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In the quiet town of Chester, Connecticut, in a former bank building on Main Street, Chef-Owner Joel Gargano--who trained under Jonathan Benno at Lincoln Ristorante in New York City--is turning out sublime and refined spins on classic Italian cuisine at his Grano Arso. Andrew recently (and accidentally) braved a ""snow squall"" to dine at the restaurant and interview Joel. The chef has a compelling story--the son of a baker who found his calling in the pro kitchen and developed his skills and early repertoire--of all places--cheffing for a corporate cafeteria for five years. After his time in New York City, including a teaching stint at the Institute of Culinary Education, he returned to his home state and rolled the dice, raising the money to open Grano Arso. Fourteen months in, the restaurant is a smash success and Joel shares the stories, and lessons learned so far with refreshing honesty. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! Andrew Talks to Chefs is powered by Simplecast
One of the most accomplished chefs in the country returns to center stage this week as Jonathan Benno has just opened his Leonelli Taberna in New York City, the first of three planned Italian concepts he'll launch this year. Andrew, who's neighbors with Jonathan in the suburbs of Westchester County, paid him a visit during construction back in May to discuss the projects, the challenges of new openings, the first stirrings of his love of cooking and Italian food, and his time at such restaurants as Daniel and Craft, and as the opening chef of Per Se and then Lincoln Ristorante. Here's a thought: If you like what you hear, please tell your chef-fascinated friends, subscribe to Andrew Talks to Chefs (it's free) on iTunes or Stitcher, follow us on your favorite social media platforms @ChefPodcast, and/or rate or review us on Apple's podcast store. Thanks for listening! Andrew Talks to Chefs is powered by Simplecast
Netflix's documentary series Chef's Table--currently in its second season--examines the evolution of some of the best chefs in the world as few entertainments have. Creator and director David Gelb (who also helmed the extraordinary Jiro Dreams of Sushi) joins us to discuss his fascination with chefs and how he approaches depicting them on film, and Gaggan Anand, subject of one of the series' episodes, shares his experience of being profiled. In our roundtable discussion, Chef Jonathan Benno of New York City's Lincoln Ristorante, pops in to discuss what the general public could still learn about the pro cooking trade.
Jamie Kaloustian is the wine and beverage director of the Michelin Star, award winning, Dovetail Restaurant in New York City. On this episode of In the Drink, Jamie talks with Joe about getting her start in the industry, following her passion for food and wine, and her role as Wine Director at a prestigious restaurant in New York City. Beginning her New York City restaurant career about eight years ago, Jamie moved here without a job to live and work in New York City. Armed with a Bachelor’s in meteorology from Embry-Riddle in Florida, her next step was a career in restaurants to pay off the burgeoning student loans. At the now shuttered Dona in Mid-town Manhattan, she waited tables until she had dinner at Eleven Madison Park and applied for a server position immediately after that amazing dinner. Needless to say, the experience of working with such a great chef and wine program was humbling. She left there as a captain to work at Daniel, as one of their bartenders. Again, a humbling experience. The cocktail program, wine list, cuisine and service were all exceptional and she learned a great deal about the industry. Next step, she opened Lincoln Ristorante as a Captain. This experience was especially new to her, simply because she never opened a restaurant, in any state, and she never worked in a restaurant where the list focused mainly on Italian wines. As a result, she stayed almost two years before leaving for a Bartender job that eventually led to a sommelier position at Del Posto. She worked with Aaron as both a captain and a wine captain at Lincoln, and learned much about salesmanship and Italian wine. Thus, she credits the experience at Lincoln as a springboard to working at Del Posto. Finally, when she heard Dovetail was looking for a Wine / Beverage Director, she took the plunge and decided that she wanted to write her own list in the city, after working alongside so many great sommeliers and their respective wine programs. Originally from Rhode Island, she worked in restaurants toward the end of High School and throughout college (to include Florida). No matter what goals she was trying to achieve, Jamie always gravitated back to restaurant work, thanks to her passion for wine and creating cocktails. This program has been sponsored by Rolling Press. “You learn so much when you start from the ground up. You’re not the new person. It was really fun to be a part of that.” [11:50] “I think what we do is an art, not a science. I want everyone’s opinion, because ultimately they are the ones that eat at this restaurant as well.” [23:00] — Jamie Kaloustian on In the Drink
Aaron Von Rock is the Wine Director at Lincoln Ristorante at Lincoln Center. I'll Drink to That exclusively sponsored by SevenFifty, the new way to search for wholesale wine & spirits in New York and New Jersey.