CHEFS WHO WEAR MANY HATS: INDUSTRY NIGHT, NOVEMBER 16, 2023

INDUSTRY NIGHT

On this Industry Night:

Now. Many Italians and Italophiles kind of disregard Milan. Because unlike Florence, Rome, Venice, Assissi, etc, it's a newer city. The city is not filled with architectural and artistic artifacts. The city is modern. And I am here to tell you that it is just fabulous.

 

  • We happened to be there a little less than a week before Milan fashion week so the city was just buzzy with tall, leggy creatures running all over the city to casting calls.
  • Gucci took over the city — especially the Brera District — more about that in a minute.
  • We stayed at the Chateau Monfort (another Relais Chateau property) ideally situated in the Monfort neighborhood (close to the Duomo), which we got a private tour of along with the incredible opera house, La Scala. And we were close to 2 - not one but 2 - Peck's — the food emporiums.
  • Pizza at Giolina — maybe one of the best pizzas I have ever had. Knife & fork Ready.
  • Langosteria — Off the beaten path in the Navigli" nightlife district, this packed restaurant filled with tiny rooms and tons of people serves up seafood obviously — and deliciously
  • I went to Starbucks Milan, so you do not have to. Willy Wonka in real life. Amazing food offerings.
  • Walked the Brera district.. Similar to the Village in NYC. Little streets filled with shops, restaurants, and people .. so alive and fabulous.
  • The modern architecture of the city is just amazing
  • Our last dinner was at the Michelin-starred L'alchimia - an incredible tasting menu, a ridiculous wine cellar, and a 36-yolk pasta topped with freshly shaved truffles. My throat is still closing up. So rich!

So that was Milan and the end of my trip …. but you know what you do when you return from a fantastic trip?! You get Covid — I mean, we did get Covid! No - you plan your next trip. Details on that travel are coming soon.

Okay, I will not tell you where I am going locally today - I will save that for the next show, but I did wind up -pure serendipity- at one of today's guest's restaurants last night!

I was at the so so good Japanese restaurant of Michael Schlow Nama Ko, which is just one of his nine concepts across DC & New England. Like all good restaurateurs, Michael began his career in the culinary industry as a dishwasher at age 14 and held every position in the restaurant before eventually attending culinary school. I have had this James Beard Award-winning chef and author on this show and Foodie And The Beast many times. And there's a reason — he has an incredible insight into the state of the restaurant industry. And I love going down a rabbit hole with Michael, and we will do that today. But we are not doing it alone. In 2017, pastry chef extraordinaire Aex Levin joined the Michael Schlow Group and took over the fantastic pastry program AND is also the director of strategic business initiatives. Okay, let's start digging in.

 

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Today's Guests: 

Michael Schlow

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Alex Levin

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