Andrew Talks to Chefs

Last week, David Nayfeld chef-partner at San Francisco's Che Fico, wrote (with Larissa Zimberoff) a Business Insider piece that addressed--in uncommon, unflinching honesty--aspects of the restaurant industry that he believes need to change post pandemic. The article addressed everything from livable wages to the creation of a sanctioned apprenticeship program to the what the cost of a restaurant meal should be to support sound food production and employment practices.David joins Andrew on today's show to expand on the ideas expressed in his article. It's a refreshingly unvarnished, unfiltered conversation that industry professionals will find cathartic and civilians will find educational.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 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.If you enjoy this episode, you might enjoy these vintage Andrew Talks to Chefs conversations:Episode 61: David Nayfeld & Angela PinkertonEpisode 81: Chef's Roll Anti-Convention Super PackPhoto of David Nayfeld by Nelson Murray. 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!

Jodi Liano, founder of San Francisco Cooking School, updates us on the state of affairs in the Bay Area, discusses the unique issues facing culinary schools as they prepare to reopen, and predicts the surprisingly bright prospects for soon-to-be-graduates.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 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.If you enjoy this episode, you might enjoy these vintage Andrew Talks to Chefs conversations:LIVE! from San Francisco Cooking School (June 2019)Episode 88: Patrick O'Connell & Lincoln CarsonEpisode 79: Michael McCarty  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!

Our quest for great chef- and food-focused entertainment continues, as it does every Friday, with an examination of the NBC series Hannibal. Allison and Matt Robicelli join Andrew to examine such questions as:  Why does the cannibal Hannibal Lecter remain such an enduringly fascinating character? How does Mads Mikkelsen compare with Dr. Lecters past? Is the show revolting, or beautiful? And how in the world did we end up talking about Tom Jones' sex appear in the middle of this thing? For answers and no shortage of tangents, please listen in.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 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!

In this two-episodes-in-one special report, Andrew visits with three chef-owners in three stages of lockdown in three different markets:Scott Varricchio of Citrus Grillhouse in Vero Beach, Florida, shares the precautions he's taken in preparation to partially reopen his restaurant tomorrow;Ian Boden, of The Shack  in Staunton, Virginia, discusses the challenges of being fully, temporarily shut down and the difficulties in deciding when to reopen a small restaurant;and Craig Melillo of Gracie's Apizza in Portland, Oregon, gives us a report on his first few services operating for curbside pickup.Three different perspectives from three different regions that add up to a snapshot of where the industry is as we ease into May.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 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!

Lisa Abend, an American journalist and author based in Copenhagen, has been writing invaluable stories about the pandemic's effect on the chef and restaurant communities worldwide for Vanity Fair. Her recent articles have covered the initial shock and awe, the industry's humanitarian efforts, and the lessons we can take from Sweden's approach.Lisa joins Andrew to expand on her reporting, and share her current thinking about the outlook for the industry.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 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!

Darren Underway, a sous chef at Somerset restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, has made the best of his shelter-in-place time by writing and producing The Stay-Put Cookbook: A Chef's Guide to Cooking Under Quarantine. The e-book offers recipes suited to home cooks at a time of limited shopping and sourcing options, with recipes most home cooks can successfully produce. A portion of proceeds of the book purchased for $13 (as opposed to the basic $10 price) will go to the Boka Restaurant Group Employee Relief Fund.Darren joins Andrew to discuss the book, what prompted him to write it, and what he learned about cookbooks in the process.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 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!

It's Friday, which means it's time for our latest Shelter en Place movie review with our favorite critical culinarians, Allison and Matt Robicelli. This week, we get into the 2000 Bob Giraldi cooks and mobsters melodrama Dinner Rush, which plays out in one tumultuous night at a Tribeca restaurant. In a first, the Robicellis and Andrew find themselves at odds--Andrew loves, loves, loves the movie and its realistic depiction of a restaurant in action, while Allison and Matt damn it with the dismissive "meh." Listen in as we hash it out and try to find some common ground.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 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!

Longtime listeners will remember Jose Arroyo, who was the subject of an interview in summer 2019. On today's show, Andrew catches up with Jose to learn how the pandemic and lockdown are affecting the family restaurants where he works in Covina and Upland, California.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.For more information on the programs mentioned on this episode, visit Valrhona for details on registering for the Cake Walk, and visit the Korea Society's site to register for Andrew's webcast conversation with chef Hooni Kim Thursday, April 30 at 6:30pm EST.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!

William Sitwell's new book The Restaurant: A 2,000-Year History of Dining Out, examines the evolution of its subject worldwide, from ancient Rome to the Ottoman Empire to modern Britain and the United States to movements such as the coffee house revolution and fast food. Taking the book as a jumping-off point, Andrew and William--restaurant critic and food writer for The Daily Telegraph--attempt to put the current lockdown in perspective, and imagine what dining out might look like in a post-pandemic world.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 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!

Dan Kluger of New York City's Loring Place restaurant reflects on the lessons he's learned during quarantine, and remembers his late friend, the great chef Floyd Cardoz, whom we lost last month to coronavirus-related complications. A conversation about considering how we spend our time, and appreciating the influence and impressions others leave on us, and that in turn we can have on others.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page--pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 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. To support the employees of Loring Place, please contribute to their relief fund.   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!