As longtime fans of the pod know, there's nothing we love more than a crossover episode with a show we're friendly with. It reminds us of when we were kids and Saturday morning cartoons did the same thing, with characters from one show appearing on another, and vice versa. (That's why the animated episode image today.) So we're thrilled to welcome Nidal Barake, a marketer by trade , whose One of Each podcast presents interviews with an international who's who of chefs and other creatives who hap...
Jun 26, 2025•58 min•Ep. 286
Ari Miller’ s evolution from journalist to chef was anything but traditional. In this revealing conversation, he shares how food became both his creative outlet and medium for making sense of a dark and complicated world. From growing up in a dysfunctional household consumed with historical atrocities, to finding meaning in kitchens in Tel Aviv and Philly, Ari shares stories about the mentors who shaped him, the politics of sourcing, and why he believes every dish contains a story—whether or not...
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 285
Friend of the pod David Nayfeld , of Che Fico and other Bay Area restaurants, discusses his inaugural cookbook, Dad, What's for DInner--an outstanding first effort, and a perfect Father's Day gift . Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting sponsor, meez , the recipe operating software for culinary professionals. Meez powers the Andrew Talks to Chefs podcast as part of the meez Network, featuring a breadth of food and beverage podcasts and newsletters . THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW: Andrew is a...
Jun 11, 2025•42 min•Ep. 284
Besha Rodell has written about food and/or reviewed restaurants for Creative Loafing , LA Weekly , The New York Times , Food & Wine , and other outlets, and is currently the restaurant critic for The Age . Today, she joins us to discuss her moving and entertaining new memoir Hunger Like a Thirst . The book tells the story of Besha's nomadic child- and adulthood, her migration from restaurant work to writing about restaurants, her approach to criticism, and some key themes of the book. Our th...
May 21, 2025•55 min•Ep. 283
For nearly a decade, the LA Chef Conference has been the gathering of Los Angeles chefs and industry professionals. After a one-year hiatus, the conference returns this October 6 in its new home at Redbird and Vibiana in Downtown LA . On this episode, conference founder Brad Metzger and host chef Neal Fraser join Andrew to discuss some featured topics, speakers, and chefs who will be cooking for the conference's always-impressive lunch, including (in alphabetical order) Gilberto Cetina, David Ge...
May 15, 2025•45 min•Ep. 282
Before launching her hit modern-Japanese restaurant Lingo in Greenpoint, Brooklyn , chef Emily Yuen worked in some hardcore French kitchens in London and Singapore, then found her way to New York City. In this conversation, Emily shares her evolution from French to Japanese cuisine, how she developed her management chops, and the disparate influences in her food. Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting sponsor, meez , the recipe operating software for culinary professionals. Meez powers...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 281
Calvin Eng has had a busy and successful few years. His restaurant Bonnie's in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has become a hub of modern Cantonese-American cuisine, and now he's out with his first cookbook, Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories from a Cantonese American Home . Andrew caught up with Calvin at his home in Williamsburg to discuss his path to his current projects, and the two are joined for part of the conversation by Phoebe Melnick, Calvin's partner and collaborator, to discuss the book-wri...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 280
A few weeks ago, in record time, the good folks behind the LA Chef Conference, organized a benefit for victims of the recent, devastating LA wildfires. Dubbed Chefs ❤️ LA , the event raised more than$800,000, with all proceeds going to World Central Kitchen and Restaurants Care to support their work on behalf of those who lost their homes in the conflagrations. It was a restorative and emotional evening, and Andrew was honored to be in attendance to interview some key participants. This episode ...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 279
Earlier this year, we lost one of the greatest and most influential chefs ever to ply his trade in the United States, when André Soltner passed away at age 92. On the day the culinary community pay their respects at a celebration of his life in New York City, we wanted to share this previously unaired conversation with Chef Soltner, recorded in 2016 as part of Andrew's research for his book Chefs, Drugs, and Rock & Roll . André Soltner was of course best known for his restaurant Lutèce, wher...
Apr 05, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 278
Come for the industry insidership, stay for the great writing and unvarnished personal honesty. Author Laurie Woolever 's new memoir Care and Feeding will attract many readers because of its promise of tales from her days as assistant to Mario Batali and then Anthony Bourdain. And it delivers on that front, for sure. But Care and Feeding is also, and primarily, Laurie's story--the story of a writer finding her way in life, New York, City, and the food world, and amassing all the personal and pro...
Mar 25, 2025•42 min•Ep. 277
At last year's Hot Luck festival in Austin , Andrew sat down with chef Alex Kemp , co-owner and chef of Philadelphia’s acclaimed restaurant My Loup for an honest and entertaining conversation. Alex shares his journey from his French-Canadian roots in Montreal to the vibrant culinary scene of Philadelphia. He discusses his diverse culinary experiences, including his time at Sugar Shack and Joe Beef in Canada, Moor Hall Restaurant in the UK, and Momofuku Ko in New York City, and how these experien...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 276
At just 27 years of age, Rasika Venkatesa has already put herself in position to plan her first restaurant. Currently serving a tasting menu in her residency at Fulgrances Laundromat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, (though March 1, 2025) , Rasika attended hotel management school in India, worked her way up from commis to chef de partie at The French Laundry, and attained the position of chef de cuisine at Mourad in San Francisco. (As if that weren't enough, she also recently competed on Top Chef .) Aft...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 275
Recorded LIVE before an audience at the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy competition US regional finals in New York City. Five influential American chefs (the competition's jurors), Valerie Chang , Curtis Duffy , Aisha Ibrahim , Ayesha Nurdjaja , and Junghyun Park discuss how to shape the future of the industry, in a conversation divided into three parts: Identity, Working Environment, and Teamwork. (S.Pellegrino is a longtime promotional partner of Andrew Talks to Chefs .) Read about and watch t...
Jan 30, 2025•57 min•Ep. 274
Tomer Blechman's life has taken him from his native Israel to Los Angeles, the Far East, and finally to New York City. He also naturally progressed from a life of healing to cooking and hospitality, which are for him intertwined. This path has led him to founding three successful Brooklyn ventures: Miss Ada , Theodora , and Thea Bakery . In this deeply personal conversation, Tomer sits down with Andrew to discuss his training, pulling together his first restaurant, and how he stays grounded thro...
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 273
In this this second installment of our conversation with Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo, the couple behind Chicago's Esmé , the pair discuss their time at MK and Next in Chicago, the process of concepting Esmé, and their working relationship.. Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting sponsor, meez , the recipe operating software for culinary professionals. Meez powers the Andrew Talks to Chefs podcast as part of the meez Network, featuring a breadth of food and beverage podcasts and ne...
Dec 23, 2024•42 min•Ep. 272
Two guests demand two episodes! In this first installment, Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo, the couple behind Chicago's Esmé , talk about their childhoods in, respectively, Illinois and Florida, and the relationship with food and cooking that led Jenner to become a chef and Katrina to become a creative director. Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting sponsor, meez , the recipe operating software for culinary professionals. Meez powers the Andrew Talks to Chefs podcast as part of the m...
Dec 20, 2024•50 min•Ep. 271
Adam Leonti discusses his New England upbringing, time cooking in Philly and living overseas, and the series of New York City projects that have led to his current success at Cucina Alba in NYC's Chelsea neighborhood. Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting sponsor, meez , the recipe operating software for culinary professionals. Meez powers the Andrew Talks to Chefs podcast as part of the meez Network, featuring a breadth of food and beverage podcasts and newsletters . This episode is ...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 270
While he was in NYC for the Fancy Food Show in June, Chef Paul Bertolli made time to sit down with Andrew to discuss his varied and textured culinary career, which has included time as chef of Chez Panisse and then Oliveto, authoring or co-authoring books such as Chez Panisse Cooking and Cooking By Hand , and founding the salumi and charcuterie company Fra'Mani Handcrafted Foods . Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting sponsor, meez , the recipe operating software for culinary professi...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 269
It's been a busy year for Jeremy Salamon. The chef and owner of Brooklyn's Agi's Counter came out with his first cookbook, Second Generation: Hungarian and Jewish Classics Reimagined for the Modern Table , and is readying his next restaurant, Pitt's , for its imminent launch. Earlier this fall, Andrew dropped into Agi's Counter and chatted with Jeremy about his young life and career so far, which has included stints at Prune, Buvette, Via Carota, and Locanda Verde, and time exploring Hungarian f...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 268
Following a college-age shift from music to cooking, Nick Tamburo trained in some notable kitchens in the US and Europe, and served in chef positions within the Momofuku group and Claud. In late August, he launched his first restaurant of his own, Smithereens , in downtown Manhattan. The restaurant serves Nick's take on coastal New England cuisine and we're delighted to have him on the pod for the first time to talk about all of that and more. Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting spo...
Dec 14, 2024•59 min•Ep. 267
While in New York City this September, Lisa Dahl--the prolific Sedona, Arizona chef and restaurateur --made time to visit with Andrew for a very personal conversation about her unique life and career path. Lisa wasn't always bound for the pro kitchen. She harbored dreams of singing, and worked for a time in fashion. But once she found her way to Sedona (which she describes as her sanctuary) and her calling as a cook, her ascent has been steady, and still continues today. This conversation begins...
Dec 13, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 266
This fall, at the Roots Conference held at The Chef's Garden 's Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio, Farmer Lee Jones (he of the signature denim overalls and red bowtie) sat down with Andrew to discuss a few key issues covered at the conference--regenerative farming, vegetables as preventative medicine, and the future of the industry. Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting sponsor, meez , the recipe operating software for culinary professionals. Meez powers the Andrew Talks to ...
Dec 12, 2024•46 min•Ep. 265
Chef Tyler Akin has a bona fide hit on his hand with Philly's newish Bastia restaurant, where he presents his spin on Mediterranean cuisine. Back in the spring, before the restaurant launched, Tyler sat down with Andrew for a conversation about his career so far, and about the restaurant as it was being developed. Along the way, they get into the nexus of athletics and cooking, perfectionism, and plotting the steps of a culinary career. Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting sponsor, m...
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 264
While visiting New York City recently, Jon Templin, of Butternut Sustainable Farm , sat down with Andrew to discuss the importance of chef-farmer relationships, why they're worth nurturing, and how both parties can get the most out of them. (Jon is one of the farmers profiled in Andrew's most recent book, The Dish , which is how they know each other.) Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting sponsor, meez , the recipe operating software for culinary professionals. Meez powers the Andrew ...
Dec 10, 2024•50 min•Ep. 263
Chef, author, and legendary raconteur Alexander Smalls makes his long-delayed debut on the pod. The occasion of the interview is his newest book The Contemporary African Kitchen: Home Cooking Recipes from the Leading Chefs of Africa . With that as a starting point, during a visit at Alexander’s home in Harlem, Alexander shares the story of his young life in the American South, his years as an opera singer, and his metamorphosis into a chef, culinary anthropologist, and author. Do yourself a favo...
Dec 06, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 262
One of our favorite guests, and one of Andrew's favorite people in the industry, the singular Nok Suntaranon, proprietor and chef of Philly's excellent Kalaya restaurant , returns to the pod to discuss her new cookbook, Kalaya's Southern Thai Kitchen . Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs’ presenting sponsor, meez , the recipe operating software for culinary professionals. Meez powers the Andrew Talks to Chefs podcast as part of the meez Network, featuring a breadth of food and beverage podcasts...
Dec 06, 2024•50 min•Ep. 261
In this special episode, Andrew makes his first-ever visit to the legendary Peter Luger Steakhouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he sits down with Peter Luger VP Daniel Turtel, a key officer and voice for the iconic establishment. Over a classic Luger’s lunch, they discuss the history and enduring allure of this quintessential New York institution, obtaining and cooking the perfect steak, and Dan’s unique path in the industry. Andrew also shares his first impressions of this historic dining d...
Dec 05, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 260
Pastry chef Clarice Lam is out with a new cookbook this fall-- Breaking Bao; 88 Bakes and Snacks from Asia and Beyond . The book is a fun and energetic mingling of sweet and savory offerings that reflects her own background and travels, and the breadth of what a pastry chef might prepare in a restaurant. She recently sat down with Andrew in Brooklyn, to discuss her life and career so far and what readers can expect from the book, and why. This episode is part of the Andrew Talks to Chefs New Epi...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 259
We've all heard of the Twelve Days of Christmas, but this is ridiculous: We're dropping an episode every weekday between now and December 25, as we try to share all the interviews Andrew has banked in 2024 before the year draws to an end. This Andrew Talks to Chefs December Marathon is brought to you by The Dish , Andrew's most recent book, which just became available in paperback, with a cool new black-and-white cover . On this first episode of the Marathon, we are thrilled to share a conversat...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 258
Michael Mina, whose hospitality group boasts about two dozen restaurants across the United States (and one in the UAE ), trained in New York City. But he hadn't opened a restaurant in Manhattan ... until this summer when he and his team launched Bourbon Steak on Central Park South . On the occasion of the opening, Michael sat down with Andrew for a conversation that covers his Egyptian heritage, the glory days of 1990s New York restaurants, and his growth as a chef and operator. Huge thanks to A...
Nov 11, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 257
