

Andrew Talks to Chefs
Andrew Friedman
Our top chefs, as you’ve never heard them before. Author Andrew Friedman, one of the nation's chief chroniclers of professional kitchen life, interviews a diverse cross-section of the best and biggest names in the business, bringing his personal relationships and industry knowledge to bear in coaxing personal and professional revelations from his guests.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 12, 2022 • 1h 20min
Episode 194: Tom Colicchio
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.Pellegrino* Young Chef Academy Competition, and encourages listeners under 30 to apply. (For a sense of the competition, listen to Andrew's 2019 interviews with the most recent class of North American finalists.) * our promotional partnerphoto of Tom and Andrew by Maya Land
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!

Mar 18, 2022 • 30min
Episode 193: LIVE! with Chef James Kent - "On The Line" Conversation at Crown Shy (NYC)
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-cook days, and his advice to aspiring cooks and chefs today. It's a fun, frank conversation in front of an enthusiastic crowd that we think all you cooks and chefs out there will especially enjoy.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. * S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water is also a promotional partner of Andrew Talks to Chefs.
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!

Feb 22, 2022 • 39min
Episode 192: Daniel Holzman & Matt Rodbard (authors, Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts)
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 Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts.On the publication day of their book, we're delighted to share this conversation, recorded remotely from an undisclosed and unique location somewhere in the City of Angels.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.
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!

Feb 4, 2022 • 46min
Episode 191: Roy Choi (host of Broken Bread)
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 conversation that we love.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.
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!

Jan 31, 2022 • 1h 8min
Episode 190: Ji Hye Kim (Miss Kim; Ann Arbor, Michigan)
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's, and the relationships she enjoys with local farms and how their produce impacts her takes on traditional Korean dishes.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 Ji Hye Kim ©EEBerger.
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!

Jan 21, 2022 • 43min
Episode 189: Diana & Zack Wangeman (Sobre Masa; Brooklyn, NY)
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 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 Zack & Diana by Melissa Hom.
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!

Jan 7, 2022 • 54min
Episode 188: Kevin O'Donnell (Giusto restaurant; Newport, RI)
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 project for opening. 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.
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!

Jan 1, 2022 • 52min
Episode 187: Missy Robbins (chef & author of Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy's Greatest Food, with Recipes)
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 process of producing this wonderful resource that combines fundamental knowledge with both traditional and signature recipes. She and Andrew also get into what it was like producing a book during a pandemic, the personal touch every cook brings to preparing recipes, and just what it is that makes pasta so universally appealing.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.
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!

Nov 24, 2021 • 44min
Episode 186: Corey Mintz (author, The Next Supper)
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 the actions he suggests diners take to do their part to bring about change.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 Corey Mintz by Jaime Hogge.
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!

Nov 23, 2021 • 48min
Episode 185: Pati Jinich (author, Treasures of the Mexican Table; host, La Frontera on PBS)
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, about the US/Mexican border and the rich culture to be discovered there. And, this being Thanksgiving week in the United States, Andrew and Pati compare notes on their personal Thanksgiving tables and traditions.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.
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!