I am a UC Berkeley grad (1980) and whenever my friends and I had some money, we went straight to Chez Panisse. I was fortunate enough to take my family there some years later. Chez Panisse and Alice Waters are why I love food and the culture that surrounds it.
I was a grad student in the early 90s, living on chicken, rice and beans (and veggies picked up at the farmers market). I saved up for months to go to Chez Panisse, only to discover it was much more reasonable (and extraordinary) than I expected. In addition to the food, which was mind-opening, what I remember most was that everyone made me feel welcome (even though I was obviously a poor grad student with bike helmet hair). Thank you Alice Waters and everyone at Chez Panisse for so many wonderful moments and memories.
Such deep respect and admiration for Alice Waters. I worked for a short time as a therapist at the middle school that hosts the edible school yard. Witnessing kids participate in the garden and kitchen there was profound. Their demeanor would shift as soon as they walked under the kiwi vines and entered this beautiful, calming space full of life. A truly inspiring space where youth engage with nature, sustain growing life, and learn about the connection between farming and the food on our tables. And of course eating at Chez Panisse is a sublime experience of how amazingly delicious simple, fresh food can be!
Jose, a great Chef once told me, Cooking is easy when you put your whole heart into it. Smelling the sweet aroma creates the atmosphere of warmth and love telling the story of each recipe. She along with you and other recipients of this award have continued to show us to create this delightful moment . Congratulations to you, Chef Alice Waters
I am a longtime supporter of Alice Waters. I have had the privilege of eating at Chez Panisse when in Berkeley. And I've also had the pleasure of touring the Edible Schoolyard garden. And our school/community organization and garden (Reevesland Learning Center) here in Arlington has been the recipient of funds that we applied for from the Edible Schoolyard organization. Alice Waters is my hero.
I believe Alice Waters, like the honorees before her, reshaped, not only the way we cook, but also the way Americans think about food. I for one, am truly grateful for all she has taught me. The only thing I can honestly say I miss since moving across the country to North Carolina is Chez Panisse. Dinner there was always extraordinary and it just the thought of being there, breathing that rare air, will always make me smile!
An incredible and very well deserved honor. I learn things from Alice always. And I especially thank her for introducing me to the suriyabi. How did I live all there years without one!!
As a young woman working in mostly male driven kitchens in the late 70’s and early 80’s, both Julia and Alice were my points of references and heroes to follow. I worked in Santa Barbara where Julia lived in her later years and I was lucky to meet her several times when she dined at the restaurants where I was part of the kitchen team. Julia always made a point of saying hello to us in the back of the house!
A highlight for me was one lunch when Alice Waters and Ruth Reichl came in to the kitchen to thank us for lunch. Those were heady and inspiring days to work in restaurants!!
I’m a professional cook and I got a chance to meet one of my culinary heroes Julia Child at a book signing in Philadelphia for the Book and Cook event( Philly please bring back this great event!) I got to meet her with my father and I mentioned to her that he learned cooking from her and then I learned cooking from him , I remember watching her cooking shows at a kid , she always seemed to enjoy what she was doing!,collected a lot of her and Chef Alice Waters cookbooks over the years great influences! also at that time got to cook with chef Rick Bayless at the White Dog cafe in Philly for a book a cook event , a great time with working with him! , Thank you Chef Andres for all you do for the culinary world and your great charity World Central Kitchen , truly inspirational!
Chez Panisse changed the way I perceived food and dining. I first had lunch there when Judy Rodgers was cooking lunch and it was revelatory. At my sister's PhD celebratory meal, it was the first place I had rosy pink pork and realized that it didn't have to be cooked to death. And the dessert upstairs with ice cream with prunes in Armagnac!!! I still think of it. So many memories which shaped my perception and understanding of the world--not just of food but of the meaning of being a human being lucky enough to eat not to survive but to live.
I have only had the pleasure and privilege of dining at Chez Panisse once, in 1985. My husband and I were still in our 20s, and he was just finishing up his PhD at Stanford. A couple who would be joining us at our new positions back east, (the husband was just finishing up his PhD at Berkeley), got in touch and we decided to meet for dinner. I was, and am, the foodie, so to celebrate, I made a reservation at the best restaurant I could imagine, even if it did stretch the budget for us. I was so excited to be at Chez Panisse, that even meeting new people didn't phase me, which it usually does.., Of course the most difficult part was choosing what to order. Well, when my salad arrived, I had a nice surprise of an inchworm on one of the leaves of lettuce. The wife in the other couple was appalled and insisted that I tell the server. I didn't really mind that much, being used to my Dad's home grown salads, but my husband dutifully mentioned it to the server. Her reply was priceless. "Here at Chez Panisse we grow all our own salad greens which means that occasionally we have some visitors on our produce. You may view it as a bit of extra protein." But she did remove the little "visitor" and I very happily finished eating my delicious, fresh salad. Of course every course was exceptional and the entire meal memorable. Alice Waters truly did bring "natural" into the minds of American diners, and we are so much the better for it!
The food whisperer! You nailed it. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Alice, but her work has made an impact on me — how could it not? What a lovely friend she must be. And thank you José for sharing these snippets of your shared love for food and life! The group photo and Jacqué’s menu are priceless. I look forward to the podcast interview! Cheers!
I admire Alice Waters so much, receive her emails, have read "We Are What We Eat," have contributed to the Edible Schoolyard, and do hope some day to be able to eat at Chez Panisse.
I am a UC Berkeley grad (1980) and whenever my friends and I had some money, we went straight to Chez Panisse. I was fortunate enough to take my family there some years later. Chez Panisse and Alice Waters are why I love food and the culture that surrounds it.
I was a grad student in the early 90s, living on chicken, rice and beans (and veggies picked up at the farmers market). I saved up for months to go to Chez Panisse, only to discover it was much more reasonable (and extraordinary) than I expected. In addition to the food, which was mind-opening, what I remember most was that everyone made me feel welcome (even though I was obviously a poor grad student with bike helmet hair). Thank you Alice Waters and everyone at Chez Panisse for so many wonderful moments and memories.
Such deep respect and admiration for Alice Waters. I worked for a short time as a therapist at the middle school that hosts the edible school yard. Witnessing kids participate in the garden and kitchen there was profound. Their demeanor would shift as soon as they walked under the kiwi vines and entered this beautiful, calming space full of life. A truly inspiring space where youth engage with nature, sustain growing life, and learn about the connection between farming and the food on our tables. And of course eating at Chez Panisse is a sublime experience of how amazingly delicious simple, fresh food can be!
Jose, a great Chef once told me, Cooking is easy when you put your whole heart into it. Smelling the sweet aroma creates the atmosphere of warmth and love telling the story of each recipe. She along with you and other recipients of this award have continued to show us to create this delightful moment . Congratulations to you, Chef Alice Waters
I am a longtime supporter of Alice Waters. I have had the privilege of eating at Chez Panisse when in Berkeley. And I've also had the pleasure of touring the Edible Schoolyard garden. And our school/community organization and garden (Reevesland Learning Center) here in Arlington has been the recipient of funds that we applied for from the Edible Schoolyard organization. Alice Waters is my hero.
I believe Alice Waters, like the honorees before her, reshaped, not only the way we cook, but also the way Americans think about food. I for one, am truly grateful for all she has taught me. The only thing I can honestly say I miss since moving across the country to North Carolina is Chez Panisse. Dinner there was always extraordinary and it just the thought of being there, breathing that rare air, will always make me smile!
An incredible and very well deserved honor. I learn things from Alice always. And I especially thank her for introducing me to the suriyabi. How did I live all there years without one!!
As a young woman working in mostly male driven kitchens in the late 70’s and early 80’s, both Julia and Alice were my points of references and heroes to follow. I worked in Santa Barbara where Julia lived in her later years and I was lucky to meet her several times when she dined at the restaurants where I was part of the kitchen team. Julia always made a point of saying hello to us in the back of the house!
A highlight for me was one lunch when Alice Waters and Ruth Reichl came in to the kitchen to thank us for lunch. Those were heady and inspiring days to work in restaurants!!
Fall 1974 we were given the gift of a dinner at Chez Panisse as a wedding present. It was a memorable meal.
I’m a professional cook and I got a chance to meet one of my culinary heroes Julia Child at a book signing in Philadelphia for the Book and Cook event( Philly please bring back this great event!) I got to meet her with my father and I mentioned to her that he learned cooking from her and then I learned cooking from him , I remember watching her cooking shows at a kid , she always seemed to enjoy what she was doing!,collected a lot of her and Chef Alice Waters cookbooks over the years great influences! also at that time got to cook with chef Rick Bayless at the White Dog cafe in Philly for a book a cook event , a great time with working with him! , Thank you Chef Andres for all you do for the culinary world and your great charity World Central Kitchen , truly inspirational!
Chez Panisse changed the way I perceived food and dining. I first had lunch there when Judy Rodgers was cooking lunch and it was revelatory. At my sister's PhD celebratory meal, it was the first place I had rosy pink pork and realized that it didn't have to be cooked to death. And the dessert upstairs with ice cream with prunes in Armagnac!!! I still think of it. So many memories which shaped my perception and understanding of the world--not just of food but of the meaning of being a human being lucky enough to eat not to survive but to live.
I have only had the pleasure and privilege of dining at Chez Panisse once, in 1985. My husband and I were still in our 20s, and he was just finishing up his PhD at Stanford. A couple who would be joining us at our new positions back east, (the husband was just finishing up his PhD at Berkeley), got in touch and we decided to meet for dinner. I was, and am, the foodie, so to celebrate, I made a reservation at the best restaurant I could imagine, even if it did stretch the budget for us. I was so excited to be at Chez Panisse, that even meeting new people didn't phase me, which it usually does.., Of course the most difficult part was choosing what to order. Well, when my salad arrived, I had a nice surprise of an inchworm on one of the leaves of lettuce. The wife in the other couple was appalled and insisted that I tell the server. I didn't really mind that much, being used to my Dad's home grown salads, but my husband dutifully mentioned it to the server. Her reply was priceless. "Here at Chez Panisse we grow all our own salad greens which means that occasionally we have some visitors on our produce. You may view it as a bit of extra protein." But she did remove the little "visitor" and I very happily finished eating my delicious, fresh salad. Of course every course was exceptional and the entire meal memorable. Alice Waters truly did bring "natural" into the minds of American diners, and we are so much the better for it!
The food whisperer! You nailed it. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Alice, but her work has made an impact on me — how could it not? What a lovely friend she must be. And thank you José for sharing these snippets of your shared love for food and life! The group photo and Jacqué’s menu are priceless. I look forward to the podcast interview! Cheers!
Alice Waters is a personal hero on several levels--
-for the kindred spirit of a Montessorian (along with me, my mother AND Julia Child, too, as a child)
-for bringing the edible schoolyard model to the world of education
-for the loveliness of her cooking and her writing throughout the years
So well deserved!
Love this article! What a great group pic of all y’all too! 💥❤️☮️🌈
I admire Alice Waters so much, receive her emails, have read "We Are What We Eat," have contributed to the Edible Schoolyard, and do hope some day to be able to eat at Chez Panisse.