CF: You are notorious for your brunch, but what is something lesser known about you? 
GP: I can throw one hell of a staff party. 

CF: A few words your sous chef would use to describe you. 
GP: Passionate, driven, deeply involved. 

CF: What are you most excited about right now in your restaurant? 
GP: It would have to be the season of winter and what that brings. There's just treasures like Lacinato kale from Dirty Girl, savoy cabbage, and these gorgeous little white radishes. 

CF: Which chef would you drop everything to stage with? 
GP: Gabrielle Hamilton or Daniel Patterson.

CF: Insider tip from the kitchen for diners. 
GP: Trust your chef. If you show up at a restaurant and you're worried about something like Caesar dressing, let us know how you would like us to make it. I will not serve you a dry salad with sauce on the side. You're on vacation and you're on my aid, so tell us exactly how to make it and we will, but I will never serve sauce on the side. 

CF: Message to professional food critics. 
GP: Keeping the gauntlet going with an invigorated vision takes more work than creating new ideas. I think people might look at a restaurant, see a signature item, and think, "Oh, they haven't changed that in years." But we have and we change it every day, and keeping it on the menu as a satisfying and invigorating signature dish is difficult. The amount of effort to keep something on top is huge, and I don't think critics really know that. 

CF: Secret off-the-menu item that your guests can order tonight. 
GP: Our menu is written daily—that's our secret. Other than that we have no secrets. 

CF: One piece of advice for aspiring young chefs. 
GP: Taste, taste, and then taste it again. Tasting and knowing what is being put out is paramount. 

CF: What's for family meal tonight? 
GP: Sesame fried chicken, chicory salad, and Moroccan baby carrots.