Food for Thought

What a blessing for Karen Stabiner that she can approach dining out as “an adventure” (“Whining and Dining,” Oct. 30), that she can trust the chef to make her taste buds happy and not leave her with an after-meal hangover. For many business travelers like myself, eating out is anything but an adventure. Finally, after years of bloating, belching and indigestion from overindulging in fine eating establishments, I have learned to eat to nourish my body and not abuse it.

I was beginning to think that restaurateurs had awakened to the fact that many life-threatening diseases result from overindulging our bodies. I was appalled to read the quote from the chef who considers meeting the needs of his customers “prostitution.”

Why must we battle to choose what we want to eat when we dine out? Aren’t restaurants in the food service business?

Sarah Edwards

Santa Monica

Stabiner got it all wrong. I’m not a food fascist just because I refuse to submit myself to the whims of culinary autocrats. Her suggestion to people who want to follow a healthy diet (“(they) could do us all a favor and either stay home or bring their own food”) is preposterous and anachronistic in the ‘90s.

Luckily, tight times for chefs have brought about a most welcome change in restaurants: customized dining. A modern chef’s expertise can be measured not only by his creativity, but by an ability to satisfy diverse individual tastes.

Tony Kiss

Los Angeles