Top Chefs Struggle As Restaurant "Euphoria" Fades

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I started my culinary career at a much later date in life. I did my internship at a well known "top chefesque" restaurant. At my age I knew that working in an environment such as that would send me to an early grave.
One of my colleagues that I also went to school with started talking about starting a Personal Chef Service, The Gourmet Table. After much soul searching we set out to do it. Our client list is small but we have also branched out to do small catering events and classes. We love the creativity we have in this venture. It supplements our income while we do other jobs that are in the food realm as well. This only proves that you CAN have your cake and eat it too. Life is good!

Chef Elsie Tracy of CA 12:24PM March 23, 2009

I'm a culinary graduate. It certainly jump started my career. I wanted to be a glamorous chef owner of my own place, but never had the money to setup and pay was low in restaurants. So I sold my soul to institutional corporate America feeding. I became a corporate chef instead for a Fortune 500 company. I traveled the entire US and UK and for 15 years interviewed and hired chefs. Their stories of shattered dreams, drug and alcohol abuse, broken marriages and more kept me grounded as I realized the value of what I had - tremendous freedom and creativity, high paying career, company car, plenty of vacation and home every weekend and holiday. I still have pangs of envy when I watch Top Chef or some celebrity chef doing something glamorous, but they are extremely few and there is a lot of talent out there better than me, but all I need to do is think of those chef's I interviewed and their stories to realize, the grass is not always greener on the other side! There is a lot to be said for the retirement home chef or hospital cook or college dining chef. Food quality, taste, appearance and appeal can still be very rewarding, requiring skill and understanding about food. These jobs are also more secure and steady, and I never knew anyone who couldn't make a living doing this honorable work.

colin carter of NC 2:33PM March 20, 2009