554: Inside the Crazy World of NYC Restaurants with Emma Bengtsson (Aquavit) & Michael Stillman (Quality Branded)

Today on the show we return to the world of New York City restaurants with two great conversations. Just because Michael Stillman’s father is Alan Stillman, founder of the Smith & Wollensky and TGI Fridays chains, doesn’t mean he grew up wanting to go into the family business. Indeed, Michael grew up in the business, but it took some time for him to get to where he is today: operating Quality Branded, the restaurant group behind Quality Italian, Quality Meats, Don Angie, Bad Roman, and many more. We talk about the current restaurant climate and what inspires Michael to dive headfirst into a restaurant concept. It’s a really cool talk. And before that, we speak with the incredible chef Emma Bengtsson. Emma is the chef and partner of Aquavit, which is one of my favorite restaurants in New York. Emma joined us in the studio to talk about her cooking career, which started in Sweden and landed in New York City. We discuss Emma’s expert baking, what she enjoys about running a busy kitchen, and much more with one of New York’s top chefs. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.