Economy, opportunity thinning restaurants' supply of cooks

Frank Hanes, a 25-year-old sous chef, moved to San Francisco from his native Vermont to pursue a career in cooking. He has been working at Aziza in the Richmond District for the last year, and both he and Aziza chef-owner Mourad Lahlou say it's been a match made in heaven.

But recently, Hanes gave Lahlou his notice. He's moving back to the other side of the country.

"I'm learning so much more here than I would on the East Coast. I've seen food I never even knew existed," Hanes said. "But my girlfriend and I have been looking for our own spot, and we couldn't even find a single-bedroom apartment."

As upscale restaurants continue to open at a dizzying pace - witness this year's premieres of the critically acclaimed Coqueta, Tosca Cafe, Fog City, Roka Akor and Saison - and diners continue to pack them, there's a spoiler lurking behind the boom: There are not enough people to cook the food.

http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Economy-opportunity-thinning-restaurants-supply-5093045.php