How fresh is the food on your plate—and does it really make a difference? Chef Andrew Smith believes it does. After nearly two decades in New York City kitchens, including more than 10 years at Tom Colicchio’s acclaimed River Park, Andrew has seen firsthand what happens when chefs build a closer connection to the people who grow their food. In this episode, Andrew takes us inside River Park’s remarkable urban farm—built from 7,000 milk crates in the middle of Manhattan—and explains how ingredients could go from the farm to a restaurant kitchen just steps away. He also shares his journey from teenage dishwasher to fine-dining chef to Culinary Director at Great Performances, one of New York City’s premier catering and events companies. Along the way, we explore what “farm-to-table” really means, why a perfectly shaped grocery-store tomato may not taste anything like one picked ripe from a local farm, and why Andrew believes reconnecting chefs and consumers with local farmers can lead to better food. Plus, Wal, Joel and Tom reveal their guilty-pleasure foods—and discover that a charcuterie board definitely does not count.
Freedom a la Carte started with a simple idea: give survivors of human trafficking a safe place to work, earn a paycheck, and begin rebuilding their lives. What started as a food cart has grown into an award-winning catering business, café, and organization providing long-term support to hundreds of survivors. In this episode of The Off The Menu Podcast, we sit down with Vanessa Torres, Program Director at Freedom a la Carte and a survivor of human trafficking herself. Vanessa takes us inside the organization and explains how food and employment became the foundation for something much bigger. Through workforce development, housing assistance, career support, community, and other services, Freedom a la Carte helps survivors build the skills and stability they need to move forward. We also talk about the realities of human trafficking, how Vanessa's own experience shapes the work she does today, and why recovery doesn't simply end when someone escapes exploitation. It’s a remarkable story of how a restaurant and catering operation became a place for people to find community, independence, and a second chance.
What started with a beer fridge on a front porch and homemade chocolate Buckeyes has grown into a thriving candy business selling thousands of Buckeyes a week—and even serving fans inside Ohio Stadium. In this episode of The Off The Menu Podcast, we sit down with Alicia Hindman, founder of The Buckeye Lady, to hear how she went from working as a high school guidance counselor to building a business around one of Ohio’s most iconic treats. Alicia shares how she started selling Buckeyes during the pandemic, how her signature stuffed Buckeyes came to be, and how she grew the business from her home kitchen to a storefront of her own. We also talk about the risks of leaving a secure career, growing a food business without growing too fast, her appearance on NBC Sports, selling Buckeyes inside Ohio Stadium, giving back through Bucks for Pups, and her effort to make the Buckeye Ohio’s official state candy. It’s a story about taking a chance on an idea, believing in what you’re building, and turning a simple chocolate-and-peanut-butter candy into something much bigger.
Barbecue is one of America’s most beloved foods—but how did it become the barbecue we know today? In this episode of The Off The Menu Podcast, we sit down with two-time James Beard Award winner, food historian, and author Adrian Miller to explore the history of American barbecue and the enormous influence Black pitmasters, cooks, and entrepreneurs have had on its evolution. Adrian takes us from barbecue’s Native American roots through the American South, where enslaved African Americans became the cooks behind massive community barbecues and helped develop traditions that would spread across the country. After emancipation, Black pitmasters turned those skills into businesses and helped establish barbecue cultures in communities throughout America. We also explore how regional styles developed, why Kansas City, the Carolinas, Memphis, Texas, and Chicago all approach barbecue differently, and the great sauce-versus-no-sauce debate.
That extra virgin olive oil in your pantry. The Parmesan you sprinkle on pasta. The honey in your tea. Even the seafood you order at your favorite restaurant. How sure are you that you're actually getting what you paid for? This week on The Off the Menu Podcast, Wal, Joel, and Tom sit down with award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Larry Olmsted, author of Real Food, Fake Food, to uncover the surprisingly lucrative world of food fraud. Larry explains how everyday foods can be mislabeled, adulterated, diluted, or completely counterfeited—and why some of the foods we pay a premium for are among the biggest targets. We dig into olive oil, honey, seafood, coffee, Parmesan cheese, wine, and more, while learning what consumers can do to spot the real thing. It's an eye-opening look at what's really on our plates—and fair warning: you may never look at your pantry the same way again.