This Is TASTE

We’ve long admired Chris Crowley’s reporting at Grub Street, the food and drink arm of the great New York magazine. So it was a real treat to have Chris in to talk about his career in food media and the big stories unfolding right now in New York City. We go over some of his favorite slept-on restaurants before digging into the big questions in life: mainly, what is New York City’s best slice? We also talk about how restaurant PR plays into the editorial decisions, and go back to the good old days: Eater vs. Grub Street. What a great conversation with one of the industry's sharpest observers. MORE FROM CHRIS CROWLEY: The Blood Feud Brewing Inside Nom Wah Tea Parlor [Grub Street] I Ate the $29 Ham-and-Cheese Sandwich [Grub Street] No More ‘Caesars’ — Please [Grub Street] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/chrisecrowley instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sandor Katz is an activist, a fermentation guru, and the author of many influential books, including The Art of Fermentation and the deeply reported The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved. We had Sandor in the studio to talk about life and writing and what he’s been up to on his Tennessee farm. We also get into what fuels his big and ambitious book projects. Also on the show, we have a great conversation with Martha Hoover, a chef and restaurateur from Indianapolis. We talk about how she’s grown an equitable and sustainable business through years of patience and empathy. It was great to get to know Martha a little bit better. MORE FROM SANDOR KATZ AND MARTHA HOOVER: People's Republic of Fermentation [YouTube] Sandor Katz on Why Fermentation Isn’t a Fad [The Guardian] ‘Fermentation’: When Food Goes Bad But Stays Good [Fresh Air] Martha Hoover: Restaurant Empire Builder of the Year [Eater] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny Trejo is an actor and the author of several cookbooks, including Trejo’s Tacos and his latest, Trejo’s Cantina. We had Danny in the studio recently, and he honestly let it rip. Such great stories! He talks about working with Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, what makes a great taco, food for the incarcerated, and what food was like growing up on the Eastside of LA. We really hope you enjoy this conversation with one of America’s most colorful actors. MORE FROM DANNY TREJO: Danny Trejo Makes Agua Fresca and Danger Dogs [The Late Show] Danny Trejo Talks New Cookbook [CBS] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michigan chef and cookbook author Abra Berens returns to the studio to talk about her third book in a trilogy on Midwestern farming and cooking that started first with vegetables and followed up with grains and legumes. Her new book, Pulp, tackles fruit with some bold recipes and sound advice. In this episode, we get personal in praising Michigan for its superior apples, incredible blueberries, and possibly overrated cherries. We also talk about Abra’s restaurant at Granor Farm, which is one of our favorite places to eat in the state. We hope you enjoy this episode. MORE FROM ABRA BERENS: Farm Dinners at Granor Farm [official] 11 Best Fruits For Grilling [Tasting Table] This Strawberry Sundae Is My New Go-To Summer Dessert [The Kitchn] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emma Orlow is a reporter for Eater New York whose colorful aesthetic is matched only by her thoughtful reporting—and her love of Jell-O. As the city’s dining scene heats up alongside the weather, we invited Emma onto the show to share her constantly updating perspective on the state of New York City restaurants, why so much exciting food is happening at pop-ups, the rise of worker-owned food businesses, and more. It’s a great conversation, and we hope you’ll enjoy it. MORE FROM EMMA: The Hottest Pop-Ups in NYC Right Now [Eater NY] Welcome to the Great Shroom Boom [TASTE] The Apple Expert Who Turned NYC Into His Personal Orchard [Grub Street] More Restaurants and Bars Are Becoming Worker-Owned in NYC [Eater NY] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alicia Kennedy is a writer and academic living in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and she’s the voice behind one of our favorite newsletters, From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy. On this great episode, we talk about Alicia’s recent work and what she is reading, as well as diving back into her writing for New York magazine, the Village Voice, and here at TASTE. We discuss the course she recently taught on food travel writing and the guilt of not reading enough. Finally, we share a moment of love for the Monocle monoculture and print media. It’s so wonderful having Alicia in the studio. Also on the show, we catch up with Paris-based writer Ajiri Aki. Aliza speaks with Ajiri about her great new book, Joie. MORE FROM ALICIA KENNEDY: The Hippie Sandwich Abides [TASTE] Adobo Seasoning and the Art of Puerto Rican Dry Marinade [TASTE] On Cookbooks As Culinary Tourism [From the Desk] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, it’s Anna Hezel day on TASTE! We welcome back our old colleague and friend to catch up about not just tinned fish (the subject of her new book, Tin to Table) but also what she’s been up to since signing off as cohost of this show. Anna’s new cookbook is an instant classic, and you should go out and buy it today. Also on the show, we have a great talk with Evan Hanczor. Evan is the founder of Tables of Contents, a home for delicious gatherings at the intersection of food, literature, arts, and culture. We talk about the reboot of his Brooklyn restaurant, Egg, now known as Little Egg. Exciting things are happening in Brooklyn. We hope you enjoy these conversations. MORE FROM ANNA HEZEL AND EVAN HANCZOR: Wait, Canned Salmon Is Good? [TASTE] Bucatini with Sardines & Caramelized Fennel [TASTE] Stop Everything and Put Your Anchovies in the Fridge [Epicurious] A New Literary Community Cookbook [New York Times] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emma Lovewell is a star instructor at Peloton and a driving force for fitness and inspiration for millions. Emma is our favorite instructor (we rank our favorites on this episode!), and it was a lot of fun to have her in the studio to talk about her gardening skills, what she likes to cook, and what she eats before and after teaching her classes, as well as some of her favorite New York City restaurants. We also talk about her great new book, Live Learn Love Well: Lessons from a Life of Progress Not Perfection. MORE FROM EMMA LOVEWELL: Peloton’s Emma Lovewell to Share Her Life Lessons in New Memoir [People] Tamarind Beef Chili [official] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/emmalovewell instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

André Hueston Mack is a sommelier, wine educator, whiskey maker, restaurateur, a Bon Appétit on-air host, and one of the freshest voices in all of food. He’s the author of the incredible book 99 Bottles: A Black Sheep’s Guide to Life-Changing Wines, and we had him in the studio to talk through his many career highlights. This includes his time running the beverage program at Per Se, opening his own wine and ham bar in Brooklyn, and his journey to YouTube, where he is currently one of the most popular personalities in the BA universe, hosting the great show World of Wine. What a great interview. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt catch up about three things they are enjoying including maitake mushrooms at Sofreh, fennel pesto, Alison Roman short ribs, a very special cheesecake, New York's Hong Chun Cheon Dak Galbi. MORE FROM ANDRÉ MACK: Sommelier Compares Cheap vs Expensive Wines ($18-$300) [YT] Sommelier Tries 14 Celebrity Wines [YT] Interview: Donald Moore of The Cheesecake Factory [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Snaxshot, the curatorial and slightly mercurial grocery newsletter and community, has grown into an industry force, read by CPG executives and members of food media on a near-religious level. (We are one of these people.) There’s real Blackbird Spyplane energy with the work that founder and solo writer Andrea Hernández creates, and we had her in the studio to talk about what is interesting to her in the grocery store. We also discuss the major changes afoot in the trillion-dollar grocery industry and how she views the rapidly changing retail space. Is the grocery store as we know it dying? Andrea has some thoughts. Also: "Walmart is the new pantry Kith." You heard it from Andrea first. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt cover some of their recent favorite grocery store finds, including Mama Lam's curry paste, Heyday Canning Co. harissa lemon chickpeas, Talkhouse Encore, Little Sesame hummus, and something to drizzle. MORE FROM SNAXSHOT: A 2021 Prediction [Twitter] TASTE Podcast 127: Pop Up Grocer [TASTE] Foxtrot [official] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/thesnaxshot instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you catch longtime New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells dropping a monumental story this week, the 100 Best Restaurants in New York City? This is the first time in Pete’s 12-year career that he’s published such a list, and we had him back in the studio to talk about his method and some of his favorite places. We also dove into his reviewing career, as well as how he schedules all the meals and keeps tabs on the trends. We get some quick hits from Pete, including the best pizza, the best Midtown lunch, and the best ice cream. Pete is one of our favorite critics writing today, and it was such fun having him back. MORE FROM PETE WELLS: Mam Serves the Most Exciting Vietnamese Food in New York [NYT] In Queens, Kimchi Is Just the Start [NYT] TASTE Podcast 41: Pete Wells [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/pete_wells instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re big fans of Marissa Mullen, and we are really super excited to have her in the studio to talk about her career working in the music industry (she worked at both The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert), but mostly to talk about cheese. She’s the author of two books revolving around modern entertaining and the art of the cheese plate. Her latest, That Cheese Plate Wants to Party, is a sharp and highly enjoyable guide to buying cheese for all sorts of occasions, including a solo evening at home. Also on the show we catch up with Daisy Alioto, the co-founder of innovative media company, Dirt, which has been called the "Village Voice of the Internet" (a big compliment). We talk about how food lives and breathes on the Internet, and dive into Web3’s influence on the restaurant industry. Are we ready for a "post-food" reality? Get your tickets for Matt Rodbard and Daniel Holzman live at the Los Angeles Public Library on April 23. MORE FROM MARISSA MULLEN: How to Cut Every Type of Cheese [Salon] Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cheddar [F52] Death of the Podcast [Dirt] A-List Mukbang [Dirt] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/thatcheeseplate instagram.com/daisandconfused instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedians writing books about food is nothing new, and in some cases, we are pretty allergic to the practice. But with Dan Ahdoot’s smart and candid memoir, Undercooked, the Cobra Kai actor and longtime stand-up comedian has written with truth and wit, and we couldn’t put the book down. In this episode, we talk with Dan about his time working at the infamous Spotted Pig in New York, and we ask for some of his go-to spots for Persian and Korean food in Los Angeles. We also find out what pops on the craft service table and how a recent encounter with Jerry Seinfeld was just as you would expect it: awkward and hilarious. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt join producers Pat Stango and Shalea Harris for what can only be described as a fantasy football-style draft of the farmers market produce. With the number one pick in the 2023 fruit and vegetable draft…tune in to find out where strawberries, Golden Crisps, and concord grapes land. Get your tickets for Matt Rodbard and Daniel Holzman live at the Los Angeles Public Library on April 23. MORE FROM DAN AHDOOT: Dan Ahdoot Is Sticking With Grocery Delivery [Grub Street] TASTE Podcast 171: Zosia Mamet [TASTE] Green Eggs and Dan [Apple Podcasts] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/standupdan instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Buy: Undercooked Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a good day when we can get an expert at the top of their game to join us in the studio. Writer and editor Jon Bonné is just that in the wine game—but he’s also an erudite observer of food and culture trends. In this action-packed episode, we talk about his monumental new book, the two-volume The New French Wine. We discuss France as a source but also a construct, and we dive into some of Jon’s restaurant reporting at Resy, where he serves as managing editor. We also talk about his work at TASTE, including his longtime obsession with salade composée. Also on the episode, Aliza and Matt talk about three things they are each liking, including Anna Hezel's new book, Eric Kim's gochujang noodles, Dan Ahdoot writing a cool thing, GT's Synergy classic kombucha, save the diner! MORE FROM JON BONNE: Americans Now Own the Salade Composée [TASTE] Midtown’s French Legends Are Gone, But La Bonne Soupe Ladles On [Resy] The Great Regression [TASTE] Buy: The New French Wine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are some restaurants where skipping dessert is just not an option—and if you’re in New York City, Gage & Tollner is at the top of that list. Pastry chef Caroline Schiff has created an all-star lineup of sweets that nod to the chop house’s historic past—it dates back to the late 1800s—while feeling totally fresh. On today’s episode, she shares with Aliza her pastry philosophy, her take on the most iconic desserts in the city, the origin behind her book, The Sweet Side of Sourdough, and more. Caroline is a true pastry wizard, and I hope you’ll enjoy this episode. Also on the show, Matt has Ellie Skrzat into the studio. Ellie is an illustrator, director, and the creative force behind much of the visual work we publish on TASTE, including all of the podcast illustrations that pop out in your feed. Some of her favorite guests to draw include Zosia Mamet, Ayo Edebiri, and Bartees Strange. Who does she want to draw? We find out in this run conversation. MORE FROM CAROLINE SCHIFF: Sourdough Has a Surprising Sweet Side [TASTE] Pastry Chef Caroline Schiff Ends Her Day with Sourdough Pancakes [Grub Street] A Day at a 143-Year-Old Restaurant With NYC's Most Iconic Desserts [Bon Appetit] Best New Chefs 2022: Caroline Schiff [Food and Wine] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/pastryschiff instagram.com/skrzat instagram.com/alizarae instagram.com/mattrodbard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chanie Apfelbaum is the author of a really cool new book, Totally Kosher, and the force behind Busy in Brooklyn, a go-to resource for kosher recipes and thoughts on modern Jewish living. We wanted to have Chanie into the studio to talk about the many nuances of modern kosher cooking, and to ask her some pointed questions about her modern Orthodox life. Chanie was super game to talk about many topics, including how the recipes in her book are not only for the religious set. We hope you enjoy this talk. Also on the show, we catch up with Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel, founders of Brooklyn restaurant Shalom Japan. They speak about their great new book, Love Japan. MORE FROM CHANIE APFELBAUM: Busy in Budapest [BIB] This Streusel-Topped One Might Be My New Favorite [The Kitchn] A Brief Chat With the Author Who Wants to Modernize Kosher Cooking [NY Mag] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/busyinbrooklyn instagram.com/shalomjapan instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is a special episode devoted to our love of the SPAM® brand—the multifunctional and influential canned meat that is used creatively in kitchens around the world every day. Whether it’s Korean budae jjigae or musubi rolls spotted in the 7-Eleven in Hawaii, SPAM® is an American heritage food brand that we want to celebrate. Up first, we speak with New York City chef and Iron Chef competitor Esther Choi. We discuss her childhood love of SPAM® products and how she cooks with them at her restaurants today. Next, we catch up with SPAM® brand director of marketing, Jason Baskin, who offers fun facts about the brand and answers some questions we fried up just for him. How does the brand team develop recipes in their Minnesota test kitchen? And how does the SPAM® brand spot exciting trends around the world? We hope you enjoy this very fun episode. This episode was produced in partnership with our friends at Hormel Foods, makers of the SPAM® brand. FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/spambrand instagram.com/choibites instagram.com/mattrodbard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nobody makes cake—or cookies, or tarts, or anything else in the pastry case—quite like Natasha Pickowicz. The former pastry chef at Flora Bar and Altro Paradiso, who now helms the acclaimed pop-up Never Ending Taste and organizes mega bake sales raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for reproductive health justice, Natasha makes extremely cool pastries, like crackly shoyu peanut cookies and cakes crowned with radicchio. Now she’s releasing a debut cookbook to share her recipes with the world, More Than Cake, and we’re stoked to have her back in the studio to talk about bringing her distinct pastry style to life, baking as activism, and the state of dessert in restaurants right now. MORE FROM NATASHA PICKOWICZ: How I Protest with Pastries [Bon Appetit] How to Make Delicious Scones at Home [Desert People] TASTE Podcast 16: Natasha Pickowicz [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/natashapickowicz instagram.com/alizarae instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Prud’homme’s new book, Dinner with the President, is a history of American food, politics, and 26 presidents, from George Washington starving at Valley Forge in 1777 to Donald Trump’s burger banquets. It was such a good time having Alex on the show to talk about how food has been used as a diplomatic tool since the founding of the United States, as well as some underrated cooks living in the White House. Finally, Grace Coolidge gets the respect she deserves. We also talk with Alex about his journalism, how he wrote a New Yorker article that would go on to inspire the Soup Nazi character on Seinfeld, and the book he wrote with his great-aunt Julia Child that would inspire many movies and TV shows. Alex is such a great guest, and I hope you enjoy our talk. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt talk about their recent trips to Miami and Tel Aviv, while discussing the value of fresh-cut tropical fruit and raspberry yogurt. MORE FROM ALEX PRUD’HOMME: The Man Behind the Soups [The New Yorker] Alex Prud’homme Wishes He Was in the Room Where It Happened [NYT] Jacques Pépin and Alex Prud'homme on entertaining Julia Child-style [GBH] The Israel Issue [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/alex.prudhomme instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Delia Cai is a journalist, the newsletter savant behind the popular Deez Links send, a Vanity Fair staffer, and the author of a great debut novel, Central Places. On this episode, we cover many excellent topics, including her Midwestern upbringing, her thoughts on the state of the Food Internet, and learning about the customs of dining out the hard way. Also on the show, international food and travel writer Sylvie Bigar was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and is based in New York City, where we caught up in the studio for this wonderful conversation. We find out what inspired Sylvie’s new memoir, Cassoulet Confessions. We also talk about how cassoulet, a traditionally French stew, has ties to her Jewish heritage. I hope you enjoy getting to know Sylvie a lot better. MORE FROM DELIA CAI AND SYLVIE BIGAR: Is TikTok Turning Fashion into Pure Chaos [Vanity Fair] September Stuff [Deez Links] It’s Barbie’s World Now. We Just Live Here [Vanity Fair] In the Kitchen with Sylvie Bigar [WSJ] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/deeeliacai instagram.com/sylviebigar instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The name Maya Kaimal may be familiar to many. She runs an amazing packaged foods company that sells delicious premade South Asian sauces and dals in more than 10,000 stores across the United States. She is grocery store royalty. But we wanted to have Maya on the show to talk about her time working at Saveur in the early 2000s and how she transitioned from that job to launching her eponymous food brand. We also talk about her excellent new cookbook, Indian Flavor Every Day. We really hope you enjoy our conversation. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt catch up about three things they are into right now, including Razza, tropical fruit smoothies, Lexie Park of @eatnunchi, hop tea, and Adeena Sussman’s forthcoming fall book, Shabbat. MORE FROM MAYA KAIMAL: The Queen of Indian Sauces [TASTE] Feast of Harmony [Saveur] 3 Food & Drink Brands With Hudson Valley Roots [HV Mag] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/mayakaimal instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich Torrisi is a prolific New York City chef and empire builder behind some of the most buzzed-about restaurants in the United States, including Parm, Sadelle’s, The Pool, Carbone, and his newest and most personal venture, Torrisi. Matt was a fan of Rich’s breakout restaurant, Torrisi Italian Specialties, when it opened at 250 Mulberry St. in 2009. What a restaurant. That mozzarella! In this episode, we talk about those early days but also more modern times—and how the late-night dining scene in New York is starting to get its groove back. We also discuss Rich’s time working at Cafe Boulud, and what it’s like to be caught between two generations. We hope you enjoy this candid conversation. MORE FROM RICH TORRISI: At Torrisi, the Room Is Showy but the Cooking Is Subtle [NYT ⭐⭐⭐] Rich Torrisi Bets Bigger On New York [Forbes] Getting Lost in the World’s Largest Stack of Menus [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/richtorrisi instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grabbing ingredients off a moving platform to cook a dish for Gordon Ramsay to judge truly sounds like a stress dream we’ve had before—but for Mehreen Karim, it’s a good time. Mehreen is a recipe developer and home cook who is competing on the current season of Next Level Chef, a high-stress cooking show designed to conjure up culinary brilliance from serious constraints. She’s also a close friend of Aliza’s, so we invited Mehreen onto the podcast to ask her questions like: “Why did you want to do this?” And: “What’s it really like to cook for the most feared judge in food?” MORE FROM MEHREEN KARIM: Olive Oil Is the Cake Cheat Code [TASTE] Next Level Chef [Official] Crispy Salmon Curry [Official] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/reeniekarim instagram.com/alizarae instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a great day when our friend Alison Roman turns up at our New York City studio. We’ve really enjoyed reading and cooking through her new baking book, Sweet Enough, and we wanted to ask her about what it’s like to write three cookbooks in five and a half years, as well as talk about the TV show she made, her spirited newsletter writing, kosher salt wars, sheet pan shortcake, and where to eat in New York City right now. Alison is one of our all-time favorite guests, and we simply love the way she writes—and talks—about food. We hope you enjoy this conversation. Check out Alison’s tour dates: alisoneroman.com/tour MORE FROM ALISON ROMAN: A Newsletter [Substack] I Love Baking, I Hate Baking [Youtube] A Cabinet Full of Crunch [TASTE] Alison Roman on Resy, Air Fryers, and Erewhon [Interview] TASTE Podcast 02: Alison Roman [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/alisoneroman instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is no food writer we would rather talk to about Italy—and, really, talk to about food in general—than Katie Parla. Her mind, her spirit, and her willingness to drive around the wonderfully off-the-grid cow towns of Puglia for the sake of a book project—it’s all really special. In this episode, we talk about her decades-long obsession with Italian food and culture, and what has gone into her latest book, Food of the Italian Islands. We also discuss her TV work and her tours of Rome that have become legendary around the world. It’s so good catching up with Katie Parla, and we hope you enjoy this conversation. MORE FROM KATIE PARLA: Italian Culinary Guides [official] Skip the Flight and the Ferry With ‘Food of the Italian Islands’ [NYT] Drinking With Italian Food and Wine Expert Katie Parla [PUNCH] Buy: Tasting Rome and Food of the Italian South Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does a venture capitalist working in and around food actually grocery shop? Elly Truesdell, founder and managing partner of New Fare Partners, joins us on the show to tell us all about it. Elly got her start working in the corporate office of Whole Foods, and we find out about her nearly 10 years there discovering some of our favorite food brands. We also find out what a VC actually does, and how she hunts for the next big thing in CPG—short for consumer packaged goods, i.e., the products lining the shelves of your local grocery store. This is a cool conversation with one of the sharpest minds in food. Also on the show, we catch up with cookbook collaborator, podcast host, and former Food & Wine editor Kristin Donnelly. We discuss all things cookbooks, including some exciting projects she has in the works. We also go back to her time at Food & Wine and talk about changes in food media. It’s so great having Kristin on the show. MORE FROM ELLY TRUESDELL and KRISTIN DONNELLY: New Fare Partners is latest female-led VC to close first fund [Tech Crunch] Grocery Wars: A Natural Foods Reckoning [Food Tech Connect] Writing a Bestselling Cookbook in Your 80s [Everything Cookbooks] Modern Potluck: Beautiful Food to Share [Amazon] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/ellytruesdell instagram.com/kristincdonnelly instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gail Simmons is a very cool human being—had to say that from the jump! While many know her best from Top Chef, Gail’s career in food expands way beyond a judge’s table. She trained at culinary school and went on to assist legendary food writer and columnist Jeffrey Steingarten. She also worked the line in busy New York City restaurants and is the author of two books, including her latest, Bringing It Home. We wanted to have her on the show to talk about her past in New York City restaurant kitchens and what we can expect on the new season of Top Chef. And, hey, this is our 200th episode! While this is simply a round number and that’s it, Matt wants to acknowledge the team who helps bring the show to the feed many times a week. This show does not happen without cohost Aliza Abarbanel; our amazing producers, Shalea Harris and Pat Stango; our incredible editor, Clayton Gumbert; our amazing illustrator, Ellie Skrzat; and, most of all, all of you listeners out there. Thanks for tuning in each week. Thanks for all the messages on IG and the emails. And thanks for telling your friends about the show. MORE FROM GAIL SIMMONS: Make chicken schnitzel with Gail Simmons of ‘Top Chef’ [Today] Inside the ‘Top Chef’ Industrial Complex [New York Times] TASTE Podcast 05: Gail Simmons [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/gailsimmonseats instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chef and budding TV personality Daniel Harthausen is one of the most exciting voices in food, having just won the first season of HBO’s very good cooking competition show The Big Brunch and running the roving pop-up Young Mother in Richmond, Virginia. Harthausen was raised by a Korean mother and a half-Korean father and “had a baseline of what really good Korean food tasted like, without really knowing it at the time,” he told Matt during a Zoom conversation earlier this year. He was visiting New York recently, and we asked him to stop by the studio for a really cool conversation about his travels, his loot (he won $300,000 on the show), and the delicate topic of Korean-Japanese relations. He’s got a lot to say, and we were so excited to have him in. MORE FROM DANIEL HARTHAUSEN: Daniel Harthausen’s Big Korean-Japanese Brunch Is Special [TASTE] Brunch Time [Richmond Magazine] Richmond’s Daniel Harthausen wins big [Richmond Times Dispatch] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/danielharthausen instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trigg Brown is the chef and co-owner of Win Son and the coauthor of a really great new book, Win Son Presents a Taiwanese American Cookbook. Trigg and Matt share many mutual friends, and it was really cool for them to meet for the first time on the mic. We talk about Trigg’s early cooking career in Charlottesville, Virgina, and working in New York City with the Colichio crew at Craft and Colichio & Sons (shout-out to Damon Wise) before opening his own restaurant, Win Son, to great acclaim. We also discuss his time traveling through Taiwan and what makes a modern restaurant work. Also on the show, we have a great conversation with Rani Cheema. Rani is the founder of Cheema’s Travel, a boutique travel agency specializing in food trips. We talk about some of the destinations that are trending around the globe and get into how we can all travel better (with food on the mind). It’s a great conversation as we gear up for summer travel planning. MORE FROM TRIGG BROWN: Food & Wine Best New Chefs 2020: Trigg Brown [Food & Wine] Trigg Brown – Taiwanese Food through American Lens [Flavor Unknown] How Win Son Bakery Makes One of Brooklyn’s Best Breakfast Sandwiches [Food52] TASTE Podcast 191: Cathy Erway [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/trigg.brown instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How cool to have our old friend and former colleague Talia Baiocchi on the show. Talia has one of the sharpest minds in food media, and we talk about the publication she has run for nearly a decade, PUNCH. We wanted to ask Talia about so many topics related to modern drinking culture, including the explosion of nonalcoholic drinks, the issues with natural wine, and her take on the future of the cocktail. We also talk about her cookbook, Pasta, that she wrote with New York City chef Missy Robbins. It was a blast having Talia on, and we hope you enjoy it. MORE FROM TALIA BAIOCCHI & PUNCH: Athleisure Now Comes Canned [PUNCH] Where to Drink in 2013 [PUNCH] Is Natural Wine Losing Its Cool Factor? [BA] TASTE Podcast 91: Missy Robbins [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/taliabaiocchi instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yay, it’s Smitten Kitchen day, and we’re really, really excited to welcome back our friend Deb Perelman. Deb is the writer, photographer, recipe developer, and driving force behind one of the internet’s most popular home cooking destinations. We talk about what she’s been cooking and how she’s been living her best life with two kids in New York’s East Village, and we discuss her wonderful new book, Smitten Kitchen Keepers. What makes a “keeper” recipe, you might ask. We get into that and a lot more on this really fun episode. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt talk about spice blends, and how they finally deserve much more respect. More from The Smitten Kitchen: Deb Perelman’s Work Diary [The New York Times] Apple Cider Doughnuts [SK official] Black Bean Pumpkin Soup [SK official] You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Spice Rack [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/smittenkitchen instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Indian chef and Unapologetic Foods cofounder Chintan Pandya is a James Beard Award–winning chef and runs some of the best restaurants in NYC, including Adda, Dhamaka, Semma, Rowdy Rooster, and his latest Bengali triumph, Masalawala & Sons. We invited Chintan into the studio because, dude, we wanted to know how he keeps opening hit after hit. We wanted to talk about regional Indian cooking and how most American Indian restaurants focus on such a narrow spectrum of the recipe canon. And we wanted to find out about expansion plans—and a cookbook. And an upcoming trip to India. We really enjoyed catching up with one of the bright stars in the New York City restaurant scene. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt talk about some recent favorites including S&P Lunch, pop rock cake pops for ravers, Queens SF, How Far the Light Reaches, and Cadbury Curly Wurly Squirlies. MORE FROM CHINTAN PANDYA: Masalawala & Sons, Where the Food Is Bengali and the Mustard Oil Flows [NYT] F&W Game Changers: Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar [Food & Wine] The Dish: Chef Chintan Pandya, Roni Mazumdar [CBS] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/chefchintan instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, Bill Addison is back on TASTE. We’ve long been a fan of Bill’s writing, going back to his well-considered restaurant criticism in Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, Eater as a roving national critic, and for the past three-plus years as the head restaurant critic at the Los Angeles Times. Bill is our favorite critic, writing about our favorite food city in the United States, and we talk about what’s exciting about LA right now. We also get into his writing routine, some of his favorite slept-on gems, and what the hell is going on at The ROW? And what is up with Craig’s? This is such a great conversation, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did. And to close out Restaurant Critic Week, Aliza and Matt talk about the state of the restaurant critic in 2023. Who are their favorites in the game? Which writers should be given a reviewing beat? And what about Tik Tok reviewers? There’s a lot to go over, and we cover it all. MORE FROM BILL ADDISON: The 12 Most Loved Restaurant Dishes of 2022 [LA Times] The Latest Blockbuster from the Couple Behind Bestia and Bavel [LA Times] How Damian grew to be one of L.A.’s finest modern California-Mexican restaurants [LA Times] The Year I Ate Pico Boulevard (Aliza was right!) [LA Weekly] MORE FROM RESTAURANT CRITIC WEEK: TASTE Podcast 192: The New Yorker's Hannah Goldfield TASTE Podcast 193: Eater's Ryan Sutton FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/bill_addison instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, Ryan Sutton was the chief restaurant critic at Eater New York, before his position was recently eliminated. Ryan is one of the most respected critics in the game, and we wanted to invite him to the studio to talk about his career and some of the memorable stories he’s worked on. Does Ryan have any reviews that he regrets? How does he stay excited about dining out each and every night? And what is next for Ryan Sutton? He answers most of our questions in this amazing episode. We hope you enjoy it. MORE FROM RYAN SUTTON: How to Get Into the Restaurant You Can’t Get Into [Eater NY] The Case Against Hudson Yards Dining [Eater NY] Manhattan’s Next Great Steakhouse Isn’t a Steakhouse [Eater NY] Eleven Madison Park Isn’t Ready to Be a World-Class Vegan Restaurant [Eater NY] MORE FROM RESTAURANT CRITIC WEEK: TASTE Podcast 192: The New Yorker's Hannah Goldfield TASTE Podcast 194: The Los Angeles Times' Bill Addison Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After working as a fact checker for years at the New Yorker and contributing to the magazine’s Tables for Two column, Hannah Goldfield was named the magazine’s first full-time restaurant critic in 2018. We welcome Hannah back to discuss her life as a New York City restaurant critic. We talk about some of her recent reviews and get some of her thoughts on that little film called The Menu—where a big-city restaurant critic is portrayed in the most curious of ways. Does Hannah find it accurate? Our producer Pat Stango joins to discuss. MORE FROM HANNAH GOLDFIELD: The Hannah Goldfield New Yorker archive [TNY] Your Food’s Alter Ego [TNY] Le Rock Goes Long on Midtown [TNY] B.O. Boys [Apple Podcasts] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/hannahgoldfield instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste MORE FROM RESTAURANT CRITIC WEEK: TASTE Podcast 193: Eater's Ryan Sutton TASTE Podcast 194: The Los Angeles Times' Bill Addison Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this very special episode, we catch up with the one and only Cathy Erway. Cathy is a prolific writer and cookbook author behind the great new book Win Son Presents a Taiwanese American Cookbook, which she wrote with the cofounders of Brooklyn restaurant Win Son. During this wide-ranging conversation, we find out about Cathy’s cookbook writing career and her James Beard Award–winning work on TASTE. We also dive into her column, Shelve It, and find out how grocery store shelves tell us so much about our modern culture. Buy: Sheet Pan Chicken MORE FROM CATHY ERWAY: Let’s Unpack Sardines [TASTE] The Case for the Supermarket Supershopper [TASTE] The Korean Immigrant and Michigan Farm Boy Who Taught Americans How to Cook Chow Mein [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/cathyerway instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Smillie is the chef of Il Buco Alimentari and the author of the now-classic live-fire cooking book Slow Fires: Mastering New Ways to Braise, Roast, and Grill. We wanted to have Justin on the show to talk about his life in and out of the kitchen and what is currently exciting him while running one of New York’s most popular restaurants. We also discuss his previous restaurant, Upland, and what it was like to have the Obama family as frequent diners. What was it like having an official Presidential taster alongside him at the pass? We always love catching up with Justin Smillie, and we hope you enjoy our talk. MORE FROM JUSTIN SMILLIE: The 10 Dishes That Made My Career: Justin Smillie of Upland [FWF] Montauk Squid seared with fermented yuzu, parsley, moscatel vinegar [IG] TASTE Podcast 68: Donna Leonard [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/chefjsmillie instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re thrilled to welcome Sohla El-Waylly to the show for the first time. Sohla is a prodigious recipe developer, a fixture of food YouTube, and a judge on HBO’s cooking competition The Big Brunch—plus a friend of Aliza’s. This week, Aliza and Sohla unpack Sohla’s background before becoming one of the most viral stars in food media today, her thoughts on the ever-controversial brunch, the concept behind her debut cookbook, and much more. MORE FROM SOHLA EL-WAYLLY: Sohla and Ham Turn Hot Pockets Into A 3-Course Meal [The New York Times] Caramelized Onion and Toasted Rice Porridge [Hot Dish with Sohla] The Big Brunch [HBO] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, we catch up with Ben Van Leeuwen, the cofounder of a namesake chain of ice cream shops with an accompanying grocery store freezer section line. We invited Ben on the show to talk about what inspires his exacting, hypercreative flavor creation. We also talk about the ups and downs that come with running a growing consumer food brand. Was he freaked out about the Halo Top takeover a few years back? Most certainly. We also talk about flavor booms and busts, and how to sell ice cream in winter. Stick around to hear one of the more inspiring stories in food. Also on the show, Matt and producer Shalea Harris talk about Shalea’s recent kitchen journey making mchuzi wa nyama ya mbuzi, and shopping for fresh goat meat. MORE FROM BEN VAN LEEUWEN: Food Truck Week: Van Leeuwen Ice Cream [PBS] Finally Ready to Go Big [Brooklyn Magazine] The Summer of Halo Top [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/benwvl instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stay calm and…just act like Eric Ripert. Young cooks, are you listening? Ripert, a celebrated chef and TV personality, is a balancing force. We talk about how he keeps the exquisite (and massive) Le Bernardin empire running, day after day. We talk about recruiting talent, and he’s also just a really good interview, as we find out in his return to the show. And we also discuss his meals at Noma, and his love of Korean food and culture—from the late-night partying to the vegetarian temple style of cooking that aligns with the Buddhist religion that’s so important to the chef. He loves it all, and we remember a trip we took together to Seoul a couple years ago. Buy: Vegetable Simple MORE FROM ERIC RIPERT: Eric Ripert Is Cooking Through It [TASTE] Le Bernardin Holds On to Its Craft (and Its Four Stars) [NYT] L’ Ami Pierre [official] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/ericripert instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, it’s James Hoffmann day on TASTE, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. James is one of the coolest dudes on the Coffee internet, and we wanted to have him on the show to talk about all things coffee at home. On this episode, we talk about what actually makes great coffee at home (the topic of a new book), his big thoughts on espresso, how he rated the best grocery store coffee brands, and what it’s like running his crazy popular YouTube channel—a space that is educating millions of coffee drinkers around the world to drink better coffee. It was a real treat to catch up with James, and I hope you enjoy it. MORE FROM JAMES HOFFMANN: Meet the CEO of Coffee YouTube [TASTE] The Coffee Issue [TASTE] The Best USA Grocery Store Coffee [YouTube] TASTE Podcast 144: Jimmy Butler and Ashley Rodriguez [TASTE] FOLLOW FOLLOW FOLLOW: instagram.com/jimseven instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We wanted to have journalist Anne Helen Petersen on the show not only to talk about modern office lunch culture...we wanted to have journalist Anne Helen Peterson on the show to talk about soup! Peterson is the author of the amazing newsletter Culture Study, and she has much to say about the intersection of food and pop culture. She also name checks some of her favorite cookbooks from Ali Slagle, Alison Roman, and Jenny Rosenstrach to name a few. This is such a rich and textured conversation from one of the sharpest observers around. We hope you enjoy it. More from Anne Helen Petersen: There Is No Such Thing as “Junk” Food [BA] When Did Fitness Become a Luxury Item? [Culture Study] New Year, New Job, New Me [Work Appropriate] CrispyEgg420 [Instagram] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Himanshu Suri is best known by his rap name Heems, and he is our guest on this entertaining episode of the show. We wanted to have Heems on not just because we are a fan of his former group Das Racist (you may remember their song “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell”) but because we wanted to talk to him about Punjabi food. About growing up in Queens. About his new passion for gardening. We really enjoyed catching up with Heems. More from Heems: Dosa Hunt! [Official] Swet Shop Boys - "T5" [YouTube] Heems on Rap, Race and Identity [NPR] Das Racist - Rapping 2 U Live in Sydney [YouTube] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever clicked onto the NYT Cooking or Bon Appétit websites looking for something to make for dinner, you’ve probably seen Hetty McKinnon’s name. The prolific plant-based recipe developer and cookbook author is one of the busiest people in food media, contributing reliable and highly craveable recipes across the internet while releasing cult books like Neighborhood and Family. On this episode, Aliza talks with Hetty about how she keeps up the seemingly endless stream of ideas and stays excited about cooking with vegetables, even in the middle of the deep winter freeze. (Hint: Sometimes you just need to let go of seasonality.) Plus a bit about her upcoming spring release, Tenderheart. Also on the show, Matt has a cool conversation with Gotham chef Ron Paprocki. Gotham is a legendary NYC restaurant and Ron has much to say about the life of a working chef. More from Hetty McKinnon: Lunar New Year Delight [To Vegetables, With Love] Tofu Larb [NYT Cooking] Kale Kimchi [official site] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve spotted their iconic squeeze bottle on the shelves of Whole Foods and seen it used by your favorite food influencers and chefs on Instagram. But do you know the story behind Spanish olive oil company Graza, one of our favorite upstart food brands around? On this episode, we speak with Graza’s charismatic cofounder Andrew Benin to talk about the ups and downs of running a quickly growing food company. We find out about how the company landed on their logo and look, and Andrew answers the question: But isn't there already too much olive oil in the market? More from Graza: If the Olive Oil Aisle Gives You Anxiety, Graza Is for You [BA] Olive Oil Has Never Been Cooler [Eater] Customers Reward CEO’s Honest Emailed Apology [Pymnts] Graza oil oil review [The Strategist] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina Tosi is a chef and TV personality as well as Milk Bar’s CEO and CCCO (Chief Compost Cookie Officer) and the author of a new cookbook, All About Cookies (among many others). On this lively episode, we talk to her about all things cookies and cake, moving upstate, grocery shopping at dawn, baking David Chang birthday cakes every year, and Milk Bar life (as a mother). We always enjoy having Christina on the show. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt talk about travel. We just launched our first TASTE Travels trip to Puglia with author Suzy Karadsheh and talk about some other places we will be visiting this spring including Mexico City, Israel, Los Angeles, and rural Italy. More from Christina Tosi: Christina Tosi’s World Spins Around Cakes and Cereal Milk [TASTE] How Christina Tosi Gets It Done [The Cut] TASTE Podcast 20: Christina Tosi [TASTE] TASTE Travels Italy: Cooking and Eating Through Puglia with Suzy Karadsheh [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Odette Williams is the author of Simple Cake and Simple Pasta, and she was really fun to have back in the studio. We talk about her journey from novice pasta maker to authoring a cookbook on the subject. We also discuss the art of simplification, and how her Australian upbringing has shaped the way she eats and cooks. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt talk about three things that are on their minds, including Masalawala & Sons, Reyes Deli, the new J Ryan Stradal novel, Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, citrus salads, and stick around for a poem at the end. More from Odette Williams: How to Host a Lasagna Making Party [NY Mag] Winter Chicories With Date and Anchovy Dressing [Epicurious] Odette Williams x Carla Lalli Music at Books Are Magic [YouTube] TASTE Podcast 66: Odette Williams [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The social media meme can be funny, biting, poignant, and oftentimes ubiquitous. Eli Sussman, a talented chef and cookbook author, has mastered the art of the culinary meme, and we talk about it on this very special episode. Eli has been a friend of ours for years, and we had fun catching up about his journey from Michigan short-order cook to LA music marketer to NYC restaurateur, provocateur, and meme maker. Eli is truly one of one in the food world, and we hope you dig this conversation. More from Eli Sussman: @TheSussmans [IG] The Sussmans Are Way More Than Just Meme Kings [Food and Wine] Max and Eli Sussman Strike Out on Their Own [Food Republic] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jamie Oliver returns to the show, and we could not be happier to talk with him about so many things. For those who didn’t grow up watching food TV, here’s the deal. Jamie pioneered a form of food television that brought cameras into the home in a way not previously seen. When The Naked Chef debuted on BBC Two in the UK and the Food Network in the United States in 1999, home cooking on TV was a stand-and-stir affair. Here, a young and floppy Oliver was cooking real food from a cool East London flat, talking viewers through the relative simplicity of making dinner. Oliver has gone on to write numerous cookbooks (selling 50 million in the UK alone) and create food TV that expanded beyond cooking, producing documentaries about the sugar industry and school lunches that transitioned his work from dude food evangelist to heartier activism. His latest book, One: Simple One-Pan Wonders, is out now. Oliver was a joy to have on the program, and we talked about spice blends, Cool Britannia, the sugar tax, Jamie’s future in UK politics, and what sparks creativity for a guy who is always working on three projects at once. This was such a great talk, and we hope you enjoy it. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt catch up to talk about what’s underrated and overrated (protein bars, savory granola), before diving into a discussion about starlight mints, the Werther’s children, and the Holiday Inn Holidome. More from Jamie Oliver: Jamie Oliver’s Sneaker Game Needs No Seasoning [High Snobbery] Jamie Oliver Dishes Up Easy & Affordable One-Pot Recipes [The View] Miso Roasted Chicken [GMA] Superiority Burger [IG] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frankie Gaw is the author of a new cookbook, First Generation, and one of the most original voices writing in food today. In this episode, we talk about his journey from working at Facebook to authoring his book, which is part recipe collection and part memoir. We also talk about his love of Costco, and cooking with Reese’s Puffs cereal (two things we can also get behind). We hope you enjoy this conversation—it’s a good one. More from Frankie Gaw: Frankie Gaw’s Kitchen Is Filled With Dumplings and Dorito Dust [TASTE] Frankie Gaw’s Ideal Seattle Day Is Packed Full of Food [Dwell] Little Fat Boy [official] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices