Side Dish: More with Curtis Stone

Summary

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Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Side Dish: More with Curtis Stone

Guest: Curtis Stone
Venue: Kobe’s, Santa Monica, CA
Release Date: July 2, 2026

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Episode Theme & Overview

In this “Side Dish” episode, Jesse Tyler Ferguson continues the conversation with renowned chef Curtis Stone at Kobe’s, one of their mutual favorite restaurants in LA. The discussion delves into personal stories around marriage and family, the journey of building a restaurant empire, the intersection of food and creativity, and the emotional challenges and joys of parenting. The tone is intimate, humorous, and reflective, capturing the unique energy of friends sharing a meal.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Marriage Proposals and Equality

[03:45 – 09:54]

• Curtis Stone’s Engagement Story:
  • Proposed to his husband in Tulum, gifting a Rolex inscribed with “spend all your time with me.”
  • Struggled to find the right moment: “By the day four of me carrying around this Rolex, I was like, I gotta unload this thing.”
• Mirroring Proposal Stories:
  • Guest’s spouse recounts a similar tale of anxiety while holding onto an engagement ring, waiting for the perfect moment that never came.
  • “At one point, she’s like, ‘What’s the matter? You’re behaving really weirdly.’” — Curtis Stone’s Husband, [05:47]
• Reflections on Marriage Equality:
  • Curtis and his husband married in New York right after marriage equality was legalized.
  • Discussion about the emotional whirlwind of shifting legal and social landscapes for same-sex marriage, both in the US and Australia.
  • Notable quote:

    “It was like right around that time when things were shifting in America and marriage equality was such a moving target, which is so stupid.” — Curtis Stone, [06:56]

• Impact of Media on Acceptance:
  • Jesse discusses how his TV roles and personal life intertwined during the push for marriage equality.
  • Notable quote:

    “It felt really special that I could be part of…a relationship on TV that was pushing forward, you know, acceptance of marriage equality…and at the same time have this…really personal, private thing happening.” — Jesse Tyler Ferguson, [08:02]

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2. Family, Parenting, and Kids’ Careers

[13:12 – 15:26]

• Curtis’s Eldest Son in Entertainment:
  • The guest’s (Curtis’s husband’s) son auditioned for a “Camp Rock” movie and booked a lead role, despite never acting before.
  • “He’s doing sessions of music every night after school…he’s so happy.” — Curtis Stone's Husband, [15:18]
• Parental Pride vs. Fear:
  • Discussion about the tension between excitement and apprehension as their child steps into show business:

    “I think the more you know, it’s almost easier to be blind to it…once you’ve lived it a little bit, you’re kind of like, huh, how’s this gonna be for him?” — Curtis Stone’s Husband, [14:52]

  • Noting the difference between adult and child experiences with fame.

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3. The Creative Parallels – Cooking, Acting, and Music

[16:15 – 19:19]

• Kitchen Skills and Culinary School Dreams:
  • Jesse and Curtis bond over their developing courage in the kitchen; Jesse dreams of culinary school, inspired by friends like Teri Hatcher.
  • “I have gotten better. I’ve been braver in the kitchen since I’ve been older.” — Jesse Tyler Ferguson, [16:56]
• Creativity Across Mediums:
  • Curtis’s husband draws a parallel between acting, composing music, and cooking — all involve starting with basic “ingredients” and layering technique and expression.

    “However you want to express yourself with those ingredients is what you do…then suddenly you’re cooking…So there’s something quite artistic about all those things.” — Curtis Stone's Husband, [17:57]

  • Curtis agrees, emphasizing the creative overlap between the arts and cuisine.

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4. Making Home Cooking Less Stressful

[19:09 – 21:24]

• Curtis’s Home Cooking Advice:
  • Advocates for planning and “mise en place” — setting up everything before cooking to reduce stress.
  • “That first step of taking the stress out of it…really plan it out.” — Curtis Stone’s Husband, [21:17]
• Organization Hack:
  • Using Post-it notes on the countertop and serving ware to organize ingredients and dishes, making the home experience more like a cooking show.
• Jesse Relates:
  • Finds the mise en place approach meditative and calming.

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5. Food Is More Than Food: The Restaurant Experience

[22:37 – 32:50]

• Discovery and Ambience:
  • Origin story of discovering Kobe’s soon after opening; the appeal was as much about the place as the food.
  • The atmosphere is intentional:

    “I wanted it to feel like stepping into your grandma’s living room, dining room…” — Restaurant Owner/Designer, [25:38]

• Discussion on Favorite Dishes:
  • Enthusiastic exchange about menu items: prawns, green papaya salad, devil chicken curry, and cassava chips (the latter a favorite for picky kids).
• Hospitality as an Art:
  • Curtis articulates that a great restaurant isn’t just about the food, but the total experience — design, lighting, sound, smell, and hospitality.

    “It’s not just food. In fact, food’s only a tiny piece of it…there’s no recipe to it, you know, and that’s what’s so challenging but also fulfilling about getting it right.” — Curtis Stone, [31:06 – 32:50]

  • The importance of creating a “blank canvas” that’s brought to life with each meal and guest experience.

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6. Parenting Real Talk

[27:18 – 29:43]

• The Realities of Fatherhood:
  • Honest conversation about the exhaustion, unpredictability, and deep fulfillment of being a parent.
  • Curtis: “The stress that comes with having kids, it’s just, I was not prepared for that…Why didn’t anyone tell me it was this hard?” [27:33]
• Generational Wisdom:
  • Curtis’s husband:

    “No one can prepare you for it. You just have to experience it.” [28:40]

  • Recognition that parenting becomes more fulfilling but also more complex as the kids grow.

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7. Education, Skills, and Restaurant Culture

[29:43 – 32:50]

• Early Career Path:
  • Curtis’s journey: unenthused by traditional schooling, found passion in culinary school and quickly entered top restaurants in London.
  • Jesse compares acting and restaurant work: both demand hands-on, peer-driven learning.
• The Art of Hospitality:
  • Success in restaurants, Curtis explains, is about mastering foundational techniques, then using artistic flair and attention to the environment to create memorable experiences.

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Notable Quotes

• “I got my husband a Rolex instead of a ring. And on the back it said, ‘Spend all your time with me.’” — Curtis Stone, [03:56]
• “How anyone thinks they’ve got the right over someone else’s decisions is beyond me.” — Curtis Stone’s Husband, [07:22]
• “One [marriage equality activism] was sort of helping the other and vice versa in a weird way.” — Jesse Tyler Ferguson, [08:02]
• “He’d never done anything…he sends in the tape…and sure enough, he books the job.” — Curtis Stone’s Husband, [13:49–14:16]
• “There’s something quite artistic about all [these] different things [—cooking, acting, music].” — Curtis Stone’s Husband, [17:57]
• “I love a mise en place…that’s what I most like about cooking, it’s very meditative.” — Jesse Tyler Ferguson, [19:52]
• “What is the art of hospitality? It’s not just food. In fact, food’s only a tiny piece of it…there’s no recipe to it.” — Curtis Stone, [31:06 – 32:50]

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Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• Engagement Rolex Story: [03:56]
• Dual Proposal Mishaps: [05:11 – 06:03]
• Discussion of Marriage Equality in US/Australia: [06:56 – 08:59]
• Son’s Unexpected Entertainment Career: [13:12 – 14:35]
• Home Cooking Organization Hack: [19:09 – 21:19]
• Picky Kids, Favorite Restaurant Foods: [25:05 – 25:21]
• Restaurant Atmosphere & The Art of Hospitality: [31:06 – 32:50]
• Parenting is “brutally difficult”: [27:33]

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Final Thoughts

This side dish episode offers an engaging blend of candid, often funny storytelling about marriage, high-pressure proposals, personal and societal triumphs, parenting, and creativity in and out of the kitchen. Listeners walk away with both practical advice (mise en place!) and moving reminders that food, family, and art are deeply intertwined.

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Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Being in London this summer for Jesus Christ Superstar has been so fun, so incredible, but one thing I've learned is that when you're somewhere else for work, you still want to carve out time to actually enjoy where you are. London's an amazing city. I'm here with the family. So between performances, Justin and I have been trying to explore with the kids, find new parks, squeeze in museum visits, you know, make some real family memories while we're here, which, as any parent knows, takes a fair amount of planning. And anyone who knows my relationship knows that's all Justin's territory. It can sometimes feel hard to plan while you're traveling when you really just want to go with the flow and see where things take you. But that's not Justin's jam. He is a planner. He likes exploring a new city, especially with the kids. So extra planning makes all the difference. Now, if you're planning travel this summer, whether it's for work, vacation, or a little bit of both, it can be a great opportunity to do a little extra planning yourself and list your home on Airbnb while you're away. It can be a great way to put your home to use instead of letting it sit empty. And you can also earn a little, little cash to put towards your own travel. And with Airbnb's co host network, you can get extra support behind the scenes so you don't have to spend your trip worrying about what's happening back home. A co host is a vetted local superstar, not to be confused with Jesus Christ Superstar, who can help manage guest reservations and communication, provide on site support, even help style your space if you need that so the stay runs smoothly while you're off enjoying your own trip. With that little extra planning, you can focus on being present for the things that matter to you most, whether it's exploring a new city, spending time with your family, or just enjoying your summer. Find a co [e-mail] host hey guys,

[Molly Sims]

this is Molly Sims, host of Lipstick on the Rim. So I have a little bit of a pet peeve that I think you're going to relate to this. I'll be having a great day, feeling good, and someone will say to me, you look tired. And I'm like, I promise you, I'm, I'm not really tired. But here's what I've learned. My eyelids, they do sit a little low. And once my doctor explained that to me, it actually kind of made a lot of sense. She prescribed me Upnique, the first and only FDA approved prescription Eye drop for adults with low lying eyelids, one drop per eye in the morning. And I noticed my eyes look more open awake within minutes. And it's like just one simple step. That's it. And the results, Guess what? They Last up to 8 hours. Learn more about upneek. Com. That's you. P n e e q.com or talk to your doctor. Just a little quick safety note about UPEEK. Oxymetazoline hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.1%. Tell your doctor your symptoms and medical history, including blood pressure, blood flow, issues in heart, brain, or eye disease. Drooping eyelids can be caused by other more serious conditions, such as a stroke. Do not touch the tip of the upne vial to your eye or any other surface. This is not a complete list of risks.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Hey, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Here's a little side dish from this week's episode of Dinners on Me. My conversation this week was with Curtis Stone, a wonderful chef who you might know from Top Chef Masters and Crime Scene Kitchen. We met at Kobe's in Santa Monica, which is one of my favorite restaurants in all of la, and as it turns out, one of Curtis's, too. Over a table full of vibrant dishes inspired by the flavors of Indonesia, Thailand, and India, in a cozy and colorful dining room, we talked about building a restaurant empire and the role that food has played throughout his entire life and career. Now, as you're pulling up a chair, we're talking about why Mexico is such a special place to him. But also me and my husband Justin.

[Curtis Stone]

I got engaged in Tulum.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

How nice.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Whereabouts? In a. In a. On a beach, in a restaurant. Tell me everything.

[Curtis Stone]

On a patio. I was. I was trying. I had. I got my husband a Rolex instead of a ring. And on the back it said, spend all your time with me. So that was gonna be his engagement watch. And so I was carrying it around, and I kept looking for the right opportunity to propose to him. And something would always happen. Someone would interrupt or, like, we'd be walking home on the sand and the moon would be shining. And then all of a sudden, like, crabs would start, like, walking by in the junction and screaming, run away. And so, like, by the day, four of me carrying around this Rolex, I was like, I gotta unload this thing. Like, he's gonna find it or I'm gonna lose it. And so it was like some. It was one of the mornings before

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

we left, and I was.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Was it still in its box or was it just.

[Curtis Stone]

No, it was loose because it needed. It needed to be small and be able to put in my pocket. And the box was so big, so I had in my pocket. And so finally, he was having coffee on the patio one morning, and I just, like, basically threw it at him. I was like, will you marry me? I was like, I got to get this off my hands. So that's how it happened. It was super romantic.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Oh, my God. I wish you called me. I have almost an identical story.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Really?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah. I went to London with Lindsey, and I picked up the ring in London, and I was paranoid. I'd never had anything that valuable in life. And it's a little thing, so it could easily be lost. Right. And I. And I thought the exact same. We flew into Naples and we went to Positano, and I thought to myself, I'll just wait for the right moment.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

And it never happened. And every time I think it was about to happen, someone would walk around the corner, or a waiter had blow their nose or whatever it was that. You just feel like, oh, my God. And at one point, she's like, what's the matter? You're behaving really weirdly.

[Curtis Stone]

Totally.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

And I was like, I'm fine.

[Curtis Stone]

You're removed. Yeah, absolutely. I have totally been there. Yeah. For, like, three days. A maniac.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I've got a partner in it.

[Curtis Stone]

So how did it end up happening? Same thing. You just threw it at her and said, will you marry me?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I did it in the room in the hotel. I was like, that's kind of perfect, though. Let's just stay in tonight and have a bottle of champagne. So we just sat on the balcony and. Yeah, that's how I did it.

[Curtis Stone]

That's nice.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

I mean, you hear these stories about, like, people burying it and, like, the dessert and all this stuff. I'm like, how do they have time to do all this? It's too much. I mean. Yeah, it all worked out. It all worked out. I mean, you've been, what, married now? How am I going?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

No, well, we did it backwards. We had Hudson first.

[Curtis Stone]

Got it.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

And then much to her family's disappointment, and then. And then we got married the next year.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Okay, so you're.

[Curtis Stone]

But you're coming up on, like, 15 years. Okay. Yeah. So just almost the same as me. I got married in 2013, so.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Right.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

So where did you do it? Where'd you marry?

[Curtis Stone]

I married. We got married in. In New York. It was right after marriage equality was legalized in New York, and so we planned the wedding there, and then it became legal in la. Shortly after that, we'd already planned to get married in New York, but it was like right around that time when things were shifting in America and marriage equality was such a moving target, which is so stupid.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I mean, how anyone thinks they've got the right over someone else's decisions is beyond me. I know it's only just happened in Australia in the last four or five years and it was just so maddening that, you know, it took us so long as a country that prides itself on being progressive in the way they think.

[Curtis Stone]

That's right. But anyway, yeah, I mean. I mean, I remember when New Zealand. It happened way before Australia.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Right.

[Curtis Stone]

And I remember because I always feel there's, like, a bit of competition between New Zealand and Australia.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

And that was something. New Zealand was very proud. Like. Well, we could. We did this first, you know, we

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

beat you to that one.

[Curtis Stone]

Oh, yeah. No, but it's. Yeah, it was. It was wild because my husband worked on marriage equality. He worked on the Proposition A case. And then also in that same time, I was getting married on television. So there was just a lot of, like, it felt very symbiotic. Symbiotic and like, meant to. Meant to happen at that time. And it just all felt. I don't know, it felt really special that I could be part of, obviously, a relationship on TV that was pushing forward, you know, acceptance of marriage equality and just like, you know, bringing gay. A gay couple into so many households through, you know, their love of the TV show and. Yeah. But then at the same time have this, like, really personal, private thing that was happening with me and being able to get married to, you know, my husband, it was. It was wild because I felt like one was sort of helping the other and vice versa in a weird way.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

That's cool. So, yeah, life and Teddy. Not both.

[Curtis Stone]

I mean, truly both. I mean, like, Justin was fighting for marriage equality, and that was one of the reasons that I got to get married, but also the reason that, like, Mitch and Cam got to get married, because that was. They lived in the real, real world with all of us. It's like they weren't going to get married if it wasn't legal in the United States. And, you know, and then also the fact that Mitch and Cam, I think, helps bridge a gap between people who, you know, felt so distant from the gay community.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

You know, helped a lot of my family members, you know, accept my marriage.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It was. It's very.

[Curtis Stone]

I don't know, it was all very lovely.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

It's cool.

[Curtis Stone]

You know, it's crazy that we are still, like, kind of fighting for things, but the fight goes on. Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Wow. In 2026, I think we'd have it all figured out by now, but here we are in the middle of a world.

[Curtis Stone]

That's right, that's right.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Curtis opens up about his son's unexpected leap into the entertainment industry. And the simple kitchen trick he thinks can make home cooking a whole lot less stressful. Okay, be right back. You know those meals that just immediately take you somewhere? Like, you take one bite and suddenly you're transported to a backyard. Someone's manning the fryer, and everyone's waiting for a taste. That's exactly what boar's head has managed to do. But at your del deli counter, new from boar's Head, the friar's turkey breast has the taste of deep fried turkey. And I mean, it's perfectly seasoned. That golden, savory flavor. It really does that thing where one bite kind of takes over and you're like, oh, okay, this is what we're doing now. And the best part is you don't have to host anything. You don't have to fry anything. You don't have to politely ask someone else to handle the hot oil, which, frankly, I'm always happy to avoid. It's just there at the deli, ready to go. So if you're putting together a sandwich or just standing at the counter deciding what kind of day you're going to have, the fryer's turkey breast is a pretty great choice. Discover the craftsmanship behind every bite at your local Boar's Head deli counter. Boar's Head. Committed to crafts since 1905. Sometimes we know something feels off, but it's hard to know what kind of help we actually need. Therapy can be incredibly valuable, but for some people, it isn't the whole answer. That's where tochiatry comes in. To is a 100% online psychiatry practice that provides comprehensive evaluations, diagnosis, and ongoing medical management for conditions like adhd, anxiety, depression, and more. Unlike therapy only platforms, tochiatry is psychiatry. You're seeing a medical provider who can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medication when it's appropriate. It's more than 800 clinicians accept major insurers so you can use your existing insurance instead of paying monthly subscriptions or out of network costs. You'll meet with a licensed psychiatrist who takes the time to understand what's going on, builds a personalized treatment plan and supports you over time with consistent evidence based care. And because you're continuing to see the same provider, you're not starting over every visit. Your treatment can evolve with you so you're actually making progress over time. Getting started takes just a few minutes. Complete a short online assessment, get matched with clinicians who fit your needs and schedule your first visit in days, not months. More than 300,000 patients have already found high quality psychiatric care through toxiatry. Head to tokyotry.com jtf to complete a short assessment and get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. That's TokyoTry.com JTF to get matched in minutes. T-A-L-K-I-A T-R-Y.com JTF. And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

My oldest son, he's an actor. He's just done a movie.

[Curtis Stone]

No way.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah, he's. He's in Camp Rock, which is about to be.

[Curtis Stone]

Yes, of course.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

With the Jonas Brothers.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yes.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah. So Hud decided to audition for this movie. He's a musician, he plays a guitar and he's quite talented. And he. Anyway, Lindsay was like, I got a phone call today from someone that she worked with who thinks she should audition for this movie. And he was like, I'll do it.

[Curtis Stone]

And I'm like, had he done anything?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Never. He'd never. He'd never done anything.

[Curtis Stone]

Oh, my God, if it was only this easy for all of us.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I said to Lindsay, what if he gets it? She's like, honey, there's no way on God's green earth he'll get it. He's never done anything. This is his first audition. So anyway, he sends in the tape and then they want to see him, and then they see him and then they say, you know what? Not for this role, but for actually one of the lead roles. We'd like to see you. So Linds and I are just sort of standing there with our mouth open and sure enough, he books the job.

[Curtis Stone]

He's one of the leads.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

Oh, my God, that's incredible.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's crazy.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah. And now he's writing songs and he's like, go get a job, right?

[Curtis Stone]

Oh, my God, he's all over it.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

He just signed a record deal with Hollywood Records.

[Curtis Stone]

Why is he get him on this podcast?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah, you should be interviewing him and I could be cooking you lunch.

[Curtis Stone]

Oh, no, that's incredible. I mean, are you nervous about him being in the entertainment world? World, Since, I mean, you have obviously so nervous.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

You know, it's interesting. I think the more, you know, it's almost easier to be blind to it. Right. And know that fame is a great thing and. Or think that fame is a great thing, but once you've lived it a little bit, you kind of like, huh, how's this gonna be for him? Because it happened to me when I was an adult.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

But for him, he's still a kid, so you wonder. But more than anything, just so stoked for him because he's doing what he absolutely loves.

[Curtis Stone]

That's great.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

He's doing sessions of music every night after school. And. Yeah. He's so happy.

[Curtis Stone]

That's incredible.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

That's crazy.

[Curtis Stone]

You must be so proud.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah, I am.

[Curtis Stone]

Wait, just.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Is Lindsay.

[Curtis Stone]

Lindsay's an actress, right?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yes, she's an actress and she's a songwriter. So that's clearly where he gets all of his talents. He can't cook to save his life. So I've failed miserably. And she's the champion of.

[Curtis Stone]

There's still time. I was a. I had no skills in the kitchen, and now I consider myself very apt.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

So what's a weeknight meal for you?

[Curtis Stone]

Oh, God, it's been so long since I've actually cooked. I. I mean, I tend to cook, like, clean for me, for myself, but, like, you know, big flavor fish, chicken. I don't go super crazy. I'm from New Mexico, so I do a lot of, like, Southwest cooking.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Hatch chilies.

[Curtis Stone]

That's right. Yeah. I mean, when I was. When I did your show in your beautiful studio in Malibu.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

You made me.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

What did we do?

[Curtis Stone]

We did something that was very frustrating. It was a. Not foie gras. There was. What was it that we had? I'm trying to remember.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Gosh, it kind of been very exciting.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

No, I remember I was scared to try it. No, it was like.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I think I took you out of your comfort. You did.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

No, you scared me with something.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Was it liver?

[Curtis Stone]

It was liver. It was liver.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

It was something that I was not comfortable eating, and it was delicious.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I have a tendency to put people in that position.

[Curtis Stone]

I'm sorry. Yeah. And you made me, like, help cook it.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

Listen, it was delicious. It was great. But that's all to say, like, I. I have gotten better. I've been braver in the kitchen since I've been older. So there's still time for your kids. Good, good.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

For sure.

[Curtis Stone]

I don't know. Did I tell you when I was. When I was on your show that I. It was always sort of my Dream to go to culinary school.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which blew me away, because you meet people that are so talented and artistic. But I've heard that a lot from people, actually.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Well, you had Teri Hatcher on your

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

show, and she did go to college.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah. She's the one who sort of inspired me to actually do it. I haven't, by the way.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And she really did.

[Curtis Stone]

I mean, she took time off and she.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

She did it.

[Curtis Stone]

And you know our mutual friend Ellen Bennett.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yes.

[Curtis Stone]

She went back to culinary school and while she was, you know, raising two young boys and doing a kitchen renovation show, it's like, people make it work. So I don't really have an excuse, but it's something I still would really love to do.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

It's interesting. Like, I've watched Lindsey work over the years as an actor, and, you know, you start with a theme or a script, but then you interpret it however you want as an actor. And the same with watching Hud make music. You start with a bunch of sounds, and you put them together and layer them over the top of each other and have a narrative and you develop it. And then I think about food, and I think it's quite a similar construct in many ways. You just start with ingredients, and then however you want to express yourself with those ingredients is what you do. You put the technique over the ingredients, and then suddenly you're cooking. You know, you're serving someone food. So there's something quite artistic about all those different things.

[Curtis Stone]

I completely agree with you. There's such an overlap.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Curtis Stone]

Such an overlap. And so I do feel like you're right. Like, my mind might be drawn to that, because I think that's completely accurate. Do you just hearing me speak about, like, you know, when you say it sounds so easy. You know, you just take technique and you overlay it with, like, delicious ingredients. But, like, you know, it's not as easy as that.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But do you think that there is

[Curtis Stone]

something that, like, I've always wondered this with, like, people who cook at home, that there's, like, a simple thing that people could do to, like, just make things easier. I think people get very overwhelmed when they have to, you know, put a meal together. And I think a lot of it's overthinking.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Right.

[Curtis Stone]

But I mean, is there something that you. If, like, people just knew a certain thing that,

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

you know what I think it is?

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

It's when we plan out what we're going to cook, we sit down and plan it out, and we come up with the idea. Right. And then we'll actually go as far to write a mise en place list of all the different bits of the preparation.

[Curtis Stone]

I love a mise en place. For those who do not know, it's like it just makes you immediately feel like you're in a cooking show. You just chop up all the ingredients, get everything ready. It's the greatest that's worth. That's what I most like about cooking is I find it very meditative. Meditative.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

It is, yeah. But then you also get a good sense of, well, how long is this going to take me?

[Curtis Stone]

Right.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Because you itemize it all, you know, now I'm a nerd, but I'll go to the point of taking post it notes and writing what's what the ingredient is on a post it note. And then I'll stick those things on my kitchen counter, right?

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

And then if I'm going to serve multiple things, I'll go and select the platters or the plates or whatever, and I'll stick a post it note with what's going to go on it onto that. So it's a little plan. It's just an organizational structure. So then when you actually are cooking, you're like, right, I got to chop the onions, you put the garlic, and then you get the chicken legs. So then you end up with it all out. So it's kind of like you're prepping yourself to do your own little cooking show.

[Curtis Stone]

Right.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Because once you have it all there and you see this, people cook on tv and you're like, oh, my God, it looks so easy when you do it. Well, yeah, because we have it all done. It's all out. We're just combining it all, you know? So I think when you're cooking at home, quite often people will just start. They'll just start peeling an onion, cutting it, put it in the pan, and then, then it's a race. Now I've got to get the next thing done before those onions bloody burn, you know? So I think that that first step

[Curtis Stone]

of taking the stress out of it,

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

really plan it out. Yeah, yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Curtis shares why a restaurant is about so much more than food. Okay, be right back. No one knows pests like Orkin. And when your calendar is packed with pool parties, graduations, birthday parties, cookouts, you need an Orkin pro. They know how to stay one step ahead of pests so you can enjoy your summer schedule. Orkin pros have been using this expertise and know how to make sure Your summer plans go off without an itch for 125 years because they know nothing is more of a buzzkill than the buzz of pests. So if you've got a packed to do list this summer, just make sure to bring sunscreen. Orkin will do the rest. They'll help you get the most out of your backyard and keep almost all the unwanted guests away. There's really nothing they can do about your neighbor. Scott, you want to start enjoying your summer as soon as possible. And we want to keep the right up until the leaves start to change. Ready to make the most of your summer? Visit orkin.com today for a free estimate. And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Curtis Stone]

Did you discover this place when it first opened?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

See, there's this Little Chef mafia, and we all know each other. And one of the guys that worked with me was like, there's this kiwi guy, and there's a Kiwi and an Aussie. And one of them did the design here. One of them was in the kitchen. You got to go down there. So I was like, okay. And I came down and I was like, oh, my God. Because it's sort of all these different Southeast Asian curries. You know, you get something from India, something from Malaysia. There's Indonesian stuff on the menu. So it's kind of this really interesting in mix of food. So we came down really early on, and there was no one here. The light was low, and they're playing reggae, and place is beautiful. And I was like, oh, this place has got it, you know?

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah. Special.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Hello.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Hi.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

How are you?

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Hi. How are you?

[Curtis Stone]

Good to see you. Nice to meet you. How you doing?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

No worries.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Nice to see you.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

So happy to be here. Thank you for this.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Sorry, Gordon.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

No worries. What have we got here?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Everything is so delicious.

[Curtis Stone]

The prawns we had is incredible.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Amazing.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

So you started with the prawns. What else have you eaten today?

[Curtis Stone]

We had the. We had the kimpachi, the salad.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Green papaya salad. Oh, yeah, the prawns with the head on.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Yes. Did you eat the head?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Of course.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Good, good. Nice. Perfect.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

But you guys been here before.

[Curtis Stone]

I have.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Okay. When? When did you sneak in?

[Curtis Stone]

I came. I've been here twice. I was always on the patio.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Okay.

[Curtis Stone]

But it's been a while. I haven't been here in, like, a year.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Well, welcome back.

[Curtis Stone]

Thank you.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

I love it here.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

It's so great.

[Curtis Stone]

I was so excited when Curtis picked it.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Oh, good.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Good, good. It's good to see you.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

It's nice to See you, too.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Yes. How good.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I drive by all the time, but I know how difficult it is for you guys to give out table these days. You.

[Curtis Stone]

I know. It's so busy.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Congrats.

[Curtis Stone]

Thank you.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Appreciate it. Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

What's going on? I was just telling Jesse I was here right at the beginning when you guys were just.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

You were a very early adopter. Yeah. Yeah. So thank you, Curtis.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

You're just kidding me. Thank you.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Have you been back recently? I. You know what? I don't live too far away, so we get you delivered to our home.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Oh, I see. Nice.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Probably once a week.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

What's your like, go to order?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Well, my kids like. We start with the prawn crackers and the. What are the other chips that you do? The.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Oh, the cassava chips.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Cassava chips.

[Curtis Stone]

Because they're white and there's some. I only eat white things.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah, that's my little guy. He's so. He's so picky. So he starts munching on those immediately. This is one of my favorites, the beef ring. Everything. Every single thing on your menu is fabulous.

[Curtis Stone]

There was something I. Curry puffs are so good. Yes. There's something I ordered when I came here last time, and then we got a second round of it. It was so good. I don't remember what it was, though. I have to look at the menu.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Do. Do you like the. My favorite is the devil chicken curry,

[Curtis Stone]

so that might have been what it was. Yeah, I know.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Did you do the design inside?

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

I did, yes.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Gorgeous.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Thank you. Thank you. I wanted to feel like stepping into your grandma's, like, living room, dining room, so that's kind of the vibe. We've got a second location opening up soon, which I'm very excited about in Larmont.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Perfect.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

That's great.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Congrats.

[Curtis Stone]

Oh, my God. You're gonna make Larchman even more crazy.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Oh, yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

With Max and Hounds and now you.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Oh, man.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

We're not going to be in, like, the. The main village area, but we've got this cool old space. It's an old Craftsman bungalow. So. Yeah, I'm very excited about it.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Is it far?

[Curtis Stone]

It's on Largemont, though, right?

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

It's. No, it's on Melrose.

[Curtis Stone]

Okay, got it, got it. Okay. I know what you're talking about.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

Kind of up near opposite Paramount.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Sure. Yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah. Oh, that's so great.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Very exciting. Excited, but, yeah. Have you guys been here for brunch, though?

[Curtis Stone]

I have not.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Okay. So I think the brunch menu is on par with the dinner one. So.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Really?

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Oh my God, it is banging. It's so good. So.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Okay.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

But next time come for brunch. It's really, really good. And then during the summer we have like live music and stuff. It's awesome.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Oh my God.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Great. Yeah. Anyway, good to see you too.

[Curtis Stone]

Thank you so much. Thank you.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Shorts and stuff coming to you. Probably not wanting anything additional, but it's coming soon.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

We'll.

[Curtis Stone]

We'll look at it, make space.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Yeah. Do you guys want drinks or anything?

[Curtis Stone]

I'm okay with my water.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Sure. We've got this. Really? It's non alcoholic. It's a garden shrub and we make it in house and it's like a little similar to kombucha, but we ferment it with apple cider vinegar and berries.

[Curtis Stone]

I mean, if you brought that out to me, I would eat it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'd eat it.

[Curtis Stone]

I would drink it. Yeah, sure. Let's get crazy wild with some kombucha. What's your heart out for?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

5, 15.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You got a date?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I've got a.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You got a hot date?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

A call with my son's teacher. Oh, better be a good one, Emerson. Yeah, no, it's just to check in.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah, yeah, he's a good kid. I mean, the stress that comes with having kids, it's just, I was not prepared for that. Just always worried. And those calls when you're like, you have a call with the teacher, it's just like.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

But when they're young. I remember when we first got home, I was home for two weeks and I was like, why didn't anyone tell me it was this hard? Yeah, it's brutally difficult.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

And the sleep deprivation, deprivation is like, it's literally torture.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

And I can remember talking to my brother, being like, mate, you never told me.

[Curtis Stone]

I feel like they did and we just didn't listen.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Maybe.

[Curtis Stone]

You know, I feel like someone really needed to pull me aside and put their hands on my shoulders and be like, no, you don't understand. It's really, really hard. Yeah, look at me. It's really hard. You know what I mean? Because I mean, did you always want to be a dad?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I spoke to my mom, I said, what's it going to be like? And she was the most honest of everyone.

[Curtis Stone]

Okay, what did she say?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Well, you're just going to have to find out for yourself, love. She was right. And it's the truth.

[Curtis Stone]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

And I spoke to her after and she was like, no one can prepare you for it. Like, you just, you just have to experience it. And I was like, well, you can prepare me a little bit.

[Curtis Stone]

Right, right, right.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

But it gets easier and easier and easier and more fulfilling and more fulfilling. But then I guess once they become teenagers, it gets a whole lot harder again.

[Curtis Stone]

So it's just a different set of problems, I think.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Right.

[Curtis Stone]

You know, are you, you're in a place now because your kids are what, he's 11 and 14. 14, yeah. That seems like a really fun age.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

It is.

[Curtis Stone]

Like right before things can take a turn.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah, yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

Were you a good kid, really?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

No, I wasn't. I found school really difficult. Didn't like it, which now I'm at that place with my own kids where I'm like, I wonder how honest I should be. Because he said to me the other day, hudson still getting incredible grades. And he's like, what were your grades like at my age? And I was like, comparable. And they may have been, but what

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

was the school like?

[Curtis Stone]

What's it school system like in Australia? Was it something that quite traditional? Okay, yeah.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

And I went to a grammar school, a boys only formal tie, blazer cap, socks pulled up to the knee.

[Curtis Stone]

Okay, yeah. And did you gravitate toward any subject that was somewhat interesting or.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I couldn't get out of there fast enough, if I'm being really honest.

[Restaurant Owner/Designer]

Really?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I think once I sort of got to 17, you know, to year 11 or 12, I, I started to get a little more into the business stuff, the economics, the politics. Like, I, I became more interested in it, but not interested enough to go to university. I, I was like, I'm going to.

[Curtis Stone]

So you didn't go to university, but you did go to culinary school?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

In Australia.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

And then from there it went to London?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

I did, yeah.

[Curtis Stone]

And you had success pretty early, right?

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah, yeah. Well, I worked for great people. You know, that was my fortunate thing that I was working in incredible restaurants.

[Curtis Stone]

I mean, it sort of seems like the same. I always feel like with acting, you know, the best schooling is actually doing it and like being amongst your peers and like watching and observing and getting to work alongside people who are already good at what they do. And I imagine. And that's probably very much the same. The restaurant industry.

[Curtis Stone's Husband (likely Lindsay Price)]

Yeah, it really is. You know, I think you sort of were talking before about technique and you know, as a cook, it's kind of all you've got is learning how to poach, sear, fry, roast, braise. Like once you understand all of those techniques really well, then you can get creative and be like, all right, what can I do with These ingredients, how can I use that? But a little bit of this, you can sort of start telling stories through your food a bit more. But you do need to understand that technique quite well, I think, you know, because if you don't, then you kind of just. It's a bit sloppy. Yeah. And then the artistic side of it can kick in and you can get kind of crazy with it, which I love, you know, like that. That's sort of that performance side of it where, you know, when you think about a restaurant like this one, it's just a blank canvas. It's got walls and a floor and a ceiling and a kitchen. And then you give it its personality and then you invite people into that space and you do something for them each night. And when you actually stop and think, what is the art of hospitality? It's not just food. In fact, food's only a tiny piece of it because I can order their food at my house, but I want to come here because of how I feel when I walk in the room. And I think that's the interesting thing about ambience is design and lighting and sound and volume and smell and it's all of these things in these tiny little doses, but there's no recipe to it, you know, like. And that's what's so challenging but also fulfilling about getting it wrong.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That was a little more from my conversation with Curtis Stone. If you haven't heard our full conversation yet, make sure to check it out on Dinners On Me. This episode of Dinners On Me was recorded at Kobe's in Santa Monica, California. Next week on Dinners On Me, you know her as Charlotte York Goldblatt in Sex and the City. And. And just like that, it's Kristen Davis. We'll talk about the influence her fellow Sex and the City co stars had on her as a person. Her incredible volunteer work shedding light on the refugee crisis around the world. And we'll get into her decision to adopt two kids on her own. Dinners on Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale, she composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.