My parents were my first restaurant mentors. At the Hickory House, our family's barbeque restaurant in Oklahoma City, they made sure I recognized the importance of freshness. Freshness of the food, of the look of the place, of the staff. They taught me that a restaurant needs to look like it's just opened, while giving the impression that it's been there forever.

Constant change, growth and improvement were their freshness secrets, and I've striven to walk in their footsteps: Frontera in 1987, Topolobampo in 1989, a daughter in 1991, Zinfandel Restaurant in 1993, a new book and product line in 1996, and a new, improved, expanded Topolobampo and bar area in 1997.

That last one might sound like enough to tackle in one year, but it hasn't been my greatest challenge. My garden has. -Rick Bayless