Hello people, did you have a good weekend? Did you find any fun spring ingredients, and cook anything with them? What did you drink?
Today is a very important day to write to all of you because it marks the end of Women’s History Month. As you may have noticed, throughout March we featured a few of the amazing women who are so important not only to me, but to the entire José Andrés Group—they are part of what makes up this huge, beating heart of an organization, and their strength and talent and passion amaze me every single day.
Of course, I owe so much to my wife and three incredible daughters, and memories of my mom as well…who could forget her recipes for roasted apples? (And my wife Tichi’s very famous, very delicious garbanzos?)
I get to work with some of the best women…and the best people…in the business. This past month, we showed you the creativity of Bazaar Mar’s Head Chef Daniela Romero, who with her weekly “omakase box” showcases some of the sea’s most amazing treasures in fresh and exciting ways that surprise customers and connect them directly with the source.
“The omakase box incentivized us to be a little more curious as a whole, and push our creativity. It’s restaurant-wide: it gives us something new to talk about in pre-shift, and it gives the servers the opportunity to educate guests about a fish they may never have heard of or had before. The distance between the fisherman and the customer becomes much, much shorter.” - Chef Daniela Romero
We also heard from the Lead Sommelier at The Bazaar New York, Kara Daving, who took us through some of the most exciting things about The Bazaar’s New York wine list—from the more obscure wines of the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands to Burgundies made by Japanese winemakers. Her approach with each guest is deeply personal and educational.
“A lot of it is really about storytelling—helping guests understand why each wine, each producer, is unique—whether it’s something they’ve done to pivot because of climate change, or if there’s a really interesting, generations-long family history with a winemaker. They get to explore something new, and you see their faces light up.” –Kara Daving
And you heard from my very own Greek grandmother, my dear friend Aglaia Kremezi, who was one of the most important culinary minds in bringing Greek food to US restaurants. She has also been with me since the beginning of Zaytinya and is still integral in its evolution.
“The exchange of information that I have with Zaytinya’s concept chef Michael Costa leads to really creative things. He and José really want to invest the time to get it right—not that there’s a right way or a wrong way, but they’re interested in learning the traditional way and then go from there. If you know how something is made traditionally, you can be creative and really invent anything.” – Aglaia Kremezi
There are also so many other women who have made lasting impacts on this organization, like our head R&D chef Charisse Grey who, in addition to keeping our restaurants new, fresh, and interesting, is also working to bring new ways of feeding astronauts for future space travel.

There is Chef Patricia Blanco, who has contributed her own Spanish heritage and extensive talent and knowledge to so many of my restaurants, and recently helped me open the Capital One Landing at Washington’s National Airport. (She’s also the one who helps test most of the recipes that you find here on Longer Tables!)
There are all of the other countless amazing women in all my restaurants, both in the front of and back of house. There are the women who keep JAG running. I am grateful to each and every one of them.
And I couldn’t leave without mentioning all the incredible women who have contributed to Longer Tables—from the unbelievably resilient fellow elBulli alum Katie Button, to the legendary Alice Waters, and all of my awe-inspiring podcast guests—like former White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford.
Remember Dr. Jane Goodall’s reasons for hope? She’s an absolutely amazing person.
A dear friend's reasons for hope
My friends. It’s been a very tough week for many of us, for many reasons. I know when there is difficult news, and that the world seems to be falling apart in front of our eyes, that it’s easy to lose hope. I feel that, and I imagine some of you are feeling that too.
I’ve had conversations on my podcast with food legends like Padma Lakshmi, Dominique Crenn, and Martha Stewart (you’ve heard about our new show coming out in April…???) and old friends like Michele Norris. Getting to work with women like them, and many, many others, has brought me so much inspiration, so much motivation in life.
Please join me in raising a glass to all of these women, and also to the women in your life. You keep the world running! I am now and always will be behind you, and thank you for everything you do.
Jose, thank you for recognizing many of the great women who have made a difference in our lives. But please remember, too, that today is Cesar Chavez Day when we celebrate the farmworkers who bring food and wine to our tables every day! Si se puede!
Jose, thank you for highlighting great woman past, present and future in a field that use to be mostly men. Many in your life have shared so much with you including your wonderful mother. You are giving them a chance to share their uniqueness, to encourage other young woman to always be and do you best. Learning is a wonderful process. Sharing is a gift to those who receive it.. Growing is endless. Thanks again .You are the best .