1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to River Cafe Table for a production of iHeart 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Radio and Adam I Studios. 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 2: I mean, you've had quite a series of performers. I'm 4 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 2: honored even to be on your podcast. The sample tape 5 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 2: I get is Ray Fines doing the chocolate Nemesis. I'm like, 6 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 2: you know what, I just I'm going to give up now, you. 7 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 3: Know, never never, never, no, do the best. Michael Caine 8 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 3: was very, very sweet. It was very did I play 9 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 3: his actually anywhere in the world? And they have a 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 3: desserved which is my favorite? 11 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:42,639 Speaker 2: That is so good. That is good recipe you want 12 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: to make. Michael Caine is so rude. Oh no, now 13 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 2: you just played me, Michael Kine. How am I supposed 14 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 2: to this is? 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 3: Like? 16 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 2: How the hell am I supposed to do this? This is. 17 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 3: But you got to I'm notta sauce. 18 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: Maybe I should do an intro to it. Okay, I'll 19 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 2: do this. Then I'm Jake Jillenhall, and there is truly 20 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 2: nothing like Ruthie's slow cooked tomato sauce. So I'm going 21 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 2: to do my best here to give you a recipe 22 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 2: that will hopefully change your life and the life of 23 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 2: many people that you love. So here's slow cooked tomato 24 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 2: sauce very fast. Heat one to two tablespoons of the 25 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,960 Speaker 2: olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the garlic 26 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 2: until it is soft but not brown. Add the tomatoes 27 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,960 Speaker 2: with some sea salt and black pepper, and cook fiercely, 28 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: stirring constantly to prevent the tomatoes from sticking as they 29 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 2: break up. As they cook, the tomatoes will release their 30 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 2: juices when this liquid has evaporated. Add the remaining olive oil, 31 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: the basil or regino, and more seasoning if necessary. Serve hot. 32 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 3: So Jake, I think you were the first person that 33 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 3: I called when I had the idea of doing a recipe, 34 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,079 Speaker 3: reading a recipe from the River Cafe cookbook. Twenty five 35 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,279 Speaker 3: years of cookbooks and eleven books and so many recipes 36 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 3: that you could have chosen. You chose tomato sauce. I 37 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 3: know why, but maybe you could tell everyone else why 38 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 3: you chose. 39 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 2: Tomato sauce, because I think simple is the most difficult. 40 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 2: When you take just a few ingredients and you try 41 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: and cook with them, what comes through is the person 42 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 2: cooking them. Also, if you have the best ingredients, like 43 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 2: the ones that you showed me, how to make this 44 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 2: tomato sauce with or tomato sauce with, then you can't 45 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 2: mess it up. 46 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 3: I remember there was a time when Ruby, my granddaughter, 47 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 3: was I think about seven, and you made a little 48 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 3: She taught you how to make it. And food is 49 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 3: a connection, and it is a connection, and I think 50 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 3: that probably this pasta makes us feel close. 51 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 2: I always think of that moment whenever I'm taking the 52 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 2: two knives and a calendar and I'm slicing the can tomatoes. 53 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 2: It almost was her favorite part when she was instructing me. 54 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: And I always think of that moment because it's it's 55 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 2: essential to the recipe. It's really when you empty those 56 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 2: tomatoes into the calendar and you have to slice them 57 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 2: to get the first sort of first juices out of them. 58 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 2: And then over time, as they sawte they really do 59 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 2: turn into like a sugary glaze. And then how they 60 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 2: stick on to that pasta is like nothing else. 61 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 3: I was trying to think how we first met, and 62 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 3: I think that I met your sister, Maggie, maybe before 63 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 3: I met you, I can't remember, but I remember that 64 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 3: you have a brother and a sister who love food. 65 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 3: Where your parents obsessed with food, did they make sure 66 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 3: that you always ate. Did you have meals at the table? 67 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 3: What was it wasn't growing up with food in your house? 68 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 2: I would say rather honestly, that food was and meals 69 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 2: were the only thing that really worked in my family. 70 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 2: And by that I mean the only thing really without 71 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 2: a sort of drama or tumult, though it was full 72 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 2: of wonderful drama. And you know, us being all sort 73 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 2: of competitive and partial control freaks, you know, as it 74 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 2: is in a kitchen, you know, there's a lot of 75 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: nudging and bumping around and you know, don't do it 76 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 2: like this like that. But the dinner table, and particularly 77 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 2: the I would say the market, which my parents, since 78 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 2: I was a very young age, took us to, and 79 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 2: you know, that was an experience in itself. And I 80 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 2: remember my mom, you know, holding my hand and taking 81 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 2: me to the woman at the Hollywood Farmer's Market where 82 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 2: I grew up in Los Angeles, and she was the 83 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,039 Speaker 2: one who grew Japanese tomatoes and Japanese cucumbers, and we'd 84 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 2: always get sheis so, and then we'd move over to 85 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 2: the lettuce that she loved, and then citrus, and we 86 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 2: were always tasting things and in America in particular, that 87 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 2: is not so common, you know that experience. But so 88 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 2: from there, from the market and buying it from local 89 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 2: farmers and then knowing, you know, the beautiful thing you've bought, 90 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 2: and then cooking it in the kitchen. You know that 91 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: was the process. And then sitting down to the table, 92 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 2: you know that those are the things. You know they were. 93 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 2: My parents were always trying to tell stories of different 94 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,840 Speaker 2: kinds and really beautiful artists in their own ways. And 95 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:42,600 Speaker 2: then you know, my sister and I were performing at 96 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 2: a very young age, and I mean that also like 97 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 2: as actors and then personalities. But the thing that was pure, 98 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 2: the thing that was clear, at least to me, was 99 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 2: always the meal. 100 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 3: Was it your mother in the kitchen or your father? 101 00:05:58,720 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 3: Did you have someone cooked? 102 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 2: Did you both both? My mother was more of a 103 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 2: salads not much transference of heat. She was more of 104 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 2: a kind of antipasti cold kind of more person. Lettuces 105 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 2: and salads were specialty. And then my dad was more 106 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 2: of a sort of burn it roasted kind of guy. Yeah, 107 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 2: so he would always get lots of root vegetables and 108 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 2: carrots and potatoes and rosemary mushrooms. He was very close 109 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 2: to the mushroom man at the market. Yeah, I'd be 110 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 2: very close to him. I always remember going to the 111 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,679 Speaker 2: mushroom inn and getting all these sort of funky little 112 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,720 Speaker 2: mushrooms and he would then roast them with olive oil 113 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 2: and salt and you know, different nerves and things. But 114 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 2: they both cooked, and they both loved food. And they 115 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 2: always said to me, you know, if you and when 116 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 2: you make your own money, you know, if you're going 117 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 2: to spend money, anything should be a great meal. Yeah. 118 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 2: It was good advice, but not great advice. I would 119 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 2: probably say if you were to ask people closest to me, 120 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 2: I'm not always the most fun to be with in 121 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 2: the kitchen because I was. I did have my stent 122 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 2: in kitchens, you know, and I learned from professionals, and 123 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 2: it's a very tough place, a kitchen, you know. It 124 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 2: requires a particular type of focus and a sense of geography, 125 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 2: you know, like knowing small spaces and moving hot things. 126 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 2: And I think I might take it all a bit 127 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 2: too seriously. It's a general note for myself, but I 128 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 2: think that my sister likes it when I cook for her, 129 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 2: my nieces like it when I cook for them. I 130 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 2: love cooking for my nieces. I love asking them what 131 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 2: it is that everything that they want that to me, 132 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 2: like what is your favorite? What do you want me 133 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 2: to coming over? I'm going to bring you anything that 134 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 2: you want. We're going to cook it, you know, And 135 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 2: just the satisfaction of that is there's nothing like that too. 136 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 3: I always tell people work me, just say yes, no 137 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 3: somebody and we can and then at least you say yes, 138 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 3: and then I'll say no. But I thought it was 139 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 3: interesting you said you just had a stint. When did 140 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 3: you work in the kitchen? I should do that? What 141 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 3: kitchens did you work in? 142 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 2: Well? I worked in a few restaurants as a bus 143 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 2: boy for a while, and then I went and when 144 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 2: I was around sixteen seventeen, I started working as a 145 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:42,119 Speaker 2: Sioux chef, like very prep chef really for Marco Knora. 146 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 2: He runs a hearth and Broto is another. He had 147 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 2: a restaurant in Martha's Vineyard and Edgar Town there and 148 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 2: I was for a while really a prep chef for 149 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 2: him and did a buckets of lemon comfee for months. 150 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,719 Speaker 2: That was quite an experience. And then I did my 151 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 2: one of my oldest best friends from childhood cooked in 152 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 2: New York for a number of years, and I actually 153 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:15,839 Speaker 2: at times would join him in the kitchen when they 154 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 2: needed sort of extra hands here or there. They don't 155 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 2: have any You guys don't have any time. You know, 156 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 2: it's just all taken up. It's you know, from ten 157 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 2: am until midnight. You know, sometimes two in the morning, 158 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 2: you're all working, and so it's hard to have a 159 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 2: certain type of friendship and separate days off. So we 160 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 2: would spend our time. Sometimes i'd just joined the line, 161 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 2: and that was more in college. 162 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 3: But it's interesting because you also, I always think that 163 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 3: there is something well links between the theater with where 164 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 3: you were just describing the geography of the kitchen, and 165 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 3: I don't know what it's like to be on the stage, 166 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:55,319 Speaker 3: but there is very definitely a geography of the kitchen. 167 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 3: And I remember we have an open kitchen, as you know, 168 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 3: when we opened the kitchen completely, there were no walls 169 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 3: at all. Richard Air, director came and said, I said, 170 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 3: isn't this theatrical origin? And he said, well, I've been 171 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,960 Speaker 3: watching you, and actually I think it's more like ballet 172 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 3: because everybody's just moving. But I think that maybe the 173 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 3: reason a lot of actors like to work in restaurants. 174 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 3: Is there are parallels between theater and a restaurant. You know, 175 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:27,560 Speaker 3: everybody has to know their lines, and everybody has to 176 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 3: have made the part of the sauce. And if the 177 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 3: scenery has to be painted and the floor has to 178 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 3: be washed, and the curtain goes up, the curtain goes 179 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 3: up in a theater, and the curtain goes up in 180 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 3: a restaurant. 181 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 2: I think you could ask a lot of actors. They 182 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 2: would say a lot of times they started, you know, 183 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 2: in a restaurant. But I do think that there is 184 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 2: a theater to a restaurant. And I think what I 185 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 2: love so much about the theater is going to the 186 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 2: same place nightly, sometimes daily when you have a matinee, 187 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:58,319 Speaker 2: you know, if you have lunch service, it's the same thing. 188 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:02,080 Speaker 2: It's going to a matinee, you know. And I love 189 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 2: the preparatory sort of experience before that. I mean, well, 190 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 2: you know, you arrive. For me. What I love is 191 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 2: you arrive at the front of the back of the theater. 192 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 2: On Broadway in particular. You know, I love coming through 193 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 2: the front of the house as I head into the 194 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 2: back of that. I do it because there's that that 195 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 2: feeling of the front of the house with all the 196 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 2: ushers and everybody's preparing, you know, playbills or you know, 197 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 2: whatever the program is for the for the evening, and 198 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 2: then you know, if the theater has a bar, you 199 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:38,199 Speaker 2: know there's they're they're prepping the drinks and making sure 200 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 2: everything's in order and the cash registers in order, and 201 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,319 Speaker 2: you know they're you're walking through people who may be 202 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 2: picking up their tickets or ordering tickets first. You know, 203 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 2: you get a sense of the majesty of what the 204 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 2: audience walks through before they sit down, you know. And 205 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 2: I think it gives me, as a performer, an appreciation 206 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,319 Speaker 2: for every single night, though for us it may feel 207 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 2: sometimes monotonous and the same if you do two hundred, 208 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 2: two hundred and fifty five hundred performances, that you honor 209 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 2: the audience that arrives that night. That every audience is different, 210 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 2: and you do feel that once you're on stage, that 211 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 2: the energy from them is different. That some are a 212 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 2: wild ride. It is a wild ride. Some are very steady, 213 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 2: some are and they have their own personalities. But it's 214 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 2: something about walking through the front of the house to 215 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 2: the back of the house, oh man, that excitement. Oh 216 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 2: my gosh, nothing like that feeling, and it is it is. 217 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 2: I am so so grateful for it, and I feel 218 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 2: at home. I think that's what you know, home feels like. 219 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 3: Just describing that, I do very often before when we've 220 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:54,080 Speaker 3: all cleaned down and everything is ready, and you know 221 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 3: you're in the past and you have your sauces and 222 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 3: you've done the menu with the team, I often go 223 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 3: out the kitchen door down towards the river and I 224 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 3: walk around and I come in the front door and 225 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:06,679 Speaker 3: I do that, you know, I just come in the 226 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 3: front and thinking about just looking at the place and 227 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 3: feeling where everybody's going to be in about fifteen minutes time. 228 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 3: And it's the same with the audience. I can because 229 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 3: we have an open kitchen. I can look out there 230 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 3: and I could see somebody giving a taste of their 231 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:27,079 Speaker 3: food to their partner, and then you're looking at them 232 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 3: to see whether they're liking it. You can tell, you know, 233 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 3: or you see people having an intense conversation. And then 234 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 3: just the noise, the way the noise builds up. It's 235 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 3: quite quiet in the beginning, and. 236 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 2: You walk through those doors and the River Cafe, and 237 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 2: you feel that type of magic. And I also think 238 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 2: there's the process of going to a restaurant. It's not 239 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 2: even just the restaurant itself. It's the making of a 240 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:02,440 Speaker 2: reservation in the case of your restaurant, months in advance, minutes. 241 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 3: Come on, did you ever book a table? 242 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 2: But you know you got to you gotta make you 243 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 2: gotta make friends, real friends. But that idea of when 244 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 2: you decide to make a commitment to an experience, you know, 245 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 2: and the anticipation of that experience is part of the experience, 246 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 2: and then you know, I think that this very special 247 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 2: thing about the River Cafe is that when you're there, 248 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 2: your experience is never what you expect because you know 249 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 2: in one thing, one way. The menu always changes. So 250 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 2: you have your consistencies, you have your certain desserts that 251 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 2: you know will always be there, you have certain pieces 252 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 2: you know you can always ask or or look towards. 253 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 2: But then there's the unexpected. And I love that about 254 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 2: the experience and I do feel that way. If you're 255 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 2: going to compare theater to restaurants. In theater, that's what 256 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 2: I love about theaters. 257 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 3: Tell me about the what's that? What do you mean 258 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 3: that unexpectedness? 259 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 2: Well, you bring your life with you to the to 260 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 2: the theater every night, and your life obviously changes on 261 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 2: a daily, hourly, minute by minute basis, and so all 262 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 2: of the things that happen within your day, within your week, 263 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 2: be they joyous, be they tragic, they come to you, 264 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 2: with you to your work, and and there's a way 265 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 2: what I'm grateful for is the ability to express those 266 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 2: things through in a safe, sacred space, you know. And 267 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 2: then also things that happened with the audience. You know, 268 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 2: the last show that I did, you know, I was 269 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 2: an open monologue with the audience, and so they really 270 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 2: had the ability to we at least sort of implied 271 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 2: that they could speak to us, you know, in a way. 272 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 3: What was that like? 273 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 2: Magical and sometimes disturbing. You know, the piece that I 274 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 2: did was very emotional piece and about birth and death, 275 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 2: and and there was this really amazing moment that would 276 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 2: happen if it happened every night, where I would feel, 277 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 2: as you're speaking to an audience, they would click in 278 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 2: and then they would ride their own imagination and all 279 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 2: of the experiences they had in their own life with 280 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 2: losing someone, or with having a child or or you know, 281 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 2: all the things I was speaking about would begin to 282 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 2: emerge and then they would tell you where they wanted 283 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 2: you to go. It was it was that which Monolague 284 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 2: was that monologue I did called there are two of them. 285 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 2: One was called Seawall and the other one was called 286 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 2: A Life that I did A Life, and Tom Sturge 287 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 2: one factor. Tom Sturge did Seawall, and we did them 288 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 2: as an evening pretty much all of the year before 289 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 2: this worldwide pandemic began, and we spent the year first 290 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 2: of the Public Theater and then we moved it to Broadway. 291 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 2: But in that in that space, that's what was is 292 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:06,399 Speaker 2: really really incredible. You know, people weeping sometimes, people getting 293 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 2: up and walking out, got walking out, you know, and 294 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 2: because you can see those things, because you were facing 295 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 2: the audience, it was unlike any other experience I've ever 296 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 2: had in my work. 297 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 3: It's interesting how when we opened the River Cafe after 298 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 3: the first lockdown, people came and cried, you know, people 299 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 3: were very emotional just being in a restaurant, being with 300 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 3: people again. And if you ask waiters, it's interesting that 301 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 3: they will tell you that people do cry and in 302 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 3: the restaurant, you know that there as you're saying, what 303 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 3: do you do in a restaurant? What do you do 304 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:42,360 Speaker 3: opening up? And it is quite emotional, and I think 305 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 3: we really have missed that contact of people being together 306 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 3: someone who loves food so much. Have you had to diet? 307 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 3: I mean, have you had to lose weight for a part? Oh? 308 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I have. I have done that, and you know, 309 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 2: it depends. Sometimes I find that you're satisfied in different ways. 310 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 2: You know, for instance, you know, if you have a 311 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 2: goal for a movie and you know that that goal 312 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 2: is going to be a part of telling the story, 313 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 2: you know, you constantly have that to go back to. 314 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 2: I did this film Nightcrawler. I lost to you know, 315 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 2: close to thirty pounds or so, and then doing it, 316 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 2: I supplemented certain things sometimes with running, you know, I'd 317 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 2: run a lot, and then I learned different safer processes 318 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 2: of eating and being able to to lose weight, like 319 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 2: you know, giving yourself proteins and it's possible too. You know, 320 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 2: I was kind of like I was doing it safely, 321 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:53,920 Speaker 2: but you know, I didn't really have all the knowledge. 322 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 2: I've learned that over the years, though, I think more 323 00:18:56,480 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 2: and more for someone who loves food, your take making 324 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 2: not only the food out of your life. You're taking 325 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 2: the experience of being with people because you know you 326 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 2: can go and I would at times I would when 327 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 2: I was preparing for that film in particular, I would 328 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 2: go to dinner with friends and I would, you know, 329 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 2: drink a glass of water something like that. But you 330 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,919 Speaker 2: realize that oftentimes you'd say you can't go to dinner, 331 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 2: and you're missing out on that more than anything. What 332 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:30,399 Speaker 2: I realize is not just really the food, it's really 333 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:32,959 Speaker 2: the connection with the people that I'm missing out on. 334 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:36,160 Speaker 2: And and it helped from the character at the time 335 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 2: because he was he was a very lonely man, and 336 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 2: all those things I could use knowing that I had 337 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 2: a space to use them in. And if it's for 338 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 2: something that you know, you you really do believe in that, 339 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 2: it's for sort of the the expression of something that 340 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 2: I'm now very proud of. You know that that was worthwhile. 341 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 2: I think it becomes confusing when it's other things. 342 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 3: And then thing I just wanted to ask you is 343 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 3: when because for me, when I go to a city, 344 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 3: I always head for the market. You know, if I 345 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 3: saw you and as you said, you've been to Spain, 346 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:13,440 Speaker 3: I probably would have said, oh, you know, did you 347 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 3: did you go to the product? Did you go? 348 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:16,680 Speaker 2: What did you eat? 349 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 3: You know, we might say what we pretend to first, 350 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 3: to ask what museums or what you don't do, but 351 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 3: really what we want to know is the story, because 352 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:25,959 Speaker 3: we love stories, don't we. We love a story. And 353 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 3: you might tell me how you found a restaurant in 354 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,880 Speaker 3: some dark alley, or you met somebody and they took 355 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,160 Speaker 3: you to a you know, a place by the beach. 356 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 3: Is your curiosity for restaurants wherever you are or food 357 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 3: wherever you are? Do you want to know the food? 358 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 2: The only thing that matters to me. It is the 359 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:50,040 Speaker 2: only thing that that day I didn't have no other interests. 360 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 2: It's like when I when I think of going to 361 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:58,919 Speaker 2: a city, that's the first thing I always and you know, 362 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 2: you know, as insufferable as my friends can say that 363 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,400 Speaker 2: I am, the one thing they cannot deny is that 364 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 2: they will always go to a great meal with me 365 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:11,439 Speaker 2: in whatever city we're in. 366 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 3: That that's that's that's good. 367 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:16,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, And it's also not like I'm not 368 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 2: that Like I actually had a dream the other night 369 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 2: about that, about just being in an unknown small town 370 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:24,919 Speaker 2: sort of in the middle of nowhere and going to 371 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:27,879 Speaker 2: the market, and you went to the market to the 372 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:30,199 Speaker 2: marketing my dream. And when you said that, I was like, 373 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 2: it made me think, that's really where you you learn 374 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:35,679 Speaker 2: the most about where you are now. 375 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 3: It is if you're in Venice, you go to the fish. 376 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 3: If you're in a small town, you go to a 377 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 3: little place and there might be only four little stalls 378 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 3: in Venice. 379 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:47,359 Speaker 2: There's this incredible I'm sure maybe you know that that 380 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 2: black Redicio Tagletaliti that at this small restaurant. Yeah. Never, 381 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 2: I'm in Venice. I like that's where I go. I've 382 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 2: had a few films that I've gotten into the Venice 383 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 2: Film Festival. And as exciting as that is, it's not 384 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 2: as exciting as knowing I'll be able to go get 385 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:08,159 Speaker 2: that that. 386 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 3: I'm really here for many reasons. You might think I'm here, 387 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 3: but I'm. 388 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 2: Really Sadly, I've just admitted that my deepest truth. Yeah, 389 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 2: that is it. Well, it's good, it's not sad at all. 390 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 2: You know to me with you are connection, the fact 391 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 2: that you are so endlessly supportive of your friends, and 392 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 2: you are an open heart and have given me confidence 393 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 2: to do things in my life and my work. That 394 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 2: I wouldn't normally have had and you're cooking well, yes, 395 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 2: but just the thing that you gave me some cooked 396 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:48,959 Speaker 2: tomato sauce as a recipe, makes me want to strive 397 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,120 Speaker 2: for more. You know, you say, Okay, you can have it, 398 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:52,360 Speaker 2: but you got to earn it now. 399 00:22:52,880 --> 00:23:01,359 Speaker 3: I love you, Thank you, Jake. To visit the online 400 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 3: shop of the River Cafe, go to shop Therivercafe dot 401 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 3: co dot uk. 402 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,639 Speaker 1: River Cafe Table four is a production of iHeartRadio and 403 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 1: Adami Studios. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 404 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.