Harrison.

Mario Batali interviews Jim Harrison ...

Batali:  And whispering. Nothing worse than going to dinner and having to whisper. I remember being at a fancy restaurant where, when you ordered the chicken, the waiters brought over two slices of chicken breast. This one guest said, “I ordered the chicken,” and the waiter said, “That is the chicken, sir.” And he retorted, “Where the hell are the legs?”—loud enough for everyone to hear. I felt pretty good about that.

Harrison: I went to one of Tom Colicchio’s restaurants, years ago, where they served a platter of a dozen chicken thighs with gravy, and I was so happy. Now you try to get a thigh in a restaurant—it’s a struggle.

Batali:  Restaurants usually serve the thighs for the staff meal, Jim.

Harrison:  The big curse of America, to me, is skinless, boneless chicken breasts. They’re banal and relatively flavorless. The rest of the world’s trying to get some fat to eat, and we’re trying to ban it from our diet.

CONNECT.