"The reality is that every chef dreams of being able to control their cooking in a small setting but if you want to take care of a large group of people.... scale is really important. Some restaurants are set up to last a lifetime, and Gramercy Tavern is one of those restaurants."

"My goal is to create more avenues than road blocks [in the kitchen]... we're always looking for people that come into the restaurant with a sense of connection to the world around them. Gramercy Tavern was founded on the idea of belonging to its community."

--Michael Anthony, Executive Chef of Gramercy Tavern on Chef's Story

"I don't have anybody I would consider a mentor because I never stayed in one place long enough." [24:25]

"When you're cooking for 30 years - you start wondering whether you're still relevant and how to maintain relevancy. You don't want to go out." [42:15]

"50 million Americans are struggling to put food on the table - they don't know where the next meal is coming from." [55:15]

"I believe that most chefs believe that food is a right we should have like air and water." [61:02]

"We have to make hunger a voting issue. If our politicians are not going to help solve this problem - I think they need to be labeled as 'pro hunger'" [62:50]

--Tom Colicchio on The Food Seen