Antoni Porowski

I fell in love with The Strokes when I was 20, and I'm 34 now and still listen to them religiously.

I love fishy anchovies and sardines and that kind of stuff.

I think the purpose of veganism is an appreciation for plants and veggies and fruit and to just eating cleaner... If you're going to go vegan, then really learn how to be.

I have experience more on the front-of-house side of things, but I've always had a strong reverence and a respect for chefs... they've always been sort of like my rock stars.

Part of the intro to life in the public eye is, you get a bit of attention from fashion designers.

There's not a lot of things that I'm confident about in life, but the way I feel about food is my one thing that I really feel such a strong connection to.

When I was around 18, I got kicked out of my parents' house, and I wasn't allowed to take anything with me. I slept on YMCA towels for a whole semester in university before my father found out and bought me a mattress. I felt really free because I was finally living on my own, but I was also really depressed because I had nothing.

What I've learned is that living in public life... it's impossible to have everybody like you. No matter what you do.

After the passing of my personal hero, Anthony Bourdain, I've been reflecting a lot on his influence on food culture. He made street food from around the world, that most of us have never heard of, accessible.

There's so much that can be learned from French cooking, especially really traditional, more modest meals.

Polish people have a wit and sarcasm. They're gentle but still very strong. Like, they love beer, which is traditionally so manly, but they'll put a spoonful of jam in it to sweeten it up. They're this wonderful mix of hard and soft.

Eggplants are finicky, complicated, and often misunderstood. If you know how to treat one well, then it shows that you have know-how and dedication.