About this episode
The Banter The Guys express what they look for in a dinner party host and what to do as a guest….and they hope you invite them over. The Conversation The Restaurant Guys welcome Tom Colicchio back on the show after 18 years! Giving some insights from his book Why I Cook, Tom tells stories from his early years, how he ended up where he is and shares some behind the scenes tea from Top Chef. The Inside Track The Guys understand the NJ culture Tom experienced while growing up and one of them had the same first boss! Several years later, he returned to 40 Main with aspirations. “So Jerry and I were ambitious. We didn't want 40 Main just to be a great restaurant in Milburn. We wanted it to be a great restaurant period,” Tom Colicchio from his book on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024 Bio Tom Colicchio got his start in suburban New Jersey restaurants with stints in NYC and abroad. In July 1994, Colicchio and his partner Danny Meyer opened the Gramercy Tavern in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan. It was voted Most Popular Restaurant in New York City by the Zagat Survey in 2003 and 2005. In spring 2001, he opened the first Craft restaurant one block south of Gramercy Tavern. Craftsteak and ‘wichcraft followed. Tom won the 2010 Outstanding Chef award from the James Beard Foundation. He has written three cookbooks and just released his memoir and cookbook Why I Cook. Tom has been involved with Top Chef since its beginning in 2006, where he has served as head judge. He won an Emmy Award in 2010 for Outstanding Reality-Competition Programming as an executive producer of Top Chef, on which he appears. Info About Tom and His Book Why I Cook https://www.tomcolicchio.com/ Enjoy over-decorated restaurants with Christmas cocktails through January 3, 2026 https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Check out New Year's Eve in New Brunswick, NJ https://www.newbrunswicknewyearseve.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys Reach Out to The Guys! TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com **Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.** Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe