chefpodcast

The Taste of Things is one of the most celebrated films of the past year, a beautifully rendered love story set amid an important chapter in culinary history. On this ATTC Special Conversation, the film's writer-director Trần Anh Hùng joins us from Paris to discuss the genesis of the film, what attracted him to the project, the involvement of chef Pierre Gagnaire, and working with actors Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel. 

Our thanks to Metro for their support. Visit their website today to learn more about how they can make your restaurant kitchen and office more efficient. 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

In October 2023, Max Natmessnig and Marco Prins returned to Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, where they once were cooks, as co-chefs of the celebrated tasting-menu restaurant. Four months into their tenure, they sat down with Andrew to share their individual and joint stories, describe their collaborative creative process, and explain their their attraction to New York City.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

MIami's Brad Kilgore displays an easygoing demeanor beneath which resides a precise and driven chef. When Brad and his colleagues hosted Andrew for a book event last fall at the Arlo Hotel Wynwood (home of Brad's MaryGold's Brasserie), the two of them sat down to record this interview. In it they discuss myriad subjects including Brad's adoption of the principles of Molecular and Modernist Cuisines, his time in some of the best restaurants in Chicago, and his plans for the future, including Pizza Freak Co., an already launched direct-to-doorstep frozen pizza venture. 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

While visiting his hometown of Miami, Florida, during his recent book tour, Andrew finally  had the chance to meet and interview with chef Michael Beltran of Ariete, Chug's Diner, and Eva and The Oyster Bar--all in Coconut Grove. Michael is also the host of the excellent Pan Con Podcast, which you should by all means check out. After years of corresponding by Instagram messages, Andrew and MIchael sat down for a conversation that is shared differently on their two shows: Michael and producer Nicolás Antonio Jiménez (who produced the session, and recorded and mixed the sound) ran the entire two-plus-hour dialogue on Pan Con Podcast. We're sharing pieces of it here as Special Conversations, starting with this episode about how a chef can stay true to themself while also drawing and satisfying customers. It's an honest, frank conversation that we think is very timely and entertaining.

Our thanks to Metro for their support. Visit their website today to learn more about how they can make your restaurant kitchen and office more efficient. 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Our fourth Mentorship panel was staged this past fall in Andrew's hometown of Miami, Florida, at the much-acclaimed  Maty's, part of the Itamae family of restaurants. As chef Valerie "Val" Chang and her crew prepared dinner for a full house of line cooks from around the city, her brother and business partner Nando Chang took to the mic along with his longtime protege Adriano Montano. Their unique story--both are musicians and Adriano continues to pursue his career alongside his now five-year (and going) stint with the Itamae group. This latest installment in our six-part LIVE! national series offers much wisdom on hiring and management, and a touching (and not uncommon) story of a cook finding the kitchen almost by accident, and deciding to stay there.

(Be sure to also listen to the other episodes in this series, which are conveniently gathered in an archive on our website.)

* photo by Middle River Arts

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

**Content warning – this episode (briefly) discusses attempted suicide.**

Sam Hart took a circuitous route to the professional kitchen. After a childhood in which cooking and food weren't especially central concerns, Sam was in a career in advertising when culinary inspiration struck, leading to jobs in such kitchens as  Alinea, and ultimately to becoming chef owner of Counter- and other concepts in Charlotte, NC. Andrew and Sam sat down a few months back to go through their fascinating career and creative arc.

Please note: If experiencing suicidal feelings, for professional and/or medical advice/attention, please seek help from an appropriate mental health care specialist and/or medical provider.

If you are in the U.S., here are two resources where you can seek help any day, at any time:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Crisis Text Line (also available in the UK, Ireland, and Canada)

A great many national and regional resources are available, both in the US and around the world. If in the United States, you can seek a referral here. Wherever you are, a quick web search should point you to qualified help in your area and/or language.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

For the first time in three hundred episodes, we're turning the tables on Andrew and sitting him in the hot seat, a.k.a. the guest's chair, to take you inside his new book The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food. Fellow writer and author Chandra Ram, of Food & Wine, takes the helm to ask Andrew all about the book: where the idea came from, what the research entailed, how difficult it was traveling and interviewing during the recent pandemic, and what the key takeaways from the book are. We've also layered in excerpts from the audio book, read by chef MIchael Lomonaco, to bring some sections Chandra and Andrew discuss to vivid life.

To order The Dish, please visit HarperCollin's book page, from which you can navigate to your favorite online bookseller. (Or purchase from a local, independent bookseller if you are able.)

Since 2019, Andrew Talks to Chefs has been a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related news.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Cafe Mars, a six-month old restaurant in Gowanus, Brooklyn, has made quite an impression on guests and awards-bestowers alike with its unique brand of hospitality, which extends to both staff and guests, erasing many of the invisible boundaries long associated with dining out. Everybody on staff is cross-trained for the kitchen, dining room, and bar; the team closes out their preshift meeting with a stretching exercise; and guests are received and cared for with a familiarity that resonates with a growing fan base. You can call this enlightened hospitality, or (as Andrew suggests in the interview) holistic hospitality. To our guests today--beverage director Madalyn Summers and chefs Paul D'Avino and Jorge Olarte--it's just hospitality, and they hope, fun, Whatever you call it, it won the restaurant a Michelin Guide New York award for Service this year. A conversation that any restaurant professional will take something valuable from.

Our thanks to Metro for their support. Visit their website today to learn more about how they can make your restaurant kitchen and office more efficient. 

Andrew’s NEW book The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food is now ON SALE! Read the book Publishers Weekly calls "masterful," and the Wall Street Journal says "takes the reader on an adventure."

Since 2019, Andrew Talks to Chefs has been a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related news.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Since quietly taking the helm of Union Square Cafe in New York City, chef Lena Ciardullo has been turning out some of the best Italian-based food in town ... not bad for a woman who majored in communications in college before deciding to pursue a kitchen career. Recently, Lena sat down with Andrew at Union Square Cafe to discuss her own Italian roots, the time she spent in Italy, the pros and cons of spending her entire post-school career with the same restaurant group, and her philosophies of training and education.

This episode is brought to you in part by meez, the recipe operating system for culinary professionals. Try out their free basic version today.

Andrew’s NEW book The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food is now ON SALE! Read the book Publishers Weekly calls "masterful."

Since 2019, Andrew Talks to Chefs has been a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related news.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Zod Arifai has been a darling of TriState food cognoscenti for decades. The self-taught culinary wizard behind such popular New Jersey successes as Juniper, Ten Square, and Blu, first attempted a New York move way back in 1999 with a well-received but painfully short-lived restaurant in Brooklyn. Twenty-one years later, he was poised to try it again in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, but the pandemic intervened with his plans for a tasting-menu format at his new Wicked Jane. In July, Zod decided to go for it, and opened with an adjusted small-plate format (Andrew ate there--it's terrific). The restaurant is temporarily closed along with the renewed indoor dining ban in New York City, but he'll be back soon. In the meantime, whet your appetite with this very personal, deep-dive interview with this former professional musician turned chef.

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

In 2019, Aaron Bludorn left a prime gig as chef of Cafe Boulud in New York City to move to Houston, Texas, and open his first restaurant as chef-proprietor, Bludorn. Aaron recently called in to talk to Andrew about his Seattle childhood, teenage years as member of a rock band with professional aspirations, his shift to the kitchen, years under the auspices of Daniel Boulud, and what it's been like to open a new restaurant in the midst of a pandemic. (Many listeners might also know Aaron as one of the more successful competitors on the Netflix series The Final Table, on which he made the final four.)

We'd also like to be among the first to welcome Gregory Christopher Bludorn into the world. Aaron and his wife Victoria welcomed Gregory just the other day and we are thrilled for them.

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

(photo of Andrew & Aaron copyright by Eric Vitale Photography)

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

It was no small feat for Esquire magazine to identify a class of 2020 for its Best New Restaurant List in the midst of a global pandemic. But Jeff Gordinier, in collaboration with his colleague Kevin Sintumuang, managed to pull it off in style with a celebration of what's new in American restaurants that launches today. Jeff sat down with Andrew to discuss why Esquire decided to produce a list this year, how he and Kevin pulled it off, and what they were seeking in restaurants and chefs to trumpet in this unusual time.

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

In New York City, Rezdora restaurant has quickly become synonymous with great pasta. Today, the chef behind Rezdora, Stefano Secchi, joins us to share his story, which begins with his family's restaurant in Texas, took him to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and eventually to gigs in a number of acclaimed restaurants in Italy including Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana. 

Rezdora is also participating in S.Pellegrino’s (our promotional partner) inaugural Destination Dining series, in which pairs of restaurants on the East and West Coasts exchange dishes for one week each. 

For more about Destination Dining, see the recent article about the program on Fine Dining Lovers.

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Last year, Magnus Nilsson closed his world-acclaimed restaurant Fäviken, a decision he was able to make on his own terms and timing. This week, Phaidon published Magnus's new book Fäviken: 4015 Days, Beginning to End, which documents the restaurant's life via catalogues of dishes; painstakingly detailed recipes; essays; and beautiful photographs. From his home in Sweden, Magnus joins us to talk with Andrew about the value of memorializing a restaurant after its closing, what he's doing now, whether or not he experiences nostalgia or regret, and how he thinks the industry will fare once we surmount the current pandemic. 

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Dubbed "the Champagne Empress of Greenwich Village" by The New York Times, Ariel Arce presides over a quartet of downtown Manhattan, Champagne- and wine-themed establishments including Air's Champagne Parlor, Tokyo Record Bar, Niche Niche, and Special Club. She also just authored her own book (due out November 3), Better with Bubbles.

Ariel recently sat down with Andrew to talk about her childhood as a theater kid, getting turned on to hospitality at The Office in Chicago, and her circuitous route to a life devoted to Champagne and restaurants. There are lots of good lessons here about following your own personal passions and life as an entrepreneur.

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

From a childhood in Israel, to life as a street seller in Germany, to jobs in top New York City kitchens to success as chef-owner of Taim, Balaboosta, and Kish Kash, chef Einat Admony is an open book. On this episode, she opens up to Andrew about how being a middle child set the tone for her life; why she loves cooking; what it was like to serve in the Israeli military; and the twist of fate that led her to her husband and business partner. Oh, and she's also an amateur stand-up comic. All that and more in this action-packed hour.

Einat is also participating in S.Pellegrino’s (our promotional partner) inaugural Destination Dining series, in which pairs of restaurants on the East and West Coasts exchange dishes for one week each. 

For more about Destination Dining, see the recent article about the program on Fine Dining Lovers.

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

(photo of Einat Admony by Evan Sung; courtesy S.Pellegrino)

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Barbara Sibley came to New York City from Mexico in the early 1980s and fell in love with the restaurant industry thanks to time working at the storied La Tulipe in Greenwich Village. Today, she owns and operates La Palapa, an authentic Mexican restaurant, and is creative director of Holiday Cocktail Lounge, in the East Village. Barbara and Andrew caught up recently in the garden behind Holiday Cocktail Lounge and discussed a wide range of industry, and non-industry, subjects.

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

For our money, there's no better writer in the food realm today than John Birdsall. In his new book The Man Who Ate Too Much, a biography of James Beard that commingles the icon's life story with a history of both America's relationship with food and queer life in the United States. John spent five years researching and writing the book, producing a brilliant and moving work. We invited John on the pod to discuss the life of this little understood figure, John's writing process, and topics related to John's work and Beard's life.

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Akhtar Nawab grew up in one of a handful of Indian families in Louisville, Kentucky, before setting his sights on the pro kitchen and New York City. After thriving in kitchens such as Gramercy Tavern, he made a name for himself as a chef in his own right, eventually opening his Alta Calidad in Brooklyn, among other restaurants. Akhtar recently saw his first cookbook, Good For You: Bold Flavors with Benefits--published so we asked him on the pod to talk about his book, career, and life as a chef-restaurateur in 2020.

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

We are delighted to share our first-ever guest-hosted and curated episodes of the pod. In a 2-episode special report, educator and former chef Scott Alves Barton moderates 4 conversations among Black professionals in food. Two of the panels comprise Black chefs, one features four writers and editors, and one features two chef-farmers. Our hope is that taken together, this report helps foster a greater understanding of, in Scott's words, "what it means to be Black and professional in food." For our Black listeners, we hope these conversations resonate with you and reflect and amplify your own experiences and perspectives. 

Scott's guests today are (in alphabetical order) Aneesha Hargrave, Adrian Lipscombe, Joe Randall, Jonny Rhodes, Ashleigh Shanti, and Omar Tate.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might enjoy these other Andrew Talks to Chefs conversations:

A Talk about "The Talk"

Chef Russell Jackson

Chef Douglass Williams

Chef Edouardo Jordan

Ashtin Berry

Chef Erick Williams

Chef Roze Traore 

Chef Milton Abel II

Alicia Matthews

Chef Mashama Bailey (part of our Philly Chef Conference Special, 2019)

Chef Alexander Harris

Chef Tanya Holland

Chef JJ Johnson 

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!