Alan Sytsma is a longtime observer of the New York City dining scene who is behind New York magazine’s formidable food coverage. On this episode we dig into Alan’s take on the current NYC restaurant scene and hear about New York mag’s amazing “Who Ate Where” issue, which digs into the cultural history of eating out in New York City. It’s really fun talking restaurants with Alan, and I hope you enjoy this conversation.

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MORE FROM ALAN SYTSMA:

• Who Ate Where [NY Mag]
• 48 Scenes From a Century of New York Dining [NY Mag]

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Aaron Goldfarb has been a journalist for over a decade, frequently writing on the subjects of cocktails and drinking culture for such publications as the New York Times, Esquire, Playboy, and PUNCH. His latest book, Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits, digs into our ongoing obsession with old spirits and the people who chase them. We talk about the real bourbon grails and the fake ones, and if there is any remaining Stitzel-Weller juice to be drunk. It’s fun catching up with Aaron.

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MORE FROM AARON GOLDFARB:

• The Craze for ‘Dusty’ Liquor [WSJ]
• Why Anyone Who Loves Rare Bourbon Should Visit Japan [Matador]

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MacKenzie Chung Fegan is the new restaurant critic at the San Francisco Chronicle. She’s a former Bon Appétit editor who returned home to the Bay Area to shape food coverage at her hometown paper, and it’s so fun to have her on the show to break down her first few months on the job, the state of modern restaurant criticism, and more.

MORE FROM MACKENZIE CHUNG FEGAN

• Your New Restaurant Critic Won’t Be Anonymous. Here’s Why [SF Chronicle]
• I Loved My Food at S.F.’s New Waterfront Restaurant — Until Dinner Abruptly Ended [SF Chronicle]
• Are My Expectations of Restaurant Hospitality Outdated? [SF Chronicle]

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Erin Patinkin is the cofounder of Ovenly and has advised some of the food world’s most interesting brands (almost exclusively female-founded), including Kismet, White Moustache, Pop Up Grocer, Great Jones, and Seed + Mill. Erin is an old friend of ours, and she has one of the sharpest minds in the consumer packaged goods world. We talk about so many topics, including some of the brands that excite her and the common mistakes founders can’t help making. We also hear about her time running Ovenly and what is next for her. It’s great having Erin in the studio.

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MORE FROM ERIN PATINKIN:

• This Year the Grocery Store Does Better [TASTE]
• Christina Tosi: From Artisan to Business Leader [Start to Sale]

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Giada De Laurentiis is in the studio for an all-time classic conversation. She is the Emmy-Award-winning television personality of Food Network’s Everyday Italian (among many other shows) and the author of nine New York Times best-selling cookbooks, including her most recent, Eat Better, Feel Better. On this episode we talk about her panettone chops, what running her own media company and e-commerce brand, Giadzy, is really like, and her first time on television. There’s so much to cover, and we got to it all! What a great talk. It’s our 400th episode, and we are just getting started. Thanks for following along, writing us nice notes, and being such a smart and engaged community. We really appreciate it.

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MORE FROM GIADA DE LAURENTIIS:

• Layer-free Lasagna [Today]
• How to Get it Right [Fast Company]

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Today on the show we have some really cool conversations about European butter from France. First up is David Lebovitz, a cookbook author and baker extraordinaire. Our lively conversation is all about cooking with good European butter and why using the good stuff is essential in baking and other kitchen adventures. David is such a pro, and we loved catching up with him about one of his favorite products.

Also on the show, we have a great interview with Charles Duque, managing director (Americas) for the French dairy board. We hear about trends in European butter and how sustainability and animal wellness are top of mind with butter production in Europe. He also answers the question “How do you actually taste butter?”

Finally, Aliza, Matt, and Shalea share some of their favorite ways to cook with quality butter, including some unexpected twists and turns.

This episode is presented by Taste Europe, Butter of France.

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Rachel Dratch is an actor, a Broadway star (and has the Tony nomination to prove it), and a comedian, and she was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1999 to 2006. She is also the host of a great podcast, Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch. This is a really fun conversation, and we get a sense that Rachel is quite the fooooooodie! For real, we talk about her favorite places to eat in New York’s East Village, how her cooking skills are “nice,” and why she has been hanging out at the new Second City location in New York City.

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MORE FROM RACHEL DRATCH:

• Will Ferrell: Not Now, Ghosts!! [Apple Podcasts]
• Rachel Dratch on Marrying Seth in a Dream [Late Night with Seth Meyers]
• This Is TASTE 60: Donna Leonard [TASTE]

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Tama Matsuoka Wong is a renowned forager who supplies top New York City restaurants like Atoboy and Daniel with the good stuff: wild delicacies like chickweed, stinging nettles, and American sumac. She’s the author of Foraged Flavor; Scraps, Wilt, & Weeds; and her latest book, Into the Weeds; and it’s a delight to have her on the show to get real about ramps hype, gardening like a forager, and more.

Also on the show, Aliza and Matt talk about three things they each are feeling right now. These include the banana ketchup char sui pork from Fruitsomm x Pica Pica, My Life In Recipes by Joan Nathan, exciting times for Hana Makgeolli, the plant-based robotic restaurant Kernel, Doritos Blazin' Buffalo Ranch, and the Flavourtown pop-up at Seoul Salon.

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MORE FROM TAMA MATSUOKA WONG

• Into the Weeds [Hardie Grant]
• How I Went from Finance Lawyer to Professional Forager for Top Restaurants [The Guardian]
• Meet Tama Matsuoka Wong, the Forager Who Brings Weeds to Top Restaurants [Resy]

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