Topic

Q&A

MAD Digest, Q&A

Q&A with Esther Merino

MAD Alum Esther Marino is splitting her time between teaching at the Basque Culinary Center and diving deep into the intersections of anthropology, gastronomy, and innovation to rethink what exceptional service—and a great drink—can really be.
MAD Digest, Q&A

Q&A with Dimitris Afentakis

Chef, restauranter, and MAD alum Dimitris Afentakis has dedicated himself to bringing authentic Mexican cuisine to Greece. This month, Dimitris shares how his yearly pilgrimage to Copenhagen keeps him inspired, including by learning from MAD hall-of-famer Rosio Sanchez, and an exciting offer on the horizon.
MAD Digest, Q&A

Q&A with Rose Wilde

n the wake of January’s devastating wildfires, Los Angeles is struggling to rebuild. Stepping up to help her city bounce back is local chef, author, and social justice advocate Rose Wilde.
digest, MAD Alumni, Q&A

5(ish) Questions with Harriet Tomlinson

This month, Harriet Tomlinson shares how MAD Academy helped fix her “wobbly compass” and talks about finding a renewed sense of purpose as the caretaker of 180 acres of pristine Victorian farmland and forest.
MAD Alumni, Q&A

5 Questions with Julia Soria

Julia Soria, a chef and MAD alum with an impressive culinary career, has recently taken on a new challenge: launching her own bilingual magazine, Figo. We caught up with Julia to chat about going from chef to publisher, and where you might just see a wee bit of MAD in Figo’s pages.
MAD Alumni, Q&A

5 Questions with Alejandra Espinoza

Ecuadorian Chef Alejandra Espinoza had already hit her stride before arriving at MAD Academy in 2021. She was an experienced, well-traveled chef, trained by some of France’s best, and was already leading a thriving business. But in meeting fellow alums Karyn Tomlinson and Jae Bang, Alejandra got something she didn’t expect; friends. Friends who truly…
MAD Alumni, Q&A

5 Questions with Jon Polley

Jon Polley felt like a sell-out when, in need of a better salary and a saner schedule, he left his job at a hip Italian bakery to work in one of Pittsburg’s largest hospital canteens. But what initially seemed like a decidedly uncool career move soon proved to be the best thing he could have…
MAD Alumni, Q&A

5 Questions with Kirsten Kirby Shoote

Kirsten Kirby Shoote doesn’t feel like an activist, but they are all about changing the status quo, whether it’s pushing for cultural responsibility or bending farming laws in the name of sustainability
MAD Alumni, Q&A

5 Questions with Sean Gabbiani

Chef and two-time MAD Academy alum Sean Gabbiani talks to us about his long and not-always-pleasant stint in fine dining, and his current pursuit of creating a restaurant that’s about a lot more than just great food.