Author and podcaster Andrew Friedman on making a career of interviewing and writing about chefs

Andrew Friedman’s “big break” came in 1997, when he collaborated with chef Alfred Portale on the “Gotham Bar and Grille Cookbook. It won the IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Award for “Best Chef or Restaurant Cookbook,” and got a James Beard Award nomination for “Best General Cookbook.”

Though he’s worked on loads of cookbooks since, it’s been a while since Andrew last wrote a recipe. Instead, his attention has been focused on his work as a chef writer (a phrase he thinks more aptly describes the subject matter he deals with than “food writer”). He’s the author of “Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll” and “Knives at Dawn: America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Bocuse d'Or, the World's Most Prestigious Cooking Competition” to name just two titles.

In his latest book, “The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food,” Andrew Friedman takes you on a ride to follow all the work that goes into just one restaurant menu item at a Chicago restaurant.

Andrew met Mike Beltrán at Chug’s Diner in Coconut Grove for a conversation about the restaurant industry, how Andrew ended up in his unexpected career around chefs and restaurants, changes in the culture of professional kitchens, and Andrew’s experiences growing up in Miami.

In the Patreon-only extended cut, Mike asks Andrew about burgers, breakfast, PB&Js, and other important stuff.

Our parting recommendations and other stuff mentioned in this episode:

The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food

Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll: How Food Lovers, Free Spirits, Misfits and Wanderers Created a New American Profession

Knives at Dawn: America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Bocuse d'Or, the World's Most Prestigious Cooking Competition

Don't Try This At Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs

Alfred Portale's Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook

Dinner Rush

Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic beer

[The above are Amazon affiliate links. While nobody was paid or prompted to recommend these items on the podcast, we do get a small kickback if you use these links to make purchases.]

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