Who do you think is the best chef?

[Jeremy]

Question - Who is the best chef in your country and why? Also are they good for our profession because they create amazing food or because they are good for the image of the business.....

[Pooh]

I don't know about the country but I can tell you who I think is the best in this city:

My vote does go to Chef Normand Laprise (Toqué Restaurant).

For his ingenuity in food pairing.

He enjoys a very stimulating relationship with our local farmers, so I heard. He insists on the very best produce! Kind of what Alice Waters pushed for in California.

He was featured a few times in american food magazines as well. Have you heard of him?

[coolJ]

I'll have to go the same way, I'm not sure who is the best chef in the country, but in Kamloops I would not hesitate for a moment to vote for Monte Bell, because he is young and he is a good PR person for his restaurant. Also I would have to give a plug to the Culinary Arts teaching staff, especially Chef U. Hunziker and Chef K. Nielsen, at OUC.

[mofo1]

Here in the states there are arguments aplenty for Keller, Palladin, Vongerichten, Ducasse (when he's here), etc, etc. Great chefs all. However, I like to think that the BEST chef is about 14 yrs. old and just starting to get "the spark". Boy, girl, who cares? We don't know their name yet but we will and when this kid is having her/his moment in the sun, there'll be another kid somewhere getting "the spark." My little fantasy>

[Kimmie]

It's a wonderfun fantasy, mofo1.

In the US, I think it is Thomas Keller!

The French Laundry (restaurant and book), it's all happening for him at this point.

In Montreal, I have to go with Pooh! Normand Laprise gets my vote.

[Devotay]

Not from my country, but from my favorite cuisine, Juan-Marie Arzak from "Arzak" in San Sebastian, Spain, gets my vote for having created the most heavenly meal I have yet to encounter.

Peace,
kmf

Ducasse. Whatever country he is in.

Thes is probably going to get me backlash but he is not neccessarily best chef but I met someone the other day who I felt is keeping our proff. very positive. He was a sous-chef in Denver at a European market who sang cooking songs to his guests and did everything he could to not just make excellent food but to entertain as well, just seeing his passion in what he did made me feel better as I entered my rest. today.

No backlash on this board! Just opinions. And everyone's opinion is most welcome!

Christian Delouvier of Lespinasse in NYC

[Pastachef]

That's cute, Mofo1. I always dream of my grandson being a chef. He's 12 and wants to be a lawyer. Something just tells me he is going to be a chef. He's too interested in food and my industrial kitchen.

[Dlee]

Pastachef, mofo1,

I also have a little aspiring chef, my little nephew 2 yrs. old, always wants to see what his uncle D is cooking. Uppi uncle D, he wants to see what is in the pots on the stove.

D.Lee

[Devotay]

I also wanted to say a kind word for a couple other chefs:

Charlie Palmer, Aureole, et al, in Manhattan

Rick Bayless of Topolobampo in Chicago,

and my persoanl hero,
Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkley

She's the reason I got into this business, and I got to meet her at the Salone Del Gusto in Turin last fall. It was pretty embarassing, though, as I gushed like a schoool at a N'Sync concert. 37 year old man, articulate, published, successful, and I couldn't create a cohesive sentence.



Anyway, can there really be 1 greatest chef? Every time someone says Michael Jordan, there will be someone who'll say Bill Russell

Peace,
kmf

[Jeremy]

There are many great chefs in this world, the challange is justifying your choice (you will note that I never made a choice, just posed the question!)

A great chef does not have be a famous chef, it can be someone you know or have worked with that has been an inspiration, role model blah blah...... I would love to hear what makes them the best. Also are they good for our profession because they create amazing food or because they are good for the image of the business.....

[Pastachef]

That's adorable, DLEE