In today’s episode, I talk to Nathanial Zimet. He is an accomplished chef in New Orleans running two restaurants, Boucherie and Bourée, both located in the Carrollton neighborhood. He also runs Boucherie Feeds, a program that collaborates with local schools to feed balanced meals to school children. 

You’ll hear about his experience in Le Cordon Bleu, working in kitchens from London to Australia, and how his approach to food has been shaped by that international exposure. He reveals what it was like to work with “perfectionist” Shane Ingram and how that led him to finding his cooking style. He also talks about the importance of intentionality in the kitchen, utilizing the whole product, and his foray into the food truck business. 

What you'll learn with chef Nathanial Zimet

The food smell from his childhood (3:35)

When his passion for cooking began (4:29)

Why he never cooked at home growing up (5:06)

The reason he chose to become a chef (6:14)

His biggest food influence while living in Australia (10:02)

Mentors who’ve influenced him the most (10:41)

Why he’s grateful for working in a challenging kitchen environment (11:27)

What he learned from Shane Ingram (15:11)

What it’s like working with a perfectionist chef (16:34)

The most memorable interaction he and Chef Ingram had (18:54)

His post-Katrina food truck business (20:30)

How he perfected his BBQ sauce (22:51)

His business advice about food trucks (24:54)

The concept behind Boucherie (28:42)

How he keeps food costs down (29:06)

What’s he’s most proud of in his restaurants (30:12)

A life-altering event and what it taught him (31:06)

What he learned from spending time in the hospital (33:17)

The inspiration behind the Boucherie Feeds program (34:33)

Why purchasing whole ingredients are so important (37:47)

The importance of intentionality in life and business (38:41) 

Feeding public school students versus private school students (40:40)

How to make Boucherie buffalo sauce at home (44:24)

Where to eat in New Orleans (47:44)

His simple guilty pleasure food (49:29)

3 cookbooks that inspire (49:45)

What not to do in his kitchen (50:47)

A peek inside his condiment closet (51:04)

Series of rapid-fire questions.

Link to the podcast episode on Apple Podcast

Links to other episodes in New Orleans

Conversation with chef Michael Gulotta

Links to most downloaded episodes (click on any picture to listen to the episode)

Chef Sheldon Simeon

Chef Andy Doubrava

Chef Chris Kajioka

Chef Suzanne Goin

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Chef Nathanial Zimet

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Restaurant Boucherie

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Restaurant Bourrée

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Links mentioned in this episode

Chef Kelly English website

Restaurant Iris

The Second Line