And if he can't find it, he creates it. For example, he wasn't satisfied with the quality of cheeses and butters that were available to American chefs, so he bought a creamery, improved it and watched it grow to supply some of America's most influential restaurants. He wasn't happy with chickens either, so he bought a chicken farm and introduced a new hybrid from France. He has since sold the business, but continues to purchase from it. Though his quest for products borders on obsession, he insists it is the people, not the ingredients, that are responsible for Aureole's success.
Restaurants are about people.
Yes, I have great resources, and I have access to anything. But people make it No. 1. Yet for all that he has accomplished in his many business ventures, Palmer wants to be thought of as just a cook. We're just cooks. Palmer sometimes fears he'll be remembered for being something other than a cook.