Andrew Talks to Chefs

On the heels of her revealing New York Times editorial, chef Amanda Cohen of NYC's Dirt Candy and Lekka Burger, joins Andrew to discuss the emotions of owning temporarily shuttered restaurants, the creative challenges that await when restaurants are permitted to reopen, and non-obvious (and not strictly monetary) ways restaurant patrons can support the industry at this perilous time.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official siteChefs, Drugs, and Rock & Roll (Andrew's most recent book)Dirt CandyLekka BurgerAmanda's Cookbook & Dirt Candy merchandise  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!

Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper), we are told, is to cooking what the Rolling Stones are to rock & roll. For two hours, in the comeback saga Burnt (2015), we learn just how awful one can behave if they have a way with a whisk. Or can they? in a new, possibly recurring feature, Shelter en Place Theater, Andrew is joined by guest critics Allison & Matt Robicelli to dissect Burnt, both as a representation of the chef trade, and as a work of dramatic fiction. It ain't pretty, but it's honest.**Warning: This episode is rife with spoilers. Please watch Burnt before listening!**Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official websiteRobicelli StudioBooks by Allison & Matt 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!

Ashtin Berry is a top bartender and beverage consultant: Imbibe named her Best Bartender in 2019, and she was the lone woman of color on Observer's 2018 55 People in Nightlife Power List. But her professional success is just one aspect of her blossoming career: Ashtin devotes a great deal of time and energy to raising awareness about power, opportunity, and benefit imbalances in the hospitality industry, and exploring possible solutions. She is a challenger of the status quo, an asker of difficult questions, and a believer in better ways of doing business. In this densely packed half-hour conversation, Ashtin shares her thoughts on the unique opportunities and challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the eventual recovery.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official websiteAshtin Berry Instagram feedUnite America's Table Instagram (hashtag) Feed 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!

Restaurant workers have never been more cordoned off from their professional kitchens and dining rooms, or each other. As the COVID-19 crisis continues to paralyze the industry, increasing anxiety over when restaurants will reopen and what the profession will look like mounts.  Katherine Miller, Vice President of Impact for the James Beard Foundation, joins Andrew today to discuss how restaurant workers can advocate for and take care of themselves, and shares some information about the herculean efforts taking place behind the scenes to help support the industry and prepare it for the best possible comeback.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official siteJames Beard Foundation Industry Support WebinarsIndependent Restaurant CoalitionIndependent Restaurant Coalition petition to the US Congress  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!

During normal times, Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York City, and Now Serving in Los Angeles, are popular independent bookstores where cooks and chefs routinely spend hour after hour perusing new and classic books and adding to their collections. During this time of sheltering in place, both shops are closed to in-person visitors, but remain open and vital as mail-order sources. Much as restaurants have pivoted to take-away and delivery, these popular stores are going all-in on fulfilling remote orders. Andrew speaks with Now Serving's co-owner Ken Concepcion and Kitchen Arts & Letters' managing partner Matt Sartwell about what it's like keeping business rolling during a pandemic, what trends they've noticed during the shutdown, and what new titles personally excite them. Our great thanks to S.Pelleggrino for making these special reports possible.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official siteKitchen Arts & LettersNow ServingNow Serving's Instagram feed    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!

Tonight we take a break from our special reports to present a semi-"normal" episode featuring an interview (recorded in February) with Iliana Regan of Chicago's Elizabeth restaurant and Michigan's Milkweed Inn. The extraordinarily open Iliana discusses her breathtaking memoir Burn the Place, her childhood, sobriety, and being both a chef and writer. We're calling this one a hybrid show, because Andrew's opening comments address the feelings of revisiting this pre-pandemic interview in the midst of the zeitgeist.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Thank you to The Cookery Restaurant in Dobbs Ferry, New York, for hosting this episode; if in Westchester, NY, please support the restaurant's staff directly, or by ordering take-away from the restaurant at this critical time.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official websiteBurn the Place (buy Iliana's book!)Elizabeth restaurantMilkweed Inn   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!

Chef John Currence, never one to shy away from airing his opinions, calls in from Oxford, Mississippi, to share an on-the-ground report, and kick around everything from the encouraging human reaction to the pandemic to date, how the crisis might or might not be reflected in pop culture, and what music he's been listening to these days.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chef Official websiteJohn Currence websiteSupport the employees of John's restaurants!John Currence, original Andrew Talks to Chefs interview  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 probably heard Chef Erick Williams' appearance on the pod just two months ago. Andrew rang up his new friend last week and asked him to update us on the vibe in Chicago and how the dynamic of his kitchen has and hasn't changed as a result of its current offering. And chef Preeti Mistry calls in from California to discuss a cool online cooking class/fundraiser she's participating in.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.LINKS Andrew Talks to Chefs official siteVirtue RestaurantDispora Co Instagram feedErick Williams' January 2020 appearance on Andrew Talks to ChefsPreeti Mistry 2019 LIVE appearance on 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!

One of the true legends of the culinary arts, Jacques Pépin, joins us for today's special report, accompanied by the co-founder and executive director of the Jacques Pépin Foundation, Rollie Wesen. The two discuss the prospects for newly trained cooks in a post-pandemic future, and share their advice for cooking with economy and creativity at home during this time of crisis.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Please visit the Andrew Talks to Chefs official website. 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!

Chef Dan Jacobs' Milwaukee restaurant Dan Dan remains open for take away and delivery during the current pandemic and the "safe in place" order in his city. But because he lives with the rare, progressive Kennedy's Disease, Dan is at high risk for complications if exposed to the COVID-19 virus, so has made the decision to stay home rather than work at his restaurant. Dan shares how he's maintaining and adapting certain pro-kitchen habits at home, what he's been cooking, and the joys of cleaning a kitchen.. any kitchen.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible. 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!