Gabriel Rucker: You Can Be A 'Cool Chef' And Still Be Sober
HuffPost
The Oregon-based chef is countering the stereotypical bad-boy persona of chefs by openly championing sobriety.
Gabriel Rucker is the chef and owner of Le Pigeon and Canard restaurants in Portland, Oregon. He is a two-time James Beard Award winner, and a relentless advocate for sobriety and helping people in the Portland community who are struggling with addiction. In this Voices in Food story, Rucker talks about why it is important for chefs to move away from the bad-boy persona and to be vocal about promoting a sober, healthy lifestyle in the restaurant industry.
I liked to party in high school and college. I wasn’t a very good student and was suspended several times for drinking. When it was time to pick a career, the culinary industry seemed appealing, as it looked like it would suit my lifestyle. Anthony Bourdain was my poster boy. So I took cooking classes and started working in the kitchen.