[[MUSIC]]
I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN.
TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF AND RESTAURATEUR CHRISTIAN F. PUGLISI.
HE JOINS US FROM COPENHAGEN.
CHRISTIAN HAS QUITE THE RESUME….. SO I’LL TRY TO DO A QUICK RECAP OF HIS LIFE UP UNTIL NOW.
HE WORKED AT EL BULLI & NOMA.
HE HELPED PIONEER A FORWARD THINKING APPROACH THAT FOREVER CHANGED FINE DINING...INTRODUCING ALL OF US TO A MORE LAID BACK SERVICE.
HE ALSO PAVED THE WAY FOR THE NATURAL WINE BAR TREND…. THAT WE SEE AROUND THE WORLD TODAY.
NOT ONLY DID HE INTRODUCE NATURAL WINE TO DINERS….BUT HE ALSO BECAME A WINE IMPORTER….ELIMINATING MIDDLE MEN & …..STREAMLINING THAT PATH TO THE SOURCE.
AND SPEAKING OF SOURCE….HE CREATED FARM OF IDEAS…..AN ORGANIC, SMALL-SCALE FARMING OPERATION…….DEDICATED TO PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE…..LOCATED 45 MINUTES OUTSIDE OF COPENHAGEN.
THE FARM PROVIDES PRODUCE TO HIS RESTAURANTS…. BUT THE GREATER HOPE…. IS TO SPUR DIALOGUE AMONG CHEFS AND FARMERS…. THAT WILL LEAD TO MEANINGFUL CHANGES…. FOR THE WORLD’S FOOD SYSTEMS.
A FEW MONTHS AGO HE CLOSED TWO OF HIS RESTAURANTS: THE MICHELIN-STARRED RELAE AND THE NATURAL WINE BAR MANFREDS.
HIS THREE OTHER RESTAURANTS REMAIN OPEN….THOSE INCLUDE — MIRABELLE WHICH IS A BAKERY AND RESTAURANT…..RUDO WHICH SPECIALIZES IN VERMOUTH AND BAR SNACKS…
AND BÆST…..AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT WITH AWARD-WINNING PIZZA.
TODAY WE’LL BE DISCUSSING HOW SOMETIMES FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM CAN MEAN DOING LESS…….A GENIUS ANALOGY: HOW RESTAURANT YEARS ARE EQUIVALENT TO DOG YEARS…….AND HOW GOING AGAINST THE SYSTEM CAN BE VERY LIBERATING….
SO I’LL START BY ASKING…..AS WE ALWAYS DO….CHRISTIAN…..
“HAVE YOU EATEN YET?” AND IF YOU HAVE….WHAT DID YOU EAT TODAY?
[[CHRISTIAN DISCUSSES]]
FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM CAN MEAN DOING LESS:
ALRIGHT, SO I ALREADY GAVE A BREAKDOWN OF ALL THAT YOU’VE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR IN YOUR CAREER……..
EVERY INTENTION THAT YOU HAD, YOU BROUGHT TO LIFE…..
INDEPENDENCE WAS THE UNDERCURRENT OF ALL OF YOUR SUCCESS….
YOUR DECISION TO CLOSE TWO OF YOUR RESTAURANTS IS CONNECTED TO THE PANDEMIC….. BUT NOT IN A PREDICTABLE WAY…
LIKE MOST OF US...YOU HAD TIME TO REFLECT….. AND TOOK THIS TIME TO MAKE A LIBERATING DECISION….THAT FREES YOU TO FOCUS YOUR TIME IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION….
CHRISTIAN PLEASE TALK ABOUT THIS PROCESS…..
AND WHY FIGHTING FOR YOUR FREEDOM TODAY…. MEANS DOING LESS…..
[[CHRISTIAN DISCUSSES]]
RESTAURANT YEARS = DOG YEARS
I READ THAT YOU LIKE TO SEE RESTAURANT YEARS LIKE DOG YEARS...DUE TO THE INTENSITY OF EITHER WORKING IN A RESTAURANT...OR OWNING & RUNNING A RESTAURANT….NO MATTER YOUR ROLE OR CONNECTION TO THE INDUSTRY….
IT CAN BE AN INTENSE YET FULFILLING EXPERIENCE…..
THIS ALL RESONATED WITH ME IMMEDIATELY…..
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS ANALOGY IN MORE DETAIL FOR OUR LISTENERS….
[[CHRISTIAN DISCUSSES]]
GOING AGAINST THE SYSTEM
THIS IS AN INDUSTRY WHERE SOME CHEFS ARE PUT ON A PEDESTAL…..
WHILE OTHERS DON’T GET MUCH RECOGNITION….
AND SOME AREN’T EVEN MAKING A LIVABLE WAGE...OR ARE WORKING TERRIBLE HOURS…. AND ARE BOTH PHYSICALLY & MENTALLY EXHAUSTED….
IN MANY WAYS IT’S AN INDUSTRY THAT IS OUT OF BALANCE.
YOU’VE ALWAYS SAID…..FUCK EVERYTHING….WHICH I RESPECT….YOU’VE GONE AGAINST WHAT’S USUALLY CONSIDERED THE NORM….IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
THE PATH THAT YOU’VE CHOSEN IS NOT ALWAYS EASY…..GOING AGAINST THE NORM IN ANY INDUSTRY HAS CHALLENGES…..BUT CAN BE EXTREMELY LIBERATING…..
AND REWARDING.
DESPITE GOING AGAINST THE SYSTEM….. YOU STILL RECEIVED A MICHELIN STAR…& HAVE BEEN ON THE WORLD’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS LIST.
YOU’VE BEEN OUTSPOKEN ABOUT BOTH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS SAYING
“THE RULES ARE DEFINED BY PEOPLE WITH SUBJECTIVE POINTS OF VIEW”.
WHEN THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC HIT…..MICHELIN CONTINUED TO VISIT RESTAURANTS & CONDUCTED INSPECTIONS….DID YOU CONSIDER THAT MOVE OUT OF TOUCH ?....IF YES OR NO, WHY?
AND ALSO CHRISTIAN, HOW CAN WE TRANSFORM THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE…..& BRING IT TO A MORE BALANCED STATE?
[[CHRISTIAN DISCUSSES]]
TAKEAWAY:
CHRISTIAN, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US …....
I LIKE ENDING…. BY ASKING…. IF THERE’S ANY TAKEAWAY THAT YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH LISTENERS…... THAT CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THEIR LIVES…..
IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED, A PRO TIP…. OR GENERAL LIFE ADVICE THAT YOU LIVE BY ….…
[[CHRISTIAN DISCUSSES]]
……& CHRISTIAN WHERE CAN PEOPLE FOLLOW YOU ?
[[CHRISTIAN DISCUSSES]]
THANKS FOR LISTENING….AND IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY….... FOLLOW “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?” ….WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS….
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