Straight Talk Episode 24: Chef Daniel Boulud on Legacy, ‘The Bear’ and Being American

Straight from the cover of Wine Spectator and the season 3 premiere of The Bear, legendary chef Daniel Boulud invites us into the Daniel dining room for an exclusive interview about what it means to be a chef today, his legacy of mentorship and why his next restaurant will reflect a shift in allegiance since becoming a U.S. citizen in 2021: “I finally became American. I always felt like I’m French … but with my family here, I’m definitely settled here … it is more important to be American today for me than to be French.”

Straight Talk host James Molesworth speaks with senior editor Kristen Bieler about her cover story and interview with Boulud, and Wine Spectator advice and education expert Dr. Vinny returns to share some guidance on how to tip on an expensive bottle of wine at a restaurant.

Now available on Apple, Google, Spotify and more, including at WineSpectator.com/podcast, Straight Talk debuted in October 2022 and has attracted some of the wine industry’s biggest stars for honest, probing, revelatory and sometimes hilarious conversations.

Season 1 guests included winemakers Aubert de Villaine, Tim Mondavi, Tony Soter, Mark Aubert, Helen Keplinger, Thomas Rivers Brown, Greg Brewer and many more, as well as chefs Thomas Keller and Marcus Samuelsson, NBA Hall of Famer and winery investor Tony Parker and film, TV and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc star Sarah Jessica Parker.

“The Straight Talk podcast is a must-listen for anyone in the wine industry, and gives consumers a personal connection with our expert staff of tasters that no other format—or podcast—can offer,” said Wine Spectator editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken, who himself made several guest appearances in Straight Talk’s first season.

Wine Spectator’s Straight Talk podcast is available for free on all major podcasting platforms, as well as at WineSpectator.com/podcast, and listeners can email their questions and comments to [email protected].