As I've progressed through the industry the last almost 8 years from dishwasher to sous chef and traveling the world, my brain is confused as to what is right and wrong. Is it right to dedicate your life to something that costs 400$ a night to eat while the people next to you are literally starving?
It's something I've been battling since the pandemic has started, but I think I've finally come to a conclusion in this challenging argument. Those people starving next to you while you're eating that food could be the ones who provided you with it in the first place.
It's the community of food that justifies the exclusivity of my career. From the people that pick the food in the fields, to the paper provider next door, to the fisherman from Louisiana, to the glass-makers in Italy, to the ceramicists with a passion for creativity. Restaurants have a drastic impact on an exuberant amount of communities and fields.
The parts are most definitely greater than the sum when it comes to restaurants. Sure there are many restaurants who don't get enough credit but I don't think that there's a better vehicle to bring different worlds together than food. From butter to wine to caviar to truffles to menus to linens to woodworking, there's so many connections to be made so many experiences to explore. The restaurant world feels endless with opportunities to explore new things.
I find myself in Switzerland knowing how lucky I am to be able to conquer new opportunity after another just because I love to cook. This is my thank you note to everyone else who doesn't cook but provides me with the ingredients whether than be my knives, water bottle, or carrots. You are appreciated by all of us. Stay in it. I speak for all restaurants when I say this but thank you to our vendors. We restaurants would be non existent without the support and help of all of our providers.
