Whenever people are faced with any sort of adversity... they tend to gravitate toward things that make them comfortable, and things that they feel are important. Grant Achatz More Quotes by Grant Achatz More Quotes From Grant Achatz My home kitchen is airy, with a gas stove, a stainless-steel island table in the center and granite countertops. It's very modest but there's tons of counter space, so you can slap down three or four cutting boards. Grant Achatz cutting islands home Part of becoming a little bit older and having the opportunities that I have, you want to start giving back to people who have been influential and helped you along the way. Grant Achatz opportunity giving people My life has been such a blur since I was 18, 19 years old. I haven't even had time to contemplate my own life. By forcing yourself to write your life story you learn a great deal about yourself. Grant Achatz my-life you time life I always knew I wanted to be a chef. Grant Achatz knew always wanted chef Alinea is not the type of restaurant where you go if you're in a hurry. Really, it's about enjoying that three-hour block of time and reflecting on the food, having great conversation with your dining companion. Grant Achatz great you time food Ultimately, the perfect meal is when those things come together - circumstance, the food, ambiance, and you're with the person that you want to be with. Grant Achatz you perfect together food There are about 700 flavors that you can smell, but only five you can taste. A lot of times what you're perceiving as flavor has nothing to do with palette, but it's more to do with scents. Grant Achatz more nothing you smell The most luxurious thing to me is having an hour of my day, which rarely happens, to listen to my iPod and sit on my couch. That's how I unwind. Grant Achatz listen sit day me Here's the irony in what I do: When I go out to eat, I like classic French food. I like amazing Japanese food that has such a history that it goes back hundreds of years. And I also like really innovative food as well. Grant Achatz amazing back food history Growing up as a young kid, I was in a restaurant. So, you know, I always had a very good understanding of the nuances. And in a way, that was a bad thing. Because it kind of programmed me to believe that if you're going have a restaurant, this is what you need to do, and this is the way it's going to be run. Grant Achatz good me you believe I don't care if you're doing haute cuisine or burgers and pizza, just do it right. Grant Achatz doing you pizza care Whatever it is you're doing, whether it's your career or a particular focus, if you're trying to be the best you can possibly be, then you'll be putting that pressure on yourself. Grant Achatz yourself best you focus