OM DENNE EPISODE
How fresh is the food on your plate—and does it really make a difference?
Chef Andrew Smith believes it does. After nearly two decades in New York City kitchens, including more than 10 years at Tom Colicchio’s acclaimed River Park, Andrew has seen firsthand what happens when chefs build a closer connection to the people who grow their food.
In this episode, Andrew takes us inside River Park’s remarkable urban farm—built from 7,000 milk crates in the middle of Manhattan—and explains how ingredients could go from the farm to a restaurant kitchen just steps away. He also shares his journey from teenage dishwasher to fine-dining chef to Culinary Director at Great Performances, one of New York City’s premier catering and events companies.
Along the way, we explore what “farm-to-table” really means, why a perfectly shaped grocery-store tomato may not taste anything like one picked ripe from a local farm, and why Andrew believes reconnecting chefs and consumers with local farmers can lead to better food.
Plus, Wal, Joel and Tom reveal their guilty-pleasure foods—and discover that a charcuterie board definitely does not count.
