Podcast appearances and mentions of john mariani

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

Episode 154 Notes and Links to Ian MacAllen's Work       On Episode 154 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ian MacAllen, and the two mainly discuss topics and themes revolving around his book, Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American. They talk about, among other things, parallels between Italian immigration patterns and Italian-American food, the evolution of Italian food from “exotic” and “foreign” to an American staple, red sauce in its many iterations as emblematic of this evolution, and slippery notions of “authenticity.”    Ian MacAllen is the author of Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American, (Rowman & Littlefield, April 2022). He is a writer, editor, and graphic designer living in Brooklyn. He is Art Director at The Rumpus, a contributor at America Domani and The Chicago Review of Books, and a member of The National Book Critics Circle. His writing has appeared in Chicago Review of Books, Southern Review of Books, The Offing, 45th Parallel Magazine, Little Fiction, Vol 1. Brooklyn, and elsewhere. He tweets @IANMACALLEN and is online at IANMACALLEN.COM. Buy Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American   Ian MacAllen's Website   “Power Ballin': How Italian Food Became American” From America Domani, November, 2022       At about 7:10, Pete and Ian do the requisite Italian-American thing of comparing family last names   At about 9:50, Ian recounts stories from his visit to his family's hometown in Bagnoli del Trigno, Molise, Italy   At about 11:45, Ian transitions into speaking of the slippery term, “authenticity,” especially with regards to Italian and Italian-American cuisine    At about 14:20, Pete references Gustavo Arellano's iconic Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered the US, and Ian mentions his recent read-the “fascinating” American Tacos: A History and Guide, by José Ralat   At about 17:00, Pete and Ian talk about al pastor tacos and their history as a microcosm of fusion    At about 17:50, Ian details his early reading and writing and inspirations, including “single-topic food books,” such as Mark Kurlansky's Salt    At about 19:50, Ian cites John Mariani's How Italian Food Conquered the World and its influence on him and the ways in which its focus differs from Ian's with his book; Ian furthers expands upon his book's philosophy    At about 22:40, The two discuss ideas of “pan-Italian” food and Molise as representative of regional dishes and the slipperiness of nailing down a dish's origins    At about 26:50, Pete cites the commingling of spaghetti and meatballs through an accident involving Rudolph Valentino, and Pete and Ian cite regional sauce and polpette recipes from their family's Italian roots   At about 31:35, Ian gives history on marketing “Italian food” in the days of heavy Italian immigration and highlights the relative newness of Italy as a unified country   At about 32:40, Ian discusses ideas of Italian food and its initial stereotyping as “foreign” and “dirty,” as well as later ways in which Italian food-spaghetti-was used as a paragon of “becoming American”   At about 35:20, Ian relates the telling story of his mother's interactions with her future mother-in-law and its implications about Italian food and its “integra[tion] into American culture” and the “golden age of Italian food” in the US post WWII   At about 38:50, Ira Nevin and his gas-fired oven are referenced as evidence of the convenience culture's influence on pizza and other Italian-American foods    At about 42:20, Pete and Ian discuss Ian's book's opening regarding some iconic scenes with Paulie Walnuts from The Sopranos, and this leads to Ian giving background on the fiery “sauce” vs. “gravy” debate   At about 45:35, Ian uses Stanley Tucci's life experiences as an example of the changes in the ways Italian food has been viewed by the American culture as a whole    At about 46:55, Ian discusses Starboard and Olive Garden, in a business dispute, and how the saga is emblematic of the slippery and sometimes-backward ideas of “authenticity”    At about 49:35, Ian discusses authenticity in terms of associazioni in Italy and beyond that certify pizza, and issues inherent    At about 51:30, Ian talks about “the end of the red sauce era” and the “evolution” of Italian food in America with regards to pasta primavera, alfredo, etc.    At about 54:25, Pete highlights the book's tracing the history of Italians and Italian-América foods and cucina povera and cucina ricci, leading to a fairly-recent embrace of Northern Italian food as more “authentic”   At about 58:00, Ian references penne alla vodka in Italy and Jennifer Lee's Fortune Cookie Chronicles in talking about foods from the “old country” being Americanized and then exported back to the homeland   At about 59:50, Lidia Bastanivich and Marcella Hazan's influences and their cooking connections to American food are cited    At about 1:01:00, Pete reads a probable thesis sentence from the book as the two discuss the “bounty” that awaited Italians upon immigration and the effects on their diets    At about 1:05:00, Ian cites the recent unification of Italy around the time of much immigration and how language/dialect barriers affected cookbooks and books on food   At about 1:07:45, Ian highlights East End Books, Bookshop.org, and I am Books as good places to buy his book   At about 1:09:10, Ian discusses a fun experience in selecting the book's cover     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.  Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form. The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 155 with Robert Jones, Jr., the New York Times-bestselling author of The Prophets and finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction. He has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times, Essence, and The Paris Review, and he is the  creator and curator of the social-justice, social-media community Son of Baldwin The episode will air on December 6.

According to Heritage Radio Network, there's perhaps no greater expert on the food and foodways of the African Diaspora than Doctor Jessica B. Harris. She is the author of twelve critically acclaimed cookbooks documenting the foods and foodways of the African Diaspora including Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons: Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking, Sky Juice, and Flying Fish Traditional Caribbean Cooking, The Welcome Table: African-American Heritage Cooking, The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent, Beyond Gumbo: Creole Fusion Food from the Atlantic Rim. Harris also conceptualized and organized The Black Family Reunion Cook Book. Her book, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America, was the International Association for Culinary Professionals 2012 prize winner for culinary history. Her most recent book is My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir. In her more than four decades as a journalist, Dr. Harris has written book reviews, theater reviews, travel, feature, and beauty articles too numerous to note. She has lectured on African-American food and culture at numerous institutions throughout the United States and abroad and has written extensively about the culture of Africa in the Americas, particularly the foodways. In the most recent edition of the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, author John Mariani cites Harris as the ranking expert on African American Foodways in the United States. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/afrosandknivespod/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/afrosandknivespod/support

Tune in for a conversation with special guest John Mariani.Connect with Joshua & Duane at:The WebsiteThe Facebook GroupDesign & Sales Master ClassesSubscribe to Outerspaces on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss an episode!

The legacy of the food critic and restaurant reviews is a surprisingly long one. It’s also complicated. Food critics emerged from simple desires like sharing thoughts about great meals and giving weary travelers advice about where to get a good meal on the road. But, as times changed, the role of food writers and restaurant reviews expanded. It went from being a hobby to a well-paid profession (with obvious perks).   Here to enlighten us about that history is one of the most influential food critics in the US. John Mariani has spent 40 years tasting his way through culinary trends and across state lines. He’s a professional food writer, critic, author and journalist who has written for major publications like Esquire and Forbes. In today’s episode, Mariani provides interesting historical insights into the evolution of food critics. He’ll talk about how the role has changed through the decades, and offers some much needed optimism for an industry that’s been hit hard through the pandemic.  What we covered in this episode John Mariani gives a  short history of the food critic (4:26) The origins of the Michelin Guide (7:17) John Mariani explains the different types of restaurant critics (11:59) How funding for food critics has changed (16:33) The difference between online reviews and professional critics from John Mariani point of view (20:32) Drawing the line between criticism and just being mean (24:07) The problem with the stars system (25:32) Understanding the psychology of online reviews (27:58) John Mariani is looking into the future of restaurants through the lens of the past (32:08) Why the industry will survive (35:29) John Mariani answers whether restaurateurs are afraid of food critics (37:33) Series of rapid-fire questions. Link to the podcast episode on Apple Podcast  Thanks Chef Gabriel Kreuther for the introduction Link to conversation with Chef Gabriel Kreuther - 2 Michelin Stars in Manhattan Click to tweet It's no dirty little secret about Michelin, although I think it probably comes as a surprise to many people, that they don't have that many inspectors.
 Click To Tweet We were told if a place is that awful, or a place you don't want to send the reader, don't write about it.
 Click To Tweet I'm sure when restaurateurs pick up the newspapers or the magazine, their eyes shoot or right down to the stars and if they get less than three, their hearts sink because they know that the public doesn't know the difference between two and three.
 Click To Tweet Everybody was saying the restaurant industry in America and France, everywhere is going to die. 70% of restaurants were going to go out of business forever. And I said, hold your horses. First of all, you don't know anything about restaurant history, if that's what you believe.
 Click To Tweet We're going to be very, very cautious about opening any wounds. Because we know these are our favorite people, restaurateurs, and chefs, they are our favorite people. Because these people have suffered so much. Click To Tweet Social media John Mariani Instagram Facebook Twitter Linkedin Links mentioned in this episode Subscribe to John Mariani's Blog Link to John Mariani's articles in Forbes Link to John Mariani's articles in Esquire

Will our favorite eateries stage a post-lockdown comeback? Will restaurant dining ever look and feel the same? For answers to these questions along with essential historical perspective, Thomas checks in with longtime Esquire magazine contributor and food journalist John Mariani. Providing essential historical perspective, including details on the birth of restaurants as we know them today, John takes listeners on a journey through the past 150 years and up to the present, making the case for the resiliency of the restaurant industry, even during and post-pandemic.Have a listen, let us know what you think, and if you have questions for Mister Manners to address, please send them to info@whatmannersmost.com.To know more about John and his work, please check out the following:John Mariani's Virtual Gourmet: http://www.johnmariani.com/current-issue/Virtual Gourmet Newsletter: http://www.johnmariani.com/subscribe/index.htmlTwitter: @MarianiJohnFor more information on all things modern-manners related, please follow Thomas on Instagram and Twitter@MisterManners and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mistermannersThanks so much to "What Manners Most" producer Martin Burgess. Follow Martin @MartinXBurgess on Instagram.Stay healthy, safe and mannerly, everyone! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The opioid epidemic has been ravaging the country, and it has entered into a new era, the fentanyl era. Learn all about what fentanyl is, how it entered into our culture, and why it is causing such devestation. Dr. John Mariani, director of Columbia University's Substance Treatment and Research Service (STARS) joins me to discuss all things Fentanyl.

Modernist fans tend to be foodies - or it is the other way around?  USModernist Radio's biggest fan in Melbourne, Australia is Chef Ben Shewry.  He’s been featured in many publications, including the New York Times as owner of Attica in Melbourne.  He was one of six chefs featured in the inaugural season of the Netflix original documentary Chef's Table and he is author of Origin: The Food of Ben Shewry. Chef Scott Crawford is a four-time James Beard semi-finalist and the owner of Crawford and Son in Raleigh NC, the Triangle’s Restaurant of the Year for 2018.  Crawford also was named among the top 100 chefs in America by Esquire magazine’s longtime national dining critic John Mariani.  Raleigh architect, artist, banjo player, and returning podcast guest Louis Cherry has taught in the NCSU College of Design on and off for over 20 years, and since 1992 he has designed a dozen restaurants.

A very special episode of Radio Cherry Bombe takes place at Heritage Radio Network with guest host Klancy Miller. Joining Klancy is Jessica B. Harris and Sara Franklin to talk about the lasting effects of Edna Lewis on Southern cuisine. According to Heritage Radio Network, there’s perhaps no greater expert on the food and foodways of the African Diaspora than Doctor Jessica B. Harris. She is the author of twelve critically acclaimed cookbooks documenting the foods and foodways of the African Diaspora including Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons: Africa’s Gifts to New World Cooking, Sky Juice and Flying Fish Traditional Caribbean Cooking, The Welcome Table: African American Heritage Cooking, The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent, Beyond Gumbo: Creole Fusion Food from the Atlantic Rim. Harris also conceptualized and organized The Black Family Reunion Cook Book. Her most recent book, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America, was the International Association for Culinary Professionals 2012 prize winner for culinary history. In her more than three decades as a journalist, Dr. Harris has written book reviews, theater reviews, travel, feature, and beauty articles too numerous to note. She has lectured on African-American food and culture at numerous institutions throughout the United States and Abroad and has written extensively about the culture of Africa in the Americas, particularly the foodways. In the most recent edition of the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, author John Mariani cites Harris as the ranking expert on African American Foodways in the country. An award winning journalist, Harris has also written in numerous national and international publications ranging from Essence to German Vogue. She’s a contributing editor at Saveur and drinks columnist and contributing editor at Martha’s Vineyard magazine. In 2012, she began a monthly radio show on Heritage Radio Network, My Welcome Table, that focuses on Food. Travel, Music, and Memoir. Klancy Miller is a writer and pastry chef deeply fascinated by all things French. After graduating from Columbia University and working in international development in French Polynesia, she earned a Diplôme de Pâtisserie at Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Klancy stayed in Paris to apprentice in the pastry kitchen at the Michelin-starred Taillevent restaurant, and was later hired by Le Cordon Bleu Paris to join the recipe development team. During this time, Klancy was featured on Food Network’s Recipe for Success in an episode about American culinary professionals in Paris. Now in New York and Philadelphia, she continues to write about food. She was a commentator on the Cooking Channel’s show Unique Sweets and has been a contributor to the online magazine Food Republic. When she’s not writing or cooking, Klancy takes hip-hop dance classes, throws waffle parties, obsesses about her next vacation, and searches for the perfect cookie. Sara Franklin is a writer, oral historian, and food studies scholar. She is the editor and commissioner of the upcoming book Edna Lewis: At the Table with an American Original, a volume of original essays about the celebrated Southern food chef and cookbook author. The essays, written by both food-world stars and family members, explore personal memories of Lewis as well as her cultural legacy. Jessica B. Harris called the book “as close to meeting Miss Edna as one can get.” Before pursuing her PhD in Food Studies at New York University, Sarah worked as a full time farmer, a restaurant reviewer, and sustainable agriculture policy advocate. She currently teaches courses on food culture and writing at NYU's Gallatin School for Individualized Study and via the NYU Prison Education Initiative at Wallkill Correctional Facility. Heritage Radio Network On Tour is powered by Simplecast.

Restaurant critics John Mariani and Michael Bauer have each covered dining in America for over 30 years and share their top picks and trends. John reported on restaurants for Esquire Magazine for 35 years, currently publishes Virtual Gourmet Newsletter and has written many books including "How Italian Food Conquered the World." Longtime restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, Michael Bauer reflects on how dining in his city has evolved, the role of the critic and restaurants to watch.This show is broadcast live on Wednesday's at 2PM ET on W4CY Radio – (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (http://www.talk4radio.com/) on the Talk 4 Media Network (http://www.talk4media.com/).

Diane Kochilas is the author of Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity from the Island Where People Forget to Die. Her Country Cooking of Greece, (Chronicle, 2012), was hailed by the NYTimes as one of the 100 best books of 2012 and by the virtual gourmet, John Mariani, as Diane's "masterpiece." Another tome, the Glorious Foods of Greece, won the prestigious IACP Jane Grigson Award for Excellence in Research. Diane is on the forefront of bringing healthy, delicious Greek cuisine to as wide and mainstream and American audience as possible. In that capacity, among other things, she works regularly with Harvard University, developing healthy Greek menu options for student and retail dining services, and has consulted in the same capacity for Yale and UMass Amherst. Diane is the collaborating chef at Molyvos Restaurant in New York City. She has developed menus for popular Greek restaurants all over the United States. Diane appears regularly on American television. She has been a guest on the "Today Show," "Fox News at 5," "Martha Stewart," "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," "Bizarre Foods," "Foodography," the "PBS News Hour," and "360° w/Anderson Cooper." Her writings appear in major international media outlets, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Dow Jones wire, Food & Wine, Gourmet Live, zesterdaily.com and more. She runs the Glorious Greek Kitchen cooking school on her native Greek island, Ikaria, which is one of the world's Blue Zones, places where longevity rates are unusually high.

DaSilva secured a reputation as one of South Florida’s future culinary stars. The rest of the country got a sample of Paula’s aptitude when the chef appeared on season five of the popular FOX reality cooking show Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsay. DaSilva was instrumental in creating the concept for 1500°, which deftly blends farm-to-table and classic steakhouse cookery. To execute its acclaimed cuisine she meets frequently with farmers and fishermen to obtain the freshest of ingredients and stay in touch with seasonality and even had a vegetable and herb garden planted on-site at the hotel. And her dedication has hit all the right notes with diners and critics alike. The restaurant was voted “Best New Steakhouse” by Miami New Times and, since opening its doors, has been featured in a slew of high-profile publications. Most recently, 1500° was the only Florida restaurant to be named one of The Best New Restaurants of 2011 by Esquire magazine in its prestigious annual November feature of the same name, penned by noted food and wine author John Mariani.

John Mariani, food writer for Esquire Magazine, joins Mark and Francis to discuss his new book, How Italian Food Conquered the World. They discuss Italian food, both in the United States and abroad; how, over the years, Italian food took hold in the ...

John Mariani, Esquire food critic, noted journalist and author of “How Italian Food Conquered the World”, is this week’s guest on A Taste of The Past. Linda & John trace the history of Italian and Italian American cuisine from the days where pizza ovens were a sign of low class cuisine to the recent artisanal pizza explosion in the culinary world. This episode was sponsored by Fairway Market – like no other market.

Yes, we love food--including pizza--and yes, romance often revolves around subtle, sensual acts like eating....Which is one reason why John Mariani, the noted Food and Travel writer and contributor to Celebrating Act 2™, chose to do a romantic novel, entitled Love & Pizza. In this video he speaks with John and Art about the adventure and challenges of writing as well as how he incorporated familiar elements into the life of a fictional female character. If you like going behind the scenes of a good novel--or writing of any kind-- you don't want to miss this video!

Food and Travel writer, John Mariani talks with Celebrating Act 2™'s Art Kirsch and John Coleman about the idea of developing a more sophisticated palate to increase you enjoyment of wine. Despite his extensive knowledge of wine, the author simplifies the process of finding wine you love and offers an easy way to get started educating your palate. Debunking some of the more specialized analytical procedures used by wine professionals, Mariani makes the process accessible to anyone who simply wants to enjoy wine.

Base on his article in Mariani's Virtual Gourmet newsletter, Food and Travel writer John Mariani shares three of the ten important caveats surrounding wine. The regular contributor to Celebrating Act 2™ smashes popular myths that waste your time and/or money when it comes to enjoying wine. This is a must see for anyone ever intimidated by a wine snob!

As a professional Food and Travel writer, who is also a regular contributor to Celebrating Act 2, John Mariani has logged millions of miles reporting on the best restaurants and cuisine in hundreds of cities around the world. But as a native New Yorker, he recognizes that NYC hosts not only a cornucopia of haute cuisine, it also offers an incredible number of restaurants at every level. He discusses the variety and quality of the food available in his home port with two fellow NYC Natives, Art Kirsch and john Coleman of Celebrating Act 2™. Mariani shares fascinating details and explains why this is true and not just a Big Apple boast.

Like John Coleman, co-founder of Celebrating Act 2™, many of us wine drinkers may know what we like but don't know how to navigate the information on the label of better wines--especially foreign wines. We often fly blind in choosing a new wine. Food and Travel critic, John Mariani, the editor of The Virtual Gourmet newsletter and a regular contributor to Celebrating Act 2, takes the time to walk us through some of the details on labels of finer wines. He separates the important information from the advertising and hype.If you've ever looked at a bottle of wine and wondered: what's in it/will I like it -- this video is for you!

As America is a land of immigrants, so too our cuisine is as varied and diverse as our population's origins. Who doesn't eat pizza or Chinese take-out or enjoy a Greek salad (among other ethnic cuisines) now and then? Food and Travel writer John Mariani, Editor of The Virtual Gourmet newsletter, is a considerable food historian as well as a regular contributor to Celebrating Act 2™. In this video John discusses the various culinary influences waves of immigrants have brought to the United States. It's a delicious way to look at our current food culture and celebrate its diversity. Enjoy! ..and give us your feedback at info@celebratingAct2.com

Food and Travel writer John Mariani knows the restaurant industry inside and out. Small, local 'Mom & Pop' restaurants are an important part of our economy and are particularly vulnerable in this time of shutdown because of the COVID-19 virus. He discusses with Art and John the unique situation these neighborhood entrepreneurs face, how they're often ignored or overlooked in the government solutions and how re-opening is not so easy for them. It's an interesting look into the economy and politics of our times, focused on a segment we often take for granted--going out to eat in an neighborhood restaurant! Give us your feedback!...and please subscribe!

Celebrating Act 2™ co-founders, Art Kirsch and John Coleman introduce us to regular Contributor, John Mariani, world traveler, columnist and author ( over 12 books) who publishes the weekly newsletter Virtual Gourmet. they discuss Mariani's philosophy toward reporting on food and travel as well as the joys of his job. along the way of this interesting conversation are lots of insights for the consumer.

What will we do when travel restrictions imposed because of COVID-19 pandemic are relaxed? John Mariani, noted Food and Travel writer and publisher of the popular weekly newsletter, VIrtual Gourmet, is a regular contributor to Celebrating Act 2™ (the website for everyone over 50.) In this video he chats with Celebrating's Art Kirsch and John Coleman to discuss how the virus restrictions have effected our lives (relative to food and travel) but also looks forward to offer reasonable ideas on how to enjoy traveling again once things loosen up!

It seems there's more myths surrounding seafood than any other cuisine! Which are true and should be heeded and which are just old myths--and where did they come from, anyway? Celebrating Act 2™'s contributing Food and Travel expert, John Mariani, publisher of the popular weekly newsletter, Virtual Gourmet debunks some and explains others. Its a fun, fascinating quiz as Celebrating's co-founders Art Kirsch and John Coleman learn some important and little-known facts about seafood! This may change the way you eat!

CelebratingAct2™ founders, Art Kirsch and John Coleman take the temperature of the over 50 set regarding our self-imposed quarantine. They have stories about seniors (and others) expanding their online communications as well as a report from regular contributor, Food & Travel expert John Mariani about conditions in Westchester County -- only a few miles from the quarantined city of New Rochelle, NY. You'll enjoy the variety of ways we are all adapting to the isolation and dealing with the Corona Virus crisis.

Food and Travel writer John Mariani has been collecting menus from great restaurants he has reviewed for over 40 years. He's donated this historic collection to benefit culinary students and chefs of the future. Besides being works of art they are cultural landmarks and historical records of great gastronomy of the late 20th century. John shows a few rare menus from his collection as he discusses with Art Kirsch and John Coleman how different menus are today and how the change reflects changes in our society.

Can you believe a famous restaurant which can normally sell a great wine from their cellar for well over $100 offering it at a discount of up to 50%? Food and travel writer, John Mariani of Virtual Gourmet, Tells Art and John it's actually happening now! The Great Restaurants are reduced to doing only take-out like everyone else and their pricey wines are not paying the rent if they're not being served! So, as Mariani explains, its time to discount them and offer them for carry-out with their meals! Its a great insight into this upscale industry and how they need to survive in these quarantine times. You'll be fascinated!

Celebrating Act 2™'s Food & Travel contributor, John Mariani, author of the popular weekly newsletter the Virtual Gourmet, explains why the world is experiencing a GLUT of wine. The conversation with founders Art Kirsch and John Coleman includes some history, some business and good advice. Some of the great wines of the world are included in this industry-wide fire sale! What a great time to explore and educate your palate!