FSR May 2022

ZIMMERN WANTED TO SHOWCASE AUTHENTIC CHINESE FARE AT LUCKY CRICKET, BUT THE RESTAURANT WAS ULTIMATELY A CASUALTY OF THE PANDEMIC.

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ndrew Zimmern has a lot on his mind. For the past 15-plus years, the chef and TV personal ity has ventured into new coun tries, culinary traditions, and

food ambassador. “I seem to always be going at a higher speed limit than most. It is something that I’m just used to,” he says. “There’s such a thing as being too busy, but I am really someone who’s more comfortable with doing more than doing less.” And perhaps because of that higher speed, Zimmern has amassed a wealth of knowledge. Even in casual conversa tion, he easily rattles off statistics related to inflation rates, restaurants’ share in the national GDP, and diet-related epi demics. But the chef isn’t content to just learn—he also wants to teach others. THE STATE OF THINGS That desire has been at the forefront since the earliest days of his television career, when Zimmern guided viewers to faraway places they might never visit in person. His hope was that through

these virtual journeys, audiences would broaden their own world view. “I started ‘Bizarre Foods’ because I felt 20 years ago that the world was chang ing, and we had some incredible social justice issues that needed to be acknowl edged. I thought it would help to do a show like ‘Bizarre Foods,’ where people in Japan could see how people in Nor way ate, and people in Norway could see how people in Argentina ate,” he says. “And I thought that would help promote patience, tolerance, and understand ing in a world that seemed to be run ning short on it. That was my feeling 20 years ago, and it’s been even more con firmed now.” Although Zimmern doesn’t outright say conditions have deteriorated over the last two decades, he does name a num ber of pain points that have worsened, from minimum wage and gender equity

cultural connections through programs like “Bizarre Foods”and “Delicious Des tinations.” But more recently, Zimmern’s focus has shifted as he dives into meat ier topics. The change has also manifested in his appearance. During the pandemic, he traded in those signature round glasses for rectangular specs and also began sporting a beard. Still, Zimmern remains driven by a trademark curios ity that has guided his adventures across continents and earned him four James Beard Awards and an Emmy. In addition to this work, he’s also a published author, restaurant and hospitality group founder, consultant, and most recently, a world

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FSRMAGAZINE.COM

MAY 2022