On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," chef Chris Bianco talks to CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler about his career. The conversation begins with Bianco, who won the prestigious James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur in 2022, talking about the Southern Smoke Festival. He'll serve pizza at the festival's East Downtown Throwdown on October 23 (tickets are still available).

From there, Sandler asks Bianco about his participation in Netflix's documentary series Chef's Table: Pizza. Released in September, the episode provides a detailed look at both the chef's professional accomplishments and personal struggles. Sandler asks Bianco what he thinks about the episode now that he's had a chance to view it, including the praise from food writers Ed Levine and Brett Anderson.

"Brett and Ed have said kind things about me, and I'm grateful for them," Bianco says. "I always said, I can tell you who I want to be, but only you can tell me who I am. I'm grateful they had those kind things to say, but I only take it as a responsibility to not let you down. I don't want to be the person that you saw that doesn't live up to that expectation in real life."

The conversation covers more lighthearted topics, too. Bianco shares the story of how got into the tomato business. Known for his devotion to the Phoenix Suns, Sandler asks the chef about sports podcaster Bill Simmons joking that he might be the team's next general manager. After telling the story of how he became a fan of the team, he drops a memorable quip.

"Bill Simmons, first of all, I love him. He's a dear friend and a nut. For anyone who's going to buy the Suns, I hope they're a great humanitarian, a great leader, a great communicator to the community and others. I've got about $600 burning a hole in a coffee can. That's probably about as deep as my pockets go."

Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Matt Harris discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: Cali, a new restaurant that will serve dishes from Trap Kitchen and other California restaurants; Dallas-based sports bar BoomerJack's plans to open two Houston-area locations; and Hungry's opening a third location in Tanglewood.

In the restaurants of the week segment, Sandler and Harris share first impressions of Lagniappe Kitchen & Bar, the Louisiana-inspired restaurant that recently opened in the former Revival Market Space. They also share thoughts on a preview pop-up held by the chefs of Baso, a Spanish-inspired restaurant opening in the Heights next year.

-----

Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. Listen to it Saturday at noon on ESPN 97.5.