At Forsythia restaurant in lower Manhattan, Emily Swaine serves a menu both faithfully and freely inspired by Roman trattorias. Emily recently sat down with Andrew outside the restaurant to discuss her initial path toward art, how she course-corrected to the pro kitchen, and her gradual focus on Italian food following time in Florence during college, and early gigs in NYC Italian restaurants. They also geek out on their shared pasta love, examine the difference between cooking and cheffing in and outside major cities, and recognize the value of jobs that teach you what you don’t want to do.
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