Momofuku’s owner and chef takes VICE on the town and explains the mysteries of his mythical pork buns and the art of snacking through the night.
We met the owners of Vinegar Hill House, one of New York’s finest restaurants hidden away beneath the Manhattan Bridge. After an oyster and booze fueled night we went back to VHH for an after hours pizza cook off.
Brooks Headley played drums in countless important punk bands: Born Against, Universal Order of Armageddon, Wrangler Brutes, and Skull Kontrol among them. Coming up on two years ago, Born Against bandmate and writer Sam McPheeters profiled Brooks and his transformation from that guy banging on things behind that other guy screaming into the esteemed executive pastry chef of Manhattan’s Del Posto over the course of 10,000-plus words in the pages of Vice. The Dessert Psycho was an important piece, and (to us at least!) it marked the beginning of a resurgent and astounding amount of well-deserved attention for the restaurant that culminated in Del Posto—at the hands of executive chef Mark Ladner—earning four stars from the New York Times, and this, Brooks’s own Munchies episode. As part of a small dinner hosted in one of Del Posto’s private rooms, Brooks invited along fellow four-star executive pastry chef Michael Laiskonis, of Le Bernardin, and our presumptive winner of tonight’s James Beard award for Rising Star Chef, Momofuku Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi. As culinary bona fides go, we’re completely confused how this all came together so nicely.
Top Chef Stephanie Izard lets us in on her secret to winning at life — work eighteen hours, party four, sleep two. The chef of Chicago grub hub, Girl and the Goat, takes us deep into the food scene, known primarily for its heavy cooking (think deep-dish pizza and chili dogs) to introduce us to a crew of Chi-town chefs who are taking America’s heartland global — where casseroles and Cassoulet collide.
April Bloomfield, the woman who gave the middle finger to the highbrow/lowbrow food divide and brought gastropubs to New York, gives us a peek into the culinary empire — the Spotted Pig, the Breslin, and the John Dory Oyster Bar — that she and her partner Ken Friedman are building. Bloomfield, equal parts badass and softie, takes us to her favorite haunts and lays down her philosophy on cooking and life (in short, don’t be a wuss). The night ends in a beautiful blur of pickelbacks and pong at the Breslin.
When Michael told us he had some cool stuff in store for the final meal, we had no idea it meant having his fisherman deliver us freshly caught trigger fish and lobster to the restaurant at 12AM. Michael and a few of the other chefs then proceeded to cook up a feast that consisted of lobster ceviche, grilled trigger, as well as other things. A meal that none of us will soon forget.
For our first foray into Lone Star State dining, we chose pastry chef Callie Speer of Swift's Attic in Austin, Texas. After a long shift of doling out dessert's with names like "Popcorn & a Movie" and "The Randy Watson," she grabbed her crew and headed out for a night on the town. The evening started with some pizza at Backspace in downtown Austin, and then some French inspired cuisine from Justine's. Like all good cooks prepping for a party, Callie steered her posse towards The Liberty Bar for whiskey shots to end their outing. Once she got back into the comforts of her own kitchen, Callie quickly put a poutine buffet of sorts. Hookem' Horns!!!!!
Seamus Mullen is a James Beard nominated chef and owner of Tertulia, a Spanish restaurant located in Manhattan's West Village. We dropped into the restaurant to pay him a visit, but Seamus was busy breaking down an entire lamb, so we sat down and watched him cut up some bones, meat, and organs while he discussed the finer points of Spanish cuisine. Once he finished cooking us a plate of cojonudo (which translates to "fucking great" in Spanish), we headed out with Seamus and three of his friends to El Colmado, his new spot in Gotham West Market. On the way over to the new space, we safely dodged a fitness-crazed herd of the un-dead who claimed to be involved with New York's "zombie run." Once safely settled into El Colmado's dining room, we sampled some generous portions of freshly-cut jamón and a round of drinks.
Bestia, the word "beast" in Italian, is the name of the restaurant featured in our latest episode of Munchies. It's owned and operated by the biggest promoters of PDA since Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie, Ori and Genevieve, who at the time of filming were expecting their first child. They're in charge of savory and sweet, respectively, for their Italian food, which is also heavily influenced by Ori's Israeli background. Our night started out at Craig Thornton's supper club, Wolvesmouth, then moved on to local watering hole Tony's. Since Genevieve was with child and couldn't participate in imbibing, she demanded to order three slices of pepperoni pizza from Pizzanista, which—in our eyes—is a great compromise. Once we got back to Bestia, Ori cooked up his dad's falafel recipe while Genevieve made what is quite possibly the best caramel popcorn we have ever seen, the snack she considers a pregnant woman's dream.
Anyone who is a fan of shoving deliciousness into their face already knows about Momofuku. Over the years, chef and owner David Chang has garnered respect for his empire of flavor not only in New York City—where his impeccable string of restaurants began—but the world over. In Canada, the peachy brand is still stretching its wings, which is why we felt like it was a good time to showcase Toronto's Noodle Bar, Daisho, Nikai, and Shoto—the four arms of Momofuku Toronto—to show how one of the planet's most tantalizing food brands has Canadianized itself in a seriously impressive way.
We don't know what's more impressive: That Erik Anderson and his three-person kitchen staff managed to cook, plate, and serve a fourteen-course tasting menu to about 40 people every night, or the amount of Fernet that Erik and his team drank on his night out with us. We ended up hanging out of his last nights as the chef at The Catbird Seat in Nashville, Erik took us out to Rolf and Daughters, Husk, and 308 Bar before heading back to his own restaurant for a late-night snack of smoked bologna sandwiches, steak tartare, ribs, scrambled eggs with caviar, and even more Fernet. This is some of the best (and some of the most) food and drink we've had in a while. Enjoy.
On this episode of Munchies, we follow Mikel López Itturriaga, editor of El Comidista, Spain's most beloved food blog, which is part of El Pais, Spain's most popular newspaper. Now that we have established that this is the most popular thing ever, let's get to the important part: where and what they ate on this episode. Even though the paper is based in Madrid, Mikel and his band of bloggers live in Barcelona, the city that has no shortage of good anything, especially mid-range eating establishments, which is perfectly illustrated by this episode.
The Jordan Kahn episode of MUNCHIES: Chef's Night Out is one for the record books. It veers from conceptual, foraged dishes plated with cloches to bowls of ceviche to waffle cones and spicy tuna hand rolls as effortlessly as a hot knife through foam. We start out at Jordan's restaurant, Red Medicine, before he take his crew to some of the most diverse spots this series has seen. First up is Cevicheria, home of "the bloody clam" (we know), next to the high minded ice cream parlor Quenelle's, and then off to a Ajisai for a hand roll before heading backing for some of Jordan's take on southern cuisine. Enjoy.
Brains, balls, and burritos. The holy trinity of new Nordic cuisine. Well, maybe not quite, but this Munchies episode in Copenhagen proved to be an enlightening affair. Who knew there was such a place as the Chlamydia Castle? Our host for the day was Matt Orlando, the head chef and owner of Amass, the celebrated restaurant he opened last year in an old shipyard on the outskirts of Copenhagen. The San Diego-born chef, who previously headed up the kitchen at noma, cooked up a storm at Amass—including beef from the estate of an actual Danish prince—before taking us on a tour of his favorite places around town. First stop was restaurant Bror, where Matt and his friends devoured a whole lamb's head—including stuffed eyeballs—and washed it down with nuclear-strength pale ale. At Manfred's in Nørrebro, the menu included tartare and beef heart before the team tested their drinking boots at Mikkeller & Friends and its 40 tabs of primetime craft beer.
In a former Korean gambling den underneath the streets of London's Soho neighborhood, we met up with Coal Vaults' executive chef, James Knox Boothman, head barman Jerome Slesinski, and owner Martyn "Simo" Simpson. After cooking pulled rabbit, scallops, and sea bass—and mixing some unique white chocolate cocktails—we jumped into the "space bus" and hit up Shanghai Dalston to polish off some of London's best dim sum before heading down the road to restaurant, A Little of What You Fancy to meet James's mentor, Elaine, over padrón peppers and blood orange salad. The last stop was over at Milroy's, one of Soho's oldest whiskey shops, to pick up a bottle before a triumphant return back to Coal Vaults for fire breathing, knife throwing, and slow roasted lamb that was cooked in hay.
Who would've thought one of the best ramen shops in the country would be in the hot climate of Austin, Texas? We didn't either, but after we arrived at Ramen Tatsu-Ya, our minds were blown. These guys aren't fucking around, dishing out steaming bowls of incredible tonkotsu-style ramen—over 600 a day—to a line of hungry Texans that goes out the door and down the street. We figured that after such a busy day, everyone be utterly wiped and just want to go home—but not Shion Aikawa and his crew. They took us out for a revelrous night that included pork liver pate at Contigo, a 12-course tasting menu at Barley Swine, "Bernet" shots (half Fernet, half bourbon) at Shangri-La, and brisket ramen with dipping pizza—you read that last bit correctly—and some soft-shell crab sliders back at their shop. Enjoy!
When chef Joey Campanaro and his friends started humming the theme song of Rocky at the end of their night out with us, it actually seemed kind of fitting. That's because Joey and his crew crushed about 15 rum and cokes apiece, along with some tequila and a massive amount of food on their tour of lower Manhattan. And when we say "massive," we aren't kidding: There was pork ragu at Market Table, bacon-wrapped chicken hearts at The Harrison, pig's feet at NY Noodletown, and—in the grand culmination of this meat-centric orgy—meatball sliders and clams at Joey's restaurant, Little Owl. It was a night out even Rocky Balboa himself would be proud of.
State Bird Provisions, the wildly successful San Francisco restaurant birthed by chef/owners Nicole Krasinski and Stuart Brioza, is hands-down the most exciting restaurant we've ever filmed in; watching them open the doors for business is like the scene in The Wizard of Oz where they let Dorothy into the castle. When you walk inside, you're presented with a barrage of carts topped up with the most delicious assortment of appetizers and cooks circling around with trays heaping with incredible food that was prepared just seconds ago in the open kitchen. This dim sum/cocktail party vibe was so great that Nicole and Stuart had to pry us away from watching the spectacle so that we could go to their favorite places to eat, like Ramen Shop in Oakland, where we sampled most of the menu and took down a good portion of the Japanese whiskey behind the bar, and Amnesia in the Mission district. We ultimately headed back to State Bird Provisions to watch Nicole "roll the shit out of the roti" and St
Jean Cohen, who owns the lovely restaurants Bandol Sur Mer and 3 Minutes Sur Mer, and his carnivorous friends eat their way through Berlin—and through a lot of meat, namely blood sausage, foie gras, pork confit, deer a la bourguignon, pork belly, pork sandwiches, Texas-style ribs, pastrami, brisket, and bacon. And this was only devoured at two restaurants, Lamazere and Chicago Williams. Then, the night moved onto fish, starting with a deep discussion about Ariel (a.k.a. the little mermaid) while en route for a nightcup at Themroc, and ending with a huge ocean of bouillabaise back at 3 Minutes Sur Mer with the rest of his wasted friends that were still able to hold a spoon.
Andrew Carmellini is the wondrously pedigreed chef-owner of Locanda Verde. Prior to opening Locanda's humongous space in the Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca, he cheffed A Voce, Lespinasse, and Café Boulud and wielded some of the most respected French technique in the business. Thankfully he got bored of all that, headed downtown, and now makes simple and perfect Italian foodstuffs. Last night he was acknowledged for the move, earning a James Beard Award nomination for best new restaurant, but then was totally screwed out of winning the actual award. Still, we're obviously very excited about featuring him on our ramshackle little chef show.
After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, chef Tory McPhail was tasked with one of the greatest challenges of his career: rebuilding his restaurant, Commander's Palace, from the ground up. After some of the toughest work of his life, the famed New Orleans restaurant was reopened in 2006 and has been churning out some of the best food in The Big Easy ever since. In this episode of Chef's Night Out, Tory and his crew eat and drink their way through the French Quarter, starting with his newest restaurant, SoBou, which he calls "the best cocktail bar in the South." After some bourbon-based cocktails and snacks made by executive chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez, they headed to Chart Room for more whiskey, then Sylvain for champagne, fries, and tapas. To cap off the night, chef McPhail whipped up a munchies meal of his own: smoky pork tacos with fried oysters, pickled veggies, and foie gras aioli. Let the good times roll.
Dominique Crenn, of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, is the first and only female chef to be awarded two Michelin stars. While that alone is impressive, what we admire most about her is that she took us cheese shopping at 11PM. Dominique shows us her favorite spots all over SF, and heads back to Atelier Crenn with a treasure trove of fromage, where she whips up a late night classic: grilled cheese.
Tannis Ling is an ex-bartender and chef Joel Watanabe is a French Japanese ex-Montrealer. Together, they run Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie in Vancouver's historic Chinatown district. They let us follow them around for a night to their favorite Vancouver haunts—Keefer Bar, Damso Modern Korean Cuisine, and Cascade. But to finish off the night right, the crew headed back to Bao Bei, where Joel cooked up copious amounts of fried chicken and pork belly.
John Mike Leblond came up with the idea for an offal-and-cocktail based menu while he was still in cooking school. After realizing his true passion for cooking with ingredients many people don't think to eat, Chef Leblond launched a pop-up, Tripes & Caviar, that has now evolved into a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Montreal's Verdun neighborhood. We followed John Mike and his team to St. Henry's, Grumman '78, Ludger, and then finally to Bethlehem xxx where things got wild. And what's the perfect end to this crazy night filled with drinking and eating? A whole suckling pig and curried salmon heads at Tripes & Caviar, of course.
Chef Daniel Patterson is best-known for his San Francisco restaurant Coi, which he opened in 2006. The restaurant was first awarded two Michelin stars only a couple years later, and this year appeared on the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list for the first time, debuting at number 49 Those accolades surely speak well for the restaurant, but they fail to communicate exactly how Patterson articulates his intelligence and his vision through cuisine. We spent an evening in San Francisco filming with him and were completely struck by his odd sense of humor and his ability to explain his food and the ideas behind them seamlessly. Chef Patterson forged his own path in Chef's Night Out country, taking his wife to dinner on his first stop at Corey Lee's Benu. But things loosened up when the chef and his crew dove into pastrami, gin, and an impromptu meal for 26 people. Enjoy.
Chef Dave Bohati of the Calgary restaurant Market is redefining the word "local" with in-house baked bread, homegrown micro greens, on-site butchery, and homemade cheese. It's safe to say that every dish at Market is hand crafted. On this episode of Chef's Night Out, Chef Bohati hits the streets of Calgary with his best friends and fellow cooks in the kitchen, Daniel “Papi” Ramon (pastry chef) and Brandon Dashney (sous chef). The night begins with mouthwatering ramen at Shiki Menya, followed by foie gras butter at Brasserie Kensington (just wait till you see it...), and hydrated with Negronis at Milk Tiger Lounge. The crew ends the night back at Market with pork that has been brined for seven days, smoked for six hours, and braised for 12 hours. Plus, there is a bison strip loin and some churros thrown in for good measure. Get ready for meat envy.
We've dug into the MUNCHIES archive to bring you a Chef's Night Out with rock star chef Enrique Olvera of Mexico City's Pujol restaurant. What we love most about Chef Olvera is his fearlessness in the kitchen, exemplified by one his signature dishes: a pumpkin filled with baby corn covered with mayo mixed with coffee and ants. After this episode you'll want to hop on the next flight to Mexico City, but until then you can live vicariously through this video.
Toronto chef Anthony Rose is taking over Dupont Street one restaurant at a time with Rose and Sons, Big Crow, and now, his Middle Eatery focused eatery, Fat Pasha. Whether you try their signature dishes of roast cauliflower topped with tahini, pinenuts, pomegranate, and halloumi or a their take on the chopped liver of famed NYC establishment Sammy’s Roumanian Steakhouse, the food at Fat Pasha's is a winner. Watch as the crew heads to Rodney's for oysters, Northwood for negronis, and a party filled with chopped brisket at Big Crow. Time to teleport to Toronto.
Kavita Goodstar is a co-founder of “Street Food Thursday” at Markthalle 9—Berlin’s first real attempt to open its borders to the world of food truck cuisine/international street food, located in a former market in Kreuzberg. Kavita and her friends set out to convince us that Kantstrasse (philosopher, not pussy) offers the best Asian cuisine in town. After a visit to "Papaya", a Thai restaurant that specializes in food from the North, they move on to Lon Men’s —a family-run, hand-pulled Taiwanese noodle house. After some chili wontons drowned in a secret sauce the owner won’t reveal, he offers the guests some shots of a strong mystery schnapps. They then stumble into a Russian supermarket, buy some novelty vodka, take it back to the Markthalle and before closing the night the rest is kind of a blur…
Back in 2009, as undergrad students at USC, Alex Chang and Bobby Kronfli started Paladar, an illegal, underground restaurant for their friends and fellow classmates. Now, a few years later, Alex and Bobby have entered the real world, where they are running and cooking in their own, legal restaurants. After a night of service, we hit the town with the Paladar crew. Starting with some good bar food at Freddy Smalls, drinks at Redwood Bar and Grill, and a MUNCHIES meal of chicken katsu at Bacaro LA, Bobby's restaurant, it's clear that these recent college grads still know how to party.
On our brand new episode of Chef’s Night Out, we head to The Motor City to pay a visit to chef Craig Lieckfelt, owner and operator of the acclaimed pop-up restaurant Guns & Butter, a spot set to open a brick and mortar location in the near future. After wrapping service at a pop-up held at the Shinola store, we hit the town with Craig and friends to visit some truly unique spots around Detroit. From sipping white whiskey at Two James Distillery to devouring chili dogs at Lafayette Coney Island and dancing to live music at Cafe D’Mongo’s Speakeasy, Craig showed us the real Detroit, a city filled with great food and even greater people. And, in true MUNCHIES style, the night ended with a good meal of arancini, chicken parm, and gnocchi from Detroit’s Supino Pizzeria. Enjoy.
This episode of Chef's Night Out includes multiple burgers and fries, so we love it even more than usual. Seattle chef and restaurateur Josh Henderson shows us his favorite places in The Emerald City, from French Creole-inspired cuisine at Restaurant Roux to drunken (and high) burgers at Loretta's Northwesterner. Topped off with a late night snack of fries 'n' queso, this Seahawk-obsessed crew did not let us down.
We spent a boozy, boisterous evening with chef Tom Adams, famed pig-lover and co-owner of Soho's tiny, yet completely terrific Pitt Cue Co.—a place where they do the kinds of smoky, American barbecue-style things to pig that other restaurants can only dream of. Tom took us out with his fellow chefs and trusted farmer, Charlie, for an evening of burning chopping boards, duck hearts and, er, some questionable late-night television.
This episode of Chef's Night Out is a little bit unique. We're in Paris, but with two expatriate English-born chefs: Anna Trattles and Alice Quillet. Anna and Alice offer a slightly French take on traditional British cuisine at their restaurant, Le Bal Café, which is attached to a gallery and bookstore of the same name. After a quick pitcher of Pimm's Cups, we're off to Bones to hang with chef James Henry and dine on lamb's head and raw fish. Then, we take our low-key rager over to Le Mary Celeste, where we enjoy chef Haan Palcu-Chang's signature beetroot rice cakes. Anna and Alice finish the night with some "dirty Jameson shots" at Chez Ammad before heading back to Le Bal to cook for the hungry hoard.
We followed Shay Ola, chef and owner of London's Death By Burrito, to some of his favorite spots around Paris. We went to Candelaria, a great little taco shop; Pierre Sang, a Michelin star contemporary French cuisine restaurant; and The Fish Club, a modern seafood restaurant. The next evening, Shay worked with a local chef to create a new ceviche taco and some of his signature dishes.
We follow Dong Phuong, owner and chef of Vietnamese street food restaurant District Mot, through a multicultural food journey all across Berlin. Our first stop is District Mot itself, which is considered the Vietnamese hotspot of Berlin Mitte. After enjoying some silkworms, chicken legs and phở, the journey continues to the heart of the Turkish migrant area: Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg. At Adana Grill, with is tiny but jam-packed, Phuong and his friends enjoy proper Turkish barbecue such as kefta, lamb ribs, and hummus. Then it’s time for another drink (or three) at Kantine Kohlmann. Last stop is Muret La Barba, for all of the best wine, cheese, and ham. After that, it’s time to return to District Mot for a hot pot extravaganza.
Rajat Parr—esteemed sommelier, wine director of The Mina Group, and co-owner of Domaine de la Côte and Sandhi—knows a thing or two about the food and wine of Santa Barbara wine country. Throughout the evening, Raj takes our taste buds on a journey around the world: grapes from Burgundy, grilled avocados and fresh wasabi from California, Mexican-inspired kati rolls from India, and 80-year-old apple brandy from Normandy—all from this picturesque coastal region. And as a bonus, he manages to make road sodas classy.
Parker Bowles is living proof that Kreuzberg is slowly becoming the place to be for top-notch cuisine in Berlin. In this episode, Parker Bowles' co-owners Oliver Rother and Quirin Schwanck—together with their friends Michel and Flo from the nightclub Prince Charles—take us out to their favorite food hot spots. Our first stop is Good Friends in Charlottenburg , one of the oldest and tastiest Asian restaurants in Berlin, where we dine on crispy Peking duck and fried halibut. After that, it's back home to Kreuzberg and to Cocolo Ramen, where we were welcomed with sake and Asahi by Chef Yoska, who whipped up Japanese delicacies like tender, braised kakuni, sake-glazed king oyster mushrooms, and, of course, rich noodle soup. Then it's off to La Raclette, just around the corner, for Waldmeister shots with owner-bartender Steffen. The night ends back at Parker Bowles, where the party is roaring with and a late-night MUNCHIES dinner and the sounds of Dear Us. Now that's a night out in Berlin.
LA native Kris Yenbamroong’s defining moment came at age 13, when his parents sent him to Thailand’s Red Light District to marinate in his surging hormones. Following a stint editing porn for VICE contributor Richard Kern, Yenbamroong returned to the family business—restaurants—opening Night + Market Song, where he plates Thai delicacies like Strip Club Fried Rice for Silverlake’s “older, derelict, drunk uncle demographic.” Now a betrothed 30-something, Yenbamroong takes a page from his teen playbook for Chef’s Night Out with pals, getting blitzed on mezcal at Bar Amá, slurping nature’s aphrodisiac at L&E Oyster Bar, and dive-bombing Cheetahs’ stage with bills as his Future Mrs. catnaps in the car.
The best-known "27 Club" has some very well known members—Cobain, Hendrix, and Joplin, to name a few. But French-Basque chef Iñaki Aizpitarte has forged his own version of the 27 Club: he began his culinary career as a 27-year-old novice, and his self-effacing Parisian eatery, Le Chateaubriand, currently occupies the 27th spot on the world's best restaurants list.
Quino Baca, owner and chef of Williamsburg's Brooklyn Star, heads out with a few friends and colleagues for a New York night out. Staying close to home, the crew starts the night at Suzume for kimchi ramen and spam musubi, heads to Chinatown for a roast duck dinner at Peking Duck House, then returns to Brooklyn for a stop at one of their favorite local spots—Harefield Road. To end the night, Quino and friends whip up a late-night meal of cornbread, collards, mac 'n' cheese, fried chicken, and pork butt. Your late night cravings have been realized.
Chef Alfonso Cadena is basically a genius. On a normal day, he works at his amazing restaurant, La Leche, in Puerto Vallarta—one of Mexico's most beautiful beach cities—and when he's done with work, he goes up to the second-floor bar and has some drinks with his friends. When he's totally wasted, he hops on a small stage on one side of the restaurant and plays music with his band for some of his diehard foodies, and finally, when he's tired, he goes out to the parking lot, has a burrito in==from one of his food trucks, and calls it a night.
In this episode of Chef's Night Out, we hang out with one of Montreal's most famous chefs—Chuck Hughes—and the key crew at his fantastic seafood-heavy basement restaurant Le Bremner. Along with his energetic chef de cuisine Danny Smiles and lovably eccentric bartender Vito Ciocca, Chuck takes us for a wild night in Montreal. It starts at Barocco, a warm and rustic cocktail and snack spot in Old Montreal. We follow that up with a feast at Derek Damann's amazing gastropub-style restaurant, Maison Publique. And to cleanse our palates, we get a few rounds of cocktails in giant pineapples at Le Mal Necessaire, the new hotspot in Chinatown. In true Chef's Night Out fashion, we top it all off with a party at Le Bremner early the next morning. So, enjoy it! We sure did.
A MasterChef Brasil judge and lead singer of hardcore band Oitão, Henrique Fogaça is a big, tattooed, ogre-like dude. His look contrasts with Sal Gastronomia, a small restaurant he runs in São Paulo. As he makes soft-shell crab—the place’s most lauded dish—Fogaça gets his diners' palates ready: “You eat everything, the brains, the eyes, it’s really gross. But it’s good.” In this episode of Chef’s Night Out, we take a food tour around the city with Fogaça, Badauí (CPM22 member) and Checho Gonzales. Amidst dirty jokes and laughs, they eat up tapioca dumplings and have a cold beer at bar Aconchego Carioca, then gobble up a bloody bife ancho (ribeye steak) at restaurant Arturito.
When Spur Tree owner Sean John told us that he was going to bring his 60-year-old head chef Victor—who has never come out with him before, and almost never drinks—for his New York-based episode of Chef's Night Out, we knew we were in for an interesting night. Our first stop is uptown, to treat Victor to some fine dining at Beautique. There, the guys down piña coladas and trout before heading to Chinatown's Fung Tu for brisket fried rice and vegetable dumplings. We then head a few blocks down the street to The Grey Lady for vodka and oyster shooters. The night wraps up around the corner, back at Spur Tree, where Sean and Victor cook up an off-menu feast for friends who are partying in a loft above the restaurant.
When we arrived at New York City's Toro, Chef Jamie Bissonnette warned us that we were going to be in for a night of heavy drinking. He hadn't had a night off with his friends in a long time, and rest assured that he came through on that promise.
Simone Tondo, chef/owner of Paris restaurant Le Roseval, takes us out on the town with his friends in the City of Light. First, he shows us how to make life-changing butter-seared lobster—magnifique!—and scallops with red currants before heading out into the city. The first stop is La Buvette for wine and oysters, and then it’s off to Caffé Dei Cioppi—a tiny, local Parisian spot for the Italian crowd—for black truffle linguine, goose saucisson, and more wine (naturally). The night continues (drunkenly) at Gare Au Gorille in the 17th arondissement, where Simone’s pals cook up lamb with harissa sauce for a late-night “snack” … and throw back some shots. The last stop for the gang is Dersou, a French-Asian restaurant/cocktail bar that serves just five special dishes and five cocktails. On tonight’s menu: torched marrow (and more shots). Then it’s back to Le Roseval: time for champagne-spraying and Tondo’s own cooking to take center stage.
Bakers tend to work very different hours than you and me—they often start while some of us are still at the bar. So when we approached the ladies of Greenpoint bakery Ovenly to do an episode of Chef's Night Out, they let us know that it would probably be more appropriate to call this episode Chef's Afternoon Out.
In this episode of Chef's Night Out, we get to follow around Daniel Meteo Peters—one of the four owners of Berlin restaurant Zum Mond—on his culinary tour of the city.
Badass brothers, Arjun and Nakul Mahendro, co-owners of LA’s Indian gastropub Badmaash (helmed by father/Chef Pawan Mahendro) head out for a night of flawless food and drinks in Downtown LA. Friends Lele Massimini (Sugarfish), Alvin Cailan (Eggslut) and Ryan Aguilar (Badmaash) join the crew too. First stop is Ari Taymor’s, Alma for a tantalizing tasting menu. Next, they grub and grab beers at Texas BBQ joint the Horse Thief at their perfect patio.
EscaLa’s Chris Oh takes us out for a night of culinary adventures in LA’s Koreatown. The crew gets their fill of grill-it-yourself meats and shake-it-yourself kimchi fried rice at Korean BBQ hotspot Kang Ho Dong Baekjoeong, spicy fried chicken butt at Dan Sung Sa, and gallons of soju to wash it all down before heading back to EscaLa for a plate of classic Korean streetfood: spicy ramen and rice cakes with pork belly and a fried egg.
Executive chef Michael Hung, and his team at Faith & Flower, have won about every accolade a restaurant can achieve in its first year. In this episode of Chef's Night Out, Michael and the crew head out from their Downtown LA location to cover some serious ground in just one night—and eat a ton of food along the way. With the foie gras ban in California recently lifted, the guys chow down on the delicacy at the newly opened Terrine in Beverly Hills. Then its off to Union in Pasadena, where chef Bruce Kalman nearly destroys the group with a massive 16-course meal (and more foie gras). Finally, we trek back to Hollywood to polish off a magnum of Champagne at Pour Vous before arriving back at Faith & Flower for our final meal, which—surprise!—features even more foie gras. How's that for a little decadence?
You often hear people lament that you can't get a good slice of pizza in LA—and for the most part, that's true. Except in the case of Pizzanista!, a pizza place in the city's arts district started by former pro skateboarder Salman Agah and his wife Price. We follow Salman and Price for a night out in LA as they hit up some of their favorite local spots. First, we head to Roy Choi's new restaurant Commissary at the Line Hotel, where the group sips on drinks and chows down on some interesting vegetables described as "carrots that taste like hot dogs." Then it's off to Ruen Pair for the papaya salad that Salman swears by. Our last stop is Monty Bar for drinks, and then it's back to Pizzanista!, where Price celebrates her birthday by cooking up a stinging nettle pizza for their friends.
Alisa Reynolds—owner and chef of Mid-City LA’s health-conscious soul food haven My Two Cents—takes us out for a night of hitting up her favorite hidden gems across the city. With friends and LA creatives Steven Gerstein and Mayasha Long along for the ride, our first stop is Canelé in Atwater Village for Mediterranean-inspired farmers' market fare where the standout dish is a delectable salted branzino. Next up is an obligatory taco session at La Otra Escuela Taquería in Beverly Grove for—wait for it—branzino tacos. Finally, the trio swings by Bar Stella in Sunset Junction for a few rounds of St. Germain champagne cocktails, whiskey shots, and cigs. ("Sorry, Mom!") Back at My Two Cents, Chef Alisa whips up the Creole-inspired snack that everyone craves at 2AM: fried shrimp grilled cheese. Yes, please.
Phet Schwader—owner and executive chef of NYC's only Laotian restaurant, Khe-Yo—takes us for a night out in Manhattan with his closest friends. After meeting up with partners Marc Forgione and Nick Bradley and friend Cassie Pallas at Khe-Yo in TriBeCa, the crew heads over to the East Village to hit up Motorino for some pizza. After downing two pies and some beers, it was then just a jaunt around the corner to Filipino gastropub Jeepney. The Kamayan feast there is something to behold, with banana ketchup ribs, fried snapper, pork shoulder, and mussels all served on a bed of rice—and eaten with your hands only. Following the massive feast, the gang heads back to TriBeCa to grab some PBRs and whiskey shots at their local bar Reade Street Pub & Kitchen. Upon arrival back at Khe-Yo, Phet goes back into the kitchen to whip up some crispy pork face and Dungeness crab in black-bean garlic sauce—another feast to behold on this awesome Chef's Night Out.
When we met Han Chiang—owner of the Han Dynasty restaurant empire—at a shoot in Philly a few years ago, we knew he would eventually need to have his own episode of Chef's Night Out. Well, we finally got around to it—and Han absolutely delivers.
Luke Bereuter is one of three co-owners of Ludwig & Adele—a restaurant inside the well-known Künstlerhaus and the Stadtkino Vienna. In this episode of Chef's Night Out, he takes us out for a night of hitting up his favorite spots across the city of Vienna. With friends along for the ride, our first stop is Ludwig & Adele, where we take a peek in the kitchen to see chef Ludwig Lindser preparing a tranche of salmon belly and braised beef cheek with pickled mustard seeds.
When we visited chef Diego Hernandez at his restaurant Corazón de Tierra—located in the Guadalupe Valley in Ensenada, Mexico—we knew we were in for a night of delicious food and fine wine tasting, but we didn't know we were about to step into an almost fraternal community of local chefs, winemakers, and entrepreneurs that all work together and share a life of food, drinks, and good times. Diego gives us a tour that begins in his vegetable garden, where he chooses his everyday ingredients, then takes us to Laja, Jair Tellez's restaurant that started it all. We visit a local wine cellar where we taste the finest Mexican sparkling wine, and end the day back in Corazón de Tierra, where Diego and Jair are in charge of the music and prepare some of the best carne asada ever tasted by mankind.
In this episode of Chef's Night Out, Marc Vetri—of the Vetri family restaurant empire—takes us out for a night to show us his go-to spots in Philadelphia.
In this episode of Chef's Night Out, we join Nick Erven of LA restaurant Saint Martha to eat our way through a booze-fueled feast of seafood, chicken wings, and crispy pig ears.
Benito Molina is a Mexican superstar chef from Mexico City who decided to leave the big city behind for a fresh new start—and when we mean fresh, we do mean fresh: fresh fish, fresh wine, fresh air, and the fresh ocean. Benito's restaurant, Manzanilla, resides in Ensenada, Baja California and they prepare, obviously, the freshest food out there. Benito takes us to Ensenada's fish market—which is basically just across the street from his restaurant and is where he gets his everyday ingredients—and then shows us La Guerrerense, where you can find the damn best street food in the world ... or at least that's what the multiple international prizes that they have won have to say. We also head down to Hussong's, Mexico's first cantina ever which actually has a replica in Las Vegas, and then get some cold ones at Wendtland, a local brewery. Finally, it's back to Manzanilla for a huge party with norteño music, friends, and delicious calamari tacos.
Jesse Koide—formerly of Mission Chinese and the current owner and chef of Pink Zebra, a small "Mediterrasian" restaurant—takes us out for a night on the town in San Francisco with his wife, Angela; his sushi chef, Ryo; and his friend Reilly.
In this episode of Chef's Night Out, Gail Simmons—judge on Bravo's 'Top Chef' and Special Projects Director of Food & Wine Magazine—takes us out to some of her favorite New York spots. The night starts with mussel toast and ceviche at Navy in Soho, followed by eight cocktails (yes, you heard that right) at ZZ's Clam Bar in Greenwich Village. We then cruise to Miss Lily's 7A for some curried goat neck, and to end the night, the crew heads back to Talde in Park Slope for a late-night meal of Vietnamese shrimp, nasi goreng, and Bánh xèo prepared by Gail and chef-proprietor Dale Talde. To top it all off, Gail pours 30 whiskey shots, in one fell swoop, for all of her friends.
We spent a boozy and boisterous evening with the crew from Rita's, including chef Gabriel Pryce, resident cocktail expert Missy Flynn, and their business partner and "papa" Deano Jo. The trio takes us on a meat- and alcohol-heavy tour of Hackney, London, and introduces us to a few of their regular haunts, finishing the night with raucous live music from Riddles at everyone's favourite dive bar: The Alibi.
Justin Brunson, self-proclaimed “meat head” and Executive Chef and Owner of Denver’s Old Major, takes us out in the Mile High City for a night full of smoked meats, raw oysters, and an excess of bourbon.
When you think of a chef hard at work, one typically doesn't envision a desk, a laptop, and endless blueprints for restaurants. But this is the life of Tien Ho, corporate chef for Morgans Hotels. We teamed up with Tien, who's in the midst of developing restaurants in Morgans Hotels all over the world, for a night out in his hometown of NYC. The first stop is L'Apicio in the East Village for some negronis and lamb ragu. Then it's off to Corkbuzz in Union Square for some French cuisine and first-class wine. After that, we head to Cannibal in Murray Hill for a serious charcuterie feast. With a whole group now in tow, it's back to the Hudson Hotel for the final meal, where Tien shows us that even though he's not in the kitchen these days, he still has his chops.
Las Vegas is world-renowned for its all-you-can-eat buffets and celebrity chef restaurants. However, there's more to Vegas than just what lies on the Strip, and Josh Smith—executive chef of Bardot Brasserie at the Aria—is here to show us the other treasures of the entertainment capital of the world. Our first stop is Other Mama, a new Japanese-inspired seafood restaurant located in a strip mall in the Spring Valley neighborhood. Next up is Lotus of Siam for what some consider to be the best Thai food in the country, including Isan sausage, white wine, and mango sticky rice. Then it's off to downtown Vegas for whiskey and beers at "the last neighborhood bar in Vegas": Dino's Lounge. We then end the night back at Bardot Brasserie, where Josh whips up a seriously decadent feast of fried chicken, burgers, and foie gras rice pilaf.
Jersey City is rarely mentioned when people discuss the New York City area—and it is almost never mentioned when people discuss the New York culinary world. But Kevin Pemoulie of Thirty Acres in downtown Jersey City is changing that. Coming from the NYC restaurant world, Kevin has been picking up tons of praise and business in Jersey City since his restaurant opened. We followed Kevin for a night out to hit up some of his favorite spots in both Manhattan and Jersey City. We start the night at Modcup in Jersey Heights, where the group gets buzzed on highly caffeinated coffee cocktails. Riding a caffeine high, we head through the Holland Tunnel for some Thai food at Uncle Boons, then it's back to Jersey City for some beers at Lucky 7 and pork loin tacos at home sweet home, Thirty Acres.
The Lower East Side of Manhattan has been a hotspot for NY dining for quite some time now, but there are still lesser-known gems in the neighborhood. For this episode of Chef's Night Out, we tag along with Leah Cohen—owner and executive chef of Pig & Khao—to her favorite local spots. After jumping on the line real quick, Leah and her crew head out from Pig & Khao just down the street to Taquitoria for some taquitos and rum 'n' cokes. Then it's off to Edi and the Wolf a few avenues over for some spaetzle, schnitzel, white wine, and whiskey shots (this is where things begin to get fuzzy for Leah). Next, the crew hops in a cab to visit their friends at Black Crescent and see how their renovations are going, and after stumbling in and stumbling out, Leah walks back over to Pig & Khao and is welcomed by a party very excited to see her. She starts to cook some pad Thai, but thankfully, her staff is there to help out and finish it off.
We spent the night with Melbourne’s culinary darling Andrew McConnell, the chef behind the city's restaurant empire of Supernormal, Cumulus Inc., and Cutler & Co. His crew—which includes his brother Sean, colleagues Chris and Jayden, as well as his hairdresser Frank—starts at Yu-U, a Japanese gem hidden in one of Melbourne’s iconic laneways, for eel tempura, yakitori, and a lot of sake. Next, it’s Bar Exuberante in Richmond for rum, and then to soak up the booze, back into the city to eat at late-night Chinese food institution Supper Inn, for beer and doughnuts dunked in XO pippie sauce. Tipsy, the gang then heads back to Andrew’s kitchen after-hours at Cumulus Up, where they fry up some Camembert, porcini mushrooms as big as your head, and caviar on waffles. Or was it waffles on caviar? Either way, delicious.
You would expect a chef who runs one of the world's top 50 restaurants—serving some of the most meticulously crafted dishes you ever seen—to be very professional, if not uptight. That's not to say that Esben Holmboe Bang of Maaemo isn't professional, but after a night out with him, we can most definitely say he is not uptight. We start things off at Maaemo for a couple of beers with friends, then head out to Taco Republica for some of the best Mexican food in Oslo—and a ton of mezcal. Next stop is Arakataka for more traditional Norwegian cuisine, followed by No. 19 for cocktails and Norwegian folk metal. We then end the night at home sweet home, Maaemo, for a feast of sheep ribs. Enjoy this very boozy and funny adventure through Oslo.
Roberta's, the pizza-centric restaurant in Brooklyn, has become so popular that Jay-Z and Beyonce are regular diners. But Roberta's had humble beginnings as a pizza place in a neighborhood that people once disregarded. Fast-forward a few years later, and their massive compound now includes a bakery as well as tasting-menu restaurant Blanca. Roberta's head chef Carlo Mirarchi let us tag along for a night out as we hit up some NYC's best spots. First off was The Ten Bells wine bar for a couple of bottles of vino with friends. We then head down the street to the newly reopened Mission Chinese to meet up with head chefs Danny Bowien and Angela Dimayuga and eat some wings and oysters. After that is Enrique Olivera's restaurant Cosme for duck carnitas and a ton of mezcal. Finally, we wrap things up back at Blanca with a Roberta's staff reunion, some porchetta, and steak. Enjoy this peek into one of NYC's most popular and influential restaurants.
While working in his way through law school in restaurants, the dean of Robert Bohr's program took notice of his passion for working with wine and the service industry and advised him to quit school and pursue what he really loved. Fast-forward some years later and a few stints as a sommelier at some of New York City's finest restaurants, and Mr. Bohr now runs his own restaurant—Charlie Bird—in SoHo and is one of the most well-respected figures in the wine world. We tagged along for a night out with Mr. Bohr and some of his buddies to see what a group of sommeliers eat and drink on a night out. The first stop was NoMad in the Flatiron for some decadent food to match an impressive wine list. For the occasion, Thomas Pastuzak, wine director at NoMad and good friend of Robert, broke out what Mr. Bohr refers to as the "Unicorn Wine." We then head to Brooklyn to meet up with Daniel Kessler at his restaurant Bergen Hill for crudo, cocktails, and white wine. Daniel joins as the guys head a
We head out for a night with Chef Javier Plascencia, who knows Tijuana all too well. From high-end restaurants to food truck lots, we try a little bit of everything the city has to offer, including its unprecedented craft beer boom and local party scene. From yellowfin tuna to fondue-dipped hot dogs, and ending with the original recipe for the Caesar salad, this is the ultimate food guide to everyone's favorite sin city south of the border.
Josef Centeno is the king of the downtown LA dining scene. He owns and operates four restaurants on a single street, all serving different cuisines—it's an impressive operation to say the least. We follow Josef for a very mellow night (to say the least) out in Los Angeles. The first stop is Silverlake Wine to visit with the owner Randy and sample a few top-notch wines and cheeses. Then it's a few miles down the road to Alimento, the new quasi-Italian restaurant run by chef Zach Pollack. Over dinner, we learn that Josef has been to over 250 Grateful Dead shows and only started cooking because Jerry Garcia died. And after Alimento, we roll over to K-Town to The Normandie Club for cocktails, and then wrap the night back at Orsa & Winston with egg salad sandwiches and some of the nicest crudités you've ever seen.
Michael Voltaggio of Ink. takes his star-studded crew out on the streets of Hollywood where bowling competitions, enormous pork shanks and yards of beer rule the night. The evening ends with an epic sandwich-off and tattoos by Dr. Woo.
Gonzalo Guzman has really climbed the ranks as a chef. When he first came to the United States from Mexico, he worked as a dishwasher at several different restaurants. Since then, he has worked his way up to become a head chef and partner of Nopalito, which has two locations and is one of the most popular restaurants in San Francisco.
Lazy Bear's head pastry chef Maya Erickson has accomplished as much by the age of 24 as some chefs hope to accomplish during the span of their entire career. Working in kitchens since the age of 14, then cutting her teeth under the tutelage of world famous pastry chef Elizabeth Faulkner, Maya's career has moved along remarkably fast. We hung out with the pastry prodigy for a night out in her hometown of San Francisco and checked out her favorite local haunts. The first stop was Al's Place, recently named the "Best New Restaurant in America," where Maya and her crew feast on salmon collar, seasonal vegetables, and wine. They then head a couple of blocks over to Namu Gaji for ribs, oysters, and a ton of soju, despite the fact that the crew made a promise not drink any earlier in the night. After getting crushed with food, they make one last stop at Hideout for shots and dancing, and then its around the corner back to Lazy Bear. They don't waste anytime getting to cooking everything from
Guerrilla Tacos started as a two-person food cart in 2012, and has now become quite possibly the most celebrated food truck in country, earning the distinction to be the first food truck ever reviewed by legendary LA food critic Jonathan Gold. Head chef and owner Wesley Avila serves up some of the most unique and delicious tacos LA has to offer, so we tagged along with the LA native (on his birthday, no less) to see where he heads out to on his day off. The first stop of the night was Walter Manzke's Republique for serious French fare, with truffle pasta, caviar, and a ton of wine (even a Magnum bottle to go). After getting crushed with food, it was off to Cliff's Edge in Silverlake for some lighter dishes and few cocktails. We then headed all the way to the other side of town to Tonga Hut, Wes's favorite bar that he frequents so much his name is on the wall. The crew quickly downs some tiki drinks and they zips to Mexikosher to cook the final meal. There, Wes whips up lamb tacos fo
It’s not often that the father-son team behind some of LA’s favorite tacos gets a night out together for good ol’ family bonding. So when Armando De La Torre—Senior and Junior—take us on a food tour of Downtown LA and Boyle Heights, they hit all their favorites, new and old. We start the night at Bestia with rhum agricole daiquiris and dry Szamorodni bone marrow luges before heading to an old-school Mexican diner in Boyle Heights called Manuel’s Original El Tepeyac Café. The crew puts down a five-pound burrito filled with chile verde, rice, beans, guacamole, and oodles of cheese. We close out the night with cervezas and Morrissey karaoke at Eastside Luv before heading back to Guisados’ Downtown LA location for a mountain of carnitas ropa vieja tacos and chorizo quesadillas. Órale.
This episode takes us to the northwestern Vietnamese town of Sa Pa and a restaurant called The Hill Station, the region’s only restaurant serving traditional Hmong dishes. We join Danish owners Tommy Eggen and Soeren Pindstrup, along with head chef Giang Phay and a few friends, for a night sampling the best Hmong, Vietnamese, and French food in town.
We head to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, for this episode of Chef's Night Out. Justin Sarabia, the chef and owner of Rural Kitchen of Lilliw, Laguna, cooks food influenced by his lola's (grandmother's) cooking. Justin and friends head out for the night in Manila, beginning at Nikkei, a restaurant that serves Peruvian-Japanese cuisine, and then on to a speakeasy called Alcohol by Volume, a pregame to the one of the best parts of eating in Manila: street food. After lots of street food enjoyed with beer and gin, Justin heads back to his restaurant to cook sisig, a Filipino favorite made from pig's face. While the food in this Chef's Night Out is great, it's really the ride in Vin Diesel's Jeepney that sets it apart from the rest.
Mexico has one of the richest, most diverse food traditions of any country in the world. From north to south, east to west, you can find an infinite variety of delicious plates on your table. Even with this in mind, Toluca City—two hours away from Mexico City—is not exactly the first place you think about when you think of Mexico's food culture, but that's likely about to change. Chef Pablo Salas was born in Toluca, and is one of the first chefs to put the city's gastronomic style on the map, earning his restaurant Amaranta acclaim as one of the top five restaurants in Mexico. We visited Pablo at Amaranta for some of the best high-end versions of Mexican street food that we've ever tried. We miss you already, Toluca!
We spent the night with Sydney’s Prince of Pasta Mitch Orr, the chef behind Rushcutter Bay’s fresh and innovative restaurant ACME. His crew—which includes his award winning sous chef Analiese, fellow Sydney celebrity chef Dan and Luke—start at LP’s Quality Meats, Chippendale’s meat-fest establishment for smoked meats, tartare, pate and blood sausage. Then, just as the sun went down, they headed to nearby Automata for sheep’s whey vodka and burrata injected with shellfish oil. Next up, the crew met their friends at Sydney’s favourite late-night Chinese food institution Golden Century for a feast of fresh Cantonese seafood and a rare tour of the kitchen. After a quick stop at the recently-closed strip club Bada Bings in Kings Cross, the gang rolled back to Mitch’s kitchen at ACME to cook up baloney sandwiches with foie gras butter, blooming onions, and fried doughnuts with salted caramel.
Get ready for some real heavy eating. In this installment of Chef's Night Out, we head out with Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske the Chef/Owner's of Contra & Wildair, two of the hottest restaurants in Manhattan's, Lower East Side.
In this episode of Chef's Night Out, we hit up some truly classic New York establishments with Paul Giannone (a.k.a. Paulie Gee) of Paulie Gee's in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. You might have met Paulie while you were enjoying one of his superb pizzas, as he is known to travel from table to table, but now you get to see him outside of his restaurant and on the town with some of his close friends. The crew starts at Sam's Restaurant in Cobble Hill, where they order the famous baked clams and can't resist ordering a pizza, then head to Emilio's Ballato in Nolita for an array of classic Italian dishes, and cap it all of with a visit to Prince Street Pizza for The Soho Square—arguably one of the best squares in the city. In true Paulie fashion, the night ends with more pizza at Paulie Gee's. In Paulie's words, "this is the senior citizen version of Chef's Night Out."
When you ask Michael Solomonov to do a Chef's Night Out, he's going to do something entirely different than anybody else. Mike and his partner, Steven Cook, run CookNSolo, a restaurant group that serves some of the best food in Philly from the kitchens of Zahav, Abe Fisher, Percy Street BBQ, Dizengoff, and Federal Donuts. Mike and his friends, Michael Persico and Jen Carroll, embark on one of the most epic episodes of Chef's Night Out by eating, gambling, eating again and then surfing, all through the night in two different states. We start in Philly at industry favorite Tai Lake for steamed shrimp and clams, then drive to Atlantic City for late night tacos and sopes, gambling at The Tropicana, and Philly cheesteaks with the one and only Tony Luke Jr. of Tony Luke's. What's the best way to rest up after an all nighter of eating and gambling? Surfing, of course. Mike and friends hit the water in Atlantic City and then head back to Philly for early morning donuts and coffee. We're tired
Chef Roy Ellamar takes us inside his farm-to-table restaurant and explores the influences behind some of his signature dishes like a porchetta that is slow roasted for 3 hours, before hitting the town with his friends in tow. Next up, we’re off to L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon where Chef Steve Benjamin has some surprises in store including hamachi and sea urchin ravioli (let that sink-in) and even a surprise guest close to Chef Roy’s heart. The crew then follows their noses to District One in Las Vegas’ Chinatown, where they snack on the “best Lobster pho in Vegas” and other delicacies prepared by Chef Khai Vu. Joining their friends at The Golden Tiki, Chef Roy and company sip on some throwback tiki drinks under the electric and starry night sky, before heading back to Harvest. There, Chef Roy puts the cherry on top of this night out with a Hawaiian-inspired meat feast complete with pineapples, pig heads, and SPAM.
Surfer tacos, a mezcal tasting, and shots of mushroom gravy are all on the menu in this episode of Chef’s Night Out when Chefs Daniel Snukal and Josh Gil of Tacos Punta Cabras take their friends Brad Miller (Ox & Son) and Zach Parks (Bosscal Mezcal Joven) on a tipsy tour of their favorite spots in the laid-back neighborhoods of Santa Monica and Venice, California.
On this episode of Chef's Night Out we head out for the evening with The Four Horsemen, a restaurant and wine bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Chef Nick Curtola embarks on a meat filled evening with a few of his good friends. The night begins at Momofuku Ssäm Bar with snacks, raw bar, and a large format brisket dinner, then on to Franny's for pizza, and finally ends at Achilles Heel in Greenpoint with a lambs head and steak. The crew then heads back to The Four Horseman for lambs tacos with a variety of middle eastern condiments and lots of wine.
We join Dong-hyeuk Im, owner of Tuk Tuk Noodle Thai, for a night out in Seoul, South Korea.
Head chef Rasmus Lund Jonasson brings his restaurant manager and a couple of old mates on a truffle, sausage and winefuelled quest to visit some of their favourite haunts in Copenhagen Denmark.
Brandon Jew is giving Chinese-American food a voice in San Francisco.
For this episode of Chef’s Night Out, we tag along with Chef Alon, of Shaya, to his favorite local spots.
On this episode of Chef’s Night Out, we party till the wee hours with Chef Jessica Koslow from LA’s tastiest breakfast spot, Sqirl. Kicking the night off with an aperitif at Marvin, West Hollywood’s French inspired eatery, Jessica and her crew loosen up with some jamón Ibérico and sherry before heading to the pre-opening of Koreatown’s new spot Here’s Looking at You. They feast on duck hearts, Chinese sausage, and a magnum of rosé as they celebrate friend and former Animal chef Jonathan Whitener’s new endeavor. For dessert, they pop up to Hollywood’s legendary Mashti Malone’s Ice Cream to enjoy some sweet and savory Persian ice cream with flavors as unique as the name of this eclectic creamery. Finally, to satisfy their late night Mexican food munchies, Sqirl teamed up with east-side favorite Mariscos Jalisco to host a neighborhood block party and fundraiser, Noche Pescado, complete with shrimp tacos, tuna tostadas and muskmelon agua fresca. We’ll cheers to that!
We never imagined that a Chef’s Night Out with the crew from restaurant Kadeau would be dull, but nothing quite prepared us for this whirlwind of culinary escapades.
In this episode of Chef’s Night Out, we head back down to the Big Easy with Isaac Toups of Toups' Meatery, who shows us some of his old haunts.
Rosio Sanchez has changed the taco game in Copenhagen. The Chicago-born chef is the owner of Hija de Sanchez, where the moles, paletas, and tacos al pastor are made with skill, love, and appreciation for authentic Mexican recipes. In this episode of Chef's Night Out, Rosio cooks up a taco feast for her friends before they head out on the town in Copenhagen.
Konstantin Filippou, chef of the year 2016 and owner of a fine dinging restaurant and a natural wine bar named O boufés has a day off to hang out with his friends at a few of his favourite places in Vienna. The evening starts in his own kitchen where he serves duck liver parfait, red beets, and blackcurrant. Before the sun sets, they head out to the second district, to have glaced ribs and salami wine at Mochi followed by a visit to his friend Christian Petz, who owns a traditional Viennese restaurant that might serve one of the best innards you can find. Before they return to O boufés to have his famous Saganaki, they take a quick detour to a very small bar that is still a well kept secret.
Josh Kulp and Christine Cikowski, executive chefs at Honey Butter Fried Chicken start their night out at La Sirena Clandestina for a Brazilian feast, then go to Billy Sunday for cocktails, and finish it all with tacos at Taqueria El Asadero.
A night out in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, fueled by mezcal and mole.
Chef Benny Blisto takes us to all his favorite places in Amsterdam.
Mouth-melting chicken sandwiches, mounds of Thai food, and Bacardi 151 round out our journey across Los Angeles with Louis Tikaram of E.P. & L.P.
In this episode of Chef's Night Out, Or Amsalam and Alexander Phaneuf of Lodge Bread in Culver City, Los Angeles gather up their friends for a night out at some of their favorite South Bay spots. The night starts off with a Oaxacan feast at El Jacalito Oaxaqueño for mole negro and enchiladas. They then head to Three Weavers Brewery in Inglewood for lots of beers. Next up is Hatchet Hall, where their friend, chef Brian Dunsmoor, decides to "ruin them with food." Oysters, duck, asparagus, game hen, salmon pancakes, every salad and crudo on the menu: you name it, they had it. After the meal, they walk next door to Hatchet Hall's Old Man Bar to party like not-so-old men, for more beers, whiskey shots, and amateur wrestling. They may not totally remember heading back to Lodge Bread to make shakshuka, hummus, tabouleh, and pita, but they remember having a good time.
Born and bred New Yorker Scarr Pimentel's Chef's Night Out in New York City was a homecoming like no other. Scarr, the chef and co-owner of Scarr's Pizza in the Lower East Side, is known for hand milling the wheat for his pies in the basement of the restaurant, making him one of the hardest working pizzaiolas around. On his night off, gathers up some old friends to visit his former stomping grounds.
Ooey-gooey grilled cheeses, pasta fever dreams, and smokey mezcal El Caminos make for a perfect night out in Santa Monica, California with Chef Miles Thompson of Michael’s.
Sohui Kim, chef and co-owner of Korean BBQ restaurant INSA in Gowanus, Brooklyn, takes us to all ends of New York—from Flushing to Red Hook—for a night out that is as delicious as it is fun. The night starts at Myung San with fermented blue crabs, because of course it does. Next, Sohui and friends head to Sik Gaek for watermelon soju, BBQ, and abalone. They then head to Fort Defiance for some tiki cocktails before going back to INSA for "late night debauchery," complete with INSA fried chicken, rice cakes, and seafood corndogs.
Del Posto's executive chef Melissa Rodriguez takes us out for a night that has a little bit of everything—fine dining, pizza, and flaming tiki drinks. The night starts off at Melissa's old workplace, Daniel, where chef Daniel Boulud pulls out all the stops with a delicious four-course meal. Melissa and friends then venture to Jersey City for pizza before heading back into the city for cocktails at The Rusty Knot. Fortunately, all of the friends Melissa brings out with her are chefs, so the night ends with a spread of different frittatas, making us wish that all of our friends were chefs too.
Helen Johannesen, owner of Helen's Wine Shop and beverage director of Jon & Vinny's Restaurant Group, takes us out for the ultimate girls' night out in Los Angeles. The night begins with lots of drinks and seafood at Son of a Gun and then moves on to Lucques in West Hollywood, where more wine is consumed (as expected when you own a wine shop). The group then heads to Luv2Eat Thai Bistro for crab curry, crispy pork, and more. The night ends back at Helen's apartment, as any good night should, with grilled cheeses and rosé.
In this installment of Chef’s Night Out, we head to Copenhagen for a night on the town with the team from Cicchetti. Along with sommelier Luna and chefs Nina and Rikke we visit some of their favourite restaurants while indulging in an impressive amount of alcohol.
What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a Chef's Night Out? In this episode, Hamasaku's sushi chef Yoya Takahashi celebrates his 45th birthday with a night out in Los Angeles that includes friends, drinks, food, and more drinks. Yoya and friends first head to Kappo-style eatery Shibumi for highballs and an array of traditional Japanese bites (and also some deep fried cannabis leaves for good measure). The crew then hits Sumo Dog for bacon banh mi hotdogs and Frank 'n Hank, the bar next door, for lots of mezcal. Yoya and friends then head back to Hamasaku for a surprise birthday party and some late-night ramen making.
Chad and Chase Valencia, the brothers behind LA Chinatown's LASA, a modern Filipino-American restaurant, cook food inspired by their childhood and their experience of growing up in California. Whether it's taking a classic dish like sinigang, a traditional Filipino stew, and swapping out the tamarind for rhubarb, the dishes at LASA honor the tradition of Filipino cuisine while embracing new techniques and approaches.
At 24 years old, Pierre Touitou is one of the youngest and most talented chefs of the new generation in Paris. In his tiny restaurant Vivant, his food is directly inspired by his time spent in Japan and the seasonal produce of France. We follow Pierre and his friends on a natural-wine-fueled night out in Paris. They visit some of their favorite restaurants and friends at Le Clown Bar, Dame Jane, and Bénichat et le Petite Amour. The night ends back at Vivant with a late night snack—a play on a Vietnamese summer roll with pork belly.
David and Anna Posey, the husband and wife team behind Chicago's Elske not only know how to make good food, but they know where to go to eat (lots of) it too. From high-end bar food at The Loyalist, to Mexican inspired dishes at Todos Santos, cocktails at Estereo, and bone-in pork sandwiches at Jim's Original, David, Anna, and their friends go on a marathon night of eating in the Windy City. They come across great mezcal cocktails along the way, fueling them up for a late night meal of pizza and chicken wings with secret Friggin' Valley ranch (it’s just Hidden Valley). With a surplus of good friends and good food, it's clear that it's no coincidence that elske is Danish for love.
If you do a Chef's Night Out in Chicago and don't take a shot of Malört, were you even in Chicago? We head out for an epic evening with the duo behind Logan Square's Fat Rice, Abe Conlon and Adrienne Lo. The night begins at a Logan Square classic, Lula Cafe. After three courses of Chef Jason Hammel's delicious farm-to-table food, the crew visits Café Marie-Jeanne for porron waterfalls and duck fat frites. Then it's off to Rose's Lounge, the ultimate Chicago dive-bar, for Old-Style in frosted mugs and shots of Malört and Slivovitz. The night ends back at Fat Rice with pork chop sandwiches, oyster "omelettes,” "poor man's sushi”... and more shots of Malört.
Our very own Cara Nicoletti and the team behind Frankel's Delicatessen and Appetizing, Greenpoint's favorite Jewish deli, eat their way through Brooklyn on the latest episode of Chef's Night Out.
Co-Chefs Elena Yamamoto and Yael Peet of Brooklyn's Karasu leave their small izakaya kitchen for a night of sake, pasta, and more pasta in the East Village and beyond. The night out begins at East Village staple Sake Bar Decibel for sake and small bites. Then it's over to the West Village where the chefs order almost every pasta on the menu at Via Carota before heading back to Brooklyn for mac and cheese and white wine spritzers at Moloko. The night ends back at Karasu where the chefs whip up karaage sliders with Japanese tartar sauce to top off the perfect evening.
In the first ever Swiss edition of Chef’s Night Out we follow Chef Moritz Stiefel and his buddies on a night out through Luzern. The next day he wakes up with a hangover – as well as a new tattoo on his ankle.
Trigg Brown and Josh Ku of Win Son in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, make some of the most exciting Taiwanese-American food around. On their night off, they took a few staffers out for a night of Taiwanese food, semi-professional bowling, Hellboy pizza slices from Paulie Gee's, and baos from Eddie Huang's Bauhaus, then ended their night with karaoke and milk bun wagyu burgers.
MeMe’s Diner, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, serves diner food with show-stopping ingredients and some of the best hospitality and service in town. Owners Bill Clark and Libby Willis had a night out in Manhattan with their partners, grabbing drinks at New York City’s oldest gay bar, sampling the food at Chinatown hotspot Lalito, eating an Italian feast at Don Angie’s, and checking in at the Cubbyhole, NYC’s most famous lesbian bar. They ended the night with a layered cake and a riff on nachos.
Kia Damon, executive chef at Lalito and recent Florida transplant, discovers what makes NYC great, including classic food spots and swanky speakeasies, in this episode of Chef’s Night Out. New to New York City, chef Kia and friends head to Burger Joint, hidden behind the front desk of Le Parker Meridien Hotel, to start their night off with one of the best burgers in NYC. Then it’s off to Michelin-starred Thai restaurant Uncle Boons, followed by bespoke cocktails at Apotheke. A food tour of New York classics to make this Florida chef transplant feel full and inspired in her new home. The group ends their night out in NYC with a family and friends dinner at Lalito, where they drink, eat, and dance the night away.
Victor Delgado and Jorge "Joy" Alvarez-Tostado of Tacos 1986 hit the streets of downtown LA with Jenn Harris, senior food writer at the LA Times, and Jordan Okun, producer and host of Air Jordan: A Food Podcast. On this Chef’s Night Out, the four visit three of LA’s best restaurants: Alameda Supper Club, Majordomo, and Bavel, which was named the LA Times’ 2019 Restaurant of the Year. They start the night off with wine and pasta, before heading to David Chang's Majordomo for a raw platter of uni and oysters, followed by smoked beef short rib. Then it’s off to Bavel for more wine, head-on shrimp, and a sampling of spreads before ending the night at Tacos 1986, where customers are waiting for Victor and Joy’s return.
We had the honor of meeting the late great Anthony Bourdain for a Chef's Night Out in New York City in 2013. We hope this video helps keep his memory alive.
What happens when a show about the late-night snacking predilections of our favorite chefs takes to the streets of Los Angeles in a 15-passenger van filled to capacity with some of the city’s finest young stars and the two chefs behind one of its best restaurants? The Hollywood edition of Chef’s Night Out happens, featuring Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of Animal restaurant.
Richard Schaffer, chef & co-owner of LE 203, is known for serving up a diverse menu of what's in season based on ideas from his favorite restaurants. On his first Saturday off from work in 3 years, Munchies takes Richard and friends on a Chef's Night Out. They start their night out with some cider and shots before heading out to Brussels Beer Festival for, you guessed it: lots and lots of beer. After all the beer, the logical next move is to wash it down with some natural wine at Tortue, a quick meal at Les Brigittines. And then Certo, for some pasta sharing, and shirtless dancing. Then finishing the night, Richard meets up with even more friends at Le Dillens in Saint Gilles, where Richard cooked up a whole buttery turbot for the whole gang.
This episode of Chef’s Night Out features Christina Tosi, the culinary trailblazer behind Milk Bar. Christina and her team of sous chefs embark on a suburban adventure starting at Dairy Queen, where Christina makes the Blizzard of her dreams. Next, armed with kimchi Bloody Marys and jello shots, the group cuts loose at the beach and snacks on house-made pastrami and rye croissants. David Chang shows up when the gang hits up a putt-putt golf course and Danny Bowien brings Taco Bell. Finally, the crew ends their day with a tailgate featuring beers, seven-layer dip, ham and cheese sandwiches, and surprisingly, the police.
Ah, Philadelphia: the city is beautiful, the people are honest, and the food scene is unreal. One of the people responsible for this is Brad Spence, who helms Philadelphia's finest trattoria, Amis. Brad's food is influenced by dishes you would find in casual restaurants in Rome. And like any good American chef, Brad takes those old standbys and expands on them, drawing inspiration from the wonderful food he finds in the City of Brotherly Love. For this episode of Munchies, he brought us on a culinary adventure with his sous chef, Craig Parahus, and his brother-in-law, Kevin Griffin and introduced us to Peter McAndrews and Han Chiang of Han Dynasty.
Markus Stöckle brought a piece of Bavaria to Zurich, when he opened ROSI, a neo-tavern that features recipes from both his grandmother and royal chefs to German kings alike. Stöckle combines tradition and innovation like no other by re-envisioning the food he grew up with. For one night, he leaves ROSI to his crew and embarks on a food and booze fueled journey through Zurich.
In this episode of Chef's Night Out, Cal attempts to make braised short rib grilled cheeses with Taleggio and frisee after having the equivalent of 10 shots of whiskey.