069 - Virginia Festival of the Book, Ashley Christensen, Poole's Diner

Explicit content warning

03/31/17 • 68 min

Community Work. In a Diner. With Chef Ashley Christensen at The Virginia Festival of the Book. Welcome to my latest episode! Were you a bad food enthusiast? Did you miss Chef Ashley Christensen of Poole's Diner giving her stupendous talk at the Virginia Festival of the Book? No worries, Edacious taped it for you! Ashley grew up in North Carolina as part of a family who felt it important to cook and eat meals together no matter how busy their lives. It's a philosophy she took to her adult life. Putting creative energy into food and watching people share it which often develops into deep conversations over it.

She went to NC State, intending to move to a big city after graduation, working in restaurants while attending classes. Like so many of her co-workers, she worked in kitchens until she could decide what was next. Until the day she realized this was it. This is what she wanted to do. This is what's next. She realized she could do all the things she wanted right there in Raleigh. And she could do them by cooking food. A small fundraiser she organized for AIDS research turned into a massive fundraiser. That sealed the deal. As she looked about her college town, she realized she could contribute and make great strides right there. Graduation became less of a concern. She dropped out and started cooking in earnest.

Her initial curiosity and interest in food quickly developed into a catalyst for social change and community. Setting her intention, she decided to create a higher level of hospitality, one that starts with food but goes deeper to connection. A hospitality which creates a profound level of trust between the chef and the guest. Customer is something she considers "The C-Word," and something never to be uttered in any of her restaurants. Her commitment to this belief isn't just lip service. She has the word "Guest" tattooed on her forearm.

"We like to use the word 'guest' (instead of customer) because I like to remove the idea of it being a transaction. Dining together, and the energy that we put into it, the chance that you take on us I think conveys a relationship...It really helps all the folks who work with us to really understand and respect and value that idea."

Her first restaurant, Poole's Diner, reflects this intention. It's not fancy, but a place you visit once a week. Or more. A place where you can be a regular. All the menus are on chalkboards so you have to physically get up and move about to decide. Which sparks conversation because most of them hang above booths. The double horseshoe bar encourages conversation because no matter where you sit, you can see the other patrons. Even the word "diner" evokes comfort. It's a place where someone in a tux can dine next to somebody just off work in a dirty tee shirt.

The story of how she went from working in other restaurants to starting her first is beautiful, poignant, and so inspiring it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. You'll have to listen to hear it for yourself! Ashley now owns six, including one serving fried chicken with honey in honor of a childhood nickname. In fact, all of her restaurants in Raleigh contain story whether it's in the name or the food they serve, once again taking the simple idea of a place to gather for eating to a more meaningful level. Folks are responding. She's been nominated for a James Beard Award several times and won the title of Best Chef Southeast in 2014. Her restaurant Death and Taxes was a finalist last year.

Her first cookbook, Poole's Diner, is a volume reflecting a life lived rich and full through sharing food. How to use a safe, comforting space to give back and effect social change. Comfort is a fairly novel concept in this world of fancy schmancy, where tattooed-covered Tweezer Punks with dusts, strange ingredients, and 14-course meals constantly want to take you on a journey. We've sometimes forgotten the soul-filling concept of a simple bowl of grits. The recipes in this volume embrace comfort. They don't change the essential meaning of classic Southern dishes, nor reinterpret them, but simply add Ashley's personal spin. It's a gorgeous volume evoking the comfort and simplicity of a meal at Poole's.

Now more than ever in these challenging times it's important for folks from different backgrounds to come together over food on a regular basis. Food can spark conversation. Maybe folks who disagree can find commonality somehow over something they mutually love and respect. A terrific talk and my favorite one of the festival. Ashley's mission is one I strive for here on the podcast each and every day. Connection, com...

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068 - Virginia Festival of the Book, Best Food Writing 2016

Food Writing Work. With the Best Food Writing 2016 Panel at The Virginia Festival of the Book.

Welcome to my latest episode! Were you a bad food enthusiast? Did you go see Walter White at JPJ last Sunday and *NOT* go to the Best Food Writing 2016 talk? No worries, Edacious taped it for you!

This year's multiple award-winning panel included moderator and editor of the series, Holly Hughes, and contributors Joe Yonan, Food & Dining Editor for The Washington Post, Jason Tesauro, author of The Modern Gentleman, and Todd Kliman, author of The Wild Vine. Writer Monica Bhide, author of Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken was scheduled to appear but had a family emergency. All of the panelists consider themselves writers first, food being just one aspect of their work. Because food is the starting point for so many deeper conversations, a philosophy that informs this podcast as well.

Holly began editing the Best Food Writing series back in 2000. Through sixteen volumes published annually, she has presented hundreds of great pieces covering humor, travelogue, politics, memoir, history, as well as hard-hitting journalism covering all the different aspects of food. The series was conceived as a bedside table book, not a kitchen one. It makes a great gift because everyone eats. Pieces are short so you can dip into whatever strikes your fancy.

Way back when the first edition was published, the time was right. Food was becoming its own thing, its own cultural trend. Folks like Anthony Bourdain, Michael Pollan, Ruth Reichel, and magazines like Saveur and Lucky Peach made food a thing to contemplate and read about. It went beyond reading a recipe or restaurant review. Reading about food became entertainment. Food became more than just what would I eat for dinner tonight? Then food blogs came along providing writers a massive platform for publishing their own in-depth pieces immediately. It raised food consciousness, putting it much more centrally focused in the national conversation.

Why has food remained in the cultural zeitgeist? Why is it more important to us now? That's just one topic covered during this terrific panel discussion. Another? The current state of fine dining. As Joe Yonan so succinctly put it:

"You don't always want the journey. They (chefs) always want to take you on a journey. I'm tired of traveling. I just want to sit here and eat my damn dinner!"

This year's pieces include a love letter to ugly food, another one to the chicken tender, and the fabulous pieces read aloud by our panelists. Works about Chef Bo Bech, chicken fried steak, and eating tacos in Mexico City appear simple on first glance. Keep reading. As with so much great food writing what's on your plate or the person cooking it is only a starting point. It's never just about the food. It's about the deeper topics, the thoughtful life questions that connect us all. The same mission behind Edacious. Using food as an entryway. There's a reason these pieces were chosen as among the best. They have a story, great storytelling, a strong sense of narrative, a profound message. Give a listen. You won't regret it.

SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast:

Virginia Festival of the Book - most of the authors who attend are unpaid, and travel here out of their own pocket. Food writing is a challenging business. You donation will help cover expenses and get some of the big names here in 2018!
Help Scotty Recover - My best friend has Stage 3B Colorectal cancer. Bills are piling up. He can't work. Can you help?
Short Stack Editions - Love letters to a single ingredient. Sheri Castle, author of Rhubarb, appeared at the festival and on this podcast.
Victuals - Ronni Lundy's seminal work won the 2017 IAC...

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070 - Scott Nichols, Concierge

The Big Love Bake Sale is a community-based effort and the first fundraiser here at Edacious to benefit today's podcast guest, Scott Nichols. Happening Saturday 4/15, 9am-noon at Charlottesville City Market!

Concierge Work. Community Fundraising Work. With Cookies. Maybe the most important episode I've ever done. I truly believe every choice you make in your life sets you on a path. You might not understand the choice at the time or even the path you find yourself on, but eventually, it all comes together. In this episode meet Scott Nichols, a concierge with more than 20 years experience. A concierge who because of recent life developments has had to put his career on hold. A concierge who just also happens to be my best friend.

Now concierge might not be the first occupation you envision when you think of Food Work, but hotels and restaurants have a symbiotic relationship, one that operates behind the scenes, with hotel staff and restaurant employees often working for each other's benefit, coming together to make sure both establishments remain successful. It's a relationship often misunderstood, and one most travelers never take advantage of. Hopefully, this episode changes that.

First some background. We reminisce on our shared food adventures, as well as what it means to manage a Mrs. Field's Cookies. Yes, we met in a food court which acts as its own type of community, a place where employees help each other despite long hours and little pay. It's hard work and there's a great deal of hustle. At the time we were young and didn't appreciate where things came from and how our actions might affect others. Working for such low wages forced us to get creative to survive. Not making excuses. That's just the way it was. Working in a retail food court provides more life experience than sitting in a college classroom. It teaches you responsibility. Teamwork. On your feet problem-solving. All of which are good training for the hospitality industry or for owning your own business. Or for real life. Thousands of people toil in fast food all over the world. It felt good to give them a voice. To throw some honor their way instead of shame in the form of degrading stereotypes you see in movies and on TV.

We compare our cookie tray burns still visible after 30 years. Battle scars. We reveal Debbie's secret recipe. We reminisce about the hilarious methods we used to keep up morale. We talk about how Mrs. Fields actually provided great training for the career Scott embarked on and one he excels at...concierge.

After moving to DC, Scott started in hotel reservations, slowly working his way up to the front desk. Learning as much as he could, networking, soaking up every piece of knowledge like a sponge. It was the 80's, people were traveling, so tips were good. The relationship between a concierge team and their hotel employers is often volatile. So when the entire team walked off the job one day, Scott stepped in and a career was born. A career where he thrived because of his ability to connect, converse, and anticipate the needs of his customers. Knowing what they wanted before they did. Anticipating what they needed just by looking at their suit, the make of their watch, their demeanor as they stepped up to the desk. A job so demanding he often had to sleep on a cot in a closet behind his desk.

"I started knowing nothing and I'm a quick learner...whatever I lacked...I understood the value of presentation, preparedness, and potential...show up, bring your best, do your best."

What did he enjoy most about the work and still does to this day? Making people happy. Making sure every guest feels welcomed and their visit is a trip to remember.

"You learned early on that if you give people what they want and don't let them see you sweat and don't let them know how much trouble it was...then they are more comfortable asking you for whatever they want. People know when they're asking for something exotic...That's where I learned my philosophy of I work hard and I expect to be compensated fairly...(You must) understand that level of access and professionalism brings with it a certain cost and value."

Learning, realizing what you're worth. Your own value in your chosen career. An important lesson in any profession. An important lesson for your LIFE for that matter. This isn't as Scott says, "McDonald's Concierging". This is building relationships. Spending 10 minutes having a conversation and getting to know your guest. Using your observational skills. Reading the customer. What time of day is it? How are they dressed? What does the woman's makeup look like? What shirt is the man wearing? These things can tell you whether or not the guest is hungry, has had a drink (or three), or even their mood.

"If you make friends with a concierge you will take your time in any city to...