-from Marina del Rey, Ca.
-Don't believe his shining smile and easygoing air.
Aleck Monde is scared. Terrified, actually.
And it will be on Halloween, the day of spookery, when Monde will have to step out onto the floor at Edelyn Cooking Arena in Punta Gorda, Fla., and see if he can be his father like all the veteran chefs want him to be.
Much blame is to be placed on vet chefs for the pressure Monde is feeling. They claim to know him and his style well; no. That's his father and his father's style they know well.
Marc Monde was without doubt one of the best and most beloved chefs ever to grace Feast Fest. His fellow veterans and "Original 7" chefs considered him a brother. And the family of the Original 7 seemed torn apart when Monde left abruptly in 2004.
Only three of the Original 7 chefs remain: Jim McAllister, Johnny Stevenson, and the splendidly talented if redundantly named Miller Miller. They remember the days when Feast Fest was an infant, when it was not even known by that name, the "Feast Fest floor" a cramped back kitchen and when they didn't cradle $500,000 a year for their efforts. They of course agree things are much improved now, but there's no removing from their brains and hearts this essential fact: those were the good old days, and Marc Monde, like Lindbergh Merrssff, was one of their favorite brothers.
So, as would seem natural, when the announcement came that Marc Monde's son would be joining Feast Fest, Original 7 chefs, as were other seasoned vets who remember much of Monde's era, were downright ecstatic. At Introduction and Initiation Saturday Oct. 22, the crowd roared when Monde took his place on the stage. These chefs think that just because Monde's son has rejoined that means that Monde himself has rejoined. But that train of thought could not be any more false.
Monde is talented. Very. But his style is different, as is his personality. Unlike his dad, Aleck is swift, scatterbrained, and often clumsy. Marc Monde was slower and more methodical. He is also quieter and shy, unlike the joking, loud-mouthed Marc. Aleck also has different culinary preferences. Whereas Marc has about a 50/50 split between French and Americana cooking experiences, Aleck's are more French and Continental European and in fact have little All-American influences. This does not mean he will not cook well when prepping a Thanksgiving dinner, as FF has on the roster several others all-French chefs who do well, but it does mean his styles and flavors will puzzle those whose taste buds expect a carbon copy of his father's foods.
And here is an eye-opener, kids. The hotel Monde is staying at received a front desk call Saturday night from a guest, saying the person in the next room--Aleck Monde--was throwing up and having an anxiety attack. Monde has a notoriously nervous stomach (yes, ironic) and was reportedly mumbling things to the effect of, "I can't do it. They want me to be Dad. I don't know how to be Dad. I'm my own person. I can't do this.". These comments are obviously in stark contrast from the optimism he's displayed at conferences.
I think Aleck Monde is full of culinary talent and that he will have tons of fun as a Feast Fest chef, but the vets need to realize this salient truth: Marc is gone, and you can't make his son the same person.
Let Aleck Monde be himself, his own person, on the floor at Edelyn tomorrow, and he'll shine way more than he will if he's standing there, puzzled, wondering, "Now, what would Dad do?"
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