Table 42: Recent Episodes
Foodable TV
Table42 is not your regular celebrity chef show, but instead it delivers behind the scenes of how the greatest restaurants in the world work. Consumers love affair with food and the innovation and ideas that this show brings out each and every episode deliver something special to both operators, foodies and consumers.
Topics: Fine Dining, Upscale Casual, Mixology, Craft Beer, Wine & Sprits, Local Source Food, and Food Bloggers
On this episode of Table 42, Paul Barron takes us to his hometown, Los Angeles. Amidst the hustle and the bustle of the city, you will find starving artists and celebrity actors– all looking for a little camera time. And there’s one place you can find it without an audition, you just need a reservation.
SUR, which stands for Sexy Unique Restaurant, is a high-end concept, known for its deliciously composed dishes and perfectly shaken drinks. The attractive waitstaff might look a bit familiar to you, too. That’s because SUR is also the set of the wildly popular reality Bravo TV show “Vanderpump Rules” and occasionally makes an appearance on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
In this episode of Table 42, we meet Co-Founder of At Your Service Hospitality Group, Evan Rosenberg, and Executive Chef Brad Warner at their new restaurant Shay and Ivy in New York City. We are exploring watermelon as it has become a year-round ingredient for many restaurants and their chefs. Executive Chef Warner is experienced with progressive American fare that pulls influences from all over the world to create truly approachable global flavor dishes at Shay and Ivy, and his culinary creations showcased in this episode are no different. Want to know more? Watch the full episode!
A tiny Beverly Hills eatery serving a creative menu to about two dozen guests is Chef Curtis Stone’s life-long dream. Its name, Maude, pays homage to his first culinary mentor — Curtis’ late paternal grandmother. Her influence can be seen throughout the restaurant fixtures and china used to serve food.
Since opening in 2014, Foodable Top 25 Restaurant Maude has been serving a 10-course seasonal tasting menu, focusing on one key rotating ingredient each month.
Foodable is back in the City of Brotherly Love and today we tell the story of High Street on Market. This restaurant ranks on our Philadelphia’s Top 25 Restaurants list, along with its sister concept, a.kitchen + a.bar. Together they are part of High Street Hospitality Group (HSHG) and our Table 42 host, Paul Barron, sat down with culinary director and semi-finalist for the James Beard Award for “Rising Star Chef” in 2015, Chef Jon Nodler.
High Street is unique and ambitious in the way they run their operations because it offers three different menus at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
“When we started, we set out to offer three unique meal periods.... While it has its little challenges, it’s great because we are able to hit a much broader audience,” says Chef Nodler, who got his culinary start at a cafe in Madison, Wis., that specialized in coffee and crepes while placing high importance on ingredients.
In this "Table 42" episode, Chef Nodler shows off his skills while demonstrating how to prepare his Angry Crab spaghetti, as well as a guest favorite, the Kennett Square mushrooms dish, which has been part of the menu since High Street on Market first opened.
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, chefs and co-owners of Border Grill, were inspired by authentic Latin flavors they first discovered in the kitchen of a French restaurant. During staff meals, the pair enjoyed Oaxacan and the Yucatecan home cooking prepared by their fellow cooks from Mexico.
After falling for the cuisine, they traveled to Mexico to get a comprehensive understanding of the flavors. They then brought that knowledge back to California and put their own spin on it to create the Latin-fusion restaurant Border Grill.
Toronto is arguably one of Canada’s top foodie cities. Having 10 Torontonian restaurants listed in our Top 25 list alone, it’s not hard to believe why restaurateurs place such importance on not only its food, but architecture and restaurant experience as a whole, to stay ahead in the competitive market.
That is the case for: Gusto 101— a five-year-old restaurant located in the heart of downtown Toronto, which serves up modern takes on Southern Italian cuisine. The casual eatery was born inside a repurposed garage, featuring concrete, metals and an overall industrial look to the space.
“The Gusto design... Janet has quite the eye for that... it did win international design awards…,” said Gusto 101’s Executive Chef, Elio Zennoni, who was referring to Janet Zuccarini, Gusto 101’s owner, and the Hospitality Design Award the restaurant and Munge Leung interior design firm won back in 2013 in the casual restaurant category.
The space also features a retractable glass roof for the rooftop dining area that was allows Gusto 101 to provide a patio experience to its guests year round, especially during the fall and winter months.
To complement the innovative restaurant design, Gusto 101 is equipped with a tech forward kitchen which Chef Zennoni, who has been cooking for over 20 years now, notes it is something that appealed to him from the beginning.
Watch the episode to learn more!
This year, Table 42 brought us innovative dishes, awe-inspiring plating, and truly authentic cuisines from a lineup of first-rate chefs. However, a select few stood out from the rest. Here are Foodable's "Best of" moments for Table 42 in 2016.
Keep an eye out for all of this year's "Best of" episodes to learn more about which industry professionals changed the game in 2016!
Philadelphia’s burgeoning food scene has attracted talent from some of the top culinary hot spots in the country. You simply have to walk around Center City to see the growth and the richness in choice and experience that have become available to the Philly foodie.
“The current food scene in Philadelphia — the best way to describe it — is flourishing,” Chef George Sabatino of Aldine Restaurant said.
In this “Table 42” vignette, we follow Philly native Sabatino, who opened Aldine Restaurant just two years ago, but the business has already made huge strides for being so young. (For one, this restaurant is No. 1 on Foodable’s Philadelphia Top 25.) Aldine’s kitchen reflects the cuisine and style that is entirely Sabatino’s own. What is his greatest culinary motivation and inspiration? To bring a local, farm-to-table cuisine with a passion for aesthetic and, of course, flavor that is uniquely Philadelphia.
As the food scene in Philly continues to boom, we decided to make our way to the City of Brotherly Love to visit one of Philadelphia’s Top 25 Restaurants. a.kitchen, located at AKA Rittenhouse Square, boasts an impressive wine program along with its Modern American cuisine.
Mike Fry, sous chef at the High Street Hospitality Group restaurant, talks to us about how a.kitchen makes the most out of its summer bounty.
In this Table 42 Vignette, Sous Chef Mike Fry demonstrated for us a.kitchen’s signature dish: a seared Long Island duck breast with mushroom ragu, baby summer squash, and a mushroom exodus sauce.
Dessert remains a favorite even for grownups. Roughly one-third of guests order dessert when dining out. So it’s safe to say that many consumers can’t resist a sweet after dinner treat, especially when it’s in a mini portioned dessert.
Like appetizers and entrees, desserts are (and have always been) often dependent on the seasons. More restaurants are determining their menu solely based on the ingredients in season. Fall favorites like pumpkin and apple have already started to appear all over menus.
A restaurant known for its cuisine that is “homemade, unpretentious, delectable, with an emphasis on great local ingredients” is Michael’s Genuine. This Miami gem is repeatedly on the Foodable Top 25 restaurants.
We decided to get in the kitchen with Maria Jose (MJ) Garcia, the executive pastry chef at Michael’s Genuine to find out what ingredients she enjoys to work with, fan-favorites at MG, and what advice she has for aspiring pastry chefs.
The Forge has been an icon in Miami since the 1930s, but with the introduction of new executive chef, Julia Doyne, the renowned American steakhouse is getting a new wave of attention.
Doyne has had a love affair with cooking ever since her mother taught her how to make the perfect chocolate chip cookies at age 5. Her first job was in New York with highly acclaimed Chef Marcus Samuelsson at Aquavit. There, she perfected the Swedish and Nordic techniques of pickling, curing, and smoking. Doyne went on to work for Michelin-starred Chef Christopher Lee as a line cook before working her way up to sous chef. When Chef Lee took the position as The Forge’s executive chef, Doyne jumped at the opportunity to be the chef de cuisine at the most legendary steakhouse. Last year, Doyne made another leap when she was appointed to executive chef of The Forge by owner Shareef Malnik.
On this episode of “Table 42,” see how the cuisine at The Forge merges the American steakhouse genre with modern techniques and flavors under Julia Doyne’s leadership. For example, Chef Julia’s General Tso’s Octopus is a new take on a classic, and Chef Doyne transforms the dish with ease.
District One Kitchen & Bar is not strictly a Vietnamese cuisine restaurant. Although the restaurant name refers to the district epicenter for entertainment and dining in Saigon (also known as Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest municipality), District One is known to be a melting pot of Asian flavors, including Vietnamese, Thailandese, Chinese, and Japanese.
“In the menu, we have everything from seafood to noodles to different variety of Southeast Asian-inspired dishes,” said Chef and owner Khai Vu. “A lot of it is Vietnamese-inspired because of our roots and where we’re from…”
However, District One’s founders wanted to create a menu that would not only reflect their heritage, but also showcase their experiences by combining flavors from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York.
Chef Vu attributes his entrepreneurial spirit to his father, who taught him how to be a successful businessman, but for his early fascination with food, Chef Vu blames his grandmother.
“From growing up and going to the farmer’s market every weekend with my grandma... every weekend, she would stop everything and make a big family meal,” said Chef Vu.
In this Table 42 Vignette, Chef Vu demonstrated for us their signature dish: Live Whole Maine Lobster Pho. They get them alive and then they poach them, “...we take them all apart, and then deshell them and put it back together” in order to make it easier for the guest to eat.
In this Table 42 Vignette, Chef and Co-owner of Downtown Toronto’s Richmond Station Carl Heinrich describes how Toronto and Richmond Station have grown as an important part of Canada’s food scene.
Heinrich and his business partner Ryan Donovan wanted a restaurant with a tavern feel – that wasn’t called a tavern. As they sat together one day in a tavern, marveling at the subway tile that surrounded them, an idea dawned. With some word association, the subway tile led them to subway station, which blossomed into the Richmond Station – a nose-to-tail, farm-to-table restaurant.
Social media has had a drastic impact on the restaurant industry, driving chefs and restaurateurs to find their value in how many Facebook likes they have and how many people are tweeting positive reviews.
That is not the case for Brian Massie, owner and executive chef of Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar, just 10 miles off the strip in southwestern Las Vegas.
The restaurant concept is open, based on a sushi bar (but swap out the sushi and replace it with rustic American). Guests can watch the chefs preparing the food and interact with them at the same time, which makes for an exciting concept. In addition, there are six or seven menu items that come right out of two huge wood burning stoves which sit in the middle of the dining room.
Comfort is what Hearthstone’s customers feel and it is what keeps them coming back.
Quince, with its contemporary, Californian cuisine and Chef Michael Tusk at the helm, has delighted patrons for more than a decade. Known for its high-quality experiences and equally high-quality ingredients, we visit this innovative, fine-dining restaurant to explore the idea of the shepherd-to-chef approach and whole-lamb integration into a menu in this episode of "Table 42."
The strong and personal relationship between chef and farmer is important when providing customers a consistent experience throughout the menu. At the Quince back of house, Paul Barron joins Chef Michael Tusk and local farmer Don Watson of Napa Valley Lamb to break down a whole carcass of American lamb.
Watch the full episode to learn more.
Before Tetsu Yahagi entered the culinary world, he didn’t know what to do with his future. Serendipitously, while in a bookstore one day on a family vacation, he stumbled upon Wolfgang Puck’s “Adventures in the Kitchen.”
“My dream, before I left the United States to go back to Japan, was to dine at one of Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants,” he said. “So, I asked my father if we could all dine at Spago. He made a reservation, and that’s where I first met Wolfgang. He signed the book that I bought.”
Now, Yahagi is the chef de cuisine at Spago Beverly Hills, working under Chef Lee Hefter, who Yahagi says is a great mentor.
In the five years Chicago’s GT Fish & Oyster has been open, they’ve sold roughly 1.5 million oysters. Of the concept, the restaurant’s chef and partner, Giuseppe Tentori, says it was, at first, a challenge. “Five years ago, there were not too many seafood restaurants — it was like fine dining or super casual.”
And while Chicago may be inland, Tentori says fish is being flown into the Windy City every day. “It’s beautiful, too. Sometimes they save the best fish for the big cities because we pay the prime price.”
Tentori went to culinary school in Milan, and, after working for four years, moved to Chicago to work for Chef Gabriel Viti. Tentori headed off to Utah for three years after that to open a restaurant called Metropolitan, then studied with Charlie Trotter for about nine years, and in 2007, he started working for the Chicago-based
Boka Restaurant Group, which owns GT Fish & Oyster.
“About 16 years ago, I was invited to go to Turkey for the first time and study with a couple of women there,” said James Beard Award-winning chef Ana Sortun. “When I tasted and saw the food in Turkey, it changed the course for everything. It’s become a real passion and study of mine.”
The trip ultimately led to the opening of Oleana, a
Top 25 restaurant in Cambridge, Mass., now in its 15th year, a clear indication of its long-standing success. “We cook Mediterranean food, but with a huge focus on Eastern Mediterranean, particularly Turkish.”
Known for its inventive cuisine, Oleana’s menu features dishes like octopus and potatoes bravas with smoked aioli and Turkish spices; Vermont quail kebob with Baharat spice, barberries, and pistachio; and duck with spring dug parsnips, walnut tabouleh, and smoked honey labne. But it seems Sortun is most excited right now about lamb. And spices.
In this “Table 42” episode, brought to you by American Lamb, Sortun takes us into the kitchen to prepare three dishes.
In this “Table 42” vignette, we join Cory Harwell, president at Simon Hospitality Group (SHG), to explore Carson Kitchen, a Foodable Top 25 restaurant in Las Vegas. Harwell is also co-founder of the group, which he started with the late Kerry Simon.
Harwell got his start in the industry at just 13 years old, and built his way up the ladder — from dishwashing to hosting to bartending to serving, and eventually opening and operating four restaurants under the SHG umbrella.
In this episode, John Courtney, the culinary director at Carson Kitchen, makes wild boar sloppy joe, a prime example of how Harwell intends to showcase unique ingredients in familiar ways.
Miami has become a hotbed for gastropubs. But unlike any other we have seen, Finka Table & Tap, a Miami Top 25 Restaurant, is known for its fusion of Korean, Cuban, and Peruvian cuisine. And also for its unusual location.
In this “Table 42” vignette, Andrade makes Korean fried chicken for us, which was brined for 24 hours beforehand. First, it’s tossed in cornstarch and then fried at 350-degrees. While waiting, a KFC sauce is made of sesame oil, fresh minced garlic, kimchi flakes, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, mustard and ketchup, and gochujang, a Korean red pepper paste. Once out of the fryer, douse the chicken all up in that sauce, and top with sesame seeds.
Chef Richard Hales has certainly made a name for himself. He’s at the helm of Miami-based Sakaya Kitchen as well as Midtown Chinese, also known as Blackbrick, a Foodable Top 25 restaurant that was named one of Bon Appetit’s “America’s Best New Restaurants” in 2014.
Part Italian, part Irish, and part Pacific Islander (Filipino), Hales’ background has played a huge role in his inspiration and influence in the culinary world. “My grandmother is Filipino,” he says. “So I grew up eating the flavors of Filipino food — vinegars, soy, chiles, the balanced flavor that you find typically in Asian food.”
Growing up in an American household, Hales was privy to both Asian cuisine and continental American cuisine. “Just combining those two cuisines growing up, it really shows in my food where it becomes playful, where I do American dishes that I grew up with and then I use an Asian, Korean, Chinese, Filipino pantry to create the dish.”
Seen for many months on top of the Foodable Top 25 Restaurants for Dallas, Lucia is not your typical Texan joint, whatever that means. But neither is its chef and co-owner, David Uyger, who started up the Italian restaurant with his wife five years ago.
In this “Table 42” vignette, Uyger takes us into the kitchen at Lucia, where he shows us how to make tagliatelle with mushrooms, boar pancetta, sage, and garlic. The pasta is made of egg yolks and pasta flour and prepared ahead of time so it can rest and hydrate all of the flour. From there, rice flour is added (“to keep from sticking to itself”), and the pasta is laminated. To make the dish, render some of the pancetta until color can be seen, then add mushrooms, turn heat to low, add garlic and then sage, and cook pasta in a rolling boil with salted water. A bit of lemon should be added for good measure before draining the pasta a little bit, and then add Parmigiano Reggiano.
Secluded on Brickell Key, a man-made island connected to Miami proper, you’ll find the Mandarin Oriental, a five-star luxury hotel with a sparkling view of the cityscape. Though the venue is outfitted with roughly 300 rooms and suites, its three dining options — La Mar by Gaston Acurio, Azul, and MO Bar+Lounge — are frequented by both locals and travelers alike.
In this “Table 42” vignette, we explore Azul, a Miami Top 25 Restaurant, with Chef de Cuisine Benjamin Murray. He describes the restaurant’s cuisine style as modern American with a heavy Asian-Japanese influence.
Foodable Top 25 restaurant Work & Class, located in Denver’s River North (RiNo) neighborhood on Larimer Street, is packaged differently than most concepts we’ve seen on “Table 42” thus far. For one, the Latin-American casual restaurant is adamant about “good food, no fuss,” and includes no bells and whistles. Its to-the-point nature is one of the first things you’ll notice on its website: “quality food, no fuss, no reservations, open at 4 p.m., closed Mondays.”
Just like the attributes of its pasta, Seattle’s Cascina Spinasse is where luxury and comfort converge. And like the ethos of most restaurants in the Pacific Northwest, making the most of local, seasonal ingredients is a no-brainer.
“We have a lot of farms and dairies here, and we try to use as much of that produce and the fish and all of our game,” says Stuart Lane, Spinasse’s executive chef. “That is probably one of the biggest similarities of this scene — everyone’s trying to be as local and as farm-driven as possible. It’s so common that it’s almost overlooked; it’s a no-brainer that we all do that.”
Spinasse is a nearly 8-year-old restaurant that specializes in traditional Northern Italian cuisine. And Chef Lane seems to be a perfect fit, given his background.
Let’s take things back to Brooklyn in the ‘90s for a second. The timestamp evokes visions of a raw, gritty borough filled with pockets of poverty. It represents rawness in all of its forms: an authentic, eclectic arts culture, a melting pot of diversity, and a time when Brooklyn was still the little sister on the block compared to “the” city, Manhattan. But during this time, before the cool, gentrified borough that we know BK as today, few people saw what Brooklyn was capable of, and embraced it early on. Michelin Starred chef Polo Dobkin is one of those people. And judging by the success of his restaurant Meadowsweet, which was awarded a Michelin Star in both 2015 and 2016, it was the right move.
In Arabic, Mamnoon translates to “thankful” or “grateful.” In Seattle, it’s an establishment in Melrose Square that explores the intersection of Lebanese, Syrian, and Persian cuisines, an ode to the heritage of co-owners Racha and Wassef Haroun.
“We’re in the middle of a really vibrant community,” says Jason Stratton,Mamnoon’s chef and general manager. “People come here for lunch everyday, and it’s really an expression of that we’re so grateful to be here, to be representing this ancient cuisine, thankful for our guests, thankful for each other, and thankful for the opportunity to really showcase a lesser known cuisine in this part of the world.”
It’s always been essential for chef-operators to find the right balance of showcasing their culinary capabilities without surpassing the comfort zones of guests. Of course, diners’ comfort zones continue to expand as more trust is invested into chefs, perhaps a byproduct of the profession’s glamorization by the media.
“People are excited [about] having something something spicy…something fermented, excited about experiencing different cultures and different cuisine,” says Rachel Yang, the chef and owner at restaurant Joule in Seattle.
In this “Table 42” episode, Yang takes viewers into the kitchen to whip up one of Joule’s colorful prized dishes: grilled wagyu tri-tip steak with pickled persimmon and charred treviso. “The bitterness of the treviso and the persimmon work really well with the meatiness of the steak,” notes the chef.
Ten hours. That’s the sweet spot for pastrami perfection at DGS Delicatessen, a modern Jewish cookery and a Foodable Top 25 restaurant in Washington, D.C.
DGS is not your typical deli. In fact, it’s so much more.
Watch the episode as we give viewers a closer look at the delicatessen that’s driving D.C. diners to come back for more.
Chef Tom Douglas is helping to evolve the sustainability movement in foodservice — at least in Seattle, where he owns more than 10 full-service restaurants.
His 13th, The Carlile Room, pays homage to the ’60s and ’70s. It’s hip, unique and, especially in a culinarily sustainable sense, much needed.
“Sustainability utilization is all part of the lexicon of today’s restaurants,” says Chef Tom.
The Carlile Room menu utilizes high-quality meats and Alaska Seafood to enhance its plant-based dishes.
In this episode of “Table 42,” brought to you by Alaska Seafood, host Paul Barron joins Chef Tom in the kitchen to explore some of the underused approaches to different types of Alaska seafood that him and his team are implementing at The Carlile Room. Halibut cheeks and wok-fried King Crab steal the show.
Watch the full episode as we explore the best in seafood, and to learn how Chef Tom has evolved as a sustainable-focused chef over the years.
There’s nothing like good ole barbecue in the south. That’s the premise behind Pecan Lodge in Dallas, where, according to its website, is “all smoke, no mirrors.” With some mesquite wood and a little oak, Pecan Lodge serves up smoked meats, handmade sausages, fried chicken, classic sides, and comfort dishes like The “Hot Mess,” which consists of jumbo sea salt-crusted sweet potato, South Texas barbacoa (shredded brisket with southwestern seasoning), chipotle cream, cheese, butter, and green onions.
Known for its deep-rooted history and community, Deep Ellum seemed like a perfect fit of a neighborhood for Pecan Lodge, says Justin Fourton, the restaurant’s co-owner and chef.
Fourton isn’t a chef or operator by trade, but it became his fate after his son was born, a milestone that ultimately led to a decision for Justin and his wife Diane to quit their corporate jobs, positions that required them to travel often.
Watch the full “Table 42” vignette above, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, to get a finger lickin’ taste of Top 25 restaurant Pecan Lodge and the made-from-scratch operations behind it.
Each guest at Jack Rose Dining Saloon starts with a cube of fried pork headcheese (alternative options are available for non-meat eaters). From there, it’s common to order a whiskey cocktail considering this D.C. joint, also a Foodable Top 25 restaurant, houses 2,300 different whiskeys. In fact, Jack Rose hosts the largest whiskey collection in the western hemisphere.
Because of this factoid, it was a vital mission for Executive Chef Russell Jones to make food that pairs well with the bar. Classically trained in French cuisine, Chef Russell fuses his background style with a southern slant, paying homage to his South Carolina roots.
The result? Menu items like rabbit atop a bed of marrow fat beans, ingredients he sources from an Amish farmer’s co-up in Pennsylvania. He also keeps up with the classics of bar food with a more chef-driven twist, like the sweet yet mildly spicy smoked whiskey wings. Like many chefs these days, Chef Russell, with previous ties to Restaurant Eve, puts a lot of emphasis on simplicity and high-quality products.
In this vignette, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we bring viewers into Jack Rose Dining Saloon to explore all of the above, and more. Bottoms up!
“We can’t make Parmesan, but if we could we would,” says Chef Chris Leahy of Parm in New York City.
With four outposts in New York, including one in Yankee Stadium, Parm has been a hit to locals and to visiting diners with a hankering for Italian-American food since 2011. “We always put a unique spin on our cuisine, so it’s not 100 percent Italian food; it’s more of an Italian-American take on the food,” says Chef Leahy.
Parm’s menu is made up of dishes using the freshest ingredients possible (bread is delivered twice a day), and the team makes all house-made ingredients — from pastas to mozzarella — on a daily basis. Mozzarella is made in-house twice a day.
In this “Table 42” vignette, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we join Chef Leahy in Parm’s Battery Park location, where he shows us how to make Parm’s famous chicken parm sandwich (and we learn of a secret ingredient to help seal in flavors). Parm sells roughly 200 of these sandwiches to diners every single day of the week. He also gives us the lowdown on The Ozersky sandwich, a tribute to the late, great NYC-based food writer and enthusiast, Josh Ozersky. A roast beef aficionado, The Ozersky is fittingly made up of Parm’s house roast beef, mozzarella, and pepperoncini.
In a city where cutthroat competition can be found on just about every other block, filled with a melting pot of honest consumers — some of which have grown up in authentic Italian households themselves — how does Parm keep itself above the water? What does Leahy attribute to its success, and what inspires him to cook? And what does the chef want diners to take away from their Parm experience? Check out the full episode above to find out!
“Table 42” is a Foodable Network WebTV show that brings viewers inside high-end restaurants around the country that are redefining their respective markets and beyond. Each chef, each dish, and each venue has a story to tell unlike the last. Giving our audience a front-row seat into the goings on of culinary creation, “Table 42,” hosted by Foodable Founder/CEO and Executive Producer Paul Barron, is filled with valuable knowledge for chefs and operators, with top-line executive chefs giving us access into their kitchens.
In this 2015 compilation of “Table 42” footage, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we’re bringing you back into some of the best establishments we had the pleasure of filming at this year — from Peasant in New York City, an Old World, Tuscan-style restaurant helmed by Chef DeCarlo (fun fact: it’s Marc Forgione’s favorite restaurant to eat at when he’s not working), to Counter 3. Five. VII in Austin, a restaurant built on a non-traditional, no-waitstaff model. Watch the full episode to learn more.
As most successful entrepreneurs do, Chef David Kuo found a need for something in a certain market at a certain time, and decided to create it himself. And so Status Kuo, a neighborhood rotisserie concept serving up tasty yet healthy food, was born. But like most entrepreneurial stories go, Kuo experienced failure before he found success.
In this episode of “Table 42,” brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron explores the ins and outs of LA-based Status Kuo, which aims to serve families on the go in an up-and-coming neighborhood. Kuo’s menu brings together a marriage of comfort food — dishes that people are familiar with — and local, sustainable ingredients that are sourced from nearby vendors. And with a farmers market down the street, keeping up with the fare is fairly easy. Watch the full episode as we join Chef David Kuo in the kitchen to make Taiwanese Sunday Gravy and learn what inspired the dish, to understand Status Kuo’s sourcing methods, and to learn how he turned a “failure” into a hit.
Some of the best restaurant concepts are difficult to define. The Blind Butcher, located in East Dallas’ Lower Greenville Avenue neighborhood, is an eclectic mix of high-quality meats and ingredients, craft beers and good vibes. Its pub-like venue is high-end yet unpretentious. In a way, Blind Butcher is a comfortably adventurous culinary experience specializing in cured meats and an assortment of seasonal, local fare, from crispy pig ears to duck poutine to house-made pickles and pastrami egg rolls.
In this “Table 42” vignette, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we are joined by Oliver Sitrin, one of Blind Butcher’s five co-creators. Watch the full episode as Sitrin tells us his personal philosophy on food and why the team chose the location they did, and shows us how to make the Blind Butcher’s meat and cheese board, featuring a meat lover’s dream: pastrami and portobello mushroom pastrami, duck bacon, Texas wagyu eye-of-round beef tartare, beet-pickled quail Texas egg, house-made potato chips, crispy capers, house-made butcher’s mustard, Scotch egg, bacon bratwurst, headcheese with pickled carrot, scrapple, tomato jam, carrot-and-celery chutney, beet and goat cheese terrine, pickled green beans, carrots, pickled garlic, radishes, house-made ricotta, local honey, blind cow, candied Texas pecans, lavash, and crostinis (exhale!).
What happens when two culinary worlds collide on the same plate?
Located in Washington, D.C.’s Adams Morgan neighborhood, Mintwood Place gives nod to both French and American cuisine, with an emphasis on local ingredients throughout the Chesapeake Bay area. With ties to both countries, French-born Cedric Maupillier, Mintwood’s executive chef, seems like the ideal fit.
In this “Table 42” vignette, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, Chef Cedric takes us into his kitchen, complete with a wood-burning oven, to show us the magic behind this French-American marriage. Watch the full episode to learn why Chef Cedric’s first cooking experience was a forced one, how he landed in Washington, D.C., and more.
Not all Mexican restaurants come with bells and whistles — brightly colored walls, perhaps an occasional sombrero or two. Cosme is delightfully understated in design, enhancing the drama of the main art, the food.
Located in New York’s Flatiron District, Cosme has joined the ranks of the “who’s who” crowd, but not based on hype alone. The restaurant is a recurring Foodable Top 25 ranker and was recently chosen as “Restaurant of the Year” in Eater’s 2015 Eater Awards for New York City. Cosme is run by a group of twenty-somethings, proving age is just a number.
In this “Table 42” Vignette, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, Cosme’s chef de cuisine, Daniela Soto-Innes, talks about growing up in Mexico City, gives us a deeper understanding of Cosme’s ingredients and ingredient sourcing, and whips up some Lobster Esquites. Watch the full episode above!
With restaurants shuttering every month, it’s amazing to find gems that have stayed on top of the game for more than a decade. In Dallas, Kent Rathbun’s Abacus, a Foodable Top 25 Restaurant, has been open for 17 years. Count it.
“I knew that we could create the food and the ambiance, it was whether Dallas was ready for a restaurant like this,” he says.
In this “Table 42” vignette, the four-time James Beard Award-nominated Rathbun brings us into his kitchen and shows us how he whips up a few of his favorite things: mustard-crusted lamb and leek hashbrowns. Watch as the world-renowned chef tells us what inspired him to get into the biz, and what he hopes diners take away from the Dallas dining scene and, more specifically, Abacus.
Before opening his first restaurant, Graffiato, Mike Isabella was whipping up Greek dishes, and began craving something different. Washington, D.C.-based Graffiato leans on Italian inspiration with a menu that changes seasonally. In this “Table 42” vignette, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, Isabella invites us into his kitchen, where he shows us how to prepare two of Graffiato’s signature dishes, and tells us his story, including what inspired him to cook, and what he’s got up his (tattooed) sleeve for the near future (read: a lot).
Nestled in LA’s Manhattan Beach neighborhood lives Foodable Top 25 restaurant Love & Salt. Helmed by Guy and Sylvie Gabriele with Chef Michael Fiorelli, this beachside community venue brings two flavors to each dish — Italian and Californian.
In this episode of “Table 42,” brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we take a firsthand look at the menu and learn how Chef Fiorelli is bringing decadent ingredients to the forefront in approachable ways. With a nearby garden, Love & Salt boasts a vegetable-driven menu that is developed with the loyal community in mind. Watch the full episode to learn more about what drives Love & Salt.
On this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron brings viewers into longstanding D.C. restaurant Iron Gate, also a frontrunner on Foodable's Top 25 Restaurants list.
Helmed by Executive Chef/Partner Anthony “Tony” Chittum, Iron Gate, known for its historical charm — the main dining area used to be a horse stable — offers Italian and Greek small plates, putting a hyper-seasonal spin on Mediterranean fare.
Watch the full episode to see which three dishes Chef Anthony whips up for us in the kitchen, and score a firsthand look as GM Jon Barry takes us into the three spaces that make up Iron Gate: a corridor-style bar, a fine dining tasting room, and a hidden garden patio, each lending a completely different experience.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we are on Austin’s buzzing Congress Ave. at Counter 3. Five VII. The restaurant, which most recently ranked No. 9 on Foodable’s Top 25: Austin, has a unique format, where chefs replace service staff and directly serve guests themselves. The space is filled with counter seating surrounded by an open kitchen, as well as a bar (with a wine bar feel), and banquettes.
At the helm of this operation is Lawrence Kocurek, Executive Chef and Partner. In this episode, Chef Lawrence takes us BOH and FOH, and tells us about the origination of his lightbulb idea, the perks of cutting out service staff, and the thought behind the design. To top it off, Chef Lawrence takes us into the kitchen to whip up three of his favorite dishes for us. Foie gras pâté? Braised octopus? Salt cured sardines? We’ve got you covered!
Nestled in the heart of New York City’s Little Italy neighborhood is Peasant, a Foodable Top 25 favorite, run by Chef Frank DeCarlo. Unlike many restaurant Executive Chef/Owners, Chef DeCarlo actually cooks in the line, helping with prep. On this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we get in the kitchen with Chef DeCarlo, who typically aims for concise, 3-ingredient dishes. Watch the full episode to explore all that Peasant has to offer (including its incredible open kitchen with brick wood-burning stove).
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, Paul Barron will lead you down Tavern Road in Boston. It’s a young business that is surprisingly successful, with its second birthday at the end of March. The way Tavern Road functions is a unique concept in itself: by day, it is a fast casual, but at night, it becomes a full-service establishment. The brains behind this self-proclaimed “high energy modern restaurant and bar?”
Meet the brother team, chef and co-owner Louis DiBiccari and operator and co-owner Michael DiBiccari, whose duality mimics the restaurant’s night-and-day difference. Louis creates rich flavors at the back-of-the-house to give guests a tasteful experience like no other, while Michael creates multi-layer designs at the front-of-the-house to give guests a visual experience that can’t be replicated elsewhere. Watch the full episode to see how together they create Tavern Road’s great service that keeps people running back.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, Paul Barron finds out why SUSHISAMBA is on a roll — and it’s not just because they serve sushi. This beautifully decorated and welcoming Miami restaurant is home to the unique blend of three cultures fusing together to create a one of a kind dining and sit-down experience. Japanese, Peruvian and Brazilian flavors tantalize the tastebuds, and the music tantalize the earbuds.
From sawagani to anticuchos, watch the full episode to learn about how this restaurant caters to those who want to go global with one plate.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we visit Miami's The Dutch, an elegant restaurant with a seasonally focused menu. Host Paul Barron speaks with the Chef de Cuisine Conor Hanlon about how to find that healthy balance of giving the guests dishes they want, while cooking dishes the chef is passionate about.
Watch the full episode to learn more about how the restaurant caters to the diverse Miami demographic and to get a visual bite of some of the beautiful presentations of the signature dishes– including the Smoked Pork Chop paired with sauerkraut, roast apples, and mustard jus.
This episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, is a very special episode. 2014 has been an amazing year: we've traveled the country and met with some of the best of the best in fine dining, enjoyed some amazing food, and met some brilliant, cutting-edge chefs! Join us as we revisit all of this year's most memorable moments on Table 42: Best of 2014.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we visit Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails in Jacksonville, FL. We speak to the Executive Chef and Owner of the restaurant, Tom Gray about how he created the unique menu, interior design, and lighting.
Watch the full episode to see how the chef prepares the customer favorite dish that features a pressure cooked octopus and the restaurant's sweet and tangy take on chicken and waffles.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we visit NOLA's Root. Host, Paul Barron talks to Executive Chef Phillip L. Lopez as he prepares creative and distinctive dishes you won't see anywhere else, including their out of this world take on Foie gras.
Watch the full episode to see what inspired Root's menu of playful textures and the unique presentation of the dishes in cigar boxes.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we visit San Francisco's Bar Agricole, which means "farm bar." This restaurant keeps things fresh with a seasonally focused menu that changes daily. Chef Melissa Reitz prepares some of the dishes and explains her inspiration for the menu.
Watch the full episode to see how the restaurant's atmosphere matches the simple yet elegant dishes.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we visit Mopho, a restaurant known for creatively fusing Vietnamese and Louisiana cuisine. We give you a visual taste of the uniquely constructed menu, as the Executive Chef and Partner Michael Gulotta prepares some of the restaurant's authentic dishes.
Watch the full episode to see how Mopho found that perfect balance between catering to locals tastes, while introducing new and exciting ingredients.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we bring you to the Italian restaurant Casa D' Angelo in South Florida. Paul talks with the Chef and owner, Angelo Elia, as he discusses the beauty of pairing the right dishes with the right wine.
Watch the full episode to see how the head chef, Angelo Massanova prepares some of their signature Tuscany inspired entrees, with a focus on fresh and seasonable ingredients.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we visited the restaurant and bar known as The Social Club at the Surfcomber Hotel in Miami Beach. Chef Blair Wilson gives us a visual taste of a few of his traditional dishes, but with a Miami twist, featuring some unique flavors from the avocado gazpacho, tamarind-chile glaze and kaffir aioli. Meanwhile, the bartender Chad Phillips prepares the perfect drink to complement the flavors from the dishes.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Net, we visit Wynwood Kitchen & Bar. Located right in the heart of Miam's Art District, Wynwood Kitchen & Bar reflects the area around it. Chef Miguel Aguilar fuses a variety of flavors: Peruvian, Venezuelan and American, all blended together to reflect the cultural epicenter that is Miami. And like the Wynwood Walls surrounding the restaurant, each dish itself a piece of art.
Check out the full episode and get a taste of what Miami has to offer.
We’re rocking out in Chicago at The Bristol on this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network. Owner and Executive Chef Chris Pandel invites us into his kitchen, and Phillip Walters and John Ross, both Owners/Partners of The Bristol, take us to the front-of-house.
Watch the full episode as we get a taste of the Chef’s talents, background and vision, and as we explore the strategic thinking behind The Bristol’s design aesthetic and what brings it all together.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we visit the highly acclaimed Sinatra in the Wynn Las Vegas. Executive Chef Theo Shoenegger — who got his start in Italy — joins us as we get a firsthand look at all that Sinatra has to offer.
Watch the full episode to get a behind-the-scenes look at Chef Theo working his magic in the Sinatra kitchen while giving us some cooking tips, as well as a private tour of the FOH.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we are in Phoenix at Beckett’s Table with Chef Justin Beckett. Chef Justin takes us into his kitchen to whip up some of his favorite dishes on the menu — all of which include housemade, upgraded ingredients to round out comfort dishes, including a Build-Your-Own-S’mores dessert, complete with chocolate-battered bacon, a peanut butter mousse, and caramel glaze.
Watch the full episode as Chef Justin explains how to ensure a 4 to 5-star dining experience at a less expensive price tag, and to experience all Beckett's Table has to offer.
In this episode of Table 42, we are in Las Vegas checking out Foodable Top 25 favorite Honey Salt. Owner and Executive Chef Kim Canteenwalla and Executive Chef Joseph Zanelli take us into the kitchen and whip up a few of their favorite dishes, including a playful chicken curry dish inspired by the owner’s mother, and a best-selling Spanish-style octopus dish.
In the FOH, GM Stephen Jerome explains the difference between a good restaurant and a great one, and what Honey Salt is doing differently to provide a stellar guest experience.
Tongue & Cheek has become a Miami Beach staple for both locals and tourists. Housed just one block from the beach, the 80-seat restaurant offers a casual, fun vibe with fine dining food.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, Tongue & Cheek Executive Chef Jamie DeRosa shows us the BOH and FOH, gives us some tips in the kitchen while whipping up some flavorful dishes, and retraces his culinary journey — from working with Wolfgang Puck in L.A. to opening his own spot in Miami.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we visit Los Angeles Foodable Top 25 favorite Culina. Executive Chef Mette Williams welcomes us into her kitchen, where we discuss how her culinary excursion started, and what the most important thing is, in her opinion, for diners to take away from their Culina experience.
Watch the full episode as Chef Mette makes some of her favorite menu dishes for us, with a highlight on seasonal ingredients, and as we explore the FOH with GM Joseph Ramaglia.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we head to Area 31 in Miami. Executive Chef Wolfgang Birk and Head Bartender Dean Feddaoui walk us through some beautiful pairings that include a hearty braised octopus dish with a beer cocktail, and a complex artichoke puree dish paired with a palate-cleansing cocktail, among others.
Watch the full episode as the two balance out each other’s creations, and to get a glimpse of the venue’s view and FOH, which are just as gorgeous as the dishes themselves.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we’re indulging at the Ritz-Carlton Miami Beach’s Dilido Beach Club. In the kitchen, Chef Andres Meraz walks us through some of his favorite dishes, most of which he infuses with a Latin and Mexican twist.
From the menu’s well-thought-out ingredients and beautiful presentation to the venue’s relaxing beachside view and ambiance, the Ritz-Carlton is bringing both flavor and luxury to the beach.
Brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, this episode of Table 42 is all about the hog. Host Paul Barron heads to 50 Eggs concept Swine Southern Table & Bar in Miami, a restaurant that goes through about 200 pounds of brisket and 80-100 pounds of ribs each day.
Watch the full episode as we get in the kitchen with Executive Chef Phil Bryant, and talk about the concept and scalability with Restaurateur John Kunkel before we dig in to some finger lickin’ fare.
This episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, is a very special episode. 2013 has been an amazing year: we've traveled the country and met with some of the best of the best in fine dining; enjoyed some amazing food; and met some brilliant, cutting edge chefs!
Join us as we revisit all of this year's most memorable moments on Table 42: Best of 2013.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we take a trip to San Francisco to check out Boxing Room. Executive Chef Justin Simoneaux, originally from Louisiana, shows us how he brings his hometown flavor to the Bay Area. Traditional dishes like gumbo and jambalaya while also melding Northern California flavor with local produce and sourcing help him tell his story.
Watch the full episode as Chef Justin shows us three of his favorite dishes and how design has played into the overall Boxing Room experience.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we visit the beautiful Elements in Scottsdale, AZ. Executive Chef Beau MacMillan, an Iron Chef America Winner, takes us into the kitchen to prepare some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes and to talk menu selection. The restaurant, complete with an intimate chef’s table and classic-meets-innovative menu, has been going strong since 2001.
Watch the full episode as we get in the kitchen with Chef Beau and pick his brain about the complete Elements experience.
In this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we explore New York City’s Alder. In the kitchen, host Paul Barron gets a firsthand look at the restaurant’s new fall dishes. Executive Chef Jon Bignelli describes the owner Wylie Dufresne's approach to cuisine as taking the familiar and infusing dishes with interesting techniques and flavor profiles.
In the front of the house, Siobhan Lowe, Alder’s GM, talks design and how everything connects to the concept.
On this episode of Table 42, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we explore Yardbird Southern Kitchen and Bar, a 50 Eggs concept that has become a staple in the Miami dining scene.
Chef Clayton Miller takes us into the kitchen to show us some of the restaurant's hottest dishes and reveals that Yardbird goes through about 500 lbs of chicken four times a week (on a slow week!). In the front of the house, Owner John Kunkel talks design, Yardbird's Bourbon Bar, and what the restaurant's challenges have been along the way.
In this episode of Table 42, Foodable WebTV Network and Paul Barron visit Phoenix and explore Herb Box, a quaint, bright space where guests are urged to stay awhile and relax.
Chef Becky takes us into the kitchen to show us how she prepares some of the venue’s dishes, which are described as healthy and produce-forward. The vegetable heavy menu balances perfectly with the Herb Box’s locally sourced proteins.
Chambers in San Francisco is not your average restaurant. It’s got a groovy, sexy rock n’roll vibe with 10,000 vinyls lining the wall, and the food & drink are just as unique. Watch the full episode as Executive Chef Trevor Ogden invites us into the kitchen to explore how he’s taking California cuisine up a few notches (read: they smoke their own bacon and one of the dishes is served on a volcanic stone).
Not hungry? We also catch up with mixologist Richard Woodruff, who serves us some of his best creations.
Local. Simple. Honest. That's the motto behind Boca Kitchen Bar and Market. Using only organic and locally sourced products - nothing from over 200 miles away - the quaint restaurant is known for its healthy eats and constantly changing menu.
Join Paul as he goes behind the scenes with chef Ted Dorcy to whip of some of Boca Kitchen Bar and Market's signature dishes.
Innovation in Miami is exploding on the food scene with rock star chefs like The young rock star Giorgio Rapicavoli who opened the pop-up restuarant Eating House in February 2012 and found it to be an instant success.
He's also Miami's first winner of Food Network's "Chopped" and has made repeated appreances on Slow Food's "Terra Madre" in Italy, where he's worked alongside Alice Waters and Joshua Viertel. Foodabletv.com produces restaurant industry segments designed for both operator and foodie with a mix of style, education and food discovery only found in the restaurant business. With industry veteran and innovator Paul Barron @paulbarron
You are invited to join Paul Barron, as he explores The Federal in Miami. This modern American food tavern brings to the table classic comfort foods with their own unique twist.
Go into the kitchen with head chef Cesar Zapata and see this twist in action with his Buffalo Pork Wings and deconstructed Thanksgiving dinner!
Join Paul in San Francisco at the historic Comstock Saloon. Built in 1907, Comstock Saloon maintains a strong Northern Californian tradition rooted in classic cocktails and a menu that reflects the era.
Grub Slinger Carlo Espinas discusses Comstock's local sourcing initiative and Comstock's philosophy behind the neighborhood watering hole.
Innovation is found in places where few might look. Eve, located in Alexandria, VA, is a hidden gem with a unique flair of menu and style. Focusing on sourcing local ingredients whenever possible, Eve's culinary inspiration stems from available seasonal ingredients complemented with fun and familiarity.
Eve is a two-concept establishment - part upscale casual bistro and part Chef's tasting room in a formal dining area, with all dishes coming from the same kitchen. Watch the full episode as Paul finds out what makes Eve so special.
Table 42 is all about finding the most innovative restaurants that offer unique dining expriences. Enter PB Steak, the Miami South Beach steakhouse serving up classics like bacon and egg - with a twist. Join Paul as he gets a sneak peak at how they make one of their signature dishes: Homemade Bacon Confit made from porkbelly marinated for nearly two days and then smoked for a total of six hours.
If your mouth isn't watering just reading this, it will be once you see how it's made!
The Windy City is home to some of the nation's finest restaurants, including TWO: a farm-to-fork concept with a butcher-house feel. Because TWO only uses locally sourced, seasonal ingredients the menu is never the same.
Join Paul and Chef Tom Van Lente as they explore some of TWO's most popular seasonal dishes.