Don't F*** with the Chef

New Yorkers who are used to getting their way are in for a surprise when they enter Kenny Shopsin’s restaurant. No copycat ordering. No Cobb salads without bacon. No parties larger than four. And he reserves the right to kick you out for any reason he might come up with — and will.

So how did Shopsin’s get a cult following? It’s the method behind the madness. If you want to "have what she's having" instead of ordering something original from a menu of 900 items (yes, 900!), then you can’t think for yourself. If you hold the bacon on a Cobb but still eat the egg and cheese, you’re a phony. And if you’re a party bigger than four, you’re less willing to chat with other customers — which is what Shopsin’s is all about. Shopsin works as hard on cultivating an atmosphere as he does on his many wildly creative dishes, and he breaks it all down in his memoir/cookbook, Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin (out September 23), co-written with Carolynn Carreno.

Lucky for us, his no fuss approach to cooking makes his recipes perfect for the home chef — so if he ever refuses to let you in, at least you can still eat his food!

Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin will be available September 23 from Knopf.

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