JA: I’m pretty excited about our pop up that is at The Royal Palms Shuffle Board Club in Brooklyn. We have been open for about a week and we will run through the middle of Jan. AM: What is the hope for this pop up? JA: Well hopefully they like the pop up and we can continue to be there! AM: How did Late Nite Eats come about and what is it about this show that drew you in to being a part of it as you are currently in your second season. JA: I remember when I was talking with the executives at the network and we were throwing around ideas of doing a show. I knew I wanted to do a show where I could travel and introduce people to bars and their menus. About two months later, I got a call and they were like, "do you want to host a show that focuses on bars/restaurants in the late night scene?" I have been able to travel all over the US doing this show and being able to see whats out there and what's trending which is fantastic. AM: Are you part of the cannabis cooking movement? JA: I am really intrigued by it and interestingly enough, my business partners and I have been talking about it as I think that it is the next movement in terms of the culinary world. AM: What is your style with that in terms of flavors and effects in savory and sweet specialties and will this be something that you will bring into your restaurants? JA: Well I am still in the R&D phase and that's why I am excited about planning the menu and participating in this dinner tomorrow for James Beard. It's a great way for me to learn and try
out! Since I'm still in R&D at this point, there are still a lot of legalities to figure out. AM: We loved hanging out with you on the shoot, seeing you pop into the kitchen to make a few dishes and bringing out your inner model – you also have a great personality as evidenced by seeing you on shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Beat Bobby Flay, judging on Chopped etc – how important is it to you to be able to share your brand on these shows? JA: First and foremost, I am a chef and today, it’s important for me to be out there to be able to share who I am as well as to promote my restaurant. Being on a number of shows allows me to do that and being on Instagram and all those networks allows me to continue to amplify me to a wide audience. It’s definitely important in addition to everything else that I am doing. AM: Tell us about your personal style as we know via your Instagram, you can definitely rock fun colors. JA: What can I say, my personal style is vivacious, colorful and high energy and I love my clothing to reflect that vibe – I’m a pretty happy guy. AM: With all the things that you have going on, we're struck by how humble you are. JA: Well I'm appreciative of everything that I have. I love what I do and although I am driven and can be hard on myself, I am thankful for what I have been able to achieve. I know what it is to work hard and to come from humble beginnings and to know what it takes in order to be successful! AM: Where would we find you grabbing a bite/cocktail here in NYC, shopping and of course working out?
