carpenter had an intuitive feel for creating dramatic, bustling environments that complemented rather than competed with the food. By the time his '50s-style Fog City Diner (in his home base of San Francisco) caught critics' eyes in 1984, Kuleto had thrown away his hammer and turned full time to restaurant design, a field that had barely existed before then.

His method? Start by making the restaurant comfortable for the employees who work there. "If you make them happy," he says, "that translates to the people being happy." After that comes lighting. "You can make a gas station spectacular if you light it properly," insists Kuleto, who says he's found design ideas in everything from European castles to industrial trash. He's also kept his star chefs happy (and loyal) by making them partners in their restaurants. "Pat has an amazing imagination, and he's fearless when it comes to design," says Nancy Oakes, the celebrated chef and part owner of San Francisco's Boulevard. "He said, 'I'm going to build a place where you're going to want to be 16 hours a day.' And he did."

These days, after having designed more than 160 restaurants, Kuleto still goes out to eat three times a week but not to look for inspiration. "I try to see what people are doing," he says mischievously, "so I can go in the opposite direction." Eager diners are sure to follow.