Special Sauce with Ed Levine

Latest Episodes:

Notes from the Kitchen: NY's Immigrant Restaurant Workers Speak Oct 30, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Special Sauce we explore the vital roles immigrants play in restaurant kitchens all over America with chef and restaurateur Marc Meyer, the editor of the important book "Voices from the Kitchen: Personal Narratives from New York's Immigrant Restaurant Workers", and restaurant manager and Irish immigrant Anna Marie McCullagh.

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Top of the World: A Great New Documentary Oct 23, 2026

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On this episode of Special Sauce we talk to the fine documentarian Betsy West and chef Michael Lomonaco about West's superb new film "Top of the World". The film tells the heartbreaking story of Windows on the World, the restaurant on the 106th and 107th floor of the World Trade Center that was destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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Jacques Pepin Part 2: Jacques on Julia & Much More Oct 16, 2026

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For Jacques Pépin, cooking has always been about bringing people together and sharing the basic skills to make something delicious. This week we return to my conversation with the legendary chef which we recorded at Jacques' home in Connecticut. We were joined by his daughter Claudine and his son-in-law Roland "Rollie" Wesen. We talked about Jacques' journey from France to America, the essential role of immigrants in American food culture, and the family's foundation which helps people build new lives through cooking.

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Jacques Pépin Part 1: The Legend at 90+ Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

What a treat it was to go up to Jacques Pépin's home in Connecticut and interview Jacques, his daughter Claudine Pépin, and her husband Rollie Wesen on the occasion of the publication of the 50th Anniversary edition of Pépin's seminal work La Technique. Pépin was even more charming in person. Thank you, Jacques, for taking the time to talk.

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Susie Essman Reheat: An Oldie but a Goodie Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

This week on Special Sauce we go way back into the Internet time machine (2015!) with the brilliant Susie Essman regaling us with hilarious stories about her years of dues paying in comedy clubs, renouncing vegetarianism when the smell of bacon just became too much for her; and coming up with comedy legends Larry David, Jon Stewart and Chris Rock. It's one of my favorite Special Sauce interviews ever!

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Meherwan Irani: Indian Street Food Evangelist Sep 25, 2026

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James Beard Award-Winning chef and restaurateur Meherwan Irani has written 'Number 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World', a book that celebrates the Indian street food he serves at his restaurants Chai Pani and Botiwalla. On Special Sauce Irani insisted that Indian street food is the best street food in the world. Bold claim!

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ICE in Chicago: Still Destroying Food People's Lives Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

After reading about ICE's ongoing appalling treatment of an Argentine-born Chicago chef Carlos Cantatore in the new online food publication Ravenous, I invited Ravenous' Ashok Selvam and Marcos Carbajal, Chicago-born restaurateur-chef and owner of the esteemed Carnitas Uruapan, on Special Sauce to bring us up to date.

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Restaurant Reservation Insanity Sep 11, 2026

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This week on Special Sauce, reporter Heather Haddon and columnist Adam ChandlerofThe Wall Street Journal give us the lowdown on why securing a restaurant reservation is damn near impossible these days.

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Dolly Parton: Working Class Food Hero Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

There are quite a few beautiful Dolly Parton remembrances that have been published since her death, but only one that talked about Dolly's love of food and the many contributions Parton made to the food culture. Today's guest on Special Sauce, Amy McCarthy, former Eater writer and editor and one of Ravenous' employee owners, wrote that smart and thoughtful piece about Dolly, so smart and thoughtful I thought she could come on the show and talk about it. Amy turned out to be the perfect Special Sauce guest. Long Live Dolly Parton.

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'The Elephant in the Room' Revisited with Tommy Tomlinson Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

This week the terrific writer and podcaster Tommy Tomlinson gives us a poignant and hopeful update on his lifelong battle with his weight. Thanks to GLP-1 drugs he has lost more than 130 pounds in the last 2 years. Tommy and I share our GLP-1 drug experiences.

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