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"I have not had any realistic opportunities to become the great chef that I am meant to be".

that, sir, right there, is your problem. it sounds as though you've had plenty of opportunities thrown at you--but, none of them have matched your fairytale version of how you've decided that your culinary career should pan out. the life is all about paying your dues, bub. it doesn't matter if you've graduated at the top of your class--being able to thrown down, out in the real world, on the line, day in and day out, with passion, dedication, vision, burns, and sweat is what weeds out the dilettantes from the chefs. it sounds like you need a reality check.

Thanks, Leslie! Just picking nits because pizza-oven nerds will make appreciate the distinction. Not to take anything away from Brandon. I'm of the mind that it's not so much the oven itself, who built it, or what it's made from—only what comes out of it. And from a distance and through a screen, Delancey's stuff looks pretty good.

I have been reading about the progress of Delancey on Orangette. How exciting that you get to help prep there!! I am dying to try it on my next visit to Seattle!

apply often.... I got my first job after applying everyday to every job I could find whether I was qualified or not.

I landed a job as a cook due to a firing at a Freebird's in Austin. Turns out, its NOT the easiest kitchen to start in. I think I actually shed a tear of frustration once. I swore off foodservice--loving food does not equal loving restaurant life. Then I worked a painfully dull job at a Panera Bread in Arlington. Swore off food service again. Now I wrangled my way into a new job, as a Sushi Chef at a high-end sushi bar. Its an incredible amount of work and has few pluses, but some of us are destined(read: doomed) to kitchens. Its a mindset, and one that doesn't involve hiring skills. The trick is not quitting your job, but you get a job in a kitchen on a whim of a manager--they'll hire anyone if and only if they feel like it.

You are gonna be up against a few things the first I see not your lack of experience but the fact that people are gonna see you as just there for a bit to write things then gone.
Also kiss your nights weekends etc goodbye they are not yours anymore.
It will be interesting. I will keep reading. It would be really cool if when you write about the job search you not only describe the jobs you find but also state the wages being offered for whats expected. Definitely a chance to shine a light on that.

Pointy, I believe you're being sarcastic, but just in case you aren't, I'll answer your question. Surely you can find something you might like here -- even if it's only from what you might dream up on the "build your own" board. Also, in my visits I've not once been stuck in traffic (other than maybe for a few minutes at the Ballard bridge waiting for a boat to go through.) Lastly, I just ask that they don't move to Belltown :)

Stushi, as is the case with almost all great establishments, they can get very busy. I try to go when I imagine not a lot of people are there. It also depends on if they've just been written up. (Like the recent Seattle Times piece, the article here, the Food Network praise, and what may be pending on epicurious.com) Basically LL survives on word of mouth. Even if that mouth is full and all the person can do is moan their approval :)

Why would I or anyone bother to go all the way up to nosebleed suburban Ballard (aka Dullard) and fight with the horrid traffic on dismal and depressing 15th Ave? Not even for the most delicious burger, which is not this one from the look of things...waaay too sloppy!

LL please consider a move to Capital Hill, say....

Hophead. I was a homebrewer for a while but like Fry said its quite a bit of work and sanitation. Especially difficult in a Brooklyn apartment.

I love wine, but I am a home brewer and I absolutely love brewing up some good beer to go with my cooking. Home brewed beer is typically very high quality and relatively affordable. It's quite a bit of work and sanitation, but it is very fun to show off home brewed beer to guests. Tomorrow, I'm throwing a pork shoulder and whole chicken on the smoker and my guests will be finishing the last of my homebrewed summer ale and I'll be debuting my vanilla weizen.

Ok, I just have to mix it up a bit here: Frozen biscuits? Are you kidding? People make biscuits from scratch precisely because they come together so quickly and are so tasty! Buying frozen biscuits is sort of like buying frozen toast! (Another phenomenon I'll never understand. The instructions for preparing pre-made toast that you buy in the freezer section of the grocery store: put into the toaster and, well, TOAST.) Biscuits are simple to make from scratch and I guarantee homemade biscuits will taste better. My husband, a native Kentuckian, says no true Southerner would make frozen biscuits, and serving them to guests would be just plain SHAMEFUL!

Thank you all for the information. Now I need to order some of these. Some of you have said you have ordered or started to order some of these breads. Can you please provide me a good website to go to if they don't have them at Walmart here in Omaha, NE.

Thank you and HAGD,