Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent · A Deep in the Weeds Production

Peter Gunn (Ides) - going out on a high

·44 min·2 clips

Peter Gunn says he won't lower the Ides brand by “hating the job” and wants to “go out on a high.”

Peter Gunn comes on to talk about Ides and what it means to close it on its 10th birthday. Dani opens the conversation warmly, and Peter thanks her for being rock solid over the years. The core idea is straightforward. He does not want to dull the Ides brand or keep going until he hates the job, because leaving on a high matters to him. That choice carries real weight. Dani keeps pressing into the practical and emotional sides of it, and Peter speaks plainly about how hard hospitality has been from the beginning, not just in recent years. The numbers are uneven. He describes nights with two guests, nights with no bookings, and other services where 82 covers arrive in a room built for 30 seats plus a 16-seat bar. Those swings shape everything. They make staffing, ordering, and the daily effort of keeping the business moving difficult when demand never arrives in the same shape twice. Peter does not sound like someone reaching for a slogan. He sounds like a chef-owner who has lived with the pressure long enough to know that adaptation is part of the work. The conversation stays close to craft. He reflects on how his cooking has changed over time and how hard it can be to lead while trusting both your own voice and the opinions of people you respect. Memory keeps surfacing. Peter looks back to the years around Attica and to the long stretch of watching food media come and go while he kept building Ides. The feeling shifts near the end. He admits that this is the first time he has really felt emotional about the decision, and Dani meets that moment with care rather than haste. What remains is gratitude. The episode closes with appreciation for the restaurant, the team, and the beautiful moments people carried away with them, and that care hangs in the air.

As heard by us

A grounded farewell shaped by pressure, pride, and the choice to leave on a high.

Dirty Linen follows Peter Gunn, chef and owner of Ides Restaurant, as he explains why closing on the restaurant's 10th birthday feels like the right end to his run.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you want a restaurant closing story that stays honest about the grind.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent