Famous Chef Tricks

After reading Restaurant News on July 5, I know of three restaurants I won’t be dining at, if simply because the chefs seem to be spending an awful lot of time back-stabbing one another’s establishments and food.

Believing that “Santa Monica needs to be educated,” one chef replaces another’s “nonsense” with his own “famous” food.

Another chef boasts of his “perfect concept” restaurant and 80-item menu, yet can’t afford even to train a wait staff.

An owner-chef decides to take over the kitchen, demoting the chef to sous-chef, saying a lot of French people don’t have the flair for cooking different food.

Whatever happened to respect and admiration for fellow chefs? Has the idea of letting the food speak for itself gone the route of kiwis and beurre blanc ?

Surely if a restaurant and its chef survive a number of years, he or she should speak with pride, but until then, it’s back to the kitchen to prove yourselves--quietly, please.

RICK HANKUS

Hermosa Beach

Hankus is the owner of the Ocean Diner and the Java Man coffeehouse in Hermosa Beach.