The Most Democratic of Luxuries Is at Risk
It’s easier and more affordable to book a table at a restaurant than to buy a car or go on vacation. But that’s changing.
Will people vote with their eats?
Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Getty Images North AmericaMore than a dozen years have passed since Ferran Adria shut down his history-making restaurant on the Catalan coast, but he hasn’t slowed down.
After transforming El Bulli into a foundation, he’s been involved in 150 projects, traveling the world to talk about and develop his theories of creativity and innovation. I’ve been a friend of Ferran and his wife Isabel for close to two decades and was breathless trying to keep up with his eating and speaking schedules during their recent four-day visit to London. He’s in his philosopher-cook period, breaking down what transpires in the minds of chefs into brilliant if tightly defined categories that sometimes have Isabel (who is his main amanuensis) rolling her eyes. Precise terminology, he insists, is very important for professional cooks, as is awareness of culinary history. I’m just happy to have a chance to listen to him think out loud.