Andrew Talks to Chefs

While at the LA Chef Conference last week, Andrew met the charming and passionate Chef Tolu "Eros" Erogbogbo, who's heading up the most talked-about popup in the LA area this year. Andrew and Chef Eros found some time to meet up before Andrew blew town to record this interview at the site of Eros'   West African popup, ILÉ, which has taken Los Angeles by storm since it launched in April. And in th...

Reem Assil , of Reem's California , was in New York City recently to promote her book Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora . In addition to discussing the book, Reem and Andrew got into a variety of hot topics swirling around the industry, and Reem previewed her episode of the new online series "Normal Ain't Normal" (the episode debuts on Tuesday, October 18 ).  And in this week'...

Ariel Fox has had an eclectic life in the kitchen, from a California childhood to an East Coast career; from the Nordic-in-New York Acme restaurant to setting the menus for Del Frisco's and Dos Caminos; and from a championship run on TV's Hell's Kitchen to authorship of her first cookbook Spice Kitchen: Healthy Latin and Caribbean Cuisine . In this episode, Ariel sits down with Andrew to discuss h...

It’s our sincere honor to welcome Jacques Pepin back for his third appearance on the pod. Last Friday, Andrew ventured north to Connecticut to Jacques’ home, where they discussed the genesis of Jacques’ latest book, Art of the Chicken: A Master Chef's Paintings, Stories, and Recipes of the Humble Bird , just published this week. The book is a charming and compelling mingling of biographical essays...

With dishes like her signature Southern Fried Lasagna, chef Shenarri Freeman has been garnering media attention and a growing and devoted fan base at the plant-based soul food restaurant Cadence in New York City. On this episode of the pod, Shenarri sits down with Andrew to discuss her Richmond, Virginia, childhood; her evolution from carnivore to vegan; and her upcoming residency as part of the S...

A few weeks ago, Marc Forgione opened his latest New York City restaurant, One Fifth , in a storied space in Greenwich Village. In his second appearance on the pod, recorded in Marc's Chelsea home, he shares the inspiration for this new market-driven project, his affection for landmark New York City restaurant spaces, how and why he took over the beloved Peasant in lower Manhattan, and explains th...

Talk to enough pizzaiolos and you'll realize that many of them are obsessed with their craft and generally soulful beings. Anthony Mangieri, the legendary force behind Una Pizza Napoletana for close to 30 years, is no exception: On a recent spring morning in New York City, Andrew walked into the restaurant, had an espresso with Anthony, and proceeded to discuss with him everything from pizza as a...

Chef Shinobu Namae visits New York City this week to address the United Nations on World Oceans Day (June 8). During his stay, Chef Namae generously made time to visit with Andrew and discuss the subject of his presentation (the importance of seaweed to the planet and how chefs can help advance the cause of its health and longevity), his personal journey to the professional kitchen, and the evolut...

Nikita Richardson, writer of New York Times Cooking 's " Where to Eat: New York City " column/newsletter (pro tip: subscribe to it!) , and an editor for the paper's Food section, sits down with Andrew to discuss restaurants, recommending restaurants, the shifting dining landscape, and her path to this unique and enviable role. A fun, informative, and free-ranging conversation. Click through to rea...

A perennial seeker, Johnny Clark has had a long and unpredictable road to his success (with wife and co-chef/owner Beverly Kim) at Wherewithall and Parachute restaurants in Chicago, Illinois. From a Cincinnati childhood punctuated by a passion for skateboarding to New York City and gigs in several old-school kitchens to a stage under the late, great Im Ji-ho in Korea, and ultimately to Chicago, Jo...

Tom Colicchio recently sat down with Andrew to discuss a wide-ranging variety of topics, from his newest restaurant Vallata to the state of the industry to the genesis of the Independent Restaurant Coalition to his NFT venture CHEFTY . He also shares some personal insights into his enduring love of cooking and how his childhood memories figure into it. In the intro, Andrew describes the global S.P...

Our first show before a live audience in three years took place at a recent gathering of New York City line cooks at Crown Shy restaurant, part of S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water's "On the Line" dinner series, which celebrates and supports line cooks. Andrew and James Kent, executive chef and partner of Crown Shy , Saga , and Overstory , discuss the lessons James learned in his line-c...

Daniel Holzman has made a name for himself as a prolific and successful chef and operator, most recently at Danny Boy's Famous Original in LA ; Matt Rodbard has done the same in the world of food writing, editing, online publishing, and podcasting as the founding editor of TASTE and the author of Koreatown . Now, the two friends and writing partners have concocted a wonderful, singular cookbook Fo...

By functioning as a chef, entrepreneur, author, entertainer, and social activist, Roy Choi has emerged as one the crucial, genuine voices in the food industry today. On this episode, Roy makes his Andrew Talks to Chefs debut to discuss Season 2 of his show Broken Bread , which looks at myriad social issues through the Prisim of food. As always, Roy is thoughtful, insightful, and open in a conversa...

Ji Hye Kim spent her childhood in Seoul, Korea, and her teenage years in New Jersey, before discovering a love for restaurants during college jobs in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she's now chef of, and a partner in, Miss Kim . On this episode of the pod, Ji Hye shares the story of how she decided on a life in the kitchen, why she spent a few years working the deli counter at the legendary Zingerman'...

Diana and Zack Wangeman were childhood friends in Oaxaca who followed different paths to their current success at Sobre Masa in Brooklyn, NY . On this episode of the pod, they share the story of coming to appreciate the food of Oaxaca, how they ended up in New York (and married), and the broader mission of their business.  Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliat...

Chef Kevin O'Donnell loves a challenge, but even he wasn't prepared to open his new "free-style" Italian restaurant Giusto (Newport, RI) during a global pandemic. Kevin shares how Giusto launched and thrived against the odds. He also discusses his culinary awakening, his culinary school experience, and what it was like being a newly arrived American chef in Paris with just two weeks to ready a pro...

Happy New Year! We wanted to kick 2022 off with something positive, and are thrilled to welcome one of the pod's most popular guests ever, Missy Robbins (chef & co-owner of Lilia & Misi in Brooklyn, NY), back to the show. On this episode, Missy discusses her second book, Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy's Greatest Food, with Recipes , coauthored with Talia Baiocchi. Missy shares the origin and...

Author and journalist Corey Mintz 's new book The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, and What Comes After , should be required reading for industry professionals and anyone who wants restaurants to evolve as they must to survive as viable businesses and workplaces, and succeed in the future. In this episode, Corey joins Andrew to discuss the challenges facing the industry, and th...

Pati Jinich 's enthusiasm for and curiosity about her native Mexico is boundless. She explores the myriad states and cuisines of Mexico on her PBS series Pati's Mexican Table , currently in its 10th season, and in her cookbooks. On this episode of the pod, Pati joins Andrew to discuss her latest book, Treasures of the Mexican Table (which publishes today ), and her recent PBS special La Frontera ,...

We at Andrew Talks to Chefs are huge fans of Gabe McMackin . Talented and thoughtful, he owned and operated his own restaurant The Finch for five years, and currently is chef of Troutbeck , a magnificent, historic property in Upstate, NY. Gabe and Andrew recently sat down to discuss Gabe's path to the pro kitchen, as well as changing kitchen culture, and myriad other subjects. Andrew Talks to Chef...

For years now, Dan Richer's name has been synonymous with superlative pizza. At his Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City, NJ, he turns out some of the most acclaimed pizza in the United States. Now, he's teamed up with collaborator Katie Parla to share his hard-earned pizza-making wisdom in The Joy of Pizza , which debuts today (November 9, 2021). Andrew was knocked out by the book's wealth of i...

Chef Dennis Ngo grew up the American-born son of Vietnamese refugees in Houston, Texas, and spent almost a decade in the corporate world, before following a fondness for hospitality into the professional kitchen. After a brief stint as a dishwasher and line cook, he took the opportunity to become chef of a downtown Manhattan restaurant. Following a rocky start, he grew into the role, eventually mo...

It hasn't been easy for Byron Gomez . His family relocated from Costa Rica to the United States when he was 8-years old, and he grew up under a cloud of uncertainty due to their immigration status. Nevertheless, he discovered and succeeded in professional kitchens, thanks in part to a first job in Burger King, of all places, and went on to work in Atera, Eleven Madison Park, and a handful of Danie...

Zoe Adjonyoh 's fascination with Ghanaian cuisine began as an exploration of personal identity (she grew up in the U.K., the child of a Ghanaian father and Irish mother), expanded to a focus of culinary travel, and flowered into a series of London-based businesses--pop-ups, supper clubs, a restaurant, and a book, Zoe's Ghana Kitchen . On this, the publication day of the first US edition of her boo...