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Expense Account

Hey, it’s J Lee, food critic at large for Emily Sundberg’s Feed Me. I write about $300 martinis, New York City’s secret chicken tenders, my favorite dim sum spots, and how I’ll never wait in line for froyo.

I’ve got one million opinions about food, but the thing is, everyone has their own opinions about food and I want to hear all of them. Every week on Expense Account we’ll have a guest, it could be a chef, a writer, a musician, an actor, and we’ll talk about food. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Best meals and worst meals. Food that is shockingly expensive. And favorite spots around the world. We might even take a peek inside of their fridge, to find out how they’re really eating. We’ll always start the conversation with food, but we’ll always wind up somewhere else, because food is culture, and everybody eats.

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Latest Episodes:

Gail Simmons Oct 29, 2026

Show notes

The other day I went to Eric Ripert’s cookbook launch party, and I was seated at a table next to Gail Simmons. It’s still a crazy thing for me to have watched someone on TV for 20 years, and then to meet them in person. I’ve watched every season of Top Chef, and more than anyone else on the show, Gail always seemed like someone that I would want to hangout with IRL. She’s vibrant, whip smart, and opinionated, but also unpretentious. Maybe she always seemed like someone like me, she’s a food writer afterall. And let me tell you, she's as fun in real life as she is on TV, more fun even. At lunch she told me about her new book, Guesting. There are so many books about how to be a host. This is a book about how to be a guest. I immediately told her that it was a brilliant idea, and had one million questions for her. Rather than annoy everyone at our table, and ruin lunch, I asked her to come on the pod to talk guesting etiquette, and of course we had to talk a little Top Chef.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Marcus Samuelsson Is That Guy Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

Marcus Samuelsson needs no introduction. He’s that guy, and he’s been that guy for a long time. He was the youngest chef ever to earn three stars from The New York Times, for his restaurant Aquavit. He’s the winner of Top Chef Masters, and you’ve probably seen him on Chopped. He has 15 restaurants around the world, and he looks great in a hat.

His new book, Back to Green, is full of healthy, diverse, exciting meals to cook for your family and friends. Marcus is someone who inspires me, and after listening to him, I think you’ll be a little inspired too.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Monica Padman Orders The Chili at Hillstone Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Monica Padman was a Soul Cycle instructor during its heyday, she’s been a celebrity nanny, an actress, and now she is one half of the tremendously popular, Golden Globe nominated podcast Armchair Expert. We talked fast food, career changes, and Hillstone. Buckle up.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Luke Fortney is everything everywhere all at once. Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

Luke Fortney is a friend of mine, a friend of the pod, but he missed our podcast launch party. I’m sure he has some reasonable explanation. He was probably somewhere eating a quesadilla. Or some momos. A cinnamon bun. Maybe some frozen yogurt. And this is a valid excuse, because this is Luke’s job. Luke Writes the Where To Eat column/newsletter for The New York Times. Nearly everyday Luke runs around the city, eating every delicious food imaginable, in every borough. Luke is one of just a handful of people who I trust to give me a restaurant recommendation. And of those few people, he’s the only one with a nose ring. I could talk to Luke all day about restaurants. This guy knows his stuff. He’s charming, funny, and incredibly handsome. To be honest, he mogs me in more ways than one.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Pati Jinich Does It All Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

I love all of my guests. They’re all special. They’re all brilliant, but there’s just something about Patti Jinich. There’s a warmth that feels like a hug, or a Patagonia puffer vest. You can feel it through the TV. You can feel it through her words. She’s the host of Pati's Mexican table, Pati Jinich Explores PanAmericana, and La Frontera With Pati Jinich, all on PBS. She’s doing god’s work. If you’ve not watched her shows you really should. It’s some of the best travel and food TV since Bourdain, IMHO. She has a new cookbook called Foods of La Frontera, and two new seasons of her TV shows. We talked about life on the road, bordertown burritos, Kewpie mayo, and how she manages to do it all, all the time.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Tanya Sichynsky Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Our guest today is none other than Tanya Sichynsky, writer of the fantastic New York Times newsletter The Veggie and now author of Veg Everything: Recipes for Weeknights, Parties, and the Bites in Between. Vegetables are beautiful and delicious, and Tanya will be the first to tell you that you don't need to be a vegetarian to cook vegetarian meals. We talk about Atlanta, where Tanya is from. We talk about sports and Magic City wings. We really go in on Trader Joe's. And we talk Shrimpmas, your new favorite holiday. Tanya, I promise I'll be there this year.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Molly Baz contains multitudes Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Molly Baz is a ray of light. Molly Baz is building an empire. Molly Baz can not be stopped. She has two bestselling cookbooks, a wine label, an insanely popular newsletter, a video series, her very own mayo line, and she has a third cookbook, “Less Is More” slated to come out early next year. She just announced a new line of ice cream sandwiches. There’s a bit of Baz for everyone. Molly joins me today to teach me how to not cook like a coward. We talk about bad weed experiences, and mixing beer with milk. We talk babies and condiments. Molly Baz contains multitudes. We dug deep.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Carla Lalli on life after divorce, online dating and pepper jack cheese Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Our first guest is carla lalli. FKA Carla Lalli Music. She’s lived many lives. From the first GM at the first Shake Shack, to a beloved chef in the Bon Appétit test kitchen. She’s been a YouTube star, recipe developer, Substacker, and James Beard Award winner. She is a legend. She recently published her new book, Food Is A Feeling. Half cookbook, half memoir, the book tells the story of her divorce, and the healing power of food. We talked about online dating, how she could have been rich, pepper jack cheese, the pesto pasta problem, and why you should never feel guilt about pleasure. Talking to Carla was a pleasure, and I feel no guilt about it.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Expense Account Season 2 Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Food critic J Lee is back, turning food into a doorway to the bigger conversations that define how we live. Each week, J sits down with a guest to talk about food and everything around it - society, identity, culture, and the way we move through the world. Sometimes it's a chef. Sometimes it's a writer, a tastemaker, or the bartender at his favorite bar. Because everyone eats, and everyone has a story.

We always start with food. But we always wind up somewhere else - because food is culture, and everybody eats.

New season, same appetite. Season 2 drops September 17th

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Tom Colicchio Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

Expense Account is currently between seasons, but we had an opportunity to speak to culinary legend Tom Colicchio at his home in New York. We have more exciting announcements about the show later this spring, but in the meantime, enjoy this intermission episode.

This week, J Lee spoke to Tom Colicchio. The restaurateur and TV star just celebrated the 25th anniversary of his iconic restaurant Craft. You might also know him as a judge on all 21 seasons of “Top Chef,” and as a co-founder of Gramercy Tavern. This episode covers:

* What it was like to shop at Union Square Farmer’s Market in the ‘90s

* How the cost of opening a restaurant in New York City has changed over the last three decades

* Training in restaurants vs. training in culinary school

* How Tom almost ended up in “The Sopranos”

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

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