Well known as a traditionalist, chef/restaurateur Gary Danko reiterates to the Journal today that he’s no fan of orthodoxies, or trends. “If I have to buy non-organic apples that have more flavor, I do.” He also feels like young chefs are embracing the whole molecular thing a little too much, in an effort to shake off the old. “I went through that whole thing,” he says. “In the ‘70s when kiwi fruit came on, all the chefs were putting it on everything, with meat. What happens with any sort of trend is after time passes, only 5% withstands the test of time.” Furthermore, he thinks New York chefs work harder and have more “artistic passion” than San Francisco chefs (them’s fightin’ words!), and New York gets better fish. Finally, we get the latest ETA on his still unnamed Ghirardelli Square brasserie, which is “early 2012.”
Chef Savors Taste, Not Trends [WSJ]
Earlier: Gary Danko’s Brasserie Faces Delays [Grub Street]
