Mark Gordon is a Chef. He’s not a famous Chef. And unless you lived, worked and ate in the Bay Area you never heard of him. Besides being a friend of mine, the reason I wanted to talk with him was because he’s indicative of the men and women who make it happen every day. One of the guys who makes sure the best ingredients wind up on your plate in the most creative way possible. He’s been the backbone of the same two restaurants in San Francisco, Terzo and Rose’s Cafe for 20 years. He’s now semi-retired yet still involved with those restaurants as a consultant and valued advisor. With that, he has a unique philosophical outlook on the business. I wanted to include him here to have his perspective and voice from a place of experience and a quiet love for the business.

The constriction of the restaurant business during the Covid-19 Pandemic sent many Chefs and operators into emotional and psychological places they don’t know how to deal with. But I can see why Mark, even though paring down his activities, has kept on with the restaurants he loved to be that voice of reason.