Akwasi Brenya-Mensa (Tatale: The Restaurant, Dining Series, and Other Iterations)

[**New episodes of ATTC are now available in video! You can watch on Spotify, or YouTube. Or you can just keep on listening in all the same places you usually do.**] As he prepares to introduce his Tatale dining series to NYC, Ghanaian-British chef, restaurateur, and interdisciplinary creative Akwasi Brenya-Mensa discusses his life and career to date. He and Andrew get into his African-focused upbringing in London, his adventures in the music world, and eventual commitment to the culinary realm. **Please note: Andrew misspoke in this episode's introduction; Akwasi's spring/summer 2026 dinner series runs for 12 weeks, not 10. Our sincere apologies for the error!** Our great thanks to our presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe-operating system for culinary professionals. Thanks also to Gage & Tollner for providing our location. Please keep Gage & Tollner in mind for drinking and/or dining in Downtown Brooklyn, and for special and private occasions.  And thanks to S.Pellegrino for their longstanding support of the pod. Episode host/producer: Andrew Friedman Producer: Roderick Alleyne 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 episodes of ATTC are now available in video! You can watch on Spotify, or YouTube. Or you can just keep on listening in all the same places you usually do.**] This is a good one! Scott Conant and Andrew go back a long way, and boy, does it show in this friendly and expansive conversation that covers everything from Scott's newish line of pasta sauces Martone Street, to his restaurants, to his longtime role as a key cast member on TV's Chopped. They also touch on the evolution of celebrity chef culture, how restaurants change over time, and a few of the industry characters they've both enjoyed knowing over the years. We're going a little long on this episode ... stick around for all of it, and hope you have as much fun as Andrew and Scott did! Our great thanks to our presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe-operating system for culinary professionals. And thanks to S.Pellegrino for their longstanding support of the pod. 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 episodes of ATTC are now available in video! You can watch on Spotify, or YouTube. Or you can just keep on listening in all the same places you usually do.**] The NYC and American chef community lost a beloved and influential figure last week with the sudden death of Chef Tom Valenti after a short illness. Tom presided over the kitchens of such fabled restaurants as Alison on Dominick Street, Cascabel, Butterfield 81, Ouest, and Cesca, among others. In addition to becoming known for a bold, lusty culinary style, Tom helped found the Windows of Hope charity to raise money for the families of restaurant workers who perished in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New York City. He also possessed a quick wit and abiding gift for silliness. (In addition to all of that, he authored three cookbooks in collaboration with Andrew, who was also his publiciast in the 1990s.) In this episode, Andrew shares some remembrances of  Tom, and airs a conversation with Tom that they began in 2020, and which was never finished. We recommend you read the NY Times obituary of Tom Valenti mentioned in this episode. Our great thanks to our presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe-operating system for culinary professionals. And thanks to S.Pellegrino for their longstanding support of the pod. 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 episodes of ATTC are now available in video! You can watch on Spotify, or YouTube. Or you can just keep on listening in all the same places you usually do.**] Writer, author, and Fine Dining Lovers managing editor Paul Feinstein joins the pod for the first of many planned monthly appearances in which he and Andrew will kick around various industry topics. In this episode, they discuss two recent articles on Fine Dining Lovers: One (by Andrew) on the problem with awards, the other by Heather Platt, about the Rise of Neighborhood restaurants. They also share some lingering Noma-related odds and ends. Our great thanks to our presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe-operating system for culinary professionals. And thanks to S.Pellegrino for their longstanding support of the pod. 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 episodes of ATTC are now available in video! You can watch on Spotify, or YouTube. Or you can just keep on listening in all the same places you usually do.**] Before founding meez, the recipe operating system for hospitality professionals, Josh Sharkey was a NYC chef who came up in the legendary kitchens of such OGs as Rick Moonen, and the late David Bouley, Floyd Cardoz (Tabla), and Gray Kunz (Lespinasse). He also owned and operated Bark, a multi-unit artisanal hot dog concept in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In this conversation, Josh--also an old friend of Andrew's--discusses his culinary evolution and gradual and successful shift to entrepreneurism.  Our great thanks to our presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe-operating system for culinary professionals. And thanks to S.Pellegrino for their longstanding support of the pod. Episode host/producer/editor/mixer: Andrew Friedman Producer: Roderick Alleyne Videographer: Victor Michael Thelian 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 episodes of ATTC are now available in video! You can watch on Spotify, or YouTube. Or you can just keep on listening in all the same places you usually do.**] Jordan Frosolone, who's turning out some of Andrew's favorite food in NYC at the moment at Borgo restaurant, joins us in this episode. Jordan recounts his midwestern upbringing, time in Italy, and formative jobs with chefs and restaurant groups including the late David Bouley, the Momofuku group, and Marco Canora's Hearth restaurant. Our great thanks to our presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe-operating system for culinary professionals. And thanks to S.Pellegrino for their longstanding support of the pod. Episode host/producer/editor/mixer: Andrew Friedman Producer: Roderick Alleyne Videographer: Edison Koo   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 episodes of ATTC are now available in video! You can watch on Spotify, or YouTube. Or you can just keep on listening in all the same places you usually do.**] As the original Craft restaurant turns 25, Tom Colicchio sits down with Andrew to discuss the restaurant's recent menu-format change, Craft's influence on dining in the US, and a few hot topics, such as industry staging culture, the growing Noma scandal, and the problem with awards. Our great thanks to our presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe-operating system for culinary professionals. And thanks to S.Pellegrino for their longstanding support of the pod. Episode host/producer: Andrew Friedman Producer/editor/mixer: Roderick Alleyne Videographer: Edison Koo LISTEN (audio only) to our live show from 2019 in which Tom tells the Craft origin story. Here's the article Tom and Andrew talk about, about how food media's focus on restaurants conditions customers to do the same. 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 episodes of ATTC are now available in video! You can watch on Spotify, or YouTube. Or you can just keep on listening in all the same places you usually do.**] Armond Joseph has been with the live-fire restaurant Léon 1909 since it opened on Shelter Island, NY, about four years ago,  first as sous chef and now as chef. Drawing from area purveyors and farms--including the restaurant's own--Armond employs fire as his muse in his never-ending search for what "Shelter Island tastes like." This fascinating conversation, recorded from before the open kitchen at Léon 1909, takes on deeper and deeper meaning as it reaches its coda, with a tour of the restaurant's 15-foot hearth. Our great thanks to our presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe-operating system for culinary professionals. And thanks to S.Pellegrino for their longstanding support of the pod. Episode host/producer: Andrew Friedman Producer: Roderick Alleyne 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 episodes of ATTC are now available in video! You can watch on Spotify, or YouTube. Or you can just keep on listening in all the same places you usually do.**] Alexia Duchêne's West Village (NYC) restaurant Le Chêne opened about eight months ago, and has already found its rhythm as a home for Alexia's personalized yet unmistakably French cuisine. In this conversation, the still-young chef--who cooked in Paris and London before moving to the US--shares the familial and professional influences that helped unleash her culinary style; what her Top Chef experience was like; and some principles of hospitality that every aspiring chef and/or restaurateur should hear. She also discusses her love of New York City, and the journey that led her to open Le Chêne. Episode host/producer: Andrew Friedman Producer: Roderick Alleyne Videographer/editor/mixer: Victor Michael Thelian 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 episodes of ATTC are now available in video! You can watch on Spotify, or YouTube. Or you can just keep on listening in all the same places you usually do.**]Oscar Lorenzzi’s career has taking him from 5 Napkin Burgers to fine dining. In today’s episode, Oscar tells Andrew about his childhood in Lima, Peru, and the familial and cultural influences that sparked his interest in food, as well as the NYC gigs that led to his current restaurant, Nuyores.Our great thanks to our presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe-operating system for culinary professionals.Thanks also to Gage & Tollner for providing our location. Please keep Gage & Tollner in mind for drinking and/or dining in Downtown Brooklyn, and for special and private occasions. And thanks to S.Pellegrino for their longstanding support of the pod.Episode host/producer: Andrew FriedmanProducer: Roderick AlleyneVideographer/editor/mixer: Victor Michael Thelian 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!