One of the perks of being a foodie – in addition to eating a lot of delicious food is meeting fabulously talented chefs, cooks and team members. I honestly may enjoy the relationships I have because of food more than the food itself. That sounds crazy but if you ever dine with me, you’ll understand. To me, getting to know the chefs, cooks, front of house team preparing and serving the food I so love and appreciate is like spending time with your friends as they cook you dinner in their home. The personalities, stories and love of food the chef’s share with their guests really makes the meal that much more special and meaningful to me.
An example of a Chef I’ve gotten to know over the meals (and yes, over the years too!) is Chef Laurence Jossel of San Francisco’s Nopa Restaurant. You’ve probably heard me rave about him and his restaurant, Nopa on my Best Brunch in San Francisco Post, or Best Restaurant Bars in SF or Top 10 San Francisco Burgers. If you haven’t seen those posts, I recommend you read them! Chef Laurence is really like no other Chef I’ve ever met. Not because I truly love his restaurant, the killer food, amazing vibe and great team but because of what a good person he is. Aside from being a Chef, restaurant owner, Father, Husband, he’s also an inspiration in the community. Laurence, Jeff and his wife Allison, (all Co Owners of Nopa Restaurant) give more to the community than any other restaurant I’ve ever read or heard about. Kudos to the fabulous Nopa team for your generosity and support in giving back and spreading the wealth or in this case amazing food!
Me and Chef Laurence Jossel filming our fabulous interviews (there are three in total, I recommend you watch them all!).
Typically I’m at Nopa on a weekend for brunch – because their brunch truly is the best in San Francisco. I try to sit at the Chef’s Counter where I chat with Laurence or Alejandro (another fabulous Chef on the team who I adore). It is during our catchups while I’m visiting that I hear where Laurence and his team donate their time, ingredients and lovely food in support of local organizations. See more for yourself as I interview Laurence in a three part series. There’s so much good info one video just wasn’t enough! 560 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117. (415) 864-8643.
Interview one – Getting to know Laurence, hearing about his background, and learning more about Nopa Restaurant.
Interview two – Hear from Laurence on how he sources the various ingredients and produce found on the Nopa Restaurant menu. Also learn how him and his team create their delicious menu.
What do you think?