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3 episodes with Grant Achatz
2 episodes with Grant Achatz
2 episodes with Grant Achatz
2 episodes with Grant Achatz
2 episodes with Grant Achatz
2 episodes with Grant Achatz
2 episodes with Grant Achatz
2 episodes with Grant Achatz
3 episodes with Grant Achatz
Guest: Nick Kokonas, co-founder of the Alinea Group and former CEO of TockAs of October 1, 2024, Nick Kokonas is no longer an owner of the Alinea restaurant group, which he co-founded and ran for almost 20 years. When he bought a vineyard in Napa Valley prior to the exit, one of his sons remarked, “He's given up. Time to go out to pasture.”Nick admits that the work ahead of him is “not the same” as the high-pressure world of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Chicago. But he's started working with the magician Nate Staniforth on a new restaurant concept that will present diners with illusions and surprises over the course of a two-hour experience. “If you want to feel wonder and feel childlike again, go see a magician,” Nick says. “[But] there's so much bad cultural baggage ... what we wanted to do was create an experience that is not really about magic.”Chapters:(02:29) - Celebrity restauranteurs (07:14) - The next act (12:30) - Buying the vineyard (15:37) - Fear is motivating (17:59) - Opening night (22:03) - Tongue cancer (27:56) - “OK, let's fix this” (31:10) - Selling experience (38:32) - The table plate (42:40) - Feeling full (44:14) - Next Restaurant and Tock (49:33) - Being still (51:19) - Nate Staniforth's lottery illusion (56:57) - The magic restaurant (01:02:29) - Being misunderstood (01:07:44) - Working via email (01:11:43) - “Enemies” (01:18:23) - Who Nick is hiring and what “grit” means to him Mentioned in this episode: Mike Gamson, Shaquille O'Neal, Jeff Kaplan, Steve Bernacki, Robin Anil, Grant Achatz, OpenTable, American Express, The Big Lebowski, The New York Times, eGullet, Gourmet Magazine, Roger Ebert, Eddie van Halen, Goodfellas, The Devil Wears Prada, Batman, the Chicago Bears, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Bavette's and Brendan Sodikoff, Pablo Picasso, Chef's Table, Google, Brian Fitzpatrick, Finding Real Magic, David Blaine, Mark Cuban, Mark Caro, Chicago Magazine, John Mariani, Cat Cora, Homaro Cantu, Dave Portnoy, Pete Wells, and Eric Asimov.Links:Connect with NickTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm
Chicago Midwinter is approaching this February and in this episode I catch up with Dr. Denise Hale to talk about what their big plans are for the meeting. Be sure to come and see the keynote speaker, award winning chef Grant Achatz as he tells his story of diagnosis and overcoming stage IV tongue cancer! Resources: https://cds.attregistration.com/Registration/Attendee/Welcome.aspx
Chicago Midwinter is approaching this February and in this episode I catch up with Dr. Denise Hale to talk about what their big plans are for the meeting. Be sure to come and see the keynote speaker, award winning chef Grant Achatz as he tells his story of diagnosis and overcoming stage IV tongue cancer! Resources: https://cds.attregistration.com/Registration/Attendee/Welcome.aspx
“It felt like I just stepped into a rodeo, and they shut the gate behind me.” That's how Grant Achatz describes his first day of working in the kitchen of Charlie Trotter's, then considered one of the world's finest restaurants. The future 3-Michelin-star Alinea chef was just 21 in the summer of 1995 when he convinced Trotter to give him a shot at his namesake Chicago restaurant. But Achatz did not have a positive experience and left after a few months, moving on to a longer tutelage under Chef Thomas Keller at the French Laundry in Napa Valley. When Achatz returned to Chicago to run his own kitchen, he and Trotter had what Achatz calls an “aggressively competitive” relationship. Trotter closed his restaurant in 2012 and died from a stroke the following year at age 54. Now Achatz—who appears in Rebecca Halpern's documentary about Trotter, Love, Charlie (as do I)—is presenting a lavish Trotter's menu at his restaurant Next and reflecting on his relationship with the late chef, whom he thinks hasn't received proper credit for all the innovative ways he changed fine dining.
This is a vintage selection from 2007The BanterThe Guys discuss an article titled “Chef's Kids Eat the Darndest Things” in New Jersey Monthly Magazine where Mark's son's creation was featured. Find out what unusual sandwiches are being made in the Pascal household. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys host Grant Achatz, cutting edge chef of Alinea restaurant in Chicago. Grant talks about his unusual dishes, methods and how he crafts the diner's experience. The Inside ScoopThe Guys have been intrigued by the cuisine that some call molecular gastronomy or avant-garde, but Grant Achatz can't put a name on it. He does describe how he gets inspiration for it from daily life. “It's a little bit out there, but a lot of it is just like being aware of your surroundings... If you're listening to a certain song and you hear an extreme tempo change, I say to myself: How can I incorporate that tempo change into the experience? How can I make a 24 course meal shift instantly and go from savory and then back to sweet again, in the matter of three courses?” Grant Achatz on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007BioGrant's culinary journey began at his family's diner. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he honed his skills at Charlie Trotter's, The French Laundry, and elBulli in Spain before assuming the executive chef position at Trio.In 2004, Grant and Nick Kokonas co-founded Alinea. Alinea has earned many accolades since, including 13 consecutive years with 3 Michelin stars - the longest of any fine dining restaurant in the U.SGrant's culinary ventures expanded with Next restaurant and The Aviary bar, both receiving critical acclaim and awards. In 2016, he opened Roister, which earned a Michelin star in its first year, followed by St. Clair Supper Club in 2019.Chef Grant Achatz is recognized as the Best Chef in the United States by the James Beard Foundation and honored by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Grant's story of recovering from tongue cancer is told in his memoir Life, On the Line and featured in the documentary Spinning Plates and Netflix's Chef's Table.InfoAll of Grant's RestauranReach out to The Restaurant GuysIf you're in New Jersey...November 15 Walk Around Wine TastingNovember 22 Dale & Jill DeGroff Happy Hourstageleft.com/eventsOur Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe
The BanterThe Guys are alarmed to find out how some folks are flavoring their beverage..and so is the Board of Health. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys get deep with chef Curtis Duffy, who received Michelin stars for his restaurants Grace and Ever in Chicago. Curtis shares his story, how he leads his team and what keeps him striving for excellence.The Inside TrackThe Guys highly recommend you watch the movie For Grace about the opening of Curtis's restaurant Grace. The three find plenty to talk about being lifers in a challenging industry. This is how Curtis handles every day.“My daily drive and my daily vision was to be better than what I was yesterday. And I pushed the team and led the team that way. That was always my commitment to the restaurant. We have to be better. We have to be better,” Curtis Duffy on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024 BioCurtis Duffy began his career in Chicago working under chef Charlie Trotter then later chef Grant Achatz. Curtis became head chef at Avenues, which earned two Michelin stars after his arrival. He and Michael Muser opened Grace in Chicago in 2012. In 2013, the Robb Report named Grace the best restaurant in the world. Grace earned three stars in the Michelin Guide four years in a row. The James Beard Foundation named Duffy Best Chef, Great Lakes in 2016. In 2020, Duffy and Muser opened Ever restaurant which was awarded two Michelin stars in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2022, he opened After lounge, and the following year Esquire named After one of the Best Bars in America.Curtis has appeared in numerous television shows such as Top Chef, Top Chef: Colorado, Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. A couple of episodes of The Bear were filmed inside his restaurant Ever and Curtis made and plated the dishes that appear in season 2 episode 7. Chef Duffy's journey is chronicled in the acclaimed documentary For Grace highlighting his rise from adversity to culinary greatness.InfoEver Restauranthttps://www.ever-restaurant.com/For Grace (movie)Watch on AmazonReach out to The Restaurant GuysIf you're in New Jersey...November 15 Walk Around Wine TastingNovember 22 Dale & Jill DeGroff Happy Hourstageleft.com/eventsOur Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe
Jon Hansen, host and executive producer of ‘The Block Club Chicago Podcast', joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Jon has details on: Chef Grant Achatz, Wieners Circle Plotting A Corn Dog Collab: The acclaimed Alinea chef and the beloved hot dog stand exchanged hints of the collab on Instagram, but Achatz […]
Today, we have Polina Marinova Pompliano on the show to discuss her latest book: Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways of Thinking That Power the World's Most Successful PeoplePolina is the founder of The Profile, a media organization that studies successful people and companies. Previously, she spent five years at FORTUNE where she covered technology and venture capital. This conversation isn't your typical book about celebrities and geniuses. It doesn't purport to idolize any single individual, because, as we talk about in this episode, if you idolize someone, you have to accept everything about them, the warts and all.Instead, what we talk about and the books share are attributes, behaviors and skillsets possessed by these high performing individuals that we can take for ourselves and make our own.Whether it's the Mamba Mentality of Kobe mixed with the Pain tolerance of Amelia Boone and David Goggins. We can take the best skills, attributes and mindsets from some of the greatest athletes, creators and thinkers and make them our own.This was one of the most fun conversations I've had and I hope you enjoy. Timestamps:[06:24] Inspiration Without Idolization: How to gain inspiration from successful people without putting them on a pedestal.[18:38] Creativity in the Kitchen: A conversation about creativity in storytelling, featuring stories from renowned chef Grant Achatz.[13:02] Facing Resistance: Dealing with pushback from close friends and family when you're trying to grow.[26:50] Finding Your Creative Path: Tips on connecting, observing, and learning from greatness to fuel your creativity.[40:53] Embracing Challenges: Why tackling challenges helps you prepare for important moments in life.[50:04] Becoming Your Character: The importance of fully embodying the characters you portray in storytelling.[53:53] The Power of Conflict: Polina analyzes Aaron Sorkin's approach to storytelling, focusing on conflict and character motivation.[01:02:55] Fluid Conversations: How to improve your conversational skills over time.[01:19:41] Social Media Detox: The benefits of stepping back from social media to focus on your own thoughts.[01:30:06] Defining Your Identity: Why it's important to build your identity beyond outside influences and expectations.Connect with Polina Pompliano:Website – https://theprofile.substack.comTwitter – https://x.com/polina_marinovaLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/polinamarinova/Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/polinampompliano/Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/@PolinaMarinovaPomplianoBook by Polina Pompliano:Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways of Thinking that Power the World's Most Successful Peopleby Polina Pompliano
Born in Mexico and raised in the Midwest, Adair Canacasco brings his personal background and passion to his role as executive chef of Roister restaurant in Chicago. While in Chicago recently, Andrew sat down with Adair to learn about his familial roots, his maturation as both a cook and a manager/mentor of cooks, and the complex nature of the live-fire cooking performed at Roister.This episode is part of Chefs on Fire, our conversation series featuring today's live-fire tastemakers. Chefs on Fire is presented by Prime 6®, the high-performing, sustainable charcoal and wood logs designed to burn longer, hotter, and cleaner in open hearths, wood-burning ovens, and smokers. Learn more about how Prime 6 can save you time and money, and claim your free sample today, by visiting Prime 6's website.Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs' presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe operating software for professionals. Sign up today for a basic (free) or premium membership. And please check out our fellow meez network podcasts and newsletter! 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!
Of entrepreneurship, and great men, and achievement. The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/06/25/life-on-the-line-a-chefs-story-of-chasing-greatness-facing-death-and-redefining-the-way-we-eat-grant-achatz/) We strongly encourage, in these days of censorship and deplatforming, all readers to bookmark our main site (https://www.theworthyhouse.com). You can also subscribe for email notifications. The Worthy House does not solicit donations or other support, or have ads. Other than at the main site, you can follow Charles here: https://twitter.com/TheWorthyHouse
Truffles are food gold, one of the world's most famous ingredients. Musky, lovely, funky, delicious, expensive, and fickle as hell. Why do some of them taste like cardboard? Did you know you can grow very good ones in the U.S., but that it might take over a decade to yield your first “crop”? On this episode, we pay a visit to San Diego Magazine's 2024 “Chef of the Year” Brad Wise. He introduces us to his truffle guy, Vincent Gentile of Seminalia Truffles. Vince worked at Alinea with famed chef Grant Achatz until he and his partner launched their own truffle business. We go into some of the myths and science of growing, sourcing, and coddling one of the world's most rarefied ingredients. We also talk with Brad about his whole-animal butchering classes at Wise Ox, which sell-out a lot faster than expected in a post-pan food world where we're all more interested in doing the entire food experience ourselves.
Welcome back to the Rock ‘n Roll Ghost Podcast. On this week's episode, the Ghost speaks with current James Beard nominee Jenner Tomaska chef and co-owner of Micheline starred restaurant Esme in Chicago. Tomaska, who got his start working under notable chefs like Erick Williams, Dave Beran and Grant Achatz, opened Esme with his wife Katrina Bravo during the pandemic and has gone on to receive immense critical acclaim. He discusses Esme's fusion of food and art (the restaurant collaborates with local artists to shape their menus), where he came from and how he got to where he is now. Links: Esme Jenner Tomaska --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brett-hickman/support
This episode is a two-for-one, and that's because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I've curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #97 "Naval Ravikant — The Person I Call Most for Startup Advice" and episode #341 "Nick Kokonas — How to Apply World-Class Creativity to Business, Art, and Life."Please enjoy! Sponsors:Eight Sleep's Pod 4 Ultra sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: https://eightsleep.com/tim (save $350 on the Pod 4 Ultra)Momentous high-quality supplements: https://livemomentous.com/tim (code TIM for 20% off)LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 1B+ users: https://linkedin.com/tim (post your job for free)Timestamps:[04:34] Notes about this supercombo format.[05:53] Enter Naval Ravikant.[06:05] On uncompromising honesty.[08:05] What Naval looks for when deciding to invest in a founder.[11:03] Recommended reading from outside the startup world.[18:38] Who Naval considers successful.[21:02] Cultivating non-judgmental awareness.[26:08] How to replace bad habits with good habits.[29:31] Naval's advice for his younger self.[32:01] Naval's billboard.[35:46] Enter Nick Kokonas.[36:05] Is pressure Nick's default setting, or are perceived risks an illusion?[36:55] How do behavioral economics and Richard Thaler influence Nick's approach?[41:38] Nick's transition from philosophy to finance; was philosophy an asset?[42:43] Why Nick's professor gave him shorter assignments than classmates.[44:57] Nick's introduction to trading; dumbing down academics for clerk job.[46:42] Why philosophy majors often become traders.[47:19] Why Nick is glad he didn't pursue an MBA in 1992.[48:41] Why Nick thinks his professor singled him out from his peers.[52:52] Recommended books for aspiring entrepreneurs without philosophy background.[57:31] Did being a Merc clerk meet Nick's expectations?[1:00:02] How Nick followed his father's entrepreneurial model in trading.[1:04:38] Why Nick left his mentor after a year to start his own company.[1:05:41] How Nick and employees trained to quicken mental agility for trading.[1:08:17] The moment Nick realized he could thrive in trading.[1:09:02] Recommended resources for becoming a better investor.[1:11:22] Nick seeks out "high, small hoops" for investment risks.[1:14:00] Do businesses fail due to difficult model or lack of due diligence?[1:16:55] When and why Nick decided to enter the restaurant business.[1:18:26] The dinner leading to Nick and Grant Achatz's partnership.[1:27:52] Why Nick chose to open a restaurant out of many risky options.[1:30:33] How Nick spots talent early that others notice late.[1:34:07] Questioning restaurant conventions like candles and white tablecloths.[1:37:09] A now-famous chef was Alinea's first customer.[1:38:03] Nick and Grant wouldn't let designers override their ideas.[1:38:47] How Nick contributed effectively as a restaurant industry newcomer.[1:14:19] Why Nick was "horrified" when Alinea won Best Restaurant in 2006.[1:43:50] Grant's cancer diagnosis; writing a book and revolutionizing reservations.[1:45:28] Traditional restaurant reservation systems and Nick's improvements.[1:57:17] Bickering at press dinner; avoiding Next becoming "Disneyland of cuisine."[2:02:14] Reservation software problems; variable pricing based on day of week.[2:05:48] The moment Nick realized "This is the best thing I've ever built."[2:07:41] Why the reservation system's rewards were worth the asymmetric risks.[2:10:16] Using Marimekko charts to visualize restaurant and sponsorship data.[2:16:57] The next industry Nick wants to disrupt: truffles.[2:18:55] Illuminating black boxes.[2:26:24] Self-selection of job roles; how Nick's hiring process has changed.[2:32:01] Systems Nick uses to cope with a lot of email.[2:37:43] Importance of engaging on social media, even if unable to respond to all.[2:39:35] What "puzzle" filters and mini-hurdles in correspondence accomplish.[2:40:36] Comparing similarities between the music and publishing industries.[2:49:55] The agency problem as another black box.[2:54:58] The Hembergers, The Alinea Project, and the upcoming independent Aviary Book.[3:01:42] A brief discussion about cocktails.[3:05:42] Books Nick has gifted most and how he personalizes gifts.[3:08:10] Nick's billboard.[3:09:49] Parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
I spoke with Grant Achatz, one of the world's most talented, creative and thoughtful chefs, as his 50th birthday and his Chicago restaurant Alinea's 19th anniversary approached. He has received just about every possible accolade for a chef, including multiple James Beard awards, Alinea being named the country's best restaurant, and three Michelin stars being awarded to Alinea every year since 2011. Early in this spectacular run, he successfully fought stage 4 cancer of the tongue through innovative treatments at the University of Chicago. Yet despite all he has accomplished and been through, including the pandemic-time transition of Alinea to a carryout restaurant, he keeps restlessly pushing forward. What might the next culinary revolution look like, and how can he be at its forefront? Why does he wish Alinea were more like a rock band?
Who or what are ultra elite restaurants for? Welcome to a pervert's guide to fine dining.Produced and presented by Lewis Bassett, featuring Andy Hayler, Erin McDonnell and Robin Burrow.Mixing and sound design from Forest DLG.Follow the Full English on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.Clips from:The Bear, FXGrant Achatz on Chef's Table, NetflixDan Barber on Chef's Table, NetflixArtisans of Craft: Thomas Keller, Peter MillarMasterchef The Professionals with Rasmus Munk, BBCThe Menu, Searchlight Pictures'World's best restaurant will close', Euronews Boiling Point, ITVMarco, BBC Get extra content and support the show on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jeff Donahue, Vice President of Operations at Heisler Hospitality, joins us to discuss his long career in Chicago's hospitality scene. Jeff reflects on formative experiences at renowned restaurants like Fogo de Chão, Nacionale 27, and The Aviary, as well as lessons learned from mentors like Adam Seger and Grant Achatz. He explains the inspiration behind concepts like Sportsman's Club, Big Kids, and Estereo, which he created alongside creative partner Wade McElroy. Jeff also reveals details on upcoming Heisler projects like Friends of Friends in West Town and Lobo Pizza's third location in the West Loop. We talk about what makes a good barback, serving Dustin Hoffman, hidden gems in the often overlooked Dunning neighborhood, and so much more.
Most culinary savants are familiar with Chef Wylie Dufresne, who, at his groundbreaking Manhattan restaurant, WD 50, brought modernist molecular gastronomy in the style and spirit of Heston Blumenthal, Grant Achatz, and Ferran Adria to NYC about 10 years ago. Since then, like so many other great fine dining chefs, Wylie has fallen under the spell of pizza and is now expressing his creative genius at Park Avenue's Stretch Pizza. Hear all about Wylie's journey, from his Rhode Island origins, to the global stage, and now finding his voice in the ultra-competitive pizza sector. The expectations are high, but so is his intent, as we'll discover on this new episode of Pizza Quest with Peter Reinhart.Click here for the video versions of Pizza Quest. If you count on HRN content, become a monthly sustaining donor at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.Pizza Quest is Powered by Simplecast.
What is the biggest moment in your career as a chef? Is it opening your first restaurant? Maybe it's when you receive an accolade that you were always dreaming of, or maybe it's getting a really nice review from your city's food critic. These are all great moments, without a doubt, but I would venture to say that the biggest moment in a chef's career is when they finally start to find their own voice in their food, when all of these past experiences, dishes, and efforts come together in a unique vision that is completely their own. Dave Beran, today's guest, had a very unique way of finding his voice in food. In fact, he was given the rains of a Chicago restaurant that would completely change every four months. That restaurant was aptly called Next, and it is a restaurant that pushes the imagination and boundaries of what our industry can do. Next would lead him to find his own style and voice, and ironically, after loathing the 1910 bistro menu Next began with in 2011, it led him down a path to where he is today, cooking in Santa Monica with his critically acclaimed Pasjoli, an elevated French bistro where they cook food that is rooted in Southern California but inspired by the markets of Paris. Here's what else was talked about: How the name of the restaurant came to fruition When Dave and Eli met after becoming Food & Wine Best New Chefs together in 2014 Dave's introduction into the industry as ”Toast Boy” Working for chef Michael Tramano at Tru in Chicago The intricacies of Pommes Soufflé Getting a job at Alinea restaurant and why they start cooks as a food runner How his mentor, Chef Erick Williams of Virtue, helped guide him The day they got a call from Chef Grant Achatz telling them he had cancer The relearning process after Chef Achatz came back to the kitchen after receiving treatment How Alinea changed the game for modern food in America When he decided to open Next, and why there were 20,000 names on the list for reservations when they opened The moment he started to find his own perspective in food Opening his tasting menu-only restaurant, Dialogue Training actor Jeremy Allen White at Pasjoli to prepare for his lead role in The Bear Eli and Dave w poetic about Chicago's Italian Beef sandwich! How they cook at Pasjoli and use old school techniques when roasting meats Why teaching his team so important to him and why he even opens the financial books for his team to learn and empower them A huge shout out to our sponsors, Maxwell McKenney and Singer Equipment, for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their websites for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful. Welcome to our newest sponsor, Meez, which is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though, it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from. Check out and follow us on Instagram Email Eli with any comments, concerns, criticisms, guest requests or any other ideas or thoughts you might have about the show. eli@chefradiopodcast.com
On today's episode of All in the Industry®, Shari Bayer's guest is Alex Stupak, Chef and Co-Owner of NYC-based Empellón restaurant group and Mischa, his latest restaurant, where we are on-location. Born in Massachusetts, Alex became a scholar of the avant-garde and molecular gastronomy movements. He worked as the pastry chef at Clio in Boston with Ken Oringer, then at Alinea in Chicago with Grant Achatz, and (subsequently) at wd~50 in New York City with Wylie Dufresne. He went on to open multiple restaurants under the Empellón brand, including a Midtown Manhattan flagship location, currently ranked No. 19 on the New York Times‘ “100 Best Restaurants in New York City” list. Alex was selected as one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs in 2013 and has since received multiple James Beard Foundation Awards nominations, including one for his 2015 book Tacos: Recipes and Provocations [Clarkson Potter]. Today's show also features Shari's PR tip to do the unexpected; Speed Round; Industry News Discussion on New York Magazine naming Matthew Schneier as its new Restaurant Critic, and the Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare in NYC naming two new chefs after its acclaimed chef's firing; plus, Shari's Solo Dining experience at Taqueria Ramirez in Greenpoint, Brooklyn -- known for its CDMX street tacos; and the final question. ** Check out Shari's new book, Chefwise: Life Lessons from Leading Chefs Around the World (Phaidon, Spring 2023), now available at Phaidon.com, Amazon.com and wherever books are sold! #chefwisebook **Photo Courtesy of Alex Stupak and Shari Bayer.Listen at Heritage Radio Network; subscribe/rate/review our show at iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify. Follow us @allindustry. Thanks for being a part of All in the Industry®. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support All in the Industry by becoming a member!All in the Industry is Powered by Simplecast.
Dave's Three Things segment starts off with three things he loves about the show's guest: a world-class chef and the owner of the Empellón restaurant group, Alex Stupak. Stupak catches up with Dave (whom he hasn't seen since before the pandemic) and reflects on his culinary journey, including his admiration of Albert Adrià, his time at Grant Achatz's Alinea, and his experience helming the pastry program at Wylie Dufresne's WD-50. The two ponder the dampening effects of restaurant criticism on creativity—and Dave suggests that Stupak is a culinary Prometheus for his constant innovation of new culinary techniques. The two continue talking through Alex's journey of making Mexican food, culminating with a discussion of Alex's new critically acclaimed restaurant, Mischa, in New York. Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying Guest: Alex Stupak Producer: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, Euno Lee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This is the third part of a mini-series about taste and flavour. In this episode, Malaika and Harleigh sit down with Kerry, who shares her personal experiences and strategies for enjoying the pleasures of dining out despite lacking the sense of taste. Discover the best ways to share restaurant experiences with friends and family, how Kerry relies on textures and mouthfeel, visual cues, and inventive techniques to find joy in every bite. Fifth Sense - The Charity For People Affected by Smell and Taste Disorders: https://www.fifthsense.org.uk/ You can find Kerry on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/kerrymatthewcreative/ Taste & Flavour (Digital Cookbook): https://lifekitchen.co.uk/product/taste-flavour-digital-book/ The Flavour Equation by Nik Sharma: https://amzn.to/3QtnNJv [aff. link] Chef's Table (Season 2, Episode 1 Grant Achatz https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80007945) Love this podcast? Support us here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sonderandsalt Follow the podcast for updates and video content Instagram, TikTok and YouTube! You can follow Harleigh on Instagram here, and follow Malaika right here.
Shawn McClain has been running restaurants for decades, having got his start in Chicago, where he lived for 20 years, first studying at Kendall College and then building a name for himself as a talented and innovative chef.He ran the kitchen of Trio in Evanston, Ill., before Grant Achatz took that over and began his own rise to fame. Then McClain opened Spring to critical acclaim in 2001, followed by Green Zebra, which was one of the country's first fine dining vegetarian restaurants.Now he spends his time between Detroit, the hometown of his wife Holly, and Las Vegas. The couple has been back in Motor City for the past 12 years and currently operates Highlands, a fine-dining restaurant at the top of General Motors' global headquarters, where he has reworked the typical approach to running restaurants with spectacular views by actually offering great food and service there.Holly McClain is heading up Olin, a sort of American brasserie in downtown Detroit that the couple built and opened during lockdown.McClain's Libertine Social, now in its seventh year of operations, is at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and is having its best year on record. He opened Balla Italian Soul last year and is working on opening his first Las Vegas concept that's not on the Strip, a wine bar and retail shop called Wineaux.The couple recently shared their approaches to running their restaurants and discussed the business climates in the two cities where they operate.
This week's guest's body of work is rivaled only by his low-key demeanor and genial humility about it all. From working under Charlie Trotter and Grant Achatz, to taking a chance with Town House in Virginia's countryside, to opening the much-lauded pairing of Smyth and The Loyalist in the West Loop (with so much more in between), John Shields is a true gem of the Chicago culinary scene, and it was a pleasure to have him on the podcast. In addition to a laundry list of casual shout-outs to previous and future Joiners guests, we're talking the butterfly effect of dial-up internet, the hierarchy of Trotter's kitchen, developing a menu that reflects the pastoral qualities of a restaurant's location -- and plenty more.
Vous savez que la saisonnalité, le fait de respecter la saison des fruits ou des légumes en cuisine ou en pâtisserie, est un élément très important dans la pâtisserie française en ce moment. Avec son T'Time, je trouve qu'Émilie Gerardi va au-delà, elle nous propose de redécouvrir la nature par l'expérience de la pâtisserie. Et pour cela, elle s'inspire de la cuisine qui n'a, selon elle, pas de limites. Parmi les chefs qu'elle admire se trouvent des pâtissiers, mais aussi des cuisiniers : Jordi Roca, Wil Goldfarb, David Toutain, Daniel Humm ou encore Grant Achatz. www.onethinginafrenchday.com
Chef Eric Rivera is redefining the restaurant and turning private dining on it's head. Chef Eric cooked at Alinea and eventually made his way to be the director of f&b for Chef Grant Achatz. This episode is packed with: Monastic integrity of Chartreuse Why Eric's cooking is like improvisational jazz How to make an insane Irish Coffee? What is a Heburrito? Support our Sponsors: Help us welcome SYSCO as our brand new Title Sponsor!! Drink Joe Van Gogh Coffee! Where will Matt be this month... Saturday 3.25 A Saturday Soiree - The Wines of France at RTP Uncorked Monday 3.27 Supper Club at Pimiento Tea Room The NC F&B Podcast is Produced and Engineered by Max Trujillo of Trujillo Media For booking or questions about the show, contact: max@ncfbpodcast.com or matt@ncfbpodcast.com
After scanning the internet and landing on images of Grant Achatz food at Alinea, Cameron Tay-Yap (Amaru, Melbourne) became obsessed with food and the possibilities on the plate. He set himself a goal to work at Attica under the guidance of Ben Shewry, where he not only discovered the bounty of native ingredients but explored his own heritage further with his mum. Now he's part of one of the most exciting new wave restaurants in the country. https://www.instagram.com/cam_taysty/?hl=en Follow Deep In The Weeds on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deepintheweedspodcast/?hl=en Follow Huck https://www.instagram.com/huckstergram/ Follow Rob Locke (Executive Producer) https://www.instagram.com/foodwinedine/ LISTEN TO OUR OTHER FOOD PODCASTS https://linktr.ee/DeepintheWeedsNetwork Deep in the Weeds is a food podcast hosted by Anthony Huckstep in conversation with chefs, food producers and members of the hospitality industry. An Australian Food Podcast from the Deep in the Weeds Network.
In this episode, filmmaker Rebecca Halpern shares what inspired her to tell the story of one of Chicago's most well-known chefs. As the writer-director of the documentary "Love Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Charlie Trotter," Halpern chronicles Trotter's quest for excellence and his complicated relationship with fellow superstar Chicago chef Grant Achatz. From the Crain's newsroom, Ally Marotti reports on the impact of inflation on restaurants in the quick-service and fast-casual categories. Plus, in this edition of “Where Dave Ate,” David Manilow shares four essential kinds of sandwiches every Chicagoan must try.
Charlie Trotter was a man whose personality was as big and boisterous as his 10-course tasting menus. Directed by first-time feature filmmaker Rebecca Halpern, LOVE, CHARLIE is an intimate examination of the chef who reimagined haute American cuisine and made Chicago the culinary capital it is today. Featuring interviews with some of the most renowned chefs and restaurateurs, including Grant Achatz, Emeril Lagasse, and Wolfgang Puck, LOVE, CHARLIE opens in theaters and will be available on VOD on Apple & Amazon on November 18, 2022, This episode of Big Blend Radio's EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY Show features documentary filmmaker and director Rebecca Halpern who discusses the award-winning documentary “Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter." More at http://oakstreet.pictures and https://www.rebeccahalpern.com/ Special thanks to the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), more: https://www.ifwtwa.org/
Charlie Trotter was a man whose personality was as big and boisterous as his 10-course tasting menus. Directed by first-time feature filmmaker Rebecca Halpern, LOVE, CHARLIE is an intimate examination of the chef who reimagined haute American cuisine and made Chicago the culinary capital it is today. Featuring interviews with some of the most renowned chefs and restaurateurs, including Grant Achatz, Emeril Lagasse, and Wolfgang Puck, LOVE, CHARLIE opens in theaters and will be available on VOD on Apple & Amazon on November 18, 2022. This episode of Big Blend Radio's EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY Show features documentary filmmaker and director Rebecca Halpern who discusses the award-winning documentary “Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter." More at http://oakstreet.pictures and https://www.rebeccahalpern.com/ Special thanks to the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), more: https://www.ifwtwa.org/
Charlie Trotter was a man whose personality was as big and boisterous as his 10-course tasting menus. Directed by first-time feature filmmaker Rebecca Halpern, LOVE, CHARLIE is an intimate examination of the chef who reimagined haute American cuisine and made Chicago the culinary capital it is today. Featuring interviews with some of the most renowned chefs and restaurateurs, including Grant Achatz, Emeril Lagasse, and Wolfgang Puck, LOVE, CHARLIE opens in theaters and will be available on VOD on Apple & Amazon on November 18, 2022, This episode of Big Blend Radio's EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY Show features documentary filmmaker and director Rebecca Halpern who discusses the award-winning documentary “Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter." More at http://oakstreet.pictures and https://www.rebeccahalpern.com/Special thanks to the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), more: https://www.ifwtwa.org/
What Ewe Always Wanted to Know About Lamb Farming In The U.S. Presented by John and Sukey Jamison, owners, Jamison Farm, Latrobe, Pa. From Scott Warner, president, Culinary Historians of Chicago: As a kid, I was always hesitant when it came to eating lamb chops; too often they were greasy and usually had an unpleasant “lamby” taste. In the last few years however, the lamb chops I've been buying from my local grocery store have been meaty, juicy and non “lamby” tasting. But it wasn't until I met lamb farmers John and Sukey Jamison this past spring (at the International Association of Culinary Professionals Annual Conference in Pittsburgh), that I fully realized my new addiction to lamb chops was because I've now been eating grass-fed rather than corn-fed lamb. I had this lamb epiphany when I chatted with the Jamisons as they were signing copies of their recently published book, “Coyotes in the Pasture and Wolves at the Door.” This book of recipes and reminiscences tells how, in the early 80's, they became entranced with an old stone house in rural Pennsylvania. They wanted to buy it, but the owner, a farmer, wouldn't sell it without the 210 grassy acres it sat on. So they bought the house, acres and all, and became accidental lamb farmers to make use to make use of the land. The Jamison's developed a thriving mail order business, first selling to home cooks, with Sukey providing innovative lamb recipes. Their business greatly expanded when, in the early 90's, Chuck Williams of Williams Sonoma asked the Jamisons to be in their catalog. Word of their quality lamb also spread to our nation's top chefs, who ordered custom cuts. In Chicago alone, culinary icons like Charlie Trotter, Rick Bayless and Grant Achatz counted themselves as customers. And here's what Dan Barber, renowned chef/owner of New York's Blue Hill restaurant, says about the Jamisons: “John and Sukey broke the mold of modern agriculture. When everyone was heading towards mass production and uniformity, they looked to the past — to the great traditions of peasant farming. The flavor of their lamb speaks for itself.” Recorded via Zoom on August 24, 2022 CONNECT WITH CULINARY HISTORIANS OF CHICAGO ✔ MEMBERSHIP https://culinaryhistorians.org/membership/ ✔ EMAIL LIST http://culinaryhistorians.org/join-our-email-list/ ✔ S U B S C R I B E https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Y0-9lTi1-JYu22Bt4_-9w ✔ F A C E B O O K https://www.facebook.com/CulinaryHistoriansOfChicago ✔ PODCAST 2008 to Present https://culinaryhistorians.org/podcasts/ By Presenter https://culinaryhistorians.org/podcasts-by-presenter/ ✔ W E B S I T E https://www.CulinaryHistorians.org
Rizqi Soeharsono, General Manager of Alinea, Chicago's only 3 Michelin starred restaurant, shows us how his resilience and determination drove him to work alongside titans such as Grant Achatz, Nick Kokkonas, and others performing at the highest level of the hospitality industry. We learn how he motivates and inspires a team of dedicated professionals to provide a one of a kind experience.We want to hear from you!What was your take on this episode? Who would you like to hear on the show? What would you ask them?INSTAGRAMYOUTUBEEMAIL US
World renowned chef and restaurateur Grant Achatz is our guest today talking to Whitney about losing his taste for a year after battling cancer, cricket croissants, and the time he was served pig vagina. Achatz has won numerous accolades from prominent culinary institutions and publications, including the Food and Wine's "best new chefs" award in 1998, "Rising Star Chef of the Year Award" for 1999, "Best Chef in the United States" for 1998 and a 2003 "Who's Who Inductee" from the James Beard Foundation. His restaurants ALINEA and NEXT are located in Chicago along with his cocktail bar THE AVIARY. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today's podcast guest is Master Chef Rich Rosendale. He is one of only 66 Certified Master Chefs in the United States to receive this prestigious designation. Rich is also the owner of Roots 657 and the founder of Rosendale Collective. This is the innovative company behind Rich Rosendale's consulting, private dining, restaurant partnerships, and training services. He is internationally recognized as a fierce culinary competitor, having competed in over 45 national and international cooking competitions. He applies the same level of organization, planning, and creativity to all his projects. Rich also was the Executive Chef and Director of F&B at the prestigious Greenbrier Resort where he oversaw 14 kitchens and 185 Chefs. He also trained with top chefs across the country including Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and Grant Achatz during the Bocuse d'Or. We discuss: -Growing up outside of Pittsburgh to becoming classically trained in Europe -Remaining humble and serving others -Building his career like a pyramid, with a massively strong foundation -Fighting to not drift away from the stove (and his love of cooking) -Wearing clothes that were not his as a child, enabling a strong sense of compassion today -Embracing emotional wins over medals -Creation of The Dream Apron Program that supports youth-focused charities and scholarships to help kids from broken homes, kids who are living in poverty or who just need a mentoring force in their lives. More can be found at: https://richrosendale.com/
Hi and welcome back to Lolly's Secrets Podcast! In this episode, we chat with Chef Imoteda and discuss her journey to becoming a successful private chef and restaurant consultant. She throws us some major nuggets on things you should put in place when starting a business as a chef. Talks about peers and mentors that inspire her like Chef Fregz, Chef Massing Bottura and Chef Grant Achatz. We get some exciting recipes. We learn ways of overcoming challenges with clients. If you want to connect with Chet Imoteda, her social handles are as follows: Instagram: @Imoteda Twitter: @Imoteda Also feel free to connect with me on Instagram: @lollys.secrets
Learn more about Kira, iNDO, and Nippon Tei.Ingredients and drinks we discussedTom Yum lollipopYuzuSojuAperolCampariContratto Aperitif and BitterLicor 43Corona seltzer: what Kira would sneak into a concertTypical staff shots for the staff: Four Roses, Old Overholt, Toki, IwaiNatalie's juices: Kira mentioned this as good quality bottled juiceBars where she's worked and that were mentionedBar LouieThe PrestonThe BaoThe OfficePeopleKira talked about taking a staff shot with Chef Grant Achatz of The Alinea GroupOne of Kira's early mentors was Sasha Alms who is currently at Vino GalleryChef Nick Bognar oversees the kitchens of iNDO and Nippon TeiBooksDeath & Co: Modern Classic CocktailsThe Flavor BibleThe Flavor MatrixLiquid IntelligenceZeroPDTOther itemsAlcohol intolerance This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com
Hey, y'all - Joel here. Some of you may have read my entry a few weeks ago where I share that I've had some issues with Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. There have been some updates - some of it good, some of it bad:The good news is that I believe I've found the root cause. When I first began having issues, I reached out to a few of my friends for prayer. When I reached out to my friend Nate (of podcast fame), he stated that he's been having the exact same issues and stated that it very well could be our lifting technique.The bad news is that it's gotten worse. Specifically, I've developed a condition known as "trigger finger." The irony is that I'm pretty sure I developed the issue after wearing corrective arm braces while I slept at night. Apparently, it can take up to a month to heal. Thankfully, it has not affected my playing but I am concerned for my lifting progress.BEST CONSUMED THROUGH HEADPHONESFollow @3rdPersonPodwww.Patreon.com/3rdPersonPodwww.3rdPersonPod.com
Hey, y'all - Joel here. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who takes the time to read the episode notes. I know frequency has been lacking as of late, and for that, I apologize. I've come to take a certain amount of pride and joy in writing these and when It comes to endeavors I care about, I'm really hesitant putting out a lackluster product. This week, however, it was really important to me that I complete these notes.When Record 01 first began, we were still figuring out the format. But with Record 02 quickly approaching, the episodes have begun to take on a certain amount of polish. Alinea is an entry that we could not have effectively put out back in November of 2020. Yes, the sounds would have been ambitious, and Lukas has grown quite a bit in his skill as a producer. But an early release wouldn't deprive you, the 3rd Person, of just technical prowess. Our meal at Alinea was a celebration of not just Patrick and Elissa's future together, but a celebration of our shared friendship over the past decade. Much in the same way, John and I are thankful that you've chosen to share this past year with us and hope to celebrate our time together with you.BEST CONSUMED THROUGH HEADPHONESFollow @3rdPersonPodwww.Patreon.com/3rdPersonPodwww.3rdPersonPod.com
Meet Hans, head chef August. Sebuah private dining experience yang akan membuka resto barunya di Sudirman. As a Chef, Hans has learned from the top of the top, Grant Achatz, a three-michelin-star resto in Chicago. On the other side, kita punya Andri, seasoned restopreneur yang jiwa eksperimentalnya berhasil bikin bakmi dengan texture & rasa yg tepat. Ternyata ga semudah yang kita kira guys, air, suhu, tepung, skill, semua bisa berubah karena pada dasarnya adonan bakmi is a living breathing thing. Tapi lebih dari itu, kita ngulik pelajaran penting seputar leadership yang mereka dapet dari dua pengalaman hidup yang terlihat berseberangan, tapi sebenernya ada banyak connecting dots. Enjoy! __ Podcast Thirty Days of Lunch diinisiasi oleh @fellexandro dan @sheggario. Kita percaya bahwa momen 'lunch' bisa menjadi momen kita upgrade diri, dengan makan siang bersama orang-orang yang lebih kaya, bukan hanya kaya secara materi, tapi lebih penting lagi, kaya pengalaman, ilmu, insight, wisdom. Podcast ini adalah hadiah untuk Gen-Z dan Millenials yang sedang berproses menjalani hidup & karir-nya. Holla at Ruby & Ario to this email address : hello@thirtydaysoflunch.com
Hey, y'all - Joel here. I love food. I used to think everyone loved food - and I think most would say they do. But this isn't true - most people just enjoy food. They eat food, it tastes good, and it nourishes them. BEST CONSUMED THROUGH HEADPHONESFollow @3rdPersonPodwww.Patreon.com/3rdPersonPodwww.3rdPersonPod.com
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://quiteaquote.in/2021/04/25/grant-achatz-cookbook/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/quiteaquote/message
La cocina gourmet ¿es un manjar de los dioses, arte, engaño o una estafa?, en este episodio tratemos de averiguarlo con la participación del cuarto miembro de We Créeme: Miguel de León 05:35 José luis hablo del Chef Grant Achatz el cual hizo un gran aporte a la llamada "cocina molecular" con todo y cáncer de lengua, el cual le dejó sin sentido del gusto
Repeat customers are the heart and soul of just about every business. But when your product is something that you purchase maybe two or three times throughout your life, how do you create a repeat experience that will sustain your company long-term? That was one of the questions that Chip Malt had to answer when he co-founded Made In Cookware, a digitally-native kitchenware company that launched in September 2017 and is disrupting this $17B cookware industry.And the solution he came up with was a good one: produce the highest quality products possible, have a deep understanding of the industry you’re entering into, deliver an all-around experience that goes beyond those products, then keep scaling to bring more must-haves to market.This episode was such a fun one because we dove into the history of the cookware industry, long term partnerships they’ve set up in France (their knives are made from the great-great-great-granddaughter of a French knife maker who invented the modern chef knife in the middle of Central France), secret recipes for their cookware ingredients, the best cooking tip he ever learned, and more. Enjoy this episode.Main Takeaways:Make It Memorable: Customers today are looking for experiences. In order to secure a sale or differentiate your brand, bringing a next-level experience to the table is a proven tactic. Partner with the people you are connected to in your industry — influencers, celebrities, etc. — who are fans of your brand and create something special for potential customers.A Living Legacy: Connections are made constantly in personal and professional life. Smart business owners use those connections to their advantage. When you can tap into a reservoir of friends, friends of friends, family connections or business relationships of the past who can speak on your behalf or join you in a new venture, you immediately start to create a sense of legitimacy that can spread more easily to those you have yet to connect with.First Time, Best Time: There are many examples of brands that have launched products quickly because they thought it was better to get a product to market than wait for perfection. But the opposite approach is also worth consideration. Rushing a product to market that isn’t up to your brand standards might be what dooms you with new customers who find you for the first time through this subpar product and then judge the entire brand based solely on that experience.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---Transcript:Stephanie:Welcome back to Up Next in Commerce. I'm your host, Stephanie Postles, CEO and Mission.org. Today on the show, we have Chip Malt, the co-founder and CEO at Made In Cookware. Chip, welcome to the show.Chip:Awesome. Thanks for having me, Stephanie.Stephanie:Yeah. I'm really excited to have you here. I might not be the biggest chef, but I feel like I'm still down to talk all things cookware and maybe you can train me up on what I should be doing, and I need all the help I can get. That's my caveat to start this show.Chip:Awesome. We're happy to do so.Stephanie:Yeah. I like that. So, I want to dive into the background of Made In Cookware because I think you have super interesting story where, correct me if I'm wrong, you started and co-founded the company with a childhood best friend and you guys have a lot of history in the industry with your family and family's family, and I would love to dive deep into all that background before we get into the actual company of where it is today.Chip:Absolutely. Yeah. So, we started the company, or officially launched it, in 2017. So, we're just over three years old, now entering our fourth year. But really, the story began a long time before that, as you mentioned. My co-founder, Jake Kalick, he comes from a hundred year old family that has experience with cookware. So, his great-grandfather in Boston where he grew up started a business that outfitted restaurants and hotels, their kitchens with everything from walk-in refrigerators to knives to cookware to a lot of stuff that we're selling today. So, he comes from almost 10 decades of experience in the cookware space, or his family does. Then Jake and I grew up together. We actually went to preschool together.Stephanie:Wow.Chip:We were in the yellow and blue room together, then we went to pre-kindergarten and went to a school that was the same all the way from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade when we left for college. So, our history goes back 28 years and we're 33. So, almost to the beginning of when you can even start to remember, and we've been best friends ever since. So, it's been a pretty incredible journey. We've been able to mesh his background, his family's background, his family's history into our childhood friendship into a business and have fun doing it. So, it's been a pretty cool journey so far.Stephanie:Yeah. Were there ever points when you guys veered apart, came back together? When did you know or even think, oh, we should do something together?Chip:Yeah. To be honest, and it's nice that he's not on this podcast because he can't defend himself, but I don't think growing up I would ever start a business with him. I was more of the studious one.Stephanie:I know too much about you.Chip:Yeah, exactly. I was more of the studious one. I would say he would copy off me in high school if we had to simplify it, and also that I remember me in the space, in the cookware space as well. That's his background and his journey. So, it's been really cool. To be honest, the startup world and starting a business, I feel like the public only gets to see the glamorous side of things. But it's a lot of hard work. It's a lot of ups and downs. For just as many amazing days and successful days we have, you have a really tough day as well. So, going through that with someone you're close with that at the end of the day, you can just have a beer and destress is a pretty incredible experience.Stephanie:Yeah. So, when taking best practices and lessons from maybe his family history and how they've been doing things, what did that feel like, taking this company and maybe bringing in new practices and new ideas? Was there any bit of a struggle behind that where they're like, "No, no, no. We've done this for a hundred years. We know what we're doing. Come on, Chip. Just follow the lead"?Chip:No, we get that a lot. At some point or at some level, we are cutting out his family business. His family is a distributor. They take some of the incumbents who we're competing with now and then they sell them to restaurants and act as the middle man. Ecommerce and direct to consumer in general is a cut out the middle man strategy, and so we get that question a lot. Are they mad we're displacing that to some degree? No, his family's been nothing but supportive. They're super happy we're maintaining the history into something new and just evolving it into the way that the world is moving. So, they've been awesome.Chip:His family and his knowledge of just the product and the industry has been absolutely crucial [inaudible] starting a business. When we walk into a kitchen and we're talking to a Grant Achatz, who is one of the best chefs in the world, he's able to talk about BTUs of the burner that Grant's using and the oven and why it's better, and he's able to talk the talk. It really gives us an air of authenticity and an air of just immediate warmth when we have ... Food in general is a very relationship driven business. It has a lot of credibility when we're approaching partners.Stephanie:Yeah. I saw that you're in crazy restaurants, really big ones. Top chefs use you guys. How did you even get in the door of those people? Because to me, I think you can be really smart around the product stuff and why you need it, like you're talking about the BTUs of the burner and all this stuff. You can have that, but if you can't even get your foot in the door or get in front of those people, you can't really go anywhere. So, how did you guys make those relationships and get in there?Chip:Yeah. I would love to tell you that we sat in a boardroom and whiteboarded out the perfect strategy and absolutely nailed it off the bat, but that was clearly not the case and that's not how it played out. The way the company came about, and taking a step back, what we do is we sell kitchen goods. So, knives, cookware, multiclad stainless steel, carbon steel frying pans, down to wine glasses and table top items, and really anything to outfit a new kitchen you're walking into, Made In will provide that.Chip:Our ethos to start and our launching hypothesis was that food is so emotional and people are spending so much money going to a Whole Foods or a farmer's market and getting super excited about a marvelous grass fed steak from a local rancher who is 30 miles away and it's beautiful cut and then they're coming home and they're cooking it on a frying pan that's a hand-me-down that they couldn't even name the brand of, and it's ruining that steak. So, there is this behavioral disconnect of the beginning part of a process and all the care that went into it with the actual cooking at the end of the day, which was delivering the final product.Chip:So, we wanted to make people care about their cookware in an emotional way as much as they did the ingredient they were grabbing at the farmer's market. For us, that was meshing Jake's family history, that a hundred year old family history, with the craftsmanship approach of the manufacturers and partners that we work with. So, a good example of that is our knives are made from the great-great-great-granddaughter of a French knife maker who invented the modern chef knife in the middle of Central France. This area is the birthplace of cutlery, has so much deep history.Chip:You walk through and everything about this town is dedicated around knives. There's still the old factories with the old windmills that would power the old forges and it's just pure and center all knives. What we wanted to do was make a product and go back to that source and resource and tell that story so that when you pull the knife out to cut the steak that you just fell in love with, you also know all the craftsmanship and all the story that went into that knives.Chip:So, it was this approach of blending love and care on both side, a product to ingredient. So, that was in launch approach, and we carry that ethos through all our product lines. Our bakeware we just launched is from a proprietary recipe that's over 200 years old from the center of France as well, and that's what carries through every single product we make. That actually attracted all these partners. So, most stuff in our industry comes off of a boat oversees in Asia and is nameless and faceless and has a name printed on it, all looks the same, and no one was putting this time and attention and care into the supply chain portion.Chip:As soon as that happened, Tom Colicchio approached us and he said, "Honestly, I've been working in this industry for decades waiting for a company like you guys to come along. I want to partner with you guys," and he invested in us. From there, it was a snowball effect. Tom is just an incredible human being. Everyone respects him. He was able to be the first stamp of approval, along with our supply chain store being the second stamp, that started to attract a lot of amazing shops from around the world to be part of our brand.Chip:I'd say the last point in that, these aren't traditional influencer or endorsement deals. So, every chef we work with, they're authentic customers of ours. They're buying for their restaurants. It's not a pay to play deal. This is a real authentic relationship.Stephanie:That's awesome. Yeah. That's a theme I always hear and I think even for our company as well, that first customer is like the stamp of approval. Once you get the one big whale, then you can just be like, "Well, look. So-and-so is using it," and you can find their network. Yeah. Once you get that first one, I think everything gets easier. How did Tom hear about you? Were you guys doing some marketing tactics to get in front of him?Chip:No, through the grapevine. We approached Danny Meyer's fund as an investment proposal and we were too small. It was too early for them. They write 20 and $30 million checks for growth stage businesses and we hadn't even launched really yet. So, he introduced us. He was like, "Would you like to meet our friend, Tom Colicchio? He writes angel checks, and would that be okay to make the intro?" Obviously, we were trying to play it cool. We were like, "Yeah. I think we'd be okay with that." But obviously, we were ecstatic and super excited.Chip:We emailed Tom and didn't hear back from him for months were like, "All right. That clearly is not going to happen." All of a sudden, we got an email from him two months later out of the blue that was just, "Hey, guys. Landed back from filming Top Chef for two months. So sorry for the delay. Can you meet in New York tomorrow?" I don't know if he thought we were in New York as well. But obviously, we're in Austin, Texas and we were like, "Sure," and booked an immediate flight and more or less had a handshake deal to partner with him and get an investment from him that day. He was just a super awesome guy, super genuine, and believed in what we were doing, most importantly.Stephanie:That's amazing. So, what did that initial startup look like? You have an infusion of cash. What were your next steps? Was it already mapped out, or now you're like, "Whoa. This is really getting us to that next level. We need to change how we were thinking about it"?Chip:I had come from the apparel space, which I was working at a company called Rhone, helping them with digital marketing. So, if you were saying, "Hey, Chip. I need to go buy some stuff right now. I don't even know where to start," is generally the refrain we hear, and that was different from the apparel space because no one is looking at a T-shirt and saying, "I don't know how to use that. I don't know what to use that T-shirt." I put it on my body. We know that, right?Chip:So, the first year is all about learning what people really cared about, how to market our product. Our product is a performance based product. It will fundamentally make the food you cook better tasting, but how to deliver that in a way that makes sense to the normal consumer and it's not too chef-y, especially when we have all the chefs behind us. That was a huge learning process.Stephanie:Yeah. Someone once gave me a really big cast iron skillet and I remember being like, "Thank you so much. What do I do with this? How do I clean it?" And she's telling me, do salt and this and that. I'm like, "Oh, my gosh. Can I cook my engineering in here?" I tried a couple times and it just was burning and, okay, education is key around stuff like that. The one thing I was reading that I thought was really interesting too was your post-purchase engagement of basically using that as a training funnel, because you were maybe having people come in and complaining because they didn't really know how to use the cookware, and so you used that as a channel to start training them right after they purchased and maybe were checking in on the shipping and trying to see where their product was, that instead you would guide them to the website to train them. I'd love to hear how you thought about that, and do you still do that today?Chip:Yeah. I think we're very lucky in the sense that we have some of the best chefs in the world that are, again, our authentic partners and using our cookware. So, we thought a lot about and we sat back and we're lucky enough that because we work with these people, we're able to go into a restaurant and then the chefs generally come out and explain exactly how they made the dish they're serving us and there's very personal experience that heightens the entire enjoyment of going to that restaurant.Chip:So, we're sitting there and we actually kind of have a duty as a company, we have this entire group of chef partners and this entire group of home consumers to be the bridge between those so everyone else can have that experience and heighten their enjoyment of the use of the products. So, we work with these chefs. Grant Achatz taught us how to make an omelet, and he's known for this crazy molecular gastronomy. But actually, Grant Achatz grew up cooking in his parents' diner making eggs, and now he can do it the best in the world.Chip:We talk a lot about what can Made In do that no one else can, and we have this two-sided relationship that no one else does. So, how can we bridge that gap between the consumer and the chef in a way that really values and adds value to the consumer's process, and to us, that's education. So, you buy a carbon steel frying pan or you buy a piece of bakeware. Nancy Silverton, the best baker in the world, is going to give you a recipe to enjoy that product. If you buy carbon steel, as you said, carbon steel to us is a better cast iron, but there's a learning curve. The chef [inaudible] in New York is going to teach you how to season it, teaching you how to ... Wait. What the hell is that salt thing that that person was talking about, what that is, and how to use it, and that's coming from a real expert in the space.Stephanie:Oh, that's a really unique and interesting strategy. You're using the chefs as your influencers to train, and I feel like a lot of these chefs know how to speak in a language that'll connect with me so you don't really have to be like, "Wait, wait, wait. You're going too intense here. Let's dumb it down a bit." It seems like a lot of the best chefs have learned how to be the, what's the one, the Chef Ramsays of the world. Or there's another one I follow that's really good too on Instagram. Anyways, he does things in a way where I'm like, "I can do that," and it's just like, it's only five steps, it looks beautiful, but here's the two things that'll really take it to the next level.Chip:Yeah. Tom Colicchio and my co-founder, Jake, they both have the same philosophy, which is that you really get to enjoy cooking once you can just do the fundamentals. As soon as you break free of the recipe, you can actually start to enjoy the creative process [inaudible]. We talked about that a lot too, right? It's like, it's never been easier to order Uber Eats and have any meal you want delivered to your door within 40 minutes at a pretty good price. But people are cooking more and more, and why is that? It's because people actually love the process of the creativity behind it, of the expression behind it, of just the sense of accomplishment, or people do it to destress, or they're doing it for a specific diet.Chip:People are doing it for a very personal reason, and if we can give them the fundamentals of, hey, this is just a technique of how to sear a steak correctly, we don't need to give you, okay, add salt at the end or add a [inaudible] on it. That becomes your personal sense of creativity and your enjoyment for it. So, I'm just taking that to heart as well. If we can give you technique and how-tos as opposed to step by step by step recipes with the chefs who have gone to culinary school, who have done all this technique work for you, then it'll be a really powerful experience for the home consumer.Stephanie:Yeah, that's cool. What are a few of the top maybe cooking tips or tricks where you're like, "Once I learn this one thing, it changed my whole worldview on cooking"?Chip:Yeah. Definitely heat control. I think that is where most home cooks get in trouble. You talked a lot about just burning your eggs, or something like that, and it's not a hard concept, but there's everything flying around the internet of you need high heat to sear, and that's just not true, and low and slow is the best way to cook, etc. It really becomes down to your personal preference and style. You can sear a steak on low heat if you just do it correctly and give it its proper time and you can still have the exact reaction you want.Chip:Tom Colicchio is a low and slow guy and Grant Achatz tends to cook on higher heat. Everyone is doing it in their own way. So, I think for me, and even in my personal journey, understanding heat control and learning it correctly was the biggest unlock because that applies to the most amount of dishes that you cook. I think a good example of that is Tom Colicchio talks a lot about listening to your meal. So, when you have a pan and you heat it up, no oil, because most people will heat it with oil and burn the oil on and have a lot of dishes to do. So, you put a stainless clad piece of cookware on the burner, heat it up to temperature, dumping cold oil, let that heat up quickly, and then put on a cold steak.Chip:What is that cold steak going to do? It's going to drop the temperature in the pan. So, at that point, you need to have more heat into the pan to get that sear. But once everything gets up to rise, if you leave that high heat on, it's going to overcook everything and burn that oil again. So, then lowering it down. Everything on that is done to just paying attention to heat control.Stephanie:Is there any pushback that you guys have felt? You're in an industry that, to me, feels like an older one where people are like, "Oh, I've always used nonstick and it's fine." Now, it does feel like thing are changing where people are like, "These pans are toxic. They're not the best for the environment. There's a lot of things that you should think about." What kind of education around just using the products, but what else are you encountering right now when you're trying to push into this industry?Chip:Yeah. People do have a preference towards nonstick. It's the biggest objective business market to attack, and I think that's why you get the most amount of entrance into the nonstick space. It's also the most just Wild West of marketing as well, which we try and stay out of. The big push right now is "ceramic". I put it in air quotes or visual quotes because it's not actually ceramic. It's a Sol-Gel coating that looks like ceramic, and so the GreenPans of the world a decade ago dubbed it ceramic because it sounded nicer and sounded more premium. But really, it's a Sol-Gel coating.Chip:This was back in the day when DuPont was dumping stuff in water and all this stuff. So, they created this decade long fearmonger marketing tactic that a lot of companies have latched onto over the decades, and now GreenPan's actually in a class action lawsuit about all their face claims.Stephanie:I used to have a GreenPan.Chip:Yeah, exactly.Stephanie:I had to throw it away because I'm like, "I don't this is good to cook on."Chip:The problem with those too is Sol-Gel and "ceramic", which is how the normal person listening to this would hear it as, it doesn't last long. By definition, it's called a self-sacrificing surface. Every time you use it, it removes some surface. It scores four out of 10 on a durability score.Stephanie:That goes in your food, doesn't it?Chip:It does. But it's made out of what makes hair conditioner. So, you can eat your hair conditioner [inaudible]. But whatever. But just in terms of business, we're making performance based tools. We're not making a marketing gimmick company. Our gold standard is would this hold up in a commercial kitchen and would Grant Achatz or Tom Colicchio or Mashama Bailey, would they want to use this piece of cookware in their restaurant? You will never see a ceramic pan, a GreenPan pan in kitchen because that would last one week in a commercial kitchen.Chip:So, then they're making all these claims about better for you, better for the environment. If that thing's ending up in a landfill a week later, two weeks later, a month later, whatever it is, it's up to you to determine if that's actually better for the environment. [crosstalk] Yeah. Exactly. So, we're not in that game. We don't play in that game. We're here to make great tools that the best chefs in the world and the best home cooks and people who love to cook can use.Stephanie:Yeah. So, what kind of marketing are you guys finding most effective right now? When you said a lot of the other cookware brands are maybe using the fearmongering and just making claims that maybe aren't always the most accurate, what are you guys finding success in?Chip:Yeah. So, we love to tell the manufacturing story and the craftsmanship story. So, I'm just talking a lot about bakeware right now because we just launched on April 8th, and we went out to the factory in France and watched ... It goes through 50 people's hands who touch and inspect this and have been doing it for 30 or 40 years and it's such a beautiful process and it's pouring this clay and porcelain that is proprietary to them. I think there's one person who actually only knows the recipe and we're sitting there being like, this seems like a single point of failure as a business owner. You should make sure this person doesn't [crosstalk]-Stephanie:Oh, you're good.Chip:... [crosstalk] something. Like put it on Google Drive with a password protect or something. I don't know. But it's such a intimate, unique process and our customers love to see that, and the customer that appreciates that is our customer. Everything we make in the bakeware space is hand painted, and so we have these white porcelain with blue rims and red rims and every single piece is literally hand painted by brush. That's just so different than a lot of our competitors and what they do where the coolness comes from applying some coating that's powder blue or something like that. It's just totally different.Chip:So, we want to express that and for us on the marketing side, showing that is really beneficial because one, it is all the work we're doing, like scaling and working with these artisans and craftsman, is tough. It's tough business. But it's also really rewarding and our customers see how much care and attention and time goes into each one of their pieces.Stephanie:Yeah. That's great. When I think about, it feels very exclusive, like you have direct access to the person doing this who know the recipe. How do you put a moat around that so maybe other brands can't just come in and be like, "Oh, we know this one style of copper cookware," which is beautiful. I was looking at that like, "Ooh, that would match my one Moscow mule I have." But how do you put a moat around it to make sure that other brands don't just come in and steal your one single person who has the recipe?Chip:Yeah, yeah. It just goes back to Jake's family history and being so authentic in the space. He was working with a lot of people who were friends of friends who connected us to the right people and really, the only reason why we got a foot in the door was because of being in the space for 100 years. Most of our, or all of our competitors do not have any family history or any reason to be in it, other than seeing a white space and a market to go attack kind of thing.Chip:We don't talk too much about moats. To be honest, we have a very familiar relationship with all of our manufacturers, craftsmanship partners, and everything. Go out, spend multiple weeks. Our knife manufacturer told us she loved us and felt like we were her children and kids and sons at the end of it. So, these are real relationships and it's less about, hey, can we sign and exclusive for 10 years to lock out competitors and more how can we treat them like family, how can they treat us like family, and so they wouldn't want to do exactly what you're talking about.Stephanie:Yeah. How do you go about doing that? How do you instill that trust and relationship, and other than just being a nice, friendly person, which obviously you are, what else do you do so they really feel that relationship and you're like, "Yep, I'm not even worried about it because we got that"?Chip:Yeah. Some of them have invested in us. Internally, we have a mantra of hospitality first, and that goes towards everything from treating every customer who walks through our door or walks through our website door, whether they're spent $19 or $900, like we are a three Michelin star restaurant. So, what can we do to make you feel better, to enjoy the experience better, to, if you're having a problem, fix it, to do service recovery if you've had an issue? If UPS failed to deliver, how can we help you get to the answer that you need? All that stuff.Chip:That extends from customers as well as buyers, vendors, and manufacturing partners as well. So, what does that mean? It's treating them fairly on terms. It's treating them fairly on our business growth and practices and being an open book for them and sharing information and in negotiations, dealing with them in a friendly manner, and getting to a result that [inaudible] zero sum game, but it's beneficial for both sides. For us, that is the name of the game because it gets out of a let's solve for the six month term, and this is going to be a business that'll be around for two decades, three decades, forever, we need to make sure that we're treating people correctly.Stephanie:Yeah. I love that. So, when thinking about your customer, like you said, they can come in and buy a $1,200 cookware set and it's going to last a long time. It's not something where it's like you'll be back in a month. I'll see you when you need a replacement. How do you think about garnering that passionate customer base where it's like you have a good LTV on them? You're like, "They're going to be around for 10 years," because I've seen that you also are able to get wait lists of 10,000+ people who sign up for new products that you're launching. So, I want to hear how you think about that and keep your customer engaged, even if they ... life cycle of when they need a new product might be a long time from when they buy their first one.Chip:Yeah. So, we've been fortunate enough to have really strong cohort and repeat customer behavior. We're only three years old at this point. Our earliest cohorts have repeated over, on blended average, over 100%. So, industry average is 20%. [inaudible] 5x industry average. It's, again, in a product category that, as you mentioned, our product should last you your entire life. So, that's something we had to solve for and think about. Our first belief is that product quality is the biggest driver of longevity and happiness in cohort behavior.Chip:So, if your product stinks and you're the best marketer in the world, that's a short term gain. [inaudible] you can have actually a subpar experience with an amazing product and that's actually the better trade. Again, we try to solve for a great experience with a great product. But if we have only one chip to put it in, we would always put it into the product category because we believe that is what drives behavior. So, when we're going out, and one of our early investors and main investors had a really great point, which was you don't know how someone's going to find you. It could be a blog article about some tail skew that you just launched or cutting board.Chip:It's not, of course, you, but if that is their first experience with Made In, they are going to believe that everything else is like that cutting board. Right? So, everything you launch needs to be okay in a great experience. Or sorry. No. Everything you launch needs to be a great experience if that is their first product they've ever bought. So, don't launch tail skews that aren't up to the quality standards that you want, that don't have the manufacturer and craftsmanship story that you want, that don't have a good unboxing experience.Chip:So, we've taken that to heart because I think you see a lot of ecommerce companies just launch a whole bunch of stuff really quickly without that thought and attention behind it. Again, you don't know how people are going to find you. You're going to Parachute Home and you need a candle. If that candle doesn't come in an amazing box that represents the Parachute Home brand well, then you're probably not going to come back and buy their sheets. So, when we think about a product line and our offerings and cohort behavior and [inaudible] to answer your question, it all starts with product experience and product quality, and then again, that hospitality first mantra, treating our customers correctly, giving them customer service if they need it, and that will drive longterm behavior.Stephanie:Yeah. Oh, that's great because I think, like you said, a lot of brands do think about what are the loss leaders that you can put out there and just get people in the door, the quick hits? Like you said, I've bought many things for the first time, starting off with smaller price points, just to see, dabble in it a bit, see what it's like, and then be like, "Nope. I'm so glad I didn't buy that expensive $100 item because I just bought a bracelet for $10 and it was horrible. And yes, it was $10, but I'm still mad about it."Chip:Yeah. When I was at the apparel company and I was running analytics for them, we did a lot of basket cart analysis on which product ... taking everyone's first cart and basing out the SKUs that made up that first cart and then which of those SKUs led to [inaudible] second carts. Then we found an interesting mantra, which we've taken to heart, which was the lowest price point product of the most premium category was included in the most baskets that drove the highest repeat. To your point exactly on that, it was people who were trying to figure out, hey, is this material worth this extra amount of money I'm about to spend on it? I'm going to test that out, buy the cheapest one in that category.Chip:So, it was that product that we hadn't spent a lot of time and attention on, and all of a sudden, you're like, "Wow. This actually is the most important product of our entire company," because it's everyone's gateway and it's showing the material, but it's not a tough price point to hit on a first basket, and if we can show well on this first basket with this product, then they'll be great customers over the longterm. So, I think exactly what you mentioned is interesting.Stephanie:That's a good one. It makes you think about maybe adjusting margins on that first lower priced item, give it higher quality, lower your margins if you need to to keep that price lower, get them in the door, and then they'll probably go up from there when they have a really good experience with that cheaper item. I don't know if all brands do that, though. We will find out. Interesting. So, when developing new product lines, you're talking about the quality piece of it. But how quickly can you guys develop products, or are you more slow paced, like we just want to make sure it's perfect and it could take us a year to come up with a new product line because we're working with these artisans in France or knife makers or whatever you're doing?Chip:Yeah. It's been a mixture of both. We've had products that came together very quickly and was a match made in heaven with the craftsman who we reached out to and it just got to market in the way we wanted very quickly. We had a product, cast iron product that we were trying to launch in 2019 that got to the one yard line and we had spent a year and a half on it. We invested $50,000 of tooling and a ton of research and time and effort and all this stuff. It just wasn't up to the quality that we felt represented the brand and we scrapped that project at the one yard line, and now it's been a three year project.Chip:So, I'd say it's very variable. We are very aware that once we put that product out, it reflects on the rest of the products. So, if we put out a bad line and it doesn't carry the same quality and care and attention that the rest of our line does, it could reflect on ... Are they doing everything else half-assed as well? So, I would it's been a mixture.Stephanie:Yeah. How do you ensure that you're going to have enough inventory, especially when it's being handcrafted? We've had quite a few people on this show who have similar stories around ... We had Yellow Leaf Hammocks on in the early days and the women in the villages there were the ones making the hammocks, and of course, that can cause maybe sometimes supply issues. How do you even plan for that when it's like, well, this is one person's recipe and there's 50 people who are touching this product to get it out there, and maybe Joe got sick, so there goes his recipe for a week, we don't know how to create it anymore? Even plan when it's so, yeah, custom, I guess?Chip:Yeah. To be honest, that's been one of the biggest challenges of this business is our unique moat and value prop and everything is also the biggest challenge in the business. I think those naturally go hand in hand together. But you hit the nail on the head. It's about finding these craftsmen that make these amazing products, and they've never seen a company scale 5x year over year. They've never seen a company go this fast and just attack the market in this way.Chip:So, it's about, again, going back to being good partners with them, sharing multiyear forecasts, helping them invest in new tooling and new lines and things like that and working with them directly. It's a huge, huge challenge. But we've seen companies who get to this point and then take it and move everything to an automation facility and hurt everything that they built in the first place. So, we're not doing that. It's more about being great partners and figuring out the challenges with those partners.Stephanie:Yeah. Cool. So, when it comes to an ecommerce perspective, I like your example earlier about how to think about certain metrics and what you use to analyze. What are some other things maybe you pulled in from your past marketing experience into this business where you're like, "We've always relied on these principles, or I always look at these metrics every day to make sure everything's going okay"?Chip:Yeah. We look at star ratings by product line. Those are obviously very important for us. It's what is the benefit of ecommerce? In the early days, it was the cut out the middle man story. That's gone away now. It's, okay, direct relationship with our customer, one to one management of that relationship, and we believe more of that mantra, right? So, it's, at the end of the day, we always say at the end of the day when you buy something from Williams-Sonoma and you walk out of that store, you're never going to hear from that salesperson ever again. Your relationship with Williams-Sonoma and that salesperson who just spent a half hour with you is over.Chip:For us, it always begins at the time of purchase. They've bought from us. We now have a direct line to them, we can provide them content, we can provide them customer service. Our relationship is just beginning, and a lot of that goes into product reviews, a lot of that goes into monitoring return rates and how many customers exchange or return products. For us, that's a proxy for product quality. Then cohort behavior is a huge one as well and those three together give us an idea of how the product into customers viewing the company full circle is behaving and is trending. Those are probably the three we focused on most.Stephanie:Yeah. What are some of the behaviors that you're looking for when you say the cohort behavior is one of the biggest ones? What are you guys looking for and how would you adjust it if it's not going the way that you want?Chip:Yeah. So, cohort behavior, you're looking for trends up and to the right, and home space. When we launched in the home space, what we tend to see in this space is a diminishing marginal curve on cohort behavior. So, after they've bought all the things from you, then they don't ever come back again. So, you see cohort behavior one to six months kicking up to the right and then six to 12, a little bit less, and then flat from 12 on, or whatever it is. Right?Chip:So, we wanted to make sure that we didn't follow that trend because that meant, all right, we no longer have a relationship after 12 months, just out of an example, with that customer. So, what can we do to maintain that customer within our relationship and what can we do to provide value to them, whether that's content and recipes and how to use things better, whether that's new products? So, again, we started with just stainless clad cookware, we've launched carbon steel cookware, knives, wine glasses, plates, silverware, copper bakeware, all from these amazing facilities and stories. If we can treat them right in the beginning, then obviously they'll continue to support us throughout that journey.Stephanie:Yeah. What's some of the most engaging content? Is it the educational stuff? Is it the stories around the artisans making the product? What really pulls people in and then keeps them coming, not just a one off hit of, "Oh, that was heartwarming. I like that," and then you don't see them anymore? What keeps them there longterm?Chip:Definitely the manufacturing and craftsmanship stories. Those get the highest feedback and results from us. To your point on inventory being an issue for companies like ours, have that be a portion of it and then have that portion go through a pandemic where demand is increasing and manufacturers are closed in Europe for months because of COVID outbreaks. It creates a tough dynamic, and with and around those stories, we've generally heard the refrain of, "I don't care when this stuff comes to me. Just make it in the right way," and I think what these videos and this content does is show you that were making it in the right way.Chip:It's not like we're delivering medication that needs to be ... If you don't have your oval baker on Monday, you're not going to be too upset about it. Obviously, we're striving for best in class delivery and fulfillment and have a great team who does so. But we're not delivering life needed items. We are delivering craft products that are going to last you a lifetime, and if that takes an extra week, by showing people that, the care and attention that goes into it, they generally have that refrain of, "Do it the right way and get it to me when you can."Stephanie:Yep. Yep. I definitely feel that. How do you feel about being shown up in marketplaces or Amazon? I know there's a couple artisan marketplaces where they highlight some of the best products. To me, letting someone else tell your story, or even on Amazon, you can only tell it in a certain way. How are you guys approaching that?Chip:Yeah. Amazon's interesting because I think the mentality on Amazon has shifted a bunch over the last five years. The ecommerce space in general five years ago, I think, would have said, "No way. Amazon dilutes my brand. Amazon doesn't let me tell my story. It's going to cannibalize all the marketing efforts I'm doing over here." [inaudible] we're seeing a shift away from that mentality and people and brands racing towards displaying on Amazon. I don't think it means Amazon is still doing a great job of letting brands tell their story. To me, it's still a search engine and people tend to not get to the brand page ever.Chip:So, I don't think it's necessarily an Amazon win and that they're helping perpetuate all this effort and craft that we're going towards. It's more, I think it's becoming just such a necessary evil in terms of [inaudible] and people are growing these brands to get scale and need to find the incremental sales, and where else to go but wholesale and Amazon? So, Amazon's been interesting. We're not on Amazon. Almost 100% of our sales come through our own dotcom. So, we're not really on marketplaces either.Chip:In general, we have a kind of anti view on all of those. I'm not saying that will be forever. Again, each channel has diminishing returns at some sort of scale. Fortunately, we're not at that point. But yeah. We tend to like to tell our own stories and craft a message and own the relationship and provide the value to the customer.Stephanie:So, what's on the radar for you guys for the next couple years? Where are you headed? What are you hoping to do in maybe one to two years?Chip:Yeah. So, we're at the point, and when we launched this, we wanted to "own the kitchen". I realize that's an overused, cheesy phrase and hopefully, all the listeners didn't just roll their eyeballs. I swear-Stephanie:I didn't. [crosstalk] Own it, Chip. They're going to own it, everyone. Come on.Chip:Exactly. But for us, everything comes down to the why and it's not just to sell more things. It's, okay, a kitchen is part of the home and people like aesthetic congruency within their home. So, it doesn't make sense to have a different bakeware company vs. different knives vs. different cookware and pull those all out and now you're serving them all on a table to a dinner party and they all look different and it's not a reflection of what you're trying to do for your home, which again, is very personal to you.Chip:So, with the launch of bakeware, we're actually at the point right now where if you're moving into a new home you can buy almost every main vertical you need off of madeincookware.com. It can all show up in one box and it can look the same and it can feel like part of the same system and you know that everything comes from an amazing backstory with amazing craftsmen.Chip:You don't have to go research do I want [inaudible] vs. Henko vs. Made In knives, then All-Clad vs. Made In Cookware. You don't have to do 500 different pieces of research. It's a seamless process for you to do so. So, that was our main brand goal, and we got there a little bit quicker than we thought we would with the launch of bakeware now. So, we're super excited about this being the first year where you can literally pull out a butcher block and cut a knife and prep your food and then cook it on Made In and then serve it on a Made In dish and serve it with wine and all that stuff and never touch anything but Made In, which is pretty cool.Stephanie:That's cool.Stephanie:Cool. Well, let's move over to the lightning round. The lightning round's brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. This is where I ask a question and you have [inaudible] or less to answer. Are you ready, Chip?Chip:Yes.Stephanie:All right. So, I'd say you're probably an adventurous guy, from what I've read about you. What's one thing that you would never do?Chip:One thing I would never do. Good question. As of interest, I am, I'm not a huge water lover in terms of ... I do scuba dive, but I would never kite surf [inaudible].Stephanie:No kite surfing?Chip:Yeah.Stephanie:Wow. Okay. But don't you fly planes?Chip:Yes. [crosstalk] I'd rather go up than down, and climb mountains ever.Stephanie:Okay. Okay. What's a crazy story from flying a plane where you're like, "I almost died this one time, but here I am"?Chip:Yeah. My 14th hour, so about a third of the way through the private pilot's license, we had an engine out failure. It was right outside DC and we were descending beneath the DCA airspace, the Reagan airspace to sail out of it. It was with my instructor. It's the first time in the training process that you go and land at a separate airport and come back. The first 10 to 12 hours are just all at your local home base airport doing takeoffs and landings. So, we had just crossed the Potomac. He asked me to descend below the airspace, pulled back the throttle, and the engine just quit.Chip:He said, "Give it more gas. Don't throttle back that much," and I [inaudible] and it didn't kick back in. We declared an emergency, to make a long story short. When you declare an emergency, this is the Reagan now, they give you a dedicated person to help monitor your situation and he told us, "Okay, there's an airport two miles to your left. Can you make it?" "No." We declared a mayday situation. It had just had snowed two feet in the DC area at that time, which was pretty rare and lucky for us, and ended up crashing in a snowbank in someone's backyard.Stephanie:Oh, my gosh. I heard about this. I lived in DC.Chip:Did you?Stephanie:I heard about this. Yeah.Chip:It was probably 9:00 AM maybe. This lady came out in her robe with a coffee cup and just was so confused that there was a plane in her backyard, and we were sitting there kind of dancing-Stephanie:[inaudible].Chip:... because [crosstalk] yeah, we did this. We were safe.Stephanie:Oh, my gosh.Chip:She took us in and gave us hot cocoa. I was in school. I was at Georgetown at the time and I was missing, I had an 11:00 AM exam and emailed the instructor and said, "Hey. I know you said no excuses for missing exams, but here's the story." I ended up making it back around 12:30, three hour exam, walked in the classroom, and he stood up, stopped everyone, and said, "I will never accept any other excuses ever again for missing a thing," except for I was in a plane crash and landed in someone's backyard two hours away from the city.Stephanie:Oh, god.Chip:Which was pretty crazy. He ended up being a former Navy pilot. So, kind of, I think-Stephanie:Felt that.Chip:... touched a good nerve with it. But it was definitely one of the crazier experiences in my life.Stephanie:Wow. What year was that?Chip:2009 or '10.Stephanie:Okay. Yeah. I remember when I lived in Potomac area and I remember hearing about this. I don't know if it was you or not, but I remember a plane landing in someone's backyard and it was in the newspaper for a week.Chip:Yeah.Stephanie:[crosstalk] was you. That's cool. So, you've done four or the seven summits. Which one's been your favorite and why?Chip:Denali in Alaska was by far the most wild experience. That's the only one that's totally unassisted, no porters, no mules, not anything. You take a plane that lands on a glacier with your backpack and a sled and they say, "See you in 14 to 21 days." It was also the toughest. That is 120 pound packs over 14 to 20 days. We got stuck. So, we actually were making amazing time. We got up to the 14,000 foot camp. The mountain's about 21,000. So, it's the last major camp before doing your ascent, and about 10 days of -40 degree weather came in. So, we were stuck there.Chip:It was kind of a weird experience because the days were sunny and nice, but it was absolutely freezing and anyone who left the camp, 100% of them got frostbite and had to be evacuated. So, we sat there. We were running out of food. If we got through the last day of food and things opened back up, then we did a rapid ascent and summited on the last day we were able to. But you're out there in the wilderness. It's absolutely stunning and beautiful. You're kind of with yourself for ... It's quite a different experience than some of the others, which are a lot of tour groups, a lot of assistants, a lot quicker. So, it was a wild experience.Stephanie:That's cool. I mean, below 40. Wow. No, thanks.Chip:Funny story is the kid who actually had a [inaudible] job, he was a friend from earlier, but he was working at Walmart ecommerce at the time. We actually received our first investment via satellite on that climb for Made In.Stephanie:Wow.Chip:He was like, "What is that?" Then two years later, he joined us as our head of logistics. So-Stephanie:Oh, that's cool.Chip:... a lot of things came from that journey.Stephanie:That's a fun story.Chip:Yeah.Stephanie:Man. So many things all coming together. Cool.Chip:Yeah.Stephanie:What's one thing that you don't understand that you wish you did?Chip:All this stuff that's happening with physics right now and how molecules can go through walls and power all that stuff. I don't know. It seems very cool and I wish I got it, and I've had a lot of conversations around it. Every time, I feel like I'm high or something and I don't quite get it. But other people seem to get it and I wish I did.Stephanie:I haven't even really heard about this, or maybe I just don't know what this even is. So, I guess I'm in that same camp of I don't understand and now I'm going to start looking into that.Chip:Yeah.Stephanie:The last thing, what one thing will have the biggest impact on ecommerce in the next year?Chip:Probably the mass move to 5G. Everyone is, I would say, still in the camp of mobile as the first touchpoint and then convert on desktop or desktop conversion rates and AOV are still [inaudible] out of mobile, development still is mobile, second in most cases, and even though [inaudible] about mobile first development for the last decade. I think obviously as the more widespread 5G world gets out there, the focus on mobile maybe finally will get through to people. That's the most important meeting of ecommerce.Stephanie:Yep. Cool. Well, thanks so much for joining the show. It's been fun learning about the world of cookware and seeing where you guys are headed. That's, yeah, amazing. Where can people find out more about you and Made In Cookware?Chip:Yeah. Everything is sold through madeincookware.com. That's M-A-D-E-I-N cookware.com. We have everything from full kits if you're moving and need to outfit a full kitchen down to everything is also sold a la carte if you just need to fill around an existing group of cookware. So, we're excited and we have a full team ready to help you out if you have any issues as well.Stephanie:How amazing. Thanks so much, Chip.Chip:Cool. Thank you for having me on.
"Passionate michelin private chef, pushing food to its capabilities.I am a devoted, passionate, hard-working team player who strives for perfection, with over 10 years in restaurants and hotels.For the past 6 years I have been traveling with my previous positions around the world, from setting up a new private kitchen in Dubai to cooking in different locations daily in Moscow and also running the catering in the Principality of Monaco. My current position has allowed for me to travel to one off destinations around the world catering sometimes in the most remote places but providing very unique dining experience,My time in the industry has provided me with the access to start my very own successful food/travel blog on Instagram @skoolyardprojex. I have managed to gain a lot of coverage and press through my passion and ability in my job and having the drive to constantly give the guests a one off experience.For me, cooking is...is just a small part of being the whole package, becoming a top end private chef you have to give the ultimate dining experience to your guests.I learned to cook at...London provided me with a fantastic culinary skill set and left me wanting more for my career. SPECIALISED CHEFS ACADEMY, PAUL AINSWORTH, THE LEDUBRYA role model in the kitchen is...RENE REDEZEPI, GRANT ACHATZ, MARCO PIERRE WHITE , ROB CHAMBERSA cooking secret...HAVE FUN, BE ORGANISED, BE CREATIVE"Source: www.takeachef.com To follow Josh King:@skoolyardprojex@chefjoshkinghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-king-7b7a59149/To follow Brennan Dates:@olive.oil.and.gasoline #yachtchef #yachtlife #chef #privatechef #yachtcrew #yachting #yachtie #cheflife #foodporn #yacht #yachties #superyacht #yachtstew #foodie #chefsofinstagram #yachts #yachtprovisions #yachtparty #luxuryyacht #yachtcharter #chefs #superyachtchef #yachtcaptain #food #deckhand #yachtmaster #luxury #megayacht #yachtinglife #yachtinginternationalradio
Paul Foster & Simon Alexander watch, review and debate a classic film/tv/documentary to do with the world of food. This week, it's S2 E1 of Chef's Table, an Emmy award winning documentary series on Netflix. This episode features Grant Achatz and his journey in and out of the industry. Send us your suggestions and questions @TheNightcap_pod on Insta, Twitter, Facebook.
BadGuys - 15 : Συζητάμε για την πορεία του Aντώνη στη μαγειρική, το sushi, την Ιαπωνία και τον κόσμο της εστίασης Link: www.badguys.fm/posts/episode15/ Shownotes: - https://twitter.com/th4lis - http://sushimou.gr/ - https://m.lifo.gr/print/athinaioi/124474?amp - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heston_Blumenthal - https://www.netflix.com/title/80007945 - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/610512.Gordon_Ramsay - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Adri%C3%A0 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Achatz
Polina Marinova Pompliano is the founder and author at The Profile, which is a community that studies the world’s most successful people and companies. In this conversation, we discuss the world’s most successful people, including Elon Musk, Sara Blakely, Martha Stewart, Grant Achatz, Anthony Bourdain, and many others. ======================= Want to sell your wonderful internet business? Tiny partners with founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team and culture. We’ll make an offer within a week, close the deal within a month, and keep your business operating for the long term. Get in touch at tinycapital.com, and we’ll let you know within a couple of days. http://www.tinycapital.com ======================= LVL is a new crypto investing platform that I'm an investor in. They allow anyone to trade an unlimited number of times per month for free. They have no trading fees and no spreads in the spot market. If you buy or sell more than $500 in Bitcoin on any exchange, you're spending too much on trading fees. Use LVL to save money and trade as many times you want. https://lvl.co/pomp ======================= Pomp writes a daily letter to over 90,000 investors about business, technology, and finance. He breaks down complex topics into easy to understand language, while sharing opinions on various aspects of each industry. You can subscribe at https://www.pompletter.com =======================
This is the 35th episode of Hebrew Hits and Malya sits down with Chef Yossel Backman. Yossel has created Tisch which is an upscale once in a lifetime dinning experience. We discuss how Yossel's background brought him to appreciate and value real true hospitality. Did you know that Yossel worked side by side with Grant Achatz, Flynn Mcgarry from GEM, and Sruli Subar? Follow @hebrew_hits on all socials Subscribe to our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCORiiT9WKpUk9cmmBpWJk-A For more information DM @tisch_dinners
This weeks installment of the Glitter Disorder Podcast focuses on two incredible Chefs that went through life altering traumas. These inspiring stories will get you thinking about: -The importance of self care -The conscious choice to be positive through difficult times-Trusting those closest to you and relying on their supportFollow Monica Pate for daily inspiration on IG: https://www.instagram.com/monica_pate_2.0/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgjBYDurtfYV6EkQOYqTygABoth Chefs were featured on the Netflix show- Chef's Table Sean Brock - Season 6 Episode 4Grant Achatz - Season 2 Episode 1https://www.netflix.com/title/80007945
After graduating with a degree in philosophy and a successful 10-year stint as an independent derivatives trader, Nick Kokonas partnered with Chef Grant Achatz to open Alinea Restaurant in 2005. In the years to follow, Nick would go on to co-find Next, The Aviary, and Roisters. In addition, Kokonas is the Founder and CEO of Tock, a cloud-based comprehensive booking system for restaurants, events, and pop-ups around the world. Check out the first time Nick Kokonas joined RU on episode 333. Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!) Favorite success quote or mantra: "Just show up!" In today's episode with Nick Kokonas we will discuss: You should know your customer Deciding when to scale Writing a cocktail book Connecting with your guest digitally before they arrive Letting you team weigh in on creative decisions/branding/marketing Collecting emails Are regulars your most valuable customers? What do the numbers say? Partnering with a hotel Opening and closing a restaurant in 3 years Enforcing culture; is it possible? The intricacies of Tock and Tock To Go Contactless payment /paying with your phone Today's sponsor: Podium- Only half of the businesses in America are text capable. Setting up a business texting line immediately gives you a competitive advantage. Texting gives you ultimate flexibility rather than being tethered to a phone. Need more reasons? On top of Podium’s texting platform, you’ll be able to send review invites, request remote payments, and power curbside pickup; all through text. Toast - A POS built for restaurants by restaurant people Adapt fast with Toast's cloud-based restaurant POS system that updates to evolve your POS along with changing industry trends and guest expectations. Toast is built exclusively for restaurants of all shapes and sizes, with over 2/3 of our employees having restaurant experience to serve you better. Online Ordering - Let guests easily order directly from your restaurant for pickup or contactless delivery to keep revenue flowing during these uncertain times. Toast Delivery Services Dispatch local drivers through an on-demand network to keep your community fed and revenue coming in. Contact info: exploretock.com/join Email: nick@tockhq.com Instagram: @tockhq Twitter: @tock Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Nick Kokonas for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time! Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!
Join The Network Chef Hennessey is an award-winning chef and Dover, NH native. He graduated from Le Cordon Bleu at the Atlantic Culinary Academy in 2001. He has had experiences cooking alongside some of the best chef’s in the country including: Chef Charlie Palmer at New York City’sn , Chef Grant Achatz at Trio in Chicago, Andrew Carmellini at Cafe Boulud, Thomas Rice and Ken Oringer at Clio, Eli Kaimeh and Thomas Keller at Per Se. Chef Hennessey has worked as the Executive Chef of 43 Degrees North, and The Duniway Restaurant, as well as Chef de Partie of The One Hundred Club, all in Portsmouth, NH. Chef Hennessey is trained in classical French techniques and methods and now serves what he calls Progressive New England Cuisine, utilizing locally farmed and foraged foods to create artistically inspired dishes. In the summer of 2020, Hennessey became a 3-time Chopped Champion on Food Network’s nationally acclaimed cooking competition show. In the spring of 2014, Hennessey was named a semi-finalist for the James Beard Awards in the category of Best Chef Northeast. In October of 2013, Chef Hennessey traveled to New York City and won the StarChefs.com VitaMix Challenge, a national competition that included a field of several hundreds of chefs, honed down to 6 six finalists and completed at the International Chefs Congress in Manhattan. Chef Hennessey is also a 2014 StarChefs.com Rising Star Chef Winner for Coastal New England. Check out Evan Hennessey on the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast way back on episode 008 Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!) Favorite success quote or mantra: "Be humble but be brave and always look forward." In today's episode with Evan Hennessey we will discuss: Humility Culinary school Fulfilling personal responsibilities while pursuing a career Literally building a restaurant Anarchism in business Learning from the greatest in your region The business side of restaurants Partnerships Partnerships with family Catering Word-of-mouth marketing Tasting menu, reservation-only dining The numbers of opening 3 days-a -week with only 9 seats Fine dining through COVID-19 Today's sponsor: Podium- Only half of the businesses in America are text capable. Setting up a business texting line immediately gives you a competitive advantage. Texting gives you ultimate flexibility rather than being tethered to a phone. Need more reasons? On top of Podium’s texting platform, you’ll be able to send review invites, request remote payments, and power curbside pickup; all through text. Toast - A POS built for restaurants by restaurant people Adapt fast with Toast's cloud-based restaurant POS system that updates to evolve your POS along with changing industry trends and guest expectations. Toast is built exclusively for restaurants of all shapes and sizes, with over 2/3 of our employees having restaurant experience to serve you better. Online Ordering - Let guests easily order directly from your restaurant for pickup or contactless delivery to keep revenue flowing during these uncertain times. Toast Delivery Services Dispatch local drivers through an on-demand network to keep your community fed and revenue coming in. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Openness What is your biggest weakness? Openness What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? What is your favorite restaurant and why? What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Maintaing the balance of positive work, finance, and family. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Failure is fine, I'd rather you ask me questions instead of making mistakes. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Connect with the guests. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? Setting the Table by Danny Meyer On Trails: An Exploration by Robert Moor GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM Name one service you've hired. Brookford Farm in Cantebury, NH What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influenced operations? Square Space OpenTable Facebook and Instagram If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? Don't be afraid to be brave I want my legacy to be a crater with houses built around it instead of a path with footprints Pay it forward Contact info: Instagram: @evanhennessey Email: evan@stages.dining Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Evan Hennessey for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time! Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!
Nancy Willis is an artist, activist, and educator. Until the pandemic, she taught "Principles of Design," an art class for pastry students at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Napa Valley. As an artist and chef, Nancy works to bridge the divide between the culinary arts and the fine arts through exhibitions, workshops, and her art practice. We spoke about her work at the CIA, activism with the Yazidi refugee community, and Nourish, an exhibition project she curated at the Napa Valley Museum. Her course at the CIA taught students traditional design conventions and how to look at art and analyze it through their own experiences. She required students to visit a gallery or museum and select a work they could translate into a plating design. For many, it was the first time they had been to a museum. In this intensive course, many students had profound responses that allowed them to work through past trauma.In 2015 Nancy curated NOURISH, an exhibition that brought together chefs and artists, including Anne-Sophie Pic, Grant Achatz, Richard Diebenkorn, Miro, Picasso, and Wayne Thiebaud. Through a Kickstarter campaign, she was able to present a diverse group of works across all media. She also traveled to Valence, France, to install a Nest camera in the kitchen of Anne-Sophie Pic, one of four female Michelin starred chefs, that live-streamed the kitchen during service into the museum. In 2017 she was invited to participate in an exhibition related to President Trump's travel ban on immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, which allowed her to engage with the Yazidi refugee community. She traveled around the world to conduct monotype workshops with Yadizi refugees of all ages. On a trip to Europe, she met Nadia Murad, a recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize (2018), and led her and her husband through a monotype workshop in her hotel room. In conducting workshops with diverse communities, Nancy brings her extensive background in hospitality to art-making that fosters intimate exchanges that are often transformative. 36:51 Lightning round questions.51:35 One work of Art she would own.57:22 Wish for the Art World.We recorded this episode on May 28, 2020.More about Nancy:Artist Nancy Willis lives and works in the Napa Valley. As a painter/printmaker she works with themes of intimacy and social connection by creating series such as The BED, RSVP, the CHANDELIER and TERRAIN. With paint or printing ink, Willis uses an additive and subtractive process to explore how color, light and atmosphere can instill meaning and evoke a sense of place.Until the Covid-19 restrictions, Willis taught classes at the Culinary Institute of America/Greystone, Nimbus Arts and the Napa Valley College. She quickly pivoted to offering online classes out of her studio, including Bake Like an Artist, and Postcards from the Edge. Her entrepreneurial projects include Path of an Artist tours, leading artists to France and Sundance for annual painting workshops. Willis' curatorial projects include Discrepancy/living between war and peace (2011) and Nourish (2015). Her recent exhibitions include NEXT: Print Matters in Houston, Texas and her solo exhibition, Savor the Moment, in Oakland which was an homage to Paris. In 2018/19, Willis was awarded two Community Fund Grants for her project Conflict Zone, a collaborative printmaking project with Yazidi women, men, and kids from northern Iraq. Learn more on her website: https://www.nancywillis.comMusic credit: Maurice Ravel's String Quartet in F major - II. Assez vif, très rythmé produced by the Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum (issued under a Creative Commons License).
Greg Baxtrom always knew wholeheartedly that he wanted to be a chef. He grew up in a small town in Illinois watching Rick Bayless on CBS and took his first gig in the industry at Wendy’s at the young age of 15. In 2016, after years of working at some of the most well-known restaurants, such as Alinea, Per Se and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Greg opened up his first spot in Brooklyn, Olmsted. And just a few years later, Greg opened up his second restaurant, Maison Yaki. Unfortunately, the pandemic has required Greg to constantly reinvent his restaurants in an attempt to keep his businesses afloat. Despite the harsh realities of the pandemic, Greg has managed to focus his efforts on supporting his community that he cares deeply about. In this special two-part episode, we cover how Greg worked his way up to Sous Chef at Alinea under Grant Achatz, how he learned about thoughtful and responsible cooking from Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, how the culmination of Greg’s career experiences led to the opening of Olmsted, operating a food bank during the pandemic, creating a platform for other chefs by running the black entrepreneur series out of Maison Yaki and the impact of this ever-changing, unpredictable climate on his own restaurants and the industry as a whole.
25 June 2020: Najat Kaanache is a renowned chef at Nur Restaurant in Fez. Ahead of tomorrow’s latest episode in the Masterclass Cooking Series, where she’ll be shining a light on Moroccan gastronomy, Najat joins us on the Chef’s Table to talk about her journey, from growing up in San Sebastian to becoming a famous actress across Spain before becoming The Pilgrim Chef; travelling through the Middle East. She tells us about her experiences of training with a number of the world’s top chefs, including Ferran Adria, Rene Redzepi, Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, Heston Blumenthal and Martín Berasategui, while working across the world from Chicago to New York to Copenhagen.
In this episode, Ragnar talks with Janice Wong. Asia’s Best Pastry Chef, Janice tests the limits of dessert making with edible art. The native Singaporean has worked under renowned talents like Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, Oriol Balaguer, and Pierre Hermé. Hear how her focus and enthusiastic spirit have defined her career as an award-winning pastry chef, and how she’s painting the colorful world of pastry in unexpected ways. World on a Plate is supported by Nestlé Professional.
Covid-19 has changed the world as we know it. How has it affected the way chefs and restaurants work? How have the best chefs in the world reacted? In this episode we discuss the common thread between food and memories.I take a look at the giants of the Michelin world who have reacted during this pandemic, Grant Achatz, in Chicago who runs Alinea - https://www.alinearestaurant.comDaniel Humm, of Eleven Madison Park in NewYork - https://www.elevenmadisonpark.comRene Redzepi, of Noma over in Copenhagen - https://noma.dkRestaurants still need to make their food tasty, but can it be done to a level that can satisfy not just the customer - but also the cooks?!Welcoming the Rise the of the take away chef! For more details go to www.chefjkp.comSupport the showFollow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE
10/1/14: Hunting Frogs with Iliana Regan of Elizabeth | Hiring Grant Achatz | Wine Lists and Wine Writers in Chicago | The Squeezonk of Tolerance
Gopal Rajegowda, Senior Vice President at Related and a Managing Partner of Related Urban-Southeast joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss how Related is developing for an autonomous future. In this episode, Grayson and Gopal discuss reimagining City Place in West Palm Beach, FL into Rosemary Square and the future of retail experiences.Gopal touches on the work Related did with Gehl to reimage public spaces, optimize green spaces, walkability all the while ensuring that the environment is welcoming and approachable for all ages. Continuing the conversation, Grayson and Gopal discuss the rumor that City Place was one of Rick Caruso's inspirations for The Grove in Los Angeles, CA.Following up on this, they dive into the trend of walkable mix-use developments that incorporate great retail brands, culinary experiences, and hotels into developments. Building on their discussion around culinary experiences, they take a step into the past as Gopal tells a story about negotiating with Chef Thomas Keller to open Per Se at The Shops at Columbus Circle.Stepping into the future, Grayson leads the conversation towards turning culinary experiences upside down by bundling a mobility service with a fine-dining experience and why that could happen in Florida at a Related development. Enhancing the customer experience by bundling a mobility service with fine-dining is extreme hospitality. Benefiting both the owners and customers.Highlighting the experience at Grant Achatz's Alinea in Chicago, Grayson ponders what the experience would be like if Chef Achatz could curate the experience in an autonomous vehicle before a guest even steps foot in the restaurant. Closing out the conversation, Gopal discusses the common notion that you never have a second chance to make a first impression and how art has transformative powers in communities.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Eric Rivera is the Chef and Owner of addo in Seattle, Washington. He is working to bring Puerto Rican fare into a contemporary culinary scene, inspired by his childhood, cooking with his grandfather. He took the long way to get to cooking, starting out in mortgage and insurance. When he did decide to get into a professional kitchen he struggled, walking around in his suit and tie, handing out resumes. He gives us some advice on cookbooks to inspire culinary school students. We deep dive into the state of the union of the restaurant business model, in which Eric brings some unique perspectives to light. Finally you’ll hear from one of his #UnsungHospitalityHeroes, Paul Foucher, originally from Paris, now the R&D Chef at addo. Website - EricRiverCooks.com Intstagram - @ericriveracooks @addoseattle Where are you from originally? Olympia, Washington First job in the industry? Busboy at a Black Eyed Pea restaurant in Killeen, Texas. I was 15 Proudest moment of your career? Being independent and being able to do whatever I want. Two things most people don't know about you? I'm pretty decent at karaoke and am a cookbook hoarder. Food and/or drinks staples in your house? hot sauce of any kind, gin and tonic with no lime. Words to live by? Lead, follow, or get out of the way. Eric's journey to Eric Rivera Cooks, A Restaurant Group, has taken many noteworthy twists and turns, including a three-plus year stint at Alinea restaurant in Chicago, where he was Director of Culinary Research Operations working alongside chef-owner Grant Achatz. After that he moved on to Seattle’s Huxley Wallace Collective, where he opened the Thompson Hotel Seattle, plus four restaurants, in just one year. Eric, a graduate of the culinary school at the Art Institute of Seattle, traces cooking back to when he was a small child. Growing up in a Puerto Rican family that celebrated food, Eric often cooked with his grandfather. Despite his early connection with the kitchen, Eric pursued jobs in mortgage and insurance. But eventually he found himself drawn back to food. Grassroots tactics led him to his first job: Eric knocked on doors for jobs when he was beginning culinary school. “I would walk into restaurants wearing a suit and holding my resume. Nothing came of it,” Eric explains. “But when I finally took off the suit and simplified my resume to say only, ‘Culinary Student’ then people started paying attention. I got my first job.” Starting in the kitchen at Seastar in Seattle, Eric moved on to Blueacre Seafood, where he eventually became sous chef while still in school. When the opportunities at Alinea and Huxley Wallace Collective presented themselves, Eric seized them. Now, with his own restaurant group, Eric plays to his guests’ sense of discovery. “It’s an exploration of the whole flavor spectrum, where you can go from sweet to savory to sour in one bite,” he says. “We have all these great local ingredients at our disposal, and we’ll be highlighting flavors of the Pacific Northwest – but in a way that will feel fresh and new to locals and visitors alike. addo, SILVA, Lechoncito, and DiVe are the four main projects that will be evolving under the Eric Rivera Cooks restaurant group name. Look for more updates on the site and stay tuned for upcoming dates and experiences!
Henry Adaniya has a great restaurant background - and one you might not know guess if you casually pop into Hank's for a dog . Growing up in Chicago, he was at the helm of Trio from 1993 until 2006 , where he encouraged wild creativity in top chefs including Grant Achatz of Alinea and Next, American forager phenom Iliana Regan of Elizabeth's and The Milkweed Inn ; Food Network Star Gale Gand, Shawn McClain of Sage Las Vegas, and Top Chef contender Dale Levitski of Sinema , Nashville. From fine dining Chicago trailblazing Hank chose to come to Hawaii to rediscover something of his heritage- his parents ran a hot dog stand in Waikiki before he was born... it's a long story, and a good one. And Christian Self, the charming, humble, owner of Bevy Bar and Taco'Ako in Kakaako joined us to chat about cocktails. A lovely conversation about how our drinking habits are changing, and what Hawaii's signature drinks could be if we ever got away from a certain sweet orange and rum flavored cocktail. We saved chatting about Taco'Ako for another time. A good excuse to have Christian back to talk story. Enjoy!
Chef Grant Achatz walks us through one of the most well known dishes at Alinea, ‘Hot Potato, Cold Potato.’ He shares the moment that inspired this dish and part of the creative process it took to bring it to life. If you missed Achatz’ full episode, check out Season 4/Episode 020 from last week.
How’s it going? Really, how are things going for you? If things are going pretty good, you might want to tear everything down, and start all over again. Nick Kokonas (@nickkokonas) is Co-Owner of The Alinea Group and CEO of Tock. The Alinea Group is a collection of restaurants Nick started with world-class chef Grant Achatz, including their first restaurant, Alinea – a three-Michelin-star restaurant that received the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2016. Alinea is also ranked in the top restaurants in the U.S. and the world on numerous lists, including World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Tock, Nick’s other company, is a reservation system for buying tickets to some of the best restaurants in the world. With Tock, Nick has completely re-thought the economics of restaurants, eliminating wasted seating inventory, and making available variable pricing based upon the popularity of reservation times. Nick is a truly original thinker. He’s demonstrated this on his appearances on some other podcasts, including The Tim Ferriss Show and Noah Kagan Presents. But this conversation is full of fresh insights, including: Nick says “people are far more afraid of success than failure.” What drives Nick to tear everything down and start over, even when things are going well? Nick also says "if you're trying to innovate. A/B Testing things as a terrible idea because people won't know what they want.” But there’s an important distinction he draws. Find out when he tests, and when he doesn’t. At Alinea, they intentionally make the first moments of dining there incredibly awkward. Seriously, I was cringing hearing him describe this. Nick said "there are people who hate us for it, and I'm okay with that.” Find out why. Thanks for sharing my work! On Instagram, thank you to @booknotes101 for doing a giveaway of The Heart to Start. Thank you also to @characelik, @5wisdomsproject, and of course @tomjepsoncreative. On Twitter, thank you to @mischievousmali, @geekosupremo, @Palle_Schmidt, @LouisSzabo, @LovinDaLife, and @LWCvL. Our Weekly Newsletter: Love Mondays Start off each week with a dose of inspiration to help you make it as a creative. Sign up at: kadavy.net/mondays About Your Host, David Kadavy David Kadavy is the author of The Heart to Start and Design for Hackers. Through the Love Your Work podcast and his Love Mondays newsletter, David explores what it takes to make it as a creative. Follow David on: Twitter Instagram Facebook YouTube Subscribe to Love Your Work Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Stitcher RSS Email Support the show on Patreon Put your money where your mind is. Patreon lets you support independent creators like me. Support now on Patreon » Show notes: http://kadavy.net/blog/posts/nick-kokonas/
Chef Grant Achatz is the executive chef and co-owner of Alinea, Next Restaurant, The Aviary cocktail lounge, Roister and St. Clair Supper Club in Chicago, IL. He was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people, James Beard’s ‘Outstanding Chef of the Year’ 2008 and more. Since 2011, Alinea has been awarded 3 stars in the Michelin guide. During this episode, we discuss how someone at the top of their game handles criticism and what it’s like being a chef diagnosed with tongue cancer.
Richard catches up with Chef Grant Achatz in his Three Michelin star restaurant Alinea. Listen in as Richard recalls working under Grant at The French Laundry in the 90's, discuss outlets for their creativity, and reveal some of the ways they get to know their staff. Remember to join us at @starving4pod on Instagram!
This week on a very special episode of Lets Talk About Chef we sit down to talk to the legend that is Chef Grant Achatz. Chef Achatz and Brian talked for a long time about passion, searching for perfection, tricking David Blaine and what being a chef at one of the best and most prolific restaurants in the world is like after 20 years.
Dave Beran’s our guest for this entire episode. He burst onto the national culinary scene as the Executive Chef of Grant Achatz’s high-flying, concept and genre-bending Chicago restaurant, Next. His work at Next’s stoves earned him all kinds of accolades--including a James Beard Award--so it was a bit of a surprise in 2016 when Dave announced he was leaving for Los Angeles. The following year he opened his first-ever restaurant, Dialogue. The 18-seat tasting menu restaurant lives in a former food court along Santa Monica’s tourist-drenched Third Street Promenade. It’s certainly unconventional, and it’s also been an instant hit, garnering a devoted following and a Michelin star. Continuing to cut his own path, Dave’s next venture is Pasjoli, a restaurant devoted to French gastronomy. Snacky Tunes is powered by Simplecast.
Jana Bilíková je kreatívna šéfkuchárka siete Ambiente. Okrem toho stojí za množstvom zaujímavých – hlavne gastronomických – konceptov, ako sú pop-upy Zase spolu či Yes&Nemel. V rámci svojej práce absolvovala stáže v desiatkach najlepších reštaurácií sveta a náš hodinový rozhovor je doslova nabitý tipmi na zaujímavé gastronomické koncepty. Ale aj trikmi na kreativitu a produktivitu, lifehackmi, či zaujímavými knihami. Sledujte video rozhovor z mojej obľúbenej reštaurácie ESKA, prípadne si INSP.EAT vypočujte ako podcast na Spotify, Apple Podcasts, alebo priamo pod článkom. Knihy, ktoré Jana odporúča v INSP.EAT: Hovory s Bohem (bit.ly/hovorysbohem1) Začněte s Proč – Simon Sinek (bit.ly/zacnetesproc; Start with Why v angličtine: amzn.to/2M4o6Kl) Dávat a brát – Adam Grant (bit.ly/davatbrat) Projekt štěstí / Happiness Project- Gretchen Rubin (bit.ly/projektstesti, v angličtine: amzn.to/2KsvNH8) Silo: The Zero Waste Blueprint (amzn.to/31qvQKf) The Flavor Bible (amzn.to/2TaxMDS) Reštaurácie, ktoré Jana Bilíková spomína v podcaste: Alinea Chicago by Grant Achatz (alinearestaurant.com/) Amass Copenhagen (amassrestaurant.com) Broaden & Build (broadenbuildcph.com/) Ekstedt Stockholm (ekstedt.nu/) SILO (restaurantsilo.dk/) Eska Karlín (eska.ambi.cz) Dokument “10 Miliard – Co máte na talíři” Show notes: 3:27 “Já mám neskutečně moc nápadů. A přijde mi škoda to nerealizovat.” 4:10 “Vždycky začínám úplně od začátku hlavní myšlenkou. Vždycky začínám důvodem ‘proč’.” 5:24 “Lidi se dělej na kreativce […]
Andrew Chason is Head of CAA’s Culinary Department, which represents many of the world’s most influential chefs and tastemakers, including Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez, Martha Stewart, Carla Hall, Roy Choi, Christina Tosi, Grant Achatz, Katie Lee, Ted Allen, and Curtis Stone. Additionally, CAA Culinary leverages it’s deep relationships and influence to create and produce buzz-worthy food-forward experiences on behalf of corporate brands, as well as advising brands on how to tap into the power of food culture as a way to engage consumers and drive business results.A 20-year lifestyle marketing veteran, Chason works across CAA to create culinary-entertainment business opportunities for talent and brand clients in the areas of television, marketing, events, digital media, sponsorship, and corporate hospitality. Prior to joining CAA, Chason co-founded Vector Eats, specializing in managing the careers of high-profile culinary personalities. Chason graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree from the prestigious Sport Management program at the Isenberg School of Management.
Edward sitter hemma och tokskriver på sin bok som har deadline inom kort. Hans hustru (tillika poddens redaktör) Gunilla Kinn Blom rycker därför för andra gången ut till sin makes hjälp och tar över platsen bredvid Mats i studion. Tillsammans tvingar Mats och Gunilla i sig icke obetydliga mängder så kallat ”blått vin” och diskuterar hur detta kan få plats på Systembolagets hyllor (istället för Buttericks) när så många intressanta drycker aldrig kommer in där. Dock närvarar Edward i allra högsta grad, men såsom diskussionstema: Det berättas exempelvis om hur han tar med champagne och kräftor till bergstoppar, hur han råkade glömma de överblivna ostarna efter Gunillas och hans bröllopsmiddag och blev så förtvivlad att dessa fick sändas efter per post till deras bröllopsresedestination. Och Mats och Gunilla planerar en blind snapsprovning Edward ska få genomdricka när han är åter i studion.Mats intervjuar Gunilla om hennes liv som utrikeskorrespondent och hennes roll som redaktör för ”Edward Bloms smörgåsbord”. De diskuterar varför svenska sommelierer är så framgångsrika – och så kommer de åter in på Öland: Amerikahus i Böda, utflykter till Blå Jungfrun och när Mats gode vän gjorde en bättre entré än sorti i Byxelkrok ...Mycket nordamerikansk mat blir det också: Gunillas möte med Grant Achatz på restaurangen Alinea under molykulärgastronmins första år, ankflottsfriterad pommes frites i Chicago, amerikanska mattrender som tas över av svenskar – och när Gunilla, inför en förstummad publik av språkkurskamrater, höll föredrag i Mexiko om svenska barnfamiljers fredagsmys med tacos. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Straight outta Hells Kitchen, Ariel Arce was a young gymnast, film student and actress before she pursued a career in wine, Champagne, and hospitality. She got her chops with Grant Achatz in Chicago and Ravi De Rossi in NYC before opening her first venue, Air's Champagne Parlor. Ariel has since opened buzzy Tokyo Record Bar, Niche Niche, and soon to open Special Club. Photo courtesy of Marisa Chafetz. The Grape Nation is powered by Simplecast.
Today on Crain’s Daily Gist, host Amy Guth talks with Crain’s Chicago Business political writer Greg Hinz about about the most pressing items on the mayor-elect’s to-do list once she takes office, and other changes the city can expect. Plus: Whistleblowers in 737 Max case call the FAA lax in inspector training, retailers gain the upper hand as Clybourn Corridor vacancies rise, Emanuel and Pritzker move to grab Georgia's film and TV business as the state prepares to sign a new anti-abortion bill, 3D printer Fast Radius gets $48 million in investment funding, Alinea Group’s Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas invest in a cookware firm, and Cancer Treatment Centers of America names a new Chicago-based CEO. Follow host Amy Guth on Twitter at @AmyGuth, or continue the conversation with #CrainsDailyGist.
When we look at the Bocuse d’Or competition from a distance it is chefs and white jackets doing maybe French style cuisine to some degree and a lot of people don't resonate with that especially in today's world where casual food is the craze. But when we went to compete in 2015, the best we'd ever done was sixth place and for years nobody expected anything of the US. In fact we are kind of seen as the burger and hotdog country to a lot of people. And so when we came in and took silver everything changed. The level of respect for the country changed. And winning gold in 2017 just kind of cemented the US as a key player in the world of high level cuisine. What we covered In this episode Learn who is Paul Bocuse and what are the Bocuse d'Or. Chef Philip Tessier explain what the international competition called the Bocuse d'Or is all about. "Le Diner de Grands Chefs" at the Bocuse d'Or. In 2013 in the French Stadium in Lyon, Chef Philip Tessier decided to compete in 2015. What steps did he take to prepare himself for the 2015 competition. His connection with Martin Kastner from Crucial Detail. Learn everything about the dish that Chef Tessier and the team prepared for the competition. The US had never done better than sixth in 28 years (in the competition) and Chef Philip Tessier won silver in 2015. Chef Philip Tessier explains the Bocuse d"Or scoring system for the competition. The difference of being a candidate (in 2015) and a coach (in 2017) at the Bocuse d'Or. The book "Chasing Bocuse" is a story about real people and about the human experience of competing. How winning the Silver Bocuse and Bocuse d'Or change his life. His role as Director of Culinary and Media at Hestan Culinary. Working on connecting what we know in the world of technology with cooking. His time with Chef Roger Vergé in France, with Chef Éric Ripert in NYC, with Thomas Keller in NYC. Chefs he most admires are Chef Thomas Keller and Chef Grant Achatz. Technology gives today the level of quality in the kitchen the consumer wants There's a lot of technology out there that's really exciting but it actually doesn't deliver anything better. We're in the game to really help people get better food and partner with people who are going to help us give people better access to ingredients and connect that to the cooking experience and give them all the information they need. So you're not on YouTube or on some recipe site and somewhere else. Everything is right there in front of you and you're literally learning how to cook by putting food on the table as opposed to trying to download a bunch of information and then try to execute on your own Click to tweet "A lot of people just aren't cooking anymore. They don't know how to cook. They didn't grow up cooking" - Chef Philip Tessier Click To Tweet Chef Philip Tessier - "As a coach, my goal is to create a vibrant culture of collaboration and idea sharing." Click To Tweet "Winning the Bocuse d'Or in 2017 just cemented the US as a key player in the world of high-level cuisine - Chef Philip Tessier Click To Tweet Social media Chef Philip Tessier Instagram Twitter Links mentioned in this episode The French Laundry Thomas Keller Martin Kastner Crucial Detail Chef Matthew Kirkley Chef Matt Peters Book: "Chasing Bocuse" Ment'or Hestan Culinary
Chef John Shields began his culinary training in the St. Louis area, attending culinary school and working in local restaurants. Shields spent two years serving as sous chef at the world-renowned Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago before continuing his career with Chef Grant Achatz at Alinea as sous chef in 2005. During his two years there, Alinea grew from an exciting upstart to one of the best restaurants in the world. After leaving Alinea in 2008 to pursue the next step in his career, John (and his soon-to-be wife Karen Urie) turned down an offer to lead the opening of a Charlie Trotter restaurant in Las Vegas. Instead they took a bold chance on an opportunity to open a little-known restaurant in the countryside of Southwestern Virginia. John and Karen moved to Chilhowie, Virginia, in 2008 and were given carte blanche to re-imagine the then-unknown Town House restaurant. Now able to craft their own vision, Chefs John and Karen rebuilt the Town House concept as a modern exploration of imaginative flavor and visual compositions that utilized the wide array of seasonal, locally grown, and foraged ingredients. In Chilhowie, the Shields found their creative voices and their food quickly gained national attention. In June of 2009, The New York Times published a glowing article about Town House, which was instrumental in vaulting John and Karen to the top tier of chefs and restaurants in the United States. The growing public interest in the food at Town House led to John being named a 2010 “Best New Chef” by Food & Wine magazine as well as a James Beard Award Semi-Finalist in 2011. After four successful years at Town House and Riverstead Inn, John and Karen decided to return to Chicago to open Smyth + The Loyalist. “We want to create memories. We want people walking away saying, I’m never going to forget that.” —Chef John Shields https://www.smythandtheloyalist.com/
Richard catches up with Chef Grant Achatz in his Three Michelin star restaurant Alinea. Listen in as Richard recalls working under Grant at The French Laundry in the 90's, discuss outlets for their creativity, and reveal some of the ways they get to know their staff. Remember to join us at @starving4pod on Instagram!
This week we trash talk David Chang, Thomas Keller and Italians. We also talk about the Grant Achatz biography and what it's like to make food for other people's taste.
What does Chef Grant Achatz and Seth Godin have in common? Another bit of inspiration from Chef's Table.
JJ Redick sits down with Michelin-starred chef Grant Achatz to discuss the philosophies behind progressive cuisine (4:09), competition among chefs (17:47), reconciling the high price tag on fine dining (27:41), and being humbled by working in Spain (35:05). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
JJ Redick sits down with Michelin-starred chef Grant Achatz to discuss the philosophies behind progressive cuisine (4:09), competition among chefs (17:47), reconciling the high price tag on fine dining (27:41), and being humbled by working in Spain (35:05).
In July of 2007, Grant Achatz shocked the culinary world with the news that he had just been diagnosed with stage four cancer in his mouth. More specifically, his tongue. With his severely advanced stage of carcinoma, doctors told him that the only way to stay alive was to remove almost all of his tongue. But that wasn't something that Grant was willing to accept. You see, all that Grant had ever dreamed about was being was a chef. Read more inspiration within our Facebook group) >> edgy.es/fbgroup
I dive into ways to turn your mind off but still stay in the industry. Netflix suggestions include Chefs Table, Grant Achatz, Gaggan, Dan Barber, Nancy Silverton. Also check out For Grace, Noma The Perfect Storm & Ants on a Shrimp-A Noma Documentary. Let me know that you think and what you want to hear about! Follow me and call in on Anchor, I'm on Twitter & Instagram @mthorpxxi and I love to chat.
Empellón's Alex Stupak pulled a remarkable 180 when he transitioned from pastry chef of such landmark modernist restaurants as Alinea and wd-50 to chef-owner of his Empellón Mexican restaurants in New York City. In our first episode, this quick-witted chef takes us through his career, from his formative days in Boston and Chicago, through his time working with Grant Achatz and Wylie Dufresne, and into his ongoing evolution as a chef-owner. Along the way, we touch on whether or not food is or can be an art, the thorny issue of cultural appropriation, ambition, and what might be next for this endlessly curious talent. Andrew Talks to Chefs is powered by Simplecast
In this episode we discuss: Food as a central aspect of life. The science of food. The emotional response to food. The importance of choosing the proper location for your dream restaurant. Why do fancy restaurants have white table clothes? Anything is possible as long as it obeys the laws of physics. The struggles of building a restaurant. Bars should work like restaurants. Fixing inefficiency. The business side of owning and operating a restaurant. After graduating with a degree in philosophy and a successful 10-year stint as an independent derivatives trader, Nick Kokonas partnered with Chef Grant Achatz to open Alinea Restaurant in 2005. In the 123 years to follow, Nick would go on to co-find Next, The Aviary, and Roisters. In addition, Kokonas is the Founder and CEO of Tock, a cloud-based comprehensive booking system for restaurants, events, and pop-ups around the world.
We now have customers in Singapore and the Czech Republic! Hooray. The times, they are a changing. Customers are changing, tastes are changing, dining experiences are changing, competition is changing and the players in the industry are changing. I was surprised to see the number of people who are still advertising in the Yellow Pages. The budgets that people are spending is amazing, when you think of the returns that you would get if you were spending that money online. We discuss the 7 best uses for the Yellow Pages in 2017. The online startup space has innovation built in, but the imperative to innovative is a lot more insidious. The lack of pressure to innovate means that Restaurants often slowly decline in their Restaurant as customers needs change. The rise of Delivery services, pre prepared food, Booking aggregators are all changing the restaurant business. What kind of person is better at innovation and how can you use that to help your team innovate. What kind of activities can help you with innovation. How can you change your habits and routines to increase your opportunities to innovate. We look at how different actions, people and activities. I've started playing the drums and going to art galleries to change the way I think and the ideas that I am having. Without that external stimulas, it is very difficult for your to come up with different ideas. How did Massimo Bottera develop the ability to fuse art and his culinary techniques to create the dishes that lead to Osteria Francescana. We discuss business model innovation and menu innovation. The Business Model. We discuss how taking ideas from different industries can make a big difference in your industry. Plus or minus 10% everyone else in your industry is doing the same as you. In other industries, there may be much better results. The Business Model Canvas covers: Key Partners Key Activities Value Proposition Key Resources Cost Structure Revenue Streams Channels Customer Segments Customer Relationships Menu Innovation You take take existing products and techniques and fuse them together or your can take an object or concept and recreate it in food. We look at the Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit. We look at the work of Grant Achatz and his Apple Taffy and how it brings back childhood memories which are a fundamental part of the attraction of the menu item. How can you recreate a menu with different items, maybe cheaper items. We discuss failure and why it is important to embrace failure as a part of the innovation process. Wolfgang Puck has said that he has opened a lot of successful Restaurants, but he has learnt the most about the restaurants that failed.
Chef Grant Achatz live on stage at the Steppenwolf Theater, joins Chewing co-hosts Louisa Chu and Monica Eng for the inaugural Sounds Like Chicago podcast festival. Chef Achatz talks the new Alinea, plays Delicious Combo (with wasabi peas and Junior Mints) and Will She Eat It?, plus explains what he once made with eggplant ends, peanut nips, and cocoa husks, and why.
The Aviary is a cocktail bar, redefined. Opened by Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas a few years ago, this wanky cocktail lounge with intricate drinks in super creative presentations & clever small bites is located in the heart of Fulton Market. Situated in the middle of the fast growing, culturally rich West Loop, the Aviary is a place any one in Chicago must experience at least once. https://www.facebook.com/The-Aviary-116137495084710/ @AviaryCocktails https://theaviary.tocktix.com/
Landon Shoop, along with his wife Jennifer Shoop, started Fizz, a team management tool that makes developing employees easy. At his old job, Landon became frustrated while preparing for another yearly performance review and he decided there must be something better. Together they developed a HR tech platform that allows for real-time employee/employer feedback. Landon and Jennifer haven't raised any outside money yet, but they already have some impressive traction. It was great to talk product with promising entrepreneurs just getting started. listen on itunes listen on stitcher In This Episode You Will Learn: How to decide whether your idea is worth pursuing How to sell your product Why they decided to build upon Slack How they came up with the name? Hint: Focus is your scarcest resource How they approach work/life balance as a husband/wife founding team Selected Links From The Episode: David Kelley, Founder of IDEO and Stanford's d.school Email Hunter - Find email addresses in seconds Rapportive - Info on your contacts right inside your inbox Favorite Books: Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi Clapton: The Autobiography by Eric Clapton Life, on the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat by Grant Achatz
How ambition, luck, and being a badass cook took Eric from the Art Institute to a stage at Noma for Chef Rene Redzepi, serving as a sous chef at Blueacre Seafood in Seattle while a full-time student, and working for Chef Grant Achatz at Alinea as an Research and Development chef. Eric came back to Seattle for Chef Josh Henderson and expanding the Huxley Wallace Collective restaurant group and pushing the culinary scene in Seattle, Washington. Eric also highlights how networking, hard working, and being prepared got him in front of the right people at the right time, providing him with opportunities to expand his career and grow as a cook, a chef, and a leader in the Seattle food scene.
On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, we talk Crucial Detail with Martin Kastner, a former blacksmith from Western Bohemia, who was raised eating out of soup bowls, and later in life, found himself collaborating with Grant Achatz from Alinea after receiving a vague email simply stating, "I'm a chef looking for new ways of serving food." Little did he know, they'd forever change tableware (e.g. wax bowls, upright spoon, porthole) and the way we interacted with objects in general. From how we move through space, to our sensory perception, Kastner saw food as a medium transcending boundaries, curating a 5 hour, 25 course a tasting menu. Kastner used the same theatrics to help the USA team win their first medal at the Bocuse d'Or, a biennial culinary olympics. Soup, in general, especially due to Achatz's "Hot Potato Cold Potato," will never be the same.
This week on the Chewing podcast co-hosts Louisa Chu and Monica Eng talk Coffee and Buzz. They get a preview of the new Alinea re-boot, and get inside buzz with chef Grant Achatz and partner Nick Kokonas. And guess what coffee they served at the best restaurant in America? Kyoto Black, as heard on a previous episode, and maker Justin Doggett visits Chu, Eng, and producer Iris Lin in studio for some highly caffeinated surprise tastings, but Will We Drink It? (Photo: Kyoto Black coffee at Alinea restaurant in Chicago, by Louisa Chu)
You don't need anybody to tell you Chicago is a food city or to extol the virtues of chicken Vesuvio, deep dish pizza, a jibarito, South Side rid tips or a Vienna Beef hot dog (on a poppy seed bun, of course). Perhaps less well known is how Chicago's cuisine developed, or how the city became the first modern industrial food center, both of which are explored in Chicago: A Food Biography by Daniel R. Block and Howard Rosing. (Chicago Tribune) A fascinating food history of Chicago, revealing the reasons, many unexpected, why this city’s cuisine is so diverse and rich. An essential read for anyone interested in food and culinary history. (Jennifer McLagan, the author of award winning Bitter:A Taste of the World's Most Dangerous Flavor, with Recipes) An interesting foray into Chicago's influence on food and food's influence on Chicago. (Denese Neu, PhD, author of Chicago by the Pint: a Craft Beer History of the Windy City) Anyone interested in American food history must know a lot about the indispensable heart: Chicago. The nation’s historic food production and commodity distribution center, home to every ethnic food in America, Chicago always has been an innovative culinary center. How this came about is told in Block and Rosing’s well researched and engagingly written work. A complex story very well told, it is the best survey to date. (Bruce Kraig, co-editor, Food City: The Encyclopedia of Chicago Food and Man Bites Dog: Hot Dog Culture in America) Chicago: A Food Biography is as much a history of today’s industrial food system as a story of the evolving food culture of Chicago. While Chicago has been a melting pot for today’s food industry, the city has remained a veritable stew of ethnic cuisine. The book is a good read for anyone interested in food and a must read for anyone interested in both food and Chicago. (John E. Ikerd, professor emeritus, University of Missouri Columbia) Chicago’s food traditions are no less towering than the skyscrapers that define its skyline. Deep-dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs loom large in the culinary landscape, as does the influence of Chicago chefs like Rick Bayless, Grant Achatz, and the late Charlie Trotter. In Chicago: A Food Biography, geographer Daniel R. Block and anthropologist Howard B. Rosing chronicle Chicago’s swift evolution from frontier town to food capital—a path paved by meat and corn, migration, and modern industrialization—and make a strong case for Chicago as the most American of cities. (Meryl Rosofsky, MD, writer and adjunct professor of Food Studies, New York University)
C&O Restaurant has been a landmark for almost 40 years. Such a landmark if you mention Charlottesville to anyone from someplace else, they will probably talk about it in the same breath as Monticello or the UVA Lawn. So what happens when a longtime owner passes the keys to a new steward? I talked to Chef Dean Maupin to find out. I've been in love with C&O's bar since first venturing down the stairs late one night many years ago. The vibe, the wood, you feel like you're someplace else. Someplace older. In Europe. The food is amazing, the service exemplary, and the atmosphere down to earth. Sometimes rare in fine dining. And something owner Dave Simpson wanted to preserve when he gave ownership to Chef Maupin years ago. What did that feel like? Why does Chef Maupin consider it a stewardship rather than ownership? How does the nurturing environment within C&O's walls help to foster new talent in the culinary industry? How did Chef Maupin get his start with an apprenticeship, something many young cooks bypass today in favor of culinary school? What was that like? We talk about it all including how the C&O helped foster development along The Downtown Mall and where The Mall is headed. Is Charlottesville a world-class tourist destination that could sustain a restaurant on par with Magnus Nilsson's Fäviken? Is there still room for tasting menus or is fast casual becoming the norm? I'm so glad I had the chance to talk with Dean and I know you'll love it. And folks, you have permission to stop into C&O in your jeans just for a few apps and a glass of wine so you don't break the bank. Chef Maupin has given you permission and I would guess a lot of other fine dining restaurants in the area would agree with him. So get out there! Don't save it for an anniversary or birthday. Make Tuesday night special. SHOW NOTES - Links to items discussed within the episode: Chef's Table - Magnus Nilsson's Fäviken - watch the trailer online! The Inn at Little Washington Chef Kevin Sousa - Pittsburgh's finest. Chef Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago Chef Ian Boden of The Shack in Staunton Chef Joe Beef - The Art of Living Chef Martin Picard - Au Pied du Cochon, The Album Chef Colin Perry of Montreal's Dinette Triple Crown This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.
This week on The Main Course, hosts Alexes McLaughlin and Phillip Gilmour welcome Ashley Sears and Stephen Torres to the studio chatting about his ventures Imbibe and Inspire as well as the Roots of American Food Conference. Imbibe and Inspire features videos in which culinary figures (Wylie Dufresne, Grant Achatz, Nick Kokonas, and more) sip on a beverage and talk about what inspires them. Taking things to a new level, Stephen initiated bringing food people as well as an audience to the Roots of American Food Conference held in Chicago. Acting as a platform for contemplation and conversation about American food, the conference highlights what is impacting food today. Tune in for an interesting conversation! This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “My contribution to the food industry is this conference… hopefully the people that come to the conference… they will take a little something and learn something that day and have good food!” “The whole goal is to get chefs from around the country and highlight these guys doing stuff … [in] the home kitchen and let the general public see what they do not with fancy food.” —Stephen Torres on The Main Course
The Celebrity Dinner Party with Elysabeth Alfano - Audio Podcast
I speak with Chef Grant Achatz about food being art, getting his taste back after cancer and his favorite junk food on The Dinner Party To Go with Elysabeth Alfano .
Airwaves Full of Bacon 14: Hunting Frogs with Iliana Regan of Elizabeth • Hiring Grant Achatz • Wine Lists and Wine Writers in Chicago • The Squeezonk of Tolerance Click on the above to go to iTunes, Stitcher, Twitter or Facebook. ______________________________________________________________________________ They're out there... and there's only one way to stop them! (1:15) I go frog-giggin' with Iliana Regan of the foraging-based Chicago restaurant Elizabeth and her friends Tonya Pierce and William "Getty" Sikora, and then see how she turns foraged frogs and childhood memories into a fine dining dish. It was a long drive, so we had a lot of time to talk about foraging as a trend and a lifestyle on the way. You can read more about this at the Reader here and here. (24:34) Henry Adaniya (right above) was back in town for Next's newest menu paying tribute to his restaurant, Trio, where he gave Grant Achatz his start over a decade ago. The full interview was here in the Reader but I selected an excerpt about hiring, and almost not hiring, a kid named Achatz. Black truffle explosion (30:36) So wine retailer Craig Perman wrote this on Facebook. Then Shebnem Ince, who works for him, wrote this, and my friend John Lenart wrote this. What are they all talking about? Wine lists, and why we don't have more food writers critiquing them. So I gathered all three of them at Perman Wine Selections to talk about all that some more. Shebnem Ince, Craig Perman. (63:13) And I read a story at the last Between Bites, at Homestead, in July, called The Squeezonk of Tolerance. Another Between Bites event is coming up at Frontier on October 20th; here's how to find out more and get tickets.
Grant Achatz is the world-renowned chef behind Alinea, Aviary, and Next in Chicago. We talk to him about building his first car, molecular gastronomy, and surviving tongue cancer.
Ep. 59 - Chicago Chef Grant Achatz (Alinea,NEXT) was in town this past weekend for the L.A. Food & Wine Fest, and we were lucky enough to get to sit down with him to talk about whether or not food is art (spoiler: when Grant Achatz cooks it, it is.) He also tells us about the void in his music taste that coincides with the years he was slaving away at the French Laundry. Grant also tells us about the time Justin Timberlake invaded his dining room at Alinea, and admits that one day he hopes to cook for Axl Rose.
Mark and Francis welcome Grant Achatz, acclaimed chef of Alinea, Next, and the Aviary in Chicago. They discuss molecular gastronomy, creativity in the kitchen and the dining room, and how being a little bit crazy helps when you're trying to be ...
Grant Achatz, chef/owner of the acclaimed restaurant Alinea, in Chicago, talks about his new cookbook, the creative process--both on the page and in the kitchen--and how the home cook can get the most from the book.
Jason Perlow and Ron Kaplan complete a five-hour degustation menu at Alinea restaurant in Chicago and talk to Chef/Owner Grant Achatz (Running Time 16:45)
Jason Perlow and Ron Kaplan complete a five-hour degustation menu at Alinea restaurant in Chicago and talk to Chef/Owner Grant Achatz (Running Time 16:45)
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