why a blog…?
For those of you who know me, a blog is the last thing you would imagine that I would
- have time for
- want to open myself up to
- attempt on my own with my somewhat limited technical expertise
But here it is. The first of several not-so-baby steps in joining a new generation. A generation that I have tried to ignore because admitting that there is a younger, computer-savvy generation that communicates with their fingertips, would mean that I am old. But with all this talk of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and food blogs, it has been hard to ignore the “viral” attraction. It is one of the fastest ways to “talk” to friends, family and even customers without actually having to “talk” to them. How great is that?!
There are a million thoughts we process. For me, I started to express some of those thoughts in the form of writing. It started with an article about our weekly yoga dinners. Then it continued to what Chefs do to stay in shape and the crazy diets we secretly attempt to counter our erratic lifestyle. My close circle of friends were eager to read my stories and encouraged me to keep writing. Whether they actually liked my musings or they were just being supportive doesn’t really matter, because it got me to take the leap and join the world of bloggings and Facebook.
What you can expect is to hear what I hear. You see, as glamorous as it may sound, life in the restaurant world is hard work. We have feelings of joy and moments of frustration and unlike most professions, we find it hard to leave our work behind us at the end of the day. We, are a part of the restaurant and the restaurant is a part of us. I invite everyone from friends and colleagues to foodies and family to check out my blog. Its okay if you agree or disagree, find it boring or fascinating. I welcome your comments, but hope you listen to those of others because there is always more than one point of view.
What I hope to see come from this is something that I ask from all of my staff at BEACON and that is mutual respect. People know that I am fair. That there are always two sides to the story and I always listen to both. Ever the diplomat, I see the good and the bad in everything, but believe that the focus should always be on the good.
Thanks for reading,
Vicki
Hi there
I was triyng to remenber some receipes you teached me and look what i found ! some news from you
I’m so glad for you . Wish all the best for your own restaurant*
Best rewards to you and Kazuto and of course to AJ and Keith
Véronique from france budha bar Where i lived a great experience with you
you are the c o o l e s t, VICKI
I AM SOO HONORED TO CALL YOU A FRIEND
look up our page on yelp
ur our reccomendation at the bottom!
VIcki - nice jo! I was just checking your site for spelling of Kazuto’s name to give to a journalist .. and found this. I am so pleased for you that you made the leap and it is very well done. Keep it up and hope to see you soon. Marje B.
I am so happy you took the leap of FAITH and have
comitted to keeping us simple folk up to date with
your travels, stress reducers and yummy menus..
hoping for some easy recipes soon.
“We are a part of the restaurant and the restaurant is a part of us”–pure poetry! I absolutely LOVE your passion and your honesty about how challenging it is to do what you and Kazuto do. It’s really refreshing– especially in this age of “celebrity” chefs–to hear from the “deal deal.” I would love to read some war stories of your early days in the biz, how you got started, and what you learned as you honed your craft, literally sweating it out in red-hot (& well-known) kitchens along the way. It would be particularly moving to hear about how Kazuto came to this country, a young man from Japan, a non-English-speaker with no contacts but with a dream that he more-than fulfilled, especially once he met YOU! In today’s challenging times, his is truly an Obama-like story that’s an inspiration to all. So please, keep on sharing your “foodie folklore” in your authentically-down-to-earth style. And from your great big heart. How you two met is one of the best romantic love stories of the culinary world… how working together blossomed into a real and lasting partnership. This business you’re in is a killer, not many chefs (or restaurants) make it. Burn-out is pretty common, and once-hip-and happening joints, especially in our trendy L.A. come and go. And yet here you and Kazuto are, about to celebrate Beacon’s FIFTH anniversary, and with the Point you’ve managed to find a way to spread the love… Thank you for your exquisite attention to detail and your commitment to offering the highest quality in everything you do and create–with your delicious, healthful and gorgeous food–as you nourish all our lives–body & soul.
This will be a brief comment as I have to watch my language. ;D Well done and well written Vicki! I genuinely enjoy reading your blogs and look forward to reading more.
Thank you so much. That is a huge compliment or is it complement…haha. I do agree with you that many Chefs tend to have trouble with spelling. I, in fact was always terrible with grammar. I don’t even remember studying it in school to be honest. So thank you.
Hooray for Vicki. We heard about this and were looking forward to it but nonetheless, we are impressed with the quality of the writing. Not all chefs are so articulate and write so well. This comes from an English Major who reads all the time and whose pet peeve is bad writing.