In this episode of Repertoire, I travel to Boston’s Back Bay to sit down with Chris Coombs—James Beard Award–nominated chef, restaurateur, and co-founder of Boston Urban Hospitality, known for shaping some of the city’s most defining dining rooms, including Deuxave, dbar, and Boston Chops.

Chris’s journey is rooted in precision, discipline, and an almost obsessive commitment to the craft. From his formative years cooking under Patrick O’Connell at The Inn at Little Washington—a place he still calls “church”—to becoming one of Boston’s most influential culinary leaders, his story is one of evolution, resilience, and relentless refinement. Today, he’s expanding his vision with BOSSE, a 100,000-square-foot concept blending pickleball, pastry, fitness, and hospitality into a new kind of community hub.

We dive into:

• His early mentorship at The Inn at Little Washington and the lessons that shaped his standards of excellence.
• Why he believes chefs must honor every part of the animal, and how respect influences the way he cooks duck, steak, and seafood.
• The shift from fine dining to building BOSSE, and what it means to create a concept that merges sport, food, and lifestyle.
• The rise of “soft boy cooks,” and the changing expectations of professionalism, discipline, and work ethic in today’s kitchens.
• How social media has reframed the public’s understanding of culinary skill—and the tension between online clout and real craft.
• The economics of dining, value perception, and what it takes to run restaurants in a culture that both celebrates and undervalues food.

Chris and I talk about legacy, standards, and the evolution of leadership—what changes with age, what stays the same, and how a chef shapes culture both inside and outside the kitchen.

Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of Repertoire, I travel to Los Angeles, California to sit down with Mei Lin—James Beard Award–winning chef, Top Chef champion, and the creative mind behind Daybird, the first fast-casual Szechuan hot chicken spot in the U.S.

Born in China and raised in Detroit, Mei’s path through food is a story of balance—between precision and intuition, heat and harmony, tradition and reinvention. Her journey spans from fine dining kitchens like Wolfgang Puck’s Spago and Michael Voltaggio’s Ink to winning Top Chef: Boston and earning national acclaim for redefining fried chicken through an unapologetically personal lens.

We dive into:

• How her Chinese heritage and Midwest upbringing shaped her palate and perspective.
• The origins of Daybird and how she brought a Szechuan spin to the American fried chicken sandwich.
• Her approach to creative evolution, from running food pop-ups to managing a viral restaurant phenomenon.
• Why she values minimalism, restraint, and control as guiding principles in both cooking and leadership.
• What winning Top Chef taught her about visibility, confidence, and the reality behind TV fame.
• How she channels identity and authenticity through flavor—using spice, texture, and timing as her language.

Mei and I talk about the duality of being a chef in today’s world—where tradition and innovation are constantly in dialogue, and where clarity of vision is what keeps your craft alive.

Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of Repertoire, I continue my conversation with James Beard Award–winning chef and Saltbox Seafood Joint founder Ricky Moore—a man who’s turned frying fish into an act of storytelling, mentorship, and self-discovery.

In Part 2, we dig even deeper into Ricky’s philosophy on leadership, culture, and the craft of cooking. What begins as a conversation about building better kitchens evolves into a masterclass on purpose and presence. Ricky and I dig into what it truly means to lead, create, and sustain culture in the modern restaurant world.

We dive into:

• The responsibility of chefs to lead with empathy—and how accountability shapes healthy work culture.
• Why joy and discipline can coexist in the kitchen, and how the old “angry chef” archetype has no place in modern hospitality.
• Breaking cycles of fear-based leadership and replacing them with creativity, intention, and love.
• The evolution of American food culture—and what it means to protect tradition while embracing technology.
• A chef’s science talk on steak perfection, sous vide precision, and the beauty of rendering fat just right.
• The connective tissue between global cuisines—from Basque salted cod to North Carolina seafood—and how storytelling ties it all together.

And then, the rhythm shifts. The conversation flows into hip hop, creativity, and the parallels between music and food. We talk about:

• The shared language of authenticity, individuality, and storytelling, rejecting “corny” personas in both art forms.
• How the golden age of hip hop shaped our generation’s worldview — referencing Busy Bee, Jay-Z, and the pioneers of Wild Style — and how those voices came from Black and brown resilience and trauma.
• The way rap continues to mature alongside its founders, with veteran MCs still pushing culture forward—just as seasoned chefs continue to innovate in their craft.
• And how artists like RZA and Mos Def embodied conscious lyricism and social awareness—long before “woke” became a headline.

This is Ricky Moore in full form: reflective, relentless, and rooted in respect for the people who make restaurants run. It’s not just a conversation about food—it’s about rhythm, leadership, culture, and the future we’re building one plate at a time.

Watch Part 2 of Repertoire featuring Ricky Moore on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.