Why Food?

Michele Tanenbaum was burnt out after spending decades in the fashion industry. She began to experiment with making sweet treats for both humans and canines as a gift for her friends - and quickly things blossomed into a full-blown cookie business. Now Lucky Bites - which is named after her terrier Lucky - is in its seventh year and reaching tens of thousands of avid fans online. Join us as we talk about how Michele's design eye has influenced her cookie business, navigating the world of Instagram influencers, tricks of the icing trade and the wildest cookie she's ever baked! Why Food? is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dianna Daoheung left a career in advertising because she wanted to work with her hands. She decided to challenge herself by enrolling in a culinary school's pastry program, where she found she loved the science behind bread baking. She took a job at the newly-opened Mile End Deli in Brooklyn, where she learned the fundamentals of Jewish cuisine and when Mile End's owners decided to open a bagel shop, Dianna was the natural choice to run it. Since then, she's overseen its significant expansion, become a partner in the business, and been recognized by the James Beard Foundation (twice!) as a nominee for Best Baker. Join us for a fun, honest conversation about how she balances the creative and commercial aspects of running NYC's only Montreal-inspired bagel bakery. Why Food? is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeremy Lyman began sketching floorplans of his future business at 16, but found himself only working on his "coffee project" during bad days at work. He wanted to fill a hole in the NYC market for a hospitality-driven coffee concept - except he didn't know anything about coffee. Serendipitously he met his Co-Founder Paul, and together Birch Coffee started with a trip to CoffeeFest 2008. Now, Birch Coffee has 9 locations across NYC and its own roastery in Long Island City. Join us as we talk about embracing change with an evolving business, the realities of business partnerships and the importance of letting go of control. Why Food? is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Andrew Jacobi always flirted with the idea of starting a food business, but found himself chasing the competitive high of private equity after college. After yet another late night, he decided to think more seriously about his long-harbored love for meat. After learning the beef supply chain first hand and meeting his founding chef, Ricky, Andy started Untamed Sandwiches, a fast-casual concept with 3 locations across NYC. Untamed's unique focus on braised meat as the centerpiece has allowed him to use "less-loved" cuts of meat to build a restaurant business that is delicious, accessible and scalable. Join us as we talk about the highs (and lows) of raising money, balancing family with entrepreneurship and managing the operations of a growing business. Why Food? is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matt Shapiro was in law school when he read about a Midtown street vendor's cart being wrongfully confiscated by the police. He was immediately moved by the issue and began to work with the Street Vendors Project, an arm of the non-profit organization Urban Justice Center, that advocates for and provides legal representation to all types of street vendors in NYC - from food trucks to grocery carts to craft & clothing vendors. Join us as we wade through the issues of immigration and race, permitting and regulations, politics and public attitude surrounding many of our familiar neighborhood vendors. Why Food? is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ligaya Mishan is the author of the New York Times' "Hungry City" column, where she reviews New York's "great, unsung" restaurants. Her career has taken her from an MFA in poetry to writing book reviews for the New Yorker to her current job, where she tells the stories of immigrants and entrepreneurs through the food that they serve. Join us as we talk about how someone who grew up eating spam and frozen peas now reviews restaurants serving food from dozens of countries, and as we grapple with questions of authenticity in the food industry. Why Food? is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rob Laing was a successful tech entrepreneur in Japan when he first realized his stressful, nonstop lifestyle was leading him astray. After leaving his company, embracing a plant-based diet and taking time to learn more about his food sources, he came across the burgeoning indoor vertical farming movement - and saw the impact he could make on the food industry while leveraging his tech background. Rob started Farm.One in 2016 with 350sqft inside New York's Institute of Culinary Education, growing rare and specialty herbs and flowers for some of the city's best culinary talent. Now Farm.One has expanded into its second location inside 2-Michelin-starred Atera with an even wider breadth of offerings and detailed techniques for growing consistently and sustainably. Join us as we talk about Rob's journey from tech to food as well as the ins and outs of urban farming - what it means for our food systems now and in the future. Why Food? is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cal

Devika Kumar found herself at a crossroads after having her first child. She had successful career in investment banking and an MBA from Harvard Business School, but she wanted to leave a legacy of good food for her newborn boy. Her love for talking to others and telling their stories propelled her down the path of food, from surveying customers at Tom Colicchio's 'Wichcraft to forging relationships with new produce farmers at FreshDirect to overseeing the supply chain at L'Atelier de Robuchon. Now, she's coming full circle by joining her family's thriving tea business in India. Tune in as we talk about her journey through the world of food and the thematic connection of storytelling in her career. Why Food? is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With a love for good food and wine in comfortable and welcoming surroundings Tim and Nancy Cushman poured themselves and their finances in to their first restaurant, O Ya, in Boston, to create a space where they would feel comfortable. On todays episode they are celebrating the ten year anniversary of O Ya and reflecting on the other four restaurants that reside under the umbrella that is Cushman Concepts, as well as rolling back the years on their respective careers in music and advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you craved New York bagels when you are on the west coast or needed the Caramel Pecan Pie from Blue Owl Bakery in Missouri? Brad Koenig was a lover of all regional foods and wanted access to them from his home in Menlo Park, California. Previously a partner at Goldman Sachs for over 20 years, Brad turned his food desires in to a business and created FoodyDirect which ships delicious foods from restaurants and artisan producers all over the country. Why Food? is powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At the tender age of 46 Bill Brown tapped in to his creative mind which had been subdued for nearly four decades, his creations were chocolate. It took friends, family and colleagues by surprise that Bill, a successful man who climbed the corporate ladder to the top would quit his well-paid job to sell chocolates in a cafe in Florida. It's that naivete and creative freedom, coupled with his passion and enthusiasm that has led Bill to become so successful, and serves as a constant innovator in the chocolatier community. In 2012 Bill was ranked as the third best chocolatier in the world. In todays episode we hear about the path that led to William Dean Chocolates success.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The DotCom Crash left Darleen unemployed and very uncertain of finding secure work. She took her savings and passion for excellent, transparent and sustainable coffee to Park Slope, Brooklyn to create Gorilla Coffee which became one of the most successful micro-roasteries on the east coast and laid the foundation independent coffee shops in Brooklyn. Two years ago Darleen took those same values and started from scratch once again to open Supercrown Coffee Roasters in Bushwick, Brooklyn.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With a belief mixers should be of equal quality and beauty as their alcoholic counterpart, Q Tonic was born. Twelve years later Q Drinks carries seven products that can be found in bars and homes around the world. With a degree in public policy and a career in urban development Jordan forged an unlikely career change that brought him to develop a soda company revered by mixologists around the world.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After falling out of love with finance Matt dipped his toe in hospitality as an investor in one of the most revered cocktail bars in New York City, Employees Only. He then went on to make a name for himself with The Beatrice Inn but has now moved to a quieter part of town and is integrating in to the Tribeca neighborhood with four restaurants to his name.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From finance and fashion, Hannah and Marian Cheng left successful careers to bring traditional and healthy Chinese dumplings to New York City. In this episode Hannah Cheng comes on the show to chat about her childhood, her fathers unusual love for juicing onions, the stress and joy of opening a restaurant and what makes Mimi Cheng's dumplings so special.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With a self-described 'plain vanilla' upbringing in the suburbs of D.C. where at least one parent of each of his friends was a lawyer, it was almost set in scripture that Marc would follow a career in the corporate world. After college Marc founded a telecommunications company with friends which led him to London for a few years. Eventually he acknowledged his passion did not lie in technology and sought to rediscover his passions through an MBA at Colombia University. His MBA led to the business plan for Hill Country Barbecue which tied in his love for food, hospitality and nostalgia for Texas Barbecue during his childhood. 10 years later the Hill Country Hospitality Group are celebrating their 10 year anniversary and now have six locations including three Hill Country Chicken Spaces throughout New York and D.C.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Debbie Wei Mullin is passionate about poverty alleviation. After visiting her relatives in Vietnam at 15 years of age she decided to dedicate her career to community empowerment and providing opportunities to those less fortunate. That passion led her to work for the World Bank where she felt she could make a lasting impact within one of the most powerful global institutions with a mission of poverty alleviation. Instead, it was a bureaucratic machine that made her feel ineffective and unempowered. Debbie bravely shunned her comfortable and lucrative career to pursue more effective projects. Initially she developed Wei Pantry, which provides a luxury oil and vinegar from Vietnam. She has now developed Copper Cow Coffee, a portable Vietnamese pour-over coffee kit. Vietnamese Coffee, she believes is the gateway Coffee as it is so palatable. The quality of her products speak for themselves and their success is intrinsically linked to economic opportunities in rural parts of Vietnamese. I'm really looking forward

Donal Skehan has created a remarkable career for himself in the food world. As an author of seven cookbooks and the host to fourteen cooking shows in four countries he has showcased the power keeping food simple and accessible. Donal's career in front of the camera began in a very different setting, he was involved in two different pop groups in his early twenties but left his music career behind in pursuit of his true passion. His blog, Good Mood Food, quickly evolved to a book deal and a tv show, now at 30 years of age he is chasing new opportunities since relocating to LA. He joins me on the show today to talk about his new cookbook, Fresh, life in the states and his more holistic lifestyle in recent years.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the concrete jungle of New York City agriculture is sparse but Brooklyn Grange have developed the worlds largest rooftop soil farms which produce over 50,000 lbs of organically cultivated produce per year. Ben Flanner, President and Director of Agriculture, joins me on the show today as we discuss his circuitous route to farming, how two rooftop farms can supply some of New York City's finest restaurants including, The Spotted Pig, Gramercy Tavern, and Roberta's, and how his early years in consulting and financial management have impacted his farming practices.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week I made the trip Poughkeepsie to chat with Darryl Mosher at the CIA campus. Darryl left a lucrative position at IBM in search of nature which led to a 70 acre family run farm. After two decades on the farm Darryl turned to the academic world to share his knowledge with the next generation at CIA. Darryl lectures in product knowledge and applied food studies, and shares a refreshing opinion on how our broken food system can be mended. Part of the baby boomer generation we also talk about the shift in mindset from money to fulfillment and happiness with the current generation of CIA graduates compared to when Darryl was graduating college. If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and rate the show with your podcast provider.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.