402: San Francisco's New Restaurant Critic with MacKenzie Chung Fegan

We’re so happy to feature two great friends: chef Deuki Hong and New York Times columnist and cookbook author Eric Kim. We had a great conversation about the new book Koreaworld, a cookbook and cultural study that Matt wrote with Deuki. This conversation was recorded live at Rizzoli Bookstore and touches on many topics related to modern Korean food in both Korea and the United States. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM DEUKI HONG:Buy: KoreaworldThe Seoul Train of Inspiration Runs Through Los Angeles [Eater]Koreaworld: A Culinary Revolution [NBC Washington]Chef Deuki Hong Talks New ‘Koreaworld' Cookbook [NBC Bay Area]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

St. Agrestis has had a couple very big years in the competitive nonalcoholic drinks arena, and it’s long overdue to have the brand’s cofounder Louis Catizone on the show. The Phony Negroni is a near-perfect NA cocktail, and on this episode we talk about how it was born and how NA bottled cocktails are appearing in bars and restaurants at record levels. This is a great talk for anybody interested in hearing the story of an emerging brand in the drinks world.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM ST. AGRESTIS:A Nonalcoholic Amaro ‘Falso’ From St. Agrestis [NYT]St. Agrestis Debuts the Phony Mezcal Negroni [Appetito]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Benjamina Ebuehi is a London-based recipe developer and food stylist who rose to fame as a quarter-finalist in the 2016 Great British Bake Off. She’s also the author of three baking cookbooks, including the new release I’ll Bring Dessert, and it’s so fun to have her on the show to talk about the differences between London and NYC bakeries, developing recipes, and more.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM BENJAMINA EBUEHIDouble Chocolate and Mascarpone Tray Bake [Guardian]Sweet Things [Substack]Buy: The New Way to CakeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aaron Lindell is the chef and co-owner of Quarter Sheets, the wildly popular Los Angeles restaurant he runs with his wife, Hannah Ziskin. Now, listen, you’ve probably read about Quarter Sheets. You may have even had Hannah’s iconic princess cake. But this is a conversation about Aaron’s pizza. It’s…amazing. And it has a great backstory. On this episode we hear about Aaron’s wild career as a private chef for NBA stars and tech icons, and how the pandemic led to his amazing pop-up and restaurant. It’s such a great talk, and I hope you enjoy it.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM AARON LINDELL:This Is TASTE 152: Hannah Ziskin [TASTE]One of L.A.’s Best Pizzerias is Finally Taking Reservations [Time Out]How Quarter Sheets Conquered LA, One Pan Pizza and Slab Cake at a Time [Eater]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Celina Baljeet Basra is the Berlin based author of Happy, a sweet and surreal postmodern novel released last year. It follows a young man named Happy from his family cabbage farm in Punjab to his clandestine journey to Europe, and the service jobs he works along the way. I’ve never read a book quite like Happy and it's so fun to have Celina on the show to talk about unconventional food writing, her favorite restaurants in Berlin, and more. MORE FROM CELINA BALJEET BASRA:Happy [Literary Hub]The Tragic Exploitation that Puts Food on Our Plates [Washington Post]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rocco DiSpirito is an iconic Italian American New York City chef, television personality, and highly acclaimed author of 14 cookbooks, including three New York Times bestsellers. On this episode we go way back to his star turn on one of the first food reality TV shows on air, and we talk about his time in the kitchen at Union Pacific, his acclaimed New York City restaurant from the early 2000s. We also discuss what excites him about food in New York City and beyond. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM ROCCO DISPIRITO:Where'd You Go, Chef Rocco DiSpirito? [Food & Wine]How Rocco DiSpirito, Chef, Spends His Sundays [NYT]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alan Sytsma is a longtime observer of the New York City dining scene who is behind New York magazine’s formidable food coverage. On this episode we dig into Alan’s take on the current NYC restaurant scene and hear about New York mag’s amazing “Who Ate Where” issue, which digs into the cultural history of eating out in New York City. It’s really fun talking restaurants with Alan, and I hope you enjoy this conversation.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM ALAN SYTSMA:Who Ate Where [NY Mag]48 Scenes From a Century of New York Dining [NY Mag]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aaron Goldfarb has been a journalist for over a decade, frequently writing on the subjects of cocktails and drinking culture for such publications as the New York Times, Esquire, Playboy, and PUNCH. His latest book, Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits, digs into our ongoing obsession with old spirits and the people who chase them. We talk about the real bourbon grails and the fake ones, and if there is any remaining Stitzel-Weller juice to be drunk. It’s fun catching up with Aaron. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM AARON GOLDFARB:The Craze for ‘Dusty’ Liquor [WSJ]Why Anyone Who Loves Rare Bourbon Should Visit Japan [Matador]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MacKenzie Chung Fegan is the new restaurant critic at the San Francisco Chronicle. She’s a former Bon Appétit editor who returned home to the Bay Area to shape food coverage at her hometown paper, and it’s so fun to have her on the show to break down her first few months on the job, the state of modern restaurant criticism, and more. MORE FROM MACKENZIE CHUNG FEGANYour New Restaurant Critic Won’t Be Anonymous. Here’s Why [SF Chronicle]I Loved My Food at S.F.’s New Waterfront Restaurant — Until Dinner Abruptly Ended [SF Chronicle]Are My Expectations of Restaurant Hospitality Outdated? [SF Chronicle]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Erin Patinkin is the cofounder of Ovenly and has advised some of the food world’s most interesting brands (almost exclusively female-founded), including Kismet, White Moustache, Pop Up Grocer, Great Jones, and Seed + Mill. Erin is an old friend of ours, and she has one of the sharpest minds in the consumer packaged goods world. We talk about so many topics, including some of the brands that excite her and the common mistakes founders can’t help making. We also hear about her time running Ovenly and what is next for her. It’s great having Erin in the studio.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM ERIN PATINKIN:This Year the Grocery Store Does Better [TASTE]Christina Tosi: From Artisan to Business Leader [Start to Sale]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.