Episode 215: Thomas Allan (The Modern, NYC)

Thomas Allan, chef of New York City's The Modern, a Union Square Hospitality Group restaurant in the Museum of Modern Art, has achieved a lot in his thirty-five years. A young veteran of Per Se and Eleven Madison Park, and a former Bocuse d'Or competitor, he currently oversees a kitchen that has dependably earned two Michelin stars. In this deeply personal conversation, Thomas details a peripatetic childhood that found him living in England, Canada, and Texas by the time he reached high school; why he chose cooking as a career; and the changes he's made to The Modern's kitchen culture as the restaurant defines itself in the later stages of the pandemic.Andrew’s next book The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food is now available for preorder! Please consider purchasing your copy/copies in advance and help the book have a great lift-off.Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related news.  THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!