"Selling Out or Cashing In"

I have always wondered if it was possible to become a highly respected and extremely successful chef without watering down the fundamentals of refined cuisine. It would be an understatement to say "this is a tricky subject to decipher."I can't say that I will debunk this subject in a way that will satisfy everyone, but I'll try my best. I haven't been able to steer clear of this topic in any of the kitchens I have worked at. I myself will be the first to admit that I get caught up amidst the rumors of fellow chefs, and culinary "tabloids".


My pride came crashing down when I heard Thomas speak about this topic in a town hall meeting. Although I could probably write about every topic he discussed, this one I found to be the most interesting. In the middle of his speech, he spoke about the topic of "selling out."He discussed why he wrote all his books and why he opened all his restaurants etc.. At the end of every explanation he simply asked the staff: "If you were given these opportunities wouldn't you do it?" He continued to talk about a lunch with Tom Colicchio that he had earlier that week. During his lunch, Tom expressed his frustration at the notion of him selling out. Tom felt he had been categorized as such. The thing is, Tom spent 16 hours, six to seven days a week, three hundred plus days a year for numerous years sweating over the stove as an executive chef for a number of highly decorated kitchens. One of which he made an empire out of. Tom said to Thomas: "I'm not selling out damn it. I'm cashing in!"

This took me a second to process. I had never heard it put that way. I suddenly felt as though I had written off certain chef's as "sellouts" without even looking at the hardships they went through to be so successful. After mulling over the idea for a few days, I developed a simple solution for myself. I began to categorize. A handful of chef's fell into the elite category. A few fell in between, but most were cast into the casual/classic group. The remainder were the select T.V. personalities that we all know. All of these individuals worked hard for their success and have, to some degree, made an impact in the world of culinary arts. Some more than others, but that's no reason to make a cheap remark about an individual. Ultimately, this idea has taught me the ability to discern between levels of talent or skill within my profession. If you're a proclaiming chef without any other experience besides que cards and directors, you're not a sell out, you're just ignorant! If you have worked countless hours, days, and years in the kitchen putting out consistent, quality food, and an opportunity arises due to your hard work, CASH IN !!

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