Anita Lo and Mary Attea

Go behind Annisa on a brand new episode of Radio Cherry Bombe. Host Julia Turshen is joined by Executive Chef Anita Lo and her sous chef Mary Attea. Anita Lo is the chef and owner of Annisa and one of the most respected chefs in the country having earned numerous accolades for her inventive Contemporary American cuisine. Lo opened Annisa in 2000, an intimate restaurant in Greenwich Village. In June 2009, a fire destroyed the restaurant entirely and while plans for rebuilding Annisa got underway, Lo appeared on Top Chef Masters and finished fourth out of 24 chefs. In April 2010, after a complete renovation, Annisa was reopened and then in October 2011, Lo released her first cookbook, Cooking Without Borders, which highlights her passion for bringing multicultural flavors to her American kitchen. Just recently nominated as a semi-finalist for Eater’s coveted Young Guns awards, Mary spent several years working in New York city restaurant dining rooms like Aguagrill, before making the leap to the kitchen at Annisa where she earned her chops. Using her Lebanese background, Mary has even helped to create some dishes at Annisa including her Steak Tartare and Saddle of Rabbit with Pistachio, Mint and Grape Leaves, which were recently praised in Pete Wells’ review. This program was brought to you by Edwards VA Ham

“It’s important to me that my cooks be excited by new things.” [12:00]

“I’ve always felt it was my responsibility to mentor anybody who came through my kitchen and did well for me. It’s a point of pride to see people on your staff make it.” [21:00]

— Anita Lo on Radio Cherry Bombe