I Like Killing Flies

I watched an independent film last night called "I like Killing Flies." It was about a restaurant owner/chef named Kenny Shopsin. This might quite possibly be the best food/restaurant movie I have ever seen. Shopsin's restaurant is in New York, some of you might be familiar with it but I wasn't. It is a low budget documentary about the life and philosophies of Kenny Shopsin, one of the coolest, most down to earth, intelligent and abrasive restauranteurs I've had the pleasure of watching. It is straight from the trenches and almost made me want to say fuck "high cuisine". Almost. It took me back to the days when we weren't rock stars or celebrities, we were cooks. Ughhhh...sorry, I started to wax poetic. Back when I was nobody people came to eat my food. Now they come to find all the faults. I still feel and always will feel that I am just a good cook. It now seems food has taken a backseat to bullshit and just cooking great food is the least important part of our career. Playing the network who you know/how you look game is what it's all about now. It makes me sick. I will probably die broke because I don't prescribe to that shit. It's forced upon me and I hate it. I know I should be grateful but it's hard when you just like to cook. People's work should speak most loudly. Here's a Calvin Trillan story on him. Watching that movie made feel good for a brief instant knowing there is a person like Kenny in the world.
A favorite moment was his policy of no 6 tops. A six top walk in and he says " No fucking six tops, get out!" When the customer explained there was no-one else in there he pointed out .." No..YOU'RE in here, when you leave THEN there will be nobody in here." He then went on how you have to enforce policies.
Another great statement was "People seem to think we have some other obligation other than to open our doors and cook for them" "Fuck them, I work twice as hard as they do"
He's brilliant in his observations. "Everybody's 7 years old. See that guy? He's got a job, a wife , he's gonna die, he's a good father...he's gonna to go to work on Wall Street and slaughter a third world nation and he's having chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.""Good for him!"
I can't really relay how sincere this man is, but the core of him is his work ethic. The main point being is that there is you(cooking) and the customer. The only thing between you and them is a plate of food. Your only job at that point is to make them happy. If you don't you've failed. You've given the customer nothing and you've failed in your job. Although his style is what I'd call cool ass, funky, real diner food, this ethic can be applied at any level. We must simply make people happy with our food. Fuck ourselves and our ego. Fuck our white coats and our "look at my custom made Bonnet cooking suite" bullshit. The essence of what we do is simple and clear and it is our only obligation. Strip it down and we're paid servants. Most couldn't handle that realization. I think it makes us better than most. We're content in our place.
Finally, his most endearing belief; " People have to realize that they are pieces of shit. All the people everyone thinks of as "good"people are also pieces shit. Constantly telling yourself you're a good person is like driving a brand new car without a scratch on it, it's an enormous responsibility that is almost impossible to live up to. But if you realize you're a piece of shit, and you can do one or two good things for people, then you're ok." Right on Kenny. Right fucking on.