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No Gawking Allowed
Amateur food photographers beware: Superchef Gordon Ramsay is coming to New York City, and your digital cameras are not welcome in his restaurant.
Writing in The New York Times on the imminent arrival of Ramsay’s first eatery in New York City, Michael Ruhlman reports that the chef will not allow patrons to take photos of his dishes:
Mr. Ramsay described the food only as “very natural” and “very proper,” adding that any patron trying to take pictures of it would be banned.“We’re not going to stand there and gawk,” he said.
Snap-happy bloggers have tried the patience of chefs on more than one occasion. Take Adam Roberts of The Amateur Gourmet, who has brandished his digital camera under disapproving eyes at Room 4 Dessert and Shopsin’s. Or regard the now legendary tangle between Jason Storch, who runs food blog D.C. Foodies, and Buck’s Fishing and Camping (discussed at length on eGullet).
So how should bloggers and other culinary camera buffs react to Ramsay’s photo ban?
On the one hand, it seems a wee bit disingenuous for a chef who has his own reality show to be pleading against “gawking” in his restaurant. On the other hand, you know that this ex-footballer could seriously kick any food blogger’s ass.
Who in their right mind would even consider going head-to-head, or camera-to-tongs as it were, against this guy?
Posted by | Wednesday, September 6, 2006 at 5:22pm | 6 comments
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I do empathize with Chef Ramsay - chefs work extremely hard to get dishes out to diners at the precisely optimal moment. But experienced food bloggers armed with tiny cameras snap quick, discreet, and flash-free shots - there should be no standing or gawking at all. SO IF I F*UCKING WANT TO TAKE A F*UCKING PICTURE OF MY F*CKING FOOD I F*UCKING BLOODY HELL WILL! :)
... and it's so quick & easy to take pictures with mobile phone cameras, Ramsay will never know about it!
if he makes it absolutely clear to his diners that this is his rule (his restaurant then he can do what he likes) then anyone who takes a picture risks getting caught and booted and they shouldnt really be surprised.
if he doesn't make it clear to his patrons that photography is unwelcome and then kicks someone out for snapping a shot of their birthday dessert or something - then he deserves his own arse kicked.
it is not just food bloggers who photograph their food.
I have heard that some restaurants have been having problems pacing meals because of the photographing the food aspect.
Maybe gordon can comp a little postcard of food pictures for his guests to take home instead
It's not at all clear to me why he would object to people photographing his dishes. Assuming the photography can be done without disturbing other customers, I think his position is kind of obnoxious, and, frankly, bespeaks a certain insecurity.
Yeah, serious insecurity. Maybe he's worried that the food won't look its best without pro styling, and when people post their horribly unflattering photos of it nobody will want to eat at his restaurants ever again? Or perhaps he's antsy about preserving his top-secret plating techniques? Oy vay. I really can't imagine how a couple measly photographs would screw up the timing of the service, either. Chefs should see these snapshots as the compliments they are--people heart good food and want to remember every little detail of a meal they enjoyed.
Did you see this one about Tommy Gunns calling the cops? http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?s...
Well, at Shopsin's, Kenny Shopsin has a "no cell phones" rule, so a cell-phone-photograph is breaking two house rules at one time. I wouldn't run the risk of being excommunicated and missing Shopsin's great comfort food, personally. :-)