1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the thing. 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: Deborah Clatter is the biggest name in a very small 3 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: profession restaurant recommender, not reviewer recommender. Here's how she puts it. 4 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: It's not about look what's hot and happening. It's about 5 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: what's happening for you just grabbing a bite on a 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: Thursday night birthday. I'm here to supply you with an 7 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: adventure or comfort. Clutter can tell you the best mofongo 8 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: in the Bronx and which Michelin two stars accommodate siliacs. 9 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: I've known her for years, going back to her days 10 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: as a lighting designer on some of the best and 11 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: most challenging stages in New York. She's risen just as 12 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: high in her newfield. Restaurants are eager for her clientele, 13 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: so she keeps a low profile. We did not post 14 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: a headshot for this next episode, and her name isn't 15 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: even on her website eat Quest and y C. That 16 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: anonymity will be familiar to anyone who knows about restaurant critics. 17 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: But unlike with critics, not just Cletter's face, but her voice, 18 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: even her taste are absent. From her work too. You know, 19 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: I check out a swath of restaurants for other people's taste, 20 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: not my own, because my taste, honestly would be you know, 21 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: I like places where waitresses have been working there for 22 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: thirty five years. I'm not going to make everybody else 23 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: do there. When you say you do this and you're 24 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: tilting towards your clientele, what do they typically want? The 25 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: most popular request and I know you'll identify with this 26 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: is quiet. It's like Pankotonia. Why do I love pankota 27 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: You want to know why? There might be a little 28 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: little Coltrane on the background. I'm having my eggs in 29 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,559 Speaker 1: my croissant with Coltrane very low, you know. And there's 30 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: another place sound like I like the food, but you 31 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: know they're playing that particular music and they're playing it 32 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: that loud because they want to get you out of 33 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: there as fast as possible. Well, music sets the pace 34 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: for a meal, and it just you know, you look 35 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: at somebody like Alex Stupac, who has Empon in um Midtown, 36 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: and he also has Empon al Pastore, which is tacos 37 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: in the East Village at pastor. He plays the music 38 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: he said as loud as humanly possible. Why because there 39 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: it's dealing with people who are younger, and it's people 40 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: who are also um, you know, want to have a 41 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: good time, want to get off the sort of the 42 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: buzz and the high of like being there with this 43 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: great music and eating tacos and all that. So that's 44 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,119 Speaker 1: like a rock concert. But he said that the Empyon 45 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: in Midtown is like the studio album. He put in 46 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: these sound panels so that people can it's convivial and 47 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: fun and all of that, but you can also hear yourself. 48 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: Think you have to know your audience. It doesn't bother 49 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: you in some restaurants you go to with the music 50 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: is playing, of course it does. A friend of well, 51 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:00,799 Speaker 1: a friend of mine was was eating in Brooklyn to 52 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:02,799 Speaker 1: a place that I sent her and she said the 53 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: music was really loud. So I said, is it possible 54 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 1: that you could just turn it down a little bit? 55 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: And the person said the waitress said, that's how it's 56 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: done in Brooklyn. Oh, really right, And and that's how 57 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: it's done in Brooklyn. Really, we don't have a lot 58 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 1: on our mind, so really, what's the getting in the 59 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: way of we want to have a good time. We 60 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: want to have a good time. That's what I really meant. 61 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: So anyway, but I think that people want to go 62 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: somewhere where they can actually have a conversation. And that 63 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: comes up so often. And it's only really true in 64 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: America because equals it's global, even though it's called Equest 65 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: and y see um and I've got people, I got 66 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: people all over the plans. You're you're, you're the equest 67 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: NYC is booking people around the world. Yeah, I do 68 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: Italy a lot. I do. I have my Bible you 69 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: gave me, you do, It's true, I can update it nowts. 70 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: I know I go a little overboard because I get 71 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: really excited and I think, oh no, wait, you have 72 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: to eat here, and you have to try this. But basically, 73 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: I get so many people who say, we wanted to 74 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: go to dinner. We spent an hour looking at the internet. 75 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: We got overwhelmed by the amount of choices. So we 76 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: went to the same place we always go to, and 77 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: we want to go somewhere else, So where can we go? 78 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: So sometimes people come to me for a list of 79 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: ten new places new to them. They want your recommendation, 80 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: meaning they don't come to you and say I want 81 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: to go to pair say or whatever, and you or 82 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: there was something right that who were very self determining. 83 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: There's some of your self determining. But I'm really not 84 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: that person. I mean, I'm happy to do that that 85 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: can but what I pay you, if they pay me, 86 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,040 Speaker 1: I'm you know, I'll do whatever you want me to do. 87 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 1: Um No, but it's but what's fun for me about 88 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: it is that it's kind of like a dating service 89 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: for people in their food. I asked certain questions such as, uh, 90 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: tell me three places you hate in three places you lot. 91 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 1: So this is a questionnaire. They feel like everything is online. Um, 92 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 1: everything is by email. It's not. I don't have a 93 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: formal questionnaire, although I probably you know, should you're not 94 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: on the phone with anybody? Not? Really, they don't get 95 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: the food. They declared a sex phone sex voice. A 96 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 1: lot of deals with that voice. But I'll tell you 97 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: I should tell them to call. It's really self robbery 98 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 1: that you're not doing. But you do it by email. 99 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: I usually do it by email, and people are welcome 100 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 1: to call me. It's just that people seem to you know, 101 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: they're busy, they don't pick up, so that wouldn't work, 102 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: really think about it, and you have a standard set 103 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: of questions. I have just a couple of basic ones, 104 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: and then the questions are determined by who they are, 105 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: if they're you know, I did. Somebody came from London 106 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: last winter over the holidays and they had children ranging 107 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: an age from eighteen to six and they wanted to 108 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: go places with them. That was not easy and macaroni 109 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: cheese exactly. So I had to sort of come up 110 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: with a whole range of things. Plus, you know, I 111 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: branched out a little. They wanted some activities and all 112 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 1: of that. So I got very involved with the Knicks 113 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: organization because they wanted to go to a basketball game 114 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: and you know, I found them the right seats and 115 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: all that kind of stuff. So they do some other 116 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 1: things as well. They did and it was kind of 117 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: it was fun actually, but but basically I stick to food. 118 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 1: But it was interesting to define things that I thought 119 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: would appeal to everyone. And I love the challenge. I 120 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: love the challenge of somebody sort of saying like, here's 121 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: all the things I won't eat, here's what I don't like. Um, 122 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: now find me something that I want, right, And I 123 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: feel like, okay, they want you to read their mind. 124 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: They do. I want you to tell me what I 125 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: don't even know about myself. Can I tell a lighting story? 126 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: Is that? Out of that you can do whatever you want. 127 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: Years ago I had a client when I was doing 128 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,559 Speaker 1: interior lighting, and he said, and he had a couch 129 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: in the middle of a big room and aloft and 130 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 1: no tables near nothing else. And he said, I want 131 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: to read on the couch, but I don't want any walstconsins, 132 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: I don't want any ceiling light, and I don't want 133 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,359 Speaker 1: any lamps, you know. And I thought, like, okay, a 134 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: miner's hat could work out well for you. But with 135 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:43,479 Speaker 1: a torch he summoned you snap and I could record 136 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,559 Speaker 1: it for you could move your eyes over the page 137 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 1: in the dark. And I'm reading here. I want to 138 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,679 Speaker 1: go back, and mentioned to people, said they don't lose 139 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: track here. You and I met in nine when I 140 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 1: was when we were doing Prelude to a Kiss. We 141 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: did that at eighty nine and then we went nine. 142 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 1: You want into the film, and you were doing lighting 143 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: design in the Theater of Broadway, and you were very 144 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: close with Norman, the late Norman Renett, who directed the play, 145 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: and you were doing that kind of work, and then 146 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: you went into residential lighting, the garden lighting, mostly because 147 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: garden lighting is like getting to light a set without 148 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: having to worry about the actor's faces. So you have 149 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: nobody saying like make it brighter, they're not laughing, um, 150 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: you know, and you get to do all the sort 151 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: of evocative, mysterious How did you design in the theater 152 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: over work? Um? Gosh? Uh years? I mean, you know, 153 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: like for sixteen years or something when you stopped. Why 154 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: did you stop? I stopped partly because all the directors 155 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 1: I knew were either going to TV, film or dying. 156 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: Norman passed away from you, remember, so for you, just 157 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: the lands, the landscape you changed, and I missed it. 158 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: I missed the collaborative experience of it. But my other 159 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: passion was always food, and I was always the person 160 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: that people asked, you know, like where can we go? 161 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: What can we do? And you know, in the early 162 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: days before the internet, Norman and I would want we 163 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: had no money, and we would walk all over the 164 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: city all the time just for fun, and you'd walk 165 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: into neighborhoods that were not gentrified and you'd find this 166 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: like fantastic little place that no one knew about because 167 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: there wasn't an internet, And you know, then we drag 168 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: people down there, and you know, I would drag people 169 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: down there and find places, and it just it's something 170 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: that always made me really happy to do. You know, 171 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: finding a restaurant, reading a menu is is sort of 172 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: a calm experience for me. It's it's it's pleasure back then, 173 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: wandering the streets with Norman and you had no money. 174 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: Dining is expensive, and so how do you manage to 175 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: go and sample? How do you know all these places? 176 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: Do you just have a word? Are you always the 177 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: honored guest at the table because you're such an expert? 178 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 1: You of a lot of friend Seriously, because I know 179 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: people like this. That is partly true. If I picked 180 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: the place and I tell them what we're going to 181 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: do and what we're going to have and stuff, I'm 182 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 1: at the table. Totally true. And Norman and I used 183 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 1: to we used to go to a coffee shop around 184 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: the corner from the theater company that we ran, and 185 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: um and the guy the waiter there knew us and 186 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: he treated us like it was twenty one and and 187 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: I was a little late one day and Norman was 188 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: waiting for me, and the waiter came over to him 189 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: and said, um, are you waiting for her? You can 190 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: always sort of make an occasion I think out of 191 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: anywhere you go and for me, I can supply you 192 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: with luxury. I can also supply you with an affordable alternative, 193 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: because there's so many great places to eat in New 194 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: York that are not expensive and so eat. Question I 195 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,199 Speaker 1: see is not about, you know, you have to have 196 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: a lot of money and you have to go here. 197 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: It's really about you know, finding like a great dumpling 198 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: in uh, you know in Queens, or finding you know 199 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:37,959 Speaker 1: something low, you know, great eggplant, Parmersian hero. Exactly what's 200 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: changed in New York in terms of dining, Oh, that's interesting. Trends, 201 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 1: things you see, attitudes, cost I mean there's always trends, 202 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: like right now, I think that vegan has become so popular, 203 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: so now there are vegan restaurants popping up everywhere, and 204 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: and then there's also sort of the whole let's have 205 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: a lot of meat and cheese. So they're you know 206 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: burgers that the Emmy burger, which is from the pizza place, 207 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 1: but they're burgers legendary. It's you know, like two patties, cheese, sauce, pickles, 208 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: the works on a pretzel bun, and and and so 209 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: partly because time is being what they are in the world, 210 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: everybody really wants comfort they do. You find that's true 211 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: in your work, in my work, it may not make 212 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 1: them feel good right after, but it makes them feel 213 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: good while they're doing it. And you can sort of 214 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: like get a little bit of solace from today's news. 215 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,200 Speaker 1: And high end Korean has taken off, and um, you 216 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 1: can't swing a dead cat without hitting a really good 217 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: pizza place. There are so many people coming from Naples 218 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: to have an opening here as well as in Naples. 219 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: High end pizza high end pizza. But there's also slices, 220 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: not ninety nine cent slices, but three dollar and fifty 221 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: cent slices are making a comeback. So there are some 222 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 1: really fantastic places where you know, you can go get 223 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: a slice, and there's a cocktail bar there too, like 224 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: Scars Pizza on Orchard Streets. It's like where you would 225 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,719 Speaker 1: go after school to have a slice with your friends. 226 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:01,560 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of that going on too, and 227 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 1: there are a lot of people doing you know, poly 228 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: g who's who has a really great pizza restaurant in Greenpoint. 229 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: But um he um, he just opened a slice place 230 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: that's been long awaited and much heralded in the Slice world. 231 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: Slice World, It's true. Man, there's a magazine called Slice World. 232 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 1: Don't don't laugh. There is, there's the website Slice Adam 233 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 1: who ran it, and then there's Scott who does these 234 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: pizza tours there. You know, there's it's a singular focus. 235 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 1: But man, they know what they're doing. There's nothing like 236 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: a good slice, a friend, it's a hot meal. Why 237 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,560 Speaker 1: you eat pizza. It's a hot meal, and it's filling, 238 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:43,839 Speaker 1: and it's good vegetables, dairy, protein, protein, brand all the 239 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: food groups, that's right, all the old fashioned food groups. 240 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: But yes, I know what was You know we were 241 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 1: gonna say, go ahead, go ahead, you go. Well, it's 242 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: gonna just say that. I think trends, you know, they 243 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: go also with the way the planet goes. I mean, 244 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: now everything is becoming about sustainability. And so there's a um, 245 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: a sushi restaurant. It's the only sushi restaurant in New 246 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: York that does sustainable sushi. Um And I'm forgetting what 247 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 1: street it's on, but they do in Omaka, sees you 248 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: sit at the counter and you you know they'll still 249 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: present to you what you know, the chef feels is 250 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: good that day and what what you know what he's 251 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: going to serve? No, just a sushi master. And there 252 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 1: are things now like you know there's crowd cow you 253 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: can there's literally crowd cow funding. What does that mean. 254 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 1: One of the people started was a guy who started 255 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: Urban Daddy, which is a restaurant site people off and 256 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,679 Speaker 1: go to and um. It's so that he realized that 257 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: people were getting meat from farms, but not everybody can 258 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: like buy a whole cow and store it and all 259 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: of that. So you can participate with like fifty people 260 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,319 Speaker 1: and by the section of cow you want from a farmer, 261 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:49,559 Speaker 1: then you know where the meats from, you know what 262 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:55,439 Speaker 1: you're getting. You're supporting small farms. It's right, which is 263 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: so much nicer because you don't feel forced to go 264 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:01,679 Speaker 1: back there again and food waste. Someone like Dan Barber, 265 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 1: who has Blue Hill and Stone Barns in in Terrytown. 266 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: A couple of years ago, he did what he was 267 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 1: calling garbage dinners and taking the parts of vegetables and 268 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: meat that everyone chucks because it's like, that's not the 269 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: pretty part. And um, you know, so we don't need 270 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 1: the stems, so the broccoli, or we don't need the 271 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: you know. And here, oh well, I mean if you're 272 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 1: a chef and a chef and you're chopping up the 273 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: broccoli and you just take the florets and that's part 274 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: that you're going to beg yes, exactly, and so now 275 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: these dinners. So all these chefs came and they created 276 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: dinners only out of the parts that weren't pretty rescued fruit, 277 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 1: and it was fantastic. You know. The idea now I 278 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: think for now and forever is zero waste and we 279 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 1: can't afford it as as a planet. In beef production 280 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: is one of the two three culprits that's clappering exactly 281 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: forest and they're cutting everything down to grays beef cattle. 282 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: But describe your childhood and food in your childhood, your family, 283 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: your home, what was it like. Um, we always had 284 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: cousins and other people. Every one would come to our house, 285 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: so we had the house where people would crash. He 286 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: was a businessman and um, coming from a culturally Jewish household, 287 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 1: not a religious Jewish household, it was really about food. 288 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: It's Italians, and I think Jews are very food focused, 289 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: and so everyone cooked. And my sister and left when 290 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: I was still young. She got out of there, she ran, 291 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: but the only thing she could make when she left 292 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: were Swedish meat balls. Um. I remember my brother went 293 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: away to college and he came back and he was like, 294 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: I have to make my begea mill sauce for you, 295 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: and um, you know, and he was so excited about it. 296 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: And my mother always if you told my mother you 297 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: like something, she wouldn't make it again. But if you 298 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: told her, you know, you didn't, she sort of experiment further. 299 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: I don't I don't don't really know why, but and 300 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: you know, I was really indulged. My mother would make 301 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: me something else if I didn't like what she was making. 302 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: And that's probably why I was picking too, because I 303 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: got what I wanted. But she would make things like 304 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: banana meat loaf. Um. It was like no, please, please, 305 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 1: don't to do that again. But she also made something 306 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 1: that we all called slop. It remains. It was remains essentially, 307 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: and she put all together and we all loved it. 308 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: And we didn't fte friends over and say we're having 309 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: sloped tonight if you want to come for dinner, that 310 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: doesn't um when you get out of the house, when 311 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: you leave home, and where do you go to school? 312 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 1: In Madison, Wisconsin? Because you wanted to be a radical? 313 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: I want to be radical and um. And also because 314 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: there was a lighting professor who taught there who has 315 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 1: since departed the planet, but he was really well known. 316 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: He lit all over the world, but he did things 317 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: like the ballet and the opera and at the mad 318 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: And you knew then that's what you wanted to do. 319 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, because I always sort of related to light, 320 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: even as a child. I understood light and shadow. So 321 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: he was teaching there and I wanted to study with him. 322 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: And so you're at Wisconsin for four years. You go 323 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: four years and graduate? Yeah, you graduates, says in that papacy. 324 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 1: It's my resumecy. My parents are did I can tell 325 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: the truth? Wait wait, Elizabeth Warren ain't runing for president. 326 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: You're on your own. And I know that things changed 327 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 1: for me significantly in terms of food, But I think 328 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: of these milestones. I think of these benchmarks in terms 329 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: of my relationship to food and how that changes over 330 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: the years. And some very significant things. And the first 331 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: turn of the dial is leaving my home and going 332 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: to school, where all of a sudden, you know, what 333 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: I eat is up to me. What I'm going to 334 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: eat I decide because when I was back home as 335 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: a child, my mother would cooked dinner. If she had 336 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: six kids. My family had no money. My mother would 337 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: make roasted chickens and vegetables in a salad. Everybody ate. Well, 338 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 1: there's a lot of other things we didn't have, but 339 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 1: everybody had clothes and food my my father's insistence. And 340 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: I go to college, what I'm gonna eat is up 341 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: to me? And uh. There was a place of years 342 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: ago in Washington and Georgetown on the Canal called the Foundry. 343 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: It's interesting how the first thing I did was get 344 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 1: a job as a way to where I could eat, 345 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: because you get a shift meal. But I think unconsciously 346 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 1: I put myself at these things. In these jobs, I 347 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 1: did student activities and things where there was food being served, 348 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:06,720 Speaker 1: and I could eat things that I couldn't afford to 349 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 1: pay for because I was on a meal plan. Fantastic, yea. 350 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: But for you, how did you eat when you were 351 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:15,239 Speaker 1: in college. I do remember the first night that I 352 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: was there walking through the town at night, thinking I 353 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: can go anywhere, I can do anything. We can I 354 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:22,880 Speaker 1: can go get something to eat, I mean something cheap 355 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: and obviously and all that. But everyone was in the 356 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: same boat, so you were together, um and it was 357 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: really exciting. But being in Wisconsin, it was a lot 358 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: of cheese and that wasn't good. You know. In the end, 359 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 1: of course, all that dairy was time well spent. If 360 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 1: Deborah Cletter gets a client seeking the best cheese in Wisconsin, 361 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: a good way for you to spend time is in 362 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 1: the Here's the Thing archive. If all the food talk 363 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: is driving you to the fridge, Dr Robert Lustig will 364 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,399 Speaker 1: put a damper on that. That's called addiction. We know 365 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: how that works for all of these other drugs of abuse. 366 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 1: Turns out sugar does the same same thing. It's the 367 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,119 Speaker 1: same as cocaine. The difference is that for cocaine you 368 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,919 Speaker 1: gotta go find it, whereas for sugar we have what 369 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 1: we call system saturation. It's everywhere, you can't escape it. 370 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 1: The charming, if alarming Doctor Robert Lustig can be found 371 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: anytime with the rest of our past interviews and Here's 372 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 1: the Thing dot org coming up New York's foremost restaurant recommender, 373 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:33,880 Speaker 1: Deborah Cletter of e quest NYC, makes her case against 374 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: Yelp and trip Advisor. This is Alec Baldwin and you're 375 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: listening to here's the thing now more With Deborah Clutter 376 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 1: of eat quest NYC. She caters to her clients when 377 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: and crazy things, but has a clear sense of what 378 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: any restaurant needs to be great. What differentiates good and 379 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 1: bad is conviviality. If a restaurant wants you to be there, 380 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: if they're happy to make you the food and they 381 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: want you to have a good time, it's sublime. It's 382 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: just this wonderful experience. And you know that they're really 383 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 1: happy for you to be eating their food, so you're 384 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: really happy to be dining there. I've developed a pretty 385 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:29,119 Speaker 1: keen sense of when I'm around the person who I 386 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: know they derive great pleasure from preparing food and serving food. 387 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: They love to see people eat their food, and there's 388 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: a kind of a glow they have. There's a kind 389 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 1: of an incandescence thing. And so the thing for me 390 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: now is that because I'm trying so much now to 391 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: manage food in my life, and I'm wondering do you 392 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: factor that into your recommendations with people? Do they ever 393 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: say to you, I need healthy food, are going to 394 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: be very careful. You know, it's interesting that hasn't come 395 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 1: up as much as one would think. But I think 396 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: the movement now is like the whole paleo thing, and 397 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: so there are people eating like dachis and broths and 398 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: consummes that the your fish is poached in and all that. 399 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: But I think that there's comfort and there's health, and 400 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: those two. You know, it's diametrically opposed, and there are 401 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: people who leaned one way and lean the up. So 402 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:16,919 Speaker 1: most of the people that are engaging your service, they 403 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 1: don't they don't bother with that. They're there to go 404 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: blow it out or just enjoy it. I mean, because 405 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: it really doesn't have to be about something special. It 406 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,359 Speaker 1: just has to be about something good or comfortable for 407 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 1: their economic bracket or you know, the kind of atmosphere 408 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: they want. I mean, it starts. You know, I started 409 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: doing this years ago because I would plan people's evenings 410 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,719 Speaker 1: for them. I just got into like I knew somebody, 411 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,639 Speaker 1: this intern working at some in an office that a 412 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: friend of mine was running, and he wanted to propose 413 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: to his girlfriend. So another friend and I just we court. 414 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: We we coordinated the whole evening. We said where you're 415 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: going to go meet for drinks, where you're going to 416 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 1: actually have dinner, where you're going to propose to her, 417 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: what table you're going to sit at, how that's all 418 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: going to go down. And we did the whole evening 419 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 1: for him, and then we started doing that for other people. 420 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: She ultimately moved to Italy with her family. UM, so I, 421 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: you know, kind of stopped that and just kept doing 422 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 1: what I was doing. But it was always in the 423 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:07,960 Speaker 1: back of my mind. And when you know, the recession 424 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,120 Speaker 1: happened and people weren't doing so much garden lighting, and um, 425 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 1: I wasn't really doing theater. I thought, okay, food, Um 426 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: this is you know, everyone always asked me where to go, 427 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: and I always like knowing where to go, and I'm 428 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,200 Speaker 1: always intrigued by something, and you know, I just sort 429 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: of I'm like a steward of um you know, of information. 430 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: I just you know, it's out there and other people 431 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: can find it too. It's just that I'm obsessed with it. Cook. Yeah, 432 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,959 Speaker 1: I do, do I do. I used to go really 433 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 1: sort of high end fancy. You know, you're well, my 434 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: signature dishes my shrimp risotto, but that's not really dazzling 435 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: wild Argentinian shrimp, but it's it's more about how you 436 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,360 Speaker 1: cook it. And I will not reveal the secret, but um, 437 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: I don't even tell other people that there's a few 438 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,199 Speaker 1: little key things in it that make it what it is. 439 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: And I honestly think it's the best trimp risotto I've 440 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 1: ever had. I like rock shrimps. I went to a 441 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:03,679 Speaker 1: place once on vacation down there in North Carolina and 442 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:05,399 Speaker 1: I thought, oh my god, I mean this was shrimp 443 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: they caught right there fresh and it was just mean 444 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:09,920 Speaker 1: a tasted like something. Yes, when when you can really 445 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:12,199 Speaker 1: taste the food, that makes such a difference. It's like 446 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: carrots from the farmer's market actually taste like carrots, not 447 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,919 Speaker 1: a bag of what's called baby carrots but are just 448 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: you know, cut up bigger carrots in a supermarket don't 449 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: taste like carrots. They might be filling, and you know, 450 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:25,480 Speaker 1: you can chew them and you can slice them and 451 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 1: put them in things, but when you taste the carrot 452 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 1: and you really get the carrot taste, it's remarkable and 453 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: you know, and I think that's part of people want 454 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: to know where their food is coming from now. They 455 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: want to know what they're eating, so, you know, and 456 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,880 Speaker 1: that's why I think like the crowd. But you can 457 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 1: find that at less expensive places as well as more 458 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:46,159 Speaker 1: expensive places. It's all out there. When you go to 459 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 1: a restaurant, what's the first thing you look for, it's 460 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 1: the whole nison send. Are people enjoying it? I mean, 461 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 1: do you do? You feel that sort of buzz and 462 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 1: you smell it and it smells really good, and it's 463 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: it's almost like a sixth sense that you walk in 464 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,399 Speaker 1: somewhere and you feel like this is where I'm supposed 465 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: to be. I get it. I think this is going 466 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: to be good. When you when people are enjoying their food, 467 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 1: there's just that buzz, there's there's your You know that 468 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: you've come into a place where it's not about pretension, 469 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: it's not about um. You know, the masquerade of this 470 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 1: place is supposed to be good, so I'm supposed to 471 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: like it. It's really like people are enjoying their food here. 472 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: The waiters seem to be enjoying giving it to you. 473 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: The cooks are happy making it for you. You're happy 474 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 1: to be there eating it, and that really is what 475 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 1: it is. It really doesn't, you know, there's not it's not. 476 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: I I personally love a neighborhood feel. I love you know, 477 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,840 Speaker 1: old world. I love a dive. But when I'm looking 478 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 1: for clients and um, you know, and I'm when I'm 479 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 1: going out to eat it and checking all these places out, 480 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,160 Speaker 1: I'm looking for things that might appeal to all kinds 481 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: of people. I'm not just looking that. That's my test. 482 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: So it's not just about me, it's about what that is. 483 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,679 Speaker 1: So people ask me favorites and I don't. I generally 484 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:57,080 Speaker 1: don't reveal them because it's not about me. But you're 485 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 1: going to reveal them to me, and temail um described 486 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 1: for me. Give me a high end and a low 487 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: end of just a meal. You remember a place, you 488 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:09,920 Speaker 1: remember you went there, and those all right? All perfect? 489 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 1: Can it be out of the country, It can be 490 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:16,160 Speaker 1: anywhere you desire. Okay. One of my most favorite places 491 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 1: in the whole world is Palazaccio's, which is an Umbria 492 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: and it's outside of Spoletto, and it's a family run restaurant, 493 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,960 Speaker 1: and you know, my heart just sings whenever I think 494 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: about it and the you know, the idea of getting 495 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: back there. And one of the most amazing things that 496 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: they make is this artichoke ravioli and it's and all 497 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:36,760 Speaker 1: you know, it takes them half a day to make it. 498 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: And you know, one of the things I think people 499 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: want to go out to eat for is for something 500 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 1: that they can't make at home or they won't make 501 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: it home, because it's just two times et someone's made 502 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: an effort. And so when they make the artichoke ravili, 503 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:49,639 Speaker 1: not only do they have to make the fresh pasta 504 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 1: and make the actual ravioli and all of that, but 505 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: they cook the artichoke. They take each leaf off, they 506 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:57,639 Speaker 1: scrape all the little bits of what you know, the 507 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: artichook meat off of each leaf, make a like make 508 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: a paste out of it exactly. And the heart of 509 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: the artichoke is what goes into each violi, but the 510 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: pace goes into the sauce and um. And so when 511 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: you eat, it's just heaven. It's heaven. There's just there's 512 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 1: nothing else like it that just it melts in your mouth. 513 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:22,679 Speaker 1: It's just extraordinary. And it's called palazaccios and it's on 514 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 1: the via Flaminia outside of Swoletto and family run helicopter 515 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: than that UM and then they're definitely meals in New 516 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: York and a place like UM for Chinese food, the 517 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,719 Speaker 1: Little Pepper Um, which is well known now. I happened 518 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: to find it the first night they opened in a 519 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: little basement in Flushing, because I was looking for a 520 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,400 Speaker 1: different restaurant that had moved, and so I was with 521 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:53,919 Speaker 1: some friends. We thought, this kind of smells good and 522 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 1: it's just funky. Let's check it out. And it was sublime. 523 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: And then I started, like, you know, getting friends to 524 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: go there all the time, and I would go there always. 525 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:03,159 Speaker 1: And now they've moved and they have a place on 526 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 1: in College Point and they bought the building, so it's 527 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: a slightly more upscale UM. But nothing in there is 528 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:13,400 Speaker 1: bad and I feel at home when I go there. 529 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:15,360 Speaker 1: I feel at home with the food. I know the dishes, 530 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: I have my favorites. I order way too much and UM. 531 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 1: And I think of you for this because because one 532 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,239 Speaker 1: of my favorite things about dining with you is that 533 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:26,400 Speaker 1: you know, we can go to a restaurant and you'll say, 534 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: you know, I'll have the chicken, you have the steak 535 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:30,160 Speaker 1: or you know, and also I'll steak or something like that. 536 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: But then if you're if my eye wanders over anywhere 537 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:35,439 Speaker 1: in the menu, you say, what are you looking at? 538 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 1: Let's get it. I learned that from Michael Blue, my 539 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:40,680 Speaker 1: former agent. I remember that Blue would say, I say, 540 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: I can't make up my mind the salmon or the chicken. 541 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,200 Speaker 1: He goes, get both. I can't make up my mind 542 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 1: the soul or the pasta. Get both. What do we care? 543 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 1: What do you care? It's great because you and I 544 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 1: would end up with a table filled with like several entrees, appetizers, sides. Um, 545 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:57,440 Speaker 1: you know, let's get the pizza, Let's also have the pasta, 546 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: Let's also have this, and you know, and that's what 547 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: I So that's kind of how I think sometimes, Like 548 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 1: I don't understand when people limit me and they say 549 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:09,360 Speaker 1: things like I think we've ordered enough, Like I don't 550 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: think we have no, No, you don't get it. I'm 551 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 1: the one that determines when we've had enough. Do you 552 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: remember when we had dinner at an unnamed restaurant that's 553 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:23,720 Speaker 1: very popular. Um, you had a group of like ten 554 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 1: people and we were all at the restaurant and the 555 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: waiter came over and he was telling us about the salmon. 556 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 1: And he said, the salmon was wrapped in Kashmir, you know, 557 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: every night of its life, and it was they read 558 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:35,960 Speaker 1: a good night moon before it went to sleep. And 559 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: I went to Princeton. It was caressed. They carried it 560 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: here across the country from the Pacific Northwest. And you said, 561 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:44,920 Speaker 1: I'd rather get a piece of trout from a guy 562 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: named Joe driving the truck and flings it in through 563 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: the door. That that that whole boutique thing with food. 564 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: I mean, listen, I want Kobe beef when I first 565 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: first heard about that, I mean everything about handling food. Uh. 566 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: And what about the low end? What's the place you know? 567 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:03,639 Speaker 1: Well a little? I mean, you know, I hesitate to 568 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:05,879 Speaker 1: call them low, but I mean a place like Eisenberg's. 569 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 1: Do you know on Fifth Avenue? You know I love 570 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:13,920 Speaker 1: their tuna sandwich. I mean they do. I never thought 571 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: you'd say that. I've been there. It's around the corner 572 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:18,679 Speaker 1: for my physical therapist. Oh do you get the Reuben. 573 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:20,960 Speaker 1: I go there and have an egg salad sandwich. You 574 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,879 Speaker 1: can get a half egg salad, half tuna, and I'm 575 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 1: going to tuna really good. Tuna. I won't share with 576 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:28,919 Speaker 1: you the he doesn't my number one, which I call 577 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: bachelor's surprise, which is my tuna salad sandwich. I make 578 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: a tuna sala said. People have wept when they have 579 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,439 Speaker 1: my tuna. I'm gonna need to try it. If you're 580 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 1: not going to do I'll take off Mike and involves 581 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: some very simple I love tuna fish. It's tuna fish 582 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: European style. Well, I'll tell you my favorite tuna is 583 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,960 Speaker 1: Rio Mara, and they don't export their Rio Marian extra 584 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:01,240 Speaker 1: virgin olive oil to America. You can only get in Italy, 585 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 1: and you can ask any friend. I have cases of it. 586 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:04,920 Speaker 1: We get we get by the one from my wife. 587 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: I get it from a Spanish grocery store. I used 588 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: to eat fish every now and then I get sick 589 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: of fish. But for all those concerns about age and 590 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 1: health and everything, you always remember my brother and I 591 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: getting a quart of fried rice from the local Chinese 592 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: place take out and sitting on the curb in the 593 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: parking lot. They didn't have any seating. It was take out. 594 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: Only was a counter and we would sit down and 595 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 1: we'd eat. It was like the perfect mix of the 596 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:30,640 Speaker 1: shrimp and the egg and the scallions in this and 597 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: we'd sit there and eat. It was like we we 598 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 1: might as well have had a table at Lutess. It 599 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: was like the it with the greatest meal I've ever 600 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 1: had in my life, because you're so craving that, and 601 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: you're so jonesing for that, and you don't feel that anymore. 602 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: You don't have a craving for something that crave now 603 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 1: is the room. Food is not my enemy. Food is 604 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: something I have to wrestle with. But the common thread 605 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: of food is just I don't want to get too 606 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: sappy here, but like who you're with, what's the vibe? 607 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: You know? I I mean sharing food makes you part 608 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 1: of a larger hole. And all the work that now 609 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 1: people are doing with you know, like Jos Andreas and 610 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: and doing all the world Central Kitchen and goings. Who 611 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 1: don't know UM Chef Restaurant Tour, UM Washington, New York, 612 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:20,080 Speaker 1: l A. And he's going to every disaster and feeding people. 613 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 1: So he was in Puerto Rico and he has fed 614 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 1: so many people and got people cooking there and got 615 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 1: people hot meals and really good meals. And the photographs 616 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 1: are remember of like Paia pants that were as big 617 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 1: as this desk, which people can't see, but it's big 618 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: and exactly and it was just extraordinary. And so he's 619 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 1: gone and organized for every disaster, and all kinds of 620 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 1: people are doing that. There's such a humanitarian aspect now 621 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:46,480 Speaker 1: to food. There are a lot of refugee dinners. They're 622 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,840 Speaker 1: there are different groups that are either catering um, so 623 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: they take people who have been displaced, and people are 624 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: now like cooking and you can actually hire a caterer 625 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 1: where people who were you know, exiled for whatever reason 626 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,480 Speaker 1: and are here are cooking for you, which is fantastic 627 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:04,040 Speaker 1: because it brings them a sense of home and it 628 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 1: brings you, um, you know, some really great meal that 629 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 1: you didn't get to have before. But it's the idea 630 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: of just sharing food and sharing somebody's heritage and culture 631 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 1: and and I think, you know, those of us who 632 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 1: are on you know, on the good side of humanity 633 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 1: are trying to to connect with that and to share that. 634 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 1: You know. I asked the driver, you guys were so 635 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:25,920 Speaker 1: nice to send me a car. And I asked the 636 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 1: driver on the way what he looks for in a restaurant, 637 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 1: and he said, oh, he said, I go to Queens 638 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 1: in Brooklyn and I eat Jamaican food. And I said, 639 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,959 Speaker 1: because it's home, and he said yes. The connection for 640 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: people is, you know what makes them feel at home, 641 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 1: regardless of whether that home was last year or childhood. 642 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:48,960 Speaker 1: Restaurant reviewers, how is that change has a change? Who 643 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,640 Speaker 1: do you trust? Now? Who do you? I do like? 644 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: I like the New Yorker, I like Hannah Goldfield and 645 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: UM and I like UM. I don't want to dispat 646 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 1: or just do what I do. Would you just name 647 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 1: the ones you like? Well? But the thing is, I 648 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:07,840 Speaker 1: like some of what some people say. Do you do 649 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: dislike Wells? What he wants? I don't dislike Wells, but 650 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 1: I don't agree with everything that he says. But I 651 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: think I do think he's a very good reviewer. And I, 652 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 1: you know, I clearly go to the Times every Wednesday 653 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 1: to see what um, you know, what what he has said. 654 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: But I trust people that I know more than I 655 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: trust reviewers that are out there. UM And I think 656 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:28,800 Speaker 1: you know, you look at something like trip Advisor or Yelp, 657 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:31,880 Speaker 1: where so many people go to and as as a 658 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:33,720 Speaker 1: friend of mine pointed out to me, she was going 659 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:36,320 Speaker 1: to chang My in Thailand for going to live there 660 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: for a few months. And she said, well, I thought 661 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 1: i'd look a trip Advisor and I would see, like 662 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 1: what restaurants they were recommending, and she said the top 663 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 1: rated number one restaurant in chang My was a text 664 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: Mex place, and I thought, no, thanks, I don't need 665 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 1: to do that so people find you know, I guess 666 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: all the people who go to Yelp or trip Advisor, 667 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: if you find someone you like, I suppose you know 668 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,720 Speaker 1: that would mean something I I don't. I don't ever 669 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: look at anything like that. I look at Yelps sometimes 670 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 1: for addresses or do they take credit cards or you know, 671 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 1: sort of hardcore information. But I noticed a review said 672 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 1: the best sushi in New York, so I thought, okay, 673 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:13,480 Speaker 1: you know, I have to see I'll buy. And the 674 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: person just said, this is the best sushi I've ever had. 675 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 1: Of course I've never had sushi before, and I thought, 676 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 1: like a ha, And to me, that sums up like 677 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 1: that kind of local reviews. And you know, if it 678 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 1: works for you, great. But what I do is I 679 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 1: try and glean what somebody wants, and I keep a 680 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 1: personal file on them or even if it's just a 681 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 1: one time thing. I get, you know, by a listening 682 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 1: answers from them on on my questions, I get what 683 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:38,680 Speaker 1: it is that they're looking for. We're interesting towards my 684 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 1: last question, which is my dear friend Ronnie Dobson. I 685 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 1: think you met who spent a good part of his youth. Uh, 686 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 1: you know, studied literature at Brooklyn College and uh as 687 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 1: a very beautiful writer and one of the great uh 688 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 1: minds I've ever known in my life. And this is 689 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:57,480 Speaker 1: amazing guy. And took a couple of years in different 690 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:00,200 Speaker 1: times of his life to travel extensively. One an a Frica, 691 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 1: when in Mexico, and when he's in Africa, he's and 692 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: he really does talk his version I mean, I'm really 693 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:09,279 Speaker 1: not exaggerating his version of like Woody Allen. He's he's 694 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:12,319 Speaker 1: the Jewish kid from Brooklyn and he's totally what he 695 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,160 Speaker 1: Alan's when you talked to him, he's like he'd be 696 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:18,480 Speaker 1: like on a hiking across Africa with a friend and 697 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 1: they would come upon a boma and people would be 698 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: cooking something and uh, and he really really ate everything. 699 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: I mean, he ate anything. If if human beings are 700 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:32,319 Speaker 1: standing over a simmering pot and it could do or impala, 701 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:35,239 Speaker 1: it didn't matter. Whatever they're cooking. And there's some potatoes 702 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:37,319 Speaker 1: and carrots looked in there. He was down. He would 703 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: have a big steam and bowl of whatever and he 704 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:42,239 Speaker 1: ate everything to me. That's like, you know, I like 705 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: if if you guys got any you know, rice cakes 706 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:50,359 Speaker 1: and peanut butter like. But there's those things I can't eat. 707 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 1: There's just things I can't know the things that you 708 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: can't eat. There are definitely things like I I you know, 709 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:56,440 Speaker 1: I don't want things like brains and stuff. There's this 710 00:34:56,719 --> 00:35:00,399 Speaker 1: really fantastic place um um called on al is Kebob 711 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 1: Cafe that's been there for a long time on Steinway 712 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:05,120 Speaker 1: Street in Astoria, and Ali is this great man. There's 713 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,680 Speaker 1: no kitchen really, there's like a hot plate and um 714 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 1: and he creates these incredible meals. He just comes over 715 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:12,359 Speaker 1: to you and he's like, what do you feel like today? 716 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 1: And you kind of tell them. But there are things 717 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:15,920 Speaker 1: like the brain and stuff like if it comes to 718 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:17,920 Speaker 1: the table, I need to put up a little wall 719 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 1: so that I can't even look at it because the 720 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 1: brain looks like rain. Before Frank Booney, before Pete Wells 721 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 1: and everything. The New York Times would write a restaurant review, 722 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:27,439 Speaker 1: and maybe a handful of times a year they would 723 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:31,320 Speaker 1: go to an outer borough. Yeah, if at all Brooklyn 724 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:33,959 Speaker 1: was where you went to buy a gun. No, it's true. 725 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 1: They will have personal bodyguards out there. They don't need 726 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:38,800 Speaker 1: a gun. Right in that way that I'm describing, Ronnie, 727 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:42,359 Speaker 1: were you a fan of Bourdain? Oh god, yes you were. Yes, him, 728 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: and and you know and Jonathan Golden from l A 729 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 1: and um and people who who it's about people and 730 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,600 Speaker 1: culture and you know, and that that sort of energy 731 00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:54,960 Speaker 1: and I just appreciate that so much, about what he 732 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,560 Speaker 1: did for the world and going off to these places 733 00:35:57,560 --> 00:35:59,920 Speaker 1: and just saying like here there's this nobody a win, 734 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 1: there's this culture that you can devour. The cultural thing 735 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,879 Speaker 1: was was riveting. It was riveting. And he also makes 736 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:07,880 Speaker 1: it exciting because when you travel and you you know, 737 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:10,520 Speaker 1: my favorite thing is if you tell me something's hard 738 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:14,000 Speaker 1: to find or hard to get, um rare, I want it. 739 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:17,320 Speaker 1: And you know, I will drag somebody through a jungle 740 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,320 Speaker 1: in Indonesia because there's a fish place on the beach 741 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:24,120 Speaker 1: called Neoman's and everyone loves the fish there. It was effortful. 742 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 1: But then you get to this little stand with you know, 743 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 1: like two tables and and it's a Neoman's fish because 744 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:34,440 Speaker 1: Neoman is one of the popular names there, and um, 745 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 1: and the fish was incredible. It's it was just extraordinary, 746 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:40,320 Speaker 1: you know. And he's just grilling it on an open 747 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 1: fire and it's as simple as it can be. But 748 00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 1: it's fresh and it's perfectly cooked. And you know, that's 749 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:48,279 Speaker 1: what I like about about Bourdain too, is that you 750 00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:51,440 Speaker 1: just sort of feel like you hunted for something that 751 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:54,520 Speaker 1: now I want to find. You've led me somewhere. You've 752 00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:57,280 Speaker 1: led me somewhere. Exactly if you had a single serving 753 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:01,359 Speaker 1: of one thing, what would the last meal b among many, 754 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 1: what would it be read bread that really crusty on 755 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:08,960 Speaker 1: the outside, soft on the inside, where you can you 756 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,560 Speaker 1: buy it in the store and it's almost gone by 757 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 1: the time you get home. You kind of have to 758 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:15,319 Speaker 1: get to so you have the one that you need 759 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 1: to travel later. Exactly, you need to travel pack because 760 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:21,880 Speaker 1: you just keep breaking off another piece and if you 761 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:24,920 Speaker 1: can have butter on it, you know, fantastic or whatever 762 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:31,360 Speaker 1: your fantasy. But um, yeah, well then't end up dying anyways. 763 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 1: Pile on that. But I would be corn in the coup, 764 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:37,840 Speaker 1: would it? I crave when we get to that August, 765 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:42,080 Speaker 1: that September Labor Day, the New Jersey Silver Queen, all 766 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 1: those legendary late summer corn with lots of sugar corn 767 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:47,760 Speaker 1: on the cob. But I don't put butter on corn. 768 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,440 Speaker 1: And I don't know because the corn is so when 769 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:52,880 Speaker 1: you get a great piece of corn, think you're just 770 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:55,279 Speaker 1: tasting my butter. When I have corn in the cup, 771 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:57,520 Speaker 1: I have about six pieces of it, and so I 772 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:00,480 Speaker 1: have every other one test butter on. I'll do old butter. 773 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:02,640 Speaker 1: It's a palate cleanser, and then I do the butter, 774 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:07,399 Speaker 1: and then I have the little sell Bay, the one 775 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:14,719 Speaker 1: with Yeah, that's perfect, That's exactly right. Thank you so 776 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:17,040 Speaker 1: much for doing this with me. Well thanks, it's fun 777 00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:20,520 Speaker 1: to talk food with a friend. Um, I I tend 778 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,320 Speaker 1: to I never tested well, so I'm not good on 779 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:26,480 Speaker 1: on on questions on the spot. I always have to think, like, 780 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:29,520 Speaker 1: what what are you asking me? Why are you asking me? Well? 781 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:31,960 Speaker 1: What I love about what you do? I'm never going 782 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:33,759 Speaker 1: to say that wells and people who write for the 783 00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: Times are compromised in anyway. But there's a lot writing 784 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:39,400 Speaker 1: on what they do. I went with Frank Bruney. Uh, 785 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 1: Maureen Down said you want to come with me and 786 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:45,239 Speaker 1: Frank and another person to go to de Batali's Del 787 00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:47,640 Speaker 1: Posto when I had just opened up, and we went 788 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:50,520 Speaker 1: with Bruney and it was so eye opening to me, 789 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:53,680 Speaker 1: and Frank kind of took me through like the protocols 790 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 1: and when he goes in and we were sitting there 791 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:58,759 Speaker 1: was really really really fascinating. But that's you know, he 792 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:00,680 Speaker 1: was the restaurant critic for The Times. Is a whole 793 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:03,759 Speaker 1: other thing going on. You was as much more. I'm 794 00:39:03,760 --> 00:39:07,240 Speaker 1: a conduit, you know. I'm sort of like the conduit 795 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:09,120 Speaker 1: to you and a meal that I think you might 796 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:12,239 Speaker 1: really enjoy. I'm not saying that you know that this 797 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: is right for everybody. I'm not sort of declaring that 798 00:39:14,719 --> 00:39:17,200 Speaker 1: this restaurant's gonna last. For this restaurant's not gonna last. 799 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:20,320 Speaker 1: I just really like to think about I love reading menus, 800 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:23,439 Speaker 1: I love thinking about food, and there are so many 801 00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:25,759 Speaker 1: good things to have. I mean, it's just something that 802 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:29,160 Speaker 1: I want to share more than it's about a criticism 803 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 1: or an evaluation of a whole place, And I just 804 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:34,840 Speaker 1: want to share it I feel like I have this 805 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:36,960 Speaker 1: great dumpling, you have to have it too. I have 806 00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:40,040 Speaker 1: this pancake, you have to have it too. And it's sublime. 807 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:46,560 Speaker 1: That was my old friend Deborah Clatter of Eat Quest NYC. 808 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:50,279 Speaker 1: She can source you a sturgeon and find you a 809 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:53,680 Speaker 1: food tour, but it's really all about that ineffable match 810 00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:58,520 Speaker 1: between human and table. This is Alec Baldwin and you're 811 00:39:58,560 --> 00:40:13,200 Speaker 1: listening to here's the thing to be f