Talk about verbal...

I went to see Matty Matheson after eating some street tacos from a food truck adjacent to the hotel. AND THEY WERE EXQUSITE! What kind of crazy, f*cked up world do we live in where the food from a truck is better than that from any fast food joint, and sometimes restaurants?

One in which the palates of the public have been educated and chefs are set free to create to their vision as opposed to that of the boss.

There was cole slaw with the pork! And all kinds of chozzerai in the three tacos I purchased. But best of all, they were SPICY! If someone doesn't like spicy food today, chances are they're old.

Then again, I've been told that Toronto has the most ethnicities of any city on the planet, the most nationalities. And one thing is for sure, the conference is filled with many colors. There's less racism in Canada. Then again I'm sure there's some racism, there always is.

I went to see Matty Matheson because of "The Bear." You know Matty, he plays Neil Fak, an overcharged doofus. He's comic relief, then again everybody at the restaurant takes their job seriously.

And this may be the only job Matty can get, because of his neck tattoos.

So, in the mania attendant to "The Bear" we learned that unlike the rest of the cast, Matty does come from the food world, he's a restaurateur... That sounds highfalutin', and in some cases Matty's restaurants are, but during Covid he opened Matty's Pattys, a burger takeout joint in Toronto (and now Costa Mesa!) As a reward for sitting through the presentation, everybody got a burger, which was cold. It's the little things that count, I was debating going to the location and getting a burger, now I won't, you've got to keep up your standards 24/7.

So Matty left culinary college to go on the road with a metal band, but really, he's a cook. And he says being a cook means he can always work, even if it means selling hot dogs in his driveway, and he loves feeding people.

But when you're at a conference like this, people are looking for lessons, to learn how to make it.

There's nothing you can learn from Matty Matheson, nothing you can learn from any of these stars, they're unique individuals. And Matty even referenced this and emphasized this at the end of the interview... "You be you." "Don't follow trends." "Trends come and go, but you don't."

What are the odds people will follow this?

Just about ZERO!

Furthermore, almost all people are not willing to work that hard and suffer. Which is why they go straight. You must have a vision and execute it. Matheson has had about seventy restaurants, but only thirteen are open today. He learned through failure, which I think is overrated. No, scratch that, just because you failed that does not mean you learned something. Failure only yields benefits if you tested the limits and learned along the way. Matty opened his early emporiums sans business plan. But not anymore.

So in real life Matty Matheson is not the doofus he is in "The Bear." He's intelligent. And...

You put a nickel in the jukebox and he goes and goes and goes.

But despite having such high energy, Matty told us he sometimes gets sad. Which was a shock to hear. Especially in this world of winners where everybody is up 24/7. And then he said that those in the audience were sad sometimes too, maybe even right now!

But you get the endless questions from people hyping themselves and asking stuff that most people are not interested in. As if by standing amongst others and testifying as to their greatness it will yield an opportunity. NO! That's not how it works! Someone asked Matty how to get celebrities to come to a restaurant, to pay attention to what they're doing. Matty said they had it all wrong, you just do the work and wait for people to find you. And that's what I've experienced. Now more than ever, when everybody can promote themselves online. How do you get people to follow you? Be unique and great and never give up. Sounds simple, it's not.

Or as they say, it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n roll.

Matty talked about putting all that effort into opening a restaurant only to open and find people online saying "meh.'

You can't control the public, you can only do.

But most people are afraid.

Even worse, most people are not worth paying attention to. Just because you make it, that does not mean people will come. "Field of Dreams" is a MOVIE!

There was so much I wanted to ask Matty. It's the personal stuff that's at the root. However, he did talk about being overwhelmed at first on "The Bear." Everybody else was an actor, and he didn't know how to act, and that's a skill too.

But I've seen a lot of these chefs speak, and I've never encountered one like Matty. Most are somewhat laid back, they put their energy into their work, i.e. food. Or they're busy building and promoting their empires.

But this guy is a bundle of energy, he's punk rock in a world where some reject anybody and anything that is not safe and familiar. But there are those who are yearning for, hungry for something unique and different, something that radiates vision, something they'll experience that they won't forget.

That's the business Matty Matheson is in.

That's the business you need to be in.

And it can't be taught, it comes from the inside. A burning desire that can't be extinguished. You walk into the wilderness, you play without a net and success comes long after failure, assuming it comes at all.

Sound good?

Probably not.

Not everybody is a star. Especially if it requires talent. Which you don't need on social media. But to truly make an impact on people you must possess it.

Furthermore, if you're not questioning whether you should give up, you're overconfident/in denial and you won't make it either.

Now more than ever, success depends on humanity. Credibility is key. And it can be blown with one faux pas, one misstep. You're managing your image all the time. You have to be just like everybody else but better.

Which is why very few rise above, to the point where they're well-known.

Then again, food is now more popular than music. It was standing room only for Matty Matheson, unlike Tegan and Sara. And stunningly, no one left!

This is the essence musicians used to evidence. But today they're too busy following trends and formulas to evidence this level of intrigue.

But Matty Matheson... I don't think we could be friends, but I'd love to hang with the guy for a week to see how he does it.

Because he doesn't do it like me or you.

And that's what makes him interesting.


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