The Best Meal I Ever Had. A Podcast

Alice In Chains front man William DuVall is getting back to basics. Much like his new solo album One Alone reveals the core of his artistry, William's best meals reveal the way simplicity in food can celebrate the pure flavor of an ingredient, the essence of a culture, and the love in a family. From his roots in Atlanta and DC to hot spots in New York and LA, William takes us from world-class dining to local hole-in-the-walls in only the way a rock legend could. Host: Andrew Schulman Guest: William DuVall of Alice In Chains

Anna Francese Gass is French Culinary Institute-trained chef who has worked in the kitchens of Whole Foods, Martha Stewart, Food52, cookbook authors & television chefs. But her favorite kitchen? Those of immigrant grandmothers. In fact, she traveled the country visiting such kitchens and created a cookbook on the topic. With a passion not only for great food but the love behind it, Anna's best meals combine delicious food and heartfelt stories that pay homage to the incredible women who stir the spoons.

Justin Fornal has an appetite for the unknown. He's an explorer and cultural detective (how's that for a LinkedIn title) and investigates indigenous traditions and historical mysteries. Needless to say, he's got a passion for adventure…especially those that involve food. From the open air markets of Hanoi to the remote shores of the Arctic, Justin's best meals deepen his connection to history, tradition, and his core purpose. Prepare for some of the most interesting meals of the season!

Deborah Kagan is a speaker, author, and sensualist on a mission to help women turn up their mojo. And when a person can be described using the words “sensual” and “mojo” in one sentence, best believe their relationship with food is a passionate one. In this episode, Deborah takes all of our senses on an adventure around the globe as she recalls the best meals she's ever seen, smelled, tasted, touched…and yes, even heard. Her stories are tantalizing, delicious, and make this episode the sexiest of the season.

Chef Anita Lo is very good at doing hard things. She's held a Michelin Star and a 3-star review from The NY Times. She was the first female guest chef to cook for a State Dinner at the White House. She won Iron Chef. In this episode, Anita's stories of food rewind to the very foundation on which her greatness is built: a simple yet unbounded love of the identity, provenance, and potential of food.  Her best meals are deliciously uncomplicated and wonderfully executed, and her stories remind of the meditative way food deepens our connection to life. 

Musician John Khoury's Brooklyn is not the same place your sister moved after college for that barista residency. Raised in Brooklyn in the 70's, John's stories bring the stoops and storefronts of the borough's past to life through the characters and food that occupied them. As he recounts his Saturday trips to the butcher, baker, and White Castle with his father, his mother's gravy, and a menacing maître d' at NYC's Campagnola, we're reminded that some of the best meals begin where formality ends.

Erika Nakamura and Jocelyn Guest are not the butchers your dad used to know. The New York Times crowned the pair a “female couple remaking the restaurant industry” and pushing the boundaries seems to run in their blood. In this episode, Erika, a then-vegetarian, is forever changed by a plate of lamb tongue. While struggling to settle into life in a new city, Jocelyn finds all the reassurance she needs in a sandwich. Risk meets reward in these epic moments that remind us of the comfort power of food.

When it comes to unforgettable meals, master chocolatier Jacques Torres' memory can get a bit blurry. (A famed career in fine dining will do that to a person.) In this episode, the creator of Jacques Torres Chocolates and his wife, business partner, and fellow chocolatier Hasty share stories about the undeniable bond between food and emotion. From a rendezvous at The Plaza Hotel to an afternoon on the patio at famed restaurant El Bulli, their stories show how just the right combination of food and atmosphere sets the mood a once-in-a-lifetime meal.

John Ragan, master sommelier and director of wine and restaurant operations for Union Square Hospitality Group, knows a thing or two about a great meal. In this episode, John takes us on a journey that spans Italy, New York, and California—with nostalgic stop in southern Illinois—to share a menagerie of meals, people, places and moments that unpack the essence of hospitality. “There is something to be said for that wine, in that place, at that time, with that food, and with someone who really cares about it pouring it for you. That's the magic.”

All kitchens are busy.  But when you're a psychic medium the clamor can get particularly loud, as award-winning pastry chef and medium Heather Carlucci knows all too well.  In this episode, Heather takes us through the moments in her life when food was powerful enough to shut out all the noise. A taste of Keema Matar prepared by one of her pastry students inspired her to open Lassi, her West Village Indian joint, with absolutely no experience cooking Indian. But Heather had her own secret sauce: a feverish passion for the way a human being can be fundamentally changed by food.  Heather's life has been an epic journey of creating and chasing that experience. From a burrata pizza in Sicily to the Turmeric Fish Noodle at LA's Viet Noodle Bar, Heather recounts her best meals like another might describe art—a tango of technicality and magic.

What is The Best Meal I Ever Had podcast? Dropping the week of June 3, 2019, it's the podcast that asks one simple question - with an answer that is always appetizing and entertaining. Join the table with host and creator Andrew Schulman, as he meets incredible guests to hear their stories about that one unforgettable amazing meal. From chefs to celebrities, musicians to restauranteurs, and some good friends, who have experienced - the best meal they have ever had!