--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a chef and someone who's been in the…" description: "\"As a chef and someone who's been in the restaurant business for almost thirty years now, if there's one thing I learned early on: Never eat at a buffet..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba9/michael-symon-15947_buffet_as-a-chef-and-someone-who-s-been-in-the_2644281.jpg" --- # As a chef and someone who's been in the restaurant… ![“As a chef and someone who's been in the restaurant business for almost thirty years now, if there's one thing I learned early on: Never eat at a buffet. I don't want to eat yesterday's food and whatever they're trying to get rid of from their cooler for my lunch, dinner, or breakfast, thank you…” quote by Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba9/michael-symon-15947_buffet_as-a-chef-and-someone-who-s-been-in-the_2644281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba9/michael-symon-15947_buffet_as-a-chef-and-someone-who-s-been-in-the_2644281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba9/michael-symon-15947_buffet_as-a-chef-and-someone-who-s-been-in-the_2644281.jpg) > “As a chef and someone who's been in the restaurant business for almost thirty years now, if there's one thing I learned early on: Never eat at a buffet. I don't want to eat yesterday's food and whatever they're trying to get rid of from their cooler for my lunch, dinner, or breakfast, thank you very much.” [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He advises avoiding buffet meals because they often contain leftovers that may be unsafe or low quality. **In simple terms:** Avoid buffet food due to possible stale or unsafe items. Key Takeaway Choose fresh, prepared meals instead. Themes food safety personal health restaurant industry Mood cautious practical Type advice practical When to use this quote - daily meals - travel dining - event catering Key Concepts risk management consumer awareness quality control Questions to Reflect On - Do you trust the safety of food you didn't prepare? - How do you assess food freshness when eating out? A Different Perspective Buffets can sometimes offer high-quality, fresh options if managed properly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buffet/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Chef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chef/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Restaurant business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restaurant-business/) ## Related quotes > [“I had a missed call. It’s probably the all you can eat buffet calling to say, “Come back! We know you can eat just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-had-a-missed-call-it-s-probably-the-all-you-can-eat-buffet-calling/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“In retrospect, an all-you-can-eat buffet of raw fish is probably not the best idea, unless you’re a penguin. It was like playing “Find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-kruger/in-retrospect-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-of-raw-fish-is-probably-not/) [Kat Kruger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-kruger/) > [We all have to be dishes on a plate eventually, with the way we are marketed, but I have no intention of being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika/we-all-have-to-be-dishes-on-a-plate-eventually-with-the-way-we-are/) [Mika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika/) > [...the whole world turned into an all-you-can-eat buffet...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-maberry/the-whole-world-turned-into-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet/) [Jonathan Maberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-maberry/) > [My dad was in the restaurant business, but I didn't really think about following him. Had I done better at school, I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/my-dad-was-in-the-restaurant-business-but-i-didn-t-really-think-about/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [“All worries are less with wine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/all-worries-are-less-with-wine/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“Hunger gives flavour to the food.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/hunger-gives-flavour-to-the-food/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I was lucky enough to have great mentors both in the culinary world and in the world of chefs who became celebrities. Bobby Flay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-was-lucky-enough-to-have-great-mentors-both-in-the-culinary-world/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [The exposure from 'Iron Chef' has been helpful, but at the end of the day your product and your service determine whether you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/the-exposure-from-iron-chef-has-been-helpful-but-at-the-end-of-the/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [My mom was a single mother, working three to four jobs. She would take a bunch of crazy, grimy jobs at first, then she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-gastelum/my-mom-was-a-single-mother-working-three-to-four-jobs-she-would-take/) [Kelvin Gastelum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-gastelum/) > [If anything is good for pounding humility into you permanently, it's the restaurant business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/if-anything-is-good-for-pounding-humility-into-you-permanently-it-s/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [ \[On entering the restaurant business:\] Food has the dubious advantage of being legitimate, and one's customers somehow manage to live longer without sex than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-stanford/on-entering-the-restaurant-business-food-has-the-dubious-advantage-of/) [Sally Stanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-stanford/) > [As an outsider to and observer of the restaurant business, one of the things I most admire about it is the risks people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/as-an-outsider-to-and-observer-of-the-restaurant-business-one-of-the/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [A couple of months ago, I was down in Florida for the Food and Wine Festival. And this journalist grabbed me and said, 'How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-colicchio/a-couple-of-months-ago-i-was-down-in-florida-for-the-food-and-wine/) [Tom Colicchio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-colicchio/) > [My mom, who's been in the restaurant business for 40 years, is the number-one influence in my life. But I look up to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-ray/my-mom-who-s-been-in-the-restaurant-business-for-40-years-is-the/) [Rachael Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-ray/) ## More by Michael Symon > [Sometimes a minute is really the difference between success and failure. There are times when you finish with ten seconds left, and one extra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/sometimes-a-minute-is-really-the-difference-between-success-and/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [Bacon is like a good pair of Levi's-it never goes out of style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/bacon-is-like-a-good-pair-of-levi-s-it-never-goes-out-of-style/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [My goal in 'Live to Cook' is to make great food more approachable for home cooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/my-goal-in-live-to-cook-is-to-make-great-food-more-approachable-for/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [If you learn a recipe, you can cook the recipe. If you learn the technique, you can cook anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/if-you-learn-a-recipe-you-can-cook-the-recipe-if-you-learn-the/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [Recipes are important but only to a point. What's more important than recipes is how we think about food, and a good cookbook should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/recipes-are-important-but-only-to-a-point-what-s-more-important-than/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [The exposure from 'Iron Chef' has been helpful, but at the end of the day your product and your service determine whether you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/the-exposure-from-iron-chef-has-been-helpful-but-at-the-end-of-the/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I always tell my employees, the busier it gets, the slower you should cook. When you run around like a crazy person, that's when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-always-tell-my-employees-the-busier-it-gets-the-slower-you-should/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I'm a firm believer that all this packaged stuff that Americans are buying up in gobs is making them fatter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-m-a-firm-believer-that-all-this-packaged-stuff-that-americans-are/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [In Cleveland, I'm so fortunate that we're surrounded by farms with an endless variety of beautiful vegetables. For me, I always eat very tightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/in-cleveland-i-m-so-fortunate-that-we-re-surrounded-by-farms-with-an/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [As the competition goes further along, you start to see who's rising and who's falling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/as-the-competition-goes-further-along-you-start-to-see-who-s-rising/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [Go to the grocery store and buy better things. Buy quality, buy organic, buy natural, go to the farmers market. Immediately that's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/go-to-the-grocery-store-and-buy-better-things-buy-quality-buy-organic/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [When it comes to cooking and eating, I always try to preach that life is about moderation. Even if I'm having beef for dinner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/when-it-comes-to-cooking-and-eating-i-always-try-to-preach-that-life/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I'm lucky that my restaurant partners are my wife Liz and Doug Petkovic. We opened our first restaurant over 15 years ago. And we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-m-lucky-that-my-restaurant-partners-are-my-wife-liz-and-doug/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I think that any city created to be that over-the-top tends to be slightly inspiring, if not frightening. Vegas is all about people being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-think-that-any-city-created-to-be-that-over-the-top-tends-to-be/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I was lucky enough to have great mentors both in the culinary world and in the world of chefs who became celebrities. Bobby Flay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-was-lucky-enough-to-have-great-mentors-both-in-the-culinary-world/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) [Explore all 41 Michael Symon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) ## More Buffet quotes > [“Popular culture is a wonderful buffet to dine at. But it's easy to overeat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benyamin-cohen/popular-culture-is-a-wonderful-buffet-to-dine-at-but-it-s-easy-to/) Benyamin Cohen > [I went to this restaurant last night that was set up like a big buffet in the shape of an Ouija board. You'd think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-went-to-this-restaurant-last-night-that-was-set-up-like-a-big/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [“All worries are less with wine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/all-worries-are-less-with-wine/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I like my music to be like a buffet. If you don't like this plate, there's another one for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romeo-santos/i-like-my-music-to-be-like-a-buffet-if-you-don-t-like-this-plate/) [Romeo Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romeo-santos/) > [The only thing they recognize is a buffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-h-barbee-sr/the-only-thing-they-recognize-is-a-buffet/) [Bobby H. Barbee, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-h-barbee-sr/) > [Two-thousand-and-eighteen is the year of the buffet, and as a restaurant critic, I applaud this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-dent/two-thousand-and-eighteen-is-the-year-of-the-buffet-and-as-a/) [Grace Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-dent/) > [“Whereas other clubs served the eternal beefsteak and apple tart, the lavish buffet at Jenner's was constantly replenished with ever-more artful dishes... hot lobster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/whereas-other-clubs-served-the-eternal-beefsteak-and-apple-tart-the/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“Healing from toxic relationship trauma is like realizing you spent your entire life eating and having allergic reactions to rotten tomatoes when life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-storch/healing-from-toxic-relationship-trauma-is-like-realizing-you-spent/) [Pamela Storch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-storch/) > [A buffet… oh if only I'd brought my wallet with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoidberg/a-buffet-oh-if-only-i-d-brought-my-wallet-with-me/) [Zoidberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoidberg/) > [“Life is a banquet, chica. Believe it or not, there's more on the buffet than work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-holly/life-is-a-banquet-chica-believe-it-or-not-there-s-more-on-the-buffet/) [Emma Holly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-holly/) > [“Hunger gives flavour to the food.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/hunger-gives-flavour-to-the-food/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Italian people are so proud to show off. A little bit too much, I have to say. Wherever you go, they prepare a buffet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gino-d-acampo/italian-people-are-so-proud-to-show-off-a-little-bit-too-much-i-have/) [Gino D'Acampo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gino-d-acampo/) > [Philosophy not only dissipates our anxieties, but it also arms us against the buffets of fortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/philosophy-not-only-dissipates-our-anxieties-but-it-also-arms-us/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [I told you this would happen. But, no, you had to go for the buffet, didn't you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-told-you-this-would-happen-but-no-you-had-to-go-for-the-buffet-didn/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I love how you are getting down in your little buffet of savoury deserts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-westwood/i-love-how-you-are-getting-down-in-your-little-buffet-of-savoury/) [Tim Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-westwood/) [Browse all 68 Buffet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buffet/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a chef and someone who's been in the restaurant business for almost thirty years now, if there's one thing I learned early on: Never eat at a buffet. 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