Dominique Crenn and Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
World-renowned chef Dominique Crenn speaking Tastemakers, moderated by Senior Food Writer Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
Since she's in town for the Spoon and Stable Synergy Series, Dominque Crenn, (chef of one of the world's best restaurants, two-michelin-starred Atelier Crenn), stopped in for a conversation with us at a Mpls.St.Paul Magazine Tastemakers last night. It was a packed house, in the lower level of Octo Fishbar, full of chefs, cooks, and other industry types, as well as Crenn super fans. As Dara asked her questions, we found these pearls to share:
Advice on being an artist whose work isn’t being recognized or appreciated:
“You might go through struggle. But struggle is going to get you where you want to be. Never give up yourself to please someone else. Keep your vision and go for that vision.”
Advice to young people who are just starting out:
“Be confident and know yourself.”
On learning from her mother in the kitchen:
“I think I was a bit of a pest. ... She would take me to the farmers' market, and taught me about the integrity of ingredients.”
On developing new ideas:
“Food is color. My mind is brushes. It just paints.”
On opening Atelier Crenn, her San Fransisco restaurant:
“It was not about opening a restaurant. It was about opening a safe place for people to come and work with us. Not for me. I want my employees to know they have a space where they can learn and grow and become who they want to be.”
On critics:
“I don’t wake up in the morning so a critic will give me a good review. They should, though. [laughs]”
On being labeled 'the world's best female chef':
“Why do we say ‘female politician’ or ‘female writer’? We need to think about the way we talk to our children, and present ourselves. We can’t put gender in a box.”
On trying to change dynamics in the workplace:
“We really have to look at ourselves once we’ve achieved things, and never be complicit. We have to be aware of what’s going on around us.”
On finding her voice in California:
“To be able to learn about so many people and cultures, I felt good there.”
“In California, people are not afraid to speak up. You have to go out there and not be afraid...don’t be afraid to go outside the box. I’ve always been very attracted to people to who think outside of the box.”
“I felt at home there because I’ve always felt that I’m a nomad, from all over the world.”
On sticking to her visions:
“I wanted to prove to myself that there are no boundaries, that there are no boxes, to what I can do.”
“Fear is a prison. You can never live your life through fear. Because when you let in fear, you are putting up a wall in front of yourself.”
“I’ve been lucky enough to be a strong woman because my father raised me to be a strong human being.”
If you missed out on the talk, and don't have tickets to her dinners, you can still score a seat at the Spoon and Stable bar over the next two days, and sample a bit of her menu. Doors open at 4 p.m., and seats are first-come, first-serve all night! And if you can't make it to Spoon and Stable, check out Crenn's episode of Chef's Table on Netflix.
