286891 Sun Jan 28 17:03:05 -0800 2001 7 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1540300 Since there is a lot of disscussion here about bad attitudes, a##hole celebrity chefs, etc. here is a link from the Toronto Globe and Mail that I found pretty amusing. Cheers, Joe Moryl Link: http://archives.theglobeandmail.com/s97is.vts?action=View&VdkVgwKey=%2Fhome6%2Fusr%2Flocal%2Fgam%2Fsearch%2Fhtml%2F20010127%2FSAWONG%2Ehtml&DocOffset=1&DocsFound=14&QueryZip=Wong&Collection=TGAM&SortField=sortdate&ViewTemplate=GAMDocView%2Ehts&SearchUrl=h Sun Jan 28 17:03:05 -0800 2001 0 Joe Moryl 1 1540301 I guess now we can see why Simon Majumdar despises him so. He may be talented, but what an asshole! Mon Jan 29 01:13:25 -0800 2001 1540300 0 gary cheong 2 1540302 QED :) Mon Jan 29 04:21:30 -0800 2001 1540301 0 Simon Majumdar 3 1540303 He doesn't do himself any favours does he. He's obviously realised that he can say what he likes and still pull in £10mill a year. Link: http://www.alynes.freeserve.co.uk Mon Jan 29 06:02:53 -0800 2001 1540302 0 Andy Lynes 4 1540310 It is sooo distressing that when celebs of any kind achieve a certain level of richness they are (in many ways literally) above the law... I have heard many tales (from reliable witnesses) of one major chef not unrelated to this discussion hurling knives and cleavers directly at his downtrodden staff... as I write there is an article on the radio about American football stars with multiple convictions for physical and sexual assault who are still at liberty and earning ridiculous sums... and in the music industry one hears so many horror stories about rapacious exploitative management it is difficult not to become totally morally blasé... What can we do? Do we put up with total amorality from our stars, or do we try and 'out' the psychos? Mon Jan 29 12:43:40 -0800 2001 1540303 0 joe muggs 4 1540340 I also had a chuckle and have a similar opinion of Gordon Ramsey. Also, my nephew is a chef in England and has cooked in some of the top restaurants and can attest to having knives, full plates etc thrown at him (no identifications - this isn't a commercial). But, also being totally familiar with the local personalities, can you endorse a server reciting specials that are sold out? And in one of the more highly regarded venues in Toronto. Service in Toronto is generally lacklustre, with a few notable exceptions. However, value exists - there is after all a price/quality relationship. And that is where most of us want to concentrate. JK at ROM is a lunch spot (not normally open for dinner), but what concerns me more is that Jamie Kennedy wasn't there. Why are we charged the same prices whether or not the 'name' chef is in attendance (same criticism of Ramsay, who obviously isn't cooking in London)? Now there's a topic we can probably get worked up about. Tue Jan 30 23:37:20 -0800 2001 1540303 0 Alan Gardner, Toronto 5 1540343 Well put Just as I feel short changed if the understudy is taking the lead in the West End, so we should feel hard done by if Ramsays is charging the enormous amounts it does just so GR can be in Toronto. It also means that the dishes are production line enough that their composition can be put in the hands of a minion. Hardly Haute huh? Wed Jan 31 08:08:00 -0800 2001 1540340 0 Simon Majumdar 1 1540305 Wow, this was hillarious. Makes you wonder if he was the model for the character of Gareth Blackstone in the BBC series "Chef". Mon Jan 29 08:51:18 -0800 2001 1540300 0 Jason Perlow