Expense Account

Luke Fortney is a friend of mine, a friend of the pod, but he missed our podcast launch party. I’m sure he has some reasonable explanation. He was probably somewhere eating a quesadilla. Or some momos. A cinnamon bun. Maybe some frozen yogurt. And this is a valid excuse, because this is Luke’s job. Luke Writes the Where To Eat column/newsletter for The New York Times. Nearly everyday Luke runs aro...

I love all of my guests. They’re all special. They’re all brilliant, but there’s just something about Patti Jinich. There’s a warmth that feels like a hug, or a Patagonia puffer vest. You can feel it through the TV. You can feel it through her words. She’s the host of Pati's Mexican table, Pati Jinich Explores PanAmericana, and La Frontera With Pati Jinich, all on PBS. She’s doing god’s work. If y...

Our guest today is none other than Tanya Sichynsky, writer of the fantastic New York Times newsletter The Veggie and now author of Veg Everything: Recipes for Weeknights, Parties, and the Bites in Between . Vegetables are beautiful and delicious, and Tanya will be the first to tell you that you don't need to be a vegetarian to cook vegetarian meals. We talk about Atlanta, where Tanya is from. We t...

Molly Baz is a ray of light. Molly Baz is building an empire. Molly Baz can not be stopped. She has two bestselling cookbooks, a wine label, an insanely popular newsletter, a video series, her very own mayo line, and she has a third cookbook, “Less Is More” slated to come out early next year. She just announced a new line of ice cream sandwiches. There’s a bit of Baz for everyone. Molly joins me t...

Our first guest is carla lalli . FKA Carla Lalli Music. She’s lived many lives. From the first GM at the first Shake Shack, to a beloved chef in the Bon Appétit test kitchen. She’s been a YouTube star, recipe developer, Substacker, and James Beard Award winner. She is a legend. She recently published her new book, Food Is A Feeling. Half cookbook, half memoir, the book tells the story of her divor...

Food critic J Lee is back, turning food into a doorway to the bigger conversations that define how we live. Each week, J sits down with a guest to talk about food and everything around it - society, identity, culture, and the way we move through the world. Sometimes it's a chef. Sometimes it's a writer, a tastemaker, or the bartender at his favorite bar. Because everyone eats, and everyone has a s...

Expense Account is currently between seasons, but we had an opportunity to speak to culinary legend Tom Colicchio at his home in New York. We have more exciting announcements about the show later this spring, but in the meantime, enjoy this intermission episode. This week, J Lee spoke to Tom Colicchio. The restaurateur and TV star just celebrated the 25th anniversary of his iconic restaurant Craft...

It’s the season one finale of Expense Account! This week, J Lee spoke Keith McNally, the legendary restaurateur behind Balthazar, The Odeon, Pastis, Minetta Tavern, Lucky Strike and more. He is also the author of “ I Regret Almost Everything .” Topics discussed include: * The ideal order for two people at Balthazar * Keith’s love/hate relationship with social media * Creating the perfect restauran...

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke to Cami Téllez and Sasha Mutchnik . Topics discussed include: * Colostrum * The Armani Couture bring worn and Juuls being smoked at Casa Cipriani * Sasha and Cami’s friendship origin story on the Columbia campus * Dinner omelettes * And the art collection at Kappo Masa Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad,...

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke to Pete Wells , former restaurant critic for The New York Times. Topics discussed include: * The ideal width of sandwiches. * Why everyone is a food journalist now (social media). * The increased emphasis on furniture and design in restaurants. * And whether Pete misses being a critic. Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, yo...

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke to chef, author, director, and writer of Canal Street Dreams on Substack, Eddie Huang . Topics discussed included: * Getting arrested in Sicily. * Writing his book to Sky Ferreira on repeat. * His honest thoughts on the state of menswear in New York. * And ChinaMaxxing. Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad...

This week on Expense Account, J Lee and Emily Sundberg spoke to Sammy Nussdorf, the founder and CEO of Meadow Lane . Topics discussed include: * Mouse-gate. * Chicken Nugget-gate. * Building a viral business in public, and why haters fuel growth. * And what sets his Tribeca gourmet grocer, Meadow Lane, apart from New York’s existing establishments. Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. I...

This week on Expense Account, J Lee and Emily Sundberg had a special edition of Feed Me — a holiday extravaganza. Topics discussed include: * A shortage of house parties. * Tom Cruise’s coconut cake. * New York’s finest holiday desserts. * The woman with a ribbon around her neck. Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and als...

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke with Paul Carmichael (chef at Momofuku’s Kabawa ) and Marguerite Zabar Mariscal (CEO of Momofuku Group ). Topics discussed include: * Everyone’s earliest memories of eating at Momofuku restaurants. * The charm (and benefit) of phone-only reservations. * The restaurant scene in Hudson Yards. * And what it feels like to open a new restaurant in New York. Exp...

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke with Asa Akira , adult film actor, spicy food avoider, and miniature enthusiast. Topics discussed include, but were not limited to: * Collecting miniatures. * Why the cheek is the best part of a lot of animals. * School lunch nightmares and being embarrassed about eating Asian food in school. * And taking advantage of “eating for two” while pregnant. Expen...

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke with Hannah Crosbie , drinks columnist at The Observer Magazine, and author of Corker: A Deeply Unserious Wine Book. Topics discussed include, but were not limited to: * A rumor that charli xcx ’s album was inspired by London’s Brat . * Riesling is the wine nerd’s grape. * Why wine writing should be as fun as drinking a bottle with your friends. * And Hann...

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke with Joseph Weisenthal , the co-host of Bloomberg’s Odd Lots, who is also one of New York City’s most loyal Chinese restaurant customers. Topics discussed include, but were not limited to: * Naming names on what New York barbecue restaurants are worth it (or not) * Why the influx of Chinese students at NYU has made the East Village the new Chinatown * Bors...

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke with Helen Rosner, a staff writer at The New Yorker who writes about restaurants. Helen has received multiple James Beard Awards for her work, including, in 2025, for her profile of Padma Lakshmi . Topics discussed include, but were not limited to: * What it’s like to be The New Yorker ’s restaurant critic * Debating whether Carrie Bradshaw’s friends read...

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). This week, Jason speaks to chef and author Alison Roman about her secret order at Keens, her new tomato sauce business, and the importance of having fresh flowers in her home. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other s...

Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me's resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You'll find us here each week. Subscrib...