Grilled: 2007 StarChefs Rising Stars Revue

Damon Wise, Craft

What do you think of blogs and Web sites scrutinizing the NYC scene…by the minute?
I think people focus too much on them. I think that they can ruin the business of a restaurant because people focus too much on the negative messages.

What do you think of blogs covering new restaurants with plywood covering the windows?
It depends on what you consider a blog. If you take something like Grub Street, it’s informative. Not really.

Worst kitchen injury?
I worked at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia and they closed the restaurant for a weekend to do some renovations and the whole team had to come back to do a bunch of work for service and the first knife stroke I took I cut the tip of my thumb off. Check out this one [showing off wicked scar].