The Food Lens Podcast

S4 Ep. 5: For the Love of Restaurants, Tony Maws & Bessie King Say Call Your State Rep

Bessie King and Tony Maws share the work of Massachusetts Restaurants United, a coalition of independent restaurant professionals who are advocating on behalf of an industry in crisis. We talk about what the organization aims to accomplish, what they want from the legislature, and why keeping restaurants afloat is vital to the Massachusetts economy. 

 

Life Alive Organic Cafe has meals plans! Whether you’ve been eating too much heavy takeout in quarantine, or are just getting tired of cooking for yourself, hit the reset button with one of their customizable meal plans. Choose from a mix and match menu of nourishing soups, fresh salads, and even dessert! Get 15% off your order with the code TFL15 at checkout.  https://lifealive.myshopify.com/

 

You guys, we’ve got hand sanitizer! Our friends at the personal care brand Curie — makers of aluminum-free deodorant that actually works, and smells amazing — now offer hand sanitizer, in fresh scents like Grapefruit Cassis and Orange Neroli. The best part? It moisturizes your hands, which is about the best form of self-care we can think of at the moment. Use promo code TFL20 at checkout or just follow this link: https://curiebod.com/discount/TFL

S4 Ep. 4: Taking Tasting Counter Home

Peter Ungár knew from the start that his 20 personTasting Counter wouldn’t be pivoting to take out. Instead, Peter and his wife Ginhee decided to launch TC at home, an interactive dining experience where guests pick up meal-kit boxes, and enjoy cooking, plating, and eating together on Zoom. We chat about how Peter and his wife Ginhee pull it off every week, how they are looking to grow TC at home, and what it’s been like to reopen for dining in.

 

Life Alive Organic Cafe has meals plans! Whether you’ve been eating too much heavy takeout in quarantine, or are just getting tired of cooking for yourself, hit the reset button with one of their customizable meal plans. Choose from a mix and match menu of nourishing soups, fresh salads, and even dessert! Get 15% off your order with the code TFL15 at checkout.  https://lifealive.myshopify.com/

 

You guys, we’ve got hand sanitizer! Our friends at the personal care brand Curie — makers of aluminum-free deodorant that actually works, and smells amazing — now offer hand sanitizer, in fresh scents like Grapefruit Cassis and Orange Neroli. The best part? It moisturizes your hands, which is about the best form of self-care we can think of at the moment. Use promo code TFL20 at checkout or just follow this link: https://curiebod.com/discount/TFL

S4 Ep. 3: M&M BBQ is Better than Ever, Plus There’s Beer Now

After more than a decade at the helm, Geo Lambert decided to make the move from his food truck to brick and mortar with his M&M BBQ business inside Dorchester Brewing. Little did he know that shortly after settling in, the Covid-19 crisis would strike. We caught up with him to hear about how the business has evolved, the silver-lining of the shutdown, and what makes his Alabama/Carolina mash-up BBQ so special. 

 

 You guys, we’ve got hand sanitizer! Our friends at the personal care brand Curie — makers of aluminum-free deodorant that actually works, and smells amazing — now offer hand sanitizer, in fresh scents like Grapefruit Cassis and Orange Neroli. The best part? It moisturizes your hands, which is about the best form of self-care we can think of at the moment. Use promo code TFL20 at checkout or just follow this link: https://curiebod.com/discount/TFL

 

Row to Go is Here! At their flagship restaurant in Fort Point, Boston and their Portsmouth, NH location. Pick up New England classics like the Warm Buttered Lobster Roll, Clam Chowder, or fried clams and oysters. Order online at row34.com and use promo code TFL15 for 15% off your order.

S4 Ep. 2: NBC’s Shira Stoll Asks Chefs About the Dish They Miss

On her podcast, The Dish I Miss, NBC's digital content producer Shira Stoll asks Boston area chefs about the food they miss making for their community, and how they are coping during the Covid-19 crisis. A recent transplant from New York, we chat about what it’s like to learn about the Boston restaurant scene from her apartment, and what she’s discovered in the process. Check out The Dish I Miss HERE.

 

 You guys, we’ve got hand sanitizer! Our friends at the personal care brand Curie — makers of aluminum-free deodorant that actually works, and smells amazing — now offer hand sanitizer, in fresh scents like Grapefruit Cassis and Orange Neroli. The best part? It moisturizes your hands, which is about the best form of self-care we can think of at the moment. Use promo code TFL20 at checkout or just follow this link: https://curiebod.com/discount/TFL

 

Row to Go is Here! At their flagship restaurant in Fort Point, Boston and their Portsmouth, NH location. Pick up New England classics like the Warm Buttered Lobster Roll, Clam Chowder, or fried clams and oysters. Order online at row34.com and use promo code TFL15 for 15% off your order.

 

S4 Ep. 1: Andy Husbands is Still an Optimist, and Still Opening Restaurants

Restaurants are allowed to re-open for outdoor dining, and Andy Husbands, owner of The Smoke Shop BBQ, is here to fill us in on what the the last couple of months have looked like, how it feels to finally have waitstaff and diners back on the scene, and his plan to forge ahead. 

 

You guys, we’ve got hand sanitizer! Our friends at the personal care brand Curie — makers of aluminum-free deodorant that actually works, and smells amazing — now offer hand sanitizer, in fresh scents like Grapefruit Cassis and Orange Neroli. The best part? It moisturizes your hands, which is about the best form of self-care we can think of at the moment. Use promo code TFL20 at checkout or just follow this link: https://curiebod.com/discount/TFL

 

Row to Go is Here! At their flagship restaurant in Fort Point, Boston and their Portsmouth, NH location. Pick up New England classics like the Warm Buttered Lobster Roll, Clam Chowder, or fried clams and oysters. Order online at row34.com and use promo code TFL15 for 15% off your order.

 

S3 Ep. 9: Douglass Williams Welcomes Everyone to Tremont Street

This episode consists of two interviews with Douglass Williams, chef-owner of Mida in the South End. In the first half, we check in with him following the nation’s response to the killing of George Floyd and how he has felt the reverberations as a Black chef and business owner in Boston. In the second half, we return to our original interview, recorded prior to the national protests. We talk about his recent accolade of being named one of America’s Best New Chefs by Food & Wine magazine, how he is coping with COVID-19 and feeding his community in times of crisis. 

 

 

The Food Lens stands against racism. We want to help amplify the voices of the Black community in Boston and provide more exposure to Black-owned restaurants. We're listening, we're learning, we're donating, we're changing. Click HERE for a link that we are exploring for further education about anti-racism. For a list of Black-owned restaurants in the Greater Boston Area that you can support, click HERE. We know we can do better.

S3 Ep. 8: Lauren Friel is Focused on What She Can Do Today

Since the Coronavirus halted her busy wine bar in its tracks, Lauren Friel has reshaped Rebel Rebel into a wine-retail business — one with online tastings and classes that have over-flowed Zoom rooms, and allowed her to hire back staff. Here’s how you can log in to the natural wine community, and why, more than ever, she wants you to vote.

 

You guys, we’ve got hand sanitizer! Our friends at the personal care brand Curie — makers of aluminum-free deodorant that actually works, and smells amazing — now offer hand sanitizer, in fresh scents like Grapefruit Cassis and Orange Neroli. The best part? It moisturizes your hands, which is about the best form of self-care we can think of at the moment. Use promo code TFL20 at checkout or just follow this link: https://curiebod.com/discount/TFL

 

Row to Go is Here! At their flagship restaurant in Fort Point, Boston and their Portsmouth, NH location. Pick up New England classics like the Warm Buttered Lobster Roll, Clam Chowder, or fried clams and oysters. Order online at row34.com and use promo code TFL15 for 15% off your order.

 

S3 Ep. 7: Will Gilson is Finding a Pathway Forward

Will Gilson was supposed to be launching several new concepts this year - while those plans may be on hold for the moment, he’s diversifying his offerings at Puritan & Co. and forging a way forward with technology, takeout, and a team eager to get (safely) back to work.

 

 

Looking for cooking inspiration? Will hooked us up with some easy (and delicious) recipes to help get through quarantine!

 

–Spiced Grilled Zucchini Tacos with Cabbage Slaw & Chipotle Crema
–Cod Chowder with Crispy Potatoes and Applewood Bacon
–Corn and Tomato “Mason Jar” Salad
–Roast Beef “3-Way” Slider Burgers

S3 Ep. 6: Aaron Cohen Wants to Crack the Code for Online Ordering

Aaron Cohen couldn’t have imagined how his scoop shop would be transformed by the Covid-19 crisis. He went from serving up scoops to the neighborhood, to solving the logistical challenges of socially distanced pint pickup, and running a popular merch store. The Somerville entrepreneur shares how he’s thinking about technology, marketing, and community connection.

S3 Ep. 5: Mark Romano Wonders How Bars Will Work When We Reopen

Owner of Highland Kitchen and Highland Fried, Mark Romano says having his usually bustling restaurants come to a screeching halt feels a bit like when a Nascar driver hops off the track to drive home in his Subaru, at 35 miles per hour. The shutdown has been jarring, to say the least. Romano talks about getting his staff on unemployment, hopping back behind the line to launch takeout, and thinking about how busy bars will function when it’s time to reopen.