Welcome back to The Perfect Bite podcast, your fusion of food and entrepreneurship. Today's guest has paved the way for new world cuisine and modern cooking as we know it. In fact, you wouldn't have the word 'fusion' in the lexicon of cooking without him. It’s my dear friend and James Beard-award winning chef Norman Van Aken!

I just love Norman’s story—from good ol’ Lake County, Illinois, to his chosen home on the beautiful shores of Key West, Florida. Norman has redefined high-quality Florida cuisine, during a time period when folks paid more attention to the coasts. His namesake restaurant Norman’s just celebrated 30 years, and for plenty of good reasons.

Norman discusses his culinary journey with us, the beautiful friendships he has made along the way (such as his late ‘brother’ Charlie Trotter and honoring the great Jacques Pépin for his 90th birthday), along with the prolific books that made an impact on his life philosophies and menus.

You can visit Norman’s in Orlando, Florida.

Make sure to follow Chef Norman on Instagram (@normanvanaken), Facebook, and his Substack—he’s a captivating writer!

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