<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border:0 none;" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/kewlstuff/changvpatterson.jpg" alt="Chang Vs. Patterson" width="400" height="572" /></p>
It's no secret that it makes me chuckle when people<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smack_talk"> talk smack</a>. I don't know what it is about it that gets me going, it just plain does. This past week the French movement, <a href="http://www.legrandfooding.com/home.php">Le Grand Fooding 2010</a>, took place at <a href="http://www.ps1.org/news/view/68/">PS 1</a>. An event where Chefs met up to create a veritable two days of gourmet eats and talks....in some cases smack talk.

This year it was New York Chef's versus their San Francisco counterparts - with East Coast/West Coast alliances running deep in all industries you know there must have been some tension over the gas burner.  But what caught my eye wasn't the food on show, but the pre-interview smack talk on the<a href="http://www.legrandfooding.com/home.php"> le grand fooding site</a>:

<em><strong>Laurence Jossel (Nopa, SF):</strong> “In all my eating trips to New York, nothing I have eaten has come close to the sensual perfection of a tree-ripened Northern California Black Mission fig - except maybe the pastrami at Katz’s Deli.”
<strong>Brian Leth (Vinegar Hill House, NY):</strong> “No comment.”
<strong>Mourad Lahlou (Aziza, SF):</strong> “The best thing I have ever eaten at any of David’s restaurants was the second dozen of fresh oysters I ordered at Ssam bar without the kimchi consommé.”
<strong>Daniel Patterson (Coi, SF):</strong> “David who?”
<strong>Robert Newton (Seersucker, NY):</strong> “I’ve been too busy these days to stay on top of the San Francisco food scene, but I am sure it’s great. Let’s face it though, New York is the center of the food world in America. And besides, it’s all about Brooklyn right now.”
<strong>James Syhabout (Commis, SF):</strong> “To keep it simple, best rhymes with West.”
<strong>Dan Barber (Blue Hill, NY):</strong> “Looking forward to learning how to wrap a great burrito.”
<strong>Nate Appleman (Pulino’s, NY):</strong> “The difference between New York and San Francisco is that SF is a food city and NY is a restaurant city.”
<strong>Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone (Torrisi, NY): </strong>“When Sinatra said ‘if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere,’ he wasn’t talking about San Fran !”
<strong>Jeremy Fox (Plum, SF):</strong> “So basically the argument is New York technique versus California ingredients; but oh shit...look who’s got both now. Watch out !”
<strong>Melissa Perello (Frances, SF):</strong> “NY cuisine versus San Francisco cuisine…it’s like comparing apples and oranges, they’re just different.”</em>

LOVE IT!<br /><br />
<em>image via<a href="http://www.legrandfooding.com/home.php"> le grand fooding 2010</a></em>