# Meeting Rick Bayless



## stereo.pete (Apr 4, 2012)

For Christmas I purchased my wife tickets to Cascabel http://lookingglasstheatre.org/content/box_office/cascabel since the moment it was announced she thought it would be awesome. I on the other hand was quite skeptical but she's awesome so I didn't mind getting her the tickets. Long story short, the show was nothing short of spectacular, I wish all theater was like Cascabel. Rick Bayless was cooking on stage the entire show as the house cook, which sent amazing smells throughout the audience as the story progressed. The entire show was funny, sexy and even had some cirque du soleil acrobatics.

The audience ate with the cast as they progressed through the dinner during the show, for example we started with ceviche and popcorn, then for an entree we had filet in an amazing mole sauce with tamales and for desert a double chocolate cake with blood orange icing. After the show Rick Bayless hung out in the lobby making sure to take photos and interact with all of the guests, which I thought was a really class act. 

During the show I noticed he was using what looked like a Kramer chef's knife to dice up onion and cilantro and decided to ask him if he in fact did use a Kramer. My wife and I shook hands with Chef Bayless and took a crappy cell phone picture since no photography was allowed in the show so we did not bring our camera. I asked him after the picture if he was using a Kramer Chef's knife during the show and he told me it was a Shun Kramer and that I was the first person to ask him about his knives. I could tell he wanted to keep talking about the knives but there was a large line waiting to meet the Chef so I kept it quite short. 

At the end of the day, Chef Bayless has executed an amazing concept to his high standards and his warm personality really made the night complete. He blew my wife's and my expectations out of the water when it comes to dinner theater and hope he decides to do something like this again since this showing is only for 4 weeks.





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## Deckhand (Apr 4, 2012)

Sounds like a great time. He has quite a love of the food he cooks. I have spent a lot of time in Baja.


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## DeepCSweede (Apr 4, 2012)

Very cool Pete,

I looked into getting some tix, but couldn't find any for available nights. I am a big Rick Bayless fan though and it seems such a cool mix of adding the senses of smell and taste to the theatre experience. Glad you and your wife could enjoy it.


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## obtuse (Apr 4, 2012)

Im glad you had a good experiance with him. He once visted the place i used to work in chicago.


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## Johnny.B.Good (Apr 4, 2012)

If there's a cool food related event happening within driving distance of Chicago, you can bet that Peter and his wife will be there.


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## knyfeknerd (Apr 4, 2012)

Great story, I've always appreciated Mr. Bayless and his dedication and excecution of the craft. You're extremely lucky to live in a city with so many great chefs/restaurants.


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## Eamon Burke (Apr 4, 2012)

Sounds like a great time!


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## mr drinky (Apr 4, 2012)

Very nice indeed, glad you had a good time. My wife just yesterday was talking about Bayless and going to one of his restaurants again. Now I really want to go. 

k.


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## Cadillac J (Apr 4, 2012)

Very cool. He came to our table when I was at Frontera Grill a few years ago, so that was pretty sweet...seemed like such a laid back, genuinely nice guy.

_*side note to Pete - I noticed you mentioned thinking of getting a single-bevel...I just ordered a yanagi from JCK about 5 minutes ago, finally my first single-bevel purchase. Step your game up and get with it man!_


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## stereo.pete (Apr 4, 2012)

Cadillac J said:


> Very cool. He came to our table when I was at Frontera Grill a few years ago, so that was pretty sweet...seemed like such a laid back, genuinely nice guy.
> 
> _*side note to Pete - I noticed you mentioned thinking of getting a single-bevel...I just ordered a yanagi from JCK about 5 minutes ago, finally my first single-bevel purchase. Step your game up and get with it man!_



Funny you should mention that Jarrod, I actually ordered one from Jon at JKI. I ordered a Yoshihiro 270mm White #2 yanagiba.


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## Bryan G. (Apr 5, 2012)

Bayless has always been a favorite of mine

J, really??? First single bevel purchase??? Sup with that?


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## Cadillac J (Apr 5, 2012)

stereo.pete said:


> Funny you should mention that Jarrod, I actually ordered one from Jon at JKI. I ordered a Yoshihiro 270mm White #2 yanagiba.



300 Masamoto KS is what I got...Koki is shipping today and I'm super pumped.




Bryan G. said:


> J, really??? First single bevel purchase??? Sup with that?


I never have to slice fish and always had my 300 suji to slice any other types of proteins. My curiosity for a yanagi and deba has been around for the past few years, but only until now did I decide to see what they are all about. 

Bryan, maybe it is because I've felt content after going through many double-beveled knives...so it is time to try something new. Even if I don't use a yanagi often, I'm sure it will come in handy for the times I do need it.


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## stereo.pete (Apr 5, 2012)

Cadillac J said:


> 300 Masamoto KS is what I got...Koki is shipping today and I'm super pumped.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I felt similarly Jarrod, I've been in this hobby for the last two years focusing primarily on Japanese knives and have yet to step into the realm of traditional Japanese design (single bevel). After doing research of my own, talking to Jon at JKI (amazing service!) and sw2Geek's post about slicing up pastrami with a yanagiba I feel confident in tackling such a knife. Not to mention a good friend of mine just opened up his own sushi joint so I know he will be willing to show me the ways of the yanagiba. 

P.S. My friend with the sushi joint uses a Masamoto KS yanagiba and absolutely raves about it so great first choice. I decided to go budget since I will probably mangle this one with my attempts to sharpen single bevel for the first time.


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## mano (Apr 6, 2012)

In about 1984 I was a prep cook for Bayless at Alexanders, an Alice Waters inspired California cuisine startup in Costa Mesa CA. One of his buddies, who was a sous chef slept on our pull-out for a month or so. Rick's lovely but shy wife, Dianna, was the pastry chef.

Rick was very into genuine Mexican cuisine and was just starting to put together recipes he'd later use at Topolobampo and Frontera grill. I don't recall any of them on the menu, though. Bayless was great to work for, arranging wine tastings for the complete staff, explaining the choices and listening to feedback before selecting the wine list. 

Never having worked BOH before I didn't realize how unique he was until he left and was replaced by a dick-head prima dona. He taught me basic knife skills, let me use his good knives and had me make everything including sausage,from fresh ingredients. 

Bayless is as nice and enthusiastic in the kitchen as he is on-screen and the only time I saw him angry was at me. He taught me to make ice cream from scatch and left it to me which flavorings to use. Every night I'd use different chocolates, nuts and liqueurs. One night I hit one out of the park, with everyone raving about the ice cream. When Rick asked for the recipe, I told him I don't recall, exactly, but could give him a rough guess. Being a grad student, I didn't think like a chef and didn't write it down. He was pissed, gave me a pad and pen and told me to never let it happen again.


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## mr drinky (Apr 6, 2012)

That's a great story mano. Thanks for sharing.

k.


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## stereo.pete (Apr 6, 2012)

mr drinky said:


> That's a great story mano. Thanks for sharing.
> 
> k.



Ditto, very cool story indeed.


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