I like to sit at the bar in front of the kitchen and watch the cooks work. The cook who looks up occasionally, smiles, and answers a few questions about the food is great. The sous chef who thinks he is on stage drives me crazy. Once I saw him take the drippy spoon, out of the bucket of gray water, and taste the sauce on food that had already been plated. As if he just wanted to look like he was in control of the food the cooks put out. I used to paint decorative (faux) finishes in restaurants. So I look at the paint job when I sit down. I'm sure I'm not the only person who can tell the difference between faux dirt and real dirt. I found that the chefs or restaurant owners who were conscientious and creative with their food, could also tell a bad paint job from a good one.
