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The Chef’s Cut focuses on the stories and techniques behind the food you love the most! Each week, Top Chef alums Adrienne Cheatham and Joe Flamm give you behind the scenes kitchen access and share food tips that will make you look like a culinary hero, all while hanging out with their celebrity chef friends and making you laugh a lot. If you’re a foodie, there’s a good chance The Chef’s Cut will be the highlight of your week! New episodes drop every Tuesday.
25 Episodes
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Thanksgiving is finally upon us, so Adrienne and Joe share some of their favorite holiday memories from the kitchen and at home. Even when you become a professional chef, can you ever escape the scrutiny of grandma’s kitchen? They offer up some of their favorite Thanksgiving staples (which cranberries are best?) and some deep cuts that only family would understand (we’re looking at you Jello salad). Plus, we discuss:
Favorite fast food orders including the iconic Apple Pie from McDonalds and their top fountain coke
Fork It or Forget It: Butter-Dipped Soft Serve from Dominique Ansel
Chefsgiving story-time: What’s it like spending the holiday in a restaurant setting?
Joe’s enormous family gathering that takes days (and hundreds of ravioli) to prepare for
Adrienne’s walk-in confession involving too many turkeys and an ill-received meal offer
Turn-and-Burn: Thanksgiving edition… traditional or experimental?
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
Adrienne and Joe sit down inside the walls of the iconic Le Bernardin in New York City for an intimate chat with chef Eric Ripert. He tells them the secrets behind his ascent to helming one of the best restaurants in the world, including what it takes to maintain a level of excellence worthy of becoming (and remaining) a three-Michelin-starred restaurant. Plus, we discuss:
How fine dining has radically changed in his time as a chef
Chef Ripert’s early years learning from four of the most important chefs in the world
His path to becoming executive chef at only 28 years old
The unique system inside Le Bernardin’s kitchen that sets it apart
Adrienne’s eight years under his tutelage and what he remembers most about her
Fork It or Forget It: Peeling Strawberries (and the dreaded task of peeling peas that followed him to Le Bernardin)
A five-star review of guests who brought a special gift all the way from Japan
The secrets to menu development and changing over time
Keeping a connection to the kitchen and the routine that makes him successful
Who makes better paella: Chef Ripert or José Andrés?
Follow Eric: @ericripert
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
Joe is set to open his newest restaurant, Bar Tutto, and Adrienne asks him all about what it takes to go from concept to reality with a new establishment. He takes us behind the scenes to share all the things you don’t hear about when a restaurant gets started. Plus, we discuss:
The great Paris pastry debate: which French treat do you pair with your coffee?
Fork It or Forget It: Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
Hiring 80+ people in a matter of weeks
The ever-evolving menu of a new restaurant (and the influence of seasonality)
Building a kitchen, the joy of friends & family dinner, and preparing for first service
Walk In Confession: Joe’s story of plating for 350 James Beard guests and almost not making it
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
In a Chef’s Cut first, Adrienne and Joe sit down with co-chief restaurant critic for the New York Times, Ligaya Mishan. They ask her all about taking over for Pete Wells and what goes into writing her reviews every week. Plus, we discuss:
The controversial Alinea review everyone is talking about
Whether or not a one-star review should be considered "good"
How the NYT picks restaurants to review
The standards for reviewing a restaurant, including how soon is too soon and how much she eats
Is it easy to get a reservation as a NYT critic (and does she get recognized)?
Should critics have to read their reviews face-to-face with the people they’re criticizing?
The influence of social media on restaurant reviews
Ligaya’s favorite chef and which restaurant she wishes should could eat at
Follow Ligaya: @ligayamishan
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
This week, Adrienne and Joe are back and giving us their reaction to the viral Golden Diner pancakes everyone is talking about. Joe prepared a batch at home and shares his honest opinion on whether they’re worthy of the hype. Plus, we discuss:
What’s your go-to steakhouse order?
Adrienne’s controversial opinion on A1 steak sauce
Cookbooks: All the inside info on what it takes to go from idea to reality
Insights on testing recipes for a book
Walk In Confession: Adrienne’s cookbook hit a snag thanks to an unrelated controversy in the publishing world
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
Adrienne and Joe are joined by one of the most celebrated chefs in the world, Dan Barber of the legendary Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Family Meal at Blue Hill. He tells us all about his innovative approach to cooking and sustainable agriculture, including how he runs his own kitchen at Blue Hill. Plus, we discuss:
Farm to Table: Has the word lost its meaning?
The origins of “farm to table” and why it spread all over the world
Fork It or Forget It: Facial hair in the kitchen
Which shoes do each of our chefs prefer to wear when cooking?
The story behind Row 7, a seed company he founded to prioritize flavor in produce
His famous honeynut squash, and how it came to be
Dan reflects on his mentor, Chef David Boulet
A Walk In Confession featuring overcooked lamb and some beet juice
Follow Dan: @chefdanbarber
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
This week, Adrienne and Joe are back to chat about the newest list everyone is talking about: North America's 50 Best Restaurants. They tell us what they love about the list, how it actually gets made, and what it means to restaurants who make the list. Plus, we discuss:
Diner classics: Adrienne and Joe pick their favorite breakfast foods
Fork It or Forget It: Using AI to help with new menus (and how to fix it)
Review culture and the influence of lists on fine dining
Walk In Confession: Joe’s elevator mishap that almost ruined his holiday gathering
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
Adrienne and Joe return for the third and final installment of our series on private chef work, and this time they’re joined by the Obama family’s longtime personal chef, Sam Kass. He tells us all about his journey from some of the highest pressure kitchens in America and Europe, to landing with the first family and running the kitchen in the West Wing. Plus, we discuss:
Adrienne and Sam’s connection as kids and how their careers in food have taken shape
The biggest “kitchen habits” Sam can’t seem to shake from his days in fine dining
Fork It or Forget It: Strawberry Sandwiches
Sam’s experience working with the Obamas to help shape food policy in America
The best lessons he learned from his most important mentor: forget the (proverbial) onions
Sam’s new book The Last Supper and how a growing food crisis is already affecting access to some of our favorite foods
A story about stepping into the White House for the first time on inauguration and how Oprah saved him from missing it
Walk In Confession: the most expensive mistake of Sam’s career involving a massive meal and a lot of butter
Follow Sam: @samkassdc
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
Check out Sam's new Book: The Last Supper
We’re back for part two of our three-part series on private chef work, this time with guest Olivia Tiedemann. She tells us how she went from the fine dining world of New York City, to working as a private chef, to Instagram stardom. Plus, we discuss:
The “kitchen habits” from restaurants that we just can’t kick
Fork It or Forget It: Breaking pasta in half
How Olivia transitioned out of fine dining and her best advice for success in private work
Working big events, including F1, South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and the Cayman Cookout
Walk In Confession: Olivia tells us about the most incompetent chef she ever worked with
Follow Olivia: @oliviatied
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
In part one of our three-part series on private chef work, Adrienne comes clean to Joe about what she really does for a living and pulls back the curtain on what it’s like to work as a private chef. Plus, we discuss:
Global Condiment Cup: Mayo takes the crown
Whisk Takers: Adrienne’s story of going from fine dining to private work
The longest Adrienne went without repeating a dish
Some little-known details about private chef work
The oldest spice in our pantry
Walk In Confession: Adrienne’s salty surprise
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
This week Adrienne and Joe are joined by Ayesha Nurdjaja, Executive Chef of Shuka and Shukette in New York City. She tells us all about her recent debut as the newest Titan on Bobby's Triple Threat. Plus, we discuss:
Kitchen Pet Peeves: Dirty floors, painted nails, and not saying hello
Fork It or Forget It: Zesting lemons… the right way?
Review Review: Showing up without a reservation at a busy restaurant (and then complaining about it)
The truth behind NYC reservation hype (is it bogus?)
Training with Bobby Flay and how Ayesha found her confidence to star on the Food Network
Walk In Confession: a triumphant story of serving the puree that almost went horribly wrong
Follow Ayesha: @ayesha_rare
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
As summer slowly comes to a close, Adrienne and Joe share some of their favorite flavor combinations that signal fall is just around the corner. Farmer’s market, here we come! Plus, we discuss:
Fork It or Forget It: Whipped Honey Coffee
Review Review: Joe had the audacity to take his birthday off from work!
Line Check: Major fine dining restaurants like Alinea and Noma go on the road in their own versions of pop-up dining
Walk-In Confession: Joe tells us about the time he launched an entire restaurant at the US Open in just three days
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
Adrienne and Joe are back with another guest, and this week they’re joined by two-time Top Chef champion Buddha Lo. He fills them in on his latest culinary ambitions following the move of his home restaurant Huso into a bigger space (Michelin star incoming?). Plus, we discuss:
Fork It or Forget It: Caviar on Fried Chicken (and the latest in condiment mania)
Review Review: restaurant no-shows are a big no-no
Picking the right knife: suggestions from all three chefs for what you should buy
Mentor Moment: Buddha’s tough-love training as a young chef
Walk-In Confession (Top Chef Edition): Buddha tells us how to handle the heat even when your Top Chef dish is burning
Follow Buddha: @buddha__lo
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
The World Condiment Cup has officially begun so Adrienne and Joe kick things off with the results from the first round. Which will move on to the next round: may, mustard, tzatziki, or hoisin sauce? Plus, we debate how 'mother sauces' play into condiment rankings. On this episode we also discuss:
Fork It or Forget It: French Dip Mania
Review Review: a Five-Star guest gets all the credit for his homegrown tomatoes and heartwarming positivity
“The Family Reunion” culinary event recap… which ambitious dish did Adrienne serve?
Mentor Moment: helping a chef level up (and network outside the restaurant)
Walk-In Confession (Vacation Edition): Joe admits to bringing a wide assortment of kitchen tools wherever he travels
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
Adrienne and Joe are joined by special guest and friend of the show, chef Fariyal Abdullahi. She fills us in on what it’s like to be the executive chef at one of the most sought-after restaurant reservations in New York City, Hav & Mar. Plus, we discuss:
Fork It or Forget It: Crack Burgers (yes this is a real trend)
LA vs. New York: Who holds the Ethiopian crown? (How about Washington DC)
Tips for dining out at an Ethiopian restaurant (and not getting too full)
Fariyal’s exhausting weekend at the 2025 James Beard Awards
Review Review: How do you get one-star before you even open your doors?
Women running the kitchen in fine dining
Walk-In Confession: Fariyal gets caught in a fire mishap and Adrienne finds herself in a cloud of smoke
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Fariyal: @fariyalabdul
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
This week of The Chef’s Cut kicks off with an important debate: which condiment in your fridge would come out on top in a battle of the bottles? They tell us which condiment ranks atop their own favorites, and throw it to the listeners to help build a bracket of champions. Plus, we discuss:
Fork It or Forget It: Dining al fresco
Whisk Takers: Joe tell us about the biggest career bet he made on himself
Line Check: Discussing the San Francisco chef who lost his job after calling out an influencer in his own restaurant
Walk-In Confession: Adrienne shares the story of her most successful kitchen prank
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
Adrienne and Joe are back for another episode of The Chef’s Cut, and this time they’re joined by longtime friend and James Beard award winning chef Erick Williams. They find out how he came to be one of the most respected chefs in Chicago, including what brought him to the kitchen at Virtue Restaurant in Hyde Park. Plus, we discuss:
Review Review: Takeout complaints at Virtue (spoiler: they don’t do takeout at Virtue)
The worst customer behavior Erick has had to endure at his new establishment, Cantina Rosa
Walk-In Confession: A last-minute steak run gone (almost) horribly wrong
Erick’s work as a mentor for young chefs and leadership for growing restaurants
The people and experiences that changed his trajectory as a chef
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Erick: @cheferickwilliams
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
Hosts Adrienne Cheatham and Joe Flamm are joined by Missy Robbins (Lilia, Missi) to talk about her ascent into becoming a Michelin star chef and James Beard Award winner. Plus, we cover:
The importance of a caring mentor and impact of Tony Manuano (Spiaggia, Top Chef Masters) on Missy and Joe’s careers
Fork It or Forget It: Seafood and cheese
Missy's journey through various kitchens and her approach to restaurant design
One-Star Guest Behavior: booking a small party and showing up with a large group
Missy’s nightmare moment on Top Chef masters (watch your fingers)
Walk-In Confessions: Switching out sugar for salt on dessert
Missy's cameo on the TV show Billions and her thoughts on acting.
Follow the show: @chefscutpod
Follow Missy: @missyarobbins
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
We’re back with another episode of The Chef’s Cut featuring hosts Adrienne Cheatham and Joe Flamm, who tell us exactly how chefs plan their trips around food, including their favorite dining spots and the importance of leaving room for spontaneous culinary adventures. Plus, we discuss:
Fork It or Forget It: Raw Milk edition (featuring some unpasteurized opinions)
The latest NYT restaurant review and challenging stereotypes about high end cuisine
One-Star Guest Behavior: Adrienne shares a story of poor restaurant etiquette – is it time to start letting restaurants review diners too?
Walk-In Confessions: Joe recounts a harrowing kitchen mishap
Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Follow Joe: @insta.flamm
Celebrity chef Eric Adjepong joins hosts Adrienne Cheatham and Joe Flamm to dive deep into the realities of food television, leadership in the kitchen, and the secrets behind surviving the restaurant world.
🔥 In this episode:
The mentors who shaped Eric’s culinary journey
Lessons from working with Bobby Flay
Why top chefs struggle to cook at home
Navigating personality clashes and communication styles
The challenge of handling bad reviews with grace
Why Eric still hasn’t watched The Bear
His biggest kitchen fail involving onions and dessert 😅
Follow the chefs:
Eric: @chefericadjepong
Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham
Joe: @insta.flamm
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