Andrew Talks to Chefs

A former model and corporate executive, driven to introspection after a natural disaster, resolves to move from her native Thailand to New York City and become a chef. That’s the improbable, and improbably successful, journey of Chef Hong Thaimee, who now presides over a number of Thai restaurants in New York City, with dreams of conquering the world “one pad Thai at a time.” Hong shares her story with Andrew, painting us a verbal picture of her Chiang Mai childhood, first days in New York City, education at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market restaurant, and adventures as an entrepreneur in a strange land. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! Andrew Talks to Chefs is powered by Simplecast 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!

Take a break from the madness of the holiday season, throw on a life vest, and join Andrew and Chef Kerry Heffernan as they chat on board Grand Banks, a restaurant situated on a converted boat docked off lower Manhattan. Kerry takes us through his career, from his days as a New York City line cook working for such legends as David Bouley, to his time in France with a fellow, then-unknown whisk named Tom Colicchio (who turned him on to fishing) to becoming a chef in his own right. Along the way, they discuss sustainability, changes in the profession (including the very definition of “chef”), and the intersection of cooking and politics. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! Andrew Talks to Chefs is powered by Simplecast 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 a retrofitted train car in San Antonio, Texas, chef/owners Diego Galicia and Rico Torres turn out some of the most exciting, constantly changing Mexican food in the United States today. While in New York City to cook their third James Beard House dinner, the pair sat down with Andrew to discuss how they met and became co-chefs and business partners, their approach to menu development and collaboration, and their next project. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! Andrew Talks to Chefs is powered by Simplecast 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!

The duo behind one of the hottest restaurants in the country—San Francisco’s Che Fico—join Andrew for today’s interview. Executive Chef David Nayfeld and Pastry Chef Angela Pinkerton hailed from very different backgrounds when they met working at Eleven Madison Park in New York City. But the two became friends and stayed in touch, even when David moved back to the West Coast. They’ve come together at the Italian restaurant Che Fico, which was selected for both Bon Appetit’s Hot List and Esquire magazine’s Best New Restaurants in 2018. In addition to getting the story behind this of-the-moment restaurant, this interview, recorded several weeks ago, poignantly underscores the volatility of today’s restaurant industry as the team’s follow-up dinette and bakery, Theorita is sadly scheduled to shutter in about a week. But Che Fico rolls on, and is the main focus of this episode. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! 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!

Few chefs can lay claim to being true pioneers in their field but legendary pastry chef Jim Dodge is certainly one of them. Once the pastry chef of the storied Stanford Court Hotel in San Francisco, Jim made desserts his specialty long before it was common for most restaurants to have a dedicated pastry chef. In his role, he helped elevate classic American desserts to new heights, just as his contemporaries on the hot line were doing the same for savory food. While in Boston to speak together at Boston University, Jim and Andrew sat down to go through Jim's career, his early remembrances of such figures as Julia Child and James Beard, and his distinct views on his craft. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! Andrew Talks to Chefs is powered by Simplecast 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 My Blood is the title of chef Bo Bech’s stunning and singular new book, and it’s an apt description of the man himself. Bo sat down with Andrew this week to discuss his book, which tells the story—in words, watercolors, photographs, and recipes—of his Copenhagen restaurant Geist. The interview is as unique as the man and his book, full of culinary and philosophical revelations, vivid descriptions, passion—plus an examination of the life lessons of the Rumble in the Jungle. (To order Bo’s books, visit ChefBoBech.com.) Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! *Andrew Talks to Chefs * is powered by Simplecast 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!

Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson supplements his groundbreaking, deeply personal cuisine at Fäviken with scholarly books like his newly published Nordic Baking Book, recently out from Phaidon. Magnus sat down with Andrew in New York City to discuss his goal with the book, which like his previous Nordic Cook Book, is not a collection of Fäviken recipes, but rather a thoughtful and thorough gathering and examination of crucial Nordic recipes and the culture of baking in the Nordic region. (Magnus has referred to the project in writing as a documentary.) They also discuss milestones of his professional career and some of the philosophies and practices that have helped Fäviken rise to its place in the international scene. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! Andrew Talks To Chefs is powered by Simplecast 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!

Not many chefs can boast a degree in Russian language and literature, but that was just one of the many accomplishments Tanya Holland achieved before gravitating to chefdom and gaining acclaim at her beloved Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland. While in Brooklyn for Star Chefs, Tanya found an hour to relate her journey from academia to the culinary arts; how her parents’ inclusive worldview helped shaped her own trajectory; her abiding interest in politics and diplomacy; and the ups and downs of running (and relocating) a restaurant. Fun fact: Tanya is also our third guest of the fall who appeared on Top Chef Season 15. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! Andrew Talks to Chefs is powered by Simplecast 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 heels of his recent victory on Food Network Star, Christian Petroni--the culinary and personality force behind a quintet of Fortina restaurants in New York and Connecticut--sits down with Andrew to share the story behind his successful Italian-American restaurant group, recall autumn hunting trips with his father and brothers, and get into the perhaps surprising role French and Spanish food have played in his life and career. Great stories and unfiltered honesty make this a special conversation that we love. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! Powered by Simplecast 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 the three-and-a-half years since opening her Centrolina restaurant in Washington, DC, Amy Brandwein has earned rave reviews and a devoted following (she was also the subject of an article by Melissa Clark last month in the New York Times). It’s an extra-remarkable accomplishment since Amy didn’t set her sights on chefdom until age 30, switching careers, and eventually homing in on Italian food. Andrew and Amy sat down recently to go over her story, from baking pies as a child to assimilating the Italian culinary mindset as an adult to developing her own strongly held convictions about authenticity as a chef. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! Andrew Talks to Chefs is powered by Simplecast 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!