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I’ve always wondered – if Luke loves cooking so much, and can make really gourmet meals, why doesn’t he have a more upscale restaurant? In ‘But I’m a Gilmore,’ he is more than able to temp for Sookie at the Dragonfly, which is incredible. Sookie is one of the top chefs out there, we’re led to believe, and Luke is not only able to step up, but makes the lamb chops so well that Sookie is taking some home to study!
So, given that Luke has the aptitude and the love of cooking gourmet food, why did he open a diner, not a full-scale restaurant? Or even in addition to the diner? Now, I have some ideas. I think Luke is a really down-to-earth kind of guy and doesn’t like to be pretentious – not about his diner or about his food. He may love to cook, but it’s something he does for him, not for other people. So, at his diner he does more serving than cooking and he keeps it simple. Also, I don’t think his father’s old Hardware store would have easily translated into anything other than a diner.
Then there’s the community aspect – as much as Luke may hate the gossip and the rowdy families, I think he takes pride in his diner being a hub for the community. It allows him to participate without having to say much. What do you think? What keeps Luke’s skill in the kitchen to more humble roots?
Watch “Gilmore Girls” episode ‘But I’m A Gilmore’:
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534 days ago
Luke has always been happy with what he’s got, and frankly, afraid of TOO much change. He never changed his father’s sign, only changed his “special” and menu one time, and was afraid to ask Lorelai out for years because he was afraid that it would destroy their relationship after how her previous relationships turned out
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534 days ago
I think Luke cooks what he likes to eat and what his customers like to eat. Why change something that isn’t broken. Luke is downhome and old school. Plus, like the person said above me, Luke didn’t love change. Look at what it took just to get the place painted. LOL.
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534 days ago
I think Luke probably happy want to cook.Cuz he love cook and very good skill food.Not same with Luke’s diner.
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534 days ago
Maybe its more a case of knowing his audience. Stars hollows locals are not like the more affluent residents of Hartford etc. Maybe a gormet resturant would bring them in for special occasions but not on a daily basis.
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534 days ago
I agree. Luke’s is just a big dinner table or breakfast tables for all the folks of Stars Hollow.
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534 days ago
I agree that his audience is a main factor. If he had a fancier establishment, where would the Gilmore girls get their caffeine fix?
However, I also think there is a slightly deeper meaning. In the earlier episodes, Luke was portrayed as a typical New England (perhaps more in the vein of Vermont or Maine) hippie/outdoorsy guy. Later he is portrayed as a loner and I do not think that is accurate. I think he has a deep sense of community within himself. We know he does not like the food he cooks at the diner and I don’t think he necessarily does the diner and the cooking ‘for himself’ but rather for Stars Hollow. He choose to stay there and it was not because he could not leave, but because he wanted to.
So while deep down he is a ‘foodie,’ he is offering a relaxed, down to earth place to the people of this town. While a diner is stressful, a gourmet restaurant is ten times as stressful (as we see emerge here and there with Sookie’s obsession with perfection). Luke is more laid back and down to earth, and he is, in his own way, reaching out to the community he is deeply embedded in by offering simple, all American food (and coffee).
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534 days ago
Amy – im with you on lukes sence of community. He is a funny ol’ character, he grumps at every thing and says he wont get involved but he is always there for anyone who needs him – lorelai, his siter, jess – and look (dont let me cry again!) at all the work he put in to rorys leaving do. He likes to be seen as someone who doesnt give a &*$% about small town life when in reallity he is pretty much at the center of it. Sara B – love the idea. Any one up for waffles and Coffe at lukes in the morning?
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533 days ago
Totally-I think we are all saying the same thing and in agreement that we would love a Luke’s (complete with a Luke) in our town.
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533 days ago
What I always found even weirder than his amazing cooking skills is that he does not care for fast food: he is always trying to get Lorelai and Rory (and probably others) to eat healthier, i.e. no fries, less cheese, less red meat, etc… but he still serves that kind of food. I mean if you’re radically against it, wouldn’t you try not to serve it???
still I’d love to go in his diner! and let him (and Sookie) cook for me a nice fancy dinner! :-D
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533 days ago
I think Luke tried to get the GGs to eat less crap because he actually cared about their health. He doesn’t care about everyone in the same way he does the GGs. Ya know?
I lecture people I love about things I am passionate about to, but not strangers. I am a Graphic Designer who tells others to not take a penny less than they are worth, but I do. LOL. So, I get why he sell the crap he himself wouldn’t eat.
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533 days ago
It is a little funny that he serves food he’d never eat, that’s for sure. But that just proves again how smart Luke is. He knows what people want – he was able to create a place with the right ambiance and the right food to pull people in there to eat or grab their coffee every day. There are very few places that can say as much!
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