The Chef's Cut

It’s part 3 of our series on restaurant hospitality, and this week Adrienne and Joe are joined by James Beard nominee Simon Kim, the man behind COTE Korean Steakhouse and COQODAQ. In this episode, we discuss:


Reinventing the steakhouse by blending Korean BBQ with classic American fine dining


Building COTE and COQODAQ and redefining what a modern restaurant can be


Betting on yourself: overcoming investor doubt and financial pressure


The role of the restaurateur as a “producer” behind the scenes


Creating the perfect dining experience


Balancing creativity with business realities in today’s restaurant industry


What it really takes to scale a restaurant brand across cities and markets


Walk-In Confession: Facing racism in fine dining while working the floor

Follow Simon: @simonkimnyc

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Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Adrienne and Joe are back for part two of our three part hospitality series, this time with legendary restaurateur Drew Nieporent of Nobu and Tribeca Grill fame. They talk about his memoir ‘I'm Not Trying To Be Difficult’ and share tales from his storied career. In this episode, we discuss:


Drew’s role in the rise of celebrity chefs, starting with putting their names on the menu


James Beard awards and the changing role of the restaurateur


Working with celebs like Robert De Niro to launch new ventures


How to deal with tough critics


Rising prices in fine dining and tasting menus getting out of control


Discovering and working with some of the biggest chefs in the world


How to start a restaurant the right way, and when to walk away


Why he brought a fax machine on the road to keep an eye on reservations


Walk In Confession: Cruise ship beginnings and lessons from the high seas

Follow Drew: @drewnieporent 

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

This week on the Chef’s Cut, Adrienne and Joe react to René Redzepi stepping down from Noma amid allegations of past abuse. They talk about how this story has reverberated throughout the world of fine dining, and speculate on how it will influence kitchens going forward. In this episode, we discuss:


The $1500 Noma pop-up in Los Angeles


Abuse in restaurants and why the new generation of chefs aren’t putting up with it


Noma and René Redzepi’s impact on the fine dining industry


How diners vote with their dollars


Joe’s thoughts on running a positive and supportive kitchen


Adrienne’s own stories of enduring abusive behavior in the kitchen

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Adrienne and Joe sit down for part one of our three part series on restaurant hospitality and the role of the restauranteur. They preview our upcoming conversations with Simon Kim and Drew Nieporent, including their James Beard accolades and insights into creating a unique restaurant experience. In this episode, we discuss:


Joe and his team were nominated for a James Beard award!


What does Joe focus on when he opens a restaurant? (hint: don’t ignore the bathrooms)


Top Chef Restaurant Wars memories


Lessons from front of the house, including a master class on service


Walk In Confession: Adrienne tells us about the time she almost opened her own restaurant after Top Chef

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Cooking competition shows are heating up this week as Padma Lakshmi’s new show (America’s Culinary Cup) takes on Top Chef. Adrienne and Joe debate which format will win out, and whether or not the Culinary Cup will capture our attention. In this episode, we discuss:


The new ACC format and fine dining focus


Judging vs competing: Which is more fun?


The secrets of judging on food tv


Would you rather: 30-minute quick fires vs doing a dish demo


How cooking shows used to be (teach us something!) vs today’s style of TV


Walk In Confession: Joe’s memories of competing on Iron Chef

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm