Boston Chefs and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Profile Series

Since her very first interview with Peter Davis of Henrietta’s Table (Summer 2018), Nina Livingstone has conducted six riveting Q+A interviews with local chefs for Edible Boston, both in print and online. After losing her sight and most of her hearing, Nina relies on her sense of smell, taste and touch when writing about food and the people who create it. Between her thoughtful questions and Michael Piazza’s grid-style snapshot portraits, our collection of local chef interviews is unparalleled.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the United States, and the restaurant industry turned upside down virtually overnight, Nina reached out with an offer we couldn’t refuse: She wanted to reconnect with the chefs she’d profiled for us (and even some new ones!) to find out how they’re managing through the crisis. Below, you’ll find these new interviews, complete with photos the chefs themselves have submitted to best illustrate their new realities as they navigate these very strange times for the hospitality industry. As Nina completes more interviews, we will add them to this page.

In Nina’s words:

“When restaurants shut down and cafes closed, the first thought that came to my mind was ‘Groceries? What?! Forget that! What am I going to do without the chefs of Greater Boston to feed me?’”

My true talent rests at home, abiding by the governor’s guidelines.

My regular routine—splitting dishes at restaurants from Harvard Square to South Boston—came to a sudden, skidding stop, leaving me at home with a lone pan and an eight-burner gas range.

I want to say the unprintable, but I dare not. Instead, I throw myself on the counter and plow my head into my wrapped arms, reminding everyone within earshot: “I can’t cook!”

Folks, my blindness has nothing to do with cooking. There are blind chefs and there are sighted chefs. But I am clearly not a chef! So, trust me when I say that you don’t want me to cook for you. My talents there are nil.

To satiate my curiosity, if not my appetite, I revisited some of the area’s top chefs I’d interviewed in the past for Edible Boston and asked how they are coping with the pandemic. They offered both insight and anecdotes, and some very inspiring stories.”