How significant is noise abatement?
It’s truly important, much more than it ever was. With every job for the last 20 or 30, we tell them we’ll come in at the end with things that abate the noise, if it’s needed. At first, at Beverly Hills Grill, people were walking out. It was too noisy. You learn a lesson, and from that point on, I did make a concerted effort. Lately, we’re using more carpeting, a little softer materials. Upholstered booths are amazing in abating sound. So are linens on the tables. And Sonex — it’s a brand of soundproofing they use in recording studios. It absorbs sound like crazy. It really works. Once it’s painted to match the ceiling, you don’t know it’s there. What is your kitchen/dining room like at home? It’s an old house. The cupboards are the same; they’ve just been painted 14 times. My kitchen is small, minimal, not grand, not kitchen-like. If I put a sofa in there, it would look like a living room. No extravagant appliances. My wife, Anna, does phenomenal cooking out of there. You can cook on
