Episode 150: Wylie Dufresne; Mashama Bailey & John O. Morisano; Opening During COVID roundtable

This is the shortest month of the year, so we're packing as much as we can into each episode!

Our headline guest this week is Wylie Dufresne, in our opinion one of the most influential American chefs of the past few decades. He shares what he's been up to during the pandemic (including the pizza experiments that have dominated his Instagram feed), opens up about the future; and kicks around the historical context of "modernist cuisine."

We are also thrilled to welcome back Mashama Bailey of The Grey in Savannah, Georgia. She and her business partner John O. Morisano discuss their new book Black, White, and The Grey, which combines their two distinct voices and points of view in an examination of race, the hospitality business, and friendship.

And in this week's current events segment, a trio of chefs and owners--Jef Edwards of Ration Food Lab in Toronto; Roni Mazumdar of the forthcoming Dhamaka in lower Manhattan; and Jeff Miller of Rosella on New York City's Lower East Side--who have opened or are about to open during the COVID pandemic, trade notes and offer advice about how to navigate this difficult time.

Links mentioned in episode:

Our 2019 interview with Mashama Bailey at the Philly Chefs Conference (starts at 1 hour, 3 minutes)

Our Toqueland interview (2 parts) with Wylie Dufresne

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page--we have just eliminated tiered contributor levels and invite one and all to support us at a minimum of just $2 per month. 

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 Wylie Dufresne by Evan Sung)

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!