Our New York Table

Season 3 is coming November 10!

New York City is full of tables—and every one has a story.

This season, Our New York Table is exploring the many ways New Yorkers gather around food. From neighborhood block parties and family dinners to sacred meals, first dates, and gatherings that help us navigate loss, we’re pulling up a chair to discover what brings us together, what keeps us connected, and the stories and dishes we share along the way.

New episodes every month.

People. Food. Stories. Connection.

Follow Our New York Table wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss a seat at the table.

Hello, listeners!

As we get ready to begin production on Season 3 of Our New York Table, we'd love your feedback.

What do you love about the show? What could we do better? What kinds of food stories would you like to hear more of?

Please take a few minutes to complete our anonymous Listener Survey — it only takes about 5 minutes.

Whether you've listened since Episode 1 or you're just discovering the podcast, your feedback will help shape the next season.

Take the survey here: Listener Survey

Thanks for listening, and for helping us build Season 3. I can't wait to share what's coming next.

As a kid, Ayo Balogun didn’t go into the kitchen for the food—he went for the stories. The cooks had lived lives he couldn’t imagine, and he wanted one of his own.

In this episode, we sit down with Ayo Balogun of Dept of Culture and Radio Kwara. We talk about his journey from his grandmother’s kitchen in Nigeria to his James Beard–nominated restaurant in Brooklyn—and the moments that shaped him along the way.

Read more about what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

When Lookman Afolayan came to the U.S., the only thing bigger than his dreams was the flavor in his goat pepper soup. He risked it all to build a Nigerian restaurant he could be proud of.

In this episode, I sit down with Lookman and Abiodun Afolayan, owners of Buka. As I sweat my way through a bowl of pepper soup, we talk about Nigerian food, family, and what it takes to build a restaurant from the ground up.

Read more about what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

Community isn’t always built in public spaces — sometimes it begins in kitchens, around simmering pots, shared stories, and the foods and traditions we carry with us.

In this episode, we gather with friends in Harlem, in Saba Hamidi’s cozy apartment, where she teaches us to make some of her favorite Persian dishes. As we cook and eat, Saba talks about her journey from Iran to the U.S. as a Bahá’í refugee — and how she’s using food to build community and give back.

Read more about what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

When his photography studio stalled during the pandemic, Giovanni Cervantes turned back to his first love: tacos. What began as impromptu lunches and parties with friends slowly revealed itself as something more.

In this episode, I sit down with Giovanni Cervantes and Tania Apolinar, the duo behind Taqueria Ramirez in Greenpoint and Carnitas Ramirez in the East Village. We talk about growing up in Mexico, surviving New York City, and making the leap from photography to food.

Read more about what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

As a child in Addis Ababa, Hibist Legesse used to dread the impossibly large gurshas her grandmother would feed her. Years later, she came to understand just how much can be communicated in a single bite.

In this episode, I share a platter with Hibist Legesse, owner of Bati Ethiopian Kitchen in Brooklyn. We talk about her journey to the United States and the Ethiopian traditions — like gursha and mahaber — that have shaped her relationship to food, community, and caring for others.

Read more about what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

When Benyam Ethiopian Cuisine first opened in Harlem, people weren’t always sure whether they’d walked into a restaurant or an art gallery. And in some ways, that was exactly how owner Beniam Asfaw and his siblings wanted it.

In this episode, I sit down with owner Beniam Asfaw to talk about his journey to New York City, berbere basics, and how food, art, and atmosphere come together to create a place meant for lingering.

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

When Fares Zedeia left Palestine as a teenager, he believed he’d return. Instead, he had to watch from afar as his homeland was torn apart. For years, he searched for his place in the world — a search that eventually led him to a food cart on a New York City sidewalk.

In this episode, I sit down with Fares “Freddy” Zedeia, the King of Falafel and Shawarma himself. Over a platter of his signature falafel, juicy shawarma, and tender kebab, we talk about his journey from cab driver to king — and how food becomes identity and a way to survive when home is far away.

Read more about what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

When friends John Nguyen and Chef Nhu Ton first jumped into the restaurant world, they were in over their heads. Way over. Today, they run one of the hottest Vietnamese spots in New York City.

In this episode, I sit down with John and Nhu, the team behind Manhattan’s Bánh Anh Em. Over bánh mì and bún chả, we talk about their journey from hole-in-the-wall beginnings to the Michelin Guide — and the craftsmanship that transforms simple ingredients into unforgettable dishes.

See what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Additional editing by Christina Mitchell

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