Serving up Paul Liebrandt

Paul Liebrandt is one of the most talented and controversial chefs in the food world. So prodigious was his talent that NY Times food critic, William Grimes, likened Paul to 'a pianist who seems to have found a couple of dozen extra keys'. Liebrandt was the youngest chef to have received 3 stars from the New York Times. He was 24. But shortly after this victory over the critics, Liebrandt fell apart. Sick of the stifling control of restaurant owners, Liebrandt threw in his haute cuisine chef's hat, taking a job at a second-class bistro. And in post-GFC New York, the desire for comfort food meant that Liebrandt's clever creations started being left off the menu, and Liebrandt found himself flipping burgers for an uncaring public. This is the story of how the determined Liebrandt endeavored to climb his way back up to the top of the food chain.