Success From Anywhere

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception; it is a prevailing attitude.”

—Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State

How can you know if a restaurant is truly excellent?

Before you say, “Check Yelp,” consider a test that points to something more than just a good review.

Here's how to develop a taste for excellence, in a top restaurant: order the soup.

Soup is an easy place to hide things. Soups are made from miscellaneous bits. Leftovers. Extras. Things that can easily be pureed together or blended in with a bouquet of other flavors.

Here's how soup leads to excellence in a restaurant kitchen. First, stick your spoon into the soup. Pull out a bite. What do you see?

“Cut the carrots!” said the man in the middle of the kitchen. “Cut the celery and onions into small dice. All cubes must be the exact same size!” Chef Karl Benko was teaching his ever-curious culinary students, and I was one of them. In the kitchen, Chef Benko was king. His slicked-back hair, bat-wing eyebrows, and salt and pepper goatee formed into what appeared to be a constant scowl. He always looked like something didn't taste quite right. Quite often, he was correct.

Benko made a name for himself in steakhouses. He was the former director of culinary development for Del Frisco's restaurant group, and a past concept chef at ...