This Is TASTE

Fly By Jing is one of the most exciting brands in food, and we were lucky to have the company’s founder, Jing Gao, live in conversation at Rizzoli Bookstore in New York City. This conversation was part of our TASTE Live at Rizzoli author series, and we had Jing speaking about her amazing new cookbook, The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp.

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MORE FROM FLY BY JING:

• Sleek Suá Superette From the Chile Crisp Queen Is Now Open in Larchmont Village [Eater LA]
• Fly By Jing and Shake Shack Ready a Chili Crisp Menu [Hype Beast]
• This Chili Oil Is So Good, Even My Taiwanese Mom Is Obsessed With It [F&W]

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Today we have some serious pizza talk—Chicago pizza talk, specifically—with a legitimate Chicago pizza expert. His name is Steve Dolinsky, and in Chicagoland, he’s known simply as the “Food Guy” (formerly the “Hungry Hound”). Steve is an absolute legend in the food writing game, and Matt talked to him about his two books on Chicago pizza, as well as diving into some other cool spots in the Windy City, one of America’s greatest food cities. We also smash a slight beef between Dolinsky and TASTE’s Anna Hezel while clearing up some misinformation about the Chicago pie (or is it a “casserole”?) that might be on your mind.

More from Steve Dolinsky:

• A Chicago Tradition for 75 Years and Counting [NBC 5]
• Tavern-style Chicago Pizzas in the Pacific Northwest [Pizza City Podcast]

Buy: The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide

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Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel is the chef and co-owner of Birdie’s, an Austin, Texas, restaurant that is innovative and exciting, and by far one of our favorite meals of the year. On this episode, we speak with Tracy about her journey from cooking at Lula Cafe in Chicago to working the line at some of New York’s most acclaimed places—Del Posto, Blue Hill, and Gramercy Tavern—and how she met her partner in life and business, Arjav. We talk about what excites her about restaurants and dig into some of Birdie’s most popular dishes.

Also, stick around for Matt’s thoughts on a recent trip to Austin, Texas—featuring some of the restaurants and trucks that got him most excited, including Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop, Distant Relatives, Franklin Barbecue, Cuantos Tacos, Birdie’s, Canje, and Nido.

The TASTE Texas Tour was supported by our friends at Travel Texas. Stay tuned for dispatches from Houston and San Antonio.

MORE FROM TRACY MALECHEK-EZEKIEL:

• Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year: Birdie's [Food & Wine]
• Food & Wine names East Austin spot Restaurant of the Year [Austin American-Statesman]
• Inside Birdie’s Journey [Tribeza]

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As the cofounder of online restaurant watchdog and chronicler Eater, as well as reservations booker Resy, Ben Leventhal has been at the center of all things dining out for nearly 20 years. On this episode we catch up with Ben about his latest company, Blackbird, a restaurant loyalty program that is rethinking the way hospitality and online culture converge. We talk about the company’s big expansion, what makes a good restaurant diner, burger nights in NYC, and thoughts on the city’s most controversial new restaurant: the good, the bad, the froggy. It’s always so great having Ben in the studio.

Also on the show, it’s time to talk about cool new fall cookbooks. All season Aliza and Matt are previewing some of their favorites, category by category. Next up is cuisines and cultures, featuring: The Contemporary African Kitchen by Alexander Smalls, Banchan by Caroline Choe, Wafu Cooking by Sonoko Sakai, My Egypt by Michael Mina, The Chinese Way by Betty Liu, Moroseta Kitchen by Giorgia Goggi, Classic German Cooking by Luisa Weiss.

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Melissa Urban is the cofounder and CEO of Whole30, a megapopular 30-day elimination diet program. She’s a six-time New York Times best-selling author and just released a new book: The New Whole30. We had Melissa on the show to reflect on the Whole30 universe and how it’s evolved alongside food culture over the past 15 years.

Also on the show, it’s time to talk about cool new cookbooks. All fall Aliza and Matt are previewing some of their favorites, category by category. First up is baking and desserts, featuring: Desi Bakes by Hetal Vasavada, Crumbs by Ben Mims, Richard Hart Bread by Richard Hart and Laurie Woolever, Breaking Bao by Clarice Lam, and The King Arthur Big Book of Bread. Tune in for more great new cookbooks.

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