Chef's Table: Talks

This week Rich Torrisi (Torrisi, Major Food Group) joins David on the podcast from the private dining room of his restaurant Torrisi in New York! David and Rich talk about the secret to a perfect turkey sandwich that Rich has perfected for years, how Rich infuses his restaurant with the culture and history of New York City, how he got to open the funky neighborhood deli of his dreams, and so much more. Rich Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richtorrisi/ Torrisi Restaurant: https://torrisinyc.com/ Follow Chef's Table on IG! https://www.instagram.com/chefstableofficial/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, David sits down with friend and director Max Winkler (Love Story) to talk about the time they got turned down from Nozawa (and why it made them love it even more), his father Henry Winkler's favorite foods, what Max eats on film sets, the iconic LA restaurants David and Max went to together in college, and so much more. Follow Chef's Table Talks on IG! https://www.instagram.com/chefstableofficial/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gilberto Cetina (Holbox) joins David in the kitchen this week!! Gilberto talks about the pressure of taking on his family's beloved restaurant Chichen Itza, how spearfishing as a teen made him fall in love with seafood, being a Michelin-starred seafood chef when his wife and daughter don't like fish, the catering horror story that made him almost ruin a wedding, and so much more. Holbox Restaurant IG: https://www.instagram.com/holboxlosangeles/ Follow Chef's Table Official on IG! https://www.instagram.com/chefstableofficial/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mason & Lily Royal (Max & Helen’s) join David on the show this week! They talk about getting married a week before opening the diner, why everyone wants to be cozy, Mason’s 17th restaurant opening, Fried Chicken Wednesdays, debate what “American cheese” actually means, dealing with stoned customers at a cannabis restaurant, and so much more. Mason IG: https://www.instagram.com/chefmasonroyal/ Lily IG: https://www.instagram.com/lilyroyal/ Max & Helen’s Diner: https://www.instagram.com/maxandhelens/ Follow Chef’s Table Official on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/chefstableofficial/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maxwell Reis (Mírate, Daisy) joins David on a show this week! Maxwell breaks down little-known histories of spirits from why people associate rum with pirates to how fermentation started and where brown liquor comes from. They talk about agave goblins, the importance of supporting family-owned distributors, what causes hangovers (and why good mezcal doesn’t make you hungover) and so much more! Maxwell IG: https://www.instagram.com/beerghost/ Follow Chef’s Table on IG! https://www.instagram.com/chefstableofficial/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LA-Based Chef and Restaurateur Kris Yenbamroong (Night+Market) is on the show this week! David and Kris talk about his family’s beloved Thai restaurant (and how he almost ran it into bankruptcy when he first took over), Wolfgang Puck cooking with Kris’ grandmother, why there’s a weird photo of Al Gore hanging in Night + Market, the infamous Phuket chicken, eating super spicy foods as a kid to get cred with his family, and so much more. Kris IG: https://www.instagram.com/krisyenbamroong/ Follow Chef’s Table Official on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/chefstableofficial/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chef, restaurateur, and Chef’s Table Season 1 star Niki Nakayama is here this week! David and Niki talk about the 15th anniversary of her Michelin-starred restaurant n/naka, her iconic uni dish getting shown on billboards, why customers ask to eat in her parking lot, how to navigate marriage with your cooking partner, Niki’s trip to Jiro’s sushi bar, and so much more. Niki IG: https://www.instagram.com/nikinakayama/ Follow Chef’s Table on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefstableofficial/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Chef Kwame Onwuachi (Tatiana, Dōgon) joins David on the podcast! David and Kwame talk about eating curry goat and roti at his grandmother’s house, the story of a nut allergy gone wrong on Christmas Eve, Kwame’s mom giving him cooking notes, ayahuasca realizations, life lessons learned from golfing, and so much more. Kwame IG: https://www.instagram.com/chefkwameonwuachi/?hl=en Follow Chef’s Table on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/chefstableofficial/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Shenassafar, (aka Ben Hundreds) joins David on the show this week! Ben talks to David about his unique career path from streetwear brand founder to restaurant owner, what makes a martini iconic, why sitting at a restaurant bar is the best spot in the house, the components of a perfect burger, the jar of his mom’s pickled black garlic sitting in the back of his fridge, and so much more.Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/benhundreds/Follow Chef’s Table on IG: https://www.instagram.com/chefstableofficial/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renowned Los Angeles BBQ expert Burt Bakman (Slab BBQ) joins us on the show this week! David and Burt talk about Burt’s journey from real estate agent to one of LA’s most popular pitmasters, the underground BBQ spot he operated out of his backyard, growing up on shawarma and falafel street food, the time a VIP choked on a piece of meat at one his events, overcooking Martha Stewart’s tomahawk steak, the collection of fats he keeps in his fridge, and so much more.Burt IG: https://www.instagram.com/burtbakman/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam and David talk about saying goodbye to his character on The Goldbergs and career shifts after being a series regular on a beloved sitcom, learning to love food through his dad’s home-cooked meals, growing up as a child actor, Sam’s favorite restaurants in Italy, eating lobster pasta in a grotto, and so much more. Sam Lerner IG: https://www.instagram.com/samlerner/?hl=en Sam Lerner Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandlerner?lang=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy New Year! This week, Roy Shvartzapel of From Roy joins David on the show to explain the magic of panettone bread and debunk its poor reputation in the U.S. He talks about working at Ducasse, the simple dish his mother always made growing up that he’ll never forget, the meal that changed his life, his biggest nightmare story from fulfilling holiday rush orders, and so much more. Order the From Roy X Chef’s Table - Chocolate Peanut Caramel Panettone: https://chefstable.thisisfromroy.com/chocolate-peanut-caramel-panettoneRoy IG: https://www.instagram.com/thisisfromroy/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Alvaro Clavijo, head chef at El Chato (named 2025’s Best Restaurant in Latin America by World's 50 Best) sits down with David to share the roller coaster journey that led him into fine dining. He talks about his beginnings as a dishwasher in Paris, lying to his mother about going to culinary school, accidentally giving his family food poisoning, serving “ants cream”, purple potatoes, how to cook termites, and so much more. Alvaro IG: https://www.instagram.com/alvclv/ Chef’s Table IG: https://www.instagram.com/chefstableofficial/ Subscribe to Chef’s Table on Youtube for full video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ChefsTableOfficial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices