If anybody can seriously compare Keller and Gagnaire to promoters without talent like Batali and Fearing then the 'it' does not matter. the difference is in the ability to make ingredients into masterpieces that are delectable. People like Batali know little about good food and a great deal about self-promotion. I do not denigrate their skills, but they are not about excellence in cuisine.

Experiencing a truly talented chef in action produces a sublime experience that has less to do with an ability to impress than an ability to express.

Even naming profane crass people like Ramsay proves the point. There are some who use promotion as a substitute for talent. Ramsay has never been a great chef though he has had several in his kitchens.

There are those such as Michel Troisgros, Thomas Keller, Alice Waters, Stephane Raimbault who create for the client Nirvana. There are others who make a media-driven statement that plays well on TV. One rarely can eat those TV dinners of Batali and his ilk.