Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LOOKS | Burberry in mag.
When we think of a live well lived, it's one where you take on opportunities that align with where you ultimately see yourself personally and professionally as well as those that are unexpected that create a full 360 experience to roads less traveled. Along the way of our travels in life, we meet others that continue to infuse and inspire us as there isn't a personalized rule book that shows us how we can get from Point A to Point B, but it's the moment of feeling that spark that can initiate an enhanced path that can take us to unimaginable destinations.
This month, our cover editorial is with Chef Nyesha Arrington. She utilizes food as a way to tell stories and brings her passion and intention to each plate that she creates. As a Co-Host and Mentor for FOX's Next Level Chef alongside Chef Gordon Ramsay and Chef Richard Blais, she inspires those in the culinary industry and provides expertise, intel and techniques that they can continue to use as they navigate the industry.
When we last talked with her in 2021 for our JUL ISSUE #67, we talked about how she got into her career and her passion for putting her soul on the plate she was in the midst of production for the first season of Next Level Chef and we talked about identity.
Since then, Nyesha continues to do what she does best, exploring the world through travel, and participating in a number of pop-ups and multi-day food events around the world, she is currently on Next Level Chef UK airing on ITV and she'll be back for the second season of Next Level Chef here in the US on FOX that starts immediately following Super Bowl LVII on Feb Sun 12th!
We talked about her recent TEDx talk where she shared her life recipe, the importance of mentorship and being in spaces that fuel your fire and allow learning about others and about yourself. Of course, we talk about the success of Next Level Chef and what makes it a perfect fit as well as Native by Nyesha Arrington which is at LAX's Delta Terminal 3!
ATHLEISURE MAG: You know we’re always cheering for you from the sidelines! It’s always fun to see what you’re up to and we’re chatting on IG off an on and we’re so excited to have you as cover for the JAN ISSUE #85!
CHEF NYESHA ARRINGTON: It’s an incredible time. I’m 22 years into this business and now that I am charting the course, I wish I could have been able to tell 10 year old Nyesha that it was going to be ok!
Oh my gosh! It’s been an exciting journey thus far and I am just grateful to be able to put back in to the field that raised me. It’s a completely different time now and stories are being told and celebrated and that’s all part of it. So you know, I’m really grateful!
AM: In the last interview we did with you, we talked about heritage, identity and many of the things that you’re involved in and I happened to watch your TEDx Berkely talk which was about Identity, Through the Lens of a Chef which I think was amazing. So in this talk, you focused on identity, being Afro-Korean, exploration of self and creating a life recipe. What was it like to be able to share this powerful message?
CHEF NA: First of all, when they reached out to me, I was like, "um what? Do you have the right person?” Because it was a pinch me moment. I don’t know, I always kind of saw myself being in my purpose being able to share the message of life. I’m living and learning simultaneously. So, the person I am today, isn’t the person I was 5 years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago. So to be able to kind of - honestly, it was the first time in my journey that I was able to stomp down and look at the database and collect it. You know, I do network television, I’ve done digital stuff and I meet a lot of people and have traveled the world. I would say that in true honesty, that was the most vulnerable that I have had the opportunity to share sort of my life message with. Because, it’s truly from an authentic and lived place. The first day when I go to Berkely and I did my trial talk, there was one person in the audience and after I finished, he clapped and came to back stage and had tears in his eyes. He said, “you know, that message is really going to resonate with people.” I didn’t have a lot of time to write it, maybe a month and I didn’t have any coaches. I learned after that people have all of these coaches and do all of these things. I didn’t know that.
It was hard like any creative process. You just kind of get the first draft down. I read it mostly to my family, my dad who’s my best bud and to my close friends. I was able to distill it down to the parameters set for the TED talk in terms of time and implementing the Power Point tools and things like that. It’s hard! It’s a really hard thing, but girl it was seriously so rewarding because I cried so many times through it and I think that it was just a really cathartic process. I came up in the early 2000’s when there weren’t a lot of chefs that were of color. I never really had that kind of opportunity to work next to women of color and I never really thought about it in all honesty. I was like, ok, I’m going to culinary school and this is what you have to do and this is the path. White tablecloths and fine dining is the pinnacle of excellence and I was like, bet that’s what I’m going to do. You know, and I did it! I never took inventory along the way. I was grinding head down. Lots of tears and lots of trial and error period and going along the come up. When I wrote that, I felt like ok, what’s my message for myself as a time piece? I will look at this 10 years from now and I will probably be a completely different human and also simultaneously, what is the message or life recipe that I can give to people to have that same resilience. Shit's not easy you know? So, especially when you have the opportunity to do Next Level Chef. Sure, it’s a television show, but honestly, it’s literally the best for me, because I can reach a vast audience and now globally after season 1 and like now, the DMs blow up. Not because, “oh we’re a fan of you,” but it’s, “hey can you mentor me” or they’re having this situation. By now, I’ve pretty much seen a lot of shit and so now to be able to have time piece, I thought what is the recipe? It’s sort of a macro/micro lens to look through. When I took that inventory, it was the first time that I stopped and looked at how did I get here? Because that’s what a lot of people ask. Even I say it and that’s what it was. That was seriously one of the most rewarding things that I have been able to do and to be able to share that. It’s true. It’s like this analogy of actually creating a real recipe in the kitchen, but also taking those tools and applying it to everyday life.
AM: In listening to this, it’s only 14 minutes, but it is such a profound 14 minutes. It made me think of a quote that Muhammad Ali said, “If you’re 50 years old and you think the same way at 50 as you did at 20, you have wasted 30 years.” He encouraged people to take inventory and to tweak as you navigate life. Hearing you do it, it sent chills and I had no idea that you didn’t have a coach – I assumed you did as all of the friends that I know who have done it, told me about how they prepared for it. It was beautiful, succinct and so applicable regardless of what your vertical is that you work in.
CHEF NA: That’s the thing!
AM: I love that!
Coming off of that, I know that you believe in sustainability and eliminating food waste. Why are these so important to you in your cooking? I know that this is a huge conversation that people are having in this area.
CHEF NA: Well, oh my gosh, I love this question! It shouldn’t be seen as a fad right or an “on brand lens” to look through. I think it’s freaking really empowering. The term "sustainability" can actually mean so many things – there are so many facets to that term sustainability if you’re talking about growing your own produce, having chickens, upcycling right? Using non-single use plastics and if you are going to, know that you don’t have to throw that resealable bag away. I am not ashamed to wash a Ziplock bag. Those are the terms that I mean when I say sustainable because in a consumer driven world where we are constantly being marketed to on billboards, ads, our phones and emails and website pop-ups, we just get immersed. I will say that I have had really and truly incredible opportunities to travel. When I go to other countries, it really widens my perspective because I don’t feel as bombarded by being marketed to if you will. I want to share that message because I don’t know if everybody gets to see and have that opportunity to go to where people live in the countryside of Bali ever. It’s like, no, we grow our rice, we collect the rainwater and it gives back to us. That idea can be exercised in different ways. Like last week when it rained a lot, I put 3 buckets out, I got all the rainwater and I watered all my plants with it this week. It’s like, those are the things that I mean by sustainable. Mother Nature, without sounding to woo woo about it – it gives us all the things that we freaking need. Yes, I have a compost pile and literally, it’s so easy to get dirt, put earthworms in it and put food waste in it and grow vegetables. I have 3 little avocado trees that grew from eating the avocado. Those are regenerative practices that are also in the lens of sustainability.
Yes, there are those conversations of thngs being greenwashed and it’s on brand to be sustainable, but there are things that you can do everyday and I think that in terms of biproduct use, for me when it comes to scallions or things that have regenerative and natural capabilities, whenever I use them, I keep the bottom 2” and I throw them in dirt and in a week or two, I have brand new scallions shooting up. Those types of things are doable for people whether you live in a NY high rise or you live on lots of land in Southern
Southern California. Those practices are really important to me on the smaller scale and also on the larger scale when you’re buying for events and aligning yourself with different brands. I think that being intentional with who you are buying from is another sustainable practice for the economy. So I think it ultimately distills down to intentionality. I will say this, it has been a journey for me as well. Coming up, I was in fine dining a lot. We would legitimately fly in a particular kind of aluminum foil from Italy because it had certain qualities to it. I just feel that the 1% who gets to enjoy those $1,000 meals, it’s cool. It’s a craft, I get it. But also, after years and years of that, how can I actually take this inexpensive cut of meat and just by understanding the anatomy and the make up of and knowing what that animal ate, and what can I make that is really bomb by spending a little more intentionality and time with it. Point and case, I think there are a number of different ways to look at the term sustainability. When I was traveling through Morocco, I went to this family’s home in Marrakesh and they literally lived in a mountain range and the whole family lives there – the grandmothers, aunts and cousins. They grow all of their own stuff. They have chickens and they have cows and they built their kitchen which was like a cave and they made these hearth fires. They burnt live fire to cook that way. There was zero electricity and that is a way to be sustainable. It’s about harnessing the life tools that we already possess. I get that that’s not for everyone and it’s not practical in some ways, but those ideas can definitely carry over in other ways.
AM: You’ve said that food is energy transfer. What do you mean by that as I love that phrase.
CHEF NA: Oh my gosh, I love that too!
AM: You know we ask great questions!
CHEF NA: You really do! You’re really speaking to me!
It is. For an example, there was this woman and she was sitting and eating my food. I had never met her before and I walked right by her and she kind of looked despondent – a little in her feelings you know. I walked by and then I circled back around and said, “how are you miss? Everything good? Thanks for joining.” She said, “Chef Nyesha, I flew here to have this meal and I have not been able to escape the intention in this.” She recognized and felt everything from the plate that the food was on – which was handmade by a friend of mine who made the plates for me. The food was sourced from local farmers who I don’t think could care more as it’s their livelihood and they generational legacy and they tend to the soil, they pull up the crop and they share this with me being the conduit who gets to apply my creative process to it through my culinary journey onto the cooks who prep it – the chefs who get to create this dish and ultimately the servers that get to tell that story that I shared with them. All for that person to enjoy a work of art in that moment, right? It gets to live in the soul and it becomes food data for that person to reflect on for years and years and it lives there. When I say it’s an energy transfer, it’s like a kinetic energy that’s almost like a static buildup that lives in that and it’s a life force. It’s something that for me, I’m grateful that I am able to travel based on that sort of mindset to go to a new land if you will and to understand that terroir and celebrate that and then apply my culinary knowledge. I feel like I am living in my purpose on why I am on this planet. It means that much to me!
AM: What is the best bite that you have ever had?
CHEF NA: Wow, wonderful question. I will say this and all I can go with is the most memorable. I would say that when I was working with a Chef Monsieur Joël Robuchon, he was dubbed the Chef of the Century and he has this dish which was called, the Caille or quail in English. That dish, I didn’t understand how such a simple, elegant dish could have so much phenomenal flavor. Then I learned how to make it and I was basically visiting a friend and then I ended up working at that restaurant. The whole entire plate, the way that the herbs were picked, they were so fresh and so lightly dressed with this sort of mild vinegar sort of flavor on the greens that didn’t over power it, but just accentuated it. The quail was cooked so perfectly and the jus – I’m such a sauce person.
AM: Same!
CHEF NA: The jus from the natural reduction of the bones and the trim and that’s another sustainable practice – nothing is going to waste. It was stuffed with duck liver and the truffles. He has this dish where picture a potato purée, and it’s making my mouth water as I talk about it.
AM: Same, because I love potatoes.
CHEF NA: Girl, I mastered that technique to learn how to make them. I think that ultimately, to be honest to sidebar for just a second, I think that that’s what got me on the show to be able to mentor on Next Level Chef, because I actually made those potatoes for Gordon Ramsay on Master Chef and that’s when they called me a couple of weeks later. They said, “hey, we have this concept that we’re working on.” Because I didn’t even know that Gordon and I had worked for the same chef. That probably was one of the most memorable dishes that I have ever had, the Robuchon Quail dish with the Potato Purée – incredible – truly!
AM: If we were at your home, what are foods or spices that you tend to always have on hand in your kitchen?
CHEF NA: Wow, I love this question, I’m such a spice girl!
AM: Same!
CHEF NA: Same! Yeah, right? It’s a really easy way to add lots of depth of flavor. Well, I would say that the spices that I always have on hand – I love cumin. I always have cumin, paprika, coriander, fennel seed and also cardamon!
AM: Ooo I love that too!
CHEF NA: Girl, I love it! I feel like it is such an under used spice!
AM: With the Big Game coming up, people get to hangout with one another and they’re watching the game. There is always an array of food and beverages. If we were hanging out with you, what would we have on football’s biggest night, especially since season 2 of Next Level Chef will be premiering immediately after!
CHEF NA: So football was my dad and I’s thing! We used to watch the Super Bowl a lot – like every year before I started traveling more. So snacks was always the thing. I actually love these little things called Pigs in a Blanket.
AM: Oh yes, I’m from the Midwest so that’s the thing.
CHEF NA: Yes! So it’s like how do I add veggies to these things? So get this and it’s a really incredible dish actually. It’s kind of like – you don’t have to sweat it! I feel like, football snacks don’t always have to be these opulent you’re in the kitchen cooking Thanksgiving kind of things. It just has to hit, so basically, these Pigs in a Blanket, I like to dip them in mustard.
AM: Same! I’m not a ketchup girl.
CHEF NA: SAME! That’s a no no! So, ok get this, I basically braised down mustard greens and then I basically fold it into some Dijon mustard and then inside the dough, I put the little smokey and a little bit of the braised mustard greens and chop it up and then roll it up. I put egg wash on the top and then I put sautéed or popped mustard seeds on top with a little flaky sauce and then bake them. So you get these crunch elements, a bit like poppy seeds and then these flaky salt bites and then you get this bit of a dip inside so you get a bit of that moisture element to it. You kind of feel like you’re eating healthy, but you’re not really. I also do this Dijonnaise with Kewpie mayo which is this Japanese mayo!
AM: Love Kewpie!
CHEF NA: I love a Kewpie moment! So that with Dijon mustard and fresh chives. You dip that in there and it’s like the best bite ever!
AM: Oh my God. Between what you just told me and I interviewed Chef Kristin Kish a few months ago and she had a kimchi Pigs in a Blanket version – so this Super Bowl, I need to do something different to incorporate these things.
CHEF NA: Mmm, yes!
AM: You were talking about Morocco earlier and I saw it on your IG and I remember when you were doing it that I thought it was so amazing. You’re known for storytelling through food. Why did you want to go to Morocco and what was that like for you?
CHEF NA: Oh my gosh! Well first of all, I just wanted to be able to get to the continent of Africa and that was my first taste at it and I can’t wait to get back! I want to travel to Ghana and Nigeria next.
I just have had some amazing opportunities to storytell through food. It started the first year in Belize and that was in 2019 and then I did Morocco, I did Bali and I did Hong Kong.
I think for me, it was an opportunity to connect. I traveled with 12 people and basically, led them on a culinary journey where I took them through the markets! Oh my God, the most beautiful thing is that we traveled through Marrakesh, Fez and the Ourika Valley and I was collecting ingredients along the way and then we cooked an amazing huge dinner. I think that for me, to have perspective on other places from where I was born, I think it really just adds to my repertoire. I have a very unique perspective on cooking because I don’t want to just know one style. I learned French fine dining because I feel that the technique – right, which is different from the ingredients and the cultural influence is the mother of cooking right? How to braise, how to make a sauce, how to chiffonade, how to cut a brunoise – all those things are applicable to the ingredients or the terroir of where I am. So if I can go to a new place in the world and learn about a particular thread of saffron or a way to cook couscous which is such an art to learn those things. Like, bread making first hand from the matriarchs – I get to weave that through my tapestry which becomes a personal approach to cooking, right? I did it in my TED talk, I believe that we as human beings are simply the bridge and gateway from the past to the future. So, it is something that I wear with a badge of honor, so that’s really why I try to travel as much as possible and I’ll actually be doing another pop-up in Q2 of 2023 in Hong Kong.
AM: Oh wow!
CHEF NA: I know! People are so excited! They don’t want me to cook food and give them my take on Chinese food, they want to feel who am I on a plate. That’s what I feel what my super power is – to storytell through my food.
AM: You participated in Kwame Onwuachi’s The Family Reunion at the inaugural launch in 2021. You moderated Stories From the Matriarchs: Then vs. Now which included Virginia Ali of the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl, Chef Tiffany Derry and Chef Mashama Bailey as panelists. The Family Reunion was held at the beautiful Salamander Resort & Spa which we’d love to check out later this year. Can you tell me a bit about this multi-day event and why did you want to do it?
CHEF NA: Well, I’ll see you there! He reached out. Kwame’s a long time friend and colleague and we came up together. When he asked me to do one of the closing ceremonies which was to pay respects to the founder of Ben’s Chili Bowl.
AM: Which is insane!
CHEF NA: I mean, I was like, what? I moderated this panel which focused on matriarchs past, present and future. It was just a vibe. I don’t even know how to articulate it – it was truly a vibe. I did that the first year and then the second year, I cooked and I’m not trying to talk big headed, but people said it was probably the dish of the whole event and it was so bomb! It was braised short rib but I had this Afro-Korean influence with it and this sweet potato grits. People lost their shit and you know, you make dishes and you’re like this hits, this is great, but this was one of those dishes where I was like, “dang, I put my whole foot in this dish.” Seriously, for weeks, people were hitting me up on IG and even at the event saying dang! It was just one of those things. That’s that love transfer from conception to the menu articulation to people making the dish. You have to inspire constantly, and you have to inspire to be inspired truly. It’s a full circle of like!
The Family Reunion, I’m always grateful to be invited to it and every time I leave that event, I just feel that my cup is full.
AM: It looks amazing!
CHEF NA: It is a vibe. I don’t even know what else to say! From the playlist that’s playing throughout the Salamander to the conversations. We’re all out here pushing and then you get this moment to kind of stop and connect. You can share ideas, it’s really cool.
AM: So will you be at this year’s?
CHEF NA: I will!
AM: Amazing! I was talking to my Co-Founder who is also my boyfriend and we happened to catch Kwame at StarChefs International Chefs Congress back in 2019 and talk about rice and the impact of the diaspora as it went from West Africa to the US and I was like, we definitely need to check out The Family Reunion, see the resort and be able to hang with you as well as other chefs and to enjoy the culinary experience!
CHEF NA: Love it!
AM: You’re also going to be at the Mohegan Sun the last weekend of Jan for the Sun Wine and Food Fest. Why did you want to be at this food festival, what is happening and what will you be doing there?
CHEF NA: So, I’ll start with my dish. I’m going to be doing a Toasted Rise Porridge with a Chicken Ai-Soon Meatball which is my grandmother’s name on my mom’s side. It has this crispy garlic and scallions. I’ve been playing with this idea of Afro-Korean cuisine and this is kind of a dish that will reflect that. I chose this because it is an opportunity for me to connect with my peers, to connect with a part of the states that I don’t really get access to. I like to do these events, because I don’t necessarily have a restaurant where people can come patron so it’s important for me to take my food out on the road and to be on tour if you will! So, I do a lot of private events in LA, but this is my way to do public dinners. It’s kind of amazing and hits all the touchpoints for me because I get to connect with my colleagues and then I get to share the message of food. I’ll be able to do the dine around where people will get to meet all of the chefs and then also I'll get to demo a dish.
The demos are my favorite part. For me, I get to demystify cooking because I am up there and I am showing it. Anyone can find a recipe, but if I am showing you how to do it, it makes people feel more empowered and maybe they can make the recipe at home. So this year, it may sound simple, but these are the kinds of things that people should know how to make to really up their game. A freaking salad dressing! Last year, I showed people how to make ramen noodles. I like showing people about things that they generally go out and buy so this year, I’m going to show people how to make a signature thing that I make which is called a Shatter Batter. This batter stays crispy for forever and really it’s a game to see how you can capture the most amount of bubbles in the batter as possible. So I show people the techniques, but also the science behind it. When to fold in your egg whites, when to use baking powder, baking soda and what do these do scientifically? Once you have those elements of chemistry, people can take that and apply it to their cooking. I’m basically going to show people how to make this Shatter Batter, I’m going to be deep frying things and generally, everyone has these ingredients at home. I’ll be demoing that and then doing the dine around event with the Chicken Meatball and it should be a fun time!
AM: I love that you’re always doing different types of events that show different types of facets. I know that you have the one that’s coming up with the St Louis Community College – Falling in Love ... In the 5 Courses Gala at the Four Seasons and the fact that students who are culinary artists will be able to get to work with you as well, it’s really cool to see how you’re always giving of yourself and doing things in a different way. Why did you want to be included in that event?
CHEF NA: Oh my God, I love it – you know all of the things!
AM: I love you as a person, but I also think it's important that when a person has a signature and they have a throughline, I love seeing how true it is – which yours obviously is. But you’re always doing different things and infusing mentorship through food and you’re raising people up that are making their way and I think that’s cool that you do that consistently.
CHEF NA: I agree because it feeds my soul as much as I hope that it feeds theirs. This one, I’m really excited about it because I didn’t have the bandwidth in my schedule to do it last year. This year, having time to circle back around, it’s going to be exciting because I was talking with the chefs and these culinary students, I always have to say that the first day that I sat in culinary school, I knew that I never wanted to do anything else. I was going to see it through to the end and now to have the opportunity to give back to these young minds and nurture - is a part of me in creating that legacy in our field. It’s a vertical – it’s either going to grow or not and it takes tilling the land to make it grow and be fruitful and this is my way of doing that! It’s also really cool because I came up literally in the best kitchens that you could work in in the world. To be able to wear that hat for a day without having to tend to it every single day if I had a fine dining restaurant, selfishly, it’s kind of a way for me to be able to wear that hat for a minute. It’s what I’m good at. I really love that part of it. 5 courses for 500 people is no small feat. The amount of pre-production that goes into such an amazing gala like that is very challenging. It’s very rewarding and I don’t ever want to be like, “oh, I’m a celebrity chef and I’m too big to do the things.” I’m a worker first and foremost and that’s how I got to where I am today. To be able to do that, I want to make sure that I am actually doing the things.
AM: Looping back to Next Level Chef and looking at the first season, when I interviewed you last time, you weren’t able to tell me all the things, but after watching the first season I was so hooked. I loved the fact that you had these different levels that had these different resources. You don’t always get to be at the tip top and you have to do a lot with less and still make it look amazing. Being able to figure things out individually as well as being able to do so as a team – what did you walk away from as someone who was a mentor, having a person who won from your team and working alongside Gordon and Richard?
CHEF NA: That’s a great question! Truly, I don’t think that I could be more grateful to be on this type of program because ultimately, I’m a blip on these chefs life radar. Yes, it’s cool that I’m on a show blah blah blah, but it’s not about me, it’s about them! For me, not being that far from cooking competitions myself, I can completely relate to how they feel. To be tasked with putting a dish together in 45 minutes, you haven’t seen all the ingredients, you don’t know what level you will be on – it’s a gauntlet. You really start to see after the 3rd cook that they may have had the opportunity to be on all 3 levels. So they’ve kind of had the opportunity to take inventory and they can strategize and game plan. But it’s really hard! To be able to be a voice of reason sometimes, I get it. Once that light turns green, you’re like go and your mind is on a bullet train to be like, “ok, I need to grab all of these different ingredients, not freaking cut myself, but I’m also on TV so maybe I should smile!” It’s a lot and I get it! I feel like I’m that ghost teammate. Yes, I’m their mentor, but I’m part of their brand and part of their hands. I don’t feel like there is this hierarchy where I’m on top of you, I’m with you! Just to be able to be that voice of reason for those chefs – that may need less salt or that needs a pop of acid and then they win, those are the most rewarding moments. You can see the gratitude that they have for the entire journey, win or lose. Pyet DeSpain took it home last year and she put the work in, but it’s like – a lot of the magic actually happens outside of the program because these chefs get 4 months of mentorship between myself, Richard and Gordon outside of the show plus that $250,000 to seed their dreams. I mean, you have got to really freaking hand it to Gordon. In 2006, I remember working in this 2-star Michelin restaurant and feeling like dang, I was just 5 years into the game and for me, I was like, I want to work in harvest kitchens and that’s what I did. So I was like, ok and the more that I started to peel back the layers, I was like, “dang, I don’t know anything."
But what I did know was that I had work ethic and I was ready to take it on. But, I knew I needed to look at who was killing it and it was Gordon. He had the most Michelin stars, he was killing it in media to the point of watering the soil. To have a show like this where I get to dedicate this year's and years of ups and downs and the journey lived to these young minds, there is no other show like it. Yes, there is this competitive component but it’s rewarding for the mentors also.
To be able to work next to him every day, I can’t even tell you girl. I go to bed excited and I’m excited to wake up! No moment am I like, “Oh my God it’s hard waking up at 4am in the morning every day.” I go and I wake up, I go to the gym and I sit in the makeup chair for 2 hours and I’m ready to crush it every single freaking day. I love it! I would say that it is the most professional set that I have ever been on and it’s the most inspiring because he leads his sets like you’re in a kitchen. To be on a set led by a chef’s mind, is different then being on a set led by a production person. He has a production mind, so it’s like for me, it’s the best of both worlds. I’ve had the opportunity to do a good amount of TV by now, but most of my life lived has been in kitchens. So, I feel like I’m grateful because I’m in the best place for me.
AM: What was your favorite challenge from season 1?
CHEF NA: Ooo my favorite challenge from season 1 was the cultural mash-up challenge. The chefs were tasked to take two
different countries and create a synonymous dish and that’s not easy! It’s not just like this term that people loved using in the 90’s – fusion. For me, it’s a mild trigger work. It’s not fusing 2 continents together, it’s like what we spoke about earlier. For me, the best way to articulate storytelling in a dish is to use techniques from one part of the world and ingredients from another.
The elements that make up a dish – so if you say this is a protein an Ibérico ham from Spain and I want to do it with some sort of a citrus element. Maybe you’re not using a particular orange from that region, but you’re using a lemon from a different part of the world, but it’s still an acid. It makes sense. It’s not just about shoving a square peg into a round hole to put two different parts together. That’s part of the journey to get those chefs to understand how to build and storytell through a dish. I would say that that was definitely one of the most memorable!
AM: I remember when I watched that episode and I thought, “ooo that could go really well or it could be really bad!”
CHEF NA: 100%! You really have to be able to understand ingredients.
AM: So how did you get onto Next Level Chef UK which is currently running right now, right?
CHEF NA: Yes ma’am! How did I get onto Next Level Chef UK, I just tried really hard during season 1 and I think that that is something that you just can’t fake. I genuinely in full transparency, some sleepless nights thinking about how I can be the best mentor to these chefs. When they don’t win, I take it personally. How could you not? I think that that resonated with the antithesis of the show. The ethos of the show is rooted in mentorship and it is something that I don’t take lightly, win or lose. It’s not even about losing, it’s about the opportunity for growth. I think that that really resonated with the team and they asked me if I wanted to be part of the team for the UK version and without question, I was honored. That was something that was unexpected, I didn’t anticipate that at all. It’s currently running and it was really cool for me. To be able to see how different people cook, especially, the most surprising thing for me was the range. They’re all British, so seeing the range, I was like, “what am I going to get?” I got a pretty wide range from Indian, Asian, Jamaican and traditional British cuisine. For me, I was a little nervous to see how an American chef would be received.
AM: That’s what I wondered!
CHEF NA: Girl, like learning the verbiage, but it was actually all second nature because in fine dining, a lot of French brigade style kitchens use those terms anyways. It’s just part of the European culture, like rocket for arugula or aubergine for eggplant and coriander for cilantro, so it came natural to me. I think that part of it is just the ability to communicate. At the end of the day, 2 human beings from 2 different parts of the world, we were able to connect over food and it was just some of the most enjoyable experiences that I have had being over there.
AM: To know that in a few days, we have the 2nd season that will be here. Last fall we were talking with Richard and he was like, “oh yeah the 2nd season starts right after Super Bowl Sunday!” I was so excited! How excited are you to be back here again and what are you looking forward to?
CHEF NA: Wow! Well, I can’t believe it. What am I looking forward to? You know what I love? We spent a lot of time vetting our teams prior to the launch of the show which makes sense for the progression of the show. This season, instead of episode 1 with us picking our teams, we’re just going to get straight into it!
AM: Oh wow!
CHEF NA: I know! I love that because we have now built the base and people know the concept of the show. There’s a lot more opportunity for people to follow along with the actual competition and they really love that part of it. I’m really excited to have more episodes. We’re actually coming back with more episodes this season. I don’t know if there is a better opportunity of a slot to be airing right after the Super Bowl, it’s kind of a big deal!
AM: For sure, I was talking with Richard about chili and he just slipped it in there and I was like, “wait, right after the Super Bowl?” I was like, “oh crap!”
CHEF NA: Girl, the fact that Rhianna is playing at halftime, I’m so here for it!
AM: Coming from the Midwest, I love the Super Bowl. I like to get up and watch all of the pre-coverage and hear the stories etc early in the day!
CHEF NA: Me too!
AM: By the time it’s the actual game, I’ve been up for hours and so ready for it! This is so exciting. So to be able to end all of that by watching another form of competition, with their grit and know how, that’s so cool and I’m happy to hear it.
Do you think that you will be attached to additional seasons whether here or other global versions?
NA: I don’t know! When I first met Gordon and was a guest chef on Master Chef for his finale, my parting words to those chefs were to look at the kitchen like a playing field. You have to have an athlete mindset to win. It’s not just one component or the other to excel in it. It’s a team sport and you have to approach it every day with a competitive mindset to not also ask but to demand excellence from yourself. I think that that is 1 super cool thing that will be a synonymous dialogue through all of the parts and wherever this show goes. There are so many layers to it, so many facets and to have that spot after the Super Bowl is incredible. I’m excited to be on the UK version. I’m not sure about what the future holds, but we’ll see. I’m just excited that in this moment, I can’t express enough gratitude to the FOX people, the Studio Ramsey people – it’s incredible. Words can’t explain actually how incredible it is to be on that show. If it ended tomorrow, I will feel glad about what I had to offer and if it went on for 10 years and I was part of it, that would be amazing too.
Regardless I will say that when I was looking at who was killing it in the game and it was Gordon, for me to be able to have so much time to spend time with him so far, has been a dream! I couldn’t ask for more actually.
AM: As a viewer, it looks so natural. Sometimes when you have certain kinds of pairings regardless of the show or the vertical, you can see that someone was pulling to make that happen or that an advertiser got their way and there is no connection. But when I see the 2 of you, it feels natural, and it’s a blessing because sometimes you have to make a mountain out of a mole hill and this, it’s just what it is.
CHEF NA: Girl, I’m saying! When we had the launch party in the UK, a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t ready for it. They brought us up on stage. We were in front of the producers, culinary, press, culinary students, friends and all of these people in the building. He thanked everyone for coming and passed me the microphone and told me to say some words.
I started speaking and I was so overwhelmed with so much emotion and gratitude and started to tear up. I pushed on through my words, I said my things tearfully and after people kept coming up to me and said that they were balling their eyes out listening to me speak. To your point, it comes from a very authentic place. Point being, after I spoke, Gordon spoke and he said he was so grateful to work next to me also and said that the thing about it and the thing about this show is that it always comes back to the food. No matter what, good days or bad days. We will never not have that part. That’s what makes it the most authentic. That will never falter. Every day, we have team meetings and we think about the concept of the day. These challenges – we think about it. What would we make with this? We really treat it like it’s a kitchen and that’s where all of that comes from and it’s a root system. It’s not just produced by these freelancers and producers that come in just to try and build a storyline. It is a true chef show. So it’s cool!
AM: Since you’re always on the go, what do you do for your own self-care so that you can reset and be ready for your next adventure? You literally could be anywhere.
CHEF NA: Yeah, it’s very true. I look at it like a very big grid system and I think about it like that. I have been conditioned and I grew up playing team sports and I look at it the same way. I grew up working those 10 and 12 hours days. If I know that I am in London next week, the few days leading up, you know I might do a juice cleanse, I might workout a little extra harder so that I can sleep a little better. I might negate sleeping a little the night before so I can sleep on the plane. It’s all about managing time ultimately and being intentional about how it is being spent in terms of your time lived. I think that that is the most important thing.
I will say that 2019 was a huge growth year for me. I think before I was managing my stress differently whether it was a few glasses of wine, over indulging in food – I have turned that around drastically, where I have put that same energy into my gym routine. That for me, was a life game changer, not just for my career, but also my regular life. I sauna a lot, I ice bath, I do a lot of CrossFit – those things - functional fitness, it makes me function in my regular life. I have way more bandwidth to take on these larger feats you know! I will say that that is my main thing and how I am able to maneuver. I will be honest, I would not be able to do it alone. I have a team that keeps me on track and manages my calendar and helps me! I don’t like to come from a reactionary state, I’m a very proactive person. So that is the only way that I am able to manage such a demanding schedule. I would say that it’s a lot of self-care girl, it’s a lot of meditating and I wear my Oura ring and it tells me when I am not doing things properly and I adjust. I do IV's - I do the IV game and we talked about this last time. I do redlight therapy.
AM: Same!
CHEF NA: I get my B vitamins, I’m very very intentional with my body.
AM: Philanthropically, how do you give back to your community and those in the culinary arts?
CHEF NA: Well, I think that things like this Gala event, we’re raising a lot of funds to go towards this culinary school. I mentor outside of these hosted events as much as possible. I do a ton of private dinners all over LA and I always make it my business to hire the team - the next generation coming up and specifically, women of color if I can because it’s just good to be intentional with where the dollars are going. Knowledge is power and we know that. The more that I can show the next generation, the better. I think that it’s ultimately through mentorship as much as possible.
AM: Are there other projects that you have coming up that you are able to share?
CHEF NA: I just opened a restaurant, Native, a couple of months ago in the Delta Terminal in LAX.
AM: Nice, that I didn’t know!
CHEF NA: Really? I’m working on that project with potentially more to come! I would say that definitely if people are interested to check me out in my Hong Kong pop-up, that’s a really cool time to connect! Yeah, the restaurant in LAX at Delta Terminal is killing it right now! It is very exciting! Those are the things that I can talk about now, there are other things swirling around, but I think that it is too early to tell.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be?
CHEF NA: Wow! I love these questions! What do I want my legacy to be? You know what I want it to be? I want people to feel that they can be more vulnerable and open to conversation. I think that for me to be able to storytell through my food is a way to connect with people and to break down these walls that have been so systemically ingrained within us especially in culture and in race. I want my legacy to be the glue that bonds humanity.
IG @nyeshajoyce
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT COVER, PG 16, 20 - 23, 26 FOX | PG 19 + 9LIST STORI3S PG 48, 51 Brian Parillo | PG 25 Michael Becker/FOX | PG 29 Nyesha Arrington | PG 30 Pedro Cardoso | 9LIST STORI3S PG |
Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see STORYTELLING EXPLORED | Nyesha Arrington in mag.
For years, we've enjoyed seeing the looks created by Celebrity Fashion Stylist, Jason Rembert whether it's for his red carpets with his clients Lizzo, Issa Rae, Mary J Blige, Rita Ora, Odell Beckham Jr; designs from his line Aliette worn by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Quinta Brunson and Regina Hall to name a few, or when he has styling covers for our favorite magazines and been a part of campaigns. Jason's attention to detail and knowing how to dress bodies that want to make an impact is impeccable.
Recently, Jason partnered with Baileys to create a Baileys Marshmallow Puffer that brings his vision and a subtle aesthetic of the brand together. We talked with him about his partnership with the brand, his inspiration to create the jacket and of course how he is navigating the upcoming Awards season as well as the latest collection of his brand.
ATHLEISURE MAG: So tell us about the first ever Baileys Puffer and how this came into being?
JASON REMBERT: Baileys has been part of my entire life. I don’t remember a time like in my adult life where it wasn’t part pf my life. Even as a kid, my mother was such a big fan of Baileys. My mom never drank any hard liquor and Baileys was always her preferred choice. She used to put it in coffee, she drank it by itself and as I became an adult, I started drinking it of my coffee and I always have a bottle of Baileys just sitting in my refrigerator and getting it cold and it has been a part of my life and I like the versatility. I love that I can drink it in my coffee and I remember when Häagen-Dazs had it in their ice cream. I like that I can drink it by myself and it’s something that I can share with my girlfriend, she does the same thing. Now with Baileys, it’s really cool to partner with a company where they don’t limit my creativity. When I came to them with this idea of a couture piece and I had these big ideas, they embraced it. Sometimes, when you work with these big companies, they try to dial it down or dilute your creativity. Baileys was like, we're about it, we're down! Let’s do it! When you have a partner who supports you and is willing to stand behind your creative integrity, that’s the right partner. For me, creating this garment was a push for me as a designer. I have always wanted to create a puffer. I never created a puffer for my collection or even for myself. I’m such a fan of puffers, it’s so pseudonymous with winter and Après ski and just something different. So now, to be able to go somewhere whether it’s the Poconos, Gstaad or wherever I go for ski season, I now have something that is a piece that I created that I have made my own.
AM: Where did you get your inspiration from? It is such a cute jacket, who doesn’t love a puffer as it’s something that we would rock for sure as well as to style it for our shoots.
JR: Thank you! To be honest, I have always been a fan of quilted things and different forms of embroidery. Embroidery has been pseudonymous with me as a designer from my first collection. So, now to be able to bring that into a piece that is pseudonymous with my personal style. I have never made a piece that was so unisex and so fluid. So now to have piece that I can honestly rock, I wanted it to be oversized, I wanted it to have a toughness to it. I wanted it to have details to it. I went to Baileys and I said, honestly, is it possible for me to use your logo to do a subtle but effective quilted embroidery and they were down! I think that my goal for it was to give a marshmallow feel without blatantly being cheesy and putting marshmallows on it. I feel that it still gives that softness of a marshmallow even though it is so tough! That juxtaposition is always so important to me – to have both the fluid approach to design for femininity and masculinity.
AM: Now we’re in the thick of Awards Season and as a fan of those you’ve worked with from Mary J Blige, Sheryl Lee Ralph – how do you approach this time of year? It's a crazy period of time and you’re definitely in the thick of things at the moment!
JR: Thank you! My approach to Awards Season is honestly, trying to be as organized as possible, to maybe schedule fittings as early as possible, making sure that the timeline for alterations are there, making sure that timelines for refitting is there. This Awards Season is a little more unique. The Golden Globes was one of the first really big awards show. I had one client that I had to style and I had another client, Sheryl Lee Ralph which I designed a gown for.
AM: Which was stunning.
JR: Thank you so much. Her daughter, Ivy Coco who’s her stylist, reached out to me to ask if I could design an amazing gown for her mother for Awards Season. Just being honored to do that was great. That balance is hard! I feel good. I have great support, I have a great team. They make my job so much easier to do it, because they are so on point. I think that honestly, that’s how you get through Awards Season, having a great team.
AM: In terms of your label, Aliette, we have loved so many pieces that you have designed! What are some of the new portions of the collection that we should keep an eye out for as we all head into FW23 as well!
JR: Oh wow! Crazy enough, I don’t know why or how but I shot my lookbook earlier this month for my PF23 collection. I shot it in LA because I was stuck here for Awards Season. I’m very very excited and very proud of it. It’s my first time doing a proper pre-Fall collection.
AM: How do you take time for yourself for a bit of self-care because you are incredibly busy and you have so many projects that you’re part of.
JR: Thank you. I do take time for myself. I have a very supportive family. My favorite thing to do in the whole world is play Spades. I do that as often as possible. I try to play Spades once a week with friends and family. I get to enjoy it! Sometimes I just take a Sunday afternoon and just my girl and I and we just watch TV. Right now, we’re binge-watching between White Lotus and BMF. She loves to make new drinks so we get to have some really cool Baileys-infused drinks and she makes Sundays great! So I get to enjoy Sundays!
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Baileys Irish Cream
Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see APPRECIATION FOR THE CRAFT | Jason Rembert in mag.
PHOTO CREDIT | Jose Cuervo
We’ve been a fan of tequila as it’s so versatile whether you’re sipping it straight or making a dynamic cocktail. We wanted to know more about this spirit and took some time with Jaime Salas, Tequila Expert and Head of Agave Advocacy at Jose Cuervo to talk about National Margarita Day which is Feb 22nd, how we can pair this beverage and what he looks for when it comes to tequila.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What is a Mixologist?
JAIME SALAS: A Mixologist is someone who concocts cocktails and they don’t necessarily have to have had come from bartending if that explains it a bit more. You have a bartender that can be equally as good, but a Mixologist is someone who plays with flavors, liquid form like a cook would, but not necessarily having had that backdrop. So you could be both, but you can be a Mixologist that hasn’t been a bartender.
AM: So you’re the Tequila Expert and the Head of Agave Advocacy at Jose Cuervo, what does that role entail and why do you enjoy it?
JS: Wow, that role entails in short form, me advocating and talking to people – anyone who will listen to information about Tequila and agave. It’s about the culture, the provenance, the heritage – all of those things especially as you can imagine, working with Jose Cuervo which has had over 250 years of Tequila making, experience and know-how. It’s an opportunity for me to be able to spread the joy that is Tequila if you will. More importantly, it’s about engaging in training, bartenders, consumers alike on the benefits of how to mix a drink to your point earlier. Or even looking at the cultural significance behind the production and what and how we do what we do. So advocacy for me is really about spreading the word and getting people to talk and getting people to better understand our products and more importantly, the category that they belong to.
PHOTO CREDIT | Jaime Salas’ IG @jthetequilaguy
AM: That’s fantastic!
What do you look for when you are trying a tequila?
JS: Well the first thing that you mentioned is what I love about it – that’s my favorite part about it by the way. It’s the ability to be able to explore flavors – not just Tequila ha ha. Of course, I love Tequila! But it’s about trying flavors in a cocktail and also the Tequila itself. So when it comes to Tequila as a base spirit for example, in a Margarita or what have you. I want something citrus, something that’s bright and has a lot of agave presence. Something that speaks to me and says that it is clearly Tequila. Something that has a bit of terroir – that salinity, that grittiness, and that sort of Earthiness. Tequila is a very unique spirit that comes from the Asparagaceae (formerly Agavaceae) succulent. There is nothing quite like it. I think that I look for all of those flavors that speak to that.
AM: We love Tequila. Here at Athleisure Mag, we’re always talking about why it’s a great beverage to drink. National Margarita Day is Feb 22nd. As a Tequila fan, what is a great go-to classic that we can enjoy.
JS: Well that’s just it. Part of what we’re doing today is showing folks how they can enjoy National Margarita Day at home or out and about in a ready to drink fashion. One that’s easy to level up, one that’s easy to enjoy when you’re entertaining guests and you want to enjoy the cocktail.
What I have here is Jose Cuervo Authentic Margaritas. We have the world’s #1 Margarita lineup in 3 delectable flavors. I wanted to showcase 3 different ways that you can level up!
We have the authentic Mango Marg, clearly very tropical and if you have ever had a slice of mango with a little chili sauce, so we have this Mango Marg with a chili salt rim over the rocks and it’s a pairing made in heaven. You have the brightness, the citric quality and the tropical note from the mango. It’s comingled with that heat so think of sweet and heat when you think of the Mango Marg with that chili lime rim. Then we have that authentic Lime Margarita. Here it’s more of a sensorial play so we have it with that highball glass. So think of it with a seltzer, but don’t fear, you can use different seltzer flavors if you like. You can use something more tropical if you like. You can add another level of flavor to your classic authentic Lime Margarita and it’s going to make it a sparkly Margarita. Then we have our authentic Pink Lemonade and here we thought that we would showcase how easy it is to pour into a large vessel or a punch bowl and layer in some contrasting lemon wheels which accentuate further that citric note and have your guests serve themselves. That’s more time to celebrate and less time for prepping.
AM: Obviously, you can have Margaritas alone, but they’re better with friends and food pairings. It’s so tasty with chili, tacos and steaks. What would you do in terms of pairings?
JS: You hit it spot on! For me, it’s all about flavor profiles. I think that Mexican in general works really well right? It’s a great cultural pairing. These 2 things were brought up together if you will. That savoriness that we look for in Mexican cooking – there’s a little bit of zestiness, brightness depending on the dish, fattiness depending on the type of taco - for example you get the meat that you fill it with. Clearly, avocado and guacamole can be done in 50 million different ways. So the idea is, getting something that is equally as bright or rich or savory so that the Margarita can be either a contrast or a compliment. But you want an ice-cold Margarita in hand, perhaps a Mango one that is going to go really great with a Brisket Taco or a taco that is on the fattier side. Those are all very complimentary flavors. My general rule of thumb would be, get something bright and zesty. Mexican is a great go-to, but always along the lines of something that is either going to contrast or compliment the very thing that you are sipping alongside that.
AM: With National Margarita Day coming up, what are you guys doing?
JS: You can visit us at Cuervo Margarita Shake-Up and you’ll learn more about our authentic Margarita flavors, you’ll learn more about how to host with them and clearly how to celebrate National Margarita Day. More interestingly, you’ll have the opportunity to submit your own recipe and flavor profile for a chance to win up to $100,000 in cash and prizes. The idea is that here we have our Tropical Paradise Margarita which launched last year. You or I next year could be celebrating one of our friend’s submissions assuming that they win. That I think is a point of pride that I think that anybody would be happy to be able to share!
AM: So fun! As an aside, if we were able to go home with you, how many Tequila bottles do you have in terms of items that you have samples? I’m assuming you have something that is the equivalent of a wine room.
JS: Yeah, more then I care to really admit to! Probably too many that should really be cohabitating with me right now. I think that I’m upwards right now of about 600 bottles –
AM: Oh wow!
JS: As an enthusiast you know, I love to play around with cocktails and more importantly, I like to collect and share those Tequilas with my friends.
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
This month's The Art of the Snack takes us to Sweetbriar which is known for upscale New American comfort food and is located in Rose Hill. We talked with Chef Bryce Shuman as well as Ivan Papić who is their Beverage Director. They share with us about dishes that we should try, cocktails we can enjoy and where we can hang out when we come by for our next visit?
ATHLEISURE MAG: Chef Bryce Shuman, tell is about your culinary background and what was your journey prior to being at Sweetbriar?
CHEF BRYCE SHUMAN: I came from the acclaimed Betony in New York City, which garnered three stars from The New York Times, one Michelin star, and was named 2015 Food & Wine Magazine “Best New Chef.”
I'm originally from Chapel Hill, NC. I trained in lauded kitchens in San Francisco and in New York City including a six-year run with Chef Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park.
Now at Sweetbriar, I aim to bring that attention to detail and care to American classics, bringing people home with wood smoke and live fire lending flavor across the menu.
I currently reside in Brooklyn, NY with my loving wife and eight-year-old daughter, Emilia. You can often find me tinkering with watches or snapping shots with my vintage Polaroid.
AM: How would you define your style of cooking?
CHEF BS: Inspired by the ingredients, my style of cooking is colorful, creative, and delicious built on the endless bounty of New York.
AM: What is the meaning behind the name of Sweetbriar and when did it open?
CHEF BS: Sweetbriar opened in October of 2021. We are located in the neighborhood Rose Hill. Sweetbriar is a type of rose. Beautiful, also known as Eglantine, it's famous for its delicious rosehips.
AM: What kind of cuisine is offered at Sweetbriar?
CHEF BS: At Sweetbriar, we offer creative takes on American Classics built on the endless bounty of New York.
AM: How would you describe Sweetbriar in terms of its ambiance when guests come in to dine?
CHEF BS: The arrival experience is retro and vibey with pink accents and floral pillows. A custom beige banquette nestled against the wall in the lounge is the ideal destination for larger groups catching up over a drink or waiting to hear the house band play.
As you walk past the host stand you arrive at the 15-seat focal bar which features green onyx counters, green leather panels and soft lighting.
Adjacent to the bar is the 50-seat main dining room. Guests enjoying dinner get a front row seat to a culinary show of chefs preparing their meal via a showcase kitchen that spans the length of the room which houses various live-fire cooking apparatuses. The room is intimate and comfortable. You might even feel like you’re at home.
AM: What are 3 appetizers that you suggest that we should have when we come to eat?
CHEF BS: Brisket Sliders, Nuts and Ceasar, Cornbread.
AM: What are 3 mains that we should consider when we come in with friends and family?
CHEF BS: Smoked Ribs, Smoked Chicken, and Branzino.
AM: We like that your menu has a section of pizzas and for the table what are 3 items that you suggest?
CHEF BS: Spicy Mangalitsa, Wild Mushroom, and the Delicata Ricotta.
AM: You have a fantastic team in addition to yourself, you also have Executive Pastry Chef Karen Fodere-Gallier. Can you tell us about her culinary background as well as the 3 desserts that she creates that we should have?
CHEF BS: Chef Karen Fodere-Gallier is the executive pastry chef at Sweetbriar, formerly executive pastry chef at Montammy Golf Club in Alpine, NJ, and a former Pastry Chef under the world renown French Pâtissier Pierre Hermé, at L’ Avenue.
Her signature desserts use traditional recipes and feature intense flavors and textures from creams, fruit essences, gelées, herbal and aromatic blends. She is involved in all aspects of her kitchen, to create an experience that is both timely and enduring. Lately Chef "K" is working on publishing her cookbook, reflecting on her favorite influences and cooking styles from around the world.
Spiced Pumpkin Hand pie, Sweetbriar Chocolate Mousse, Passionfruit Sundae,
AM: Cocktails are another key component to the menu. Tell us about your Beverage Director Ivan Papic who has come from a number of our favorite spots that have included Keith McNally properties as well as those with Paul Sevigny.
IVAN PAPIC: I was born in Belgrade and moved to NYC in 1998. I fell in love with the industry and got my first taste as a barback at the popular LOT 61. Most notably I have worked with restaurateur Keith McNally at Pastis and Balthazar, at Macao Trading Company (sister bar to Employees Only), and ventured into nightlife with Paul Sevigny at Beatrice Inn, the hardest door in the city, and opened Paul's Casablanca.
AM: What are 3 cocktails that you suggest that we should have?
IP: When visiting Sweetbriar you should try to have all of the cocktails but since that might be a difficult task in one visit you should try Coffee Old Fashioned, Elixir and Maple Sour. Those are my current favorites.
AM: You have a number of private spaces that are available at Sweetbriar. Can you tell us about them?
IP: Rose Room – also doubles as our wine cellar, is the heart of our private dining program. Seating up to 40 guests, the room is the perfect setting for intimate corporate and social events as well as wine dinners.
Music Room – located adjacent to the main bar in Sweetbriar, this room has guitars hanging on wall as tribute to our love for music. Guests can also enjoy the view of our courtyard where we store our wood and charcoal for cooking. Good for seated dinners up to 20 and receptions up to 30.
Lounge – the arrival experience at Sweetbriar Lounge is curated and special. This is the ideal space for large groups wanting to enjoy some drinks and small bites. A member from our beverage team is behind the lounge bar offering a large selection of specialty cocktails, coravin wines and beer on tap.
AM: Tell us about the Sweetbriar Band, what they play and when we can catch them?
IP: The Sweetbriar Band is the house band that performs every week at 9pm. They musicians are Harlem based and play jazz and rock covers as well as some originals.
AM: There are also beverages that are inspired by this band as well. Can you tell us about those?
IP: Band loves tequila, so when they play on Saturday night's band is sponsored by Casamigos Tequila, and during band's performance we are offering two Casamigos cocktails at discounted price, Paloma (Casamigos Blanco, Fever Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda, lime, salt rim) and Tush (Casamigos Blanco, St. Germain, mint, cucumber, lime and fever tree ginger beer). These cocktails are available only on Saturday nights when the band plays.
During the week we are offering Happy Hour at the Lounge bar which includes discounted prices on Draft Beers, also includes Coravin Wine Selection, where customers get to enjoy by the glass some wines that otherwise they can only get by the bottle, so it's a great opportunity to taste some high end wines without breaking the wallet on the bottle. At Happy Hour customers can also enjoy a featured happy hour cocktail that changes monthly with the support of different liquor brands.
During Happy Hour we are also offering half-off pizzas at the Bar.
So pull up at the bar at 5pm, order Mangalitsa pizza and enjoy a Happy Hour cocktail.
AM: Now that we have gotten past the holiday season, what are some upcoming events whether it’s for Valentine’s Day or even NYFW?
CHEF BS: We will be announcing a special pop-up featuring our Ribwich Sando with a portion of proceeds benefiting City Harvest (Jan 11-13). After that we are setting our sites on a live-fire block party where we will invite our chef friends from near and far to prepare a dish using live-fire cooking preparations, while we celebrate the Nomad and Madison Park neighborhoods (Fall 2023).
PHOTOS COURTESY | Sweetbriar
Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Sweetbriar in mag.
We're heading to DUMBO for ramen at Tsuta! In Japan, ramen has always been known to be a comfort food. Attaining a Michelin star proved that a comfort dish like ramen can be elevated with depth and finesse. 10 years ago, Yuki Onishi opened this restaurant in Japan with a vision to create original and innovative ramen for everyone to enjoy. The DUMBO location is the only one in the US and opened in November 2022.
This location offers the 2 signature truffle ramens from the original Michelin-starred Tsuta in Tokyo. Each is based on Onishi's recipes and philosophy of using only fresh, high-quality ingredients like an artisanal shoyu (Japanese soy sauce), premium bamboo shoots, locally raised Asian breed chicken, Kuributa and Iberico pork and no MSG or preservatives. The Original Truffle Shoyu Soba (soy sauce broth) is made with custom-brewed shoyu from Wakayama Prefecture and Tsuta's dashi, and finished with Kurobuta pork chashu and black truffle paste. This is one of their signature bowls and best sellers that showcases the depth and complexity of flavors that go into their signature ramen.
The Original Truffle Shio Soba (light salt broth) has a dashi base of Okinawan sea salt, Mongolian rock salt, and subtle while truffle oil, and toppings like red onion, green olive sauce, spearmint, along with elevated versions of the more typical white leek, bamboo shoots and Kurobuta chashu or Iberico chashu.
We also suggest The Spicy Mala Tonkotsu which is 1 of 2 pork broth ramens, which are cooked over 8 hours, resulting in a rich creamy broth. This one is Sichuan-inspired and features house-made mala oil (Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, dried chili flakes) for a spicy kick.
The Miso Vegetarian Soba is unique to NY and is made with 2 vegetarian broths - includes various veggies and and a mushroom broth. It also has a blend of red and white miso.
Tsuta's signature broth (dashi) is made of 3 stocks: chicken, fish and clam, each cooked separately then briefly simmered together before serving to bring out the depth of flavors.
We suggest, pairing this with a Brooklyn Kura Blue Door Junami Ginjo and the Chibi Zumo "Little Sumo" Sumo" Junmai Genshu. Their Amabuki Cup Sake series is delicious.
IG @tsutaus
PHOTO CREDITS | Michael Tulipan
Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Tsuta Dumbo in mag.
La Devozione opened November 2021. It's an authentic pasta restaurant and guests will experience an authentic Italian cucine and a in a very comfortable atmosphere. They are located inside of Chelsea Market.
This was a dream of third-generation pastaio Giuseppe di Martino, CEO & President of Pastificio Di Martino (est. 1912), La Devozione is an ode to pasta brought to life in New York City. It is the heritage pasta company’s first brick-and-mortar experience in the United States. Their multi-concept pasta destination includes a retail shop, coffee and cocktail bar; an elegant. 30-seat oval pasta bar, and more casual dining seating at A Tavola, inviting guests to discover over 126 distinct shapes of their Pastificio Di Martino's PGI Gragnano pasta firsthand.
A Tavola offers a full pasta menu that includes some appetizers, their Seasonal and Untouchable pasta recipes and finally a choice of a few desserts. Located within La Devozione’s pasta shop area with additional seating outside (coming Spring 2023), A Tavola is La Devozione’s more casual, á la carte menu offering a selection of informal trattoria-style fare including starters, rotating seasonal pastas and signature Di Martino favorites like "The Untouchables."
All around this area are their products displayed for sale: 126 different pasta shapes displayed all along the side wall, some beautiful ceramics made in Italy and hand painted displayed on a big table in the middle of the restaurant together with some books with pasta recipes as well as some colorful and beautiful Moka pots. In addition, their tin boxes are designed by Dolce Gabbana.
We suggest trying their signature dish La Devozione (Spaghetti, tomato sauce, basil) a classic Neapolitan recipe that shows the versatility of their pasta, Candele con ragu napoletano and Ziti alla Genovese. The last two recipes are typical Neapolitan recipes.
Led by Bar Manager Cristhian Rodriguez, La Devozione's cocktail bar offers guests cocktails, wine and beer. Here, guests will find twists on classic cocktails that celebrate Italy's appreciation for food and sustainability. The Cocktail menu changes often throughout the year, right now one of our favorites is the Winter Brumble (Vodka, Old Duff Genever, lemon, Cranberry-Hibiscus, and winter spices), Let’s Get It Started (Tequila Marolo Milla, Honey, Ginger and Lemon, and the Espresso Martini (Vodka, Amaro della Sacra, black coffee liquor, hazelnut-miso and espresso).
PHOTO CREDITS | La Devozione
Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | A TAVOLA in mag.
Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LST STORI3S | Chef Nyesha Arrington in mag.
PHOTO COURTESY | Tom Colicchio
This Sunday, the Big Game will be here and that means cheering for our favorite division and or team! We love the fact that we can come together over food, sports and a great story! We’ve been collecting a number of recipes and we caught up with Chef Tom Colicchio, 5 X James Beard Award winner, Emmy Award Winner, Executive Producer and Host of BRAVO’s Top Chef, the Restaurateur and Founder of Crafted Hospitality. He talked with us about what he’s serving, what our playbook needs to be for getting prepared for the Big Day and of course getting to hear about Top Chef World All Stars which premiers on March 9th!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we get into the Big Game and all of the good food that we’re going to talk about. When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?
CHEF TOM COLICCHIO: Oh, when I was about 15, I always cooked at home and my dad suggested that I become a chef. Actually, if you look in my yearbook, circa 1980, on the bottom of my photo, it says, “plan to be a chef.”
AM: Love that!
Clearly we’re all excited for the Big Game coming up on Sunday. It’s all about people coming together and the foods that we’re all going to eat. What are you excited about when it comes to watching the game and who are you cheering for?
CHEF TC: I’m an NFC guy so I guess I’m cheering for the Eagles. Also, the owner of the Eagles, Jeffrey Lurie, did us a great favor, he was actually, he and his ex-wife at the time, they were our first investors in a film that my wife made about hunger in America, so I have a soft spot for the Lurie family.
AM: Noted!
CHEF TC: Yeah, we’re just going to enjoy the day with kids, some family and maybe some friends will pop by. We keep it pretty simple around our house and you know, it’s the typical stuff that you would want to find around game day – nachos. There is this little steak dish that I do that’s almost like a salad and of course, there’s wings. They’re a favorite in my household almost every night and not just reserved for game day.
AM: Same!
CHEF TC: This particular recipe has a barbecue sauce that’s a little bit different which has sour cherries. So there is some garlic and some ginger, there’s onion, serrano chilies for some spice, lime juice and a little bit of vinegar for some acid and then the sour cherries provide a little bit of sweetness. Since it’s sour cherries, there’s a little bit of tartness as well. So it’s really well balanced.
More importantly is the chicken that we’re actually using. This is a new company called, Do Good Chicken and it’s in your market, you can find it. What we do is that we take food from supermarkets that would normally go in the garbage and end up in a landfill and create methane, which then creates greenhouse gases and hurts our environment, we take all that surplus food on a massive scale, process it and turn it into an odorless, flavorless powder that we then turn into pellets and in turn, feed our chickens. We give them to our growers who are growing our chickens for us. So you can actually help save the environment by simply just buying a different chicken. So when you’re in the supermarket, you have a lot of different choices that you can make in chickens. You can just buy Do Good Chicken knowing that you can help the environment. So people, I think that they want to be able to do things whether they’re buying electric cars or maybe something else. But this is very simple, buy a different chicken! You can help save the environment! In fact, every chicken that you purchase from Do Good Chicken, takes about 4 pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere.
AM: Oh wow!
So obviously, you just shared with us this chicken recipe that looks amazing. What tips do you have for people that are entertaining their friends or family for the Big Game and how they can make it easy for them and enjoyable as well.
CHEF TC: Yeah, you have to start a couple of days in advance. Make sure that your shopping is done by Thursday. Make sure that your prep, you’ve started on Sat at least! Don’t wait until Sunday morning where you’re running around. Get all of that chopping out of the way. So if you’re doing this sauce, you can make it on Thursday or on Friday – it’s going to hold. Get your chicken wings. This is really important when you’re making chicken, you want it to be really really dry. So buy it a couple of days in advance, take it out of the package, keep it open, do not cover it in your refrigerator so it dries out. That’s how you get crispy crispy chicken. So that’s really important. But anything that you’re chopping, if you’re making salsas and things like that, just do it ahead of time. You don’t have to wait until the last second. Typically, when I’m cooking, if I’m making a dinner party at home, I want to get all of the chopping, the cutting and the prepping out of the way early. When I’m cooking, I’m not using a knife anymore, I’m just cooking and you can really just focus on that. Also, you want to keep this really simple because you want to spend time with your friends. The worst thing that you can do is have a bunch of people at your house and you’re stuck in the kitchen the entire time. You want to get out there and to enjoy the game as well.
AM: We couldn’t agree more and those are great tips! It’s kind of like Thanksgiving – prepping in advance!
CHEF TC: Absolutely! You’ve got to prep in advance and sometimes, a couple of days in advance! I think the other things to is that too often, I don’t think that we think about what we’re doing ahead of time. By now you should have your plays written out, you should know what your moves are going to be. You don’t want to call an audible the day of!
AM: Well, we’re sure that you have an awesome playbook coach!
CHEF TC: Haha you’ve got to read the defense too!
AM: Without a doubt!
We’re so excited for Top Chef to come out next month! It’s always exciting and we love when we get to talk to people that have been part of that universe. We’ve talked with Gail Simmons (listen on Athleisure Kitchen), Chef Justin Sutherland (listen on Athleisure Kitchen), Chef Kristen Kish (listen on Athleisure Kitchen) and other people that have been cheftestants and Chef Nyesha Arrington is our cover for the JAN ISSUE #85.
CHEF TC: Oh yeah, she’s great!
AM: We love her to pieces!
So what can expect for the All Stars, next month in London?
CHEF TC: Well, what’s really cool about this one is that it’s International All Stars. So, there are Top Chef productions all over the globe and so we’re taking the best over those regions – either winners or runners ups and bringing them all together. So we have contestants from Poland, Germany, Thailand, France, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and of course, the United States. It’s a great competition, it was a lot of fun shooting in London and it’s going to be fantastic!
AM: We’re definitely looking forward to that! Are there any other things that we should keep an eye out for because you’re always doing so many positive things and using your platform to let people know what you think about the state of things.
CHEF TC: Yes, I will continue to work on things for issues that revolve around hunger. There is the Farm Bill which is where all the hunger policies are contained. That’s happening and every 5 years, it’s debated so that’s coming up and I’m focusing on that and I am working on a new restaurant in Washington, D.C. that will hopefully open around Nov.
AM: That’s exciting, I always love when I go by Craft as we’re based here in NY. It’s amazing to be able to connect with you and to see what you’re doing and to watch Top Chef as well as to try out this chicken recipe.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Do Good Chicken
· 4 lbs Do Good Chicken Party Wings
· 2 tablespoons salted butter
· ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
· 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
· 2 garlic cloves, smashed
· ¾ cup sour cherry preserves
· 1/3 cup lime juice about 2 limes
· 1 lime, zested
· 1 tablespoon ketchup
· Salt and Pepper
· Flavorless oil, such as avocado or vegetable
Preheat the over to 450F and Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss the chicken wings in 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the wings to the baking sheets skin side up and bake for 45 minutes, until cooked through and crisp.
While the wings are baking, make your BBQ sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chipped saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add half of the minced serrano pepper and smashed garlic and cook for 1 minute, until softened and garlic is fragrant.
Add the onion and pepper mixture to a blender along with the sour cherry preserves, lime juice, and ketchup. Blend until smooth.
Return the cherry BBQ sauce back and to the pan and stir in the remaining serrano pepper. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the BBQ sauce to a bowl.
Remove the wings from the oven when finishing baking and add them to a large bowl. Toss with one third of the cherry BBQ sauce.
Return the tossed wings back to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 5 minutes until sticky and caramelized.
Transfer the glazed wings to a serving dish, sprinkle with lime zest, and serve with the remaining glaze on the side.
If you’re looking for a sauce to cool you down, mix some cherry glaze with mayo for a cooler dipping sauce!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
We love a good foodie hack and when we realize that things that we may have been doing become mainstream, we can give ourselves a pat on a back and get excited that we won’t have to do so many steps. That’s how we felt when we realized that one of our favorite sauces, Tabasco Green Jalapeño Sauce which we have used as a dressing. Now, Tabasco x Tinx Avocado Jalapeño Hot Sauce Dressing allows us to enjoy this on our salads, grilled chicken and so much more! We caught up with TINX who is known for giving advice to her followers about relationships and mental health. We also love how she enjoys food and brings us her faves and hacks along the way. We wanted to find out more about her collaboration with Tabasco as well as why she wants to normalize hot sauce as dressing!
ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s great to connect with you TINX! Tell us a bit about who you are and what people can expect when they’re on your IG as well as your TikTok channel.
TINX: My name is TINX. I’m a Content Creator, podcast host, radio show host and I have been creating content for about 3 years. My content is a big mix of things. I give a lot of advice, I do little sketches, I love pop culture, I love food and I love good recommendations. So, that’s what my followers know me for.
AM: I love that! I grew up on Tabasco, I love the flavors. Original is always a great place to start and I’m a huge fan of the green one – I know you are as well! Why do you love Tabasco so much?
T: I have loved it for so long. I was trying to remember the first time that I had it which was probably when I was very young! I grew up on it too. But it’s just a very comforting hot sauce for me. I have it all the time. The green was always my favorite. I just love how zesty it is and what little zing it adds to your food so it’s honestly an honor of a lifetime that we co-created the hot sauce dressing together. I still can’t believe it!
AM: That is insane. How did you connect with Tabasco and what does it feel like as you’re the first individual person to be able to partner with this brand that has been around for a very long time!
T: They are the most iconic and they’re a great company. They are still a family owned and run brand. They have been making Tabasco for 154 years. The cool thing is that they have barely changed anything, it’s a family recipe. They’re all still so involved, they are such a tight knit team. I was actually lucky to be able to go to Avery Island, Louisiana to be able to meet them all and to see how they produced Tabasco. I was just struck by how close they all are and how much pride that they take in their role in creating all of these amazing hot sauces that we enjoy in our homes every day.
They knew that I was a superfan for ages and I was always joking around online that we should normalize hot sauce as dressing! Green Tabasco makes a great dressing, you mix it with a little olive oil and a bit of this and that and so finally, we got to talking and decided that we should just make it official and co-create this amazing product!
AM: That’s great! You mentioned that you were at their HQ. What was it like being there and what was your biggest takeaway after having such a fun experience?
T: It was such a cool experience. I think that my biggest takeaway was just how much everyone cares and how much pride that everyone takes in this amazing company. You know what? I think that it shows in their integrity of their products and how delicious everything is in every single hot sauce. We actually got to do a hot sauce tasting there because you know there are so many different types of Tabasco and that was the coolest thing. I got to try traditional food from Louisiana and I have never tried foods from there. So trying Étouffée, Gumbo, a Shrimp Po’ Boy – it was all so cool and definitely trying the different Tabasco flavors in one place was absolutely amazing. It was a great trip!
AM: I really love that you feel it should be a dressing. We’ve been doing it for years because why not? We love sauce and we saw your IG post of you literally making it into a dressing. Why are you so passionate about normalizing that this can be a dressing too?
T: I just don’t want anyone to have any sad salads anymore! I think that this is the year of no more sad salads! I love salad, but it has to have a kick to it. It has to have something interesting to it and that is why I’m so passionate. I think that if more people used hot sauce dressing, then they would probably like salad more!
AM: This is true! We love a good salad, but you do have to shake it up a little bit!
T: You’ve got to have something fun for sure!
AM: It can get a little monotonous if you don’t! So you worked with them, you guys formulated the dressing, you have the packaging that you had your input on as well. What was that like?
T: It was a really cool experience and we have been working on this for months and I knew that I wanted the base to be the green Tabasco because that’s my favorite. It was just a matter of adding in some of my other favorite salad dressing ingredients like olive oil, apple cider vinegar, herbs – I love the herbaceous kick that it has to it and then designing the bottle was so cool! I wanted it to feel fresh and new and really represent the flavors in the actual hot sauce dressing which I think that it does well and it’s wild for me to be able to hold it in my hand and just to be able to share it with the world.
AM: That’s always a great feeling. What else do you like having hot sauce on? I know that for us, the green one on avocados, a green version of a Bloody Mary, eggs – so many things!
T: I love it on grilled chicken. I got a grill recently, so I have really been grilling a lot. Grilled shrimp, it’s so good and you can use this dressing for a shrimp cocktail. It’s absolutely delicious or I’ll just cup up vegetables and dip them in it for a little snack. It’s so multipurpose and I love how many uses it has.
AM: You created a salad and you have a recipe. As salad people, we love hearing that! Tell us about it and what do we need?
T: You need romaine, radish, tomatoes, shrimp, salt and pepper. It’s really good and of course, the hot sauce dressing! It has the most amazing crunch to it. I really love a crunch in a salad.
AM: Same!
T: It’s a great base and it’s just the perfect blend of flavors.
AM: Love that! Are there any other projects that you are working on that we should keep an eye out for?
T: I’m really focused on my podcast and radio show. My radio show is every Wed on SIRIUS XM. It’s really cool because I get to connect with all my followers. It’s a call in show so people can call in and ask for advice and we just chat through things. We talk about everything from dating to modern dilemmas whatever modern life throws at us which is very cool. I feel very lucky that people trust me and it’s just amazing to connect on that human level with people. So that’s what I am really focusing on right now.
Hot Girl Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Serves 1
2 cups of mixed greens
1/3 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
½ radish, thinly sliced
1 green onion, sliced
½ ripe avocado, pitted and sliced
3-4 cooked shrimp, shells removed
TABASCO® Brand x TINX Avocado Jalapeño Hot Sauce Dressing
Instructions
Combine the mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, radish, green onion, avocado and shrimp in a large bowl.
In the bowl, hold two knives at an angle to chop the salad into small, bite-sized pieces, just like at your favorite restaurant.
Drizzle your desired amount of TABASCO® Brand x TINX Avocado Jalapeño Hot Sauce Dressing onto the salad for just the right flavor and spice.
Place a cutting board or plate over the top of the bowl and shake vigorously to ensure every piece of salad is coated.
Enjoy!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
PHOTO CREDIT | James Beard Awards
This morning the 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists for the James Beard Awards® presented by Capital One were shared! This does not include the other categories which will be announced over the next few months! Nominees will be announced on Wednesday, March 29, and winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 5, 2023, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards—established in 1990 and first awarded in 1991—are one of five separate recognition programs of the Awards. The 2023 Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists are recognized across 23 categories, including the new Award for Outstanding Bakery. James Beard Awards policies and procedures can be viewed here.
We love that a number of people that we have included or features in Athleisure Mag are included and we congratulate them as well as those that we have yet to have on this phenomenal honor! As the other categories are shared, we will include these as well up until the big night!
Mohamed Ali Alkassar and Niven Patel, Alpareno Restaurant Group (Ghee Indian Kitchen, Orno, and Mamey), Miami, FL
Brandon Chrostowski, EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute (EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute, edwins too, EDWINS Bakery, and others), Cleveland, OH
Krista Cole, Sur Lie and Gather Restaurant, Portland, ME
Greg Dulan, Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, Dulan's on Crenshaw, and Dulanville, Los Angeles, CA
Laile Fairbairn, Locally Grown Restaurants (Snow City Cafe, South Restaurant + Coffeehouse, and Spenard Roadhouse), Anchorage, AK
Sims and Kirsten Harlow Foster, Foster Supply Hospitality (The DeBruce, Arnold House Tavern, and Kenoza Hall), NY
Aaron Hoskins, Sarah Simmons, Nicole Storey, and Elie Yigo, City Grit Hospitality Group (SmallSUGAR, CITY GRIT, and Il Focolare Pizzeria), Columbia, SC
Yuka Ioroi and Kris Toliao, Cassava, San Francisco, CA
Michael and Tara Gallina and Aaron Martinez, Take Root Hospitality (Vicia, Winslow's Table, Bistro La Floraison, and others), St. Louis, MO
Clinton Gray, Derrick Moore, and Emanuel Reed, Slim & Husky's Pizza Beeria, Nashville, TN
Johnna Hayes and Debra Zinke, 3 Sirens Restaurant Group (Bird & Bottle, Holé Molé, Shakey Jakes, and others), Tulsa, OK
Amy and Jason Kerstein, Joe Muench, and Dan Snider, Black Shoe Hospitality (Story Hill BKC and Buttermint Finer Dining & Cocktails), Milwaukee, WI
Sandy Levine, Freya, Chartreuse, and The Oakland, Detroit, MI
Albert McDonald, The Mint, Pizza Campania, and Backcountry Burger Bar, Bozeman, MT
Yenvy and Quynh Pham, Phở Bắc Sup Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat, Seattle, WA
Michael Reginbogin and Jason Berry, KNEAD Hospitality + Design (MI VIDA, Lil’ SUCCOTASH, and GATSBY), Washington, D.C.
Jimmy and Johnny Tung, Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi, Doshi, and Camille, Orlando, FL
Kelly Whitaker, Id Est Hospitality Group (Basta, The Wolf's Tailor, and BRUTØ), Boulder, CO
Chris Williams, Lucille's Hospitality Group, Houston, TX
Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group (Fork, a.kitchen + bar, High Street Philly, and others), Philadelphia, PA
Junior Borges, Meridian, Dallas, TX
Nina Compton, Compère Lapin, New Orleans, LA
Greg Collier, Leah & Louise, Charlotte, NC
Renee Erickson, The Walrus and the Carpenter, Seattle, WA
Shigeru Fukuyoshi, Sagami, Collingswood, NJ
Christine Ha and Tony J. Nguyen, Xin Chào, Houston, TX
Andrew Le, The Pig and the Lady, Honolulu, HI
Johnny Leach, The Town Company, Kansas City, MO
Rachel Miller, Nightshade Noodle Bar, Lynn, MA
Eder Montero and Alex Raij, La Vara, Brooklyn, NY
David Nayfeld, Che Fico, San Francisco, CA
Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles, CA
Josh Niernberg, Bin 707 Foodbar, Grand Junction, CO
Erik Ramirez, Llama Inn, Brooklyn, NY
Dana Rodriguez, Super Mega Bien, Denver, CO
Rob Rubba, Oyster Oyster, Washington, D.C.
Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Café, Phoenix, AZ
Hajime Sato, Sozai, Clawson, MI
Michael Schwartz, Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Miami, FL
David Vargas, Vida Cantina, Portsmouth, NH
Ariete, Miami, FL
Brennan's, New Orleans, LA
Cassia, Santa Monica, CA
La Condesa, Austin, TX
Copine, Seattle, WA
Cora Cora, West Hartford, CT
Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA
The Grey, Savannah, GA
Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm, Boulder, UT
Lucia, Dallas, TX
Mita's, Cincinnati, OH
Mourad, San Francisco, CA
PAGU, Cambridge, MA
Proper Meats + Provisions, Flagstaff, AZ
RIS, Washington, D.C.
Red Rose Restaurant, Lowell, MA
Smyth, Chicago, IL
Veselka, New York, NY
Via Carota, New York, NY
Wickman House, Ellison Bay, WI
Kane Adkisson, kanō, Omaha, NE
Bernard Bennett, Ọkàn, Bluffton, SC
Damarr Brown, Virtue, Chicago, IL
Victoria Elizondo, Cochinita & Co., Houston, TX
Julio Hernandez, Maiz de la Vida, Nashville, TN
Jamie Hoang, Ahan, Madison, WI
Rashida Holmes, Bridgetown Roti, Los Angeles, CA
Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, Best Quality Daughter, San Antonio, TX
Telly Justice, HAGS, New York, NY
Vinh Le, Cicada Coffee Bar, Cambridge, MA
Amado Lopez, Casa Amado Taqueria, Berkley, MI
Christian Lowe, Shift Kitchen & Bar, Flagstaff, AZ
Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, LA
Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, Cafe Ohlone, Berkeley, CA
Charlie Mitchell, Clover Hill, New York, NY
Bo Porytko, Misfit SnackBar, Denver, CO
Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA
Kevin Smith, Beast & Cleaver, Seattle, WA
Elias Taddesse, Mélange, Washington, D.C.
Akino West, Rosie's, Miami, FL
Al Coro, New York, NY
The Backporch, Roundup, MT
Bar Spero, Washington, D.C.
Birch & Rye, San Francisco, CA
Causa, Washington, D.C.
Dept of Culture, New York, NY
Don Artemio, Fort Worth, TX
Et Al., Tulsa, OK
The Friar's Fork, Alamosa, CO
Heavy Metal Sausage Co., Philadelphia, PA
Heff's Burger Club, Winston-Salem, NC
Kann, Portland, OR
Khmai Cambodian Fine Dining, Chicago, IL
KRU, Brooklyn, NY
La Royal, Cambridge, MA
Lupi & Iris, Milwaukee, WI
Nami Kaze, Honolulu, HI
Neng Jr.'s, Asheville, NC
Nolia, Cincinnati, OH
Obélix, Chicago, IL
ōkta, McMinnville, OR
Pijja Palace, Los Angeles, CA
Pizza Grace, Birmingham, AL
Restaurant Beatrice, Dallas, TX
Sambou's African Kitchen, Jackson, MS
Stissing House, Pine Plains, NY
Tatemó, Houston, TX
Tatsu, Dallas, TX
Yangban Society, Los Angeles, CA
wolfpeach, Camden, ME
Angelo Brocato, New Orleans, LA
Breadshop, Honolulu, HI
Buena Gente Cuban Bakery, Decatur, GA
La Casita Bakeshop, Richardson, TX
Denise's Delicacies, Philadelphia, PA
Friends & Family, Los Angeles, CA
Fujiya Hawai‘i, Honolulu, HI
Good Cakes and Bakes, Detroit, MI
Grist Milling & Bakery, Missoula, MT
Haymaker Bun Company, Middlebury, VT
JL Patisserie, Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ
Kuluntu Bakery, Dallas, TX
La Patisserie Chouquette, St. Louis, MO
Mighty Bread Co., Philadelphia, PA
Normal Ice Cream, Salt Lake City, UT
She Wolf Bakery, New York, NY
Unforgettable Bakery & Cafe, Savannah, GA
Yasukochi’s Sweet Stop, San Francisco, CA
Yoli Tortilleria, Kansas City, MO
Zak the Baker, Miami, FL
Veronika Baukema, Veronika's Pastry Shop, Billings, MT
Manuel and Jesús Brazón, Caracas Bakery, Doral, FL
Vince Bugtong, Viridian, Oakland, CA
Mariela Camacho, Comadre Panadería, Austin, TX
Ismael de Sousa, Reunion Bread Co, Denver, CO
Nora Faye Allen, Mel the Bakery, New York, NY
Atsuko Fujimoto, Norimoto Bakery, Portland, ME
Andrew Hutchison, Madison Sourdough, Madison, WI
Michelle Karr-Ueoka, MW Restaurant, Honolulu, HI
Crystal Kass, Valentine, Phoenix, AZ
Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles, CA
Noelle Marchetti, Yolan, Nashville, TN
Shawn McKenzie, Café Cerés, Minneapolis, MN
Camari Mick, The Musket Room, New York, NY
Anne Ng, Bakery Lorraine, San Antonio, TX
Kareem Queeman, Mr. Bake, Riverdale, MD
Emily Riddell, Machine Shop, Philadelphia, PA
Phillip Ashley Rix, Phillip Ashley Chocolates, Memphis, TN
Elaine Uykimpang Bentz, Café Mochiko, Cincinnati, OH
Amanda Wildermuth, Honey Road, Burlington, VT
The Black Cypress, Pullman, WA
Bottega, Birmingham, AL
Charleston, Baltimore, MD
Here's Looking at You, Los Angeles, CA
House of Prime Rib, San Francisco, CA
Lark, Seattle, WA
Lil' Deb's Oasis, Hudson, NY
The Local, Abilene, TX
Lula Drake, Columbia, SC
Manoli's, Salt Lake City, UT
Melba's, New York, NY
Pêche., Palisade, CO
The Quarry, Monson, ME
The Restaurant at 1900, Mission Woods, KS
Sepia, Chicago, IL
SMOKE. Woodfire Grill, Tulsa, OK
Sur Lie, Portland, ME
Theodore Rex, Houston, TX
Ticonderoga Club, Atlanta, GA
Vernick Food & Drink, Philadelphia, PA
All Together Now, Chicago, IL
Commander's Palace, New Orleans, LA
COTE, New York, NY
Flight Wine Bar, Washington, D.C.
Foam Brewers, Burlington, VT
FRIDA Southwest, Oklahoma City, OK
Glai Baan, Phoenix, AZ
Hiyu Wine Farm, Hood River, OR
Lazy Bear, San Francisco, CA
Lyla Lila, Atlanta, GA
Macchialina, Miami Beach, FL
Monk's Cafe, Philadelphia, PA
Nancy's Hustle, Houston, TX
OK Omens, Portland, OR
OTOTO, Los Angeles, CA
Rebel Rebel, Somerville, MA
Spencer, Ann Arbor, MI
Suerte, Austin, TX
Sunday Vinyl, Denver, CO
Waxlight Bar à Vin, Buffalo, NY
Allegory, Washington, D.C.
American Solera, Tulsa, OK
Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu, HI
Cafe La Trova, Miami, FL
Dante, New York, NY
Drastic Measures, Shawnee, KS
Esters Wine Shop & Bar, Santa Monica, CA
Garagiste, Las Vegas, NV
The Gin Room, St. Louis, MO
Harlem Hops, New York, NY
The Jewel Box, Portland, ME
Kingfisher, Durham, NC
Las Ramblas, Brownsville, TX
Le Caveau, Philadelphia, PA
Post Office Place, Salt Lake City, UT
Rob Roy, Seattle, WA
Salud Cerveceria, Charlotte, NC
Scratch Brewing Company, Ava, IL
Trick Dog, San Francisco, CA
Weathered Souls Brewing Company, San Antonio, TX
Jonathan Bautista, Kingfisher, San Diego, CA
Rocio Camacho, Rocio's Mexican Kitchen, Bell Gardens, CA
Val M. Cantu, Californios, San Francisco, CA
Gilberto Cetina Jr., Holbox, Los Angeles, CA
Kyle and Katina Connaughton, SingleThread, Healdsburg, CA
Brandon Hayato Go, Hayato, Los Angeles, CA
Srijith Gopinathan, Ettan, Palo Alto, CA
Matthew Kammerer, The Harbor House Inn, Elk, CA
Intu-on Kornnawong, Jo's Modern Thai, Oakland, CA
Andrew and Michelle Muñoz, Moo's Craft Barbecue, Los Angeles, CA
Justin Pichetrungsi, Anajak Thai, Sherman Oaks, CA
Michael Reed, Poppy & Seed, Anaheim, CA
Daisy Ryan, Bell's, Los Alamos, CA
Carlos Salgado, Taco María, Costa Mesa, CA
Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong, Jitlada, Los Angeles, CA
James Syhabout, Commis, Oakland, CA
Craig Takehara, Binchoyaki, Sacramento, CA
Pim Techamuanvivit, Kin Khao, San Francisco, CA
Robbie Wilson, Le Fantastique, San Francisco, CA
Akira Yoshizumi, Sushi Yoshizumi, San Mateo, CA
Francisco Alfaro, Mid-City Restaurant, Cincinnati, OH
Omar Anani, Saffron De Twah, Detroit, MI
Abra Berens, Granor Farm, Three Oaks, MI
Becky Clark, Little Fish Brewing Co., Athens, OH
Diana Dávila Boldin, Mi Tocaya Antojería, Chicago, IL
Thai Dang, HaiSous, Chicago, IL
Paul Fehribach, Big Jones, Chicago, IL
Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago, IL
Norberto Garita, El Barzon, Detroit, MI
Hideki and Yuko Harada, Kiki, Cincinnati, OH
Andy Hollyday, Selden Standard, Detroit, MI
Ji Hye Kim, Miss Kim, Ann Arbor, MI
Allie La Valle-Umansky, Jeremy Umansky, and Kenny Scott, Larder Delicatessen & Bakery, Cleveland, OH
BJ Lieberman, Chapman's Eat Market, Columbus, OH
Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, Baobab Fare, Detroit, MI
Abbi Merriss, Bluebeard, Indianapolis, IN
Zubair Mohajir, Wazwan, Chicago, IL
Samir Mohammad, 9th Street Bistro, Noblesville, IN
Michael Ransom, Ima Izakaya, Detroit, MI
Sarah Welch, Marrow, Detroit, MI
Chris Amendola, foraged., Baltimore, MD
Steve Chu, Ekiben, Baltimore, MD
Joy Crump, FOODE, Fredericksburg, VA
David Deshaies, L'Ardente, Washington, D.C.
Nik Forsberg, Fet-Fisk, Pittsburgh, PA
Rahman "Rock" Harper, Queen Mother's Fried Chicken, Arlington, VA
Andrew Henshaw, Laser Wolf, Philadelphia, PA
Jesse Ito, Royal ushi, Philadelphia, PA
Dionicio Jiménez, Cantina La Martina, Philadelphia, PA
Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski, Apteka, Pittsburgh, PA
Enrique Limardo, Seven Reasons, Washington, D.C.
Philip Manganaro, Park Place Café & Restaurant, Merchantville, NJ
Melissa McGrath, Sweet Amalia Market & Kitchen, Newfield, NJ
Thanh Nguyen, Gabriella's Vietnam, Philadelphia, PA
Peter Prime, Bammy's, Washington, D.C.
Michael Rafidi, Albi, Washington, D.C.
Ryan Ratino, Bresca, Washington, D.C.
Omar Rodriguez, Oyamel Cocina Mexicana, Washington, D.C.
Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA
Kevin Tien, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
Sanaa Abourezk, Sanaa's Gourmet Mediterranean, Sioux Falls, SD
Ann Ahmed, Khâluna, Minneapolis, MN
Nick Bognar, iNDO, St. Louis, MO
Samuel Charles, Rodina, Cedar Rapids, IA
Rob Connoley, Bulrush, St. Louis, MO
Michael Corvino, Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, Kansas City, MO
Nick Goellner, The Antler Room, Kansas City, MO
Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite, EsterEv, Milwaukee, WI
Gregory León, Amilinda, Milwaukee, WI
Pam Liberda, Waldo Thai, Kansas City, MO
Francesco Mangano, Osteria Papavero, Madison, WI
Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, Fairchild, Madison, WI
Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO
Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis, MN
Joseph Raney, Skogen Kitchen, Custer, SD
Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel, Saint Paul, MN
Paul and Jessica Urban, Block 16, Omaha, NE
David Utterback, Yoshitomo, Omaha, NE
Adam VanDonge, The White Linen, Topeka, KS
Yia Vang, Union Hmong Kitchen, Minneapolis, MN
Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, ID
Michael Annandono, Michaelangelo's Big Sky, Big Sky, MT
Dan Ansotegui, Ansots, Boise, ID
Jose Avila, La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal, Denver, CO
Andy Blanton, Cafe Kandahar, Whitefish, MT
Paul Chamberlain and Logen Crew, SLC Eatery, Salt Lake City, UT
Michael Diaz de Leon, BRUTØ, Denver, CO
C. Barclay Dodge, Bosq, Aspen, CO
Andrew Fuller, Oquirrh, Salt Lake City, UT
Briar Handly, Handle, Park City, UT
Suchada Johnson, Teton Thai, Teton Village, WY
Young-Ho Kang and Peter Kim, The Angry Korean, South Jordan, UT
Kris Komori, KIN, Boise, ID
Chris Lockhart and Danny Mowatt, PREROGATIvE Kitchen, Red Lodge, MT
Kibrom Milash, Kibrom's Ethiopian & Eritrean Food, Boise, ID
Paul Naugle, Izakaya Three Fish, Bozeman, MT
Cindhura Reddy, Spuntino, Denver, CO
Earl James Reynolds, Stone Hill Kitchen + Bar, Bigfork, MT
Ali Sabbah, Mazza, Salt Lake City, UT
Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO
Gerardo Alcaraz, Aldama, Brooklyn, NY
Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn, NY
Mary Attea, The Musket Room, New York, NY
Giovanni Cervantes, Taqueria Ramírez, Brooklyn, NY
Amanda Cohen, Dirt Candy, New York, NY
Calvin Eng, Bonnie's, Brooklyn, NY
Shenarri Freeman, Cadence, New York, NY
Charles Gabriel, Charles Pan-Fried Chicken, New York, NY
Anthony Gonçalves, Kanopi, White Plains, NY
Sol Han, LittleMad, New York, NY
JJ Johnson, FIELDTRIP, New York, NY
Sohui Kim, Gage & Tollner, Brooklyn, NY
Shaina Loew-Banayan, Cafe Mutton, Hudson, NY
Paolo Garcia Mendoza, Karenderya, Nyack, NY
Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shukette, New York, NY
Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York, NY
Franco Sampogna, Frevo, New York, NY
Eric See, Ursula, Brooklyn, NY
Hillary Sterling, Ci Siamo, New York, NY
Sohail Zandi, Brushland Eating House, Bovina, NY
Robert Andreozzi, Pizza Marvin, Providence, RI
Paul Callahan, Vino e Vivo, Exeter, NH
Jeff Fournier, Thompson House Eatery, Jackson, NH
Mojo Hancy-Davis, May Day, Burlington, VT
Valentine Howell, Krasi, Boston, MA
Christian Hunter, Community Table, Washington, CT
Sara Jenkins, Nina June, Rockport, ME
Jason LaVerdiere, Flux, Lisbon Falls, ME
Courtney Loreg, Woodford Food & Beverage, Portland, ME
Alganesh Michael, A Taste of Abyssinia, South Burlington, VT
Yahya Noor, Tawakal Halal Cafe, Boston, MA
Tony Pastor, Fore Street, Portland, ME
Isaul Perez, Isa, Portland, ME
Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, RI
Yisha Siu, Yunnan Kitchen, Boston, MA
Derrick Teh, SEKALI, Boston, MA
Ellie Tiglao, Tanám, Somerville, MA
Renee Touponce, The Port of Call, Mystic, CT
Milena Pagán, Little Sister, Providence, RI
Douglass Williams, MIDA, Boston, MA
Nathan Bentley, Altura Bistro, Anchorage, AK
Tony Brown, Ruins, Spokane, WA
Peter Cho, Han Oak, Portland, OR
Joshua Dorcak, MÄS, Ashland, OR
Brian Hirata, Na‘au, Hawai‘i Island, HI
Jonathan Jones, Epilogue Kitchen & Cocktails, Salem, OR
Dan Koommoo, Crafted, Yakima, WA
Keaka Lee, Kapa Hale, Honolulu, HI
Melissa Miranda, Musang, Seattle, WA
Vince Nguyen, Berlu, Portland, OR
David Nichols, Eight Row, Seattle, WA
Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Gado Gado, Portland, OR
Crystal Platt, Lion & Owl, Eugene, OR
Beau Schooler, In Bocca Al Lupo, Juneau, AK
Sheldon Simeon, Tiffany's, Wailuku, HI
Mutsuko Soma, Kamonegi, Seattle, WA
Renee Trafton, Beak Restaurant, Sitka, AK
Robert Urquidi, Ethel's Grill, Honolulu, HI
Aaron Verzosa, Archipelago, Seattle, WA
Lee Anne Wong, Papa‘aina, Lahaina, HI
Sam Fore, Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites, Lexington, KY
Josh Habiger, Bastion, Nashville, TN
Sam Hart, Counter-, Charlotte, NC
Ronald Hsu, Lazy Betty, Atlanta, GA
Daniel "Dano" Heinze, Vern's, Charleston, SC
Terry Koval, The Deer and the Dove, Decatur, GA
Dayna Lee-Márquez, Comal 864, Greenville, SC
Jiyeon Lee and Cody Taylor, Heirloom Market BBQ, Atlanta, GA
Josiah McGaughey, Vivian, Asheville, NC
Ramin Mirzakhani, Laury's Restaurant, Charleston, WV
Trevor Moran, Locust, Nashville, TN
Dean Neff, Seabird, Wilmington, NC
Keith Rhodes, Catch, Wilmington, NC
Isaiah Screetch, Spark Community Café, Versailles, KY
Jessica Shillato, Spotted Salamander, Columbia, SC
Sahar Siddiqi, Chai Pani, Decatur, GA
Paul Smith, 1010 Bridge, Charleston, WV
Stephanie Tyson, Sweet Potatoes, Winston-Salem, NC
Deborah VanTrece, Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, Atlanta, GA
Preeti Waas, Cheeni Indian Food Emporium, Raleigh, NC
Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith, Saint-Germain, New Orleans, LA
Timon Balloo, The Katherine, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jeremy and Cindy Bearman, Oceano Kitchen, Lantana, FL
Ana Castro, Lengua Madre, New Orleans, LA
Fernando, Nando, and Valerie Chang, Itamae, Miami, FL
Hunter Evans, Elvie's, Jackson, MS
Francis Guzmán, Vianda, San Juan, PR
Amarys and Jordan Herndon, Palm & Pine, New Orleans, LA
Timothy Hontzas, Johnny's Restaurant, Homewood, AL
Alex Perry and Kumi Omori, Vestige, Ocean Springs, MS
Rick Mace, Tropical Smokehouse, West Palm Beach, FL
Melissa M. Martin, Mosquito Supper Club, New Orleans, LA
Pushkar Marathe, Stage, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Henry Moso, Kabooki Sushi, Orlando, FL
Charly Pierre, Fritai, New Orleans, LA
Colleen Quarls and Liz Hollinger, Molly's Rise and Shine, New Orleans, LA
Rafael Rios, Yeyo's El Alma de Mexico, Bentonville, AR
Michael Stoltzfus, Coquette, New Orleans, LA
Natalia Vallejo, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, PR
Lojo Washington, Queen of Sheeba, West Palm Beach, FL
Ben Alexander, Mr. Kims, Tulsa, OK
Oscar Amador and Francesco Di Caudo, Anima by EDO, Las Vegas, NV
Rene Andrade and Roberto Centeno, Bacanora, Phoenix, AZ
Kaoru Azeuchi, KAISEKI YUZU, Las Vegas, NV
Jaren Bates and Brett Vibber, The Table at Junipine, Sedona, AZ
Lisa Becklund, FarmBar, Tulsa, OK
Andrew Black, Grey Sweater, Oklahoma City, OK
Jeff Chanchaleune, Ma Der Lao Kitchen, Oklahoma City, OK
Yip Cheung, Red Plate, Las Vegas, NV
Nephi Craig, Café Gozhóó, Whiteriver, AZ
Wendy Garcia, Tumerico, Tucson, AZ
Basit Gauba, Tikka Spice, Albuquerque, NM
Fernando Hernández, Testal, Phoenix, AZ
Jimmy Li, ShangHai Taste, Las Vegas, NV
Luis and Berenice Medina, El Chile Toreado, Santa Fe, NM
Yotaka and Alex Martin, Lom Wong, Phoenix, AZ
Andrea Meyer, The Love Apple, Taos, NM
Justin Pioche, Pioche Food Group, Upper Fruitland (Doolkai), Navajo Nation, NM
David Sellers, Horno Restaurant, Santa Fe, NM
Paul Wilson, Boston Title & Abstract, Tulsa, OK
Nicola Blaque, The Jerk Shack, San Antonio, TX
Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Canje, Austin, TX
Damien Brockway, Distant Relatives, Austin, TX
Reyna Duong, Sandwich Hag, Dallas, TX
Kareem El-Ghayesh, KG BBQ, Austin, TX
Jalen Heard, Lane Milne, and Jonny White, Goldee's Barbecue, Fort Worth, TX
Andrew Ho, Andrew Samia, and Sean Wen, Curry Boys BBQ, San Antonio, TX
Greg Gatlin, Gatlin’s BBQ, Houston, TX
Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston, TX
Ai Le, Nam Giao, Houston, TX
Olivia López and Jonathan Percival, Molino Olōyō, Dallas, TX
Enrique Lozano, El Charlatan, Socorro, TX
Emiliano Marentes, ELEMI, El Paso, TX
Ana Liz Pulido, Ana Liz Taqueria, Mission, TX
Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, José, Dallas, TX
Regino Rojas, Revolver Taco Lounge, Dallas, TX
John Russ, Clementine, San Antonio, TX
Ernest Servantes and David Kirkland, Burnt Bean Co., Seguin, TX
Kiran Verma, Kiran's, Houston, TX
Jon Walter, Chez Sami, Wolfforth, TX
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW YEAR, N3W YOU in mag.
We've been long-time fans of John Grisham and in The Boys From Biloxi: A Legal Thriller, he returns to Mississippi to tell the story of 2 sons of immigrant families who become friends but end up leading very different lives.
While we learn about Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco, we also get to know about Biloxi and how this beach and resort town has another side that includes gambling, bootlegging, prostitution and more due to the Dixie Mafia!
True to John Grisham's classic twists and turns we'll get to see how this world comes together and how these men end up on different sides of the courtroom.
There is nothing like a muffin to kick off the day, to have for brunch or even to have as a savory treat! We didn't realize the depth of what this treat could be until we got this cookbook! Muffins has over 70 recipes that are filled with fruits, fiber and vegetables and those that are meant to be paired with soups and salads.
We're excited about a few of the recipes that we saw as we flipped through the book which includes: Saucy Blueberry-Lemon, Raspberry Wine and Jalapeño-Corn. As you find the recipe that you want to make regardless of the season, you'll find substitutions for ingredients, baking method tips and other kitchen hacks that will assist you in making your creations whether for yourself or even as gifts for others.
Sometimes, you want to immerse yourself into a cooking experience that you have to create from start to finish! From Scratch is a curated series of recipes that is written simply and takes you from the beginning and necessary staples from over 200 recipes.
Recipes include those that utilize materials from the most basic of pantries to decadent items like cakes, dips, ferments and even drinks.
You'll even find an entirely new meaning when you realize that you can even make your own staples such as mayonnaise, yogurt, kimchi, mustard, ice cream, chai tea and so much more! The idea of being able to make these items and to add your twist to it to make it your own will bring your kitchen to another level with a bit of time and continuing to master your skills. You'll find this cookbook to be fun, not preachy and you will be excited to see how many things that you will enjoy making from scratch.
Read the JAN ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Books in mag.
The Soho Grand is a favorite downtown hotel destination. We enjoy its ambiance as the hotel's design pays tribute to the 19th-century industrial elegance of SoHo marrying the grit of the artist lofts with the grandeur of the turn of the century's gilded age.
Bill Sofield, Cooper Hewitt Interior Design Award recipient and designer of retail boutiques for Tom Ford, Bottega Veneta, Yves St. Laurent, and Gucci, has collaborated with Soho Grand since its inception. He incorporated distinct architectural materials and styles that celebrate SoHo’s history.
Briana Stanley, the hotel's Creative Director, expanded on Sofield's concept when designing the new interiors. Paying homage to the hotel’s rich history while creating a thoughtfully refreshed space. Custom king beds are adorned with cognac leather and blue mohair headboards; bespoke oak armoires feature inset chicken-wire mirrors. The hardwood European oak wide plank floors are complemented by rich textured wall covering, vintage sconces and gilded brass mirrors.
When you're hungry, the Soho Diner serves upscale American favorites, The Grand Bar and Salon provides elevated bar bites and in the warmer months, Gilligans brings out seafood and summertime specialties. You can also head to the Club Room which is a staple in New York Nightlife, a glamorous haven that has carefully crafted cocktails, live music, and dancing.
On NYE, Soho Grand’s 14th Annual Black & White Masquerade Ball is an ode to Truman Capote's infamous Grand Masked Ball, hosted in New York 1966. The soirée was thrown in honor of Kay Graham and still seen as one of the most brilliantly eclectic parties of the century, attended by ingenious creatives across verticals. You can purchase your tickets as a farewell 2022 for an epic New Year’s Eve!
All bars are open and accessible for complimentary drinks from 9pm - 1am for all guests; and at midnight along with the confetti cannons bursting - everyone is served a champagne toast to ring in 2023 to Frank Sinatra, New York, New York in style.
DJs will sit atop the Reception Desk, making the lobby into a dance-floor, kicking off with Chopstix, then Baby Bro, DJ Reach and Erol bringing heat to your heels. The hosts for this night of glamour includes: Christian Siriano, Mohaby, Nick D'Orazio, Ryan Matthew and Nabeel Minaj.
Special packages for table guests include tableside bottle service – unlimited Tito’s Vodka, Casamigos Tequila and Champagne flowing from 9PM to close. They will serve appetizer bites with lobster mac & cheese croquets, caviar bellinis and mini-Grand Burgers until 11PM.
SOHO GRAND HOTEL
310 W Broadway
NY, NY 10013
PHOTO CREDITS | Soho Grand
Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Soho Grand in mag.
This year, we have shared a number of our favorite restaurants that we thought you should know about! For our final issue of 2022, we took some time to talk with Jee Kim, one of the partners of 8282 located in the LES. We wanted to know more about this Korean restaurant, the background of both of the cofounders of this restaurant as well as what we can expect from this menu when we swing by next! We also wanted to know more about their beverage program as well which is important no matter what time of year, but is definitely of interest when it comes to the holidays!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us the meaning behind the name 8282 and when did you open?
JEE KIM: 8282, is a light-hearted, fresh take on Korean food.
The name 8282 refers to Korea’s country code, +82, and has an additional meaning: The numbers, when read together, translate to a phrase that means “quickly” or “faster.” The phrase signifies a get-it-done attitude.
After closing our previous restaurant during COVID, we opened 8282 November of 2021.
AM: What do you mean by the term, elevated modern Korean cuisine?
JK: There has been an evolution of modern Korean food in the food scene in Seoul, not only in the fine-dining scene but also within the elevated dining scene. Many chefs trained in New York, Tokyo, or Australia have come back to Seoul to infuse their techniques and training and explore their creativity, dishes that explored their creativity, dishes that combine authentic Korean dishes with ingredients all over the world. When we saw the explosion of Korean fine-dining restaurants in New York, we knew that the market would be receptive to different styles of Korean food, not just limited to Korean BBQs and bibimbap.
AM: What are foods and spices that are indicative of Korean cuisine?
JK: Core Korean foods are side dishes such as kimchi – in all different ingredients, ranging from radish, cabbage, cucumbers, and more. Kimchi is the quintessential Korean dish that is representative of fermented technique used in many of our condiments such as gochujang (red pepper paste), soy sauce, and dwenjang (soy bean paste).
AM: Tell me about the background behind the owners and what led them to coming together to create 8282?
JK: Behind 8282 is a couple who previously ran the restaurant Pado in the East Village. Before operating Pado, Bong Le Jo cooked in the kitchens of Perry St, Dovetail and Kissaki, and I launched several fashion and lifestyle brands, and worked as a truffle distributor in Seoul, in partnership with a New York-based company.
Jo and I dreamed of opening a successful restaurant in New York when Jo began his culinary journey. We’ve been together for past a decade and 8282 is an outcome of years of preparation. With my background in branding and marketing along with sales distribution, I knew that my contributions would be crucial in the early stages of opening. I am currently a Columbia MBA student and hoping to leverage my network in different areas of businesses in our expansion plan.
AM: Jee Kim, I know you make frequent trips to Seoul. What takes place during those trips to ensure that you are bringing the best of your restaurant to its guests?
JK: My family lives in Seoul and my frequent trips are mainly to visit my family. They are all passionate about food and one of our activities as a family is to explore the ever-changing food scene as well as the most authentic restaurants in Seoul. My father is deeply passionate and proud of Korean produce and products and we take time to visit markets, wholesale markets, and farms to deliver freshest ingredients for his company’s employee food hall. I take this time to find ways to bring specific ingredients for 8282 so that our customers in New York can experience them.
AM: How does seasonality factor into the dishes that are offered at 8282?
JK: During COVID, the supply chain issue especially for restaurants have been a severe problem in food costs. We change our menu based on what is available in the market and also what the most flavorful ingredients are.
AM: For those that dine here at 8282 in LES, what can they expect in terms of the ambiance?
JK: Our ambiance is cozy and approachable, with a staff who are very friendly to our customers. It’s a great place for first dates, group dinners – anyone who is looking for a good time.
AM: Your menu is divided into Anju and Banju. Anju focuses on small plates with food menu to pair with alcohol. What are 3 dishes that you suggest in this category?
JK: The theme of the anju and banju is so that the food is always well-paired with alcohol, as this is culturally a very Korean way of dining. Good food should always be paired with good alcohol. I would say all of them pairs well, but the top three are: Tuna tartare + Kimbukak, Boneless K.F.C., and Littleneck Soojebi.
Anju by definition: is the food that pairs with alcohol.
Banju by definition is: the alcohol that pairs with food.
It’s a play on these words that are fun because they rhyme, and it’s culturally nuanced.
AM: For Banju, these are shared plates that are larger and are also meant to be paired with alcohol. What are 3 dishes that you suggest for this that we should have when we come in?
JK: The three top banju dishes are: Dakgalbi Kimchi-bap, Jjajang Bori-bap, and the L.A. Iberico Pork.
AM: We have been long time fans of Soju and you have a wide selection of them. What are 3 kinds that we should try when visiting?
JK: We purposely do not carry the green bottle soju as we wanted to introduce the new types of soju that has been pouring in the Korean market that are of higher quality and grade, most importantly taste. My favorite are: Seoul Night, Golden Barley, and Yangchon Chungju, which is a Korean rice wine.
AM: You’re also known for your craft cocktails. What are 3 that we should try out as we know that you reached out to mixologist Katrina Sobredilla.
JK: We invested heavily on our cocktail program because our food is meant to be paired with alcohol. The top three are: Jeju Old-Fashioned, Oiji Dirty, and the Gochujang Margarita.
AM: With the holiday season being upon us, should there be anything that we should keep an eye out for in terms of events or promotions that you will be involved in?
JK: We are open all throughout the holidays for Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s. We just launched our Tea-tini Station where the customers will have a choice between burdock, buckwheat, chai, corn, matcha, and jasmine tea. It’s a tea flavored martini station with vodka, tea infused soju, tea syrup, and citrus bitters. On 12/19, we had a Filipino pop-up as Kat Sobredilla (our head bartender) is Filipino. For Lunar New Year (1/22) we are hosting a Banchan Box Party x Woori Show Seollal 2023. More information can be found below!
To celebrate Seollal 2023, 8282 is organizing an intimate fundraiser to benefit The Woori Show, a non-profit org that is spreading KOREAN AMERICAN JOY! It's an online arts, language and cultural program that helps teach all things Korean through music, stories and fun!! It's founded and created by the talented and passionate Nari Kye, who you may remember as a producer from Bourdain's Parts Unknown.
The Woori Show is tapping into their talented friends to be in the showcase, celebrate and uplift our community with a "Banchan Box Party" on Sunday January 22, 2023 for a SEOLLAL CELEBRATION! Yay, Year of the Tokki!
8282 in the LES has graciously offered to host this dduk-mandoo gook + banchan party. Families are invited to learn how to make mandoo (are you a crimper or a sealer?), seongpyon by Rice Blossoms and learn about Seollal from Woori Show Founder, Nari Kye! There will be food and fun!
IG @8282nyc
PHOTOS COURTESY | 8282
Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | 8282 in mag.
As much as we love living vicariously through a number of people's travels on IG, we also love a good event. There is something about an immersive experience where you know that the food must have been amazing, the setting is transportive and the visuals make every picture look epic! These things just don't happen on their own, it's a blend of cohesive themes that come together and in many cases, there is an event planner who makes it happen!
We have been fans of Mindy Weiss for decades as she has created events with phenomenal themes whether they are large scale or intimate in nature. Her work has been used by some of the biggest celebrities and athletes while executing their vision to perfection. Her work has been cosigned by Vogue, Brides and Harper's Bazaar! So, when we had the chance to find out more about how she got into the industry, how she stays inspired and what we need to think about our event regardless of whether she is at the helm or if we are doing it ourselves, we had to take a few moments of her time!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been fans of yours for a few decades now and whether it’s a wedding, launch event or whatever it is. There is something about how you create an immersive experience that also showcases the vibe of the person that is hosting the event!
MINDY WEIS: Oh thank you and thanks for noticing that!
AM: Of course! When did you realize that you wanted to be an event planner?
MW: Well, I got married the first time, very young and I was looking for a part-time job. In college, I thought that I was going to go into production and didn’t know that I would go into this direction. I got a job in a little precious stationery store. This stationary store is where they don’t do it as much, but you look through books and you order custom stationery and innovations. Oh my God, I loved it! From that point, the person who hired me who is now my best friend in the whole world, for the last 40 some odd years, we started to work out of the house. We left that store and worked out of the house and people started asking me to do their events besides just doing their invitations.
Now growing up, my mother gave the best parties. Hysterical, now as an adult and a mother, my Sweet 16 was at the Playboy Club! Back when they used to have Playboy Clubs – so embarrassed now! I mean, they weren’t naked, but they were definitely in their bunny suits and it was like, what were you thinking? But she thought that that would be clever. So it was in the blood and I did the first party and then it just stuck from that one party, I got 10 events. So that is my story!
AM: How do you get inspiration when you are tackling your next project?
MW: Well, I really try to personalize it as much as possible. So we have great conversations, I’m trying to pull things out of what they love! You know they give me Pinterest pages that literally have 20 different ideas from a traditional event, a modern event, a vintage event. I try to pull itall back to personalizing it as much as possible and that brings me here to say that right now, the biggest trend is guest experience. This is the trend obviously for every event from a wedding on. Everything is very important and is the key, but how is your event going to be different from all the events that you’re going to at the same time. Typically, if you’re getting married, you’re group of people are getting married and then you are on the wedding circuit.
Like my middle son was in 6 weddings and he is on the circuit and I keep saying to him – elope, elope! But no, his girlfriend is going to want the whole thing! So bringing it back to guest experience, I’m always trying to find what is new, what would be a cool thing that you could include people in that looks beautiful, that is something that they may have never considered before and that’s kind of why I teamed up with Seedlip for the Seedlip Soiree because it’s so up my alley.
I don’t know if you have seen these bottles.
AM: We have seen these bottles and my boyfriend has had them. I like that sometimes when you have been partying maybe too much, but you still would like to have a beverage that looks tasty and it pairs well with fruit juices – it’s a great mocktail! I’ve even made it into a cocktail as well because the ingredients are great!
Why did this collaboration come about?
MW: Well, the truth is, I don’t drink. Once in awhile in Cabo at the end of a very big event, I’ll take a shot of tequila. So what interests me in this is exactly what you just said! I want to have a beautiful drink that doesn’t necessarily have to be mixed with alcohol, but certainly can be. I can still feel like I can be social and I don’t feel the pressure, but I would like to carry a beautiful drink that feels somewhat organic and beautiful. The last event that I served it at, let’s just say one of the ingredients is the rosemary, well I took it to a new place by making sure that there was a sprig of it in the drink, I made sure that there were beautiful flowers to represent what that drink was. I think that I have a few more holiday parties, I’m on the countdown and at one party, we’re going to do a party with a bar that is in the Seedlip drink, I’m going to design where that bottle sits with what’s in it.
AM: I’m sure that that will be beautiful because you do beautiful work.
MW: It will enable people to know what exactly is in it immediately. And again, it’s a guest experience. I do get asked to represent some different companies, but I’ve kind of made a pact with myself that I can only really speak to the things that I can relate to.
AM: How important is it to have a signature cocktail(s) at an event?
MW: I actually thought that at one point is was going away.
AM: Really?
MW: Yeah, because all of the Old Fashioned drinks were coming in, but then it’s back in a really big way! A big part of my business was making bar menus so people could see the creativity and look at the names of the drinks and what is in it which is important obviously for a lot of people. It’s on every wedding list that we check off. So how is it important? It’s very important because no one is letting it go!
AM: Exactly!
Regardless of all of the things that you have done in terms of the amazing events that you have created, if we’re not able to book you as I would obviously love to do so for a future event...
MW: Book me! Yes!
AM: Every time we see your IG, you’ve killed it again! How does someone go about creating their own events if they are doing it themselves? What should they be focusing on? What should they be organizing so that they can execute their vision?
MW: First of all, they should sign up for my Masterclass because I have a Masterclass now! It takes you through all of those categories, but it needs to represent you. So, put aside the IG for a second and the Pinterest and everything. What are your favorite drinks? What are your favorite flowers? What’s great is that when people walk into a wedding or a holiday party or a shower or whatever it is and you want people to come in and go, “oh my God, this is so them!” Of course they have that because this is what they like! If you can pull from that when you're doing your signature drinks it should represent what you drink. So you want to share that part and obviously we would do Mindy’s Mocktails which would have what I like and my husband loves Old Fashioned and we would do that – he is so old fashioned which he is! But then, that’s how you would personalize these things with music you play, the food you serve, the vows you say -everything comes from within you and trying not to be a copycat!
See, there’s nothing wrong with going to an event and seeing a beautiful bar with the drinks that they serve. You can still have a beautiful bar with drinks that you serve that represent you. Look at everything as inspiration.
AM: I love hearing that. As someone who is the Co-Founder/Creative + Style Dir of Athleisure Media who is also a fashion stylist, I like the concept of mood boarding, pulling all of these different inspirations in and making sure that when I’m dressing our celebrities, I like adding things that speak to them while adding in a layer to it so that it is a little different. But it still feels true to who they are. So I can totally get what you’re saying about that.
MW: Because in our world, the first thing that people go to unfortunately is, “I saw that already!” I’m sure in fashion, you really see that a lot because if someone already wore it, how are you going to change it up? In my world, the competition with event planners is pretty up there. I love to Instagram to do inspiration and to give inspiration, but don’t you think that I don’t get inspiration from there and then put a twist on it where I feel like, “ooo I can make it better” or “I can make it different.” That’s the same with every aspect of celebrating.
AM: You’ve been talking about guest experience. Whether someone is hiring you or creating their event themselves, what should be in your mind when it comes to those that are attending your party regardless of your theme or why they are there?
MW: If you’re having a party, it’s not just about you! You’re inviting people to your event, it’s a gift to them and it’s a gift that just keeps on giving, It cannot be all about yourself. Not when people are coming, bringing a gift, spending money to get there, buying clothes – it’s a gift for both of you. You need to remember that when you are the host or hostess that it’s not going to be all about you.
IG @mindyweiss
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 94-97 Dennis Kwan Photography
Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see MAKE IT A SIGNATURE | Mindy Weiss in mag.
We caught up with Marianna Hewitt, a well known influencer that took her passion for brands that she loved and personal style to build a brand that is coveted and leaves its consumers wondering about what the next must-have product will be. Summer Fridays has been a brand that we have shared in a number of our roundups over the past few years. We wanted to find out more about about Marianna's approach to the brand, how the line continues to grow its assortment and how she takes time to enjoy her holiday with family and friends as we get into the thick of the season.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been fans of yours for a number of years starting way back when you had your lifestyle blog which displayed your visual texture play with neutrals in personal style as well as interior aesthetics. Later, you would go on to create Summer Fridays which we enjoy very much and have shared a number of your products with our readers and are personal fans as well. Why did you want to launch this brand?
MARIANNA HEWITT: Well, being an influencer for so many years and you’re familiar with my content. I love my community, I love my followers and it felt like they wanted something from me that was an extension of me and things that I love. After so many years of posting products, they would ask me if something was vegan, cruelty free, sustainable, if it was good for all skin types – without even knowing, they became a focus group for us. We wanted to dream up that product! You know, you receive so many things and you want to get something that you are excited to try that you love the branding, the packaging and that you love the colors.
So we took all of that information and created Summer Fridays. So Lauren Ireland, my partner and I started working on Summer Fridays in 2016. We launched in 2018 and we’re coming up on 5 years and it has been such an incredible journey. I’m so grateful to not only be an influencer founded brand, but a brand that also works with influencers and it’s so fun because I really value what I bring to other brands so to be able to partner with other creators and to give back to this community of influencers that gave me the career that I have today, I love being able to work with them now today too – so it’s very full circle for me.
AM: We always look forward to your editor packages because you know it's going to be something that is thoughtful and necessary. I love the Jet Lag Mask, the Lip Butter Balm and Body Lotion. I’m constantly stalking your IG to see what’s next. What’s your process like when you’re thinking of bringing new products to the brand and do you have anything new coming up for this holiday season or as we’re looking into the new year?
MH: Our thought process is to be really intentional with the things that we bring out into the world. We want to add products into your routine that you actually want and need and not anything that is unnecessary. We’re still a small indie brand, so there’s only so many things that we can create each year so each of those things have to be really meaningful and things that we think that our community will really love!
So this year, a few of the things that we had were our Lip Balm Butter Sets, so we had an extension of those. We had an SPF that we launched this year too because I live in CA and it’s a little bit gloomy today, but it’s usually sunny and I love to be in the sun and all around the world, but I definitely want to be able to protect my skin no matter where I am. So, launching a sun screen felt very summer for Summer Fridays. We were so excited to have that as it was something that our community really wanted and we really do listen to our customers for the products that they want, the skincare ingredients that they’re looking for and so we create those products for them.
Coming up, we're kind of wrapping up the holiday season, but we have really great launches next year and hopefully, you’ll get them and I think that you will like it!
AM: Looking at your social, you’re always sharing your fun lifestyle as well as interiors. What are some of the things that you’re thinking about when it comes to hosting gatherings for dinner parties and brunches? What are some of your hosting must-haves when it comes to having people over?
MH: I love to entertain, I love having people over and my interior design style was really to invite people over so that they feel comfortable. I like this elevated feeling of my home, but I really wanted people to feel that they could just gather and be together when they come over and that it feels comfortable and not too stuffy! I like to show off my interior design love that I have and it’s so fun to have an excuse to invite people over. I’m super busy and I’m also a very particular person in how I like to have things. My biggest holiday hack is to batch and pre make your cocktails before all your guests come over. What I don’t want to do is that all of my guests come over and I’m in the kitchen making them drinks or they’re trying to make drinks for themselves and they’re not actually gathering with their friends and family together. So by pre-batching that cocktail, it really saves so much time! You can do this in such a cute way. I love glass containers that you can get, you can put all the pre-mixed things together into one container and have it ready to go! That's why I love Astral – any kind of tequila drink is my go-to cocktail. I literally don’t drink anything else except for tequila. So to pre-make these cocktails and everyone knows it’s my favorite, we came up with this really fun recipe. It’s like your classic Paloma, but it has this holiday twist with this Brulee and I am not a bartender by any means, but the fact that I can do this drink and it tastes delicious and it looks beautiful, it’s definitely going to be something that is going to impress your guests.
AM: Is that your signature one?
MH: I love that cocktail, it just feels really great. A normal Paloma anytime of year is perfect and then you have this Brulee one for this time of year for the holidays! I love a Spicy Margarita especially in the summer, so I love to have that then and it’s my go-to cocktail when I’m out. Any type of tequila drink variation is my favorite.
AM: For those that are coming over, what do you suggest that we should have on hand?
MH: A couple of other things that I like to have on hand is of course Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask. You always want to stay hydrated this time of year because I feel like my skin is so dry with the winter weather and the heat is on inside. Just any kind of lack of moisture in our skin so our Jet Lag Mask is great. Jenni Kayne makes these really beautiful Leather Coasters, so I have a beautiful marble table that I made myself from a slab of marble that I found in a stone yard. So I don’t want to mess up the marble table so I always have coasters everywhere just to make sure that no one is leaving rings on my table when they leave my house. So they look really beautiful but they are functional as well. There are a couple of other things that I love to have at home. I like to eat a lot of gluten-free, grain-free desserts and there’s this bakery here in LA called Sweet Laurel. They have my favorite desserts ever, they ship nationwide and they have a pre-boxed one too so, if you want to make it at home yourself, you can. I recently brought it over to a friend for Thanksgiving and it had all of these different desserts and I can't even tell that these are gluten-free and grain-free because of how delicious they are. You can box them up and make them at home and I definitely recommend trying them out!
BRÛLÉED PALOMA
INGREDIENTS
Juice of ½ Ruby Grapefruit
1oz Fresh Lime Juice
Sparkling Pink Grapefruit Soda
Brown Sugar
GARNISH
Brown Sugar Rim + Brûléed Grapefruit
Slice a grapefruit into discs and place onto a paper towel. Once dry, place grapefruit into a bowl of brown sugar to evenly coat the dry side. Place the slice, sugar side up, under the broiler until the sugar caramelizes. Allow to cool completely before garnishing.
GLASSWARE
Highball Glass
PREPARATION
Combine Astral Tequila, grapefruit juice and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake. Rim a highball glass with brown sugar and pack with crushed ice. Strain shaker into the glass and top with sparkling pink grapefruit soda. Garnish with a brûléed grapefruit slice.
PHOTO COURTESY | PG 64-67 + PG 144 9LIST STORI3S Marianna Hewitt |
Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS | Marianna Hewitt in mag.
Last Fri, we dropped our DEC ISSUE #84 which included an interview with Celebrity Event Planner, Mindy Weiss. She talked about how she got into the industry, how she approaches her work, tips to keep in mind if you’re planning your own event and more. She even talked about her partnership with Seedlip.
Starting today, Jan 3rd through Jan 13th, you can enter the Seedlip Soirée which allows you to keep your spirits high this January and support their ambitions of renewal at the start of the new year! For those that are looking to participate in Dry/Damp January or simply want an alternative to having alcohol in their cocktails - we think that you will want the chance to win a Seedlip Soirée through an Instagram sweepstakes campaign.
Mindy has a few tips and tricks that will put you on the right path to planning the perfect party!
Thoughtful Decor: Make the tablespace a complement to the menu or the theme of the menu by using some of the botanicals in Seedlip in the flower arrangements you dress the table with.
Elevated Offerings: Using a variety of glassware helps to elevate the look of a Seedlip Soiree. Play with various sizes and styles of stemware and ice shapes to give each serve its own look and feel.
Personalization: For any host always on the move, get prepped before the party by pre batching i.e. a punch or creating a cocktail station that makes it simple for guests to create a great tasting Seedlip cocktail. Encourage guests to use a variety of garnishes to inspire their creations through personalized and elevated Seedlip cocktails.
Socialization at the Core: A Seedlip Soiree is a great time to bring people together to entice guests to taste more out of life. Think through who is coming to any event and then include seating place cards to strategically seat select individuals near each other and inspire the best conversations and connections.
Be An Intentional Host: Always prepare your toast in advance. Be thoughtful when you are toasting to an occasion and have a clear, inspiring message that will encourage positive and thoughtful moments at the Seedlip Soiree.
Mindful Party Curation: When curating your decor and party favors for your soiree, support your local shops as a way to give back to your community, seek out products made from recycled or are recyclable materials and reuse what you have at home to alleviate waste post party.
SEEDLIP SOIREE INSTAGRAM SWEEPSTAKES CAMPAIGN
Simply tag your Seedflip Soirée VIPs for a chance to win an anything but drab January bash.
The winner will be announced on Monday, January 16th, and will receive a grand prize of a 30-minute consultation with Mindy, a $5,000 cash prize to fund an at home event, and a suite of Seedlip products to serve at their Seedlip Soiree.
For more details, go to Seedlip X Mindy Weiss Sweepstakes
On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we always love catching up with Restaurateur Chef Jordan Andino of Flip Sigi here in NYC! He has been the cover of Athleisure Mag's ISSUE #35 which we shot at his West Village location back in 2018 and recently, he has appeared in other features as well. In addition to bringing Filipino flavors and a great personality that you can see on a number of his shows, he is always working on his latest project that is bound to be exciting!
We caught up with him ahead of his newest show he's hosting on Netflix, Cook at All Costs which dropped Dec 16th. We also talked with him about his partnership with Allstate! The rise of mocktails has increased for those that don't drink alcohol or are the designated driver. He shares a recipe with us that we can share with guests whether they are a designated driver or simply want to enjoy a cocktail that doesn't have alcohol in it. We also talk about his latest restaurant, Carriage House.
Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
When it comes to celebrating a major moment or the fact that you just got through the day, sparkling wine and Champagne is our go-to. There's something about opening the bottle the act of pouring it for yourself or others. Just in time for the holiday season, we caught up Jen Pelka who knows a thing or two about this beverage. We chatted with her to find out how she found her way into food and her path to this bubbly beverage. She shares how she came about launching her much talked about The Riddler which had locations in San Francisco and NY locations and her latest venture, Une Femme. We dig into how this wine empowers, collaborates with others and gives back to charities that benefit women. She also gives us some tips on how we can pair these wines with dishes and how we can purchase them when gifting it to others as a gift or a thank you for inviting us to dinner.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been fans of yours for awhile now as The Riddler was such a great spot to go to! So being able to talk to you about Une Femme Wines as well as The Riddler is perfect!
JEN PELKA: Oh thank you! Which one did you go to the one in San Francisco or the one in NY?
AM: The West Village. I remember that I had been following The Riddler’s IG account for awhile and the time, you only had the San Francisco location. But I kept following it because I knew if a location opened up in NY, I’d be there. When you opened it here, I want to say that I was there in the first 6 weeks. The concept and the vibe was so fun!
JP: I’m excited to talk with you and I’m so glad that you enjoyed The Riddler and we know that there were many who liked it and we all hope that it will come back one day.
AM: Before we delve into Une Femme Wines, when did you fall in love with food and what point in your journey did it take you to focusing on wines and champagnes?
JP: I’m really lucky that I grew up in a family that really loved food, restaurants and entertaining. My parents were both home cooks and also my dad’s family was really in the restaurant business so they had diners and delis his whole life growing up. My grandfather was actually the chef of the Ocean County NJ Jail and would come home after work in his whites. He would always have cream puffs or bananas – the two things that would go bad so those are always fun traditions that we had as a family. We always had food around, we always had entertaining around.
So, when I went to college, one of the things that I wanted to do when I graduated was basically to start a restaurant and my parents said, ”you’re crazy, move to NY and get a real job.” That’s what I did but as soon as I was there, I fell in love with restaurants and chefs. It was really at the beginning of chefs coming out into the dining room and being in their whites and I was really lucky. I was at the bar of the restaurant Schiller’s, there was a chef that was down the bar on one of his night’s off and out of his whites reading this book called The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine, which was about a chef that had 3 Michelin chef stars and lost his star and committed suicide. So we started talking about this book that he was reading and it turned out that he was a chef at the restaurant Daniel on the UES. I had heard that you could work as a stagiaire – essentially an intern and I asked him if I could come in and intern for him. So from Schiller’s to the following weekend I starting stagiairing and I ended up working at Daniel every Sat for a year and a half. I had a job at a hedge fund and I learned so much working in that kitchen. I worked on almost every position on the line with amazing chefs and eventually lobbied to become Daniel Boulud’s research assistant. So that is where it all really began. So it’s in my blood, in my family, but it all really got ignited in 2004/2005 at restaurant Daniel.
AM: That is amazing. I love a good Boulud restaurant and such a great story. So how did that turn into you getting into the wine industry?
JP: I have always loved champagne and sparkling wines. Actually, Schiller’s was the restaurant that my friends and I went to in our 20s and we would always drink Prosecco there. We didn’t understand the difference between Prosecco and Champagne, but we just knew that drinking something bubbly is always really fun and celebratory. Once I was at Daniel, I started learning about traditional Champagnes and then I ended up taking on a job later at the Gilt Groupe, the shopping site. We launched a website called Gilt Taste which was an online food and beverage gourmet site essentially. There, we did a ton of sales with all of the Moet Hennessey Champagnes so Veuve Clicquot, Dom Perignon, Krug etc and that’s where I really started to learn about Champagne by going to the Veuve Clicquot headquarters, doing tastings with them and learning and understanding their wines. It was also about really understanding the Champagne making process. I wouldn’t say that I’m a wine aficionado, but I am definitely a Champagne lover and when it comes to Champagnes and wines in particular, that’s where I really focus and where I have a huge amount of passion.
AM: Such a great story. I love that you turned something that you enjoyed and just spread out and learned as you went along. You have created a safe space for people to understand that information that they need to get which I think is awesome.
JP: Well I think that that was so much of the spirit of what we did at The Riddler. I wanted to create a place, a destination especially for women where they could open up a great bottle of wine, have a really good time and drink really really beautiful wines but not to take the experience of the educational components too seriously. Our team took the development of the wine list very seriously. We treated the wines the wines with a tremendous amount of respect, but for a typical night out, you just want to pop a bottle and have a really good time. It’s our job to curate a really good list and guaranteeing that every guest was going to open something really special and have a really beautiful wine experience. We were not the kind of place that you were given a long list of attributes and education about the wines unless you wanted it. I think that any wine drinker can enjoy really beautiful delicious wines without having to go into the really serious sides of things.
AM: I know whether it was with my friends or if I was being asked by agencies where I wanted to go if we wanted to just hang out over drinks and have some nibbles, The Riddler was always my go-to suggestion! You felt sophisticated being there knowing you’re in this environment and you didn’t feel intimidated and you could enjoy it. It was kind of like, my boyfriend loved a good cigar bar and you could find him at The Carnegie Club, I liked my bubbly and I had The Riddler.
I also loved that you had women made wines there. What was the process like in terms of finding the great wines that you featured there?
JP: Well, the reason why we had women made wines was that all of our investors in both locations were women. So 33 investors in San Francisco and 40 in NY, all women. Many were first time investors some big and some small, but that was really important to me to get together a really great community of women in support of the bars. When you’re looking at a Champagne list with hundreds of Champagnes by the bottle, it’s pretty intimidating. So we tried to find ways into the menu for those that were new to Champagne or exploring a new style of Champagne. For us, we thought it would be really cool to feature women made wines and it turns out that those wines would always outsell every other style of wine on the list. Those were always the most popular. You get 2 girlfriends together who are out for the night and they’re choosing between 100s of wines, of course they are going to pick a wine made by women.
So how we found them was just by doing a huge amount of research, working with distributors, sales people and everybody that had access to Champagne lists and Champagne producers’ wines. We also just proactively asked for women made wines and I see more and more restaurants, retailers, wine shops, websites, etc having a big focus now on diversity, inclusion, interesting voices, interesting producers and we were happy to be part of that 5 years ago. It’s exciting to see that continuing to build.
AM: I would agree with that. I started to notice various places that do highlight that and I always think that there was a place that actually did that before it was a trend. But it’s good to have inclusion no matter how it happens.
JP: Absolutely.
AM: It definitely made me excited to support that initiative. Even though I didn’t know the maker/producer, you were happy that your dollar was supporting her.
JP: Totally, totally. I think you know, I talk to so many people, women especially who just have come to realize that one of the ways that we can make significant change and to bring about equity is by voting with our wallet. I try whenever possible to buy sustainable products and products that give back and I try to learn about the founders of the companies that I am buying products from. It’s not possible for every single thing that we buy to know the provenance, but when you can get curious about it, it’s great. It doesn’t even necessarily mean that you’re spending more – your dollars are going to something that that you believe in.
AM: I’m a big believer that when people understand the process and who is behind certain things, that’s where the connection comes in. Like you could leave whatever company and go to the next one, I know that if I hear your name, you have a focus that’s in a very specific area that I want to support and that’s important to me. I wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t stalked The Riddler account for awhile and then finally going to the location in NY.
As the Co-Founder of Athleisure Media, I also believe that you need to bring those voices forward.
When you created Une Femme, what was the thought behind this and tell me about this brand.
JP: It really started as our house wine at The Riddler. We found that so many women were buying women made wines that guests would ask us, “how do I know when I go into a retail store or that I’m looking at a wine list, that it is being made by women?” So I thought, why isn’t there a brand for this? So I launched Une Femme as an opportunity to highlight women winemakers whose wine style we already loved and to put them all under one brand. The first wine that we launched was a really beautiful organic grower-producer Champagne from a 5th generation wine producer called Gonet-Medeville, a husband and wife team and we really love their style of wine. It’s elegant and really luxurious wines. They were always wines that when we opened them for friends, they were always surprised and delighted. You may not have heard of the producer, but the wines speak for themselves. So that was the first partnership that we launched and then after, we started looking at the sales at The Riddler and we noticed that the top selling wine was whatever was the most affordable sparkling rosé by the glass. I couldn’t find a sparkling rosé wine in California made by a woman wine maker that I was in love with. So I reached out to a woman who is a great wine producer, Samantha Sheehan – she makes POE and Ultra Violet as well as Mommenpop Vermouths. I said, Sam let's make a rosé together. She agreed and the next one we made was The Callie.
AM: Just got that one! I’ll be enjoying that this weekend, it’s been a very busy 2 weeks, but it will be me and The Callie!
JP: Awww that’s great! I love it! So that wine is a delicious, dry, sparkling rosé predominantly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It’s really meant to be an approachable, crowd pleasing, delicious high quality sparkling rosé representative of California wine making. That was the wine that really took off for us. We have since launched a sparkling white wine called The Betty for Betty White. I love that wine. It’s a very dry, very elegant, very nuanced sparkling white wine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well. I think that it’s pretty close to rivaling Champagne, you can never truly rival Champagne, but I think that for the price point, it really punches above its weight. I’m so proud of that wine. So for us, Une Femme is all about women made wine makers. All of our wines are made by women wine makers and they give back to charities that benefit women. Our key partners are The Breast Cancer Research Fund and Dress for Success. Both of which are incredibly important to us and that we are really proud to give back to. It’s just been so fun to see the reception to these wines and to the brand and we’re just growing nonstop right now.
AM: That’s so great to hear. So you work with women owned producers in Champagne, Napa and Sonoma – do you think that you will expand to other regions that have women owned producers?
JP: Absolutely, we have been talking a lot about the potential of launching a Prosecco, the potential of launching a Cava, there’s a lot happening right now in the UK in what they’re calling British Fizz which is sparkling wines from the UK and we’re also interested in other areas in the US – North Fork in NY and on up the coast of the West Coast. I think that we will pretty much stick with sparkling wines because it is a passion of ours and we know that so many of our customers love sparkling wines. I think it’s really fun to be able to taste sparkling wines from different regions side by side. Honestly, it’s just what I love!
AM: I love that just by default, your brand is about empowerment, collaboration and giving back. I think that that’s a message that transcends no matter what vertical you work in. Why is it important to have those 3 things which are massive pillars to your brand?
JP: You know, for me, collaboration and support, all of these pieces are just what has gotten me to where I am in my career now. One of the things that I think is so powerful about women is that I think for a long time there was this perception of the mean girl or women being really competitive against each other and I just really feel that that isn’t true anymore. The women that I see succeed are the ones that are helping each other out and are teaming up with collaborative projects and are giving back and that’s who people want to support. I’ve just been incredibly lucky throughout my career to work with amazing women and it’s just so naturally what I lean towards and what I gravitate to is teaming up with women that are doing cool stuff. I will tell you that there is nothing more powerful than female customers who are advocating for something that they love. You get a gaggle of women together talking about something and it’s incredibly powerful.
AM: Especially when you have all of these women come together, we’re more than just one thing and for myself, I Co-founded this magazine, I’m also a fashion stylist and when you start talking over sparkling wine, all of these ideas come out and it gets done. You don’t even think about the red tape that you had to get through – it’s just people sitting down, talking, being vulnerable sharing whatever and moving forward and bringing something together that is bigger than themselves which is really beautiful.
JP: That’s so true! We’ve come a long way these last couple of years. The last couple of years has been so challenging, but I think that through all of the muck, a lot of progress has been made. We still have a lot of work to do.
AM: I think that when you have something so horrific that continues to happen in various ways, you start realizing that you can’t just be in your own corner anymore. You need to do something or just change the perspective. It has been challenging, but I have seen some really beautiful things that have come out. If we were all doing the things that we were doing before, we would be annoyed about what’s going on, but the need to do something else wouldn’t be there so it’s amazing.
Tell me about the Hall of Femme and why was it important to honor women in this way?
JP: So the Hall of Femme is kind of an awards program that we launched in which we decided to honor 365 women a year – a years worth of women that have shattered glass ceilings. The way that you’re selected is that you’re nominated in your community or someone on our team. We have a section on our website where you can nominate women to be included. Every month we honor 30 women from across the country in every possible vertical of business, philanthropy or politics that have shattered the glass ceiling in some way. I believe that you don’t have to be the first person in the world or in history to do something that shatters the glass ceiling. You can be the first woman in your family, your neighborhood, your block or at your college. For each of these women, we spotlight them on our website, across social media and then we also send them this incredible gift which is a crate of sparkling wine from Une Femme and there’s a sheet of stunt glass on the top and they get a hammer and they shatter the glass!
AM: That’s awesome!
JP: It’s amazing, it’s incredible and it gives me goose bumps every single time I watch a woman shatter these glass ceilings. It’s always very emotional. I’ve seen women do it when they were pregnant, I’ve seen them do it with their kids in frame, I’ve seen them do it with their partners and their friends or their team. It’s really such an important commemorative moment to just showcase all of the progress that so many women have made in their own worlds and in their own communities. We’re called Une Femme because we believe it only takes 1 woman to shatter another glass ceiling. There are limitless glass ceilings still above us and I think that we should each have our own personal mission to identify what is that glass ceiling that we want to shatter and to go after it.
AM: I did not know about the crate!
JP: Oh yeah!
AM: Wow, just hearing you say it and thinking about having that moment of knowing, yes I did do that. That’s really nice.
JP: It’s incredible. We have had a lot of people ask us if we will sell these boxes because what a cool thing to send to someone as a gift. So we’re working on trying to figure out how to make that happen. But as of right now, it’s essentially an award that you can be nominated for and it’s been an amazing experience connecting with these 365 women and they are a big part of our community. We reach out to them regularly and collaborate with them and it’s amazing to just be able to showcase some cool stuff that all of these women have done.
AM: With the holiday season upon us, we always love knowing about pairings. Looking at The Callie for example, what are 3 dishes or 3 kinds of snacks that people can enjoy with it?
JP: Great question! I think that The Callie is really great for brunch. Some of my favorite brunch pairings would be a soft scramble egg with for me – crème fraiche and a little caviar and salmon roe – even some lox. That to me is the ultimate brunch opportunity. I also love this wine with tacos – I know that sounds kind of funny!
AM: I love rosé with tacos!
JP: Me too! So a breakfast taco with a fried egg, avocado and some crema would be delicious. I also think about things on the brunch side like a lemon ricotta pancake with blueberries or something like that which would be so good.
But when it comes to the evening, especially holidays, I’m always thinking caviar and potato chips.
AM: Oh yes!
JP: That was our classic go-to dish at The Riddler. It’s the easiest thing to do when you’re at a dinner party or for a holiday party. Just get a bowl of potato chips, caviar and crème fraiche – boom! You don’t have to buy crazy expensive caviar, but that’s always a fun one. It’s interesting that some of the classic Champagne pairings are always things that are fried! French fries are like a #1 best pairing. I know that some people think that that is so crazy. But trust me, next time you’re out at a restaurant. Get fries and a bottle of Champagne – of course a bottle of Une Femme and they are just made for each other. Another one is classic fried chicken. My husband and I sometimes when we are feeling fancy will do a staycation and stay at a beautiful fancy hotel and order room service. We always get chicken fingers and Champagne and let me tell you, it’s so fun and so delicious!
AM: I love that! I love a good Korean Fried Chicken and Champagne. Those two together –
JP: The best! I think that that is so much of what we would always talk about at The Riddler – the high-low. You don’t always have to do the Champagne with caviar. You should do it and you should be drinking it with the kinds of food that you would normally be eating anyway. I actually think that anything that you would think to drink a beer with, you can substitute Champagne or sparkling wine with. They have a lot of similar characteristics. They’re both fizzy, they’re both cold, they have great acidity and they’re a great compliment to anything that has that need to have something thirst quenching with it.
AM: Sometimes you just want something that's high-low. I believe in that concept when I style people and I also believe it when it comes to food. There’s something so satisfying about those flavors coming together and it’s also about normalizing that everyday is a special occasion, especially with all the stuff that we have been through.
JP: You know it! Absolutely. I totally believe that that’s true and I think that it is so important to cheers to yourself and your friends. Everyday should be a special occasion. On the high-low styling, we actually talk as a team about a great amazing outfit, one of my favorites ever is a great pair of Levi’s, a great blazer, a pair of Louboutin’s and a red lip with a great handbag!
AM: Yes!
JP: And so that high-low, I’m always thinking of. We are the red lip to the outfit or to the meal. Like you should be able to do something really really elevated as a final touch on an outfit or a meal, but it doesn’t all need to be fancy. In fact, it’s better when you’ve got the jeans and the white tee with the blazer and the Loubi’s.
AM: It also reflects your personal style as opposed to buying everything off of the mannequin.
JP: Right – absolutely!
AM: What are things that people should think about when they are gifting this holiday season when it comes to wines? Do you have any tips as there are those that haven’t done it before and they get nervous or if they are bringing over a bottle as a thank you for having them over for dinner – what should they be thinking about?
JP: I think that the first thing is that you should go to a store that you like that have a team of people who work there who are not snobs and are nice and that you trust them. You should go in and be honest about your price point – say that you’re looking for a bottle that is $20, $30, $50 or $70. Then proactively tell them that you are looking for a women made wine or a wine made by a BIPOC founder or an LGBTQ founder. The people who work in wine shops love those kinds of assignments and it also encourages them to stock their shelves with more diverse suppliers. I think that you should always think about your guests in mind or gift recipient in mind. What to you do you think that person represents and try to find a wine that pairs with that.
We have all of our wines available for direct shipping across the country with really good gift packs that are launching by the time that this will air, they will be live. They are super super beautiful and they are a great gift. So that is always fun if you are sending something across the country. But it’s also important to shop local and to find wines that I think speak to your personal values.
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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 56, 60 TDavis | PG 59 Hale | PG 63, 64 Jordan Wise |
Read the NOV ISSUE #83 of Athleisure Mag and see UPLIFTiNG THROUGH VINES | Jen Pelka in mag.
