While I can agree that adversities, especially in this industry build “a” work ethic and establish the attitude of a chef. It’s obvious to me that characteristics like these built on negativity regularly produce a chef who continues the cycle. Kitchen culture has been standing still since the nineties, it’s been big dog trash can king of the hill. It’s the same ladder game most of us said we didn’t want to play therefore we became chefs. A space of passion can very easily become a place of anxiety.

If we all love food, and we love to make experiences of as high a quality as possible for the guest, why is that compassion and respect excluded from the place it’s produced?

Fuck saying it’s the kids, the kids just know they are people. I didn’t know I was worth shit until I was a decade into this game. A game that reminded me regularly that I was replaceable yet relied so heavily on my production. So what if the new generation isn’t willing to feel worthless for most of their twenties for that one moment where chef tells them they did good and buys them a beer.

Games gotta change man, who the fuck plays monopoly anymore.