Expense Account

Ruthie Rogers was born in Woodstock New York, but she has become a legend in London, and the world over. She is the chef and owner of the River Cafe, an essential London restaurant, which turns 40 next year. She is also the host of the podcast, Ruthie’s Table 4 which just premiered its 6th season. Ruthie and I talked about The Concorde, airplane food, her love for Pret, and how she knew immediately that Jamie Oliver was a star.

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Danny Meyer is a legend. Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, The Modern. Quintessential New York City restaurants. He is the author of a new book called What Could Possibly Go Right, and he is, of course,the founder and CEO of Shake Shack. Let me get this on record: I am a Shake Shack guy. It’s the perfect burger to me. Shake Shack at the airport is a beacon of hope. Shake Shack is the burger that I eat more than any other burger, and if I could only have one burger for the rest of my life, it would be Shake Shack. So it was an honor to talk to the guy who started it all. I asked him all of my burning questions, from secret menu items, to the deliciously diabolical shack stack, to all the regional delights of St. Louis.

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The other day I went to Eric Ripert’s cookbook launch party, and I was seated at a table next to Gail Simmons. It’s still a crazy thing for me to have watched someone on TV for 20 years, and then to meet them in person. I’ve watched every season of Top Chef, and more than anyone else on the show, Gail always seemed like someone that I would want to hangout with IRL. She’s vibrant, whip smart, and opinionated, but also unpretentious. Maybe she always seemed like someone like me, she’s a food writer afterall. And let me tell you, she's as fun in real life as she is on TV, more fun even. At lunch she told me about her new book, Guesting. There are so many books about how to be a host. This is a book about how to be a guest. I immediately told her that it was a brilliant idea, and had one million questions for her. Rather than annoy everyone at our table, and ruin lunch, I asked her to come on the pod to talk guesting etiquette, and of course we had to talk a little Top Chef.

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Marcus Samuelsson needs no introduction. He’s that guy, and he’s been that guy for a long time. He was the youngest chef ever to earn three stars from The New York Times, for his restaurant Aquavit. He’s the winner of Top Chef Masters, and you’ve probably seen him on Chopped. He has 15 restaurants around the world, and he looks great in a hat.

His new book, Back to Green, is full of healthy, diverse, exciting meals to cook for your family and friends. Marcus is someone who inspires me, and after listening to him, I think you’ll be a little inspired too.

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Monica Padman was a Soul Cycle instructor during its heyday, she’s been a celebrity nanny, an actress, and now she is one half of the tremendously popular, Golden Globe nominated podcast Armchair Expert. We talked fast food, career changes, and Hillstone. Buckle up.

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Luke Fortney is a friend of mine, a friend of the pod, but he missed our podcast launch party. I’m sure he has some reasonable explanation. He was probably somewhere eating a quesadilla. Or some momos. A cinnamon bun. Maybe some frozen yogurt. And this is a valid excuse, because this is Luke’s job. Luke Writes the Where To Eat column/newsletter for The New York Times. Nearly everyday Luke runs around the city, eating every delicious food imaginable, in every borough. Luke is one of just a handful of people who I trust to give me a restaurant recommendation. And of those few people, he’s the only one with a nose ring. I could talk to Luke all day about restaurants. This guy knows his stuff. He’s charming, funny, and incredibly handsome. To be honest, he mogs me in more ways than one.

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I love all of my guests. They’re all special. They’re all brilliant, but there’s just something about Patti Jinich. There’s a warmth that feels like a hug, or a Patagonia puffer vest. You can feel it through the TV. You can feel it through her words. She’s the host of Pati's Mexican table, Pati Jinich Explores PanAmericana, and La Frontera With Pati Jinich, all on PBS. She’s doing god’s work. If you’ve not watched her shows you really should. It’s some of the best travel and food TV since Bourdain, IMHO. She has a new cookbook called Foods of La Frontera, and two new seasons of her TV shows. We talked about life on the road, bordertown burritos, Kewpie mayo, and how she manages to do it all, all the time.

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Our guest today is none other than Tanya Sichynsky, writer of the fantastic New York Times newsletter The Veggie and now author of Veg Everything: Recipes for Weeknights, Parties, and the Bites in Between. Vegetables are beautiful and delicious, and Tanya will be the first to tell you that you don't need to be a vegetarian to cook vegetarian meals. We talk about Atlanta, where Tanya is from. We talk about sports and Magic City wings. We really go in on Trader Joe's. And we talk Shrimpmas, your new favorite holiday. Tanya, I promise I'll be there this year.

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Molly Baz is a ray of light. Molly Baz is building an empire. Molly Baz can not be stopped. She has two bestselling cookbooks, a wine label, an insanely popular newsletter, a video series, her very own mayo line, and she has a third cookbook, “Less Is More” slated to come out early next year. She just announced a new line of ice cream sandwiches. There’s a bit of Baz for everyone. Molly joins me today to teach me how to not cook like a coward. We talk about bad weed experiences, and mixing beer with milk. We talk babies and condiments. Molly Baz contains multitudes. We dug deep.

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Our first guest is carla lalli. FKA Carla Lalli Music. She’s lived many lives. From the first GM at the first Shake Shack, to a beloved chef in the Bon Appétit test kitchen. She’s been a YouTube star, recipe developer, Substacker, and James Beard Award winner. She is a legend. She recently published her new book, Food Is A Feeling. Half cookbook, half memoir, the book tells the story of her divorce, and the healing power of food. We talked about online dating, how she could have been rich, pepper jack cheese, the pesto pasta problem, and why you should never feel guilt about pleasure. Talking to Carla was a pleasure, and I feel no guilt about it.

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Expense Account is currently between seasons, but we had an opportunity to speak to culinary legend Tom Colicchio at his home in New York. We have more exciting announcements about the show later this spring, but in the meantime, enjoy this intermission episode.

This week, J Lee spoke to Tom Colicchio. The restaurateur and TV star just celebrated the 25th anniversary of his iconic restaurant Craft. You might also know him as a judge on all 21 seasons of “Top Chef,” and as a co-founder of Gramercy Tavern. This episode covers:

* What it was like to shop at Union Square Farmer’s Market in the ‘90s

* How the cost of opening a restaurant in New York City has changed over the last three decades

* Training in restaurants vs. training in culinary school

* How Tom almost ended up in “The Sopranos”

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke to Cami Téllez and Sasha Mutchnik. Topics discussed include:

* Colostrum

* The Armani Couture bring worn and Juuls being smoked at Casa Cipriani

* Sasha and Cami’s friendship origin story on the Columbia campus

* Dinner omelettes

* And the art collection at Kappo Masa

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke to Pete Wells, former restaurant critic for The New York Times. Topics discussed include:

* The ideal width of sandwiches.

* Why everyone is a food journalist now (social media).

* The increased emphasis on furniture and design in restaurants.

* And whether Pete misses being a critic.

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke to chef, author, director, and writer of Canal Street Dreams on Substack, Eddie Huang. Topics discussed included:

* Getting arrested in Sicily.

* Writing his book to Sky Ferreira on repeat.

* His honest thoughts on the state of menswear in New York.

* And ChinaMaxxing.

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

This week on Expense Account, J Lee and Emily Sundberg spoke to Sammy Nussdorf, the founder and CEO of Meadow Lane. Topics discussed include:

* Mouse-gate.

* Chicken Nugget-gate.

* Building a viral business in public, and why haters fuel growth.

* And what sets his Tribeca gourmet grocer, Meadow Lane, apart from New York’s existing establishments.

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

This week on Expense Account, J Lee and Emily Sundberg had a special edition of Feed Me — a holiday extravaganza. Topics discussed include:

* A shortage of house parties.

* Tom Cruise’s coconut cake.

* New York’s finest holiday desserts.

* The woman with a ribbon around her neck.

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke with Paul Carmichael (chef at Momofuku’s Kabawa) and Marguerite Zabar Mariscal (CEO of Momofuku Group). Topics discussed include:

* Everyone’s earliest memories of eating at Momofuku restaurants.

* The charm (and benefit) of phone-only reservations.

* The restaurant scene in Hudson Yards.

* And what it feels like to open a new restaurant in New York.

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke with Asa Akira, adult film actor, spicy food avoider, and miniature enthusiast. Topics discussed include, but were not limited to:

* Collecting miniatures.

* Why the cheek is the best part of a lot of animals.

* School lunch nightmares and being embarrassed about eating Asian food in school.

* And taking advantage of “eating for two” while pregnant.

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke with Hannah Crosbie, drinks columnist at The Observer Magazine, and author of Corker: A Deeply Unserious Wine Book.

Topics discussed include, but were not limited to:

* A rumor that charli xcx’s album was inspired by London’s Brat.

* Riesling is the wine nerd’s grape.

* Why wine writing should be as fun as drinking a bottle with your friends.

* And Hannah teaches Jason about Wales.

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke with Joseph Weisenthal, the co-host of Bloomberg’s Odd Lots, who is also one of New York City’s most loyal Chinese restaurant customers.

Topics discussed include, but were not limited to:

* Naming names on what New York barbecue restaurants are worth it (or not)

* Why the influx of Chinese students at NYU has made the East Village the new Chinatown

* Borscht, both hot and cold

* And Katz’s deli’s breakfast menu

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

This week on Expense Account, J Lee spoke with Helen Rosner, a staff writer at The New Yorker who writes about restaurants. Helen has received multiple James Beard Awards for her work, including, in 2025, for her profile of Padma Lakshmi.

Topics discussed include, but were not limited to:

* What it’s like to be The New Yorker’s restaurant critic

* Debating whether Carrie Bradshaw’s friends read her column

* Learning about Vyvanse from Cat Marnell’s blog

* And what role appearances play in becoming a food star

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you).

This week, Jason speaks to chef and author Alison Roman about her secret order at Keens, her new tomato sauce business, and the importance of having fresh flowers in her home.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe

Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me's resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You'll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.readfeedme.com/subscribe