Ask any New Yorker what their favorite slice is and get ready. You’ll hear a dissertation on, but not limited to, Italian-American immigration, the state of the city’s water filtration system, the importance of “skim” milk and adherence to the NY heath inspectors’ strict “additional expiration date”, Modernist Bread, the quintessential temperature to cook “sawce,” and some remote town you may have never heard of but now is pinned for future travel. Oh, and the proper stance for maximal enjoyment and minimal mess too.
Some may focus on the mythical origins of this exemplary staple, but it’s today’s standard bearers who preserve the pie. For me, Roberta’s offers manna sent directly from the pizza gods. They have mastered the art of the perfect vodka/tomato ratio, and then paired it with a 60-year-old family recipe for fresh mozzarella. Roberta’s strikes the same chord with some of those I admire the most, and they’re not alone in calling it the best pizza in New York. There’s a reason they have a pie called ‘Famous Original.’
Many of New York’s iconic pies can now be found outside of the Big Apple, but Roberta’s in Bushwick has something no one else does – Heritage Radio Network. The world’s pioneer food radio station celebrated its 10th anniversary this summer. Broadcasting live six days a week from two recycled shipping containers, HRN covers everything to do with food and drink from inside the epicenter of Brooklyn’s culinary renaissance. Since 2009, they have been an unparalleled source of thought-provoking talk about food policy and agriculture, as well as the restaurant scene. They’ve reminded us that what happens on the farm or in the kitchen affects us all with compelling human-interest stories. They have introduced us to up-and-coming chefs and brought us along for the ride as their careers have taken off in the industry.
Earlier this summer, I joined Tilit NYC co-founders Jenny Goodman and Alex McCrery on ‘Opening Soon,’ a weekly show about the journey of opening a restaurant. From idea through execution, the show features conversations with some of the world’s greatest chefs, restaurateurs and the vendors that help take a business from concept to restaurant. The 13-episode inaugural season just wrapped and can now be downloaded on your favorite podcast network.
I made my first appearance on HRN on July 29th, 2015. My debut was on public relations wizard Shari Bayer’s show “dedicated to behind-the-scenes talents in the hospitality industry.” Airing just before ‘All in the Industry’ each Wednesday is ‘Andrew Talks to Chefs.’ Author Andrew Friedman, one of the nation’s chief chroniclers of professional kitchen life, interviews a diverse cross-section of the best and biggest names in the business. His personal relationships and industry knowledge yield revelations from his guests that are not to be missed. If you know me, you know I live for a good podcast and listening to last month’s August 14th episode offered some personal gratification during Jamie Simpson’s conversation with Andrew.
LMT provisions is proud to annually sponsor and support Heritage Radio Network. In 2019 alone, we’ve brought episodes of some of the most iconic HRN shows to fruition. ‘The Food Seen’ explores the intersections of food, art & design. All the players that make the world so visually delicious are heard, from photographers, food stylists, and restaurateurs to industrial and interior designers. ‘The Farm Report’ takes us outside the metropolis, reminding and updating us on the people, processes, and policies that shape how food is produced today.
Regardless of your role in the industry, you can hear your friends, mentors and thought-leaders on the radio right now… on this independent, member-supported, 501(c)(3) nonprofit radio station. We stand in solidarity with those committed to ensuring the ongoing survival of food radio. We wear our pizza pins as badges of honor and alliance, recognizing incremental change, one (sound) bite at a time. Join us at heritageradionetwork.org and select the beating heart in the top right-hand corner to show some love.
