Do you ever worry we may lose local chefs to bigger cities?

• Cowboys & Indians
• You keep your mitts off Colby and Megan Garrelts, New York City.

The Kansas City Royals have an unfortunate history of watching their best players leave for bigger markets, in search of larger paychecks and endorsement deals. So far, it’s been the opposite case in the culinary world here in KC. We have a cadre of young chefs — at the helm of new, independent restaurants — who were forged in the fires of kitchens in larger cities. But our more established chefs, the American’s Debbie Gold, Extra Virgin’s Michael Smith and Julian’s Celina Tio, are starting to get higher national profiles, thanks to regular appearances on food television programs. Chef Jacques Pepin recently told the Associated Press that he worries that customers’ meals may suffer because of all of the demands on cooks outside the kitchen. Do you ever worry we’re going to lose our chefs to a bigger market?