Bert Crenca and I traveled up to WGBH on June 30th to use their studios to interview Alice Waters, the founder of Chez Panisse for the web site. I had heard how charismatic she was supposed to be, but my talk with her exceeded my expectations. Not only was she comfortable to speak with, but, the clarity of her ideas and the centrality of her values demonstrated why she's achieved such a devoted following over the last forty years. Her passion for a 'Slow Food' culture, her understanding of how support of local food is support for the network of people, places and behavior and her appreciation of the importance of good food for everyone, showed me once again, what I had expected, that Alice Waters is not your typical chef/owner with a chain of restaurants and television shows, but a quiet revolutionary who chose the kitchen as her 'launching pad'.

Marc Levitt