"I like to have my hand on every single plate that goes out. It's really a good feeling when someone compliments your meal, and you had everything to do with making it. It's very rewarding"
About this Quote
The intent is practical and emotional at once. On the surface, it’s about quality control and the satisfaction of serving something well. Underneath, it’s about resisting the modern temptation to delegate your identity. “Every single plate” signals an insistence on standards, maybe even a hint of obsession: not micromanagement for its own sake, but the belief that details are where reputation lives. In sports, that’s framing pitches, calling games, taking bruises in the late innings. In food, it’s seasoning, timing, consistency. Different arenas, same ethic.
The subtext of the compliment matters. He’s not chasing praise as ego fuel; he’s describing praise as proof of competence. The reward isn’t fame, it’s confirmation that your invisible labor landed. That’s why the sentence ends on “rewarding” instead of “fun” or “impressive.” Dickey frames gratification as earned, not granted, and you can hear the old-school professional code: touch the work, own the outcome, then let the results do the talking.
Quote Details
| Topic | Cooking |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Dickey, Bill. (2026, January 15). I like to have my hand on every single plate that goes out. It's really a good feeling when someone compliments your meal, and you had everything to do with making it. It's very rewarding. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-like-to-have-my-hand-on-every-single-plate-that-74865/
Chicago Style
Dickey, Bill. "I like to have my hand on every single plate that goes out. It's really a good feeling when someone compliments your meal, and you had everything to do with making it. It's very rewarding." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-like-to-have-my-hand-on-every-single-plate-that-74865/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I like to have my hand on every single plate that goes out. It's really a good feeling when someone compliments your meal, and you had everything to do with making it. It's very rewarding." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-like-to-have-my-hand-on-every-single-plate-that-74865/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.





