A lot of young chefs today get carried away by trends, by influences, by movements.

I've discovered the burger is a crazy thing in Vegas, but I was one of the early chefs to do a lot of burgers.

I think there are a lot of chefs in D.C. who have made D.C. what it is today. I am very respectful to them. I'm very admiring of what they've done.

A lot of chefs don't have a natural sense of economy. I was with one guy the other day, and I had to show him how to peel a turnip, because the way he was peeling turnips, he was throwing half of it in the garbage. It's not about being cheap. It's about being proper.

I have real admiration for chefs who can maintain an edge and find new inspiration in their cooking after many years.

The biggest thing is education for young chefs and how they should focus on one cuisine rather than trying to imitate too many. It's like art - you can see the cycles from many past artists and new artists being inspired by past artists.