On the Double the Hustle Podcast, hosts Tori and Anna interview Hudson Valley chef and content creator Bob Morano, a Culinary Institute of America graduate (2005) who helped open a Michelin-star restaurant in San Francisco. Bob shares how he moved from architecture and construction into cooking through a family friend’s deli, the influence of his Irish-Italian family’s food traditions, and favorite nostalgic foods like soda bread and his mother’s onion sauce.
He explains what culinary school is like, why it’s not required but can open doors, and gives advice on breaking into restaurant work through persistence and strong work ethic. Bob describes how a “Chef in the Classroom” program inspired his social media mission to make home cooking approachable, notes a salsa verde video as early traction, discusses why he rarely sends food back, recommends several Hudson Valley restaurants, and outlines future goals including long-form YouTube, travel, and a cookbook under “Every Day Is Feast Day.”
00:00 Podcast Welcome
00:35 Chef Bob Origins
00:58 Architecture to Deli
04:22 Culinary School Life
07:45 Do You Need School
09:59 Family Food Roots
13:16 Social Media Journey
20:18 Restaurant Career Start
23:38 San Francisco Break
26:39 Opening Michelin Star
30:45 Michelin Resume Value
32:45 Career Paths Beyond Michelin
33:46 Michelin Life Reality Check
34:42 Teaching Kids Love Food
35:38 Why Cooking Matters Now
37:49 Caveman Traits of Cooking
38:29 Mission Behind the Content
40:01 Building a Living Cookbook
41:32 Farmers Market Creativity
43:12 Never Sending Food Back
45:54 Grace for Small Restaurants
47:16 Hudson Valley Favorites
53:52 Industry Myth to Debunk
57:32 Future Plans and Growth
01:00:43 Dream Cooking Show Idea
01:03:03 Where to Follow Along
01:03:53 Final Thanks and Wrap
Whether you’re here because you’re a twin yourself, being an entrepreneur, or you’re just curious about what it’s like to go through life with a mirror image, we appreciate you. Thank you for listening, for supporting us, and for being part of this journey.
With double the love,
Anna and Tori