Chez Panisse

Behind the Bonkers Tale of a Cocaine-Fueled Night at Chez Panisse | Bon Appétit

"At the famed Berkeley restaurant where he helped pioneer Northern California cuisine, an electrifying but turbulent backstage life unfolded: during a third‑anniversary service a black‑leather‑coated man dumped half a pound of white powder (cocaine) onto a chest freezer, sparking routine use that initially made marathon shifts bearable and later proved destructive. His new Substack essay mixes dark, funny, and absorbing detail—conga lines through the café, cooking while under the influence, a sous‑chef who became a frequent user and ultimately was involved in violence and prison—and describes how leadership eventually banned drugs and he stopped their use in the kitchen. The account undercuts the restaurant’s serene public reputation and highlights the hidden ecosystem of drug use and addiction that shadowed many famed restaurants in that era." - BySam Stone