Andrew Talks to Chefs

Latest Episodes:

Episode 186: Corey Mintz (author, The Next Supper) Nov 24, 2021

Show notes

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.

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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!

Episode 185: Pati Jinich (author, Treasures of the Mexican Table; host, La Frontera on PBS) Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

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.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

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Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Episode 184: Gabe McMackin (Troutbeck--Amenia, NY) Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

We at Andrew Talks to Chefs are huge fans of Gabe McMackin. Talented and thoughtful, he owned and operated his own restaurant The Finch for five years, and currently is chef of Troutbeck, a magnificent, historic property in Upstate, NY. Gabe and Andrew recently sat down to discuss Gabe's path to the pro kitchen, as well as changing kitchen culture, and myriad other subjects.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

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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!

Episode 183: Dan Richer (author, The Joy of Pizza) Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

For years now, Dan Richer's name has been synonymous with superlative pizza. At his Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City, NJ, he turns out some of the most acclaimed pizza in the United States. Now, he's teamed up with collaborator Katie Parla to share his hard-earned pizza-making wisdom in The Joy of Pizza, which debuts today (November 9, 2021). Andrew was knocked out by the book's wealth of information, instructive images, and passion, and we're thrilled to celebrate this book and share a new conversation with Dan, all about the writing process. (You might also enjoy checking out Dan's prior visit to the show. with LA's Daniele Uditi.)

* Photo of Dan by Eric Wolfinger.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

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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!

Episode 182: Dennis Ngo (Di An Di, Brooklyn) Oct 29, 2021

Show notes

Chef Dennis Ngo grew up the American-born son of Vietnamese refugees in Houston, Texas, and spent almost a decade in the corporate world, before following a fondness for hospitality into the professional kitchen. After a brief stint as a dishwasher and line cook, he took the opportunity to become chef of a downtown Manhattan restaurant. Following a rocky start, he grew into the role, eventually moving on to other opportunities and then, about five years ago, opening Di An Di in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Dennis really opens up in his conversation with Andrew, taking on such subjects as family resistance to his switching to kitchen life, a rewarding but in some respects painful relationship with a surprising mentor, and what he sees as Di An Di's mission.

From October 29 - November 5, 2021, Dennis and Di An Di are participating in S.Pellegrino's* Destination Dining program, "exchanging" two dishes with LA's Night + Market.

* S.Pellegrino is Andrew Talks to Chefs' promotional partner.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

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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!

Episode 181: Byron Gomez (7908 restaurant, Aspen) Oct 22, 2021

Show notes

It hasn't been easy for Byron Gomez. His family relocated from Costa Rica to the United States when he was 8-years old, and he grew up under a cloud of uncertainty due to their immigration status. Nevertheless, he discovered and succeeded in professional kitchens, thanks in part to a first job in Burger King, of all places, and went on to work in Atera, Eleven Madison Park, and a handful of Daniel Boulud's restaurants. He's currently chef of 7908, a combination restaurant, bar, and club in Aspen, Colorado, where he's thriving, and also recently competed on Top Chef. During a visit to New York City, Byron sat down with Andrew to discuss his unique path, his goals, and his life as a "Dreamer," in multiple senses of the word.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

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Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Episode 180: Zoe Adjonyoh (author, Zoe's Ghana Kitchen) Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

Zoe Adjonyoh's fascination with Ghanaian cuisine began as an exploration of personal identity (she grew up in the U.K., the child of a Ghanaian father and Irish mother), expanded to a focus of culinary travel, and flowered into a series of London-based businesses--pop-ups, supper clubs, a restaurant, and a book, Zoe's Ghana Kitchen. On this, the publication day of the first US edition of her book, Zoe joins Andrew to discuss her passion for her work, how it fits into the relatively recent effort to codify Ghanaian cuisine, and how she mingles the universal and the personal in her outlook and recipes.

(photo of Zoe by Lateef Okunnu)

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram.

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!

Episode 179: Timothée Prangé (Little Red Door, Paris) Oct 15, 2021

Show notes

As a child, Timothée Prangé dreamed of becoming a chef, but somewhere along the way, he took a detour into music as a trumpet player, and then into the vibrant world of modern cocktails. His Little Red Door is the hottest cocktail bar in Paris, where the menu's concept changes annually, earning the establishment abundant honors including longstanding inclusion in the World's 50 Best Bars. While in Antwerp for the World's 50 Best Restaurants* ceremony last week, Andrew had a chance to sit down with Timothée to discuss LIttle Red Door's unique approach to cocktails, including this year's menu, titled "Grounded," with original drinks focused on a select group of farmers and the vegetables, fruits, dairy, and legumes they grow, raise, and harvest.

Please register for and join us for the FREE, virtual PlateTalks conversation among Andrew, fellow journalist Chandra Ram, and legendary American chefs Larry Forgione and Cindy Pawlcyn on Monday, October 18, 2021, at 2pm EST.

* The World's 50 Best Restaurants is sponsored by our promotional partner S.Pellegrino.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram.

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!

Episode 178: Hanna Raskin (The Food Section) Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

Hanna Raskin, most recently a reporter and restaurant critic for the Charleston Post and Courier, just launched The Food Section, a Substack devoted to food and related issues across the American South. The online journal, delivered to subscribers' email inboxes twice weekly, offers everything from news and investigative journalism to restaurant reviews, opinion columns, and features.

On today's pod, Hanna calls in from Charleston to discuss her move into this growing journalism sector, and describe some of her first stories for The Food Section, including a look at the state (and advisability) of "friends and family" nights in restaurants, and the tale of a neighborhood that banded together to push back against a local bar that had overtaken its streets.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram.

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!

Episode 177: Laurie Woolever (author, BOURDAIN: The Definitive Oral Biography) Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

Author Laurie Woolever joins Andrew to discuss her wonderful new book Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography (due out September 28 and now available for preorder), and to share her memories and observations from the ten years she spent as his assistant, collaborator, and friend.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

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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!

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