Andrew Talks to Chefs

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SPECIAL REPORT #38: "Shelter en Place" Theater presents Albert Brooks' "Defending Your Life" with Guest Critics Allison & Matt Robicelli May 15, 2020

Show notes

Our quest for great chef- and food-focused entertainment continues, as it does every Friday, with a look back at the Albert Brooks comedy and stealth food film Defending Your Life. Allison and Matt Robicelli join Andrew to discuss the prospect of guilt-free, consequence-free dining; why Heaven reminds us of Vegas ... or is it Disney World?; and Allison reveals a secret of The Simpsons that the world needs to know about.

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:

Shelter en Place: Burnt with Bradley Cooper

Shelter en Place: Jon Favreau's Chef

Shelter en Place: Demolition Man

Shelter en Place: Dinner Rush

Shelter en Place: Hannibal

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!

SPECIAL REPORT #37: Preeti Mistry on the Larger Lessons of Alison Roman's Very Bad Week May 13, 2020

Show notes

Alison Roman set off a firestorm of controversy and criticism when she went after Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo in an online interview last week. Her comments ignited several days' worth of Twitter obsession, as well as coverage on other podcasts and even Good Morning America. On today's show, Preeti Mistry joins Andrew to talk about the issues the interview raised about privilege, race, appropriation, and more.

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.

If you enjoy this episode, you might enjoy these vintage Andrew Talks to Chefs conversations:

LIVE! from San Francisco Cooking School (featuring Preeti Mistry & a tribute to the late Judy Rodgers)

(photograph of Preeti Mistry by Alanna Hale)

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!

SPECIAL REPORT #36: David Nayfeld on the Changes that Need to be Made May 12, 2020

Show notes

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.

If you enjoy this episode, you might enjoy these vintage Andrew Talks to Chefs conversations:

Episode 61: David Nayfeld & Angela Pinkerton

Episode 81: Chef's Roll Anti-Convention Super Pack

Photo of David Nayfeld by Nelson Murray.

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!

SPECIAL REPORT #35: Jodi Liano (San Francisco Cooking School) on the Surprisingly Bright Future of Culinary Students May 11, 2020

Show notes

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.

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 Carson

Episode 79: Michael McCarty

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!

SPECIAL REPORT #34: "Shelter en Place" Theater presents Hannibal with Guest Critics Allison and Matt Robicelli May 09, 2020

Show notes

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.

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!

SPECIAL REPORT #32 & 33: Scott Varricchio, Ian Boden, and Craig Melillo on the 3 Stages of Lockdown May 07, 2020

Show notes

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.

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!

SPECIAL REPORT #31: Lisa Abend (author and Vanity Fair contributor) on a Global Perspective May 05, 2020

Show notes

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.

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!

SPECIAL REPORT #30: Darren Underway, sous chef & author of The Stay-Put Cookbook May 04, 2020

Show notes

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.

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!

SPECIAL REPORT #29: "Shelter en Place" Theater presents Dinner Rush, with Guest Critics Allison & Matt Robicelli May 01, 2020

Show notes

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.

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!

SPECIAL REPORT #28: Jose Arroyo on Clearing the Board Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

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.

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!

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