People use restaurants to do business, to do politics, to socialize.

Diners are upset that restaurants aren't honoring reservations, and a lot of restaurants help bring this on by overbooking.

In the restaurant business, as opposed to the theater, center orchestra is an 8 P. M. reservation. Orchestra on the side is 7 or 8:30. Mezzanine is 6 and 9. But people don't take it personally when they call the theater and can't get what they want.

At my restaurants, we have training drills before every meal. We talk about what we did yesterday that was great and what we can improve today.

Restaurants and chefs have become followed by such a broad swath of the public, in a way that used to be reserved for sports stars, movie stars, and theater actors. Restaurants are in the firmament of today's common culture.

In an age when so many groups are rolling out restaurants faster than your local baker makes donuts, my goal is that each restaurant feels hand-crafted. That they have their own soul.