A Legendary Chef Who Vanished at His Peak

I recently saw an amazing documentary; Jeremiah tower’s story would easily motivate anyone, not just people in the field of cooking.

We have heard of incredible geniuses in the field of food, people with burning desire and passion who changed the way we think and eat food , they opened a new horizon for eating out trends and made it the most fashionable business in the world

Jeremiah tower, like so many of my heroes in food industry disappeared at the top of his game and shocked many people in this business

His story goes like this,

In 1972 a Harvard graduate in architecture, without having any formal training in cooking job entered the most happening restaurant in Berkley in California called Che Panisse, belonged to the angel of American food, Alice Waters

As a child he grew up in America, England and Australia, lived in royal style as his rich parents travelled all around the world and mostly abandoned little Jeremiah in 5 star hotels, his favourite hotel being the Hyde park in London

He started loving the company of restaurants and food, he said I started reading menus before reading anything else.

After his education, he thought he would pursue his dream in under water construction; he failed badly, though he had worked hard on this project

After his grandfather’s death, he struggled for money as he set out on a trip around America, he was dragged into the use of alcohol and a bit of drugs

At the age of 30, completely broke, he had to find a job as he reached California. From a friend, he heard about a job on offer at a restaurant called Che Pannise

Other than cooking for friends in the university, it was his first entry into a commercial kitchen and kitchen crew including the boss Alice waters shocked at his looks and charisma, both men and women fancied his close friendship

On cooking, going along che pannise mission to combine French influenced food using local ingredients , Jeremiah wanted to recreate everything he tasted in grant hotels where he stayed as a child, he dreamed every dish and applied his imagination and made it his way, he called his style elegantly simple food

Once in control of the kitchen, he transcended the cooking to a new dimension that was the birth of Californian flavours and the huge success of the restaurant

Jeremiah went on to open his own restaurant ‘stars’ in san Francisco which became the most famous restaurant, real heroes from music and film world became the customers, and apparently, he became the first celebrity chef in us

After the huge success, he took off to start many other ‘stars’, then he just left everything and disappered.in 2014 he emerged briefly in New York to work in another restaurant as the head chef and soon said goodbye again.

Jeremiah tower’s considered as the most romantic and ultimate chef and host, of American restaurants who tried to bridge the gap between traditions and modern trends.

Answering to people on his mysterious life and unsaid privacy of his personal life, pain and frustration, he simply said, ‘on a bad day, i had a glass of Champaign on my hand, and am alone yes but not lonely.’

All great artistes were alone, great thinkers were alone; no wonder Jeremiah chose that path too. He found it too difficult to be normal and pure; he threw away everything without any regrets.

Life of Jeremiah tower really inspired me!

Thank you. DasSreedharan.com