663: Restaurant Chef Life with Sara Kramer (Kismet) and Sarah Thompson (Casa Playa)

25:08The way the fish cutting is done and the presentation and the thought and detail and the sauces and the acidity balance. and I think it's interesting I saw you mention you know your name was on the semi-finalist for Beards I'm like oh interesting and then you make the finals I'm like that makes sense those voters out there in the west know what's going on that did that what was that like to be a finalist for the Beards that was it was incredible it's something that as a young chef like you always aspire to like the James Beard Awards are I feel like the pinnacle of like at least in the U.S. it's like the one of the biggest achievements you can get as a chef.

25:43And being on that list and being in the room with all of those talented, like the most talented chefs in the U.S. was an insane experience. It was a once in a, I don't want to think it's a once in a lifetime experience. No, it's not for you. But it was, it was really cool and really inspiring. And just to be able to like, you know, all of this hard work, all of these things that we're pushing for opening a restaurant like Casa Playa at a place like Gawin, there's like a lot of push and pull because the casinos and like people expect it to be a certain thing. Like if you look at a lot of Mexican restaurants on the strip in Las Vegas, they have a lot of things that are repetitive or things to draw people in where I really wanted to do something unique.

26:26And it took us a few years to get that momentum and get the menu where it is now. But now that we are and people are recognizing it for what it is, it feels like all of that hard work and all of that momentum is really paying off. Well, let's go back a bit in your career. Ten years you worked in New York City under Carmelini, Wiley Dufresne, you worked at Mireya, and you worked under Enrico Alvara and Daniela Soto-Inez at Cosme. I mean, when you were building your career and going to all these places, what was your ambition? Because you're such a New York chef. Yeah. I mean, I was always drawn to New York.

27:00Growing up, I knew I always wanted to be a chef. Like since I was in high school, that was the only career path that I wanted. In the suburbs of Boston and Massachusetts. Cool, cool, cool, cool. And I just, I loved it. And I went to culinary school and out of culinary school, the only place for me was going to be New York. And I didn't know where I wanted to work. So I was like, should I work at Grand Mercy Tavern? Should I work at Morea? Should I work here? And I got a job at Morea and I was just a line cook. And I learned so much at that job. Like I learned how to be a line cook, which is important.

27:29While I was there, they earned two Michelin stars, which was really cool to be a part of. And then that momentum kept going. I met one of my sous chefs, worked at WD50, introduced me to Wiley, and he was opening Alder. So I started working there and learned about creativity. Wiley pushes us to be creative. It's beyond comfort, and it has helped so much. I reflect on my time there, and it builds confidence. It builds your palate and it pushes you to do things in ways that are unexpected. And it's really fun. I love you, Bring a Balder. I was a fan of the restaurant. It was only around for three years.

28:06It was in the East Village, a little bit of a tough location. But you were pushing Wiley's WD-50 follow-up and you're pushing the same standards but more casual. Tell me a little bit about the time cooking at Alder. Cooking at Alder, I really enjoyed. And I learned a lot. It was my first sous chef position. And he is a great person to learn from. He is someone that's going to be back there with you cooking. He is going to show you why we do things a certain way. And he also worked in Vegas for a little bit too. So he comes and visits, which is fun. But it was a huge growing experience. And like I said, it's such a creative work environment.

28:47And you're working with ingredients that I don't necessarily work with anymore because they're a little bit more molecular for the style that we do. but just like having that base having that knowledge of how to manipulate and how to work with different ingredients has been incredibly valuable because you look at an ingredient and you can think of you know different ways to cut it different ways to cook it and then because of my experience there there's like another 15 things that you want to do with it because that's how he teaches you to think and it's it's really cool i love hearing that about Wailina.

29:20He's been on the show a couple of times and one of the finest mentors in the game. Yes. That's why everyone is such a fan of him in the industry. So you enter the world of Enrique Alvara. You join Casame the month three. And I think I had Enrique on a couple of months ago and it wasn't a sure thing, particularly that location. I mean, it's not like 10 years ago. It's not Flatiron is not really the restaurant neighborhood. What's it like in the early days and learning this style of Mexican cooking there? I came into Cosme knowing nothing about Mexican food. I didn't know how to make tortillas. I couldn't tell you what a guajillo chili was.

30:01I didn't know different types of beans and just I didn't know anything. And it was really cool coming into Cosme. And I, you know, was like, I know so much. I went to culinary school. I worked at all these nice restaurants. And then I go there and I'm like, wow, I have no idea how to make these flavors. I have no idea how to put any of this together. So for years, I would go into work and just learn and learn and learn. And it is so like learning is so rewarding. And like it's not like every day you come in and you're like, I'm going to learn X, Y and Z. Like sometimes you just go in and you grind.

30:39Right. But it was one of the biggest growing experiences in my career. And then at the same time, I'm working with Daniela, and she is one of the most inspiring people to work with. She has so much compassion and empathy, but she is a force and she is strong. And she leads by example and expects so much from us, but also guides us along the way. Like Wiley, she's there with us, pushing us and having us grow. And, you know, she taught me how to make tortillas. She taught me how to use chili. She taught me how to break down a pig head. Like, that's wild. And like, just in one place. Incredible to hear that, those early days.

31:20I mean, what's it like the early, the first couple of years? I mean, is it like a slow growth there? I mean, is it, because it's like a new concept for New York. I think that because they came off, like, I was in it. So like, I'm in the kitchen and I'm experiencing all of this growth from like a completely different perspective than the outside. but it felt like as soon as that New York Times review came out and they got three stars and that momentum like they just ripped the band-aid off because it was such a glowing review and I remember it coming out and that pre-shift Daniela read it to us and like people were like in tears because it was so impactful and then from there you know we just kept growing and growing and the food kept developing and growing and just watching Daniela's style evolve and those flavors continuing to be so bold and so bright.

32:09Like you eat the food, you eat it, and like your palate is excited. And I loved experiencing that with so many different ingredients and different like styles. It was really cool. And then, you know, it was really, like there was a lot of momentum from that. And it still translates to this day. Like the restaurant turned 10 last year, which I can't believe it's been 10 years. I know, it feels like it was a blink and it's a decade later with that restaurant. Did you ever get sick of eating the corn husk meringue dessert? Never. Never. It's true. One of my favorites. Sometimes I have to stop myself from just eating it because it's so good.

32:44I know. It's one of my favorite desserts. And I think the pastry program there is really exciting, too. And if you're in New York, costume is always on my recommendation list. If you can book, it's an exciting time. All right. For you, you get the call to go to Vegas. Obviously, you're from Boston. You're a New York chef. A decade here. What the hell is going through your mind? I there was a lot of hesitancy. It was something it wasn't like, yeah, I'm doing this. I mean, like I didn't know if it was what I wanted to do. And it wasn't a decision that I even made in a week. Like it took like about a few months for me to be like, OK, what's the process like?

33:22Like, I mean, is it a recruiter? Are you working at Cosme at the time? I was not working at Cosme at the time. But Daniela, I was talking to Daniela. I was like, I like I really just I miss making Mexican food. And she was like, well, I don't have anything here at Cosme, but we're opening in Las Vegas. So I was like hesitant because I was like, I don't know, Vegas, like my life is here. And I feel like a lot of people have those like Vegas moments. Like you're 21, you go to Vegas for the first time and you're like, like, what is this? This is crazy. Or you go for a bachelorette party and it might not be the experience that like is Vegas, you know.

33:57It is for so many people, but there's a lot that the city has to offer. And like I had had that experience. I went to Vegas when I was 21 and didn't have like the best time necessarily, but it was there. So I was just like, I had a lot of hesitancy around it. And coming from New York, I didn't necessarily think Vegas was as competitive of a food market. But I really stood behind the concept and I really, you know, was excited about it. So I, after reflecting in a few months of, you know, seeing what that would look like, I said yes. You said yes. You move your life there. Yes. And culture shock?

34:34Yeah. And then I moved there in December 2019. Yeah. And then the world shut down four months later. Yeah, exactly. So it was a really weird momentum. Huge culture shock. I had to buy a car. I hadn't driven in 13 years. Right. I moved a mile from my job thinking that I could walk to work. And you've been to Vegas. Yeah. Interesting. It was not something that you can do. Yeah. But it was a huge culture shock. Like the restaurant scene there is different and not a bad different. It's just it's different. And, you know, I didn't know anyone like my community, my friends, like even my family are on the East Coast and here in New York.

35:16So you go and it was just like, whoa, this is so different. Yeah. I mean, we were talking off mic, but let's bring it to the mic about the scene. And I think it is different, but we spent a good eight days there a year ago doing five episodes. And you can check those in the archives. Tremendous scene when it comes to like Cantonese, when it comes to Mexican taquerias and so forth. Of course, there's incredible Japanese cooking there too. When you're thinking about Vegas outside of Casa Playa, where are you going? What kind of restaurants are you tending to be attracted to? Well, as you mentioned, Chinatown is unreal.

35:56I live in Chinatown, so it helps. One of my favorite places is Chimon, which is a tempura restaurant, but they also have onigiri. And it's so cute. You get a little basket and you walk in and you do your onigiri shopping. And it's incredible. Japanese, there's always some good casual Japanese restaurants, but there's some good kaiseki's as well. You mentioned Raku, always a good go-to. And then they have the Tori do Koro, the Yakatori, which is phenomenal. And then there's like restaurants like Sparrow and Wolf that are really doing some really cool and unique, innovative things in Chinatown. And I really like what the team is doing there.

36:34The Arts District is popping off right now. Yeah, what's new there? Because, I mean, I have like go-tos. Like I've been to Esther's a number of times, enjoyed my meals there. But what's good there right now? I mean, there's always Vesta Coffee. That's my favorite. They roast all of their beans in-house. They have technically three locations. But one, they roast all their beans. and the other one they do all of their bread program, which is really cool. Garage yeast is always good for wine. There's this new bar called Dustland that I really enjoy that just opened. And there's a Japanese bar that I'm really wanting to check out called Bar Ginza that they've got a lot of really cool Japanese spirits that have come in.

37:08It just opened like a few weeks ago, but I'm really excited. And then there's a classic cocktail bar that just opened called Nocturno that's also really cool. And they're doing some really unique, really unique beverages that you just don't really see in Vegas, which I'm really into. Yeah. Well, let's talk about working at Win Encore and just what's it like? I mean, it is different than pretty much any restaurant in the world when you've got the casino floor literally there. You've got people in town for a lot of different reasons. And it's not a typical trip for most people. No. And then you've got volume.

37:43You said 500 covers. and as I said at the jump, it's really, really fine dining here. I mean, I don't know if that makes you feel something different, that term, but I mean it that this is not the style of cooking that you would assume is being done at 500 covered volumes. It is a really unique experience, especially coming from what feel like small restaurants here. Now, like Alder was a small restaurant. Cosme felt like a little bit bigger, But we're in a huge casino, like a publicly traded company. And like at Casa Playa, there's about 100 employees, which is huge. And we're just open for dinner seven days a week.

38:25But we're in a casino. So we like the resources of the casino are at our fingertips, which is really cool. Like we have we do all of our pastries in-house. There's a huge pastry department. There's a huge butcher shop that does all of the butchering. There's a Danish shop that just makes danishes, a bread shop. and then like you know if something breaks I just the engineers can come and fix it like the resources at our fingertips were one of the hardest things to get used to and they're all here to benefit us but working in a casino is so it's just so different you know they there's a lot of they expect so much but they give you a lot of tools to be successful like we're not doing 500 covers and like struggling with our like how many people are there like There's an army of people making this food.

39:11And we have the resources and we have the tools to produce all of this, which is really cool because I feel like sometimes you work at restaurants that are smaller. Even I've worked in restaurants where it feels like it's really tight or it's really hard to get there. And it's hard because we want to push our boundaries and we want to make sure everyone's having a really unique experience and have the quality of the food that we know we can produce. But we have the tools to do it. I hear that. And it's very unique. And it's special to as a chef to have healthy budgets and healthy, healthy physical plan and all that stuff that a lot of chefs struggle with.

39:48But you also have your challenges with the guests because everyone's distracted. Like, I mean, even if you're like the most hardcore fan of restaurants, you still have to walk through that casino floor. But then you got most of the other folks are there. It's an afterthought for many people. How do you work with that dynamic of people coming in and wanting, of course, to have drinks and talk and catch up and not think about this food that requires a lot of presentation? I mean, it's not you're not doing the typical taqueria style Mexican or Tex-Mex. We I mean, we get some complaints about that for sure.

40:28Yeah. But I think that especially now that we're almost going to be four, we're definitely more established than we were a few years ago. People are coming to the restaurant knowing what they're expecting. And working at a casino like we do like there has to be something for everyone. And we not everything on the menu is extremely like intricate and well plated. Like we have enchiladas. We have like some casual things as well, because we also we want to make sure people are coming in and having a good time. And I understand that, you know, sometimes people don't want that experience. And I personally can't relate to that.

41:04That's not what I want. But we don't want people to come in and feel discouraged or feel like they don't belong because it is too much in a certain direction. I mean, you get the term Mexican cuisine or Mexican food and your guests have one thing in mind and your menu is possibly something different. So you have to have the enchiladas and they're great. I think I had them actually. I mean, for real, like I think I wanted to try a few things that were more of the classic style. I think I remember that. And I was like, so odd. I was like, he's also going to get this fish. Yeah. No, the fish cutting and just the fish presentation.

41:40Tell us about a little bit about the menu items, what you're doing right now. Just we haven't really talked about details, but I want to hear some of the dishes that really feel iconic for you right now. One of the dishes that is a dish I'm super proud of, and I don't think will ever come off our menu, is our tamal. And I feel like it's on the menu just for me at a certain point, because I'll send it to people and everyone's like, wow, this is so unique. This is not what we expected. We would never order the tamal, but it's instead of using lard, we use whipped coconut oil. So the base of the tamal is actually all vegan.

42:14And then we have a huge heirloom masa program. We nixamalize all of our corn in house. And because we're doing such volume, we're going through sometimes a hundred kilos of masa a day. Like if we're like going into like a really busy service, which is wild. Like I see the numbers and I'm like, wow, this is a lot of corn. Like how are we doing this? But the team is incredible. But then we fold in our, for the tamal, then we fold in our squash and wrap it in banana leaf and we steam it. And it's just so light and so refreshing. And we top it with a mole verde. And the base of the mole verde is also coconut milk.

42:51So you get a little bit of Thai influence, but the base of it, Like all of that, the herb, the base of it and at its core is all Mexican chilies and herbs. So you're like kind of brought back and there's like a nice heat from the serrano. There's like a nice touch of lime at the end that just like brightens everything. And it is a really unique dish that I've never had anything else quite like it. It's a great reminder that Casa Playa is incredible for plant-based and you have a really smart menu for plant-based or pescatarian, which I think is something that a lot of people want, but they want to be surprised, right?

43:24Yes, it's unexpected because you look at the menu and, of course, it's Las Vegas. It's like what is pointed out are all the proteins and like, you know, the Wagyu, like the large format, the this and the that. But if you look at the rest of the menu at its core, like especially the appetizer section, like almost everything is vegetarian. Yeah. And that's how I like to eat. I like to eat light. I like to eat refreshing. I hate feeling weighed down. Yeah. And I. You're selling super Tuscans on your floor. I mean, even at a Mexican restaurant, people go to Vegas to drink wines. I mean, it's part of the deal is getting these bottles, especially if you're on the corporate Amex.

44:00Yep, it is. Certainly. But, you know, then for all of the short ribs, we also have like a beautiful tilefish. We have like a really delicate bronzino. And, you know, it's a fun finding that balance. Yeah. What about the raw side? Tell me a little bit about the way you do Mariska's and the raw side. That is my favorite section of the menu to play with. And that's the section I probably change the most. Like we have to do quarterly changes, but I feel like I will just add ceviches as I want or like change it up as I want, like very freely. We just put on this beautiful Hokkaido scallop with melon and pink peppercorn, agua chile.

44:36We slice the scallops and then we have jicama that's like the same size of the scallops that we punch out. We season the scallops with like a lot of habanero so it has a nice spice and we do all these baby melon balls on top. Very cool. Season it with some salte guzzano. Oh, my God. Melon right now. And I just I can't stop it. Just like bursts in your mouth. It's so juicy. And so like, honestly, it's very fragrant. It's very floral with the pink peppercorn. And it's absolutely delicious. Do you have any celebrity fans? I mean, Vegas is all about celebrities. I mean, I'm fans of certain celebrities that come in.

45:07I don't know anyone like the people who come in the most are the people who are working with the wind. We have a lot of like athletes that come in because we have all the sports team. We just did summer league. So we just had a bunch of basketball teams in. I don't really follow sports, but people were really excited. Yeah. I mean, I would think for an athlete when you're in Vegas, especially if you're doing summer league and you're working and have games, this is great food for that. Yeah. I'm actually blown away by how much the athletes eat. Like, it's not surprising, but we'll have large format entrees that are designed for four people and they'll order one for themselves.

45:41And I'm like, that's like three and a half pounds of meat. And they're like, yeah, they ate the whole thing. And I was like, that's so cool. Yeah. I mean, we're in the protein era. Yeah. You got to get those macros going. I mean, you're not a sports fan, but it must be fun to be like on a stage. Because like when you're in Las Vegas, you're on a stage. I mean, and you're out in the dining room, which I love, like, you know, touching tables and chatting with the guests. And you're great with that. And that must be kind of fun. It is fun. It's fun. And it's fun just to be out there. One of the reasons why I got into food to begin with was I loved seeing people's faces light up when you make something for them.

46:21And it's delicious. Like I love that sparkle in their eye, like the smile and like the like, you know, the nod. Like that's good. So I like going out and like seeing that and being able to share it. And also, you know, not everyone wants to hear about the details of the tamal or like why the mole blanco is like such a unique mole. But, you know, you can appreciate what we're doing. You can appreciate like the truffle or the like mushroom that we're getting locally. And you can pick and choose like the bits of information that, you know, there's so much that goes into the dish. And there's like, you know, what do we share and what do we like bring out that like will make the guest experience that much better?

46:56I mean, going back to even a decade ago, have you noticed any changes in diners kind of understanding cuisine? and maybe it's food television has gotten so good now between competition and documentary and just like food media and all the writing that we do here at Taste is as good as ever, the quality of it. Do you feel diners actually care about the municipalization? I think that Vegas gets a solid 50-50. Got it. I think that there are the people that are, like you mentioned, like they're in Vegas because there's a convention and it's at the Wynn and this is just the restaurant that they're going to and they don't think about it at all.

47:35But then we get the people who are in town for conventions and they seek us out because they know that we have heirloom corn program and we do the next small. And they know that we're getting sushi grade, like compache, like flown in from Japan for our compache dish. And like these super unique, you know, chilies like from Oaxaca, like we're getting fresh huilacoche that we get like shipped in weekly so we can have like a really beautiful like huilacoche esquites for our scallop. And like, they know that and they get excited about that. And I love that that momentum is happening because in New York, New York is like a very food driven city.

48:09For sure. Vegas is a food driven city, but in a completely different way. It's like food by necessity because of all the tourism, but it's now turning into a little bit more of a food destination. So you get more people traveling to dine at these places, which is really cool to see, like even in the last five years. It's completely true. And I've observed this during recent trips. It's like, I mean, Vegas is as expensive as ever. So you're not getting the$10 buffets anymore. But in return for that money that you're spending, you're getting like really high quality dining. And the expectations rise with the price rising.

48:48But it's nice to have that reputation change for Las Vegas. It is. And it feels awesome being part of that momentum, too. Because I feel like for the longest time, like there wasn't a lot of things that were being recognized there. And people like there's a lot of copy and paste concepts, which is fine. Like that's what like draws people in. But then for all of those concepts that, you know, exist elsewhere, there's, you know, the Casa Playas or like, you know, there's the Esther's Kitchen and like doing something really unique and doing something that's like really in tune with the community.

49:20And it's really cool. You've got like Mark Vetri. Yeah. Doing his, you know, he's in Vegas like once a month or so. It sounds like. Yeah. That's the last time I caught up with him. So you've got these these chefs who are actually spending time there. Yes. It's not just their name. I mean, some chefs just have their name on the billboard and they're there very infrequently. That's OK. You know, I respect that. But they're there cooking. Yeah. It's very cool. And it's like it just brings the momentum to the city and like having the 50 best awards there. And then we're doing the 50 best North America.

49:50It brings a lot of people to the city that might not have been drawn there otherwise. But like they go and they see like, oh, like this is like this is a real food city. And like a lot of people from the 50 best, at least that are in the U.S., like have come back. And I was like, this is awesome. Yeah. Like, I really like to see this. So you're a James Beard finalist. You've been there for four years. I mean, Sarah, what's the what's the roadmap for you? I mean, are you staying in Vegas? I mean, it sounds like things are going well, but like you've got ambition here. I know you've got other things in your mind.

50:21I it took me, honestly, until this year, I would say, or like maybe this calendar year, not this. like since January to like really feel like at home in Vegas. It wasn't something that came overnight and it wasn't something that like, you know, there are so many ups and downs and highs and lows and like getting used to working in a casino and navigating that and like being in a city where you just don't know anyone. Like it's not, it's different. It's not easy. But something happened at Casa Playa about a year ago. Like it could be like our chef team is super established and really pushing. And like our team is like, like we don't have a lot of turnover and like our team has really good momentum.

51:05And like everything just like clicked and fell into place. And like that's when we started, you know, doing this James Beard thing. And that's when we started like we did the collaboration with Elena Regatas. We did all of these really cool things and it just kind of pushed us. It brought this restaurant to a place that I knew it could be. and we just like needed that extra little oomph and it feels incredible. So it's not something that I want to step away from yet because I feel like we're not done. Yeah, and you also put in so much time to figure out this system. Yeah. I mean, how many codes are in your head?

51:39I mean, like, I feel like you, it would be silly to walk away now that you have this like domain expertise about working in a massive casino restaurant. It was just like, I was talking with my coworkers. It was just like, just the purchasing department alone. Like there's one person that we go to just for proteins. There's one person we go to just for produce. There's one person that we go to just for plates. And I'm like keeping track of all of it. And I'm just like, how do I just like have this in my head? Like this is not going to help me at all in my life. But like it helps me on a day to day.

52:11Well, I think, I mean, it helps you in life because you can obviously now operate at that kind of scale around the world. I mean, and then there's high demand for that. I mean, do you have your eyes on like locations within the Wynn? Like, I mean, there's always going to be spaces that are open that maybe you could do a taqueria. Do a bakery. Do an ice cream shop. I really like I think that there's a lot of opportunity for Casa Playa to grow, whether it's like in a different market or like within the hotel. Yeah. Like there's a huge demand for just like a casual taqueria. Like I would love to do that, like using the heirloom corn.

52:47Like having it be super, super easy and approachable because for everyone who wants to have a really fine dining experience and experience the like moriscos or like the really beautiful tile fish with like we dry out the scales and we like pour hot oil and they, you know, they dance. Like there's someone who just wants to have an El Pastor taco. And I honestly can relate to that. Like half the time I just want an El Pastor taco too. Yeah, definitely. So like let's find a way to get the best of all of those worlds and like we could do that. Like I would love to see that type of growth happen. And I feel like Casa Playa is at a place where we're ready for that.

53:20We're ready for the next step. We're ready to like keep pushing. And also like part of that is having an amazing chef team too. Like my chef team is like there. Like I don't have to worry when I'm not here. I'm in New York right now. And like the restaurant is actually not open today. But I never worry when I'm not there. And I think that like really speaks volumes to the people that are there pushing and grinding every day. Oh, yeah. Which I really appreciate. Have you hit up any New York taquerias? I mean, like Los Tacos or any of the Greenpoint spots. I mean, there's so many. I mean, we just got here yesterday.

53:50Okay, okay. I really want to go to Santo Taco. Yeah. Have you been? I have, and Eliza's been a couple times. We've talked about it quite a bit on the show, and quite a buzzy place. I mean, this is the restaurant above La Esquina that is getting incredible buzz. Yeah. Barbacoa, right? Yeah, and they do the pastor, but they do beef pastor on the trompo. Beef pastor on the trompo, yeah. It looks incredible. I mean, we're doing, we're staying right by Chelsea Market, so we probably will hit up those tacos if, like, necessity one day. But it's always so good. It's always so good. I'm never mad about that.

54:21No, no, definitely not mad. Yeah, there's definitely, a lot has been written about the taqueria scene in New York is incredible right now. So I hope you can check out some spots. We have a list. It's funny. I'm here with my two sous chefs, and they don't come to New York often. And I was just like, I don't want any recommendations. I'm going to plan this all. And they're like, but we really want to go to this taqueria. Yeah. And I was like, good, that's on my list. Yeah. You guys like, OK, OK. It's like we're all on the same page here. We got this. That's how fun is that? What a what a pleasure speaking with you.

54:50This has been so much fun. This has been great. Thank you for having me. Yeah. On This is Taste, we ask guests about the discerning taste. So to close this interview, here's a little rapid fire, fast and furious taste check. Sarah, are you ready? Let's do this. The best fruit. Mangoes. What kind of mangoes? When? Champagne mangoes. And like, honestly, now. Absolutely. We're recording this in July. great answer worst vegetable green beans never been brought up before we're usually a green bean loving audience here i know unpopular opinion i think it has to do with my mom steaming them to high hell when i was a kid and then forcing me to eat them and i just hated them yeah uh and i haven't gotten over that like honestly i'll eat a green bean like a chinese style like green bean with like all that like i'll eat that but like i'll get a papaya salad and i'll pick around them Yeah, no doubt.

55:41I love the take. It's very good. What's your typical breakfast? I am a light eater in the morning, like yogurt and fruit or like an acai bowl, something refreshing. And then I dive in more at lunch. As you go, because you're working a little bit later, I see. What's the best dessert? Any custard. Oh, wow. I will, like, I'll mess with ice cream, flan, creme caramel, creme boule. I cannot say no. A restaurant you wish you could bring back from the dead? Oh, that's tough. I feel like I don't know if there's a restaurant I'd necessarily know I want to bring back from the dead. Like maybe Alder, to be honest, because it was so great.

56:20I guess, yeah, I guess Alder. I like that. When you're craving fast food, where are you going? In-N-Out. Nice. Very quick answer. I mean, I never had access to it, and now I do. And I love their milkshakes, love their animal fries. And there's a bunch of them in Vegas. Yeah, there are a lot of them in Vegas, and it's a reminder that they are in Vegas. and they're not just in California. That's very good. A couple more, your favorite city outside America to visit for food? Either Mexico City or Tokyo. Oh, nice answer. So how do you go to Mexico a bit just for research? I try to go at least once a year, sometimes more.

56:55But it's important. You know, the food scene in Mexico City is insane. It's amazing. But I also like, you know, experiencing Mexican food in different regions and trying new things because it's inspiring. Love that. Last one, your favorite sandwich. So I actually have celiac, so I don't eat a lot of sandwiches. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm going to say pass. Pass on that. Fair enough. If you could deconstruct a sandwich without the gluten side of it, but just the flavor profiles, taking the bread out of it, I'm going to offer you that alternative. So if I could deconstruct a sandwich, I would say a Reuben.

57:31Like I would just want to eat all of that pastrami, the sauerkraut. Like I can't get enough. I love that. This has been such a pleasure. Thank you so much for joining This Is Taste. Thank you for having me.

58:06Rydell. Logo and guest illustrations by Ellie Skrzat. Visit Taste Online at tastecooking.com and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to keep updated on all cool things in the world of taste.