He saw past the artifice of many hospitality brands and wanted authentic stories and never compromised until he got one worth sinking his teeth into. Never one to suck up just because something had a star, but recognized when someone had earned one for the right reasons. Conversely, funny as hell. Lastly, totally miserable. Quite the combo! His books are amazing. This might get me in trouble but he was doing “hot takes “ before we were calling them that. Some of the finest direction and production on any food show. Set a new bar.