Marketing Gimmicks

Why Don’t More Chefs Guest-Star On Each Other’s Menus?

They love each other (culinarily)
They love each other (culinarily) Photo: Paul Virant: Vie; Mindy Segal: Helen Rosner

Guest-starring is a gimmick more commonly found in the worlds of sitcoms and R&B; singles than restaurant kitchens, but there really should be no reason why that’s the case. Helping overcome this tragic lack of culinary special-guesting are Vie and Hot Chocolate: Paul Virant’s foie gras appetizer, a menu staple, is garnished in its latest iteration by pear mostarda, spicy mustard greens, Asian pears, Marcona almonds — and chewy gingersnaps baked up by Hot Chocolate’s Mindy Segal. We totally love this idea, and want to see more of it.

Alinea is already kind of doing it (through time and space!) with their inclusion of a book-perfect pigeonneau a la Saint Clair from Escoffier smack dab in the middle of the futuristic tasting menu, but this could go so much further! A Graham Elliot Bowles-curated cheese course at Les Nomades! A Hot Doug’s sausage designed by Carrie Nahabedian! A side-by-side of Sun Wah’s fried chicken skins and The Publican’s pork rinds! How can we make this a reality?

Why Don’t More Chefs Guest-Star On Each Other’s Menus?