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Grub Street Podcast

Grub Street’s editor and ‘New York’ Magazine’s chief restaurant critic discuss the most pressing, vital food-world issues.

New York Magazine / Panoply

Platty and the Admiral riff on eating local as they toast the end of season one with Chef Alfred Portale at Gotham Bar and Grill.

Episode 22: Love Thy Neighborhood Restaurant

What happens when your doctor is yelling "MAYDAY" and you're eating 10,000 calories of Peking Duck per day for work? Adam Platt sought a nutritionist to help him drop the weight while keeping his job. A celebrity dietitian named Tanya Zuckerbrot took up the challenge. Now forty pounds down, we have Tanya on the show to discuss the F-Factor Diet. Meanwhile, The Admiral is concerned: has Platty has joined a cult?

Episode 21: Food Critic on a Diet

The Admiral declares breakfast to be the pinnacle of everyday luxury. Platty, however, is skeptical of this claim - until he gets to thinking about merry old England...

Episode 20: In Praise of Breakfast

Platty and the Admiral marvel at the latest frontiers in meatless patty innovation. Is "veggie burger" even the right phrase for the modern version of this hippie classic? Plus: Platty tells you his top seven choices for where to find the best veggie burger (or whatever you want to call them).

Episode 19: Veggie Burgers

New York's famed Four Seasons restaurant is closing, which has Platty waxing nostalgic, and the Admiral rolling his eyes.

Episode 18: Closing Time at the Four Seasons

Larry Olmsted, author of "Real Food, Fake Food," joins Platty and the Admiral at Frankie's 457 to scare the living daylights out of them with tales of fake steak, suspicious sushi, and tomato tomfoolery. By the end, our heroes are no longer certain they can confidently enjoy the gourmet meatballs on their plates - or anything else they ever plan to consume, for that matter.

Episode 17: Food Scams

Restaurants are realizing they can put themselves on the map with an innovative approach to the classic burger. But it's not as simple as it sounds to create a burger that truly creates what Platty calls "burger zombies." He and the Admiral once again venture to Brooklyn to sample the fare at Emily, which is ostensibly a pizza restaurant, but is best known for its burger, an incredible blend of dry-aged beef, caramelized onions, and the mysterious "Emmy Sauce."

Episode 16: The Golden Age of the Burger

Despite his persistent protestations that lists are lame, Platty is prodded into announcing his picks for NYC's five best dining spots.

Episode 15: The Five Best Restaurants in New York City

Platty is initially unsure if the trek out to Williamsburg will be worth it, but once he gets his bearings, he and Alan are greeted with overflowing dishes of next-wave Italian home cooking from chef Albert Di Meglio, owner of the brand-new restaurant Barano. Open just over a month, Barano exemplifies the latest wave of innovation in Italian cuisine: classic family recipes polished with the virtuosic finesse of master craftsmen like Di Meglio, who positively bowls our heroes over with plate after plate of his creations.

Episode 14: Reinventing the Red Sauce Joint

Platty (aka "Tokyo Platty") and the Admiral travel to the Lower East Side for a crash course in the myths and legends of cocktail history. Their professor for the afternoon is Giuseppe Gonzalez, proprietor of the Suffolk Arms and proud inventor of sour mix (kind of), who reminds our heroes that "classic cocktails" aren't always what they seem.NOTE: This episode contains explicit language.

Episode 13: Jerry Thomas is a F*cking Fraud

A visit to Shuko, where chef Nick Kim explains the brilliance of the legendary Masa Takayama, under whom he apprenticed for over 10 years. Now he's one of the creative forces behind Shuko, along with GM Sarah Krathen and fellow Masa acolyte Jimmy Lau. Nick tells Platty and the Admiral wild tales of Masa's mysterious ways, as well as the ancient sushi traditions, and how they're evolving as restaurants like Shuko push the form in new directions.

Episode 12: Power Sushi

Platty (aka "Dr. Z"), the Admiral, and the legendary Mimi Sheraton share a downtown lunch and talk about the wonderful, often maddening life of the restaurant critic. Mimi, who began reviewing restaurants in the late 60's, has no shortage of stories from old New York, not to mention valuable insights about the risks and rewards of wearing disguises, why she never uses the word "tasty," and which foods she shouldn't be left alone in a room with.

Episode 11: The Life of the Critic (With Mimi Sheraton)

Platty and the Admiral enjoy mind-bending meats and more at High Street on Hudson as they explore the latest innovations in sandwich creation. High Street's culinary director Jon Nodler walks them through every step in the process of creating his signature flavors in delectable detail, and Platty nearly passes out with delight.

Episode 10: The Golden Age of Sandwiches

The Admiral lures Platty out to the wilds of Bushwick to taste the latest innovations in artisanal coffee at Supercrown, where they marvel at the intellectual and technological java advancements driving the market these days.

Episode 9: Third-Wave Coffee

Platty and the Admiral investigate new frontiers of Chinese cooking at Fung Tu. Joined by owner Wilson Tang and chef Jonathan Wu, they taste eggrolls, noodles, and chicken that push the boundaries of what American Chinese food can be.

Episode 8: Progressive Chinese

Platty and the Admiral brave the interminable line for Black Tap milkshakes, discussing the phenomenon of viral food sensations while they wait. Eventually, Alan is able to swindle his way into the Black Tap dining room, where Black Tap founder Joe Isidori describes the philosophy behind his $15 shakes, which New Yorkers routinely wait up to three hours to try.

Episode 7: Viral Foods

Platty and the Admiral are shocked to discover that New York City ranks 8th on a recent list of the top ten food cities in America. They attempt to get to the bottom of our fair city's precipitous decline, joined by Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema (who happens to be the author of the aforementioned list).

Episode 6: Is New York Still Relevant?

What does "vegetable forward" really mean? And why are so many New York restaurants scrambling to be described that way? Platty and the Admiral discuss, and then proceed to local vegan sensation By Chloe to investigate.

Episode 5: Vegetable Forward

How in the world has this fast-food staple become a nationwide culinary phenomenon? Alan and Adam investigate, complete with a trip to one of the prime culprits: Chick-Fil-A.

Episode 4: Chicken Sandwiches

Adam Platt has had enough of several tiresome trends in the restaurant business, from the great California food bowl craze to over-use of the phrase "house-made." On the bright side, a handful of new restaurant openings in 2015 offer an exciting vision for New York's culinary future.

Episode 3: Trends We're Tired of, 2015 Edition

Alan makes Adam his signature Sytsma Martini (or something approximating it, considering the limitations imposed by the recording studio). Over drinks, Adam explains the tempestuous era of the boutique cocktail, which is thankfully receding, and shares the storied history of the martini. Or, as E.B. White called it, "The Elixir of Quietude."

Episode 2: The Martini

Grub Street editor Alan Sytsma and New York Magazine food critic Adam Platt explore the enduring allure of the all-time greatest comfort food: pizza. Adam has just returned from a pizza-making course in Naples, and reveals the secrets of the ancient pizzaolos. Plus: a live tasting of one of New York's classic pies, John's of Bleecker Street.