We sit down with Chef Eric Greenspan, who rebuilt American cheese with real dairy and zero fillers, then chose craft over cameras to grow a product, launch kitchens, and return to the line with a new Hollywood deli.
This is a raw and unfiltered talk on distribution, brand, and why skill beats clout.
• origin and decline of American cheese
• building a premium slice with aged cheddar, cream, and butter
• how sodium citrate works without fillers
• distribution through Chef’s Warehouse and select opcos
• TV breaks, Guy Fieri’s “misfits” and authenticity
• choosing brand focus over easy airtime
• advice for young chefs on craft and humility
• opening Mish, a Jewish deli in Hollywood
• family, restaurants, and the service mindset
Find Eric at Chef Greeny on Instagram — C-H-E-F-G-R-E-E-N-Y. Or go to Eatnewschool.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:56):
Bernhand's perspective, we are back right
now with a legend.
If you don't know now, you know.
Miss Greenspan.
What up, what up, what up, whatup?
Tell us about yourself, brother.
Right away, real quick.
SPEAKER_01 (01:03):
Tell us about myself.
Yeah, we'll show you.
Okay.
How long do we have?
SPEAKER_02 (01:06):
Let's go about what is your career?
What do you do?
And then we'll get into thedirt.
SPEAKER_01 (01:11):
Uh the Instagram bio says I am a creator and curator
of delicious.
Okay.
SPEAKER_02 (01:17):
So I'm a clarifying taste myself.
Yeah, so we're similar.
SPEAKER_01 (01:20):
Similar in that way.
I'm a chef by trade, so like I'ma cook at the end of the day.
You know, I've ownedrestaurants.
I I have a I make the bestAmerican cheese in the world.
Okay.
Called New School.
That's what I make a premiumAmerican cheese.
Okay.
So I do that.
I do a ton of consulting stuff.
I do.
You might have seen me on theFood Network.
(01:41):
I do some food network stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (01:42):
Sure.
I just want to make a channel.
So tell what's this Americancheese day?
What is that?
So you're making a loaf ofAmerican cheese or a sandwich or
something.
SPEAKER_01 (01:48):
No slices and shreds.
I take so look, American cheesefor a hundred years is done.
So American cheese started aslike a premium product.
Did you know this?
Like when Kraft was making it asa premium product, it was a way
to avoid like refrigerationwhile shipping cheese back in
the day.
And then like when they startedputting sodium citrate in it,
which is like the magic thatbrings it all together, right?
(02:09):
Everybody started everybody bigcheese started realizing that
that like you can like once youhave sodium citrate in it, you
can kind of fuck with everythingelse.
And so it just kind of went likethis for like a hundred years.
Turned to wax.
And it turned to garbage.
We just went like that.
unknown (02:25):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (02:25):
So we so like where they take like cheese enzyme,
like dairy mixes, we use agedcheddar.
And when they use water, we usecream.
And when they use oil, we usebutter.
And then we don't use anyphosphates or like fillers or
starches or anything.
SPEAKER_02 (02:40):
So you're legitimately making fucking
cheese.
SPEAKER_01 (02:42):
It's actual cheese, still pasteurized, still
processed.
So it melts like Americancheese, like you remember, like
childhood, but it eats like afucking adult.
SPEAKER_02 (02:51):
So grilled cheese is out of control with this.
Well you have that cheese.
SPEAKER_01 (02:54):
You have the grilled cheese cookbook too.
I do have a grilled cheesecookbook.
That's actually what inspiredthe whole thing.
I wrote a grilled cheesecookbook and I made the first
chapter about making Americancheese, and I wanted to put a
recipe for making Americancheese, and I looked at
everything that was in it and Iwas like, eh, can't put that in
a freaking cookbook.
Like, take one teaspoon ofphosphoric acid.
You know what I mean?
You're like, I'm sorry, what?
(03:15):
You know, you can do that.
You have to go to a science labto get this stuff.
Great.
So it got me thinking, why notmake this stuff like out of real
ingredients?
SPEAKER_00 (03:22):
So you guys are distributing that across the
country.
SPEAKER_01 (03:24):
All over the country.
Food service mostly.
Chef's warehouse, a littleCisco, a little US foods, a
little dabble here and there.
Well now you know where to get?
SPEAKER_02 (03:32):
Yeah, exactly.
So most most big houses are.
SPEAKER_01 (03:36):
Oh, it'll work in the Italian deli, dude.
SPEAKER_02 (03:37):
No, well, yeah, sure.
But you know, there's so manypeople watching this that that
it's irrelevant because they'retrying to figure out where to
get it, right?
SPEAKER_01 (03:43):
So I mean it's Chef's Warehouse is our is our
main distributor, um, nationalwith them.
SPEAKER_02 (03:48):
Chef's warehouse, is that through U.S.
foods?
No, it's called the Chef'sWarehouse.
That's what it is, straight up.
SPEAKER_01 (03:52):
It's a separate distributor, yeah.
We are we're we got a couple USfoods, you know, opcos that are
using us, a couple Cisco onesare using us, like LA and San
Diego and a couple other things.
Well, the good news with that isGFI, we work at GFI, we work at
PFG.
SPEAKER_02 (04:04):
Because you're coded in their system, it's easy for
them to just push it somewhereelse.
Right.
So, anyone out there, if youwant to get into this cheese,
look it up, check them out, getinto that.
SPEAKER_01 (04:12):
If you're not melting new school American
cheese on your burger, you'reit's frankly criminal.
SPEAKER_02 (04:19):
Criminal.
SPEAKER_01 (04:19):
Now that you know that it exists, it's like you
melt cheddar and drink, it'slike gnarly.
So ignorance is no longer anexcuse.
No, you just lack of lack ofopportunity.
No longer an excuse.
SPEAKER_02 (04:29):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (04:30):
So putting it in your face.
There you go.
SPEAKER_00 (04:32):
It's still fuzzy.
It's very fuzzy.
SPEAKER_02 (04:34):
So that's that's amazing.
So when you got to the foodnetwork and all that stuff doing
that shit, did you were youdreaming of cheese then?
I mean I've always dreamed ofcheese.
SPEAKER_01 (04:43):
Did I know I was gonna make a premium American
cheese?
Absolutely not.
I roll with the punches, dog.
Yeah, I take a lot of punches,like you know, in this business,
if you don't pivot, if the sharkstops swimming, it drowns.
SPEAKER_02 (04:54):
You know, that's the biggest thing I tell a lot of
people coming up in the world isthey want to know how to be the
best right now.
And I said there's no such thingbecause the best right now
changes right now.
Right now, we just talked aboutwas 30 seconds ago.
Yeah, yeah.
There's no thing.
Shouldn't go shrooms?
Yes, sir.
Shouldn't go to hell right now.
Well, you know what I'm saying,so you all.
SPEAKER_01 (05:15):
Yeah, no, exactly.
Look, like I said, the swimmingshark eats, but the but the
static shark drowns.
You know what I mean?
So you always gotta be willingto put, no, I don't know about I
mean I look, I've been makinggrilled cheeses for a long time.
So like, you know, it made sensethat when I thought about it, I
was like, hey, I should start acompany.
I just you know, it wasn't likeI want to start a company.
So I wasn't like always thinkingabout that.
(05:36):
But when I finally was like, Iwas reaching for a premium
American cheese, and there wasnothing reaching back.
And so I'm the kind of guy who'slike, well, then I'll do it
myself.
SPEAKER_02 (05:45):
There you go.
And not only that, and you'resupplying your own demands, it's
perfect.
Correct.
So now Rule number four, I knowyou've heard this.
SPEAKER_01 (05:53):
Never get higher on your own supply.
Never go high on your ownsupply.
SPEAKER_02 (05:55):
Unless it's cheese.
I broke that shit a long timeago.
Unless it's cheese.
So now when you went to the foodnetwork, but what type of chef
were you at the time that you'vebeen cooking all your life?
SPEAKER_01 (06:04):
I'd already I think I did my well, Food Network was
not my first foray intotelevision.
My first foray in a televisionwas a show called Fix This
Kitchen.
It was like sponsored by IKEA,and it was like a kitchen
redesign where it was like wewent in and in like one week,
like with the help of a localcontractor and a designer, we
redesigned your kitchen.
(06:25):
And it was on like 10, it was onlike 11 o'clock on Saturdays.
It's like, oh, what are wewatching?
College football or fix thiskitchen?
Yeah.
But that I was like the chef onthat, who like I was like,
here's what you told you.
Oh, you want to use theseburners.
Sure.
Uh that was fun.
Um, and then I did Iron, andthen I I got asked to do the
next Iron Chef.
unknown (06:46):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (06:46):
So by the time I had started doing food network
stuff, I was already a prettyestablished, like, fine dining
chef.
SPEAKER_00 (06:52):
Well, didn't it help, like, with you being based
in LA where those opportunitiescame?
Yeah, I think so.
SPEAKER_01 (06:56):
I mean, I think that like, look, producers come into
your restaurant, you know,restaurant.
Producers come into yourrestaurant, like, and like it
was funny, my restaurant, thefoundry, I used to expedite from
the dining room.
Basically, like there was noseparation of the kitchen.
It was like an open kitchendeluxe.
And uh, and so, like, you know,like when you came to my
restaurant, like, I'm not asubtle person.
(07:17):
Right?
I know.
No, I don't know.
Yeah, well, I wouldn't say so.
So when you came to my kitchen,you would like, you're you're in
there with me.
Welcome aboard the Eric show,you know what I mean?
And that's the best part.
Right, and so yeah, like thatdidn't that didn't hurt like
they came in.
Um, you know, then we won IronChef, and then I did a couple
episodes of Guys and we gotalong, and they started asking
(07:40):
me to judge and be a part ofthat.
And you know, once Guy's thehomie, pretty good.
Like guy, guy like made a betprobably 10-15 years ago.
Like Guy made a bet on themisfits.
Like guy was like, I want AaronMae and Bo McMillan and
Christian Petroni and and youknow, and and and and like and
(08:02):
like started kind of pluckingchefs who weren't necessarily
like of the cut of the ilk rightthat the that the food network
at the time was.
It was like the island, you knowthat Christmas sign, like the
island of misfits?
Like I was the fucking like theelf with the fucking horse
bottom.
You mean like that's like that'sthe shit.
So God kind of like collectedall the all of the misfits, and
(08:25):
then we won.
You know what I mean?
Like everybody turns out he wassmart, like you guys work and
know what the hell you're doing.
Yeah, and and we had and it wasand it was and it was and it
always has been, and itcontinues to be authentic.
Yeah, it continues to be like anauthentic love for what you're
doing and for the community andthe people.
And because like Guy Fieti isthe godfather, and he when he
brings the people around, likeit's a nice hug to be in.
SPEAKER_02 (08:47):
You know what I mean?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Right, he came into myrestaurant one time many years
ago.
I was a victim of what you'retalking about on the food
network on the other end.
I didn't fit their mold, andthey didn't have the misfit mold
by by then.
So I went all the way up intothe meeting rooms and all the
boardrooms, and then we had adisagreement because one of the
producers thought I was too cutfrom the, you know, I was too
cut from their cloth a littlefurther away.
(09:07):
I'm not cut from their cloth, Iwas too far away from it.
So you you're absolutely rightin saying that with that network
in particular.
It is what it is, you know whatI mean?
It's that's what they have theirown.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
Uh needs to go back to school and go do something
else, right?
Because like that shit's thecherry on top, right?
Sure.
That's the lottery ticket, luckyfor you.
And there's a lot of people inindustry now who like are
constantly looking, like, that'swhat I want to be.
They want to be in front of thecamera.
They want to be, you know,especially with the cameras in
your face and in your pocket andall that stuff.
But at the end of the day, like,real success comes from from
(09:45):
honing your craft and and andreally doing what you're
supposed to do.
And then when that stuff comes,I love these guys.
I know they're so you guys areback! Yay! Are you making
burgers again?
You are?
When?
unknown (10:00):
I went to the colour.
SPEAKER_00 (10:01):
Little uh, yeah, they're done?
Yeah, they're gonna be.
SPEAKER_02 (10:08):
So the best part about this live shit is this
exactly.
It's fun.
SPEAKER_00 (10:10):
Yeah, yeah.
So we have one of our teams hereat World Food from Japan, and
they made a burger and they hadjelly.
SPEAKER_01 (10:16):
But they made a burger last year with my cheese.
SPEAKER_00 (10:17):
Yeah.
Oh, they did.
They used my cheese.
SPEAKER_01 (10:19):
Last year they used my cheese, and they did better
than they did today.
I'm just saying.
I'm just saying.
I'm just saying the cheese dog.
I'm just saying that ifsomebody, if like run your
restaurants, cook your food, doyour thing, right?
And and if you do all that andyou happen to be entertaining as
well, someone might find youmight.
But like it was funny, like, guywould invite me, you know, when
(10:41):
I launched Mr.
Beastburger, right, which is thefastest growing restaurant in
the history of restaurants, forbetter or for worse.
But like, we opened up 1800fucking virtual units in a year
and a half.
Like it was nuts.
And and I had to was workinghard, right?
Or when I opened up the TeslaNiner, same thing.
Like guy would be like, hey,come on up and do this show or
do that show.
I'm like, bro, like, I can't,like, I'm I'm I'm busy, you
(11:02):
know, and like I got I got stuffto do.
I'm doing myself, I'm doing mything.
And he's like, man, he's like,yeah, he's like, you know, be
careful of your brand.
Like, don't lose your brand.
And I was like, guys, you don'tget the ranch next, like, my
brand is not, like, I'm not you.
There's only one you.
SPEAKER_02 (11:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (11:18):
And and I respect and appreciate all the
opportunities you've given meand the love and the support.
Like, I'm not getting a ranchnext to your ranch by being a
judge on your show.
Right.
Right?
I get the ranch next to yourranch by forging my own destiny.
SPEAKER_02 (11:34):
Yeah, right.
You gotta take a look at thecity.
SPEAKER_01 (11:35):
And that's not gonna be, you know, that's gonna be
that's selling cheese.
You know what I mean?
That's opening up my deli.
That's like focusing on mycraft.
SPEAKER_02 (11:42):
Like you said, when you have a restaurant in Delhi,
a product, a brand, that has tobe plan A.
The TV thing should be plan B.
And if plan B comes along,great, but you still gotta have
plan A.
You still gotta sell, you gotyour kids to feed, you got bills
to pay, you have a you have aretirement plan in place.
SPEAKER_01 (11:57):
Look, you can't, I always say, like, you focus on
the things that you can control.
Right.
Those are things that you cancontrol.
SPEAKER_02 (12:04):
You can't control so and so you can't control
fortune.
And not only that, but you can'tcontrol the production room, you
know, the product the producer'smind.
You can't control what theirdecisions are.
The only thing you can controlis what you deliver, right?
But you can't control what youdeliver for yourself when you're
producing yourself, you know?
SPEAKER_01 (12:17):
And that's great.
SPEAKER_02 (12:19):
What do you have as far as advice to people like
we're talking about right now?
Because what you're saying istrue.
It's the younger generation ofchefs who think that they don't
have to fucking go through thetrenches.
I don't understand.
SPEAKER_01 (12:32):
If you're an imposter, you're an imposter.
And at some point that shitcatches up to you.
Oh, it's and in this world thesedays, there's a ton of
imposters.
Yes.
But if you hone your craft andyou put your head down and you
work and you learn and you'rehumble, and you are at you know,
and you are and you are actuallya a student of your game, that's
(12:52):
how you don't get stopped.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (12:55):
Well, and leading to that, you bet through all these
phases.
Now you're going back into therestaurant.
SPEAKER_01 (13:01):
Back into restaurants.
My kids said they don't need mea baseball practice anymore, so
I'm in.
I told my kids, I'm like, I'mlike, I've known you your whole
life.
You have no idea who I am.
And they're like, what do youmean?
I'm like, your father has a veryspecific temperament and manner
that is suited for a veryspecific environment.
And that environment is notwriting cookbooks and hanging
out with y'all.
(13:22):
Yeah.
It's in the trenches.
I'm crazy in that.
Right.
You put me in the rightenvironment, you put me in a
restaurant environment, andlike, I'm in my zone.
You're ready to shot.
And you guys have never seenthat.
Right.
And so, in reality, you you loveme, you don't know who I am.
You're about to see who I am.
Right.
So I just signed a lease, and inabout four months, we're opening
(13:42):
up uh a Jewish deli inHollywood.
Good for you, baby.
Yeah, called Mish.
That's weird back in it.
Perfect.
It's been eight years, bro.
Back in the zone.
Back in it, yeah.
Oh, I'm so ready.
SPEAKER_00 (13:52):
How old are your kids?
SPEAKER_01 (13:53):
Eight and eleven.
SPEAKER_00 (13:53):
Okay, so yeah, they've never been in the
restaurants.
Are they gonna help?
Are you gonna put them to work?
Probably.
SPEAKER_01 (14:00):
I don't know, it's kind of like keeping your
daughter off the pole, you knowwhat I mean?
Like you kind of want to keepyou kind of want to keep them
out of the restaurant.
Yeah, some ways, but in otherways it's like you know, one of
them, and I won't say who, like,is uh is poised for this kind of
work.
That's how we say it's kind of asavage.
SPEAKER_02 (14:16):
Um So the problem is though, we're we're always stuck
in that bound that boundaries,right?
Because I want my kids to be ina restaurant, but in the same
hand, I don't.
Because if they don't have whatit takes, that's individual.
That's not something you canteach.
SPEAKER_01 (14:28):
I mean, I'll get my you can teach them what it
takes.
The question is, do they reallywant to do it?
That's what I mean.
You can't take a look at it.
Like, look, if you really wantto do it, I'll let you do it.
But I'm certainly gonna try topay for as many schools and
opportunities and write as manyemails and text messages as I
can to give you whatever youropportunity it is that you want.
Right, yeah.
And if it turns out that if youactually want an opportunity in
the restaurant business, youhappen to happen to have the
(14:51):
right dad.
You know what I mean?
But I would certainly like to,you know, I vote no.
unknown (14:57):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (14:57):
But it's you know, but it ain't my choice.
SPEAKER_00 (15:00):
My daughter works for him in his restaurant,
right?
So she's 17, she's worked therefor over two years now, and she
loves it.
But I mean, she's gonna be adentist.
Right.
So she does it, she loves it,she loves it.
SPEAKER_02 (15:10):
She short-lived.
SPEAKER_00 (15:11):
She wants to bartend, like she loves that
permit.
SPEAKER_02 (15:13):
It's that service industry I think all kids should
be part of.
I mean, it's really important tounderstand.
With maniacs like us.
SPEAKER_00 (15:22):
Yeah.
I mean, we had a good time.
Well, we've always had a goodtime at the restaurant.
Right.
So, like I said, I said itearlier.
We know how to have a good time.
I said it earlier on the stageover there when we were hosting,
but I was like, I am soincredibly grateful that there
were not cell phones in the bar.
SPEAKER_01 (15:38):
For real.
Or it might have kept you alive.
SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
No, I haven't ever had a job on TV that I had being
that.
Like, that would have been noway.
There's no way to do it.
I didn't have some on MySpace.
There are still some MySpace.
SPEAKER_02 (15:54):
Nobody was good hanging with you guys.
That was awesome.
SPEAKER_00 (15:58):
It's awesome to have you.
SPEAKER_02 (15:59):
It's an honor to have you here.
We know you're busy.
Anyone watching who knows you,if you don't know him, look him
up.
Where can we find you?
What you got for plugs on whereyou're at?
SPEAKER_01 (16:06):
Uh just find me at Chef Green on Instagram.
That's always the best, chance.
Say it one more time.
Chef Greeny.
C-H-E-F-G-R-E-E-N-Y.
Chef Green.
Crazy, got you.
Or New School.
Or go to New School.
Che Newschool.com.
Eatnewschool.com.
Eatnewschool.com.
Check him out.
Get news.
SPEAKER_02 (16:22):
This guy's a maniac in all the good ways.
The best.
Honor to have him on here.
Appreciate you, brother.
SPEAKER_01 (16:27):
Appreciate you guys.
See you out there.
Yeah, go catch it, man.
Bernhand's perspective, we are back right
now with a legend.
If you don't know now, you know.
Miss Greenspan.
What up, what up, what up, whatup?
Tell us about yourself, brother.
Right away, real quick.
SPEAKER_01 (01:03):
Tell us about myself.
Yeah, we'll show you.
Okay.
How long do we have?
SPEAKER_02 (01:06):
Let's go about what is your career?
What do you do?
And then we'll get into thedirt.
SPEAKER_01 (01:11):
Uh the Instagram bio says I am a creator and curator
of delicious.
Okay.
SPEAKER_02 (01:17):
So I'm a clarifying taste myself.
Yeah, so we're similar.
SPEAKER_01 (01:20):
Similar in that way.
I'm a chef by trade, so like I'ma cook at the end of the day.
You know, I've ownedrestaurants.
I I have a I make the bestAmerican cheese in the world.
Okay.
Called New School.
That's what I make a premiumAmerican cheese.
Okay.
So I do that.
I do a ton of consulting stuff.
I do.
You might have seen me on theFood Network.
(01:41):
I do some food network stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (01:42):
Sure.
I just want to make a channel.
So tell what's this Americancheese day?
What is that?
So you're making a loaf ofAmerican cheese or a sandwich or
something.
SPEAKER_01 (01:48):
No slices and shreds.
I take so look, American cheesefor a hundred years is done.
So American cheese started aslike a premium product.
Did you know this?
Like when Kraft was making it asa premium product, it was a way
to avoid like refrigerationwhile shipping cheese back in
the day.
And then like when they startedputting sodium citrate in it,
which is like the magic thatbrings it all together, right?
(02:09):
Everybody started everybody bigcheese started realizing that
that like you can like once youhave sodium citrate in it, you
can kind of fuck with everythingelse.
And so it just kind of went likethis for like a hundred years.
Turned to wax.
And it turned to garbage.
We just went like that.
unknown (02:25):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (02:25):
So we so like where they take like cheese enzyme,
like dairy mixes, we use agedcheddar.
And when they use water, we usecream.
And when they use oil, we usebutter.
And then we don't use anyphosphates or like fillers or
starches or anything.
SPEAKER_02 (02:40):
So you're legitimately making fucking
cheese.
SPEAKER_01 (02:42):
It's actual cheese, still pasteurized, still
processed.
So it melts like Americancheese, like you remember, like
childhood, but it eats like afucking adult.
SPEAKER_02 (02:51):
So grilled cheese is out of control with this.
Well you have that cheese.
SPEAKER_01 (02:54):
You have the grilled cheese cookbook too.
I do have a grilled cheesecookbook.
That's actually what inspiredthe whole thing.
I wrote a grilled cheesecookbook and I made the first
chapter about making Americancheese, and I wanted to put a
recipe for making Americancheese, and I looked at
everything that was in it and Iwas like, eh, can't put that in
a freaking cookbook.
Like, take one teaspoon ofphosphoric acid.
You know what I mean?
You're like, I'm sorry, what?
(03:15):
You know, you can do that.
You have to go to a science labto get this stuff.
Great.
So it got me thinking, why notmake this stuff like out of real
ingredients?
SPEAKER_00 (03:22):
So you guys are distributing that across the
country.
SPEAKER_01 (03:24):
All over the country.
Food service mostly.
Chef's warehouse, a littleCisco, a little US foods, a
little dabble here and there.
Well now you know where to get?
SPEAKER_02 (03:32):
Yeah, exactly.
So most most big houses are.
SPEAKER_01 (03:36):
Oh, it'll work in the Italian deli, dude.
SPEAKER_02 (03:37):
No, well, yeah, sure.
But you know, there's so manypeople watching this that that
it's irrelevant because they'retrying to figure out where to
get it, right?
SPEAKER_01 (03:43):
So I mean it's Chef's Warehouse is our is our
main distributor, um, nationalwith them.
SPEAKER_02 (03:48):
Chef's warehouse, is that through U.S.
foods?
No, it's called the Chef'sWarehouse.
That's what it is, straight up.
SPEAKER_01 (03:52):
It's a separate distributor, yeah.
We are we're we got a couple USfoods, you know, opcos that are
using us, a couple Cisco onesare using us, like LA and San
Diego and a couple other things.
Well, the good news with that isGFI, we work at GFI, we work at
PFG.
SPEAKER_02 (04:04):
Because you're coded in their system, it's easy for
them to just push it somewhereelse.
Right.
So, anyone out there, if youwant to get into this cheese,
look it up, check them out, getinto that.
SPEAKER_01 (04:12):
If you're not melting new school American
cheese on your burger, you'reit's frankly criminal.
SPEAKER_02 (04:19):
Criminal.
SPEAKER_01 (04:19):
Now that you know that it exists, it's like you
melt cheddar and drink, it'slike gnarly.
So ignorance is no longer anexcuse.
No, you just lack of lack ofopportunity.
No longer an excuse.
SPEAKER_02 (04:29):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (04:30):
So putting it in your face.
There you go.
SPEAKER_00 (04:32):
It's still fuzzy.
It's very fuzzy.
SPEAKER_02 (04:34):
So that's that's amazing.
So when you got to the foodnetwork and all that stuff doing
that shit, did you were youdreaming of cheese then?
I mean I've always dreamed ofcheese.
SPEAKER_01 (04:43):
Did I know I was gonna make a premium American
cheese?
Absolutely not.
I roll with the punches, dog.
Yeah, I take a lot of punches,like you know, in this business,
if you don't pivot, if the sharkstops swimming, it drowns.
SPEAKER_02 (04:54):
You know, that's the biggest thing I tell a lot of
people coming up in the world isthey want to know how to be the
best right now.
And I said there's no such thingbecause the best right now
changes right now.
Right now, we just talked aboutwas 30 seconds ago.
Yeah, yeah.
There's no thing.
Shouldn't go shrooms?
Yes, sir.
Shouldn't go to hell right now.
Well, you know what I'm saying,so you all.
SPEAKER_01 (05:15):
Yeah, no, exactly.
Look, like I said, the swimmingshark eats, but the but the
static shark drowns.
You know what I mean?
So you always gotta be willingto put, no, I don't know about I
mean I look, I've been makinggrilled cheeses for a long time.
So like, you know, it made sensethat when I thought about it, I
was like, hey, I should start acompany.
I just you know, it wasn't likeI want to start a company.
So I wasn't like always thinkingabout that.
(05:36):
But when I finally was like, Iwas reaching for a premium
American cheese, and there wasnothing reaching back.
And so I'm the kind of guy who'slike, well, then I'll do it
myself.
SPEAKER_02 (05:45):
There you go.
And not only that, and you'resupplying your own demands, it's
perfect.
Correct.
So now Rule number four, I knowyou've heard this.
SPEAKER_01 (05:53):
Never get higher on your own supply.
Never go high on your ownsupply.
SPEAKER_02 (05:55):
Unless it's cheese.
I broke that shit a long timeago.
Unless it's cheese.
So now when you went to the foodnetwork, but what type of chef
were you at the time that you'vebeen cooking all your life?
SPEAKER_01 (06:04):
I'd already I think I did my well, Food Network was
not my first foray intotelevision.
My first foray in a televisionwas a show called Fix This
Kitchen.
It was like sponsored by IKEA,and it was like a kitchen
redesign where it was like wewent in and in like one week,
like with the help of a localcontractor and a designer, we
redesigned your kitchen.
(06:25):
And it was on like 10, it was onlike 11 o'clock on Saturdays.
It's like, oh, what are wewatching?
College football or fix thiskitchen?
Yeah.
But that I was like the chef onthat, who like I was like,
here's what you told you.
Oh, you want to use theseburners.
Sure.
Uh that was fun.
Um, and then I did Iron, andthen I I got asked to do the
next Iron Chef.
unknown (06:46):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (06:46):
So by the time I had started doing food network
stuff, I was already a prettyestablished, like, fine dining
chef.
SPEAKER_00 (06:52):
Well, didn't it help, like, with you being based
in LA where those opportunitiescame?
Yeah, I think so.
SPEAKER_01 (06:56):
I mean, I think that like, look, producers come into
your restaurant, you know,restaurant.
Producers come into yourrestaurant, like, and like it
was funny, my restaurant, thefoundry, I used to expedite from
the dining room.
Basically, like there was noseparation of the kitchen.
It was like an open kitchendeluxe.
And uh, and so, like, you know,like when you came to my
restaurant, like, I'm not asubtle person.
(07:17):
Right?
I know.
No, I don't know.
Yeah, well, I wouldn't say so.
So when you came to my kitchen,you would like, you're you're in
there with me.
Welcome aboard the Eric show,you know what I mean?
And that's the best part.
Right, and so yeah, like thatdidn't that didn't hurt like
they came in.
Um, you know, then we won IronChef, and then I did a couple
episodes of Guys and we gotalong, and they started asking
(07:40):
me to judge and be a part ofthat.
And you know, once Guy's thehomie, pretty good.
Like guy, guy like made a betprobably 10-15 years ago.
Like Guy made a bet on themisfits.
Like guy was like, I want AaronMae and Bo McMillan and
Christian Petroni and and youknow, and and and and like and
(08:02):
like started kind of pluckingchefs who weren't necessarily
like of the cut of the ilk rightthat the that the food network
at the time was.
It was like the island, you knowthat Christmas sign, like the
island of misfits?
Like I was the fucking like theelf with the fucking horse
bottom.
You mean like that's like that'sthe shit.
So God kind of like collectedall the all of the misfits, and
(08:25):
then we won.
You know what I mean?
Like everybody turns out he wassmart, like you guys work and
know what the hell you're doing.
Yeah, and and we had and it wasand it was and it was and it
always has been, and itcontinues to be authentic.
Yeah, it continues to be like anauthentic love for what you're
doing and for the community andthe people.
And because like Guy Fieti isthe godfather, and he when he
brings the people around, likeit's a nice hug to be in.
SPEAKER_02 (08:47):
You know what I mean?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Right, he came into myrestaurant one time many years
ago.
I was a victim of what you'retalking about on the food
network on the other end.
I didn't fit their mold, andthey didn't have the misfit mold
by by then.
So I went all the way up intothe meeting rooms and all the
boardrooms, and then we had adisagreement because one of the
producers thought I was too cutfrom the, you know, I was too
cut from their cloth a littlefurther away.
(09:07):
I'm not cut from their cloth, Iwas too far away from it.
So you you're absolutely rightin saying that with that network
in particular.
It is what it is, you know whatI mean?
It's that's what they have theirown.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
Uh needs to go back to school and go do something
else, right?
Because like that shit's thecherry on top, right?
Sure.
That's the lottery ticket, luckyfor you.
And there's a lot of people inindustry now who like are
constantly looking, like, that'swhat I want to be.
They want to be in front of thecamera.
They want to be, you know,especially with the cameras in
your face and in your pocket andall that stuff.
But at the end of the day, like,real success comes from from
(09:45):
honing your craft and and andreally doing what you're
supposed to do.
And then when that stuff comes,I love these guys.
I know they're so you guys areback! Yay! Are you making
burgers again?
You are?
When?
unknown (10:00):
I went to the colour.
SPEAKER_00 (10:01):
Little uh, yeah, they're done?
Yeah, they're gonna be.
SPEAKER_02 (10:08):
So the best part about this live shit is this
exactly.
It's fun.
SPEAKER_00 (10:10):
Yeah, yeah.
So we have one of our teams hereat World Food from Japan, and
they made a burger and they hadjelly.
SPEAKER_01 (10:16):
But they made a burger last year with my cheese.
SPEAKER_00 (10:17):
Yeah.
Oh, they did.
They used my cheese.
SPEAKER_01 (10:19):
Last year they used my cheese, and they did better
than they did today.
I'm just saying.
I'm just saying.
I'm just saying the cheese dog.
I'm just saying that ifsomebody, if like run your
restaurants, cook your food, doyour thing, right?
And and if you do all that andyou happen to be entertaining as
well, someone might find youmight.
But like it was funny, like, guywould invite me, you know, when
(10:41):
I launched Mr.
Beastburger, right, which is thefastest growing restaurant in
the history of restaurants, forbetter or for worse.
But like, we opened up 1800fucking virtual units in a year
and a half.
Like it was nuts.
And and I had to was workinghard, right?
Or when I opened up the TeslaNiner, same thing.
Like guy would be like, hey,come on up and do this show or
do that show.
I'm like, bro, like, I can't,like, I'm I'm I'm busy, you
(11:02):
know, and like I got I got stuffto do.
I'm doing myself, I'm doing mything.
And he's like, man, he's like,yeah, he's like, you know, be
careful of your brand.
Like, don't lose your brand.
And I was like, guys, you don'tget the ranch next, like, my
brand is not, like, I'm not you.
There's only one you.
SPEAKER_02 (11:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (11:18):
And and I respect and appreciate all the
opportunities you've given meand the love and the support.
Like, I'm not getting a ranchnext to your ranch by being a
judge on your show.
Right.
Right?
I get the ranch next to yourranch by forging my own destiny.
SPEAKER_02 (11:34):
Yeah, right.
You gotta take a look at thecity.
SPEAKER_01 (11:35):
And that's not gonna be, you know, that's gonna be
that's selling cheese.
You know what I mean?
That's opening up my deli.
That's like focusing on mycraft.
SPEAKER_02 (11:42):
Like you said, when you have a restaurant in Delhi,
a product, a brand, that has tobe plan A.
The TV thing should be plan B.
And if plan B comes along,great, but you still gotta have
plan A.
You still gotta sell, you gotyour kids to feed, you got bills
to pay, you have a you have aretirement plan in place.
SPEAKER_01 (11:57):
Look, you can't, I always say, like, you focus on
the things that you can control.
Right.
Those are things that you cancontrol.
SPEAKER_02 (12:04):
You can't control so and so you can't control
fortune.
And not only that, but you can'tcontrol the production room, you
know, the product the producer'smind.
You can't control what theirdecisions are.
The only thing you can controlis what you deliver, right?
But you can't control what youdeliver for yourself when you're
producing yourself, you know?
SPEAKER_01 (12:17):
And that's great.
SPEAKER_02 (12:19):
What do you have as far as advice to people like
we're talking about right now?
Because what you're saying istrue.
It's the younger generation ofchefs who think that they don't
have to fucking go through thetrenches.
I don't understand.
SPEAKER_01 (12:32):
If you're an imposter, you're an imposter.
And at some point that shitcatches up to you.
Oh, it's and in this world thesedays, there's a ton of
imposters.
Yes.
But if you hone your craft andyou put your head down and you
work and you learn and you'rehumble, and you are at you know,
and you are and you are actuallya a student of your game, that's
(12:52):
how you don't get stopped.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (12:55):
Well, and leading to that, you bet through all these
phases.
Now you're going back into therestaurant.
SPEAKER_01 (13:01):
Back into restaurants.
My kids said they don't need mea baseball practice anymore, so
I'm in.
I told my kids, I'm like, I'mlike, I've known you your whole
life.
You have no idea who I am.
And they're like, what do youmean?
I'm like, your father has a veryspecific temperament and manner
that is suited for a veryspecific environment.
And that environment is notwriting cookbooks and hanging
out with y'all.
(13:22):
Yeah.
It's in the trenches.
I'm crazy in that.
Right.
You put me in the rightenvironment, you put me in a
restaurant environment, andlike, I'm in my zone.
You're ready to shot.
And you guys have never seenthat.
Right.
And so, in reality, you you loveme, you don't know who I am.
You're about to see who I am.
Right.
So I just signed a lease, and inabout four months, we're opening
(13:42):
up uh a Jewish deli inHollywood.
Good for you, baby.
Yeah, called Mish.
That's weird back in it.
Perfect.
It's been eight years, bro.
Back in the zone.
Back in it, yeah.
Oh, I'm so ready.
SPEAKER_00 (13:52):
How old are your kids?
SPEAKER_01 (13:53):
Eight and eleven.
SPEAKER_00 (13:53):
Okay, so yeah, they've never been in the
restaurants.
Are they gonna help?
Are you gonna put them to work?
Probably.
SPEAKER_01 (14:00):
I don't know, it's kind of like keeping your
daughter off the pole, you knowwhat I mean?
Like you kind of want to keepyou kind of want to keep them
out of the restaurant.
Yeah, some ways, but in otherways it's like you know, one of
them, and I won't say who, like,is uh is poised for this kind of
work.
That's how we say it's kind of asavage.
SPEAKER_02 (14:16):
Um So the problem is though, we're we're always stuck
in that bound that boundaries,right?
Because I want my kids to be ina restaurant, but in the same
hand, I don't.
Because if they don't have whatit takes, that's individual.
That's not something you canteach.
SPEAKER_01 (14:28):
I mean, I'll get my you can teach them what it
takes.
The question is, do they reallywant to do it?
That's what I mean.
You can't take a look at it.
Like, look, if you really wantto do it, I'll let you do it.
But I'm certainly gonna try topay for as many schools and
opportunities and write as manyemails and text messages as I
can to give you whatever youropportunity it is that you want.
Right, yeah.
And if it turns out that if youactually want an opportunity in
the restaurant business, youhappen to happen to have the
(14:51):
right dad.
You know what I mean?
But I would certainly like to,you know, I vote no.
unknown (14:57):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (14:57):
But it's you know, but it ain't my choice.
SPEAKER_00 (15:00):
My daughter works for him in his restaurant,
right?
So she's 17, she's worked therefor over two years now, and she
loves it.
But I mean, she's gonna be adentist.
Right.
So she does it, she loves it,she loves it.
SPEAKER_02 (15:10):
She short-lived.
SPEAKER_00 (15:11):
She wants to bartend, like she loves that
permit.
SPEAKER_02 (15:13):
It's that service industry I think all kids should
be part of.
I mean, it's really important tounderstand.
With maniacs like us.
SPEAKER_00 (15:22):
Yeah.
I mean, we had a good time.
Well, we've always had a goodtime at the restaurant.
Right.
So, like I said, I said itearlier.
We know how to have a good time.
I said it earlier on the stageover there when we were hosting,
but I was like, I am soincredibly grateful that there
were not cell phones in the bar.
SPEAKER_01 (15:38):
For real.
Or it might have kept you alive.
SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
No, I haven't ever had a job on TV that I had being
that.
Like, that would have been noway.
There's no way to do it.
I didn't have some on MySpace.
There are still some MySpace.
SPEAKER_02 (15:54):
Nobody was good hanging with you guys.
That was awesome.
SPEAKER_00 (15:58):
It's awesome to have you.
SPEAKER_02 (15:59):
It's an honor to have you here.
We know you're busy.
Anyone watching who knows you,if you don't know him, look him
up.
Where can we find you?
What you got for plugs on whereyou're at?
SPEAKER_01 (16:06):
Uh just find me at Chef Green on Instagram.
That's always the best, chance.
Say it one more time.
Chef Greeny.
C-H-E-F-G-R-E-E-N-Y.
Chef Green.
Crazy, got you.
Or New School.
Or go to New School.
Che Newschool.com.
Eatnewschool.com.
Eatnewschool.com.
Check him out.
Get news.
SPEAKER_02 (16:22):
This guy's a maniac in all the good ways.
The best.
Honor to have him on here.
Appreciate you, brother.
SPEAKER_01 (16:27):
Appreciate you guys.
See you out there.
Yeah, go catch it, man.
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