A fine chef at last in his elegant element

Few diners - and for that matter, few critics - really know what goes on in the kitchen. And whether it's fair or not, both the glory and blame for dinner ultimately go to the chef. Fine dining is a performance business where the cooks must bring it every night with pans a-blazin' - not a side of excuses. And the reviews will fall where they may, inevitably coloring our impressions of the talents behind the stoves.