Flavorphiles

What's it Really Like to Be a Chef?

Flavorphiles

Show Notes

What is it really like to be a chef?

This week, Tanner and Jerry get into the reality of chef life, from the long hours and low pay to culinary school, repetition, passion, and why working in restaurants is often more of a lifestyle than a normal job.

Then we talk about Tony, the Anthony Bourdain film, and ask how accurately it captures Bourdain’s life, what it gets right about being a chef, and whether the movie actually works.

Tanner’s fiancée Grace also joins us to answer a different question: what is it like to date a chef? We talk unusual schedules, cooking for someone who cooks professionally, being the guinea pig for questionable food ideas, and Tanner’s inability to visit a restaurant without inspecting the plates and glassware.

Finally, everyone thinks they could run a restaurant until the refrigerator dies, a huge table shows up late, or an important delivery never arrives. Jerry gets thrown into real restaurant disasters to see whether he can survive a night in the hospitality business.

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a chef, dated one, worked in a restaurant, or wondered what actually happens behind the kitchen doors, this episode is for you.

Thank you for listening! Join us again every weekend for more food inspired fun. Have questions you want answered, comments to make the show better, do you want to join our growing list of radio stations partners, or just keep in touch? Let us know at Flavorphiles.com.

Follow on Instagram: Flavorphiles: https://www.instagram.com/flavorphilespod/ Tanner: https://www.instagram.com/tagaragar/

Follow on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flavorphiles

All episodes produced and owned by Tanner Agar. All rights reserved.

More from Flavorphiles

Oct 17, 2026

Whatever happened to the dinner party? Have we gotten too busy, too intimidated, or just too comfortable ordering takeout to invite friends over for a proper meal?

Oct 10, 2026

Baking looks simple until you actually try it.

Oct 3, 2026

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry are back with a completely new Thanksgiving episode built for everything that happens after the basic advice runs out.

Sep 19, 2026

For Talk Like a Pirate Day, Tanner and Jerry dig into the surprisingly strange food and drink history of life at sea. We start with what pirates actually ate, why their diet could sometimes give them an advantage over the Navy, and how scurvy became one of the biggest threats aboard ship. That includes James Lind’s famous experiment testing cures ranging from cider and vinegar to seawater, citrus, and a truly questionable garlic-and-mustard concoction.

Sep 12, 2026

Fall is farmers market season, but what does that actually mean when you live somewhere like Dallas?

See all episodes →