3 questions for...Peter Berley

What a let-down. I purchased one of his books that I thought was very well written. He seemed genuine in talking about Vegetarian food. Now I see this and see he is basically just a sell-out. Very sad. I don't expect the whole world to go vegetarian, but to write vegetarian books, and then in essence insult those who purchase them...that is wrong on sooo many levels.

I am a vegetarian and have enjoyed Peter Berley's recipes over the past couple of years. It is too bad to see him slagging vegetarians as "adolescent" here - I assumed that such a good cook would be smarter and more sensitive than that. I guess that he has found a convenient way to justify his abandonment of vegetarianism, much as he abandoned his own earlier experiment with macro-biotic cooking - but he should not attack those who aren't as fickle and insecure about our commitments as he.

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What a waste of time and money. I knew a few months ago when I got wind of Peter Berley as chef that it was a mistake. A modern restaurant needs a more modern and caring chef to create food and a warm environment. Not a pretender who is only in it for the money.

Peter Berley is a great chef and a nice person. I'm sure we've all said something at some point in our life that "could" be held against us. Besides, meat is delicious. (not that wheat meat cr*p) I've got some two cent advice, join a cause that is pro-active and actually does something, rather that just complaining about a comment that a chef made. He is a chef, not a PETA worker. btw, I love animals. I like to pet them, and grill them, preferably in that order.

you are all complete douche bags go get a life and stop commenting on a random article for a chef who has better things to do than worry about offending you

First of all, the scientific community is shifting toward a greater recognition that animals have feelings. They point to the very similar brain structure and processes,which regulate emotions in humans and other mammals (see http://psychologytoday.com/rss/pto2006301-000001.html). So Peter Berley is wrong. Second, he contradicts himself, saying animals don't have feelings like people but then states that he knows the "fish is perfectly happy to die for you because it's fulfilled its fishdom." So he's nonsensical and stupid (Not to mention that there are now sound scientific studies that fish feel pain (www.royalsoc.ac.uk/news.asp?year=&id=1697 when the hooks go into them). Third, he's just plain mean-spirited. I'll be sure to choose any restaurant over this bastard's place.

First of all, the scientific community is shifting toward a greater recognition that animals have feelings. They point to the very similar brain structure such as the amygdala, which regulates emotions, in humans and mammals (see http://psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20060301-000001.html). So Peter Berley is wrong. Second, he contradicts himself, saying animals don't have feelings like people but then states that he knows the "fish is perfectly happy to die for you because it's fulfilled its fishdom." So he's nonsensical and stupid. Third, he's just plain mean-spirited. I'll be sure to choose any restaurant over this bastard's place.

First of all, the scientific community is shifting toward a greater recognition that animals have feelings. They point to the very similar brain structure such as the amagdyla, which regulates emotions, in humans and mammals. So Peter Berley is wrong. Second, he contradicts himself, saying animals don't have feelings like people but then states that he knows the "fish is perfectkt happy to die for you because it's fulfilled its fishdom." So he's nonsensical and stupid. Third, he's just plain mean-spirited. I'll be sure to choose any restaurant over this bastard's place.

Schweitzer, EDISON, KANT, KAFKA, TOLSTOY, Di VINCI, SHAW, GANDHI, amongst MANY other notables, were all vegetarian...I guess they were all sentimantal adolescents. .........But Voltaire said it best, "People must have renounced, it seems to me, all natural intelligence to dare to advance that animals are but animated machines? It appears to me, besides, that [such people] can never have observed with attention the character of animals, not to have distinguished among them the different Voices of need, of suffering, of joy, of pain, of love, of anger, and of all their affections." —Voltaire

I somehow came upon this. Very scary and sad. The first time I've heard compassion being adolescent. Obviously he has not spent time with animals or cared to acknowledge their individuallity and feelings. If only the fish and other animals can talk - a language he can understand anyway. Can't even consider going to his restaurant.

Berley certainly isn't very adept at cultivating his customer base. What absolutely idiotic remarks. As a vegetarian, for ethical and health reasons, I am insulted by Berley's ignorance. May his new venture fail miserably.

I don't understand how he can defend vegetarians by saying they are not second-class eaters, then move on to call the myriad of veg*ns out there adolescent. I'd like to see him call a Hindu or a Buddhist sentimental to their face. This guy needs to think before he talks. Ooh, a vegetarian friendly and interesting restaurant, run by an insensitive schmuck. Why would I want to frequent an establishment that already is judging my food lifestyle before I walk in the door? How can he even put love into the vegetarian dishes with comments like that...

For him, vegetarianism is very adolescent and very sentimental, but for me, he's just another meat-eating slob who is responsible for monumental amounts of suffering and ecological devastation. I will not be trying out his dime-a-dozen meat mill. As Bugs Bunny would say - "What a maroon."

What a douchenozzle. I like how in one sentence he is saying that fish have no feelings and in the next he is the fish whisperer. I wouldn't call this "flexitarianism" as much as cashing in. Also, his vegetarian cookbook is about as modern as my grandma's underwear drawer and she's been dead for 15 years. Why are you even pretending to care? Don't worry about smothering your pans in bacon, I am sure that no vegetarians will be patronizing your hokey establishment. Well, maybe the same people who think that 500 miles isn't a stretch of the word "local" will be.

His restaurant sounds fantastic. He sounds like an adult, unlike these idiotic animal rights fools. This is a restaurant for grown-ups, not children. I, for one, will eat there regularly

You've fulfilled your douchedom, now get on my plate you PoS

Insulting potential customers by calling them adolescent and overly sentimental doesn't seem like a very smart business practice to me.

I can't believe you rubbish anthropomorphising and then say "A fish is perfectly happy to die for you, because it’s fulfilled its fishdom." in the same paragraph. Do they talk to you or something?

Looks like I'll be taking my "adolescent" and "sentimental" dollars elsewhere, away from someone who doesn't have two brain cells to rub together to form a logical thought. Good job.

Perhaps Mr. Berley shouldn't start alienating a large pool of his clientele before he even opens his restaurant. People are vegetarians for a variety of reasons including but not limited to: religious, environmental, animal rights, workers rights and health concerns. Generalizing such a large group of people and diversity of beliefs as "sentimental" and "Adolescent" is not only inaccurate but it's bad business.

"A fish is perfectly happy to die for you, because it’s fulfilled its fishdom." What the hell? I hope vegetarians and vegans avoid this restaurant like the plague. That is a load of ignorant, steaming fecal.

This guy is paradoxically prepubescent and senile. He "paints" in primary colors yet cannot recall the "word when you project onto an animal human traits" (nice grammar). Perhaps we should send him to a remote area of New Guinea to see if he would be happy fulfilling his humandom.

Hm. He sounded great in the first two answers, but like a complete dick in the last answer. Won't be visiting the restaurant.