Hot Takes on a Plate

Ali Khan is back on the pod! The Food Network and Cooking Channel star debates perfect pairings with Rob Petrone -- everything from the best food to eat with White Claw to the best beverage to drink with Texas-style BBQ Brisket. Ali's new dog also makes a few appearances, plus Ali shares details about his new podcast, "Eat This. Drink That."

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Gene Weingarten is a humor columnist for the Washington Post. In a recent piece titled, "You can't make me eat these foods," he attempts to make fun of his palate by listing the foods he hates, which include Balsamic vinegar, anchovies ... and "Indian food," which he describes as "the only ethnic cuisine in the world insanely based entirely on one spice." On this Hot Takes on a Plate, I confront Gene about the inaccuracies in his statement, the insensitivity in his stance, the editorial process for getting this approved and if he has any regrets.

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Rob Petrone chats with food journalist and podcaster Howie Kahn about the whiplash so many of us are facing this summer with the emergence of the Delta variant and what this all means for restaurants.

For more on Howie: https://freetimemedia.world/

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Rob Petrone worries about how potential future lockdowns would impact restaurants -- and how easily avoidable that fate would be if everyone just got vaccinated. Rob also shares big news about his documentary, 86'd: How A Global Pandemic Rocked The World's Culinary Capital, premiering on the big screen. (For more on that, visit longbeachfilm.com)

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Jaymee Sire went from local news to being an ESPN SportsCenter anchor to now a food world star (he credits include Iron Chef Showdown, Beat Bobby Flay and the podcast Food Network Obsessed). Rob Petrone went from being a sports anchor to local news to a food TV host and -- yes -- podcaster. The timelines and level of success are different, but the career path similarities are striking considering most don't wind up in food media coming from where they came from. On this Hot Takes on a Plate, Rob talks with Jaymee about career pivots, facing adversity and how having been a sports anchor helps immensely when talking food.

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Eli Sussman is the food world meme king (seriously, go follow @thesussmans on Instagram). He also owns Samesa, a fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant in Midtown Manhattan (30 Rock, to be exact) with his brother, Max. Rob Petrone chats with Eli about the inspiration for his memes and quickly realizes that great visual jokes are very difficult to make as funny without the visuals.

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Bars are back -- now what? Esquire Lifestyle & Culture Director, Kevin Sintumuang, joins Rob Petrone to discuss the making of the magazine's annual Best Bars in America list, how the pandemic has changed his relationship with drinking and what bars provide us during this unique moment in time.

Read the Esquire list: https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/bars/a36439312/best-bars-america-2021/

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In the wake of the Seattle Times publishing a thorough investigation where 15 women accused two-time James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Eduardo Jordan of sexual misconduct or unwanted touching over a five-year period that began in 2012 (and his entire restaurant staff quitting over the allegations the following day), Rob Petrone vents about how food media members often look the other way while propping these figures up.

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In this third chapter of our special documentary series “86’d: How A Global Pandemic Rocked The World’s Culinary Capital,” Rob Petrone discusses the anger so many in the industry were feeling this time last year, and how much of that anger centered around inequality. (Interviews are time capsules, recorded at various points between April of 2020 and July of 2020.) Plus, Rob makes a big announcement about the documentary.

Thanks to (in order of appearance) Ellen Sledge of Penny Lick Ice Cream; Jerry DeJesus of North End Tavern; Joanna Prisco of The Good Witch Coffee Bar; Dale Talde of Goosefeather; Chip Wade of Union Square Hospitality Group; and Wilson Tang of Nom Wah Tea Parlor.

For chapter one of 86’d (Ground Zero): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chapter-1-ground-zero-86d-how-global-pandemic-rocked/id1497368408?i=1000512379270

For chapter two of 86'd (Adapt & Pivot): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chapter-2-adapt-pivot-86d-how-global-pandemic-rocked/id1497368408?i=1000518031134

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Karis Jagger and Fabienne Toback are the executive producers of the new Netflix series High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America. The longtime friends and collaborators speak with Rob Petrone about the making of this groundbreaking, must-watch series, which explores the often ignored role Black Americans have played in shaping America’s culinary traditions.

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John Hampson is the frontman for the band Nine Days; you may know the band for their song, “Absolutely (Story of a Girl),” which was a #1 hit in 2000. John catches up with Rob Petrone to discuss the diet of a rock star -- the logic behind the very specific food requests he’s made backstage, why he lost weight at the height of the band’s success and the circumstance that had a waiter laughing at him at an expensive restaurant.

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Jim Serpico is an acclaimed TV & film producer, writer and director. His credits include Blow, Rescue Me, Maron and, most recently, the FX original documentary Hysterical. He also runs a comedy record label and manages comedic talent. So then, how did this successful and busy entertainment professional wind up baking and selling bread at farmers’ markets? Rob Petrone chats with Jim about founding Side Hustle Artisanal Bread Company during a global pandemic and the parallels between the food and entertainment industries.

Side Hustle Artisanal Bread Company: https://sidehustleartisanalbread.com/

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In this second chapter of our special documentary series “86’d: How A Global Pandemic Rocked The World’s Culinary Capital,” Rob Petrone discusses with various New York restaurateurs and others connected to the restaurant world the main theme of this time last year: adapting to a new normal and pivoting to whatever they needed to do to survive. (Interviews are time capsules, recorded at various points between March of 2020 and June of 2020.)

Thanks to (in order of appearance) Allison Buckingham of Perelandra Natural Foods; Dale Talde of Goosefeather Restaurant; Andy Nusser of Casa Mono; Joanna Prisco of The Good Witch Coffee Bar; Wilson Tang of Nom Wah; Sheena Garcia of Mariachi Mexico; Bruce Botchman of White Plains Linen; Mimi Edleman of I & Me Farm; Eric Korn of Monteverde at Oldstone; Christian Petroni; and Marc Glosserman of Hill Country Barbecue Market.

For chapter one of 86’d (Ground Zero): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chapter-1-ground-zero-86d-how-global-pandemic-rocked/id1497368408?i=1000512379270

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As the owner of Penny Lick Ice Cream Co., Ellen Sledge can’t go a day without someone sharing with her their idea for an ice cream flavor. Everyone thinks they could make the perfect pint -- but as Ellen shares with Rob Petrone on this week’s Hot Takes on a Plate, there’s a lot more that goes into creating flavors than most people consider. Listen as Rob pitches Ellen his ideas for ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt -- and if Ellen likes one, you’ll be able to eat it yourself right after listening to this podcast!

Here’s how:

Visit Penny Lick Ice Cream (580 Warburton Ave., Hastings on Hudson, NY 10706; 914-525-1580)

Order online (https://penny-lick-ice-cream-company.square.site/)

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We’re going back to the 1990s! 60 Songs That Explain The ‘90s host and The Ringer staff writer Rob Harvilla joins Rob Petrone to discuss the intersection of food, music and ‘90s nostalgia (yes, there is an intersection, there’s always an intersection, just enjoy). Come for Puff Daddy’s three-course meal involving spaghetti, fettuccine and veal; stay for two Robs reminiscing about high school Burger King experiences.

Links:

60 Songs That Explain The ‘90s (podcast)

60 Songs That Explain The ‘90s (The Ringer)

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In this first installment of 86’d: How A Global Pandemic Rocked The World’s Culinary Capital, Rob Petrone takes us back to the beginning of COVID-19 in New York -- and how the restaurant industry was responding in those early days last March.

• Take a trip to “Ground Zero,” New Rochelle, to see how one restaurant in the containment zone -- Jerry DeJesus’s North End Tavern -- fared before the government-mandated shutdown.
• Meet a mom-and-pop ice cream shop owner, Ellen Sledge of Penny Lick Ice Cream Co., who believed she had the virus.
• Go to Chinatown to learn how the virus impacted businesses -- and life -- there before the rest of New York through the eyes of Wilson Tang of Nom Wah Tea Parlor.
• Visit with one restaurant industry leader, Chip Wade of Union Square Hospitality Group, grappling with safety concerns.
• And hear from a celebrity chef, Dale Talde, whose Goosefeather restaurant hasn’t even been open a year as he grapples with what feels like “nuclear warfare.”

Rob also speaks with The New Yorker staff writer Helen Rosner about the events of last March -- where we were and what we’ve learned.

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Coming to Hot Takes on a Plate Wednesday, March 10th: the first installment of a special documentary series, "86'd: How A Global Pandemic Rocked The World's Culinary Capital." These podcasts are the audio companion to a soon-to-be released documentary produced by former Restaurant Hunter staff members. Rob Petrone discussed the impact COVID-19 had on the restaurant industry with both New York-based industry leaders and mom-and-pop business owners as events unfolded, starting in March of 2020 when restaurants in New York were first shut down for indoor dining. Get an intimate picture of how these people were thinking as history happened.

Make sure to subscribe to Hot Takes on a Plate so you never miss an episode of this special series.

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How big a role does confirmation bias play in how we each decide which foods are healthy? Can we trust what we read online about the latest studies, super foods and diet trends? Are al pastor tacos healthy? Rob Petrone goes deep down the “healthy” rabbit hole with licensed dietician-nutritionist and co-owner of Perelandra Natural Foods, Allison Buckingham, in the latest Hot Takes on a Plate.

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Roger Mooking has been a mainstay on Food Network and Cooking Channel for more than a decade -- and if you know Roger, you know his laugh. But that trademark laugh isn’t just deployed when he thinks something is funny. Rob Petrone caught up with the Trinidadian-born, Canadian-rasied celebrity chef to discuss that laugh, his experiences traversing the American South as a Black man, what a lot of people may not understand about barbecue and how he chooses to use social media.

Check out Roger’s two-part documentary series on the impact of racism and mental health, Awakenings: Behind the Curtain:

Part one: https://youtu.be/xO8DtYY_42o

Part two: https://youtu.be/pxIMNNL5Tfw

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What does a Bon Appetit video about canning seafood have in common with indoor dining reopening for Valentines Day in New York City and Super Bowl parties? More than you may think. In this emergency episode of Hot Takes on a Plate, Rob Petrone chats with self-described food antagonist Joe Rosenthal (@joe_rosenthal on Instagram) to discuss the Brad Leone “It’s Alive” video gone wrong, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s contradictory takes on indoor dining and why throwing or attending a Super Bowl party is a very bad idea during COVID.

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