As smart as restaurateurs think they are, critics are three steps ahead.

Question: Do you watch out for critics?

Scott Conant: I do. We have pictures, we have detailed reports, we fax numbers back and forth with other restaurants-- you know, this is the credit card they use, this is that, this is the other thing. It’s kind of an interesting- it’s an interesting game, and I think the critics are probably-- as smart as I think we think we are, they’re probably three steps ahead of us <laugh>, unfortunately.

Question: Whom do you admire?

Scott Conant: You know, I’ll tell you. I was watching- I was flipping through the channels a couple weeks ago, and I think the Yankees were losing really badly, so pretty much I only watch sports, much to my wife’s chagrin.  And <laugh> I came on to Anthony Bourdain doing a- you know, he was cooking on the line at the <inaudible>; and I’ll tell you I’ve always liked Anthony, but if I never liked him before-- and I always have-- but if- if I had- if I never did, watching him cook on the line with his staff, I loved him afterwards because he was just- he was so honest about the difficulty of this job and how the, you know- he couldn’t read the tickets.  He was putting glasses on and, you know, the staff is laughing at him because he’s- you know, he’s screwing up dishes and the tickets are getting backed up all over the place.  I- you know, I have to say even- even though he’s t- he’s-- as much as he’s a chef and all that stuff, he’s also part of the media.  And his- his-- <laugh> he’s very clever and extremely witty, and I just- I- I think the guy is- I think the guy’s great.  I just- he cracks me up; he cracks me up.  So I’m gonna say- I’m gonna say Tony <laugh>.

Recorded on: 03/24/2008