This Is TASTE

Today we’re doing something a little different—a special episode all about writing romantic fiction, featuring two food people: Eliza Dumais and Julia Turshen. Eliza is a wine writer based in New York, and Julia is a cookbook author and part-time farmer in the Hudson Valley, and they’re both authors of new romance books from 831 Stories: Grape Juice, set amid a sweaty summer wine harvest in France, and Down to Earth, a queer love story with a highly crushable vegetable farmer in upstate New York. On the show, Aliza speaks with Eliza and Julia about the parallels between writing about food and romance and much more.

Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠   

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is really special: a deep eating, drinking, and food culture tour of Colorado, a state that has been quietly (and then not so quietly) building one of the most exciting culinary scenes in America. From Denver’s Michelin-starred restaurant boom to the peach orchards and wine country of the Grand Valley, we went to find out why Colorado is a serious food destination—and came back convinced.

First up, we sit down with Johnny Curiel, the Guadalajara-born, Denver-raised chef and 2025 James Beard Award finalist behind the Michelin-starred Alma Fonda Fina and the newly opened Milpero. Johnny’s story—from learning to cook in his father’s kitchen in Jalisco to redefining modern Mexican cuisine in the Rockies—is one we’re excited to tell.

Next we hit Five Points and RiNo with Laura Young, Denver food writer and founder of New Denizen. Laura takes us on an epic crawl of the spots defining the new Denver dining moment: Cuban pastry, specialty coffee, and an amazing Japanese-inspired all-day café.

We then head west to the Grand Valley for a conversation with chef Matthew Chasseur of Pêche in Palisade—a restaurant built on the region’s extraordinary agricultural bounty, from Palisade peaches to Colorado lamb, proving that world-class dining doesn’t require an urban zip code.

Throughout the episode, we share highlights from our wider Colorado eating adventures—the restaurants, markets, and producers that made this trip one for the books.

Check out a ⁠Google Map⁠ to see all of the places we visit, and save for your own visit.

Thank you to Visit Colorado for supporting this episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

El Califa de León is a family-run Mexico City taqueria that’s been in business for over half a century. It was opened by butcher Juan Hernández González in 1968, who created the now-legendary gaonera tenderloin taco. In 2024, it became the first-ever taqueria to receive a Michelin star, sparking a global surge of recognition that has paved the way for expansion outside of Mexico, led by the new generation. Today on the show, José Andrés Hernández stopped by the studio to talk about being the CEO of El Califa de León’s US-based operating company Authentic Taco Holdings and bringing the family business to New York City and beyond. 

Also on the show, Clayton jumps in with Matt for Three Things to discuss what’s exciting us in the world of food and culture. We discuss: An exciting new restaurant is opening in the Hudson Valley, Andiamo, from chef Ciarán McGoldrick. Also: It’s Colson Whitehead season and we re-read the incredible Sag Harbor, with a shoutout to Bellvale Farms ice cream. Lastly, check out our recent episode traveling with Whole Foods buyers to Spain. It’s a good one.

Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The anonymous British chef behind @RateMyChives has spent years judging the knife skills of home cooks and professional chefs alike—and amassed 107,000 followers doing it, including some of the biggest names in the business. In his first-ever podcast interview, we finally get the man on the record. We talk about how a forgotten Instagram handle became a cult institution, what a properly cut chive actually looks like, what it reveals about a cook’s character, and why he’s still not telling us who he is.

Also on the show, Clayton jumps in with Matt for Three Things to discuss what’s exciting us in the world of food and culture. We discuss: Our recent trip to Spain with Whole Foods buyers (there’s an episode), visiting Saga in lower Manhattan, coffee from Kafiex in Vancouver, Washington and Olive in Queens. Also: Eddie Huang’s novel Come Undone is a new level for the chef's writing career, and checking in on Cassandra at the Wedding.

Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠   

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Ashanté M. Reese is a writer, anthropologist, and associate professor of African and African diaspora studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Her new book, Gather, looks at expansive forms of nourishment, care, and Black food through four kinds of gatherings: gardens, family reunions, repasts, and protests. Today on the show, Ashanté shares about the years of conversations and reporting that built this book, including which family reunion had the best food. 

Also on the show, Matt has a great conversation with Alana Kysar, author of Aloha Veggies: Veg-Forward Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of Hawai’i.

Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠   

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this very special episode, we traveled to Ondarroa, a fishing port in the Basque Country of northern Spain, and followed a team of Whole Foods Market buyers and sourcing experts to find out how they interact with partners at the source—in this case, the legendary Spanish tinned seafood producer Ortiz. Joining us was AnaMaria Friede, who oversees grocery merchandising strategy and has spent two decades helping to advance Whole Foods Quality Standards. Category Merchant Julia Merid lives inside the canned seafood aisle and works directly with producers on everything from the fish itself to the packaging to how the story gets told. And Carrie Brownstein has spent 25 years researching and writing the actual standards that govern what Whole Foods can and can’t sell—she’s the person who established what “sustainable wild-caught” actually means and what it doesn’t. At the center of it all: Conservas Ortiz, a fifth-generation, family-owned company working the Basque coast since 1891.

Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠   

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alan Delgado is the chef-owner of Los Burritos Juarez, a norteño-style burrito restaurant in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood. After an impressive career of working in restaurants in Austin, Texas and New York City, he began making flour tortillas in his apartment and operating a small burrito pop-up out the window. Los Burritos Juarez was born. Nine months ago, a brick-and-mortar followed along with widespread popularity and acclaim. Today on the show, Alan looks back on how he perfected the tortillas, the challenges of becoming an owner-operator, and some new projects ahead. 

And it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt discuss what’s interesting in the food world, including a return to Lei in New York’s Chinatown and a reminder that Ariari is one of NYC’s best Korean restaurants. Also: Stops at Masa Madre Artisanal Bakery for exceptional sourdough conchas and Noodle Village for wonton soup. Lastly, tastes of the new Slice dirty sodas and Amo coffee. Wild stuff. 

Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠   

00:00:29 – Aliza Intro: Alan Delgado & Los Burritos Juarez
00:01:07 – Three Things Returns (Matt & Aliza)
00:01:23 – Aliza’s #1: Lei Wine Bar & Peak Summer Seating
00:03:37 – Matt’s #1: Ari Ari & Modern Korean in NYC
00:06:12 – Aliza’s #2: Massa Madre & the Perfect Concha
00:08:00 – Matt’s #2: Slice Dirty Soda & the Dirty Soda Trend
00:10:02 – Aliza’s #3: Noodle Village & Chinatown Comforts
00:11:16 – Matt’s #3: Amo Coffee & WWE Meets Co‑Fermented Coffee
00:13:09 – Bonus: Double‑Decker Bus Tourism as a Local
00:15:09 – Main Interview Begins: Early Food Memories & Coffee
00:18:38 – Cooking in Austin, Comedor & Returning to Mexican Food
00:19:58 – Moving to New York in 2020 & Pandemic Timing
00:22:30 – Homesick in NYC: Window Burrito Pop‑Up Origins
00:23:53 – Perfecting the El Paso–Juarez Flour Tortilla
00:25:32 – Juarez‑Style Burritos: Fillings, Bean & Cheese Philosophy
00:27:47 – Salsas, Heat Levels & Keeping It Classic
00:28:50 – Small Menu, Tight Team & Stepping Back as Owner
00:30:19 – NYT One Star, Staff Pride & Managing the Line
00:33:28 – Maximizing a Tiny Space: Catering, Delivery & Taco Boxes
00:36:32 – Rethinking Ownership: Sharing the Pie & Profit‑Share
00:37:40 – Wholesale Partnerships: Coffee Shops, Bars & Prima
00:41:57 – New Dumbo Mexican Restaurant with Ivy Mix & Team
00:44:37 – Chinatown Bar‑Taqueria: Pork, Barbacoa & Classic Drinks
00:46:07 – Fort Greene Recs: Romans, Sailor & Local Steam Table
00:48:29 – Rapid Fire: Burritos, Taquerias, Ice Cream & Matilda Cake
00:52:34 – Credits & Taste Sign‑Off

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is such a wildly fun conversion with David Lebovitz. We love his Substack, and his many books, including the recently released The Great Book of Chocolate. We go over so many fun, and a few controversial, topics in this live recording from Rizzoli Bookstore in New York City.  

Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Colameco has been inside more New York kitchens than almost anyone alive. A CIA-trained chef who cooked at Windows on the World, the Four Seasons, and the Ritz-Carlton, he spent 20 seasons as the host and producer of Mike Colameco’s Real Food on PBS—a documentary-style show that interviewed chefs in their actual restaurants, long before food TV became a genre. He talks about the golden era of New York dining, the economics of building independent food media, and what he sees when he looks at the city’s restaurant landscape today. We are such big fans of Mike’s work, and, dare we say it, he’s a living legend. This is such a fun conversation.

And before that it’s the return of Three Things and a special Philadelphia edition. Aliza and Matt each visited recently and have some great food discoveries to share including visits to: Vetri Cucina, Middle Child, Pizzeria Beddia, Càphê Roasters, Manna Bakery, Supérette, Sao, and Binding Agents. Also: a stop at Papa's Tomato Pies on the way back to New York.    

Check out Mike’s incredible YouTube channel featuring unearthed episodes from the past thirty years.

Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠   

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shirley Chung is the Beijing-born chef who went from Silicon Valley to working in kitchens for Thomas Keller, Guy Savoy, and José Andrés—then found national fame as a two-time Top Chef finalist and became the “Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles.” In 2024, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer. She refused surgery, closed her restaurant, moved to Chicago for treatment, and came out on the other side: in remission, with a $100,000 competition win under her belt and a new Chinese restaurant in Dallas, Night Rooster. We’ve always admired Shirley’s work, on and off camera, and this conversation covers her incredible career and her singular voice in the restaurant world.

Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices