How the Food Lens Guided Boston as the Pandemic Hit

A Chat With Chef Tiffani Faison (Bonus Episode)

We're not the only outlet that interviews chefs in town. In fact, we're not the only ones who interview chefs at NBC10 Boston! In this bonus episode, you'll hear celebrity chef Tiffani Faison speak with our social media producer, Kwani Lunis, for our Instagram interview series, "10 Questions With NBC10 Boston." Faison, a James Bearf finalist known nationally for her appearances on "Top Chef" and "Chopped" and locally for her four well-regarded restaurants in Fenway, touches on the dish she misses making the most, as well as what she's done to get her restaurants back to business and how she's taken part in the Black Lives Matter movement. To watch the full conversation, head to our Instagram page: @NBC10Boston. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Rooftop Gardening at Quincy Steakhouse Alba

Leo Keka escaped communist Albania in 1990, then made his way to Boston and worked his way up the food scene after starting as a dishwasher. He opened Alba in Quincy just after 9/11, when the country was reeling; the coronavirus brought another major hurdle right as he planned to open a second restaurant. But Keka and Alba managed to stay open for takeout during the pandemic, and now that dining at restaurants is back on again, his profits are coming back, along with his plans for that second restaurant. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Beloved Boston Brasserie Eastern Standard and Its Uncertain Future

Chef Nemo Bolin has gotten to make an iconic dish at this restaurant around the corner from Fenway Park that he'd loved eating for years. But the coronavirus closed Eastern Standard in March and kept it closed through its 15-year anniversary in May. Now, the owner has said that a dispute over rent may mean the restaurant won't be able to reopen in Kenmore Square. Chef Bolin addressed that and more in our interview. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

How the Food Lens Guided Boston as the Pandemic Hit

In normal times, the Food Lens website and podcast offer a guide to Boston’s food scene, but the pandemic forced some drastic changes, just like it did to the restaurant industry. Molly Ford and Catherine Smart told us how they were able to shift from reporting on the best places to go out for food and drinks to what’s open for takeout and delivery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Detroit-Style Pizza in Medford at LongCross Bar + Kitchen

In chef Howie Haywood's long career, he's worked for one of Boston's first celebrity chefs, played restaurant-league rugby in France and owned his own restaurant in a heavenly part of New England. But COVID-19 forced him to stay home from the three Boston-area restaurants he now oversees as executive chef and "food guy," LongCross, Olde Magoun's Saloon and Blackmoor Bar and Kitchen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].