On this episode of In Conversation With, Chef Tyler Shortt, Executive Chef of Tinker Street, takes the mic and explores how food becomes a vehicle for memory, culture, and community. From family chicken fries and New York kitchens to sourcing locally and leading collaboratively, Chef Tyler reflects on putting “himself on the plate” and building something intentional—both inside the kitchen and beyond it.
Learn more about Tinker Street Restaurant: https://tinkerstreetrestaurant.com/
🍽️ Featured Dish
Learn more about Tinker Street Restaurant: https://tinkerstreetrestaurant.com/
🍽️ Featured Dish
- Chef Tyler’s Signature Fried Chicken
A deeply personal dish rooted in family recipes, Southern soul food traditions, and years of refinement—served alongside collard greens, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
🌸 Give Them Their Flowers
- Chef Tyler gives flowers to Chef Youssef Boudarine for his commitment to uplifting diverse cuisines, supporting small businesses, and expanding the culinary imagination of Indianapolis through Epicurean Indy.
🪴 Mentioned in This Episode
- Eleven Madison Park (NYC): https://www.elevenmadisonpark.com/
- Epicurean Indy: https://www.epicureanindy.com/
- Junior Chef Academy Indianapolis: https://www.jcaindy.com/
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Produced and hosted by: Patrick Armstrong
Filmed and edited by: Mike Lee Productions
Engineered and mixed by: Popular Rapture
Filmed at: draft creative space
Filmed at: draft creative space
Music by: Mandog
- (00:00) - – Welcome to In Conversation With Chef Tyler Shortt
- (02:30) - – From Greenwood to the Kitchen: Tyler’s Early Food Roots
- (05:00) - – Putting Yourself on the Plate: Soul Food, Family & Fried Chicken
- (08:10) - – New York Changed Everything: Cooking at Eleven Madison Park
- (11:45) - – Learning Through Culture: Global Food, Family Meals & Cannoli
- (15:10) - – Why Acid Matters: Balance, Technique & Flavor Science
- (18:45) - – Collaboration Over Ego: How Tinker Street Builds Dishes Together
- (22:40) - – Cooking Local: Farmers, Seasonality & Sustainability in Indiana
- (30:10) - – Community as Strategy: Leadership & Partnership at Tinker Street
- (43:20) - – Advice to Young Creatives & How to Best Support the Work