Repertoire with Chef Sammy Monsour

In this episode of Repertoire, I travel to Los Angeles, California to sit down with Mei Lin—James Beard Award–winning chef, Top Chef champion, and the creative mind behind Daybird, the first fast-casual Szechuan hot chicken spot in the U.S.Born in China and raised in Detroit, Mei’s path through food is a story of balance—between precision and intuition, heat and harmony, tradition and reinvention. Her journey spans from fine dining kitchens like Wolfgang Puck’s Spago and Michael Voltaggio’s

In this episode of Repertoire, I continue my conversation with James Beard Award–winning chef and Saltbox Seafood Joint founder Ricky Moore—a man who’s turned frying fish into an act of storytelling, mentorship, and self-discovery.In Part 2, we dig even deeper into Ricky’s philosophy on leadership, culture, and the craft of cooking. What begins as a conversation about building better kitchens evolves into a masterclass on purpose and presence. Ricky and I dig into what it truly means to

In this episode of Repertoire, I’m in Durham, North Carolina, where the scent of hot oil, vinegar, and fresh herbs drifts down the block from Saltbox Seafood Joint—a place that’s redefined what it means to serve North Carolina seafood with soul.My guest, Chef Ricky Moore, is a James Beard Award–winning chef, cookbook author, Army veteran, and proud North Carolina native. His journey spans fine dining kitchens around the world, yet it’s here—on the side of the road in Durham—where he

In this episode of Repertoire, I’m in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, where oyster shells clink and the tide meets the bar, sitting down with Renée Erickson—James Beard Award–winning chef, restaurateur, author, and the creative force behind The Walrus and the Carpenter and her celebrated restaurant group, Sea Creatures.Renée’s food has always carried a quiet confidence—briny, romantic, and rooted in grace. Her restaurants feel like art installations you can eat inside of, shaped by her

In this episode of Repertoire with Chef Sammy Monsour, I travel to Saint Louis Park, Minnesota—just outside Minneapolis—to sit down with Andrew Zimmern, the Emmy and four-time James Beard Award–winning chef, writer, television host, and global advocate whose work has redefined how we talk about food.Andrew’s career spans continents and decades: creator and host of Bizarre Foods, What’s Eating America, and Family Dinner; founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition and the

In this episode of Repertoire, I travel to the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle to sit down with J. Kenji López-Alt—New York Times bestselling author of The Food Lab and The Wok, James Beard Award winner, YouTube creator, dad, knife nerd, and one of the most influential food writers of our time.Kenji’s impact on the way home cooks and chefs approach food is unmatched. From reverse-searing steak to slathering turkeys with mayo, he’s built a career on peeling back the science behind cooking

In this episode of Repertoire, Chef Sammy Monsour heads to Deep Run, North Carolina to sit down with the legendary Vivian Howard—chef, restaurateur, television host, cookbook author, and one of the most celebrated culinary voices of the South.Vivian first captured national attention with her Emmy Award–winning PBS series A Chef’s Life, which spotlighted the food traditions of eastern North Carolina. The show not only earned her a James Beard Award for Outstanding Host but also made her the

In this episode of Repertoire with Chef Sammy Monsour, I head to Washington, D.C.’s U Street Corridor — once known as Black Broadway — to sit down with Chef Eric Adjepong, a first-generation Ghanaian American whose cooking bridges West African traditions with Southern foodways and modern fine dining.Eric’s journey is remarkable: from graduating Johnson & Wales and the University of Westminster with degrees in Culinary Arts and Public Health, to cooking in Michelin-starred kitchens,