A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt

Star chef Paul Liebrandt's website features a quote from Paradise Lost: “Long is the way and hard, that out of hell leads up to light.” This encapsulates Paul's intellectual approach to cooking as well as his culinary management style. A former enfant terrible-at 24 he was the youngest chef to receive three stars from The New York Times-Paul first worked in a London kitchen at 14. Soon after he was training with three-star chefs in London and Paris. When he started in New York, people either loved his fusion of colors, tastes, and textures, or they hated his “Willy Wonka-esque” creations. This film follows Paul as he whips kitchens into two-star shape, then chafes at the bit when they stifle his creativity. A genial presence who philosophizes about food and life, Paul gives a mouthful to his hard-working young line cooks in times of stress. When he's finally given a chance to spread his wings at Corton in TriBeCa, Paul and his staff work day and night toward getting three stars from formidable restaurant critic Frank Bruni. Paul strives to tell stories with food, “stimulating emotions of wonderment and discovery.” –B.B.