IN GOOD TASTE | CHEF TOM COLICCHIO, CHEF KRISTEN KISH, AND GAIL SIMMONS

We're excited this month's cover of Athleisure Mag is graced by Chef Kristen Kish (S10 winner of Top Chef, Fast Foodies, Restaurants at the End of the World), Chef Tom Colicchio (A Place at the Table, The Simpsons, Billions), and Gail Simmons (Royal Pains, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, The Food That Built America). We sat down with them ahead of the S21 premiere of Bravo's Top Chef Wisconsin. We talked with Kristen who is on the other side of the judging table as a host as well as her fellow judges Tom and Gail! In our interview, we spoke about the impact of this iconic food competition show, their approach to judging the dishes, what they hope viewers and fans enjoy when watching this show, and why filming is a bit like Summer Camp!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We are so excited to be able to talk to you guys as we have been fans of the show ever since the beginning! We have interviewed each of you individually over the years on various projects that you have been involved in, but to be able to have you guys as our cover for this month and to have you all together as S21 premieres on March 20th is amazing!

What was the dish that you fell in love with that made you realize that you wanted to be in the culinary industry?

CHEF KRISTEN KISH: Oh wow! Well I can tell you the first thing that I ever made when I was 5!

AM: Yeah!

CHEF KK: It was a chocolate pudding, but there was no chocolate or pudding. I saw my mom make Thanksgiving gravy and she would thicken it with cornstarch slurry and she would refrigerate it. It comes out and it looks gelatinized and so when I started watching cooking shows before I had any concept of food, flavor, or actual technique, I was like, “I could make a chocolate pudding.” So I had soy sauce, thickener, and cornstarch. I did that and it sat in the refrigerator and my dad came home from work and gave it a try and he said it was great and off I went!

AM: Oh my goodness, I love that!

GAIL SIMMONS: That’s a good dad!

AM: That was sweet. And Tom!

CHEF TOM COLICCHIO: It was no particular dish. I’m actually writing a book called Why I Cook.

AM: Nice!

CHEF TC: During the pandemic I was doing a lot of these Zoom cooking classes and I kept coming back to certain themes. There were 2 things in particular, both around my grandfather that I think led me to food. One, at a young age, I used to fish with my grandfather and I was responsible for 2 things – one cleaning all of the fish and crabs and clams before my mother and grandmother cooked them and my second job was keeping my grandfather awake on the ride home. So that was always fun! That meal, because it was a larger meal, it was 20 people around the table and I think that somehow I took away from that was that’s what food does, it brings people around the table. That was probably more important than the food itself.

Then I struggled as a kid with ADHD. I wasn’t diagnosed back then and my children are all clinically diagnosed and I found that cooking was something that I could figure out very easily. It came very easily to me. Once I started working in the kitchen, all that chaos just cut through the clutter in my brain and I was able to hyper focus on my cooking.

So it’s not a particular dish, but those are the 2 sort of memories that led me to a career of cooking.

AM: I love that. Gail?

GS: Again, I also don’t think that it was one particular dish, it wasn’t that one moment. My mother was an amazing cook when I was growing up and she had a cooking school that was run out of our house and wrote a column for our national newspaper of Canada as a way to be able to stay home and also work while her children were small. I had 2 older brothers and there was a lot of noise in our house. I think that it was just watching her do this all the time! She ran these classes in our house so there were always people in our home, she was always entertaining and I just saw how much pleasure it gave her and everyone and how fulfilling it was for her to nourish people and to feed people.

I remember that this wasn’t a real dish, but my favorite thing to do as a child while my mom was in the kitchen cooking was to put my little wooden stool at the sink and she would put a big pot in the sink and let me just invade her spice cabinets and I would squirt a bit of this and drizzle a little bit of that and take a big wooden spoon and I would make soup. It allowed us to be together and it gave me such purpose in doing that with her and it was just this imaginary game where I could be a chef and I think that that was sort of that feeling where this was just something that could sustain others and make me feel great and I just sort of loved that feeling of being in the kitchen.

AM: Wow that’s such a memory.

Well, Gail and Tom, you guys have been on Top Chef for 21 seasons and just seeing everything through this food competition, what initially drew you to being part of it and what do you hope that fans are getting out of it when they are watching you guys?

GS: Drew us to be a part of it. I don’t think that either of us were drawn to being part of it because when we started, it wasn’t a thing. There was no food competition reality shows. There was Iron Chef Japan, but obviously that was a very different kind of competition. So this was a real trailblazer at the time and when they came to both of us, neither of us knew what they were talking about, nor were we that interested necessarily because it didn’t seem like a rational thing to do with your career at that moment. I was working at Food & Wine Magazine and actually Bravo came to Food & Wine to partner with them, to teach them about the restaurant and food world and to help them with sort of part of the prize and to learn about the industry. They said, well in exchange, if we like one of your editors, we’ll put them on the judging table to represent the magazine as this partnership. I was chosen to be that person, but I very clearly remember that when my publisher gave me that news, I was sort of terrified!

AM: Gulp!

GS: But I was doing it for my job and I knew that I would still have a job after even if no one liked the show. I had this totally different job with the magazine and this became a side thing to try out to sort of – as a lark. But I knew that Tom was doing it and I had known Tom for many years. But more importantly, the magazine really trusted him. He was a Food & Wine Best Chef, James Beard Award Winner, and I knew that there was going to be a moral compass to the show because of that. So we headed out to San Francisco with very little expectations and I think that that has been the greatest surprise that it exceeded anything that I could have imagined!

CHEF TC: For me, I said no 3 times before finally being coerced into saying yes. I got a call from the producer who said they were doing a show and we think that you would be great. There was a show around that time that featured a chef and it wasn’t a competition and I was like, I don’t want to do that. Then they sent me some DVDs of Project Greenlight and I loved that show.

AM: Same!

CHEF TC: So they sent someone to get me on camera and they asked if I could come in for a screen test and I said no I’m not going in for that. There was a documentary done by a producer from ABC News on the opening of Craft so I sent them that and they said, they wanted to make an offer.

Part of the reason that I said yes and my wife always says that I shouldn’t tell that story, but I will! I got tired of going to food festivals and I’m sitting next to Bobby Flay and he signs 300 books and I signed 20 and I didn’t think that it was because he had a better book, it was because he was on TV!

GS: That’s a great piece of the story! Like if you were living in NY at that moment, everybody knew Tom Colicchio!

AM: Absolutely.

GS: He was the NY chefiest chef! He was the chef-y-chef and still is to the end! But he was such a NY icon, and there wasn’t like a history or a precedent yet where there were chefs that had huge national followings except for the few that were on Food Network. You had Bobby, Emeril, Wolfgang, and that was sort of it. So I think that that sort of recalibrated things.

CHEF TC: What I hope that the viewing audience gets from what we do is that – one thing that just drives me crazy is when people think that there is some kind of game that we are playing. That we are trying to promote one person over another. We don’t care who wins. I’m not a fan.

AM: We can see that when you’re talking on the show.

CHEF TC: Right. I’m not a fan, I’m there to do a job and to be as honest as possible. I hope that that comes across. We’re not playing favorites, we’re not saying that a woman won last season so a man needs to be in this one. No, we don’t care. We judge on the food and that’s it. The only thing that I asked the producers from day one is that judges make decisions. So far, we have made every single decision.

GS: And we have never regretted one either!

CHEF TC: Right! There is that little disclaimer that they say that they help us. If we’re stuck, they’ll say, “well you said this or you said that – what do you think about this?” But they don’t make the decision.

AM: It’s more like running the tape.

GS: Yeah!

CHEF TC: Exactly! It’s kind reminding us of things that we’ve said and trying to get us to discuss. But that happens so infrequently! It happened in a few finales where we were really stuck and because also I think in the finales we pay more attention to it because there is so much on the line and some of them were so close that it would just come down to –

GS: Tiny nitpicking things.

CHEF TC: But, yeah, that’s it.

AM: Kristen, we love that you won Season 10 and it has been great to see you come back for various guest judging, but now you’re on the other side as a host! How do you feel about that and what does it feel like to know how it is on both sides of the table?

CHEF KK: I mean – it’s still a wild thing to know that this is happening! But you know, I will say that having competed, guest judging and obviously when I was done with my season, developing a relationship with these two that went far beyond then the actual show itself, like coming back into it already felt like you were coming back into a family setting. You see producers that have been there since my season and long before, these 2 obviously, I’m very familiar with and so as new as the position was, me coming in and being with these people wasn’t a new thing. So that brought a lot of comfort. I think really the main difference between competing and judging and now hosting is that I get to be part of the whole thing! I get to experience all of the chefs and all of the different variations that they are and regardless of how long that they are there, I get to be there for the whole thing which is pretty fantastic! I also get to say that, “you’re Top Chef!”

GS: For us, where we stood, filling Padma’s (Top Chef, Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, Waffles + Mochi's Restaurant) very high heel shoes, there were very few people that we thought would fit all of that and I think that in a way, it was a very obvious choice to us. Especially because, we knew that we didn’t need to bring in for the 21st season, someone who had never been part of the show before.

AM: Right.

GS: It only made sense because we had created this massive family of 300+ chefs over the seasons who have gone on to such success that it would only make sense to bring someone in who had already been part of it and Tom and I were not the ones that were making the decision, let’s be clear about that. We were involved in the conversations, but it was just so natural and it made such great sense, because she has become such a leader in the industry because she won a season and went on to just – I mean, we have been sitting there being so proud of her for a decade watching as a friend! So, it just felt like the most natural, possible choice.

CHEF TC: I had conversations with the producers and no other name came up!

AM: There you go! We were so happy when we heard that it was you!

CHEF KK: Me too, me too!

AM: What did you guys love about being in Wisconsin for this season and where would you like to see it go for the next one?

GS: Wisconsin was interesting. We were just talking about this. We have been to every corner of this country at this point and we have been abroad, you know our last season, our 20th season Top Chef: World All-Stars was a massive milestone by being able to shoot the entire season in London and in Paris. That was extraordinary, but coming back home to the heartland, we hadn’t explored the Midwest. We were in Chicago in 2007 and that feels like it was an eternity ago especially in the life of restaurants. So I think that it was great to be able to go back to that part of the country and to explore its foodways (Editor’s Note: In social science, foodways are the cultural, social, and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food. Foodways often refer to the intersection of food in culture, traditions, and history.), its indigenous culture, its agriculture, its history, the immigrant populations that brought so much of its food culture, and I don’t know, we had the greatest time! We ate a lot of cheese, we drank a lot of beer.

CHEF KK: There was a lot of custard!

GS: Oh yeah, frozen custard was obviously a highlight.

CHEF KK: I mean, thinking about where to go, I have only been to Milwaukee and Madison so the possibilities on my end – I mean wow, there’s so many places that we can go far and wide. But even from their perspective, they can speak to that, but after 21 seasons, there are just countless places that we can go and there are just so many options.

CHEF TC: The best parts of the show and they don’t get enough credit, the producers do such a great job. They’re on the ground 4 months before production starts, digging through, looking at different foodways, looking for interesting locations and really sort of teasing out some of these challenges. The team spends so much time doing it and yeah, we do a little bit of research. I mean, Gail does all of the research on the restaurants. I just tag along!

GS: I know where to go for dinner afterwards!

CHEF TC: But they do such a great job of researching for us and every season, it’s just beautiful because that location becomes its own character.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF TC: It becomes a real backdrop for everything that we do. Wisconsin was so great and the people were really friendly and so easy to work with.

GS: Coming from London, London was extraordinary for all the reasons that it was extraordinary, but London –

CHEF TC: Britain didn’t care about us!

GS: The UK doesn’t have Top Chef!

AM: Right.

GS: Their culture is all MasterChef all of the time.

CHEF TC: And the Queen died.

GS: Then the queen died in the middle of our season.

AM: Yes, that’s right!

GS: So then they really didn’t care about us. It was sort of refreshing, I liked that, but we were completely anonymous, no one cared, no one made a fuss over us, but sometimes you want a little fuss. I mean, you just want people to care that you’re there – just a little bit. Although I think it made us work harder and it challenged us in the best way, but coming back to Milwaukee – they were like – I mean, they were ready to welcome us with open arms! And that felt really nice.

AM: Love that!

And what about the 15 cheftestants this this season? Is there anything that we should keep an eye out for or what you were excited about or whatever you can share?

GS: I think that it’s really interesting that they’re fun, they’re all really good people, and they have great stories. Again, our casting team does the most amazing job because you think it’s just about casting the 15 best cooks that you can cast, but there are so many factors beyond that and our industry has changed so much and I think that it’s sort of a chicken and egg situation. Did we help mold the industry trends or did the industry trends help mold the show? I think that there is such an interesting interplay there, but you know, the diversity of our cast now versus 12 seasons ago in all senses right? Obviously people of color, we have always had a 50/50 women to men ratio which let me assure you is not the ratio in the real industry

CHEF TC: That’s right.

GS: It is such a massive undertaking casting people who are not only at the top of their game, but all have stories to tell and all can cook and talk at the same time, have perspectives and points of view that will carry over to our audience. It’s just an amazing thing the cast every season and the people that we meet and what we learn about them. I think that this year you will see a few really interesting things. Obviously stories from parts of the world from where they come from, their origins that we have never seen before which definitely is played out on their dishes and also, we’re talking a lot more about what it is like to cook with a disability in the kitchen. Which, this isn’t something that we have faced in a big way on this show. The chef who is actually from Wisconsin, Chef Dan Jacobs, the local chef and he has an amazing story to tell and I just think that it ups the level of appreciation for the craft.

CHEF TC: I think that this season, the chefs were somewhat a little inconsistent. One challenge, a chef would do amazing and then the next challenge it was – what happened? It was just hard to figure out –

GS: It kept us on our toes!

CHEF TC: It could have been nerves.

AM: Just looking at your face, we can see how you didn’t understand how that could happen.

CHEF TC: It was just so hard to understand because there were these ups and downs. But it was a great season and it was a lot of fun.

CHEF KK: It means that the challenges were very good though.

CHEF TC: Yeah, yeah.

CHEF KK: Because it challenged different parts of you and you couldn’t consistently be great at everything.

GS: And the same person wasn’t always on top.

CHEF TC: Yeah, it was an interesting season and there’s some fun stuff! We had a Sausage Race!

AM: When I saw that, I was like yes! Because I’m from the Midwest originally – I’m from Indiana!

GS: Oh!

AM: I was like what? They’re sharing the Sausage Race from the Milwaukee Brewers?

GS: It was the best! It was low hanging fruit. That kind of sounded dirty, but you know what I mean!

AM: Yes!

This season each episode is supersized for 75 mins. There wasn’t a Quick Fire in the first episode, the way immunity is handled – so what are the different twists that we can expect from this season?

CHEF KK: You know, I think that I’m really the most excited that I think midseason that’s after Restaurant Wars or something like that – that Tom and Gail are also part of the Quick Fire. So all 3 of us get to have the same conversation.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF KK: Include it into the deliberation if you need it. It’s also nice to have the company and to have a little bit more time with them. So for me, that was one of the more fun changes that happened to do it with them.

AM: With the Elimination Challenge on the first episode, each of you had a task that the 15 cheftestants were divided to create 1 of 3 dishes. What was the thought behind the soup (Kristen’s Challenge), the roasted chicken (Tom’s Challenge), and the stuffed pasta (Gail’s Challenge)? Which we loved all of those.

GS: I think that we see patterns over the years right? We have been sitting in these chairs for a really long time Tom and I, longer than we want to admit and we see patterns in cooking. We see trends come and go, but even in the foundations of cooking, I feel that we and our producers have seen things that recur in good ways and bad, over and over again. There are certain foundations and techniques that every chef should have mastered long ago when they get to this stage, but amazingly, they get to the Top Chef Kitchen and it’s not that they don’t know how to make a roast chicken –

CHEF TC: Mmm

GS: And we know that they do it beautifully in their own kitchens.

CHEF TC: Mmm

GS: Or not.

CHEF TC: Mmm

GS: Some of them not.

ALL: Hahaha

GS: But it trips them up and they freeze and so we just wanted to first of all, put them in check and also, make sure that they understand that they shouldn’t be calling it in because something that seems really simple that we see so often on the show can be problematic and also for Kristen, I think that it was a great introduction for the first challenge because she had such a vivid memory in her season.

CHEF KK: We had to make a soup in order to make it to Seattle in the first place. So I cooked for Emeril in Vegas and there were 5 or 6 of us. You had to get his stamp of approval on the soup before you went on. So that was an easy choice for me!

CHEF TC: Roast chicken – if you’re a chef of this caliber and you can’t make a great roast chicken, maybe you need to rethink what you’re doing!

GS: Yeah!

CHEF TC: But also, there’s a certain maturity that you attain when you’re cooking for years, when you’re comfortable enough to leave something alone. I wanted to see who was going to over chef it.

AM: Right!

CHEF TC: Right? Versus having the confidence to just leave the roast chicken alone. I thought that it was a good way to start.

AM: Love that!

We all have our favorites whether it’s Restaurant Wars or certain guest judges that come in. What were your exciting moments of this season?

CHEF KK: Restaurant Wars was awesome! Restaurant Wars is fantastic and I love it so much. If I could ever go back in my life and redo one thing, it would be Restaurant Wars. I let it go.

GS: It ended up ok!

CHEF TC: I think you did alright!

CHEF KK: I just want to prove that I can do it! But it was nice to be part of it from the other side and now to be able to watch it when I see that episode – to see the thought process and the strategy that was played because I didn’t think about it in that way. So, throughout the season, I’m learning a lot about how to compete on Top Chef and I’m never going to do it again in terms of competing on Top Chef. But to also learn a thing or two with different perspectives and great chefs around the country who have something to teach us as well.

GS: I love all the challenges that take them out of the kitchen to cook in weird and wonderful places – on a farm, on a beach, in a baseball stadium. I think that it just changes everything and it gives us energy and it inspires us. But I also think that learning – everywhere we go as we obviously say – there are foodways, there are local traditions that we get to learn about and over the last several seasons gratefully, we have incorporated the indigenous foodways of everywhere we are – in Portland (S18), in Houston (S19), and certainly in this season in Milwaukee and I think that it really helps you take a step back from the way you think of food in the modern kitchen and in that sort of modernist way and we think that the way that we think of produce and agriculture gives us so much perspective as cooks.

CHEF TC: One of my favorite challenges was the Door County Fish Fry.

GS: Oh my God, wild!

CHEF TC: And the reason being was that there was this guy that does fish fry’s, probably 300 a year and he had a very specific way of doing it. We were all in the parking lot actually watching this happen and if you watch it with chef eyes, you’re like, “this is ridiculous. Why are you doing this?” You’re going against everything that you are taught. But the guy has been doing this a long time and it blew my mind that the chefs weren’t really paying attention to what he was doing. They were just like, I’m going to do it my way.

GS: Or I can make it better!

CHEF TC: Right, I can make it better. Yeah and it was interesting to watch.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF TC: We also at some point, they were all calm and then you saw them all come to this realization that they really should have listened. Should have paid attention.

GS: They definitely should have paid attention in math class that day!

CHEF TC: Yeah.

AM: What can you tell us if anything about the finale that we should be looking forward to?

GS: I don’t know what we can tell you about the finale – there is a finale!

AM: There you go! There’s going to be people there.

CHEF TC: There’s people there.

GS: It’s not in Wisconsin. Every year it’s always a little different.

AM: So Tom, you always say that shooting this show is like Summer Camp.

CHEF TC: Yeah!

AM: What do you mean by that?

CHEF TC: Well I didn’t go to Summer Camp, but if I had –

AM: Neither have I.

CHEF TC: You go to Summer Camp, you have those friends. You see them for 6 weeks in the summer and you go back every summer and you see them. When we do this show, there’s probably 150 people on a crew these days. There has probably been about a quarter or 50 that have been doing this for 10+ years and so you see your summer friends. These are our summer friends and you hang out with them. You go out to dinner and a bunch of us play instruments and we get together and play so it’s fun!

GS: There are a lot of campfires!

CHEF TC: Yeah and it’s a fun get together and you fall right back into relationships as soon as you get there. It’s just immediately you’re right back into Summer Camp.

AM: What instrument are you playing?

CHEF TC: I play guitar!

AM: That’s what we thought!

CHEF KK: He’s very good!

GS: I play the cowbell! I’m joking!

AM: Kristen, what are you playing?

CHEF KK: If there was a keyboard, I would be playing.

CHEF TC: We’re going to get you a little accordion!

GS: Oh yeah!

CHEF KK: I will learn to play the accordion!

CHEF TC: Absolutely, we’re going to get you one so you can play.

AM: When we’re in the kitchen, we always love our favorite playlists while we’re making our dishes. What are 3 songs that you like listening to when you’re cooking?

CHEF KK: I don’t know if there is a particular song. But in my restaurant kitchen, there’s certain kinds of music that we go with the Beyonce, Whitney Houston vibe.

GS: Wow.

CHEF KK: Everyone loves it – it’s not politically drawn any which way.

AM: It’s just good sounds.

CHEF KK: It’s solid music. A lot of Earth, Wind, & Fire as well. At home, I listen to Van Morrison because I have great memories of my dad. My mom in the summertime in Michigan, all the windows in the house open and spring cleaning starts and my dad has like a CD player in the kitchen and it would blast through the house – Van Morrison – so for me, I always like to listen to Van Morrison.

AM: Tom?

CHEF TC: God, It all depends on what I am in the mood for.

GS: Yeah.

CHEF TC: I often cook with reggae and Grateful Dead - Anthony Bourdain just rolled over one time in his grave because he hates them, but it all depends. I do like cooking with music especially when I’m home.

We do have music in the kitchen here in NY at Craft, I stay out of it! I walk down there sometimes and I’m like, what the heck? But it’s like, do whatever you want.

AM: Gail?

GS: I would say the same. I love when I can be in my zone in my kitchen. I don’t like talking to people when I’m cooking, it's my quiet happy place. Everyone in my house knows that it’s my space. It’s not to say that I don’t speak to my family. I can also get them involved. But when I am in a rhythm with music, it really is my meditation in so many ways that that zone that you get into – but I listen to all kinds of things depending on my travels, where I have been, what’s happening in the moment. My husband actually works in the music industry. He creates playlists so there’s always playlists on my Spotify made from him. It also depends on my kids. My daughter has very strong opinions about the music so when she comes home she’ll often change it, but I just love a rhythm when I am cooking for sure.

AM: My last question has 3 parts, and is part of our feature, THE 9LIST 9M3NU, this month, it looks at: a) why you enjoy cooking in the Spring; b) what are spices that you enjoy cooking; and c) for Tom and Kristen, what are 3 dishes that we can enjoy are your restaurants and Gail, what are 3 dishes that we could enjoy if we were at your home?

GS: That’s a big 3 part question!

AM: We did this recently with Alton Brown and he got such a kick out of it!

So what do you love about the Spring when you are creating your dishes?

CHEF KK: I’m just excited to be out of fall! Because growing up in a 4 season kind of place, Austin is very different. I had to learn what food seasons there were. You had two tomato seasons – there’s a long story behind that. But you have 2 tomato seasons, 2 strawberry seasons. But I mean, for any season change that happens, by the time fall is nearing an end, I can’t do any more with squashes. I’m ready for the green fresh and the vibrancy! Now that my wife has started gardening, she has a whole Spring list that she is excited about. I’m excited about the fresh stuff at home and to be out of the fall vegetables!

CHEF TC: This time of year, morels, peas, and asparagus, fava beans, and rhubarb. I just shot photos of a book that I’m working on yesterday and it was Spring. There’s nothing happening in Spring right now although we had some great weather, but nothing is coming out of the ground yet. But in California, it’s already Spring and we had a bunch of stuff there that we shipped in. You know, it’s my favorite time to cook. I think that part of it is that it is Spring Renewal and you’re coming out of the winter, food becomes lighter, fresher, greener. The flavors are something that I really enjoy!

GS: I think that there is a reason that if you think about the rhythms of the world, like even in religion – Passover, Easter, or Eid, they all happen in the exact same time of year for a reason because it’s renewal, it’s celebration of the Earth and all of the waking up of the world again and so Spring is absolutely the best time of year to cook. All of the early berries and the rhubarb. All of the peas – I could eat peas all of the time, every moment of the year! But I don’t because they are so much sweeter and I like to eat them in the Spring and asparagus. All the fresh herbs, everything comes to life and I just feel like there is so much flavor there and you don’t realize until you get to cook with them, how much you have missed them through the cold winter months!

AM: Very true!

What are 3 spices that you like cooking with?

CHEF KK: Ooo someone else take this first so I can think about this one!

GS: Not together, but right now that I have been leading on a lot, sumac, smoked paprika, and cardamom. Again, not together!

AM: Right.

GS: But they are 3 spices that I find really add dimension to whatever I’m cooking.

CHEF TC: I love sumac! I always forget about sumac.

GS: I’m going to bring you some! I’m going to bring you some! I just received this giant pint container of the most beautiful sumac that I have ever tasted.

CHEF TC: Spice wise, pepper, black pepper, and long pepper which you don’t see a lot of. Fennel seed, I just can’t get enough of that!

GS: Oh me too!

CHEF TC: I absolutely love it, it’s one of my favorites. Gail and I are lovers of licorice, right here. The black ones, not the red stuff that’s candy. Actual licorice is my favorite.

GS: Ooo White Taragon is my favorite!

CHEF TC: Fennel – wild fennel fronds woo!

GS: Delicious!

CHEF TC: It’s the best!

CHEF KK: I agree on the black pepper! However, I like to toast my black pepper. So I toast my peppercorns before they go into the grinder. It just adds a whole other dimension of flavor. One of my favorite spice blends is Montreal Steak Seasoning.

GS: I love you for that answer!

CHEF KK: It’s so good!

GS: If I didn’t love you before, I love you now!

CHEF KK: It’s so good, so yes – Montreal Steak Seasoning.

GS: On everything? No matter what or just on meats?

CHEF KK: No, I do it on vegetables.

GS: Salty, smokey!

CHEF KK: I have it as a finishing salt on certain dishes. I don’t do it at my restaurant, I do it at home.

GS: I don’t know why it’s called Montreal Steak Seasoning.

CHEF KK: I don’t know either!

GS: It’s not particularly Montreal spices.

CHEF TC: It’s like why is that rice that San Francisco treat?

GS: That’s a really good question! It’s a mystery of the universe!

AM: Ha!

The last part of the question is for Kristen and Tom, what are 3 dishes that our readers should try at your restaurant that you would suggest for our readers to come and have?

CHEF KK: One of Arlo Grey's most popular dishes is this beautiful Malfaldini Pasta not that it was done intentionally, but I cooked these mushrooms several times and it just so happened to be a mushroom that got me my first win on Top Chef, but people love to come to the restaurant to try it. It’s like a 4 day sauce that you dehydrate and rehydrate it and it’s just humble white button mushrooms.

There’s this Crispy Rice dish which is my ode to crab fried rice in a lot of ways.

There are 3 dishes that will never change those two and the Lime Sorbet which has pink peppercorns, coconut, and people really love it and it’s like the dessert palette cleanser.

AM: Tom

CHEF TC: Well, it depends on the restaurant!

AM: Well choose your restaurant!

CHEF TC: So Small Batch out in Garden City, LI, I would say the Braised Chicken Thighs. We do it with semi-dried tomatoes, soppressata, lots of sherry vinegar, roasted garlic confit and really good.

Craft NY, the Braised Beef Short Ribs are the go-to there and any of the pasta dishes that we make are really good. We make them all by hand at Craft.

Then Temple Court, the Roast Chicken is really good! It’s a Spring roasted chicken with lots of garlic, ramps, and mushrooms.

AM: Gail, if we were to go home with you, what would we have for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner?

GS: Oh wait, now I have to give you a whole day? That’s a lot of things!

AM: Well, it’s 3 dishes!

GS: Alright, sure, ok! That’s fair!

Alright, I’m a big egg person so I would always make you eggs in the morning. I like just a simple, well I like eggs anyway that you give them to me, but one of my favorite ways is just a really simple soft scramble with some chives and a little parmesan. But I’m very particular, I hate when eggs are overcooked. I don’t want them undercooked.

CHEF TC: You hate the Spanish Fry.

GS: I hate – well I love them in a Spanish Tortilla but the fried egg with the crispy edges – I like it when the egg yolk is still runny.

CHEF TC: Ok.

GS: You know what I mean?

CHEF TC: Alright!

GS: There’s a delicate balance, but for a scramble or an omelet, it really drives me nuts when you get that brown crust on top! A soft scramble means cooking it slowly. People just want to pummel an egg and that’s not nice to the egg. So that’s what I would make you for breakfast.

For lunch, lunch is kind of random – it’s not like I’m making elaborate lunches! But maybe I would make a roasted chicken with some spring vegetables or make you a really big fresh salad with a beautiful piece of fish on top.

For dinner, my family, we love soups all year around. We make a lot of soup and braises as well as stews because it’s really great for families to eat and to make in big batches! But now that it is Spring, maybe I need to get out of that.

I’m trying to think of dinner because I don’t have a signature or a restaurant so I don’t have to cook anything ever more than once! I love that as a cook, I can make whatever I want.

AM: That’s right!

GS: So I think that it really depends on the time of year and where I’m coming from. Every time I’m coming back from a trip, I bring back with me these memories of a favorite thing that I was cooking then so I just got back from a trip from Quebec and all I want to eat now is Maple Syrup on everything. So, I might make you a very traditional Quebec Tourtiere which is a savory meat pie with a beautiful golden crust. It’s sort of like a chicken potpie, but it’s a little heavier. Or maybe a Tarte au Sucre which is a traditional Maple Sugar Tart – for dinner – just tart!

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@kristenlkish

@tomcolicchio

@gailsimmonseats

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | FRONT COVER Stephanie Diani/Bravo | PG 16 - 39, BACK COVER + 9PLAYLIST COLLAB David Moir/Bravo |

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see IN GOOD TASTE | Chef Tom Colicchio, Chef Kristen Kish, and Gail Simmons in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #99 | CHEF TOM COLICCHIO, CHEF KRISTEN KISH, & GAIL SIMMONS

In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with the legendary, culinary trio of Bravo Top Chef's Chef Tom Colicchio, Chef Kristen Kish, and Gail Simmons. We talk with them about S21 which premiered on Mar 20th, we find out about how they came to the show, what we need to know about the upcoming season, how they approach their roles on the show, and more. 

This month, we caught up Chase Stokes of Netflix's Outer Banks. He talks about the upcoming season, being a dog dad, and upcoming projects that he is working on.

We also caught up with 90s heartthrob, Joey Lawrence to find out about various projects he's part of, his podcast Brotherly Love that he does with his siblings, and the importance of oral care.

We had a great time sitting down with Access Hollywood and Access Daily with Mario and Kit host, Kit Hoover! We have been a fan of hers since we saw her on the first season of Road Rules.! From there, she took on hosting in entertainment and sports broadcasting such as ESPN and of course, she has been at NBC for the past 14 years! We talked about her career, how she approaches interviews, and her podcast that launches Apr 5th, The Coop. 

We also chatted with Brandon Soo Hoo of Paramount+ The Tiger's Apprentice and Netflix's Mech Cadets to find out about how he got into the industry, how he approaches his roles, the importance of Martial Arts in his life, projects he's excited about, and more.

We kicked off Awards Season by chatting with Charles Joly globally acclaimed mixologist who created craft cocktails at the Emmy's as Johnnie Walker Blue Label was the official sponsor. We end Awards Season by chatting with him about pouring for the Governors Ball, the after party of the Oscars. He talks about how Don Julio has an array of cocktails that we can enjoy whether we were there or want to celebrate the red carpet moments of our lives.

We always enjoy sharing our favorite Olympians with you! In this month's issue, we have 3X Olympic Medalist Team USA Gymnastics' Suni Lee! We talk about how she fell in love with this sport, how she trains, being at Tokyo 2020, and what the qualifications process is like as she works towards being on the team for Paris 2024.

When American Rust debuted in 2021, we thoroughly enjoyed this show which looks at a small industrial town that has to navigate their reality when they see that there has been a shift in the American Dream. In S2, they continue to grapple these issues while navigating dynamics where they all see justice for what they feel that they deserve. We had the pleasure to chat with Executive Producers of the show as well as various castmembers who are back for American Rust: Broken Justice.

This month's The Art of the Snack comes from Mishik which is located here in NY's Hudson Square. We wanted to know more about this elegant restaurant, what we should expect when we come in to dine with family and friends, and more.

We know that when you hit the Spring and continue into warmer seasons, we do all kinds of traveling, and staycations are a great way to be in a different area while still getting to know your city and neighborhood in a richer way! In Spring Staycation, we focused on SoHo and stayed At NoMo SoHo which put us in the heart of fashion, art, great eateries, and more. In our interview, you can learn more about this hotel, what it offers guests, those who are traveling, enjoying staycations, or live in the neighborhood. We also know that in a staycation, just because you're in one neighborhood, it doesn't mean that you can't hop to another. We included the UES' Chola which has been in NYC for 26 years! We share more information on the restaurant, it's dedication to Indian Cuisine, and more.

Next month, The Joy of Sake will be back on Apr 11th where guests can enjoy sampling an array of sake as well as participating restaurants. We spoke with the founder of The Joy of Sake's, Chris Pearce who talks with us about why he created this event that takes place here in NY as well as Honolulu. He also shares what we need to know about attending this event. 

We first got introduced to Brooke Burke on E! Wild On. We got to learn a lot about her and enjoyed traveling alongside her through locales all over the world. Since then, she has continued to host a number of shows, and she has acted in various programs, created a fitness/wellness platform, been a brand ambassador for amazing brands, and is an author. We talked about her career, her ability to take her passions and to build the life that she enjoys living. We also talked about upcoming retreats that you will want to know more about!

This month's Athleisure List comes from Nobu Barbuda, an exclusive Beach Club where can guests can lounge and take in experiences from this well known restaurant destination. We also have Music For A While which is located in the Selina Hotel in Chelsea. This lounge is definitely for those that enjoy their music and a vibrant environment.

We enjoyed Awards Season and this month, our feature 9R3DCARP3T looks at iconic talents that hit the runway along with exclusive thoughts about the creation of their looks from them as well as their glam teams! This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from our cover editorial, Chef Tom Colicchio, Chef Kristen Kish, and Gail Simmons as they share their songs in 9COLLAB. We also habe actor Brandon Soo Hoo share his 9PLAYLIST as well.  Lionel Messi. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Kit Hoover and Brooke Burke. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from Chase Stokes and Suni Lee. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef Tom Coliccio of Craft Hospitality, Chef Kristen Kish of Arlo Grey, and Gail Simmons.

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag.

THE 9LIST HOLIDAY VIRTUAL EVENT | SETA APPAREL'S CREATIVE DIR., ANDREA SALAZAR (Copy)

Watch our THE 9LIST Holiday Virtual Event with SETA Apparel’s Creative Dir., Andrea Salazar. We loved seeing her line and artistry as she competed in Prime Video’s Making the Cut hosted by Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum!

Our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Dir of Athleisure Mag, Kimmie Smith chatted with Andrea to talk about how she got into fashion, her creative process in creating the line, competing on the show, what we can expect from it, showcasing curated NYE looks that we can wear just in time for the ball to drop, and what we can expect with the brand as we head into next year.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE 9LIST HOLIDAY VIRTUAL EVENT | SETA APPAREL'S CREATIVE DIR., ANDREA SALAZAR

The week before we head into the holiday season has quite a bit going on and we’re excited that our THE 9LIST Holiday Virtual Event with SETA Apparel’s Creative Dir., Andrea Salazar. We loved seeing her line and artistry as she competed in Prime Video’s Making the Cut hosted by Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum!

On Dec 21st, from 12pm - 12:45 ET, our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Dir of Athleisure Mag, Kimmie Smith will chat with Andrea to talk about how she got into fashion, her creative process in creating the line, competing on the show, what we can expect from it, showcasing curated NYE looks that we can wear just in time for the ball to drop, and what we can expect with the brand as we head into next year. We’d love for you to join us and you can sign up here (or click the invite above) and you’ll be able to get details on how to connect to the event.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

FOOD NETWORK NEW YORK CITY WINE FOOD FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE

The Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival presented by Capital One takes place starting today on Oct 12th - Oct 15th! During these days, there will be a number of signature events, Walk Around Tastings, Intimate Dinners, Demo & Dine, Master Classes, Cocktail Parties, and more! Events will include some of your favorite chefs and Food Network Stars such as Michael Voltaggio, Marcus Samuelsson, Duff Goldman, Eric Adjepong, and Brooke Williamson, who we have included in previous issues of Athleisure Mag!

You'll also find a number of our favorite restaurants and chefs that are involved this year from Rosa Mexicano, The Standard Grill, Buddakan, STK Steakhouse, Pig Beach, Shake Shack, Archer & Goat, 5 Napkin Burger, Little Owl, Serendipity3, Boulud Sud, Fig & Olive, and Lamia's Fish Market to name a few!

Be on the lookout to meet your favorite chef, to taste a dish that will be next level or to be at an event such as Bacardi presents JJ Johnson's The Cookout: Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Celebration featuring DJ CASSIDY, Rev Run, Ice-T, DJ Mick, Tamron Hall, and Angela Yee. We also have our eye out on Brunch at the Blue Box Cafe hosted by Daniel Boulud and Martha Stewart which is at the iconic Tiffany & Co. store on 5th Avenue. There are also a number of intimate dinners with some of your favorite chefs that are presented by Air France. As there are a number of events taking place over these 4 days, make sure to go to the website to see if tickets are still available as some events are sold out.

As you know, Athleisure Mag always enjoys sharing our favorites in food through our indepth articles, our monthly feature The Art of the Snack, Athleisure List, and our podcast Athleisure Kitchen. We're looking forward to this year's festival and in the OCT ISSUE #94, we'll tell you about the events we attended as well as interviews with those that we have covered previously and those that have yet to be included in our issues. Make sure you follow @AthleisureMag across social handles so that you can also see what we're tasting, watching, and attending during that weekend!

To get ready for this year's event, here are some of our favorite moments from last year's festival. Without a doubt, this is definitely a series of events that are not to be missed whether it's enjoying dishes and restaurants that have always been on our list or those that are new to you! Grab your culinary bestie and be prepared for numerous satisfying bites!

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Food Network New York Wine Food Festival

Read the SEP ISSUE #93 of Athleisure Mag and see FOOD NETWORK NEW YORK CITY WINE FOOD FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE in mag.

IN & OUT OF THE POOL | NATHAN ADRIAN

We are 1 year away from the Summer Olympic Games in Paris 2024! There is nothing like that time of year when we cheer for our favorite athletes as they make their dreams a reality! This month, we caught up with Nathan Adrian 8X Team USA Swimming Olympic Medalist (5G, 1S and 2B). We enjoyed seeing him in Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016. We wanted to catch up with this freestyle swimmer to find out more about how he got into the sport, competing in it, his Olympic experience, safe sun that allows swimmers to enjoy being in the water without sacrificing their aesthetics, how he gives back to the sport, and how he continues to advocate for men's health.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with the water?

NATHAN ADRIAN: Oh haha, you know, I think before I was even old enough to make memories to be honest. Some of my earliest earliest memories are my mom going and doing laps and I would just turtle on her back and just cruise around. It was something that was just always deeply engrained in all of us as a family. My sister is 8½ years older than me, my brother is 6 years older than me, so it’s something that I was born into and it wasn’t just something that us as a family picked up.

AM: That’s amazing!

When did you realize that freestyle was going to be something that you wanted to continue to do and excel in?

NA: Oh yeah, good question! So like, swimming overall – freestyle is what I gravitated towards and I had a really good situation and set of coaches that gave me what I needed at that particular time in my life and my development as an athlete. So when I was young, it was just fun times and it was all games, happy smiles and lots of energy. That transitioned into games and also, “hey, let’s set some goals and try to focus while we’re here. Let’s try to show up more,” and that kind of thing. Then, eventually, it was, this is my life and this is how I did it. I set goals, I worked really hard, and through that, that’s how I think that I fell in love with that process. It also me as an individual, looking back, swimming was the perfect thing for me. I had a lot of energy, it helped me focus and it also allowed me to set those big goals and then you set those little goals and if you’re good at it, you can set little goals for every month of practice, every week of practice and down to everyday of practice. If you achieve that, whether you achieve them or don’t achieve them, if you reflect and then you figure out how you can be better, that’s just like a little puzzle that you’re trying to optimize and to figure out how you can be the best athlete that you can be.

AM: So true!

Did you always dream about going to the Olympics?

NA: So that started when I was watching the 2000 Olympics. I was about 11 and then in 2004, I was trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials and I did not and then in 2008, I was like, “hey, I’m 19 and I know that it’s kind of young, but maybe I can do this if the stars align.

AM: We enjoyed watching you and to know that you have participated in the Olympic Games of Beijing, London, and Rio where you medaled as an individual as well as a team of where you swam along with Lochte, Phelps, Murphy, and all of these amazing people, what was it like to work with those people and those various teams?

NA: Oh that was awesome! I feel very very blessed. I really got to experience what I consider to be one of the highlights of Team USA dominance in the sport. You know, people who were around during the 70s and stuff, they would argue back pretty hard core, but that’s ok. This is what I would call the modern era of swimming let’s call it that. There were guys like Michael Phelps (28X Medalist 23G, 3S, 2B), there was Jason Lezak (8X Medalist 4G, 2S, 2B), Aaron Peirsol (7X Medalist 5G, 2S), Ian Crocker (5X Medalist 3G, 1S, 1B), Brendan Hansen (6X Medalist 3G, 1S, 2B) – oh my gosh, these guys had world records in each of their events and then in my 2008 team, I was with Dara Torres (12X Medalist 4G, 4S, 4B), Katie Hoff (3X Medalist 1S, 2B) at the peak of her game, I was with Natalie Coughlin (12X Medalist 3G, 4S, 5B) when she won. There were so many athletes for me to watch and learn from. It was absolutely incredible for me to be part of that and especially on that 2008 team, that was a transition for me from being a fan to actually doing it on that international stage. So I got to see my heroes and watch them, talk to them, hang out with them, and be a part of their team. As you move on from that, as with all things, you see the times that swimmers are going so fast as they are now. You take what they did and try to bring it in to what you’re doing and make it better!

AM: What were some of your favorite moments in competing or just being with them?

NA: Oh gosh, I think that there’s a lot! I mean, I have 8 medals so those are obviously a favorite moment. The ones that aren’t just as public, are those that happen when you are with a team or a group for 3 or 5 weeks all day everyday – like summer camp for adults! But we’re all there for a job with a very, very serious purpose so there’s not much messing around. Whether it be someone I think playing a prank in 2008 and they put a cicada in the trail mix bag which was pretty funny. I mean it’s pretty gross because they’re so big!

Another one in 2012, I roomed with Matt Grevers (6X Medalist 4G, 2S) which is one of my best friends to this day. He looked at me and after we both won, he was like, “dude, think back to a year ago, who would have bet on us besides our parents?” You know? Special moments like that are awesome because in 2011, I didn't medal in any of the individual races and Matt didn’t even make the World Championships team – so we weren’t even on the radar for winning. But here we are at that point, we won gold and we’re preparing for the 4 X 100 medley relay after that. So that was really awesome.

Just eating in the dining hall and experiencing that. World Championships is similar, but not the same as the Olympics. The Olympics are just that special feeling because you have every sport there and to just people watch and to enjoy that. You can watch the pride that people have in their country and as they are getting ready to compete and do what they can to win those medals that’s just something that’s really special.

AM: Obviously swimming is such a great way to meet your fitness goals. Here at Athleisure Mag, we like to ask athletes what you like to do in and out of the water to stay fit that we can add to our fitness routines?

NA: You know, I actually think that one of the things that we did was a lot of good mobility. I actually find myself that after pouring that first cup of coffee, I will just do a really deep lunge hold. My hip flexors, I’m sitting in a chair right now, I need to stretch these hip flexors out. I’m probably not going to do it here at work, but in the morning is a great time as you’re getting your mobility going. Same thing with doing some thoracic spine mobility. Again, this is before my daughter and my wife is awake, I’m just sitting in the kitchen doing Spider-Man stretches which are different rotational stretches. It really is that if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it! I want to be able to keep that mobility and then I do my best to get pops of strength in.

Certain days when I can’t get into a weight room, you need to activate those muscles, you do a push up, a bodyweight squat, you can do a single leg squat – find an overhang and do a pull up. Do something just to activate it and keep those muscles moving. I’m in a pool right now, I work in a pool, but I just try to do it. I’m telling you what I want to do, and I don’t always live by it. But I do try to get into the pool and do some aerobic stuff because you’ve just got to keep that heart rate up and keep it moving.

Definitely another thing that if you don’t use it, you lose it! That’s where Dermasport really comes in nicely because I’ve used it. My break is usually smack dab in the middle of the day and we’re coming in on a California heat wave right now so it’s about to be bright and sunny and I’m swimming in it. So I need to wear my sunscreen and then afterwards, I need to be able to take it off so that I don’t look funky when we’re talking to kiddos and giving them lessons and things.

AM: How did your partnership with Dermasport come about and what was it that you felt was synergistic between you and the brand?

NA: Well, the partnership came about because I was actually working with somebody with some goggles and they knew about Dermasport and they introduced me to the team. They sent me a trial package and I loved it. I grew up in Seattle, so we were doing sunscreen over the summer, but I didn’t have that 365 exposure to the sun that we have here California now. So when I moved down here, it was like, what do I do? Everybody was just like zinc, zinc, zinc – everyone looked like a ghost, the creases in your elbows looked all white even though you scrubbed and did that whole song and dance. I tried this and it’s zinc sunscreen, but it also moisturizes my face and I feel better after I put it on as well as more hydrated than I did before – which is awesome. Then, you do the cleanser which gets it all off and then the moisturizer afterwards as it’s very refreshing. I mean, it’s a product that’s made for swimmers. Even though I’m not still swimming internationally, I'm still very much so a swimmer. I'm a swimmer in California that needs to protect my face. My sister is actually a derm PA so she’s constantly reminding me on my sunscreen. I’m like, “no, no – I got it covered. I’m doing what I can to protect my face from the sun.”

AM: What will you be doing with the brand in terms of clinics, partnerships etc. that people will be able to see?

NA: I think that we’re still working on that and developing it. There’s actually a meet coming up here that I’m hoping – I mean we just got the product launch happening, so if I can get my hands on some, I’d love to go and see some of those master swimmers and let them try. I mean, this is one of those things that I know that people just need to go and try it. You need to just get your hands on a sample, try it, and it will absolutely blow you away with the way that your face feels when using this sunscreen as opposed to the other ones that are made to be in the water. I will say that certainly other people have made sunscreens that make you feel hydrated, that make you feel nice, but this is something that’s taking a beating! We’re in chlorine water and the sun so it has to have some staying power and it does!

AM: Are there any projects that you’re involved in that you would like to share that we can keep an eye out for?

NA: Honestly, right now, I’ve got my hands full. My life has changed a lot since I was done competing. I have 2 daughters now, so that’s definitely a project, I’m here at the Swim School and we’re running swimming lessons trying to teach as many kiddos to swim as we can. I still do a lot of stuff with the USA Swimming Foundation, traveling around especially during Water Safety Month talking about the importance of swimming lessons and how it can save lives.

I also do a little bit of men’s health advocacy. You know, I was diagnosed with cancer and it’s kind of an uncomfortable thing to talk about for some people and I’m pretty comfortable talking with people about it especially because it was testicular cancer (Editor’s Note: At the age of 30 in 2018, Nathan was diagnosed, it was caught and treated.) and I think that there is just a cultural barrier for people – for men specifically to 1, see the doctor and 2, to talk about an issue with their reproductive organs. Most of the time, when testicular cancer is diagnosed, the patients know that something was wrong pretty well in advance. It’s really sad in that way when you talk to doctors and they’re like, “yeah, so many people wait and wait and they wait until their lower back is hurting or they’re coughing up blood because it spread and they just didn’t know.” You can just be out there whether it’s a blurb on the bottom of the ticker tape on ESPN or whatever it might be and say, “hey, testicular cancer is a thing and it affects young people too.” That’s something that means a lot to me.

AM: How do you give back to the sport to the next generation of people coming up?

NA: Well, I was in the water for about an hour today teaching kids how to swim! I have another couple of lessons coming up later on today around 1pm. I mean, just doing what I can! I feel very blessed. Summer is an absolute marathon, just because it’s summer time and that’s when we can run all day long because kids aren’t in school. But it’s an absolute dream come true to be able to do something that I love, to be able to spread my love for the sport and to maybe ignite some passion in some others as well as give a life saving skill. It’s the only sport that is a life saving skill! I just feel so lucky to be able to wake up and be excited for what I’m able to do and to feel good about what I do every day.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be in the sport or in general?

NA: I don’t know. People who ask me that, I thought that I would have a better answer by now. I think that just thinking about it off the top of my head, like I was talking about in 2008, me taking what other people were doing at that time, making it their own and making it better. Just being a small piece of that – maybe the athletes of today saw something that I did or how I approached my swimming. It doesn’t have to be that every athlete has to do their swimming the way that I did. I think that that is something that I learned back in 2008 where I said, “oh, ok I can’t do that.” I can try this, or this might work or I can see myself doing something like that could work. For those that see themselves in something that I do, them taking it and then working with their coaches and then bringing that further and further. The cool thing about swimming is that we’re still setting World Records pretty regularly. I mean track and field is pretty fun and super exciting, but – the 100 meter dash there hasn’t been a World Record in quite some time. So that’s what I love seeing. People pressing it further and further.

IG @nathangadrian

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 52 + 55 Courtesy Narthan Adrian | PG 56 Stephane Kempinaire KMSP DPPI Icon Sportwire | PG 59Zumapress/Icon Sportswire |

FEEL THE MUSIC | JOHN NEWMAN

This month, our cover is Tomorrowland artist, EDM DJ/Producer, Singer/Songwriter and Composer, John Newman. Coming off of his recent Tomorrowland Winter performance when he debuted his latest song, Hold On To My Love which has been added to our playlist, we wanted to know more about how he came to the music industry, his sound, how he approaches his projects, his collaborations and of course what we can keep on eye out for as we continue into the Spring and the Summer.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with music?

JOHN NEWMAN: I grew up with music around me as a kid. I was introduced to Motown and soul by my family and once I hit my teens I was obsessed with hard-hitting house and Clubland productions.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to work in the industry?

JN: I had a pretty tough upbringing to be honest mainly from social issues and fitting in and being totally different to others in the town I grew up in. I didn’t come from money in any way at all either so, yeah, music was my escape, creativity was a way of releasing everything.

AM: You have an amazing background as you are a singer/songwriter, composer, DJ and producer! Musically, where do your inspirations come from and how did you hone your skills for each one?

JN: Thanks! DJing and producing dance music was something that I had spent a lot of time practicing as a teenager, so it was almost like revisiting that younger version of myself and just brushing up on my skills.

Inspiration varies, but I’ve always admired the 90s rave sound, with a touch of soul, which I think came through on Holy Love.

AM: How would you describe the John Newman sound?

JN: My sound is always evolving but, right now, I want creative emotively charged dance bangers. I want people to hear a track and feel a surge of energy and euphoria where they can’t help but move their body.

AM: How do you approach your projects in terms of seeking inspiration for your solo projects?

JN: These days I have a new set up, my at-home studio is tailored to electronic music production and it’s somewhere I can lock myself away to for hours kinda just see what happens. Inspiration can hit anywhere really. I try not to stick to the sitting at a piano vibe, funny fact I wrote Love Me Again and If You Really Love Me both whilst having a shower.

AM: You have collaborated with Calvin Harris, Kygo, David Guetta, Nile Rodgers, and more, how do you approach collaborations?

JN: Each collaboration comes about differently. The link-up with David Guetta and MistaJam on If You Really Love Me (How Will I Know) was particularly crazy as Guetta himself reached out to make the first move for us to work together, I had been a fan of his work since being a little kid! He’d wanted to collaborate on something for a while, so I sent him the early version of the track, he loved it, and the rest is history.

AM: You just performed and released your latest single, Hold On To My Love at Tomorrowland Winter where you DJ and have live vocals. Tell me about this song and what was it like to perform there?

JN: Hold On To My Love came about backstage at Ushuaïa Ibiza. I sang the melody and some lyrics into a voice note on my phone as a rough idea, so to see the track go full circle and perform the final version at Tomorrowland Winter was incredible. It was an unforgettable weekend.

AM: This song was released on Tomorrowland Music and you have already confirmed that you will be at Tomorrowland Brasil later this year on the mainstage. What does this mean to you to be on such a platform?

JN: I’m incredibly grateful to be starting this journey with the Tomorrowland Music team. They have so many talented DJs and producers on the roster so I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

To then also have the opportunity to perform at their world-renowned events is huge.

AM: With the summer around the corner, what other festivals or clubs are you excited to be performing?

JN: This summer is going to be so much fun. In July, I make my Tomorrowland mainstage debut in Belgium alongside the biggest names in dance music which is surreal but very exciting. It’s the holy-grail of festivals so I plan on bringing my absolute A-game to the stage.

AM: We’re based in NY, but will you be performing in the US this year?

JN: You’ll have to stay tuned for that one! I really do love the US and the amazing crowds over there so hopefully I’ll be back soon.

AM: When it comes to touring and being on the road, are there any routines that you do prior to a show when you’re a few hours or moments ahead of hitting the stage?

JN: There is a routine, I don’t eat one and a half hours previous to a show so that I don’t throw up whilst on stage, hah! The next big one is I generally like to chill and stretch and listen to classical music, then get hyped to Limp Bizkit and Rage Against the Machine about 15 minutes before show time.

AM: When you have finished your set, are there any routines that you do to come down from all of the energy and adrenaline from performing?

JN: Hmmm not really, I do struggle with the silence after being full of that adrenaline, usually a beer takes the edge off.

AM: Are there additional projects that you have that we should keep an eye out for?

JN: My focus right now is on really immersing myself in the dance music sphere, continuing to work on new tunes and honing my live hybrid set of DJing and vocals to make it bigger and better with every show.

AM: Are there 3 artists on your bucket list that you are interested in collaborating with that you can share?

JN: Honestly my interest is totally varied, Florence Welch would be amazing, Fred Again, Swedish House Mafia, another Calvin Harris collar, just throwing ideas out there really.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be in the industry?

JN: I guess, as an artist who made music on my own terms. For the pure joy of making people feel good, feel elevated, and be able to escape reality for just a moment. Whether that’s through my tracks, or the energy people absorb at a live show.

AM: When you’re not on stage or in the studio, what do you do to take time for yourself as self-care and mental health is something that we prioritize here at Athleisure Mag?

JN: It’s different for everyone, but I find taking a break from social media to be a big help for mental wellness. We consume so much information, a lot of it pointless, so it’s no wonder it can leave you feeling overwhelmed.
I now work closely with a therapist on a weekly basis which I cannot recommend enough and my main thing is getting in cold water.

Also spending time with my wife and family helps to keep me grounded and makes it all worthwhile.

AM: In terms of working out, what are 3 workouts that you do that we can consider to include in our routines?

JN: Each to their own I guess and I’m not really the picture of the pinnacle of fitness, however, for me personally I like to get out with music in my ears and do whatever I can. Whether that be hiking, running or cycling. I also used to love that Shaun T exercise video, I used to do it before every show!

IG @johnnewmanmusic

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | COVERS Front/Back, INTERVIEW + PG PG 26 9DRIP Tomorrowland

Read the APR ISSUE #88 of Athleisure Mag and see FEEL THE MUSIC | John Newman in mag.

S3. E5. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN CHEF YIA VANG

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we know that there is something about a great meal that allows you to enjoy the flavors, the ambiance and so much more. When the food becomes a gateway to a deeper understanding about the people and culture, it's truly an immersive experience that leaves you with a bigger takeaway.

Today's conversation with Chef Yia Vang explores a history that is infused with his passion for food by sharing his love for Hmong cuisine, his parents as well as the people that it comes from. This multi-nominated James Beard Award chef whose restaurant is up for Best Chef: Midwest for a 2nd year in a row, has two restaurants in Minnesota, Union Hmong Kitchen and Vinai. He is also the host of a number of shows including: The Outdoor Channel's Feral, Food Networks' Stoked, and PBS' Relish. He has competed on Netflix's Iron Chef: Quest for An Iron Legend and hosts his podcast Hmonglish just to name a few of his projects. He tells us about the food, his philosphy and the importance of representation.  

Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

S3. E4. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN CHEF TODD ENGLISH

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we're embracing all the reasons to be out and about with friends, traveling to new destinations, and having the best meals at new and treasured restaurants. When it comes to the culinary industry, there have been a number of luminaries that elevated this space and showcase how they interpret and infuse their passion in this field.

I'm pleased to have 4X James Beard Award winner, Emmy nominated, Las Vegas Food & Wine Festival's 2022 Chef of the Year, restaurateur, entrepreneur, food advocate, best-selling author, philanthropist, and Host/TV personality, Chef Todd English. He is also Athleisure Mag's MAR ISSUE #87 cover! We enjoyed eating at his restaurant Olives, here in NY back in the 2000s as well as eating at his restaurants in Las Vegas.

His passion for his love of cooking rustic Mediterranean, creating an immersive ambiance when you're at his establishments, and having that Todd English aesthetic when you're at his properties is something that we enjoy. He has blown our collective minds, palettes, and senses with such utter delights over the years - with so much more coming!

I sat down with Chef Todd to talk about his culinary background, how he got in and navigated the industry, providing insight into what it meant to be in the industry when there weren't the resources that we have access to today, English Hospitality Group (its portfolio includes Olives, Figs, The Pepper Club, Bluezoo at Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort, The English Hotel to name a few), an array of projects, luxury in hospitality, cannabis, and food advocacy. In our conversation, he provides an inside look at how he approaches ingredients, the state of food, and the power of relevancy as a brand.

Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

S3. E2. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH RESTAURATEUR, STORYTELLER, NEXT LEVEL CHEF - HOST/MENTOR CHEF NYESHA ARRINGTON

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we have our JAN ISSUE #85 cover of Athleisure Mag, Chef Nyesha Arrington. She utilizes food as a way to tell stories and brings her passion and intention to each plate that she creates. As a Co-Host and Mentor for FOX's Next Level Chef alongside Chef Gordon Ramsay and Chef Richard Blais, she inspires those in the culinary industry and provides expertise, intel and techniques that they can continue to use as they navigate the industry.

When we last talked with her in 2021 for our JUL ISSUE #67, we talked about how she got into her career and her passion for putting her soul on the plate she was in the midst of production for the first season of Next Level Chef and we talked about identity.

Since then, Nyesha continues to do what she does best, exploring the world through travel, and participating in a number of pop-ups and multi-day food events around the world, she is currently on Next Level Chef UK airing on ITV and is back for the second season of Next Level Chef here in the US on FOX that starts immediately following this year's Super Bowl LVII!

We talked about her recent TEDx talk where she shared her life recipe, the importance of mentorship and being in spaces that fuel your fire and allow learning about others and about yourself. Of course, we talk about the success of Next Level Chef and what makes it a perfect fit as well as Native by Nyesha Arrington which is at LAX's Delta Terminal 3!

Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.

THE 9LIST | SHOP THE SHOW: The Sample Room NY

We hope you enjoyed THE 9LIST’S BRIDAL WELLNESS FASHION SHOW at Sample Room NY which took place on Oct 5th. During our IG LIve event, Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director of Athleisure Media and Co-Exec Producer and Host of Athleisure Studio, Kimmie Smith talked with principal Iván Meza of Sample Room NY to talk about the upcoming NY Bridal Fashion Week Show, what takes place at this bridal showroom, bridal tips, wellness tips and we presented looks from bridal wear designer, Yolancris and accessories from Lagos Jewelry. If you missed the event, you will find pictures below from our shoot, the video from the event and our podcast that was recorded live.

PHOTO CREDITS | Paul Farkas | MODELS (L) Amanda Villalta/Prestigious Models + (R) Sage Pineiro

THE 9LIST | SHOP THE SHOW

YOLANCRIS

YOLANCRIS

YOLANCRIS

YOLANCRIS

YOLANCRIS

YOLANCRIS

YOLANCRIS

YOLANCRIS

YOLANCRIS

LAGOS | Cascading Caviar Diamond Earrings $1,250

LAGOS | Ceramic Caviar Beaded Bracelet $600

LAGOS | Statement Ceramic Caviar Bracelet $1,500

LAGOS | Rose Gold Caviar Hoop Earrings $800

LAGOS | 12mm Rose Gold Caviar Bracelet $2,850

ATHLEISURE MAG | #77 MAY 2022

In this month’s issue, our cover story is with international superstar EDM DJ/Producer duo Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike. We talk about their love for music, how they got into the industry, their creative process and upcoming projects that span Dimitri appearing in Jurassic World: Dominion and the latest collab with Mike in his BLACK BANANAS X GREEN ROOM. We catch up with Emmy Award winning comedian, actor, animation voice actor and host of his podcast – May I Elaborate? JB Smoove. We talk about how he got into the industry, how he honed his craft via improv, being on SNL for 3 seasons, the upcoming 12th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm and more! Apple TV+’s Physical will drop it’s 2nd season next month. We talk to 2 of its stars, Rose Byrne and Dierdre Friel about what we can expect. STARZ’s P-Valley is also back for its 2 second season and we caught up 4 of the castmembers (Elarica Johnson, Parker Sawyers, Shannon Thornton and J. Alphonse Nicholson) to talk about how they got into the industry, catching us up on season 1, what we can expect for season 2 and additional projects coming up. Mark Indelicato is back for season 2 of HBO’s Hacks and Prime Video’s With Love. We talk about the impact of the success of his character in Ugly Betty, his process to approaching his roles, his shows and more. We also talk with swimsuit model and Netflix’s Grace and Frankie star, Brooklyn Decker. We talk about how she transitioned from modeling to acting, the final season of this iconic comedy and more.

This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from EDM DJ/Producer Hardwell as well as Lost Frequencies. Our 9DRIP comes from our cover, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike and Curb Your Enthusiasm’s JB Smoove. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from WTA tennis star Ajla Tomljanovic and celebrity hair stylist, Andrew Fitzsimons. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from EDM duo SOFI TUKKER.

Our monthly feature, The Art of the Snack shares Indian restaurant, aRoqa in NYC’s Chelsea. This month’s Athleisure List comes from Pikes Hotel in Ibiza and Pause Studio in LA. As always, we have our monthly roundups of some of our favorite finds.

Read the MAY ISSUE #77 here.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #61 JAN 2021

In this month’s issue, we kick off the New Year with DJ/Producer/Songwriter, Kaskade. We talk about how he got started in his career, the progression of his roles that allowed him to be involved in the industry in a number of ways and how he continues to stay inspired. This month, we took a moment with SIDEPIECE, the collaborative project between Nitti Gritti and Party Favor.  We talked about their career within their solo projects as well as this one which has garnered them a GRAMMY nomination, how they work with one another and what they have coming up. We had the pleasure of virtually attending Anabel Englund’s listening party last month and we had to find out more about being a songwriter/DJ/singer. We also took some time with DJ/Producer Valentino Khan to learn about his creative process, to hear about his successful shows that he performed to celebrate the LA Lakers win and the LA Dodgers and more! We have always been a fan of CBD as a means for recovery and wellness and had the pleasure of interviewing Nico Marley, founder of Lion X Wellness and grandson of the great Bob Marley. We talk about his new line, why he felt it was essential to be in this space and how it is beneficial to athletes to incorporate this into his routine. We also caught up with one of our faves Chef Ming Tsai to talk about how he has been navigating the past year, his impressive career as a restaurateur as well as a TV Personality, his cookware line available on HSN and his new product – MingsBings!

This month, Pro Beach Volleyball and 2 X Silver + Bronze Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball, April Ross shares 9 songs that she’s enjoying in this month’s 9PLAYLIST. Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes II shares his favorites and why in our 9LIST STORI3S. One of our favorite features that appear in our Dec as well as our Jan issues is known as NEW YEAR, N3W YOU: THE GOOD, THE ADD and THE BUZZ where our celebs share their thoughts on this year and what’s coming up for next year (we do have spots for the Jan issue). This month, we talk with 2 X Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball Medalist - April Ross, BRAVO’s Real Housewives of Dallas and CEO of Ultimate Living – D’Andra Simmons, Restaurateur, Chef + TV Personality + Host – Chef Ming Tsai,  Cosmetician, Founder of OLEHENRIKSEN and TV Personality – Ole Henriksen and Pro Snow Boarder and 2 X Gold + Silver Team USA Snow Boarder – Jamie Anderson.

Our monthly feature, The Art of the Snack focuses on Noreetuh. This month’s Athleisure List comes from Pekarna New York and NordicTrack VAULT.  

Read the Jan Issue #61 here.

S2. E4. | #TRIBEGOALS WITH 2 X TEAM USA OLYMPIC BEACH VOLLEYBALL APRIL ROSS

On today’s episode of #TRIBEGOALS, we catch up with 2 X Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball medalist, April Ross (she is also Athleisure Mag's May 2020 Issue #53). Avid readers know that we interviewed a few months after she won Bronze at the Olympic Games in Rio with her teammate, Kerri Walsh Jennings. Today we talk about how she continues to train as she looks towards the AVP schedule which is currently postponed as well as focusing on the Olympic Games in Tokyo that are slated to begin the summer of 2021. She shares her transition from indoor volleyball to beach, staying fit by creating her backyard gym and her sponsorship by KT Tape and staying active.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

S1. E11. | BUNGALOW SK WITH SENIESA ESTRADA

On today's episode of Bungalow SK, we catch up with Seniesa "Superbad" Estrada, who is a WBA 18-0 flyweight boxing titleholder (you can also read her interview in Athleisure Mag's May Issue, #53). We talk about how she fell in love with the sport of boxing, how she broke through an array of challenges to get in the ring, her sponsors and how she wants to give back. We also talk about how she is staying in fighting shape as she prepares for her upcoming fight in July as we all navigate our routines in the times of COVID-19 as well as what it's like to have Danny Trejo in your corner!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #53 MAY 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is April Ross, 2 X Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball Medalist. Our cover shoot editorial – To the Beach, talks about April’s career, the difference between indoor and beach volleyball, her relationship with KT Tape and how she is staying fit at home while she waits for the return of the AVP Tour and Olympic Games in 2021. We will also have this interview as an upcoming podcast for #TRIBEGOALS. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we chat with Emily Skye, Celebrity Fitness Expert about staying fit, being a wife and mom with baby #2 on the way and a great workout we should incorporate into our routine. This month, we chatted with Seniesa Estrada, WBA’s 18-0 flyweight title holder. She talks about her career, how she is training during this time and what it’s like to have Danny Trejo in her corner. We also talk with International CrossFit star, actress and Resident Tagger on FOX’s Ultimate Tag, Brooke Ence. She talks about CrossFit, being in Justice League and Wonder Woman as well as her new show.

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into tennis powerhouse, Rafael Nadal. This month’s 9PLAYLIST includes Supermodel and Fashion Icon EDM DJ Naomi Campbell who shares her favorite songs with us. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Peleton and Purple Carrot), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This For Your Virtual Happy Hours, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Papaya Beauty. 

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag.

S1. BONUS EPISODE | BUNGALOW SK WITH ELECTRIC ZOO EDM DJS

For our Athleisure Mag readers who enjoyed the Aug Issue (#44), you know that we shared our coverage of Electric Zoo that took place Labor Day Weekend on Randall's Island here in NY in 2019. We enjoyed this 3 day festival of EDM performances that took place across 3 stages. In today's bonus episode, we're taking you backstage with us on site as we talked with some of the industry's esteemed DJs and producers. You'll hear from EDX, our Aug cover SayMyName, Cash Cash, Boombox Cartel and Good Times Ahead!

S2. E1. | #TRIBEGOALS WITH NBC'S LAW & ORDER: SVU JAMIE GRAY HYDER

We're excited to kick off the second season of #TRIBEGOALS and today's episode comes from our 50th cover star, Jamie Gray Hyder of NBC's Law & Order: SVU. After our Feb Issue cover shoot which took place at Dream Hotel Downtown in TAO Group's PHD Rooftop Lounge + Terrace, we caught up with her to talk about her career which has included being in David Guetta's ft. Sam Martin "Lovers on the Sun" video, voice acting for Call of Duty, HBO's True Blood, USA's Graceland and of course being in the main cast of NBC's Law & Order: SVU, Detective Kat Azar Tamin. We talk about how she prepares for her roles, what it's like to get into character on the show with stories that are ripped from the headline and what it's like to hang out and work with her colleagues Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

S1. E9. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH NO KID HUNGRY'S JENNY DIRKSEN + CHEF ELIZABETH FALKNER

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we share an organization that we have covered a number of times over at Athleisure Mag and is in the Nov issue. We have enjoyed sharing initiatives that No Kid Hungry creates in order to ensure that childhood hunger is not an issue that has to be a concern in this country. In the past, we have interviewed Bryan Voltaggio and Duff Goldman, both who have participated in a fundraising event known as Chefs Cycle. We have also covered the spatulas that include the creativity of various celebs, food personalities and chefs that are sold at Williams-Sonoma. Right before the holidays, we caught up with No Kid Hungry's Jenny Dirksen who is the National Director of Champion Engagement and Chef Elizabeth Falkner and talked about a variety of programs that No Kid Hungry is involved in throughout the year. Of course, with Holiday festivities underway, we delved into what we will find on their dinner tables this year! This episode was recorded at one of Athleisure Kitchen's favorite whiskey destinations, The Flatiron Room here in NYC.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #47 NOV 2019

This month’s cover and back cover is EDM DJ/Producer and Entrepreneuer Marshmello. We headed out to Bethlehem, PA to the ribbon cutting of Stuffed Puffs plant where he and his manager are equity partners in this sweet treat! We catch up with him on his successes, music and more. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we sit down with Chef Elizabeth Falkner and No Kid Hungry’s Jenny Dirksen to talk about initiatives of this program, holiday meals and more. You can also hear this interview later this month on our podcast show, Athleisure Kitchen which is available on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcast and wherever you enjoy listening. We also spent time at the 14th Annual StarChefs International Congress which was a weekend filled with food demonstrations, panels and more for the culinary community. We have a number of interviews in this piece from Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli (of Don Angie), Emily Hyland, Ben Turley and Brent Young of The Meat Hook and you can also listen to the Managing Editor of StarChefs, Will Blunt later on this month on Athleisure Kitchen. We sat down with one of our faves from The Hills and The Hills: New Beginnings’ Whitney Port to find out why she decided to come back to the reality show in it’s reboot as well as what she’s up to, how she takes time for herself and more. In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we head to Midtown East’s Chola which is known for it’s savory Indian cuisine. We also have our Holiday Gift Guide (there is an additional one that will be in the Dec issue out later this month).

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into Celebrity Trainer, Nutrition Expert, Best Selling Author, TV Personality and Gym Designer – Harley Pasternak. This month’s 9PLAYLIST (9 songs that our celebs are loving this month) comes from, LaLa Anthony of STARZ’s Power. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Crown Plaza HY36 and Murray’s Cheese Mac Bar), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This Sleep Style Overnight to Breakfast, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Bergamot Beauty. 

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag, Issue 47.