Chef José Andrés on social courage, Stephen Colbert and the World Cup in Atlanta

Q: Did you know you had been nominated for the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize, or was it a surprise when you found out you were selected?

Andrés: It’s hard these days to find true surprises, and I’m happy to say this was one of them. It was humbling to find out I had been selected, and it gave me the opportunity to learn about the incredible life of Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., who I can now say is an inspiration to me, at a time when we all need inspiring figures in our lives more than ever.

Q: Did you have any previous connection to Georgia Tech or Atlanta?

Andrés: I’ve visited Atlanta several times. Years ago, I created a course at Harvard with my mentor, Ferran Adria, that teaches physics through cooking. It was so popular that we took it to other campuses as a lecture series, including to Georgia Tech. It was a very “full circle” moment to be back on campus for such a special occasion.

Q: What does the term “social courage” mean to you? How does it feel to be recognized for such a profound quality?

Andrés: Social courage is the simple but profound idea that each one of us can make a difference in our communities — or in our world — one action or decision at a time. Collectively, those actions become a powerful force for positive change. Ending hunger sounds like an impossible task, but if you have the courage to just start cooking one meal at a time, you can feed the world.

Note: World Central Kitchen is known for its incredibly quick responses to disaster areas, often arriving well before government aid is mobilized, as was the case in 2017 when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico.

Q: What are some of the secrets to the speed with which WCK is able to deploy such large-scale food service operations? Have you or your team invented any tools or innovated any new processes that help WCK set up in disaster zones so fast?

Andrés: I always say that World Central Kitchen is about software, not hardware. By the time we arrive to an emergency, we are already activating the available infrastructure and empowering the local response. We think of ourselves as one of the biggest organizations in the world because every kitchen, every restaurant, every volunteer, every delivery vehicle, every ingredient … they are all part of World Central Kitchen. They just don’t know it yet!

Q: What is your favorite meal (or multiple favorites) that WCK serves in the field?

Andrés: Each activation, we work with local chefs and local restaurants to cook local recipes. So my answer is different every time. Recently, I’ve loved Jamaican patties after Hurricane Melissa, Carolina barbecue in the wake of Hurricane Helene and the amazing meals that the people of Gaza are preparing and sharing with their fellow Palestinians.

Q: Were you able to spend any time in Atlanta when you accepted this prize? If so, what did you think of the city and where did you eat?

Andrés: This was a short trip, but I’m hoping to visit again soon to cheer on Spain in the World Cup this summer. I’ll take any recommendations you have.

Note: “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will end in May after it was controversially canceled last year. Colbert has been a longtime supporter of World Central Kitchen and announced in March the show would auction off memorabilia to benefit the nonprofit.

Q: What has it been like to have Stephen Colbert turn such a spotlight on WCK recently?

Andrés: Stephen has been there for us since Day 1, bringing a spotlight to our work and finding creative ways to make us all smile with the fundraisers that the “Late Show” has been able to do for World Central Kitchen. (W)hen I went on his show, we made Rom Cremat, a flaming rum drink that is traditional to Barcelona, where I grew up. While he was trying to keep me from accidentally setting the Ed Sullivan Theater on fire, I told him and the audience that the drink was a tribute to the big beacon of light in the darkness that Stephen has been for so many of us.

Q: How do you balance the demands of running a global nonprofit and a restaurant group? Who are some of the people who make it possible to do all that you do?

Andrés: I always say, “You are only as good as the people you have around you.” That’s true for the people at José Andrés Group who have worked with me for years and decades, from the chefs to the bartenders to the dishwashers. As a team, we are only as good as our last dish. The same is true with World Central Kitchen — whether it’s the relief team, who drop everything at a moment’s notice to run toward communities in need, or the very people we meet when we get there, who proudly put the WCK logo on their shirt or their restaurant, and help us to reach everyone with a hot meal. And especially my family: my amazing wife, Patricia, and our daughters, Carlota, Inés and Lucia. They are my rock, and they are the ones who make it all possible.

Critic’s Notebook is a column by AJC restaurant critic Henri Hollis that examines interesting stories and industry issues from the Atlanta food scene based on insights from his day-to-day reporting on restaurants.