Industry Night: August 28, 2024
Hello and welcome to another episode of Industry Night! Taking a break this week from residencies — although haven’t they been fun?! Loved being out in Delaplane, Virginia sitting amongst the vines of Barrel Oak and the mountains of the Shenandoah off in the distance. It's such a treat to tape this show on location but sometimes, just sometimes,— my guests are all the way across the country so we pop on the screen to chat here in my not nearly as sexy as a vineyard … office.
So for those of you who know me it takes a lot for me to gush about my guests. I like to play it cool — I mean it’s my job to interview people and I have had the pleasure of chatting with so many of the greats in this industry. But today I am a little giddy, totally fan-girling and maybe a tad nervous of the— Chef, author, food activist and the founder and owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, California — Alice Waters — She is also this year’s recipient of the Julia Child Award — The award recognizes those who have an impact on the American culinary scene and has been given by the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts since 2015, and comes with a $50,000 prize. Previous awardees include Grace Young, José Andrés, Danny Meyer, and Jacques Pépin and last year’s award winner Sean Sherman - several of those I’ve interviewed here on this show.
Alice will be honored with the Julia Child Foundation Award on 10/17 in Washington DC as part of the Smithsonian’s National Food History Weekend.
Also in with me today to talk about the Award and its significance is
-Curator of Food History at National Museum of American History; Paula Johnson — good friend and a return guest to the show
-Eric W. Spivey, Chairman and Trustee, The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts
