Temperaments (Mean, Nice, etc.) of Famous Chefs?

[Joisey]

Georges Perrier of Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia...don't know him personally but had a few friends who worked for him. One of those guys like Ramsay, talented as hell but extremely abusive and a perfectionist. Guys either leave him after 2 weeks or stay with him for 20 years. He turned into a bit of a celebrity towards the end of the time I lived in the area.

[rancho_gordo]

I had Famous TV "Chef" at the farmers market this fall. She used our market as her backdrop and disturbed our business and and had a big entourage. During a break, I gave her a bag of classic Borlotti beans. She looked at them in disgust and said, "What am I supposed to do with these?" and then looked back at my stall and said, "I would like some of those tortilla chips!" You would think she was one of the good guys from TV.

Mario Batali came through the market by himself. He seemed a little grumpy but who wouldn't with everyone and his brother coming at him and he seemed to want to just check out the market. It wasn't like he was filming.

Deborah Madison is really nice and gracious and funny as well.

Another Famous TV Chef, who actually was a chef, came through the market with a crew and I was steaming mad. Why isn't he looking at my gorgeous beans? Later I found out they had already cooked the food and were just on a fake shopping trip to back up the footage.

I met Rick Bayless at the first Terra Madre conference and he just wandered around by himself and was very engaging unlike Famous Chef Not On TV, who had a huge entourage and was so obnoxious I wanted to punch her in the nose.

Paula Wolfert is a REAL DIVA and insists on her own dressing room and it must be stocked with Violet Crumble candies and imported pistachios. What? She posts her on eG? I had no idea!

I have some Famous CLients but I won't kiss and tell!

Edited January 23, 2007 by rancho_gordo (log)

[moosnsqrl]

Paula Wolfert is a REAL DIVA and insists on her own dressing room and it must be stocked with Violet Crumble candies and imported pistachios. What? She posts her on eG? I had no idea!

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Confirming what we've all long suspected. If she weren't, why would she have to go to so much trouble educating, helping, encouraging, and generally trying to appear nice?

[fireweed]

I was unfortunate enough to work with Rocco DiSpirito for two nights in Montreal and it was pretty laughable. Although he was a guest chef, presenting a menu that featured his cuisine, he spent most of the service on his cellphone, laughing and being an ass. I still remember him in his designer jeans and three buttons open on his chef's jacket.

"don't you want my autograph?" he asked, sprawling out along the plating table at the end of the night, and seemed suprised when my fellow female cooks and I didn't drool.

His show "the Restaurant" opened a few months later, and i realized he was always like that. What an ego!

[turkeybone]

I did a guest chef thing with Ming Tsai -- man what a prick. He definitely had an attitude the whole time, including one moment where he told our F&B manager he wanted to take her to his hotel room and show her how "east meets west".

[Jakea222]

I had a buddy that externed at Emerils in N.O. and he said that the sous chef told them not to even make eye contact or approach him in any way. When he comes in the kitchen - things pretty much stop, especially when he is giving a tour to a VIP. He said that Jessica SImpson and a crew came in and they were told to leave the station and go to the very back of the kitchen - whne he got back the printers were all going to the floor and the sous chef started yelling - oh well - life of a VIP CHef

[froggio]

most posts were made by people who are not pro cooks and never worked inthe closed environment of a pro kitchen. big difference between a tv show and 7am prep at a ny 4 stars...they know when they re being watched and not...

i worked with jean georges for 7 years and he is not a screamer unless forced to and for a good reason.

daniel boulud, he is sooo charming and nice away from his restaurant but a real psycho in his kitchen. consensus in nyresto industry is that he deserved what he got in the nytimes 3 weeks ago.

[TJHarris]

I have it on good authority that I am great to work with. Generous, kind, instructive... oh wait you said FAMOUS, Sorry

[Joisey]

I'm sorry, but that "East Meets West" Ming Tsai comment made me laugh a little.

[kristin_71]

consensus in nyresto industry is that he deserved what he got in the nytimes 3 weeks ago.

What happened?

[Tom_June]

consensus in nyresto industry is that he deserved what he got in the nytimes 3 weeks ago.

What happened?

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Here's the article.