Akhtar Nawab talks about unhealthy stress, smart partnerships, and present parenting. Listen Here
Chefs and restaurant workers take great care of everyone else, but often they need a little help themselves. Each week, Food & Wine senior editor Kat Kinsman talks with hospitality pros about they manage their business, brain, and body for the long haul. Is there a topic you’d like to know more about or a guest you’d love to hear from? Tell us at fwpro@foodandwine.com or tweet to Kat @kittenwithawhip, and subscribe to the weekly Food & Wine Pro newsletter. Subscribe to the new Communal Table YouTube page and never miss an episode.
Episode 34: Akhtar Nawab
Akhtar Nawab forged his reputation in the crucible of Gramercy Tavern and Craft in the company of Tom Colicchio, David Chang, Damon Wise, Karen DeMasco, Marco Canora, and other innovators who have shaped America’s restaurant culture. When he left to open a place of his own at 28, he felt like he was ready. Hindsight is a powerful thing, and a decade after Elettaria’s closure, Nawab has some powerful perspective on just how unprepared he was at the time, what he’s learned as a businessperson, chef, father, and human being, and how he’s applying that knowledge to his new restaurants Alta Calidad and Otra Vez, food hall projects, and relationships.
Visit the restaurants: Alta Calidad and Otra Vez
Learn all about Inner Rail: Omaha’s First Food Hall Opens in a Former Race Track
Catch up on all previous episodes: Communal Table
If you like what you hear, subscribe to, comment on, and rate Communal Table on these platforms: