Hungry for a solid slice of culture? Tour the most iconic and influential restaurants and hidden gems in America with Seat at the Table. Join world-renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson, along with acclaimed pioneer of California cuisine chef Jonathan Waxman, on an inspiring journey. These James Beard Foundation award-winning restauranteurs welcome you as they set the table and the scene in this delicious podcast.

Hear the unique and unexpected ways that legendary, game-changing restaurants are made as Marcus and Jonathan meet with industry-leading culinary experts (Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, Sherry Yard, David Rockwell, Ruth Reichl, Nancy Silverton, Toni Tipton-Martin, Colman Andrews, Charles Phan, and more) and reveal the brave entrepreneurs, cultural impact, and trailblazing history behind these delectable institutions.

Skip the line, pull up a seat, and discover the secrets and stories to some of the most notable eateries of our time, from Michelin-starred, fine dining restaurants to local treasures and beloved underdogs, including Dooky Chase, Spago, Jezebel, Campanile, Ben’s Chili Bowl, Prune, The French Laundry, and The Slanted Door.

Everybody’s invited. Food’s on its way. Seat at the Table is your reservation to the best of the best.

Ms. Alberta Wright did it all on her own - no business plan, no backers, no marketing - she launched what came to be known the best "low country" restaurant in all of New York City. She opened in the mid-1980s, when Hell's Kitchen was closer to Hell than Heaven. Still, a parade of celebrities frequented the place - Arthur Ashe, Vanessa Williams, Magic Johnson - and others who were lucky enough to find it. 

Guests: Brad Johnson, Pauletta Washington, Bernard King, Raymond Lewis, Reggie Van Lee, Roberta Flack, CÉCILIA Rhode, and Vanessa Williams

The concept of a "superstar chef" came into existence with this man: Wolfgang Puck. Born in Austria and trained in the finest French culinary traditions, Wolfgang turned elegance on its head. With the launch of the West Hollywood sensation, Spago in 1982, he transformed the pedestrian pizza into gourmet fare all the while creating an ambience that became a go-to destination for movie stars, such as Orson Wells, Jack Lemmon, and Jaqueline Bisset.

Guests: Wolfgang Puck, Ruth Reichl, Colman Andrews, François Kwaku-Dongo, Sherry Yard

Edgar and Leah Chase opened their famed restaurant in 1941 in New Orleans, long before civil rights gathered strength. But segregation did not stop Leah Chase from creating a restaurant that was racially inclusive and gastronomically innovative. For 60 years, she elevated Creole cuisine while fighting for equality. And you can’t miss hearing about Leah’s famous gumbo “Z’herbes”.

Guests: Dr. Jessica B. Harris, Lolis Eric Elie, Stella Chase-Reese, Toni Tipton Martin

In 1989, Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel together gave birth to what is now recognized to be the quintessential Los Angeles culinary phenomenon: Campanile. As creative and real-life partners, the pair strove to create an establishment that made everything simple and comfortable, not unlike dining at one's own home, even if it meant living there. It also helped that Nancy was one of the best bread makers in the country. We caught Mark Peel in these interviews before he died of cancer in June, 2021.

Guests: Nancy Silverton, Manfred Krankl, Mark Peel, Vanessa Silverton Peel, and Ruth Reichl

Chef Gabrielle Hamilton's was a reluctant chef. She thought of herself as a writer who wanted to put down on paper stories from her complicated childhood and her travels. But somehow, the sweetbreads and monkfish livers she ate as a child, were to do more than exist as words on a page. In opening Prune in 1999, she found herself creating these dishes in an unpretentious 30-seat bistro in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, with menus that drew on flavors from regions worldwide.

Guests: Gabrielle Hamilton, Mashama Bailey, Dan Melia, Elizabeth Faulkner, Dominique Crenn, Amanda Freitag, and Colman Andrews

Ben's Chili Bowl isn't just some hot dog shop; it's a Washington DC landmark and an essential part of African American history. Obama's first outing after becoming President-Elect, was there. Husband and wife owners, Ben and Virginia Ali, stayed open through some of the roughest times the city had ever seen, such as the 1968 race riots and the 1980s “war on crack”. Ben’s U-Street neighborhood was devastated through those periods but the restaurant survived it all and has become a landmark.

Guests: Virginia Ali, Sage Ali, Kamal Ali, Vida Ali, The Ali family, Dr. Bernard Demczuk, and Stanley Mays

If you’re grading on culinary excellence, The French Laundry is one of the best in the world. Known for its innovative design, extensive wine list, daily tasting menus, and a long list of talented alumni, it's clear that Thomas Keller's crew is an establishment to learn from. In this episode, Jonathan sits down with chef Keller at the world-renowned 3-star, Michelin-rated restaurant in Yountville, CA, as they reflect on how it became the standard for fine dining in America.

Guests: Thomas Keller, Michael Minnillo (GM of FL), Laura Cunningham (VP of Branding & Creative Development of FL), Eric Ziebold, Jonathan Benno, Cindy Pawlcyn, Michael Bauer, and Timothy Hollingsworth