Andrew Talks to Chefs

How many of us can even name 50 countries? Well, Shannon Smith has traveled to more than 50 of them in her ongoing and very passionate quest to learn about the cuisines of the world, teach people living in poverty how to cook, fundraise for myriad causes, and pick up new techniques that she employs in the culinary experiences she produces at her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this episode of the pod, Shannon and Andrew discuss her life and work, and explore the modern definition of what it means to be a chef.

And in this week's Tech and Restaurants segment, brought to you by BentoBox and Clover, social media consultant and author of the (free) Link in Bio Substack, Rachel Karten, shares valuable advice for making sense of the current social media landscape and maximizing your presence there. (Follow Rachel on Instagram here.) Please visit the website for BentoBox and Clover to learn how they provide restaurants with the technology they need for even more success, and book a demo today.

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 news.

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!

If you enjoy Andrew Talks to Chefs, you also may already have discovered Emmanuel Laroche's terrific podcast Flavors Unknown. On today's episode, Emmanuel joins Andrew to discuss his new book Conversations Behind the Kitchen Door: 50 American Chefs Chart Today's Food Culture, a fascinating meditation on chefs, food, cooking, flavor, and creativity in the kitchen. (Pro-tip: It'd make a great holiday gift for the chef or foodie in your life.) Andrew and Emmanuel discuss the inspiration for his book, and tangential subjects that come up along the way--a rap session between two people who love following the chef and restaurant scene in the United States.

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 news.

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!

Daniel Garwood is an ambitious and strikingly humble young chef whose career we look forward to following. The winner of the US regional finals of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition, and a sous chef at Atomix restaurant in New York City, Daniel has cooked in his native Australia, South Korea, and other culinary capitals, before coming to the United States in July. In this episode, Daniel and Andrew discuss his training, fascination with Korean ingredients and techniques, obsession with live fire, and concept for a future restaurant of his own. (Oh, and he also owns a brewery.) A rare chance to hear from a budding chef at this stage in their development.

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 news.

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!

New York City listeners will no doubt recognize Michael Cecchi-Azzolina's face, if not his name. For several decades now, he's run the dining rooms of some of the most popular, acclaimed, and influential restaurants in Manhattan, including Raoul's and Le Coucou. Michael's first book, Your Table is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D', which debuted just last week, is a no-holds-barred account of life in the front-of-house trenches, with all the vivid, sometimes lurid detail you'd expect. Andrew and MIchael sat down recently to discuss the book, its themes, and tangential issues such as guest etiquette (or lack thereof) and the most effective way to convey customer feedback.

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 news.

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!

Ariel Fox has had an eclectic life in the kitchen, from a California childhood to an East Coast career; from the Nordic-in-New York Acme restaurant to setting the menus for Del Frisco's and Dos Caminos; and from a championship run on TV's Hell's Kitchen to authorship of her first cookbook Spice Kitchen: Healthy Latin and Caribbean Cuisine. In this episode, Ariel sits down with Andrew to discuss her unique path and current endeavors.

And in this week's Tech and Restaurants segment, brought to you by BentoBox and Clover, Sean Feeney, of Grovehouse Hospitality, discusses exploring and succeeding with new revenue streams online, specifically the MP (MisiPasta) product line. Please visit the website for BentoBox and Clover to learn how they provide restaurants with the technology they need for even more success, and book a demo today.

See Andrew in conversation with Mary Sue MIlliken, and take in a day's worth of knowledge from some of the best chefs on the West Coast at the 2022 LA Chef Conference--visit their site for information and tickets!

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.

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!