If I relaxed, if I took my foot off the gas, I would probably die.

I like finding talent. That's what really turns me on, I suppose.

There's a bond among a kitchen staff, I think. You spend more time with your chef in the kitchen than you do with your own family.

I don't run restaurants that are out of control. We are about establishing phenomenal footholdings with talent.

To have 95% of the ingredients sourced, food and wine, within 100 miles radius, that's a dream come true for any chef.

Everything I learned and didn't do in New York I would put into place here in the London West Hollywood. It's fascinating, when you look at the critics' reviews, and we had a great one in the New York Observer and all that, and then the New York Times came and it was a devastation; two stars out of four. They said that I played safe because it wasn't fireworks. Then they judged the persona over the substance that was on the plate.

When you have the arrogance, the confidence and you can't cook, then you're only going to look stupid.