This Is TASTE Aliza Abarbanel & Matt Rodbard

Aaron Lindell is the chef and co-owner of Quarter Sheets, the wildly popular Los Angeles restaurant he runs with his wife, Hannah Ziskin. Now, listen, you’ve probably read about Quarter Sheets. You may have even had Hannah’s iconic princess cake. But this is a conversation about Aaron’s pizza. It’s…amazing. And it has a great backstory. On this episode we hear about Aaron’s wild career as a private chef for NBA stars and tech icons, and how the pandemic led to his amazing pop-up and restaurant. It’s such a great talk, and I hope you enjoy it.

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MORE FROM AARON LINDELL:This Is TASTE 152: Hannah Ziskin [TASTE]One of L.A.’s Best Pizzerias is Finally Taking Reservations [Time Out]How Quarter Sheets Conquered LA, One Pan Pizza and Slab Cake at a Time [Eater]

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Celina Baljeet Basra is the Berlin based author of Happy, a sweet and surreal postmodern novel released last year. It follows a young man named Happy from his family cabbage farm in Punjab to his clandestine journey to Europe, and the service jobs he works along the way. I’ve never read a book quite like Happy and it's so fun to have Celina on the show to talk about unconventional food writing, her favorite restaurants in Berlin, and more. 

MORE FROM CELINA BALJEET BASRA:Happy [Literary Hub]The Tragic Exploitation that Puts Food on Our Plates [Washington Post]

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Rocco DiSpirito is an iconic Italian American New York City chef, television personality, and highly acclaimed author of 14 cookbooks, including three New York Times bestsellers. On this episode we go way back to his star turn on one of the first food reality TV shows on air, and we talk about his time in the kitchen at Union Pacific, his acclaimed New York City restaurant from the early 2000s. We also discuss what excites him about food in New York City and beyond. 

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MORE FROM ROCCO DISPIRITO:Where'd You Go, Chef Rocco DiSpirito? [Food & Wine]How Rocco DiSpirito, Chef, Spends His Sundays [NYT]

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Alan Sytsma is a longtime observer of the New York City dining scene who is behind New York magazine’s formidable food coverage. On this episode we dig into Alan’s take on the current NYC restaurant scene and hear about New York mag’s amazing “Who Ate Where” issue, which digs into the cultural history of eating out in New York City. It’s really fun talking restaurants with Alan, and I hope you enjoy this conversation.

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MORE FROM ALAN SYTSMA:Who Ate Where [NY Mag]48 Scenes From a Century of New York Dining [NY Mag]

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Aaron Goldfarb has been a journalist for over a decade, frequently writing on the subjects of cocktails and drinking culture for such publications as the New York Times, Esquire, Playboy, and PUNCH. His latest book, Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits, digs into our ongoing obsession with old spirits and the people who chase them. We talk about the real bourbon grails and the fake ones, and if there is any remaining Stitzel-Weller juice to be drunk. It’s fun catching up with Aaron. 

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MORE FROM AARON GOLDFARB:The Craze for ‘Dusty’ Liquor [WSJ]Why Anyone Who Loves Rare Bourbon Should Visit Japan [Matador]

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MacKenzie Chung Fegan is the new restaurant critic at the San Francisco Chronicle. She’s a former Bon Appétit editor who returned home to the Bay Area to shape food coverage at her hometown paper, and it’s so fun to have her on the show to break down her first few months on the job, the state of modern restaurant criticism, and more. 

MORE FROM MACKENZIE CHUNG FEGANYour New Restaurant Critic Won’t Be Anonymous. Here’s Why [SF Chronicle]I Loved My Food at S.F.’s New Waterfront Restaurant — Until Dinner Abruptly Ended [SF Chronicle]Are My Expectations of Restaurant Hospitality Outdated? [SF Chronicle]

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