Podcast Episode

What Farm-to-Table Cooking Looks Like in the Mid Atlantic, by Opie Crooks

In today’s episode, I talk to Opie Crooks, chef at No Goodbyes at The Line Hotel located in DC.  The restaurant honors the traditions of Mid Atlantic food culture, exploring seasonality and harnessing relationships between chefs and local producers. 

You’ll hear how Opie got his start with some of the most well-known chefs in the industry, and what he learned from his experience at Le Cordon Bleu. He explains why his connection to the local producers is so important, and how seasonality inspires creativity. 

What we covered in this episode

  • Chef Opie Crooks' culinary school experience (3:20)
  • How the restaurant at Le Cordon Bleu stacked up (4:36)
  • Perspective on going to culinary school or not (5:34)
  • How chef Opie Crooks became part of the team at Roy’s (7:15)
  • Advice for aspiring restaurateurs (12:39)
  • The inspiration behind No Goodbye’s (14:51)
  • Why chef Opie Crooks is not selling a “concept” (15:52)
  • What farm to table cooking looks like in the Mid Atlantic (16:11)
  • How seasonality inspires creativity (16:45)
  • Creating relationships with local producers (19:31)
  • Ingredients inspiring him right now (23:17)
  • How the hotel restaurant experience differs from other restaurants (24:55)
  • Cooking food that needs to travel (26:24)
  • Comparing creativity between breakfast, lunch, and dinner (28:00)
  • Seasonal dishes to prepare at home (30:13)
  • The current food scene in DC (31:04)
  • A food tour through the city (31:45)
  • Chef Opie Crooks' guilty pleasure food (31:59)
  • Cookbooks to inspire you (32:15)
  • Kitchen pet peeves (33:03)
  • His condiment obsession (33:29)
  • Series of rapid-fire questions.
  • Link to the podcast episode on Apple Podcast

Links to other episodes in the DMV area

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Chef Opie Crooks

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No Goodbyes

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The Line Hotel

Links mentioned in this episode

Emmanuel

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