This Is TASTE

Luke Fortney is a reporter at Eater New York, where he keeps an eagle eye on openings and closings, plus trends like the city’s burgeoning breakfast burrito scene. Aliza had him on the show to talk about what it’s like staying on top of New York’s ever-shifting dining landscape. Whether you live in New York City or you’re thinking about taking a trip there, it’s a must-listen.Also on the show Matt catches up with British cookbook author, journalist, and chef Ravinder Bhogal to speak about her great new cookbook, Comfort and Joy: Irresistible Pleasures from a Vegetarian Kitchen.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you.  MORE FROM LUKE FORTNEY & RAVINDER BHOGAL: New York’s Illegal Weed Market Is Propped Up by Imported Chips That Taste Like Tacos [Eater] New York’s Most Exciting Restaurant Openings This Fall [Eater] Ravinder Bhogal’s Pumpkin and Squash For Autumn [The Guardian] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What a fun time it is having Max La Manna in the studio. Max is a recipe developer and former NYC and Los Angeles line cook. He’s also big on TikTok and various other social media channels, and we get into what makes a great food video as well as hearing about Max’s journey. We also talk about Max’s new cookbook, You Can Cook This! Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you.  MORE FROM MAX LA MANNA: Sun-Dried Tomato “Meatballs” [official] Vegan Tofu Butter Chicken [YouTube] 10 Tips For Reducing Food Waste [Veg News] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Black, a writer and podcast host, shares his unique takes on restaurant culture, home cooking, cookbooks, and living in New York and Los Angeles. The podcast dives into discussions about dining out preferences, the cultural significance of restaurants, memorable meals at legendary places, and favorite restaurants in both cities.

Robert Simonson, NY Times writer and creator of The Mix With Robert Simonson newsletter, discusses his new book 'The Encyclopedia of Cocktails'. They cover a range of topics, including the history of cocktails, his years of experience covering the scene, and the fading tradition of Wisconsin's supper clubs. They also explore San Antonio's culinary scene and highlight the Pearl neighborhood.

We’ve long been fans of cookbook author and creative thinker Molly Baz, and many of you have too. With a signature voice and absolutely wild recipe development skills (as well as years of professional cooking under her belt), Molly has won over millions of fans worldwide. Her debut book Cook This Book was a New York Times Best Seller, and she’s back with a new one, More Is More, that taps into the food world’s more maximalist urges. This is a really fun talk with one of the strongest voices in cookbooks.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you.  MORE FROM MOLLY BAZ A Cacio e Pepe Gets Drunk and Breaks the Rules [TASTE] This Is TASTE 143: Molly Baz [TASTE] Molly Baz Shares the Must-Have Recipe of the Season [Glamour] Baz to Basics [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dwight Garner, a noted New York Times book critic, dives into his delightful new food book, 'The Upstairs Delicatessen.' He shares the inspirations behind his work, highlighting the intersection of food and literature. Garner recalls memorable meals and discusses the joy of cookbooks filled with personal stories and recipes. He also humorously reflects on quirky drink preferences and explores profound themes like last meals and culinary nostalgia. His insights illuminate how food connects us to memory, culture, and personal history.

Hillary Dixler Canavan is Eater’s restaurant editor and the author of the publication’s debut book, Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes From the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters. On this lively episode we talk about Hillary’s reporting for Eater’s debut cookbook, and how one wrangles recipes from chefs without going nuts. We also hear about Hillary’s work covering the national restaurant scene, and, of course, get her favorites in New York, Los Angeles, and beyond. This is a great conversation, and we hope you enjoy it.Also on the show, Matt recaps a recent trip to Virginia Beach, VA and the surrounding area. There's great food down there! He discusses visits to: Love Song, The Pink Dinghy, a fried chicken vibe check starring BoBo's Fine Chicken and Pollard's. He also stopped by Four Eleven York in Norfolk, Heirloom, and Gelati Celesti.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you.  MORE FROM HILLARY DIXLER CANAVAN: Turn Your Kitchen Into a Proper Bistro with Frenchette’s Tartare Frites [Eater] How a Veteran Food Editor Adapted 100 Beloved Restaurant Recipes [Cultured] 15 Best New Restaurants in America [Eater] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laurent Dagenais is one of our favorite chefs online today, and many others agree. He has grown his following to more than three million across his social media accounts and carved out a really cool space that blends streetwear, French Canadian cooking, and good vibes. Laurent was born and raised in Montreal, and in this episode, we find out about his path from journeyman line cook to blowing up on TikTok and IG. We find out what makes a great video and what inspired his new cookbook, Always Hungry!, and we dig into his life online and offline. We also talk about one of Canada’s other great exports: the rapper Snow. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you.  MORE FROM LAURENT DAGENAIS: Laurent Dagenais Keeps the Cooking Real [Fine Dining Lovers] Stacked Ham and Brie Sandwich [Today] Steak Sandwich [YouTube] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Shepherd is a chef and writer based in Houston, Texas, and the cofounder of Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit geared toward helping members of the restaurant community. On this episode we have a lively conversation about the food scene in Chris’s hometown, what it was like leaving his restaurant group, and his cookbook: Cook Like a Local. This is such an inspiring talk, and we hope you enjoy it.Also on the show, Aliza and Matt talk about Matt’s trip to Houston, where he had an incredible 48 hours, making stops at: Kâu Ba, Trill Burgers, Tatemó, Tres Chiles, The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation, Villa Arcos, Blacksmith, and Crawfish & Noodles.   The TASTE Texas Tour was supported by our friends at Travel Texas. See our dispatch from Austin, and stay tuned for San Antonio.MORE FROM CHRIS SHEPHERD: Houston Chef Chris Shepherd Is Enjoying His New Season [Eater] Southern Smoke Festival [official] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How much do you know about olive oil? After this episode, a lot more. Skyler Mapes, cofounder of EXAU Olive Oil and coauthor of the new book The Olive Oil Enthusiast, joined us from her home in Calabria, Italy, to drop invaluable olive oil knowledge from harvest to bottle, plus Italy travel tips and more. It’s a fun episode, and we hope you’ll enjoy it.Also on the show, Aliza and Matt go over three things they each are enjoying, including: The Neon Croissant, JJ Johnson's great new book The Simple Art of Rice, IG of note @haileecatalano, Dwight Garner's The Upstairs Delicatessen, C Pam Zhang's How Much of These Hills Is Gold, the TikTokers are coming!Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you.  MORE FROM SKYLER MAPES: Meet the Woman Bringing Calabrian Olive Oil to the U.S. [Conde Nast Traveler] Forbes 30 Under 30, 2021 [Forbes] Demystifying Extra Virgin Olive Oil With Skyler Mapes and Giuseppe Morisani [Italy Magazine] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices