1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to River Cafe Table four, a production of iHeartRadio 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: and Adamized Studios. 3 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 2: I remember turning to you once and you said to me, well, Ruthie, 4 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 2: how many people do you employ? And I very proudly said, 5 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 2: I employ one hundred and ten people. Bob, how many 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 2: do you employ? 7 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 3: It? 8 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 2: He said, how many? 9 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 3: It was like two hundred thousand. 10 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 2: That's a lot. Say the name Bob Iger to me, 11 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 2: and I think of my good friend who cares passionately 12 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 2: about what he cooks, the vegetable garden outside his kitchen, 13 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 2: and what he feeds his children, grandchildren and the people 14 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 2: who work with him. Say the name Bob Iger, the 15 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 2: former CEO and chairman of the board of Disney, and 16 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 2: everyone will think of the man who acquired Pixar, Lucasfilms, 17 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: and Marvel, giving the world some of our most loved movies. 18 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 2: There is much more Bobby has done for Disney and 19 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 2: for us, and this is what we're going to talk 20 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 2: about today. 21 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 3: That was very involved in the food program at our parks, 22 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 3: and not only have we hired a lot of great chefs, 23 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 3: but we also have quite a wine program. We believe 24 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 3: we're the largest buyer in the largest cellar of wine 25 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 3: in the world, interestingly enough, which you wouldn't expect to 26 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 3: hear about Disney. This recipe is for pasta al lemone 27 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 3: two hundred and fifty grams of spaghetti, the juice of 28 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 3: three to four lemons, one hundred and fifty millilters of 29 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 3: olive oil, one hundred and fifty grams of parmesan cheese, 30 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 3: freshly grated, two handfuls of fresh basil leaves picked and chopped, 31 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 3: and finely grated lemon zest. Cook the spaghetti, then drained 32 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 3: thoroughly and returned to the saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk the lemon 33 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 3: juice with the olive oil, then stir in the parmesan. 34 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 3: It will melt into the mixture, making it thick and creamy. 35 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 3: Season and add more or less lemon juice to taste. 36 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 3: Add the sauce to the spaghetti and shake the pan 37 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 3: so that each strand of the pasta is coated with 38 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 3: the cheese. Stir in the chopped basil and a generous 39 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 3: amount of lemon zest. And there you have it, pasta. 40 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 3: I'll do my head. 41 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: Just hear you read it? Taste of summer, doesn't it? 42 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: You've just woken up. Haven't you this early? There we're 43 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 2: in different times, as have you had breakfast? 44 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 3: I did have breakfast, Jack, Okay, tell me about your breakfast. 45 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 3: I get up at four point fifteen in the morning, 46 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 3: so by six I'm starved. Yeah, And I'm a creature 47 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 3: of habit when it comes to breakfast. I always have 48 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 3: Greek yogurt and a nice portion of really good granola 49 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 3: and a cup of coffee every day of the week, 50 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 3: every week of the month, and every month of the year. 51 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:04,679 Speaker 2: I do think you have a routine. That sort of 52 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 2: lack of decision, you know, you wake up and let 53 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 2: you know that's what you're going to have, is quite 54 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 2: in a way comforting, isn't it that you just know 55 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 2: your days beginning in the same way. But I think 56 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 2: of you was such an inventions eater and a curious eater. 57 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: Did you going back to the beginning, begin at the beginning, 58 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 2: What was it like growing up in your house? Did 59 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 2: your parents cook? 60 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 3: Well? Interestingly enough, I live with my maternal grandmother and 61 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 3: my parents. My maternal grandmother lived with us, and she 62 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 3: was from the Old Country. Which country she was from Poland? 63 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 3: But she was a nice Jewish grandmother, so her go 64 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 3: to meals that are the most memorable were a pot 65 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 3: roast and stuffed cabbage were the two big ones. And 66 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 3: she liked to make mats of ball soup as well. 67 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 3: But she also made a mean apple pie. Interestingly, my mother, 68 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 3: who picked up some of her cooking abilities, was not 69 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 3: very adventuresome. And you know, in the nineteen fifties in 70 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 3: the United States, what was available was actually quite limited. 71 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 3: We didn't have access to great fresh produce, at least 72 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 3: not in New York and supermarkets even the big chains 73 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 3: didn't have great produce sections. I don't think you'd ever 74 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 3: get fresh basil, for instance, And so a lot of 75 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 3: what we ate were canned foods, canned peas and carrots 76 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 3: and canned green beans and what like. But adventurous cooking 77 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 3: was not my mother's middle name. She made some good desserts, 78 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 3: but that was about it. 79 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 2: Do you think that as an immigrant you bring the 80 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 2: food of your country, because a lot of people I've 81 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 2: spoken to, whether it's David Adjay talking about growing up 82 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: as a Ghanian in London, bringing that culture to the 83 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 2: society that you've moved in, which might be alien, might 84 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 2: be frightening, might be anything that the food that you 85 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 2: have is part of what you bring with you as 86 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 2: an immigrant. 87 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 3: Absolutely, I think you know you bring you know, a 88 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 3: good thick Eastern European accent and in a number of recipes. 89 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. So did she do the cooking in your house? 90 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 3: She shared the cooking with my mother, Yes, but but 91 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 3: cooked often. 92 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 2: And would you all sit down to a meal together? 93 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 2: Was that a big deal? 94 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 3: We did. She died when I was sixteen, but she 95 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 3: lived with me, you know, up until then, and she 96 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 3: was always part of our family meals. Yes. 97 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 2: What about your father? Did he cook? No? 98 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 3: My father wasn't much of a cook, although I remember 99 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 3: him making scrambled eggs from me on occasion in the morning. 100 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 3: And he liked to make a good Jewish deli sandwich, 101 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 3: you know, he'd buy meat from the local deli and 102 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 3: Cancot great sandwiches. But beyond that, no, he loved a 103 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 3: good hot dog Nathan's hot Dogs. Nathan's was the famous 104 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 3: Coney Island hot dog emporium, and he loved that. But 105 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 3: he wasn't much of a cook. He was a trumpet player, 106 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 3: not a cook. Would he perform, yes, he played occasionally 107 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 3: in the house. He had sort of lost his lip 108 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 3: by the time I was born. He had played some 109 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 3: professional trumpet in his day, but he took me to 110 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 3: jazz concerts. I grew up listening to jazz and some 111 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 3: great jazz players. I saw Louis Armstrong play, I saw 112 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 3: Duke Ellington, for instance, and that was a great influence 113 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 3: on my life. And music is a true love of 114 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 3: my life thanks to him. And his trumpet still sits 115 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 3: in my office at home, does it. 116 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, So you grew up with this, which I think 117 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 2: a lot of American as you say, Americans in the fifties. 118 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 2: So did you find food yourself when you went to 119 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 2: college or when you went. 120 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 3: To Interestingly enough, it started with a cookbook. My father 121 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 3: collected a lot of books, and for some reason we 122 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 3: had a Life magazine book Food and included the great 123 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 3: restaurants of the world in it at the time and 124 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 3: some recipes. And I decided to impress a college girlfriend 125 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 3: by cooking some Italian food for her, and I actually 126 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 3: loved it. And then when I went into New York 127 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 3: to begin work after college, I started cooking for myself 128 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 3: quite avidly, and I ended up taking a cooking class, 129 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 3: a number of lessons with a French woman of I 130 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 3: think Egyptian descent, and it was a Mediterranean cooking class, 131 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 3: and I fell in love with cooking. And then I 132 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 3: ended up in jobs working for ABC Sports that took 133 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 3: me around the world and that's when I first got 134 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 3: truly introduced to the world's food. 135 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, that exposure again, going to different cultures and saying it. 136 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 2: But back to the girlfriend, I want to go back 137 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 2: to that girl. Did cooking an Italian meal? 138 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 3: Firs? 139 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 2: Did that work? 140 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 3: Yes? By the way, I think it was rather basic. 141 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 2: Do you remember what you cooked? 142 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 3: Yes? It was. It was a pasta with vegetables, very basic. 143 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 3: But I made my own. I guess it was a 144 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 3: light tomato sauce. I remember making my own also for 145 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 3: the first time in impressing myself. But I think I 146 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 3: kind of used cooking as a means of presenting myself 147 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 3: as an attractive date to folks. I remember actually when 148 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 3: I met Willow, and I remember telling her that I cooked. 149 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 3: She said, you cook, and her eyes lit up. Suddenly. 150 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 3: I was far more attractive once you discovered that exactly. 151 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 2: And then when you started traveling, what was that like? 152 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 2: Where would you travel to when you were working? Then 153 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 2: you were explited. 154 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 3: I quite an amazing experience because I started working for 155 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 3: ABC Sports when I was twenty four years old and 156 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 3: I worked there for thirteen years, and I worked on 157 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 3: a program called Wide World of Sports, which covered sporting 158 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:44,959 Speaker 3: events all over the world in rather exotic places as well, 159 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 3: including you know, visiting Beijing in the late seventies, and 160 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 3: South Africa, and certainly all over Europe, but also Central 161 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 3: and Eastern Europe and then the then Soviet Bloc countries 162 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 3: as well, and Latin America. So it was almost no 163 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 3: place that I didn't visit. It was quite it was 164 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 3: quite amazing. And we lived well when we traveled, and 165 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 3: that's we ate well. And so you know, I remember 166 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 3: going to Tyvon in Paris, which I think business going 167 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 3: to by the way, but it was the thing to do. 168 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 3: And I remember the hotel to Perry in Monte Carlo 169 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 3: and trying to remember where I would be. Oh, I 170 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 3: remember there was a grill at the Connaught. 171 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, London. 172 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:34,079 Speaker 3: I remember having a steak there the grill at the hotel. 173 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 2: Cannon And did you keep cooking? 174 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 3: I cooked really until I became CEO of Disney, which 175 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 3: was in two thousand and five, and I and time 176 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 3: management became a little bit more challenging, much to my 177 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 3: wife's chagrin, but it's one of the things that I 178 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 3: look forward to doing, having the time to cook more. 179 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 3: And I love shopping for food too. I love going 180 00:09:54,520 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 3: to farmers' markets and discovering new things and tasting. I've 181 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 3: got guts to pick up a book and pick out 182 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 3: a recipe, you know, I'm trying to remember. I've cooked 183 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 3: from a few River Cafe books a few times. 184 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 2: Do you find it relaxing after working to cook? 185 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 3: Yes, I find it relaxing, incredibly therapeutic. And I must 186 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 3: have a glass of red wine open to sit from. 187 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,079 Speaker 3: And I like to listen to music, and I don't 188 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 3: like intrusions. I like to take over the kitchen. 189 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,680 Speaker 2: I get that. So it's a long way from the 190 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 2: cans of vegetables that you. 191 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:38,559 Speaker 3: Did. 192 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:40,959 Speaker 2: Your mother and father. Were they part of that explosion 193 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 2: of food for you? Did you cook for them when 194 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 2: they came to visit. 195 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 3: I did cook for them. I tried to be a 196 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 3: positive influence on them in terms of healthier eating, but 197 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 3: I failed at that. It's interesting because my dad and 198 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 3: mom both had heard conditions and bypass surgery in their 199 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 3: fifty at early fifties, and I could never quite understand how, 200 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 3: somehow I know that didn't change their diet afterwards. My father, 201 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,559 Speaker 3: I think, used to taunt me. We'd go to restaurants. 202 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 3: If I took them to an Italian restaurant and I 203 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 3: ordered the grilled salmon rocket, he would order spaghetti bolonnets, 204 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:22,959 Speaker 3: and then when the bread would come, he would wonder 205 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 3: why there was olive oil and not butter. 206 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, generational, But do you think about when you eat. 207 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 3: I'm a very healthy eater, mostly a Mediterranean diet, high 208 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 3: in seafood and low in carbs, although I allow myself 209 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 3: a good bowl of pasta every once in a while. 210 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 3: And a passion of mine is pizza. I've been trying 211 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 3: to hone my pizza making skills. We have a nice 212 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 3: pizza oven at the house, and so I've spent some 213 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 3: time doing that. 214 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 2: When you traveled, when you traveled for Disney later on, 215 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:58,840 Speaker 2: what was that like? Did people really try to give 216 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 2: you their culture through food? Yes? 217 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 3: First of all, it was always a priority of mine 218 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 3: when I visited a city to find a good restaurant, 219 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:09,959 Speaker 3: and over time, because I visited a number of cities 220 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 3: often for instance Shanghai, I visited Shanghai over forty times. 221 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 3: I always made it a point to have a nice 222 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 3: meal out and I typically like to do it with 223 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 3: a small group of people and enjoy a good bottle 224 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 3: of wine. And it was my way of relaxing when 225 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 3: I traveled and not being on just literally being able 226 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 3: to kick back a bit and enjoy a good meal. 227 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 3: And I love the food of the world, and so 228 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 3: it was always on my itinerary, and often I would 229 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 3: go back to ones that I'd fallen in love with, 230 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:45,079 Speaker 3: obviously River Cafe being at the top of the list. 231 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 2: I always say, when we go to a city, you know, 232 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 2: we try and find the market, because I think a 233 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 2: market tells you also about the culture. You know, if 234 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 2: you go to the rialto it's noisy in this fish. 235 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 2: You go to a small market in Nice, it's about 236 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 2: you know, the piece of basil and small bunches of salad. 237 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 2: And I think markets tell you and restaurants tell you. 238 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 2: Food really tells the story of a culture, doesn't it. 239 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 3: Yes, by the way, the market and Nissa it was 240 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 3: course a lea, I can't remember the name of it. Yeah, 241 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 3: it goes on for blocks and blocks. I remember, I 242 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 3: remember seeing more olives than I'd ever seen. 243 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:22,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. 244 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 3: That's a wonderful market. There are a few in Paris 245 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 3: too that I like and would visit. 246 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 2: What about the markets in La? 247 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 3: There are farmers' markets. Willow visits regularly. But we also 248 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 3: we have property in La that has allowed us to 249 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 3: plant quite a nice sized. 250 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 2: Garden, that's right. 251 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, and we grow a lot of citrus. We have 252 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 3: great lemons, including Meyer lemon and oranges of all sorts. 253 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:52,959 Speaker 3: But we also have a thriving garden and frequently vegetables 254 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 3: from our own garden, which is fun. 255 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 2: And what about when you're on the boat do you 256 00:13:58,559 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 2: put on the boat? 257 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 3: We're on our boat. I do no cooking. We have 258 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 3: a great chef and she spoiled us, but we are 259 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:10,200 Speaker 3: always interested in her shopping and provisioning, which she enjoys 260 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 3: a lot, and at times joined her to go to 261 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 3: a local market, which is fun, or to find great seafood, 262 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 3: you know, find. We were in Croatia this summer in 263 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 3: a town called Corchula, flying the streets looking for a 264 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 3: great fish, for instance. That's always fun too. 265 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 2: Tell them about wine. Did you study wine? 266 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 3: Yes? Yeah, it started when I worked at ABC, and 267 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 3: I lived in a building on the west side of 268 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 3: New York. At the corner of the street that my 269 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 3: building was on, there was a wine shop called sixty 270 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 3: seven Street Wines and Liquors. And I had time on 271 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 3: my hands as a single man in New York, and 272 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 3: one of the salesmen took a liking to me and 273 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 3: taught me a tremendous amount about wine and got me 274 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 3: interested in an early age, well before I could afford 275 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 3: a good bottle of wine. Years I've collected wine, and 276 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 3: I think I probably enjoyed it more than I've collected it, 277 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 3: but I collected. 278 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 2: Do you always have wine with food? 279 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 3: I very rarely have wine at lunch. I mean it's 280 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 3: got to be a very special occasion, although a good 281 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 3: glass of rose sitting outdoors at a cafe on the 282 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 3: Place de Votes in Paris that's licensed to have a 283 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 3: glass of wine. But at dinner. It's interesting because I 284 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 3: probably had wine maybe three or four times a week 285 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 3: pre pandemic. It's probably six times a week, since I 286 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 3: like a good glass of wine right before dinner and 287 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 3: one had a meal. 288 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 2: Do you work over a food? Do you go for 289 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 2: business lunches? 290 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 3: Somewhat? I probably pre pandemic. Would have two or three 291 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 3: business lunches a week, and the other days I eat 292 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 3: at my desk and get work done. And I shunned 293 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 3: business dinners, but that was mostly because I wanted to 294 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 3: be home having dinner with my family, and I never 295 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 3: believed that a business dinner was a prerequisite for being successful. Yeah, 296 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 3: but often I found both business lunches and dinners was 297 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 3: always an excuse to turn what could have been a 298 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 3: half hour meeting into it two an half hour meal, 299 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 3: and I didn't think that was a very efficient way 300 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 3: to manage time. 301 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 2: It's interesting how people use restaurants. I would say that, 302 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 2: you know, very often people do very private things in 303 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 2: a very public space, and sometimes people will use restaurants 304 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 2: to you know, fire someone, or to hire someone, or 305 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 2: to have a marital conflict, to see people crying in restaurants. 306 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 2: Not very many people crying the River Cafe. But what 307 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 2: do you look for in a restaurant? 308 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 3: Food is obviously critical quality of food. I like mood 309 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 3: or ambiyonce a lot. And you know, thinking about your restaurant, 310 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 3: what strikes me is that it takes it's food seriously, 311 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 3: very seriously, but it doesn't take itself seriously, so the 312 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 3: meaning it's not arrogant in any way. It's inviting, which 313 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 3: is great. I love that it's also but it has 314 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 3: a real professional feel to it too, and it is 315 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 3: the kind of place you do want to hang out 316 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 3: in and not just to enjoy the food, to take 317 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 3: it all in. And it's also a great crowd, great 318 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 3: people watching, and I've also fought it's a nice place 319 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 3: to have quiet celebrations. 320 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, celebrations. The way people are at a restaurant does 321 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,119 Speaker 2: tell you about the person, do you agree. 322 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 3: How they treat the people who are serving them is 323 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 3: very telling, and also the degree to which they appreciate 324 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 3: what they're being served. Yeah, that's very true. By the way, 325 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 3: I fell in love, I fell in love with my 326 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 3: wife over dinner. 327 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,200 Speaker 2: Did you tell me about it? But that's the story. 328 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 3: We had run into one another at an event in 329 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 3: New York and a variety of complicated circumstances. It took 330 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 3: us eighteen months to have the first dinner. Eighteen months, 331 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 3: which is extraordinary. 332 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:10,440 Speaker 2: That's a lot of patience. 333 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:12,919 Speaker 3: Yeah, but for both of us. And there I was 334 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:16,160 Speaker 3: thinking about this woman that I had met eighteen months ago, 335 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:17,920 Speaker 3: trying to figure out where to take her to dinner, 336 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 3: and we went to a restaurant called Allison on Dominic. 337 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:25,360 Speaker 3: Dominic is the street in downtown New York, which was 338 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 3: not only a really good food but quite romantic. And 339 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 3: that was our first official date, June thirteenth, nineteen ninety four. 340 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 3: We still we celebrate the anniversary of that date more 341 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 3: than we celebrate our wedding anniversary. And I mean, she 342 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 3: claims that she knew that night over a good meal 343 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 3: at Allison on Dominic. I think I probably did too, 344 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 3: But it was the beginning of a great romance. And 345 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 3: now twenty five years. 346 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 2: Of marriage, is the restaurant still there. 347 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 3: No, the restaurant is not there, but we've carried on 348 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 3: a tradition of having dates since then. I think one 349 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 3: of the nicest parts of my life, and there are many, 350 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:12,679 Speaker 3: is just being able to go out to dinner alone 351 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 3: with my wife. If I know that I'm doing that, 352 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 3: I look forward to it all week. It's one of 353 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:20,919 Speaker 3: the things I missed the most out of from the 354 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 3: pandemic is my dates with my wife's. Occasionally we bring 355 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 3: food into the house and tell our son or our 356 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:31,679 Speaker 3: sons were going down to We have another building on 357 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:38,960 Speaker 3: our property to have dinner just to escape. In the 358 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,919 Speaker 3: graduation speech that I just delivered at the University of Texas, 359 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 3: which is where our older son graduated, I talked about 360 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 3: being bold and getting out there and changing the world, 361 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,400 Speaker 3: because there's certainly so much that needs changing and fixing. 362 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:56,640 Speaker 3: But I also talked about embracing life and my equivalent 363 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 3: of smelling the roses, which is truly appreciating every moment 364 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 3: of your life. Life is savoring great pizza. So I 365 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 3: put that into my speech because I do love pizza. 366 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 3: That is my go to comfort food. 367 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 2: I was just going to ask you tell me about pizza. 368 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:17,719 Speaker 3: A good marguerita pizza I don't need. It doesn't need 369 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 3: to be fancy. It can be very very basic. But 370 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,360 Speaker 3: I'd say, if I can only have one meal, that's 371 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 3: what it would be. But I talked in the speech 372 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 3: about savoring the finer things in life, including friendships and 373 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 3: relationships of course, but a great piece of pizza. 374 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 2: Well on that we can end a really lovely conversation 375 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 2: about fact of connection and memories our friendship, and let's 376 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 2: have more meals together and I'll make you a pizza 377 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 2: the next time you come to the River Cafe. To 378 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 2: visit the online shop of the River Cafe. Go to 379 00:20:57,440 --> 00:20:59,479 Speaker 2: shop Therivercafe dot co. 380 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 1: River Cafe Table four is a production of iHeartRadio and 381 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: Adamized Studios. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 382 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.