1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: When you look at food TV today, I think having 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: a background in gymnastics may be useful, so, you know, 3 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: being able to run around and overcome all kinds of 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: physical challenges cook in a very short timeline seems to 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: be a very helpful skill. 6 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 2: Welcome to off the Cup, my anti anxiety antidote. As 7 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 2: many of you know, I am a fan of reality television, 8 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 2: not all reality television, but certainly anything that's on Bravo. 9 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 2: Well before The Real Housewives, we were watching things like 10 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 2: Survivor and Big Brother, and for a brief period, every 11 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 2: Sunday night, my friend Lisa and I would watch The Restaurant. 12 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: We lived in New York City and here was this 13 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 2: new reality show about opening and running a restaurant in 14 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 2: Flat Iron. We were Food Network junkies as well, so 15 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: we were very aware of its star. When the restaurant 16 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 2: at twenty seconds Street finally opened, I am not ashamed 17 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 2: to say she and I went several times. You could 18 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 2: call us stalkers, in hopes of catching a glimpse of 19 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 2: him or his mother, who didn't care did not care 20 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 2: either one either one. We never did. But I'm thrilled 21 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 2: to have him on the podcast today. All these years later, 22 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 2: Roco de Spirito welcomed to off the cup. 23 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 3: Thank you for having me, And none of that is true, 24 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 3: is it? 25 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: That's all one hundred percent wow. 26 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 3: And you never called me or my mom. 27 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 2: Now I think we might have seen your mom in 28 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 2: the back. But it became our mission and it was 29 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: so fun because it was such It was such an era. 30 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,759 Speaker 2: It was post nine to eleven, which had really rattled us, 31 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 2: and boy did we need this escape. And I know 32 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 2: that chapter of your career wasn't like without its issues, 33 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 2: but for us it was everything. It was this combination 34 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 2: of everything we were into at the time, restaurants and 35 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 2: reality and you know New York. I mean, it was 36 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 2: really a moment. 37 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for reminding me. 38 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: It was definitely a great time. Nine to love It 39 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: informed that decision quite a bit. 40 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 2: Oh tell me. 41 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: You know, I remember being so serious about the restaurant business, 42 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 1: and then nine to eleven happened and we barely were 43 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: able to scrape up everything and put the restaurant back 44 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: together after many, many months, and I remember this offer 45 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: coming along and thinking, you know, I think the world 46 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 1: almost ended a few months ago. Why not just see 47 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: what this is like for a change. You know, I'd 48 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: been a very serious chef for so many years, for 49 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: so many years working under the great chefs of New York. 50 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 1: And I don't know if you were aware, if you 51 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: were a fan of Food Network, you might have gotten 52 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: a glimpse. But back then, working for you know, the Danielle's, 53 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: all of the Danielle's and the Blais and the David's 54 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: and the John George's was you know, basically like going 55 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: to military training camps. I bet you had to really 56 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: be very serious. You had to be very sharp, you 57 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: had to operate on very little sleep. 58 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 3: No. 59 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 2: I remember that time and going to restaurants, which is 60 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 2: my all time favorite thing to do. It was at 61 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 2: such a heyday in the in the like two thousands, 62 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: because for me, like I wasn't clubbing. I wanted a 63 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 2: table at Balthazar or Tao or Budacon or Sushisemba or 64 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 2: lore Fish Bar, like these were the places you had 65 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 2: to go at that time, and it's all that mattered 66 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 2: to me. We were restaurant hopping because that was what 67 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 2: you did. And it was such an era. And I 68 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 2: was at four Seasons and I went to Danielle was. 69 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,079 Speaker 1: Fun and so entertaining, and there was always so many 70 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: people out. Do you remember you could go to Balthazar 71 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: at two three in the morning and order a three level. 72 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 3: Plateau of seafood. Oh I didn't. How fun is that? 73 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 2: It was so fun? And you're right, after nine to eleven, 74 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: we were all really traumatized. If you lived in the city. 75 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: It wasn't just that day, it was everything after. It 76 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 2: felt you know, getting on the subway, getting in an 77 00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 2: air going to an airport, you know, crossing a bridge 78 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: from Manhattan. You know, everything was so fraught and it 79 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 2: felt like danger was around every corner. And for us, 80 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 2: going out to a restaurant was actually an act of 81 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 2: defiance and community and sort of reclaiming our town. And 82 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 2: you were a big part of that, all you know, 83 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 2: those restaurants and that that chapter that that was a 84 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 2: big part of that of that moment. 85 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: I'd like to think we were part of the healing process. 86 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: We all definitely you know, swept the ashes aside and 87 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: literally and metaphorically and put together our teams and you know, 88 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: for the people who lost people, you know, yeah, they 89 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: rebuilt their teams and getting open again was very, very important, 90 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: and you know, there was a flood of people coming in, 91 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: you know, every night to look for a little community 92 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: and a little humanity and a little love, and you know, 93 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 1: in the service and the other diners. 94 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 3: And I think you're right, that was a heyday for 95 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 3: New York. 96 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: And in terms of the restaurant community, the people that 97 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: worked in that community back then very serious and also 98 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: you know, very fun. When I say serious, you have 99 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: to remember, this is one of the most fun business 100 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,359 Speaker 1: there is, you know, and I'm sure you understand that, 101 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: and that's probably why you love it. 102 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, I did. We have a lot of fun. We 103 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 3: eat well, we drink, you know, we're out late. 104 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 1: So when I say serious, I'm talking about the daytime work, 105 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 1: you know, and you're prepping. And I think it was, 106 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: you know, largely due to the institutions like the ones 107 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: that all the Danielle's run. And you know what I'm 108 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: talking about when I say that, right, there was a 109 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: time where there were three Danielle's running, you know, the 110 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: entire Fine Doty establishment in New York. And I give 111 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: them a lot of credit for getting people out and back, 112 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: you know, back into the swing of things. 113 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you know, shows like sex and the city 114 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 2: also played a huge role in that and putting those 115 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 2: restaurants on camera, sure, and making you know, driving people 116 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 2: back to them. But before nine to eleven, but especially 117 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 2: after nine to eleven of became everyone's job to revitalize 118 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 2: the city. 119 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure, it was great. That's when Giuliani was 120 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 3: a great mayor. Remember there was a moment. 121 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 2: Where when he was a normal guy, like when he 122 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 2: was like. 123 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 3: So, I'm not sure if he was ever a normal guy, 124 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 3: but maybe he was. 125 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 2: Maybe we were all fooled because he's a fucking weirdo now, 126 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 2: and you know he was. He was great in that moment. 127 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 3: For sure. For sure we needed that. 128 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 2: But I can't even I can't even reconcile that Rudy 129 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 2: and this Rudy. But yeah, you had you had Union 130 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 2: Pacific at the time, already before Rocos. On twenty second, 131 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 2: how much of opening Rocos was about opening a restaurant? 132 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 2: How much was it about doing a television show? Like 133 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 2: what you know, how was this presented to you or 134 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 2: how did you think about it? 135 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 3: Easy, easy answer. 136 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: Rocos was a restaurant way before it was television show. Conceptually, Uh, 137 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: television show came came squarely after the concept of Rocos 138 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: was put together, I'd been hoping to you know, you 139 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: know what happened in my mid to late thirties, I 140 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: sort of was able to shed my ethnic self loathing 141 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: and realized that my Italian you know, parents and grandparents 142 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: and aunts and uncles who still couldn't speak English, were 143 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: really the best best thing in my life, and their 144 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: lifestyles were something to absolutely emulate and re engage with. 145 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 3: And I thought one of the you know. 146 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: As a chef does, one of the best ways to 147 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: do and to honor that is to open a restaurant, 148 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: you know, with that celebrates that lifestyle and that food. 149 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: And that was the concept that it was, and it 150 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: was in the works for many, many years, you know, 151 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: probably five to eight years, and then at the end 152 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: of that path, at the end of the process of 153 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: finding a partner, Ben Silverman came along and you know, 154 00:07:55,120 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: suggested this show, and it helped accelerate and close the 155 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: loop on all the deals that were you know, in 156 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: the works to get that restaurant open. So in many 157 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: ways it really helped concretize the concept and getting get 158 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 1: the restaurant open. But I wanted to do that for 159 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: a long time, I'd been pretty self conscious about how 160 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: serious Union Pacific was and how expensive it was, and 161 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: I guess I felt I had a little bandwidth. Never 162 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: make that mistake. By the way, no one ever has 163 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: more bandwidth. There is no bandwidth to be had anywhere. 164 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: I thought I had a little bandwidth. I you know, 165 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: looking back, I had an incredibly talented group of people 166 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: that were working with me. Any one of those people 167 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: could now run an empire of restaurants, and so with 168 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 1: that blessing, I figured, you know, we could do we 169 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: could do more. And there were a couple of chefs 170 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,319 Speaker 1: working with me who wanted to do more but didn't 171 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: want to do something as serious, and everybody loves Italian food. 172 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, and my mom wanted to work. She wanted to 173 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 3: get get into the restaurants. She was so crazy. 174 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: I don't know why she would wanted to do more, 175 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: but she loved coming to work every day. So, you know, 176 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: for all those reasons, Rocos happened, and the show is 177 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: like just a almost after the fact kind of Okay, 178 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: let's throw this on top of everything and see what happens. 179 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 2: So, at some point in your early career, did someone 180 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 2: say to you like, you're young, telegenic, you're cute, like 181 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 2: you should be on television. You should not just be 182 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 2: in the kitchen. 183 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 3: No one's ever said that to me, but thank you 184 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 3: for saying that. 185 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 2: I'm just wondering how it happened. 186 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,719 Speaker 1: It happened, I was, I was right, No, I you know, 187 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: the television television stuff happened very organically. 188 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 3: Back then. 189 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: Food Network was a very serious place. Also, they were 190 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 1: celebrating the culinary art. 191 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 3: Right, can remember when. 192 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: Bravo was a serious channel, yep, And that we were 193 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: celebrating the arts and culture and Food Network I think 194 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,079 Speaker 1: aspired to be like that too, And so they tapped 195 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:56,959 Speaker 1: a lot of serious chefs in New York to go 196 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: do real demos and real cooking, and I would appear 197 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: as a guest on a bunch of shows quite often, 198 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: and little by little it turned into, you know, more 199 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: work on the network and more appearances on other people's 200 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: shows and occasionally in my own show. And you know, 201 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: I always thought it was because I was such a 202 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:18,320 Speaker 1: good chef. So I please, please don't change my mind 203 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: about that. 204 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 3: I won't. 205 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 2: I won't. Yeah, I'm sure, like everything else, it's a 206 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 2: combination of things because there's a you know, not everyone 207 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 2: who's good at something in real life is good at 208 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 2: it on television. Not everyone who's you know, I mean 209 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 2: there's a lot that goes into you know, I make television. 210 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 3: Yes, a lot that goes into it, for sure. 211 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 2: And you were what someone would call the full package. 212 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 2: I'm sure. And that's not to take away from your 213 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 2: cooking skills, but you know, we have to be honest 214 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 2: about how this all happens. You need to also be 215 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 2: able to talk on television and compel people to watch, 216 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 2: and you you had all of that. And as you mentioned, 217 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 2: there were a lot of like really popping TV chefs then, 218 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 2: and we've had some of them on the podcast. Was anyone, though, 219 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 2: I can't remember, was anyone doing reality the way you 220 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 2: were doing it with the restaurant. 221 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: Well, certainly Mark Burnett was. He was producing, you know, 222 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: the two biggest realities goes out there at the time. 223 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:19,679 Speaker 3: Yep. But certainly there were no restaurants. 224 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 2: That's what I mean. There no other chef was like 225 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 2: opening a restaurant on camera, sharing you know, it's staff 226 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 2: on camera. 227 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:27,320 Speaker 3: I don't think so. 228 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 1: I think I think maybe Gordon was doing something called 229 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: boiling Foyt. I can't remember that was before or after, 230 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 1: but it was sort of a reality kind of take 231 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: on running a restaurant. I don't remember it was opening 232 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 1: a restaurant or not, but no, I think that was 233 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 1: a pretty original idea by Mark Burnett, and you know, 234 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,440 Speaker 1: first of its kind, it was. It turned into what 235 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: everybody seemed to have learned, including NBCs, is that without 236 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: a format, it can, you know, it can get a 237 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: little unmanageable. 238 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 3: So it turned into Top Chef. 239 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: Is far as I understand the story that Top Chef 240 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 1: is the result of understanding wow, TV can play on 241 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: network television, but I think we need a form, pat 242 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: So it isn't you know, shooting eighty to one and 243 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: spending gazillions. I can only imagine what they spent back then, 244 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: because your cameras were expensive back then, remember when cameras 245 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: were right right, You may not remember, you might, I do, 246 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 1: I'll be too young for that, but cameras were very 247 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:27,840 Speaker 1: expensive back then, and people holding cameras were very expensive. 248 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,199 Speaker 1: Now it all seems so inexpensive and easy to do now, 249 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: right well, and it's. 250 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 2: The least of our concerns right now in TV. But 251 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 2: you're right, because the food the Food Network's so different 252 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 2: now and it's it's like mostly competition shows, which are 253 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 2: super fun and I watch them, but like the cooking 254 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 2: shows are are few and far between, and I know 255 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 2: a lot of chefs complain like there's nowhere to just 256 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,559 Speaker 2: go and watch really good yeah cooking and some of 257 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 2: the food destination shows, which I were like, were some 258 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 2: of my favorite. 259 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 3: Yeah. 260 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I think all the food shows have gone 261 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,959 Speaker 1: from eighty percent you know, cra in culinary arts, twenty 262 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: percent personality to the flip you know, to eighty percent 263 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,599 Speaker 1: personalities riven in twenty percent culinary arts and cuisine. 264 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 2: Is that a good thing? Is it a bad thing? 265 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 2: Where do you put that? 266 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 3: I don't know. I know it seems to be what 267 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 3: people want. 268 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,319 Speaker 1: I guess people are watching that what I am noticing 269 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 1: those If you look at what's happening in social media, 270 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 1: you know, YouTube, long form, short form, ig TikTok, there's 271 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: a lot of serious chefs on those channels, yeah, cooking 272 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: real foods. So I'm I'm so confused, and I really 273 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: don't have the data you might because you're in the 274 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 1: business every day. 275 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 3: I don't know what ultimately works. 276 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 1: I see the numbers of views on social media, and 277 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: I know some of those views are much higher than 278 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: what you know network television is getting. 279 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 3: So who knows? Who knows? Do you know? 280 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 2: No, we're your boss? 281 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 3: Does that CNN tell you this stuff there? No? 282 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 2: I mean no, We're all trying to figure this exact 283 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 2: thing out, like how are we competing with social media 284 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 2: and and streamers and everyone's cord cutting? And then layered 285 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 2: on top for us is the political aspect? Do we 286 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 2: navigate all of that? So no, everyone's trying to figure 287 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 2: this out, and it's a crazy time. 288 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 3: Can I go back and touch on something that you 289 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 3: said earlier? 290 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: Please, sorry to interrupt. You mentioned ability to speak on TV. 291 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: So there was a whole generation of us that had 292 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: no ability to speak on TV or even go out 293 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: into a dining room and say LO to a customer. 294 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: And so for that generation, there was this media training duo, 295 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: a husband and her wife team that were assigned to 296 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: each of us, and we all had to go through 297 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: this like pretty rigorous training considering you know how long 298 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: it took to get comfortable in front of a camera 299 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 1: back then. Now, I feel like you were just raised 300 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 1: in an environment where you're always on camera. So there 301 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 1: is no more that there's no more being uncomfortable from 302 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: the camera because everyone's always on camera, right. Yeah, So 303 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: there's lou Ekis and his wife media trained every chef 304 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: that you know that you think we're good on TV. 305 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 3: They all started out pretty bad. 306 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: On TV, and him and a wonderful woman named Nancy Banks, 307 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: who still teaches acting in LA helped a lot of 308 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: chefs get comfortable. It really was an interesting process back then. 309 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: But yeah, so I just thought it was funny because 310 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: you think that's amazing from your perspective, was a natural talent, 311 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: but it wasn't at all. 312 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 2: So it was cultivated and developed. I mean, if we 313 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 2: have that in my business, I've media trained politicians and okay, 314 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 2: some people media train the media to be better on camera. 315 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 2: We have that too, But that's wild. I had no 316 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 2: idea that that existed. What was media training? What did 317 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 2: it consist of? 318 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: They would wow, so many different things, but most of 319 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: it was just, you know, putting you on film and 320 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: forcing you to watch it, which you know is complete torture. 321 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 1: I know, are you one of those people that can't 322 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: watch yourself on it? 323 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 2: I hate it? 324 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, me too. Yeah. 325 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: So I never watched anything I'm in and they would 326 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: force you to do that, and they would just give 327 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: you notes and you know, get you to be more comfortable. 328 00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 3: And a lot of mock interviews. 329 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: Back then, Katie work was the host of The Today Show, 330 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 1: and Nancy would set up a room with you know, 331 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: Al and Katie and everyone and the three cameras, you know, 332 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: so that it was a replica basically the Today Show set, 333 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: and she would play Katie and you know, and I'd 334 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: have to do a demo and they'd record the whole 335 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: thing and then we'd analyze it all. 336 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 3: Doesn't it sound awful? 337 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 2: I mean, because it's not my business, it sounds really fine. 338 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 2: But I would I get, Oh yeah, I guess. 339 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 3: Well, let's do it. Let's do it together one day. 340 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: Let's let's do a mock Let's do a mock Today 341 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: Show interview and then be forced to watch it on 342 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: a big screen. 343 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 2: Oh thank you. 344 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 3: Sounds so much fun, like the best. 345 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 2: I want to talk more about your career, but I 346 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 2: always also like to ask what kind of kid were you? 347 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 2: Talk about who you are as little Roco? 348 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: Oh interesting, uh, pretty energy, very curious. I started cooking 349 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:06,919 Speaker 1: very young, so part of my little kid. You know, 350 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 1: Era was cooking and always loved cooking very much. You know, 351 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 1: absolutely captivated me and you know, stole my heart at 352 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: a young age, about eleven, I would say. So a 353 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:20,640 Speaker 1: big part of being kidd and growing up was being 354 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,160 Speaker 1: being a chef, but very attached. 355 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 3: To family, very attached to family. I was the kind 356 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 3: of kid that went to Rosary society meetings with my 357 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:29,680 Speaker 3: mom and. 358 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 1: Said the whole entire rosary. Can you imagine ask it 359 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: to do that? 360 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:34,160 Speaker 3: Now? 361 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 1: Does anyone even know what a rosary is anymore? I 362 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: don't think so, but yeah, I think it's about sixty 363 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: Hail Mary's. So we'd stand there and hold a rosary 364 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: and every time you said a Hail Mary, you'd move 365 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 1: the bead one step over. 366 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 3: And you know I would do that with my mom. Yeah. 367 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 2: I went to Catholic school and I'm Italian. 368 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 3: Oh okay, good, good, okay God. 369 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 1: So you understand I was an altar boy, so, you know, 370 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: very sort of pious acting Catholic school kid, but also 371 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:06,480 Speaker 1: very curious and grow in a high energy in a 372 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 1: Jamaica Queen's environment, which is you know, inner city as 373 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: it gets and so lots of hyjiinks as well. 374 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 2: So you knew early and you went to college for hospitality, right, Yeah, 375 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 2: I knew really early. 376 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: I went to both cooking school and then management school 377 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: for hospitality. So I went to the CIA and then 378 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: Boston University. 379 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:30,159 Speaker 2: And I'm wondering, would you tell an aspiring chef today, 380 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,120 Speaker 2: go to college, go to culinary school, or just start 381 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 2: in a restaurant. What would you say? 382 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:40,120 Speaker 3: Watch YouTube? Watch from YouTube. Yeah, you can learn everything 383 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 3: that I begged people to teach me on YouTube. Now, 384 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 3: there was I did a cooking competition on NBC not 385 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 3: too long ago, and my competitor was a fourteen year 386 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 3: old kid and he was making ice cream in a 387 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:55,960 Speaker 3: kitchen aid with dry ice and you know, and like 388 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 3: employing eighteen different molecular strategies that you would have had 389 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,919 Speaker 3: to you know, live in Spain for six years and 390 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 3: begged for an Adrea to teach you, you know, these 391 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:08,160 Speaker 3: these skills. Yeah, back then. 392 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: I'm not that long ago, not that long, only twenty 393 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:14,639 Speaker 1: twenty five years ago. So you can learn everything you 394 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:15,639 Speaker 1: need to learn on YouTube. 395 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 3: And then of course you need to go work in 396 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,360 Speaker 3: a restaurant and get some practical skills. I don't I'm 397 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 3: not sure that you need to go to culinary school anymore, 398 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 3: although I. 399 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 1: Think it's a great thing to do, and it was 400 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: great for me. And it's a lot of education compressed 401 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: in a very small amount of time. So that's also good, 402 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 1: especially for chefs who want to really get out there 403 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 1: and cook. But you know, get a degree in finance, 404 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: get into pe, make a fortune, and then go learn 405 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 1: how to cook, and retire, i'd say, or some order. 406 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 3: That's probably the best way to do this career at 407 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 3: this point. 408 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, good advice. Right, So you're I think you're like 409 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 2: thirty one when you open your first restaurant. Is that right? 410 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 3: Sounds about right? Yeah, Well, how much. 411 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:58,680 Speaker 2: Didn't you know when you open your first restaurant? How much? 412 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 2: Looking back now, how much didn't you know? 413 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 1: I feel like, since you're in television, you probably relate 414 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 1: to this. But we wake up, chefs wake up every 415 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 1: day feeling like we don't know anything. So the restaurant 416 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: business is, you know, it's that it's that friend, that 417 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: person you're in love with that you're chasing your whole life, 418 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,439 Speaker 1: you know, trying to figure out what is gonna what's 419 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: what's it going to take today? This week to get 420 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,639 Speaker 1: them to pay attention to me. It's, you know, a 421 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 1: complicated business that's super dynamic, always changing. So you know, 422 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: I didn't know a lot then. I don't feel like 423 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 1: I know a lot today. You know, I think a 424 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 1: lot of it is instinct and guesswork, and we enjoy 425 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: that obviously, you know, not. 426 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 3: Uh it not being entirely data. 427 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:47,360 Speaker 1: Driven is kind of fun sometimes because for a creative 428 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:50,680 Speaker 1: that's fun. We use a lot more data today than 429 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: we ever have. We have, you know, all kinds of 430 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:57,679 Speaker 1: information broken down to very granular levels now on apps 431 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,639 Speaker 1: on our phone, something we didn't have then when I 432 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 1: opened my first restaurant. So we get to make a 433 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 1: lot more informed decisions. We get to see people canceling 434 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 1: their reservation when they cancel it in real time now, right, 435 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 1: we couldn't do back then. This is one of those 436 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,679 Speaker 1: businesses where and again I think it's a lot like 437 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 1: television where you just never really know enough. Yeah, and 438 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: there's no way to ever know f there's just no 439 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: way to master this well. 440 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 2: And it's changing so quickly, whether it's the technology or 441 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 2: the medium or the interactive experience, like it's always changing. 442 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 2: And so yeah, I totally get what you're saying. You're 443 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 2: always just trying to keep up and future proof and 444 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 2: predict the next thing totally exactly. 445 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 1: And the chefs who have you know, quote unquote mastered 446 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: it have always if you look at all of them, 447 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:48,479 Speaker 1: like I'll mention one of the Daniells again, him and 448 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:52,160 Speaker 1: so many like him, have been smart enough to find 449 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,480 Speaker 1: a partner very early on, you know, very early in 450 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 1: their career that they have been with for twenty thirty years, 451 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 1: that have supported them thick and thin, through recessions and 452 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: nine to eleven's and everything else, realizing that over time 453 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:09,680 Speaker 1: this will be a very fruitful endeavor, this will be 454 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 1: you know, a profitable experience, but it won't be today, 455 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 1: it won't be next week, you know, necessarily. And those 456 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: those other chefs who I think have you know, huge 457 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 1: restaurant empires now that seem very comfortable, and there's in 458 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 1: their settings, in their spaces and Danielle's you know, really 459 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 1: good example. Nobu obviously another great example, uh with a 460 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 1: you know, very famous partner who who discovered and stuck 461 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: by him all these years. So the one thing I've 462 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:42,199 Speaker 1: learned is that you know, enduring partnership is always a 463 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: good way to go. 464 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 2: I've asked ming Sivas the Bear do you watch? Does 465 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 2: it actually capture opening and running a restaurant in the 466 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 2: big city? 467 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 3: Oh? Well, I think it does quite a bit. 468 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think The Bear is a really good portrayal 469 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: of how things work in a restaurant. I think the characters, uh, 470 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 1: in many cases are very similar to real life chef characters. 471 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 1: You know, the angst and the psychological stuff and uh, 472 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:19,120 Speaker 1: the you know, desperation for excellence and the self doubt, 473 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: you know, all that is pretty pretty spot on. Also, 474 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: the the extreme humanity and pure love and joy that 475 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: exists in their hearts is is spot on too. And 476 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: that certainly that the difficulty of you know, opening and 477 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 1: running places is captured pretty well. There almost is never 478 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:38,640 Speaker 1: a situation where you open cans of tomatoes and find money, 479 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: though in real life that would be, you know, something 480 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:45,119 Speaker 1: that would be pretty wonderful. It would have to be 481 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: a couple of million dollars now, but you know, uh 482 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:50,360 Speaker 1: Ki Krmi did well with the what was it. 483 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 3: Two hundred grand? One hundred grand? 484 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, I did. 485 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,719 Speaker 1: But I like that there's you know, fictionalized versions of 486 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:57,919 Speaker 1: what we do now, not just the reality stuff and 487 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:00,639 Speaker 1: not just the competition team, because I think it's a 488 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 1: very rich world with rich characters and you know, yes, 489 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 1: lots of emotional content. It's it's it's it's perfect for 490 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: dramatized advertising. 491 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, what's your favorite, what's like the best movie about food? 492 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 3: Oh, It's a Big Night, that's my favorite. Big Night. Yeah. 493 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:22,120 Speaker 3: I mean, isn't it Isn't it just perfect? 494 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 2: It is perfection. I saw it with my mom when 495 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 2: I was like fifteen, at like a little movie theater 496 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 2: in Boston, and I was like, oh my god, this 497 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 2: is so good. 498 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:38,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, think about it. I mean they're two very passionate people. 499 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: They're immigrants there. You know, the restaurant is going to 500 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 1: be their salvation, right, They're they're hoping for this guy 501 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: to come in and make them, you know, important and relevant. 502 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:49,879 Speaker 3: They love to cook, they love to serve. I mean, 503 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 3: it's just beautiful. 504 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:54,120 Speaker 1: It's perfect, such a perfect little snapshot of what things 505 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: are like in our world. 506 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 2: It's so good and in a very similar and yet 507 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 2: disimilar way Stick Pizza, which is not really a food movie, 508 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:06,919 Speaker 2: but still that sort of beside story of waiting for 509 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:09,880 Speaker 2: the restaurant critic to come in and make this little 510 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,880 Speaker 2: mom and pop pizza shot famous. Like it was such 511 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:19,679 Speaker 2: a nice nostalgic, you know, way of showing that I 512 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:21,760 Speaker 2: love those, I can really relate to those. 513 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 1: I pitched one, a mockumentary of the food world to 514 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:30,440 Speaker 1: the waiting for Guffvin people, Yes years ago. 515 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:33,400 Speaker 3: Don't you think it's time for something like that? Yes? Yeah, 516 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 3: wouldn't that be great? Waiting for How have they not 517 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 3: done that? 518 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 2: Right? They did dog shows? 519 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:40,360 Speaker 3: I know you've done everything, folks. 520 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:43,360 Speaker 2: Singing, oh my gosh, and so what happened? Where'd that go? 521 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:44,280 Speaker 3: Nowhere? 522 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:46,600 Speaker 1: I just you know nowhere, Like you know how it is. 523 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 1: You got to keep pushing. I stopped pushing that. 524 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:51,199 Speaker 2: I do have to, I do how it is. I 525 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:55,920 Speaker 2: was pushing a mockumentary about the news for a while too, 526 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 2: and you know, I'll circle back around to it at 527 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:01,439 Speaker 2: some point, but you got to give it some space. 528 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:03,919 Speaker 3: And yeah, you know, you got to speak to David 529 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 3: what's his name? You gotta you got to meet him somewhere. 530 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 2: Who's David what's his name? 531 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: The guy who produced and directed all those spinals happed 532 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: all the way through. 533 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 2: To I only know like Christopher Guest is christ is 534 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:18,360 Speaker 2: that who? Yeah, that is number Rock. 535 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 1: Oh. 536 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 3: I would call him, but I gotta find Christopher guests 537 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:22,120 Speaker 3: now him down and talk to him. 538 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 2: We both do, We both do. We have two projects 539 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:28,879 Speaker 2: for him, you know, speaking about TV and I. I 540 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:33,399 Speaker 2: come from experience with this. There is a downside to 541 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 2: putting your real self on TV. What kinds of things 542 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,880 Speaker 2: did you experience that you know you could have lived. 543 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:46,199 Speaker 1: Without people noticing that I've gotten fat recently? Not a 544 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: great not one of those downside moments. Uh, yeah, let's 545 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:53,160 Speaker 1: see what else? Every time I post a video, someone 546 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:55,760 Speaker 1: has to remind me, Like, I'm pretty aware of that. 547 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:03,200 Speaker 3: You know, I feel bad enough as it is. It's crazy, right, people. 548 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,360 Speaker 1: Just pointing out every little, every little imperfection about your 549 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 1: life and your appearance and your hair and your teeth. 550 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,920 Speaker 2: Oh, totally. Yeah, it's not fun. That is not fun. 551 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 2: It comes with it, but it's not fun. 552 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:15,920 Speaker 3: Yeah. 553 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: There was, uh a couple of times where you know, 554 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 1: fiction and reality crossed each other's paths and created some 555 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 1: trouble for me that would have been totally avoidable had 556 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 1: I had not been on television. 557 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 3: You know, where one one path and. 558 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: The other they fed each other and fiction became reality 559 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:41,119 Speaker 1: and you know that kind of thing. Those moments are 560 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 1: a little are interesting. The thing about reality TV and 561 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 1: restaurants is people can come in, you know, to your 562 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 1: space while you're there working. So there's that additional. 563 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 3: Layer of right, you know, invasion, just the word invasion, Yeah, 564 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 3: that's the word. That's one of the words. Yeah, scarcity 565 00:27:59,320 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 3: of privacy. 566 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,919 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, because people, whether you're anti v or not, 567 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 2: you become a well known chef. People can come into 568 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:09,840 Speaker 2: your restaurant, right, which you want. But of course sure 569 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 2: there are some folks you would not want, and you 570 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,160 Speaker 2: don't get to say who comes in and who doesn't. 571 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:17,199 Speaker 2: You know, you don't always know. Yeah, I would imagine 572 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 2: that could feel a little scary sometimes. 573 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it's especially when there's you know, eighteen 574 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 1: camera crews shooting everything and turning into you know, the 575 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 1: next episode. But I do want to say that and 576 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: people know that, you know, it's mostly upside. It's it's 577 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 1: incredibly better than I imagine as a kid, when I was 578 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: a kid imagining being chef, I really could never have 579 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: been envisioned any of this happening, and I'm thrilled that 580 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 1: it happens. So yeah, there's a little little bit of, 581 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: you know, some price to pay for losing privacy, but 582 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 1: you know, if it's okay in the end, it's very, 583 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 1: very worth it. 584 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 3: The fact that we get people to appreciate what we. 585 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:01,360 Speaker 1: Do on a level that we do, it's just incredible, 586 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: Really is incredible, and I don't think anybody should lose sight 587 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: of that, especially those of us who remember what it 588 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 1: was like when we were still in the dark ages, 589 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: you know, when we were in the back and no 590 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: one knew who we were and we toiled away in anonymity. Anonymity, yes, 591 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 1: for decades. It's definitely a lot better than that. 592 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:37,720 Speaker 2: Do you think about having to stay relevant and whether 593 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,960 Speaker 2: that's on TV or just in food, do you feel 594 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 2: like that's something you have to keep constantly doing? Stay relevant? 595 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 3: You know? 596 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 2: I feel that way in my business. I have to, 597 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 2: you know, not only keep on top of the news 598 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 2: and have something to say about it, but I have 599 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 2: to keep presenting my reason for being here, you know. 600 00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 2: And I'm wondering if you you guys as celebrity chefs, 601 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 2: feel that way too. 602 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 1: I think we probably don't. I probably don't think about 603 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: it enough. I probably should think about it more. I 604 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: keep believing that this food and good food and creating 605 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: good stuff, whether it's in your restaurant or outside of 606 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:21,719 Speaker 1: your restaurant, is a form of relevance. But when you 607 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: look at food TV today, I think having a background 608 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:28,600 Speaker 1: in gymnastics may be useful, so, you know, being able 609 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 1: to run around and overcome all kinds of physical challenges 610 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: cook in a very short timeline seems to be a 611 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: very helpful skill. So maybe I should have put a 612 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 1: little more time into that kind of ninja competition stuff 613 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:44,480 Speaker 1: as a kid courses. Yeah, yeah, I probably should have 614 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 1: done the ABC Ninja show next, right, and then I 615 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: could have brought it all together and made like One Us, Yeah, 616 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: a big, beautiful competition reality show. But I don't think 617 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 1: about it enough. I'm gonna just say I don't think 618 00:30:57,600 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 1: about it enough. I think I need to think about 619 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:03,240 Speaker 1: it more. And clearly, the types of people who are 620 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 1: becoming chefs have changed, and so there probably is a 621 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 1: new type of, you know, ideal chef personality that I'm 622 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 1: sure we will all be replaced with soon. 623 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 2: Yeesh, bleak. But I totally relate, and we talk a 624 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 2: lot on this show about career arcs because at a 625 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 2: certain age, you're no longer at the beginning of your career. 626 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:26,480 Speaker 2: Maybe you're not even in the middle of your career, 627 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 2: and that can be hard to navigate psychologically and emotionally, 628 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 2: and so we talk about that. We talk about mental 629 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 2: health a lot on the show. I'm wondering what you 630 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 2: would say, What stage of your career are you in 631 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 2: right now? 632 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 3: I am approaching the memoir stage of my career. I think, 633 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:41,920 Speaker 3: love it. 634 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm in the extended version of my career. But 635 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 1: here's the thing about chefs and why we're different. We 636 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: cook till the day we die. We never stop cooking. 637 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 1: Our career and our work are basically the same thing. 638 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:58,400 Speaker 1: So we don't have our work that we do every 639 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 1: day and then think of our career is the separature. 640 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 3: You know. It's like I wake up and I cook eggs, 641 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 3: and that's my. 642 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: Career and my work and my job and my love 643 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: and my joy. 644 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,840 Speaker 3: So yeah, it's all wrapped up in one wonderful thing. 645 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 2: And it would be really weird if I got up 646 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 2: and no one was paying me, but I got up 647 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 2: and just like did the news in my bedroom, Like 648 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 2: that'd be weird. You're right, that's a different. You get 649 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 2: to do yours as long as you want. 650 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:24,440 Speaker 3: I think that would be fun. 651 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 1: But yeah, the chefs are different, right because we get 652 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,480 Speaker 1: to do what we love every day, and if we're lucky, 653 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 1: we get paid for it. And I really hope that 654 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 1: the newer chefs feel that joy from cooking too, because 655 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: there are many times where you know, the career part 656 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:40,239 Speaker 1: of it or the media part of it are not 657 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: going to be a you know, not going to be there, 658 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 1: and you have to love the work and the craft 659 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 1: itself has to deliver a lot of joy to your 660 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 1: body every day. And I still get Goose Holmes cooking. Still, 661 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: I still feel tremendous joy when I make something that 662 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: comes out well. And when I call my farmer friend 663 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 1: Hank and he picks tomatoes from me, it's a pinnacle 664 00:32:59,400 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 1: life moment. 665 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:00,479 Speaker 2: Yeah. 666 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 1: So the career part is an interesting conversation, but it's 667 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: not something. 668 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,960 Speaker 3: I'm dwelling on or worry about, you know. 669 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 1: I want to just keep cooking and whether that brings 670 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 1: me benefits in the new type of chef career that 671 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 1: exists now that didn't exist when I was a kid, 672 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 1: when chefs were not in the media and didn't write 673 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 1: books and didn't have, you know, six hundred projects working 674 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: at the same time, and didn't have restaurants in Saudi 675 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 1: Arabia and Japan, you know, when my life was simpler. 676 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:31,960 Speaker 1: So I can always go back to that very simple 677 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: chef life and be very happy. 678 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 3: So I'm not sure if that answers your question. But 679 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:36,960 Speaker 3: you know, obviously I'm in. 680 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 1: The later stages of my career, and whenever I worry 681 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 1: about it and I think about what that means, I 682 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 1: find immediate and deep comfort with the fact that I 683 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 1: can just do what I love to do, and that. 684 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:51,800 Speaker 3: Is my career. So I love that. 685 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 1: That's a very cool place to be, you know, a 686 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 1: very poor part of what's different about chefs. 687 00:33:58,440 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 2: Well, I love that, and I haven't thought of it 688 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 2: like that. I you know, I had an actor on 689 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 2: a couple of weeks ago, and I, you know, asked 690 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:06,960 Speaker 2: a similar question. He said, you know, I'm sixty five 691 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 2: and I feel like I'm just getting started, like I'm 692 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 2: just getting good at this, and he'd been doing it 693 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:14,400 Speaker 2: for yeah, forty years, So you just never know. And I, 694 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:18,640 Speaker 2: you know, it brings up a lot of it can 695 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:23,880 Speaker 2: bring up a lot of feelings. Uh sure, Yeah, you know, disorientation. 696 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:25,839 Speaker 1: And I talk about this with my therapist, just like 697 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 1: you know, I'm sure your actor friend did. 698 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 3: It's definitely a topic. 699 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:31,840 Speaker 1: But I think if you're lucky enough to have the 700 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:36,120 Speaker 1: craft embedded into your career. Yeah, you know, this actor 701 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:38,359 Speaker 1: friend of yours can go do you know? One man 702 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:40,479 Speaker 1: shows in Broadway and off Broadway, and. 703 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 2: That's what he's say. 704 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:42,560 Speaker 1: You can stand up in front of a craft and 705 00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:44,799 Speaker 1: deliver I'm hoolou and feel pretty good about his career. 706 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, that's exactly what he said. He loves doing 707 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 2: it so much. The accolades, the money, the fan like, 708 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,360 Speaker 2: that's so secondary and I completely understand that. 709 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:56,280 Speaker 1: And I do understand what your friend is saying because 710 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 1: acting and cooking are similar in that you need many, 711 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:03,440 Speaker 1: many years of experience to truly truly understand what you're doing. Yeah, 712 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:06,680 Speaker 1: there are days, you know, very recently where I feel 713 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:10,240 Speaker 1: like I could finally say, wow, I've really learned a lot. 714 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:13,040 Speaker 1: I can look at almost any ingredient and know what 715 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 1: to do. And you know that's after thirty years of cooking. 716 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:19,040 Speaker 2: So you mentioned therapy. I talk about therapy all the 717 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:20,359 Speaker 2: time too, because it's been. 718 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:22,760 Speaker 3: Big fan, big fan, Oh, me too, there's a therapy 719 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 3: more me or you. Let's guess. 720 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:28,600 Speaker 2: I mean I live for therapy. Therapy saved my life. Yes, 721 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:30,400 Speaker 2: it's still saving my life every week. 722 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 1: You know, it's the best thing ever can we do? 723 00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 1: If I've been a rant on therapy? 724 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:37,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, go, So that's the best part of therapy. 725 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 1: Well, the fact that there is a person who is 726 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:45,799 Speaker 1: trained to listen, understand help that doesn't have a personal agenda, 727 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:48,720 Speaker 1: that is enmeshed with your life. 728 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:49,879 Speaker 3: Think about that. 729 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:52,160 Speaker 1: There is no one in your life you're not your mom, 730 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:54,960 Speaker 1: not your dad, not your significant other, your best friend 731 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:58,279 Speaker 1: that won't have a personal agenda because of how their 732 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:02,800 Speaker 1: lives intertwined with their lives. So you'll never get objective, fully, 733 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,279 Speaker 1: you know, properly objective feedback. Even a therapist has a 734 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 1: little bit of an agenda and they're human and they can't, 735 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:10,879 Speaker 1: you know, help but to not be one hundred percent 736 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 1: objective all the time. But you know, your friend, your mom, 737 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 1: and your dad are always going to be subjective, and 738 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:18,560 Speaker 1: you need objective advice. You need people in your life 739 00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: who are trained, first of all, you know, smart of course, 740 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,799 Speaker 1: who have experienced, who understand, who have seen a lot 741 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 1: of people go through what you go through. Those are 742 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 1: the people who were really qualified to help you get 743 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: through these situations, and there's still stigma. What's up with 744 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:35,760 Speaker 1: the stigma, guys? I mean the therapists in second grade. 745 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:38,920 Speaker 1: I shed the stigma like in the seventies, and you know, 746 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: figured out that it wasn't worth worrying about. You know, 747 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:43,640 Speaker 1: I didn't know I was in therapy until I went 748 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:44,240 Speaker 1: to college. 749 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 2: What'd you think you were doing? 750 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:48,080 Speaker 3: I thought I was going to playgroup. Nice. 751 00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:50,880 Speaker 1: I thought it was playgroup, yeah, because because it started 752 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 1: out with a bunch of kids playing in a room 753 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 1: separate from the classroom, and then eventually it was just 754 00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 1: me playing in a room separate from the classroom. And 755 00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: then eventually there was no playing, it was just talking. 756 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,759 Speaker 1: And I didn't realize that, you know, had gone from 757 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:07,520 Speaker 1: basically a kid's playgroup to you know, real proper therapy 758 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 1: until I went to college and they said, are you 759 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:10,960 Speaker 1: in therapy? And I said no, And they said, well, 760 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:12,839 Speaker 1: we're looking at your records and it says you've been 761 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:14,520 Speaker 1: a therapy since nineteen seventy something. 762 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:16,760 Speaker 3: It was like, oh, that's what that was. Okay, Yeah, 763 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:18,440 Speaker 3: so I guess I've been a therapy anyway. 764 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:21,800 Speaker 1: I really enjoy I look forward to talking to my therapists. 765 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:24,959 Speaker 1: And if you're a person out there who's thinking maybe 766 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:28,160 Speaker 1: a therapist can help me, absolutely they can help you, 767 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:29,880 Speaker 1: you know, And it takes time to find the right person. 768 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:31,799 Speaker 3: You go through a few people. 769 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:34,759 Speaker 1: And that's okay, and that's okay, and you can take 770 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:37,960 Speaker 1: breaks and you can you can do it five days 771 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:39,680 Speaker 1: a week if you want, once a month, once a 772 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:40,720 Speaker 1: year anyway. 773 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:43,480 Speaker 2: Absolutely, And I appreciate. 774 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:45,520 Speaker 3: My endorsement for therapy. The profession is over. No. 775 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:49,400 Speaker 2: I appreciate that because it's important to me my mantra 776 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 2: as always, when you talk about mental health, it makes 777 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:55,200 Speaker 2: it easier to talk about mental health. And that's the 778 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 2: whole point that, you know, to end the stigma and 779 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:00,879 Speaker 2: the silence and make it a nat thing to start 780 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:04,319 Speaker 2: sentences with. Well, my therapist was saying, right like, that's 781 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:06,080 Speaker 2: what I want. I just want to normalize it to 782 00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:09,000 Speaker 2: the point where it yet we don't even have to 783 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:11,920 Speaker 2: talk about mental health as its own category. It's just 784 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:15,320 Speaker 2: you're talking about the shit you're going through in very real, 785 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,839 Speaker 2: practical ways because we're all going through something. I don't 786 00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:23,840 Speaker 2: know anyone who's not going through something and so you know, 787 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:27,280 Speaker 2: either you're dealing with it, working on it, getting help, 788 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:30,080 Speaker 2: you know, doing the things, or you're ignoring it. And 789 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:31,759 Speaker 2: we all know how that's going to end when you 790 00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:32,200 Speaker 2: ignore it. 791 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:33,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, and it really works. 792 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:38,640 Speaker 1: You know, there's training that occurs in therapy that helps 793 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:43,040 Speaker 1: you recognize patterns, impulse, you know, just things that you 794 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,480 Speaker 1: don't realize you're doing that you can train yourself to 795 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:48,560 Speaker 1: stop doing. There are things that you need to be 796 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:50,239 Speaker 1: doing more of that you can train yourself to be 797 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:50,880 Speaker 1: doing more of. 798 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:51,319 Speaker 2: Yep. 799 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:54,560 Speaker 1: It is very effective, is very effective. So my first 800 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:57,480 Speaker 1: form of therapy was cooking because you know, cooking really 801 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 1: captures your entire attention. You have to be ultra focused 802 00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:02,759 Speaker 1: and so less opportunity to get into the trouble. And 803 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:06,080 Speaker 1: then then of course proper therapy with real PhDs you know, 804 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:09,359 Speaker 1: took over and end helped a lot. 805 00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 2: It's a real thing. I know in some people's mind, 806 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:14,600 Speaker 2: especially people of a generation, they think it's like huy 807 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 2: and fake and made up. No, it's a real thing. 808 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:21,120 Speaker 2: It's a science. And you will be amazed at when, 809 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:23,360 Speaker 2: like when you say something, they'll be like, I know 810 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 2: what that is. That's a thing, and let me explain 811 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:28,360 Speaker 2: where that's coming from, and all the things will click 812 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:30,799 Speaker 2: and you'll be I mean, you just feel so much 813 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:34,319 Speaker 2: less alone when something has a name and then a 814 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:36,799 Speaker 2: reason behind you to diagnosed, and here's how to get 815 00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:39,640 Speaker 2: out of doing that. It's so great that such a relief. 816 00:39:39,719 --> 00:39:40,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure. 817 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:42,520 Speaker 2: Before we get to a lightning round, I've got one 818 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:42,959 Speaker 2: more question. 819 00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 3: Oh there's a lightning round. 820 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:46,080 Speaker 1: No one told me about the lightning round, Derek, there's 821 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:48,360 Speaker 1: a lightning round. There was no lightning round mentioned in 822 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 1: my emails, Lauren. 823 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:51,799 Speaker 2: Sorry, we spring it on you. We spring it on you. No, 824 00:39:51,880 --> 00:39:53,920 Speaker 2: it's easy and fun. But before I just have one 825 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 2: more question about the Hantons. What's going on in the Hamptons. 826 00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:00,000 Speaker 2: I am hearing about these market wars, these like high 827 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:05,280 Speaker 2: and grocery store wars that are like taking over the Hamptons. 828 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:06,919 Speaker 2: Is that what is happening right now? 829 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:09,800 Speaker 3: Oh? Yeah, they're you know, the Sagaponic General Store is 830 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:11,480 Speaker 3: totally taking over the Hamptons. 831 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:14,640 Speaker 1: I don't think anything is happening in the Hampton is. 832 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:18,439 Speaker 1: Most people are asleep out here. There's nothing happening out here. 833 00:40:18,719 --> 00:40:22,640 Speaker 1: It's a very sleepy part of the world. There's a 834 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:25,880 Speaker 1: little bit of nightlife. There's a few restaurants, and you know, 835 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:29,160 Speaker 1: most of the time people are home lounging, lounging in 836 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:31,000 Speaker 1: a chair, you know, trying to get some a little 837 00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:34,320 Speaker 1: sun tam. But there are you know, high end general 838 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:38,880 Speaker 1: stores and you know stores that sell gems and jellies 839 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:42,120 Speaker 1: and farm stands, and they've become you know, super high end, 840 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:45,839 Speaker 1: and I think those that's it. That's it, that's all 841 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:49,399 Speaker 1: that's happening. There's nothing, there's no nothing more than that. 842 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:51,680 Speaker 1: I am running a pop up out here though, called 843 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:54,920 Speaker 1: pop Up by Rocco. So yes, if if this happens 844 00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:57,680 Speaker 1: to make it to air or whatever you call it 845 00:40:57,719 --> 00:40:59,959 Speaker 1: in this podcast world these days, I don't know anym 846 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:03,560 Speaker 1: or before the podcast is over, I'd love for people to. 847 00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:06,040 Speaker 3: Come come on in. When can they come in in Southampton? 848 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:08,759 Speaker 3: Where in Southampton? I make really good food. I'm on 849 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:10,960 Speaker 3: the line cooking every night. It's great. I love it. 850 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:12,759 Speaker 2: But when can they come in? How long is the 851 00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 2: pop up? 852 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:14,839 Speaker 3: Oh? Oh, it's don until Labor Day? 853 00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:17,200 Speaker 2: Perfect? Perfect? Everybody? 854 00:41:17,239 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 3: Well are you coming in and bring Derek and Lauren? 855 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:20,640 Speaker 2: I will come in. 856 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:23,440 Speaker 3: That would be good. Do you get out here. I do. 857 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:23,719 Speaker 3: I do. 858 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:25,719 Speaker 2: I have friends in East Hampton, so I'm out there. 859 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 3: Great. 860 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:28,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, So on the way to east, make a pit 861 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:30,240 Speaker 1: stop in South Set around six o'clock. 862 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:33,919 Speaker 2: Okay, okay, perfect, maybe I'll finally get to see you. 863 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:35,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, would be great, would be great. 864 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:49,880 Speaker 2: Okay, here's the lightning round. 865 00:41:50,239 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 3: Lightning rounds frighten me. They always have, but go ahead. 866 00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:54,080 Speaker 2: People say that, I don't know why. This is the 867 00:41:54,120 --> 00:42:02,840 Speaker 2: easiest part of the podcast. Okay, Manhattan or New England 868 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:03,480 Speaker 2: clam chowder? 869 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:06,920 Speaker 3: Obviously New England clam chowder for all the right reasons. 870 00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:08,760 Speaker 3: It's a lot better correct answer. 871 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:11,160 Speaker 2: What's the best way to make and eat a lobster roll? 872 00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:12,919 Speaker 3: I think? 873 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:16,759 Speaker 1: I think I'm not from Maine, so lobsteroll is in 874 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:20,120 Speaker 1: my backyard, but I think it's all butter and it's 875 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:22,640 Speaker 1: lobster claws only. Is the way to do it with 876 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:25,520 Speaker 1: a split top? Butnt I think that's the way. 877 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:28,520 Speaker 2: I'm As a New Englander, I will sanction this answer, right, Okay? 878 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:28,759 Speaker 3: Great? 879 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:32,280 Speaker 2: Yeah? Are you allowed to put grated cheese on pasta 880 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:33,440 Speaker 2: with shellfish? 881 00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:36,000 Speaker 3: You're that's a terrible question. 882 00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:38,839 Speaker 1: You know you're not, But it's sometimes I know that 883 00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:41,080 Speaker 1: you know you're not, But sometimes it tastes good. 884 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:43,560 Speaker 3: Don't tell you sometimes you must. Don't tell anyone I 885 00:42:43,560 --> 00:42:44,880 Speaker 3: said it tastes good sometimes. 886 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:47,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel the same way when I'm having lights, 887 00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:51,200 Speaker 2: but it's not allowed pasta and clams like sometimes I 888 00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:51,560 Speaker 2: want a. 889 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:53,920 Speaker 3: Little, a little at the end of the day. 890 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:57,719 Speaker 1: Parmagen reggiano is you know, msg and salt and a 891 00:42:57,760 --> 00:42:59,560 Speaker 1: little bit of dairy flavor. 892 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:02,120 Speaker 3: And that works on seafood, you know, So. 893 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:05,560 Speaker 2: It really does, especially like a diavolo where it's spicy 894 00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:07,120 Speaker 2: that the cheese can cool it down. 895 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:10,600 Speaker 3: I think spicy needs palm for sure. For sure, I. 896 00:43:10,560 --> 00:43:14,040 Speaker 1: Would say in general it works against the seafood. But 897 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:16,560 Speaker 1: there are exceptions, and you know, one of them is 898 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:20,560 Speaker 1: a dish I make with saffron and shrimp that should 899 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:23,800 Speaker 1: technically not need parm but is so much better with palm. 900 00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:25,839 Speaker 1: So I'll make it for you if you come out here, 901 00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:26,600 Speaker 1: we'll do it all. 902 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:28,719 Speaker 3: Ok Uh. 903 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:30,000 Speaker 2: French or Italian? 904 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:31,280 Speaker 3: Wow? 905 00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:35,680 Speaker 1: Okay, So that's a tough one because they're both great. 906 00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:38,920 Speaker 1: And why is this Spanish added to those? 907 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:39,239 Speaker 2: Okay? 908 00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:42,960 Speaker 1: Because France, Spain and Italy I think are in this 909 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:46,759 Speaker 1: eternal competition for who's the greatest makes the greatest food, 910 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:49,399 Speaker 1: lives the greatest lifestyle. And it's a tough one because 911 00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:53,040 Speaker 1: they're all really good. They all have tremendous food culture. 912 00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:55,280 Speaker 1: So I'm going to say that's a three way tie. 913 00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:58,960 Speaker 2: I like the addition of Spain because you're right. 914 00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:02,520 Speaker 3: Just think Harmoni, Baric Go and like just that alone 915 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:03,240 Speaker 3: and they olive. 916 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:07,360 Speaker 2: I went to c Comroca, Oh my god, and Girona 917 00:44:07,719 --> 00:44:10,480 Speaker 2: so incredible, incredible life changing. 918 00:44:10,520 --> 00:44:12,560 Speaker 3: Too much, right, it's too much, right, I know it's 919 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:14,879 Speaker 3: too much. But the line. 920 00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:20,960 Speaker 2: Little mollusks urchin and then they bring out all the 921 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:23,279 Speaker 2: little candies at the Oh my god, it's just too much. 922 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:25,680 Speaker 3: And how about those people, they're pretty sexy. 923 00:44:25,680 --> 00:44:29,879 Speaker 2: I gotta say, incredible, incredible people. Yeah, what's the thing 924 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:30,520 Speaker 2: you never. 925 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:37,520 Speaker 1: Eat almost never eat fast food, never eat fast food? 926 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:39,920 Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, it's a good one. What's the thing we 927 00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:41,160 Speaker 2: should all be eating more. 928 00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:44,760 Speaker 1: Of tomatoes right now? Is should be eating tomatoes like crazy. 929 00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:50,080 Speaker 1: They are like God's handiwork at this moment, and they're 930 00:44:50,160 --> 00:44:53,920 Speaker 1: just perfect, and they they spark everything in your brain 931 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:55,080 Speaker 1: and body and. 932 00:44:55,239 --> 00:44:56,920 Speaker 3: Make you feel everything. They're wonderful. 933 00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:00,680 Speaker 2: Love that a while Ago I wrote along a piece 934 00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:04,560 Speaker 2: about Rhode Island Kalamari and the there's a thing called 935 00:45:04,560 --> 00:45:09,120 Speaker 2: the Klamari index, which was a unit of measurement in 936 00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:12,160 Speaker 2: the New York Times that would sort of measure how 937 00:45:12,239 --> 00:45:16,520 Speaker 2: quickly a food item became suddenly ubiquitous. So, you know, 938 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:19,480 Speaker 2: they had the Calamari index for like pesto and quinwa. 939 00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:22,600 Speaker 2: What is the item right now that would have the 940 00:45:22,719 --> 00:45:24,840 Speaker 2: highest Klamari Index rating? 941 00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:32,240 Speaker 3: Oh? Good question. Is it maybe ramen everywhere popping up everywhere? 942 00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:36,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, in Western restaurants and Eastern restaurants, ramen everything. 943 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:38,759 Speaker 2: That's a great answer. That's a great answer, And you're 944 00:45:38,800 --> 00:45:42,040 Speaker 2: so right. It's because it's it's everywhere, and people are 945 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:45,080 Speaker 2: making it like high end, they're making it street food. 946 00:45:45,560 --> 00:45:48,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, they're turning it into other dishes. They're re engineering 947 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:50,120 Speaker 3: dishes to include ramen. 948 00:45:50,880 --> 00:45:54,000 Speaker 1: Many people are just focused on actual original ramen, which 949 00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:54,600 Speaker 1: is great too. 950 00:45:54,719 --> 00:45:57,960 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, it's pretty it's pretty ubiquitous. 951 00:45:58,200 --> 00:46:00,040 Speaker 1: I would says that the very what's is it a 952 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 1: ten on the culinary in this or what's the index 953 00:46:02,520 --> 00:46:03,400 Speaker 1: from one to one hundred? 954 00:46:03,640 --> 00:46:06,480 Speaker 3: Ye to I think okay, so it's it's a nine. 955 00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:09,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a great answer. This is the final question. 956 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:12,760 Speaker 2: It's really important to me. When is iced coffee season. 957 00:46:14,239 --> 00:46:14,919 Speaker 3: Okay, so. 958 00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:20,960 Speaker 1: One thing I learned from my Italian relatives is the 959 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:23,720 Speaker 1: appreciation of coffee. And there's a coffee for every moment, 960 00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:27,919 Speaker 1: every hour of the day, every day part. And there's 961 00:46:27,920 --> 00:46:33,120 Speaker 1: something called a sheikirato, which is espresso and ice shaken 962 00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:37,120 Speaker 1: until it's foamy. And it seems to me like there 963 00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:39,439 Speaker 1: is no bad time for that. But the best time 964 00:46:39,480 --> 00:46:43,640 Speaker 1: for that is an after end of afternoon sunny period. Yes, 965 00:46:43,680 --> 00:46:45,320 Speaker 1: where you've like made it to the end of the 966 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:47,840 Speaker 1: day and you're tired and a little sweaty and you 967 00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:52,720 Speaker 1: need a refreshment, and that is around three o'clock in Italy. 968 00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:55,600 Speaker 1: I love that the espresso shekirato. 969 00:46:56,600 --> 00:46:59,399 Speaker 2: I love that it's so good to help you get 970 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:00,800 Speaker 2: through your latini. 971 00:47:01,800 --> 00:47:03,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a little bit like the precursors to the fastage. 972 00:47:04,520 --> 00:47:05,279 Speaker 3: I love that. 973 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:10,000 Speaker 2: Would I be ridiculed for ordering decaf coffee in Italy? 974 00:47:11,200 --> 00:47:15,160 Speaker 3: I don't think they'd have it. I don't think. Yes, 975 00:47:15,719 --> 00:47:17,160 Speaker 3: probably would be some ridicule. 976 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:18,359 Speaker 2: Yep, I assumed as much. 977 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:20,560 Speaker 1: Well, I really I've never heard of it, and I'm 978 00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:21,759 Speaker 1: sure it's there somewhere, but. 979 00:47:22,200 --> 00:47:24,439 Speaker 2: No, I suspect this is true. I grew up. I've 980 00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:26,920 Speaker 2: been drinking dunkin Donuts coffee since I was a child. 981 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:29,200 Speaker 3: And oh, so you really are from New England. 982 00:47:29,280 --> 00:47:31,600 Speaker 2: I am, and I'm Italian, and so like, coffee is 983 00:47:31,600 --> 00:47:33,160 Speaker 2: a very big part of who I am. 984 00:47:33,320 --> 00:47:34,280 Speaker 3: Copp is Italian. 985 00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:37,440 Speaker 2: No I just being being Italian. Coffee is a big 986 00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:40,080 Speaker 2: part of who I am. And all the coffee you know, 987 00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:44,879 Speaker 2: history and the regimens, the routines and when you drink 988 00:47:44,920 --> 00:47:46,520 Speaker 2: this one and when you drink that one, like it's 989 00:47:46,719 --> 00:47:50,759 Speaker 2: I get it. But recently, I think because of perry menopause, 990 00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:54,279 Speaker 2: I had to switch to decaf. I'm very ashamed of it. 991 00:47:54,280 --> 00:47:56,280 Speaker 2: It's something I don't talk about a lot. I haven't. 992 00:47:56,800 --> 00:48:00,600 Speaker 2: You know, I'm not completely okay with it personally, But 993 00:48:00,640 --> 00:48:02,640 Speaker 2: this is where I am. And so I've been wondering 994 00:48:02,680 --> 00:48:06,560 Speaker 2: if when I travel overseas to places like Italy, if 995 00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:09,560 Speaker 2: I were your own calf, would I be deported? 996 00:48:12,040 --> 00:48:14,600 Speaker 3: Definitely not deported. You know those Italians they're too lazy 997 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:15,600 Speaker 3: to take a seriously. 998 00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:18,320 Speaker 1: But you might have to ask. In a few different places, 999 00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:19,600 Speaker 1: you might have to bring your own. It might be 1000 00:48:19,640 --> 00:48:21,319 Speaker 1: one of those situations where you need to bring your. 1001 00:48:21,200 --> 00:48:24,719 Speaker 2: Own coffee to Italy. Oh my god, Okay, I think 1002 00:48:24,760 --> 00:48:27,360 Speaker 2: I'll suffer through the caffeine when I go back to 1003 00:48:27,400 --> 00:48:28,400 Speaker 2: Italy rather than that. 1004 00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:30,640 Speaker 1: It Is it one of those situations where when you 1005 00:48:30,719 --> 00:48:34,040 Speaker 1: have it in Italy it's better, or because I've I've 1006 00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:38,760 Speaker 1: found that with many things that people complain about, dairy allergies, 1007 00:48:38,800 --> 00:48:41,040 Speaker 1: gluten analogies, they always sell, but when I'm in Italy 1008 00:48:41,120 --> 00:48:43,320 Speaker 1: it's never a problem. I don't know what the difference 1009 00:48:43,400 --> 00:48:46,759 Speaker 1: is and is it one of those situations it yet I. 1010 00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:49,120 Speaker 2: Haven't tested it because this is just in the past 1011 00:48:49,880 --> 00:48:53,520 Speaker 2: I'd say six months, So I will test it when 1012 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:56,759 Speaker 2: I go back because of travel quite a bit, and 1013 00:48:56,800 --> 00:48:59,040 Speaker 2: I'm hoping that's the case. I'm hoping that when I'm there, 1014 00:48:59,280 --> 00:49:02,560 Speaker 2: like you know, I don't get hungover when I'm overseas 1015 00:49:02,960 --> 00:49:05,560 Speaker 2: right as much, I think, because it's like mineral. 1016 00:49:05,280 --> 00:49:07,000 Speaker 3: Walking glut and you can eat dairy. 1017 00:49:07,880 --> 00:49:10,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna also guess that one espresso in Italy contains 1018 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:13,840 Speaker 1: about a twentieth of the amount of caffeine than a 1019 00:49:13,920 --> 00:49:17,440 Speaker 1: full Duncan does, probably a full cup of Duncan, because 1020 00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:18,960 Speaker 1: those are those are big. 1021 00:49:18,800 --> 00:49:22,960 Speaker 2: They are there an American size. Yeah, yes, well, rock 1022 00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:25,080 Speaker 2: O DeSpirito. This was so fun and I learned so 1023 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:27,200 Speaker 2: much and it was just great to talk to you. 1024 00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:29,680 Speaker 2: And I will see you out in the Hamptons, I. 1025 00:49:29,560 --> 00:49:31,839 Speaker 3: Hope, so I really do, please come, seriously, it would 1026 00:49:31,840 --> 00:49:32,879 Speaker 3: be great. It would be great. 1027 00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:36,759 Speaker 2: Next week on Off the Cup, I sit down and 1028 00:49:36,760 --> 00:49:40,800 Speaker 2: talk to Sheena she author of My Good Side. I 1029 00:49:40,840 --> 00:49:45,040 Speaker 2: am so thankful that I've had the platform of reality 1030 00:49:45,080 --> 00:49:48,760 Speaker 2: TV to share my personal story, because that's not something 1031 00:49:48,800 --> 00:49:52,800 Speaker 2: you get with acting. Off the Cup is a production 1032 00:49:52,880 --> 00:49:55,640 Speaker 2: of iHeart Podcasts as part of the Reason Choice Network. 1033 00:49:55,880 --> 00:49:59,799 Speaker 2: If you want more, check out the other Reason Choice podcasts, Politics, 1034 00:50:00,080 --> 00:50:03,120 Speaker 2: Jamel Hill, and Native Land Pod. For Off the Cup, 1035 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:05,720 Speaker 2: I am your host, Se Cup. Editing and sound design 1036 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:09,360 Speaker 2: by Derek Clements. Our executive producers are me Se Cup, 1037 00:50:09,640 --> 00:50:13,239 Speaker 2: Lauren Hanson, and Lindsay Hoffman. Rate and review wherever you 1038 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:22,479 Speaker 2: get your podcasts, Follow or subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday.