Andrew Talks to Chefs

Our first on-the-ground report from San Francisco: Chef Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu's and Moongate Lounge paints a picture of a dystopian scene in one of the United States' greatest food cities. Brandon discusses the impossibility of predicting just what the future of restaurants, including his own, will look like; the disruption of life without nighty service; and the distinct, unfortunate antipathy being directed at the Chinese-American community during the COVID-19 crisis.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Help fund health insurance for Mister Jiu's staff.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official siteChef, Drugs, and Rock & Roll (Andrew's latest book) 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 1983, the Jones family of Milan, Ohio, shifted the focus of their family farm to providing the best possible ingredients to a growing population of chefs seeking high-quality and specialty produce, renaming their business The Chef's Garden. The approach has served them well, until the current pandemic. With restaurants temporarily shuttering across the globe, The Chef's Garden's customer base disappeared, and the company made a shift to selling a line of themed produce boxes (Immunity Booster, Anti-Aging Mix, Subscription Box, etc.) for home cooks. Farmer Lee Jones, the longstanding public face of the Jones family and The Chef's Garden, takes us inside the pivot and describes how his team made the switch so quickly.  Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Support our cause of the day: If you are able to, please buy a gift certificate from you favorite restaurant!  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!

From her Chefs with Issues program to her personal consultations with countless people in the restaurant industry to her myriad writings and her own Communal Table podcast, Kat Kinsman is a leading voice for mental health among hospitality professionals. Kat and Andrew discuss coping mechanisms traditional and non- and how they might be employed at this challenging time, and manage to have an unlikely laugh or two along the way.Also, on the day we lost chef Floyd Cardoz, Plate magazine's Chandra Ram shares a few thoughts about this important chef.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Please visit our support organization of the day, Kat Kinsman's Chefs with Issues.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official websiteCommunal Table (Kat's Food + Wine podcast)Industry United Facebook groupA Balanced GlassCHOW (Colorado)Calm appPersonal Mise en PlaceInsight TimerHeadspaceCramer Care 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!

A cross-section of LA-area chefs catch us up on how they're managing during this crisis:  Industry veterans Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger of Border Grill, Socalo, and other restaurants check-in from their respective homes to share how they're keeping in touch with their teams, staying fit, and what they're cooking for themselves and their families; Santa Monica's Dave Beran of Dialogue and Pasjoli explains his democratic approach to staffing and take-away plans during a pandemic; and Nyesha Arrington describes the surreal experience of watching the industry suffer while between restaurants herself.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.Please check out our restaurant support organization of the day: Independent Restaurant Coalition. Sign up for their updates and give generously, if you can.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official websiteAndrew's obit for Gotham Bar and Grill (mentioned on today's show)Border GrillSocaloDialoguePasjoliNyesha Arrington 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!

We thought the industry (and everybody else) could use a laugh right about now, so we invited the dependably upbeat, irreverent Phil Rosenthal, star of the Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil and co-creator of the classic sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, on to talk about his love of chefs and restaurants, and share his thoughts on where we are right now. The first of two episodes devoted to Los Angeles at this time of crisis--part two (debuting Tuesday, 3/24) features Nyesha Arrington, Dave Beran, and Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official websitePhil RosenthalRestaurant Workers Relief Fund (today's featured support organization - please give generously) 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 our second of a special series of nightly reports for an industry in crisis, chef Naomi Pomeroy joins Andrew from Portland, Oregon, to share how she and her colleagues are faring in the Pacific Northwest. Naomi also discusses the parallel between grief and what the restaurant community and world at large is experiencing right now, what it's like to be a chef without their kitchen, and on the personal connections that help make it bearable.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official siteBeast restaurant Expatriate restaurant(The NY State petition mentioned on tonight's episode lives here.) 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!

At a time of industry crisis, we are proud to offer a new series of special reports that will air Monday - Friday for at least the next month. The episodes are intended as a place for restaurant professionals and enthusiasts to virtually gather daily to hear the thoughts of industry leaders, employees, experts, and others who have important viewpoints to share. Each episode will feature one or two interviews plus news and commentary from Andrew, and will be approximately 30 minutes in length.Our first guest is Gavin Kaysen, the Minneapolis-based chef-restaurateur behind Spoon and Stable, Bellecour, Bellecour Bakery, and Demi. Gavin shares his thoughts on what makes the restaurant industry's challenge at this moment unique, the effect of restaurants' survival on the greater food chain, how to most productively interact with your local civic leaders, and the opportunity for improvement presented when the crisis has passed.Our great thanks to S.Pellegrino for making these special reports possible.To automatically receive these reports in your podcast queue, subscribe (free) to Andrew Talks to Chefs on your preferred podcast platform.LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official websiteSoigne Hospitality (Gavin Kaysen's Restaurant Group)Milion Gallons (soup program mentioned in this episode)   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!

At a time of industry and international crisis, we hope this episode will be a welcome respite for industry and civilian listeners alike. Andrew recently made his annual pilgrimage to the Philly Chef Conference where he spoke with some of the most exciting and influential food and drink professionals working today: They are (in order of appearance): Pastry genius Antonio Bachour of Coral Gables, Florida; Esquire magazine's beverage director of the year, Chelsea Gregoire of Baltimore; fermentation pioneer Jason White; prolific Philly chef-restaurateur Greg Vernick; and Copenhagen-based New Nordic OG Bo Bech.If that weren't enough, Esquire magazine's food and drinks editor Jeff Gordinier joins Andrew to introduce the conversations.Enjoy these interviews individually or pass a few hours taking them in in one sitting. Andrew Talks to Chefs is proud to welcome new sponsor L'Ecole Valrhona, who are holding their first-ever West Coast classes this spring and summer. Visit their site for more information.And thanks to The Good Witch Coffee Bar for hosting our introductions this week.Hang tough, industry friends. LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs official siteChefs, Drugs, and Rock & Roll (Andrew's latest book)Antonio BachourChelsea GregoireJason WhiteGreg VernickBo BechHungry by Jeff Gordinier 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!

A rare non-chef episode of the pod featuring two of the most successful and influential restaurateurs in the United States. While in Philadelphia last weekend for the Philly Chef Conference, Welcome Conference co-founder (and the restaurateur who conjured up the magic of Eleven Madison Park and the Nomad restaurants before moving on from them last year), and Kevin Boehm, cofounder of Chicago's prolific Boka Restaurant Group (Boka, Girl and the Goat, GT Fish & Oyster, Momotaro, and many others) talk all things hospitality.How do they maintain quality control? Where do they gain new inspiration? What is the value of a pre-shift (nightly pre-service huddle)? Are we in a golden age for restaurants? It's a rare treat to hear such devoted and passionate professionals kick these and other topics around--don't miss this one!If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it’s free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple’s podcast store.Please also subscribe to email updates from Andrew Talks to Chefs to receive new episode alerts and Andrew’s blog posts.Thanks for listening!LINKSAndrew Talks to Chefs OFFICIAL websiteToqueland (Andrew's blog)Buy Andrew's book - Chefs, Drugs, and Rock & RollBoka Restaurant GroupWelcome ConferenceKevin Boehm's 2018 Welcome Conference Talk (mentioned in episode)Philly Chef Conference  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!

On the day her movie A Fine Line: A Woman's Place Is In the Kitchen debuts in New York City, filmmaker Joanna James discusses her documentary's exploration of the struggles and triumphs of women chefs and restauranteurs, and the story of her mother Val's life in the industry. The movie intercuts Val James' story with interviews with top women chefs including Dominique Crenn, Barbara Lynch, and Mashama Bailey.And, continuing a conversation from last week's show, chef and author Rocco DiSpirito discusses how he became focused on health and fitness, his new cookbook Rocco's Keto Comfort Food Diet, his years away from restaurants, why he came back, and what he's thinking of doing next. EPISODE GUIDE0 - 4:25  Intro4:25 - 51:35  Joanna James51:35 - 54:20 Show Notes and Updates54:20 - 1:55:50 - Rocco DiSpirito, part 21:55:50 - end  OutroLINKSANDREW TALKS TO CHEFS official website A FINE LINE movie official websiteMAPP (A Fine Line's social impact campaign)Rocco's Keto Comfort Food DietRocco DiSpirito websiteBenno restaurant (hosted Rocco DiSpirito interview) Mermaid Inn (hosted Joanna James 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!