Thanks to the release of his book (Life, on the Line) and his hotly anticipated new restaurants (Next and Aviary), we’ve probably read about twenty different interviews with Grant Achatz over the past few weeks. While most are fascinating, after a while it feels like everyone is asking the same questions, and he’s giving the same answers. So we have to hand it to Maxim for getting the acclaimed chef off his talking points, while also not trying to deliberately stump him. Basically, they ask him the really important questions, like “Let’s talk seduction: what’s your go-to soundtrack for getting it on?” and “What is your rock & roll fantasy?” Turns out Achatz has a soft spot for Guns ‘n’ Roses, Disturbed, and Rage Against the Machine. Also, he has a peculiar road trip routine, which you’d probably never guess.
When asked what was his “ultimate road food,” Achatz definitely wouldn’t take some perfectly packed picnic basket:
For a short road trip, you have to have your bag of Doritos and your Mountain Dew. And if you’re driving along the east coast or in the south, all the great barbecue seems to be in gas stations, so that’s good. Although when you’re driving and trying to navigate barbecue, things can get messy.
The interview is filled with little gems like that, and we suggest you make time to read it all. How else would you know that if he could go see any artist in the world right now he’d most like to experience the “guitar-based craziness” of Joe Satriani?
Eat to the Beat: Grant Achatz [Maxim]
