Quote · Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Grant Achatz (award-winning chef)
Where this was said
Opening Alinea: A New Vision for Fine Dining
At 38:18 · chapter starts 36:00
When Alinea opened in 2005, Achatz had a clear philosophy: eliminate everything that wasn't in service of the food. No exterior sign, no lobby, no tablecloths, no spirits. The entrance was a long corridor with false perspective and a hidden sensor-triggered door designed to disorient guests, stripping away the mental noise of babysitters and commutes and taxi rides so diners arrived fully present. [1] — Grant Achatz "Alinea had no sign outside, no lobby, no bar, no tablecloths, and a false-perspective hallway with a hidden sensor door designed to disorie…" 37:13 Achatz even asked his architect whether it was possible to have no tables. The New York Times reviewed the restaurant on opening night — extraordinary, given the paper almost never left Manhattan — and the momentum was immediate. Dax recounts his own memorable dinner at French Laundry, which becomes a meditation on how great restaurant experiences create lasting memory in a way that possessions never can. [2] — Dax Shepard "On your deathbed, what do you remember? People remember experiences on their deathbed. They evaluate their life based on their experiences,…" 1:04:22
Alinea had no sign outside, no lobby, no bar, no tablecloths, and a false-perspective hallway with a hidden sensor door designed to disorient guests and strip away the outside world. Achatz even asked the architect whether they could remove tables entirely. Everything that existed in a normal restaurant was identified and challenged.
For three to four years, Achatz's tongue felt like he'd bitten it. Dentists blamed stress. By the time he was diagnosed with stage IV tongue cancer at 32, nearly three-quarters of his tongue had a tumor. Five major hospitals all offered the same option: remove the tongue entirely.
