JOSÉ ANDRÉS, 55, is no mere chef. The man has more than 30 restaurants, is the author of seven cookbooks (and a new book of life lessons Change the Recipe), and founded World Central Kitchen, a global food aid nonprofit. Busy, for Andrés, is an understatement. Yet the chef manages it all by cultivating an unsung skill: the ability to connect.
7:30 a.m.: Double-Task
Andrés starts his day by connecting with his body. That means an hour on his home elliptical while watching a show, movie, or Barcelona fútbol game. “I want to make sure that, as I grow older, I keep in good movement.” He lost 50 pounds during the pandemic—and has kept it off with cardio and light weight training.
9:30 a.m.: Half-Walk to Work
Andrés takes public transportation to his D.C. office, getting off early and walking the rest of the way. “It’s a great way for me to connect with my city.” Sometimes he calls one of his three daughters on these walks. Sometimes he catches up with friends. Sometimes he just takes it all in.
11:00 a.m.: De-Agenda the Office
No workday is routine for Andrés. “I like to do meetings in the moment. I feel my brain is more responsive and alert, especially in terms of creativity.”
1:00 p.m.: Run the Circuit
Daily boots-on-the-ground involvement helps Andrés stay motivated—and motivate his team. So his day involves visiting at least a few of his six D.C.-area restaurants, touring the kitchens, having on-the-fly conversations with chefs, talking to guests, and ordering (sometimes incognito) dishes for quality control. “I’m being a chef, but I’m like an auditor too,” he says.
5:00 p.m.: Grab a Seat
Before dinner service, Andrés takes off his chef’s jacket and finds an inconspicuous place to sit and watch his restaurant fill. “Restaurants are alive,” he says. “It’s the neighborhood, the people who work in them, the people who are your guests, the vendors.” That moment of appreciation keeps him grounded. (And gives his feet a rest.)
7:00 p.m.: Seek the Sun
Unless he has a meeting with an NGO or a talk to give, Andrés meets his wife for a walk along the Potomac to put a close to the workday and tap into the awe of full-on nature. “There is nothing more powerful than a sunset for me.”
8:00 p.m.: Dine In
Andrés is usually home and cooking. “I see a house as a place to feed your soul and your body,” he says. Sometimes he’s making one big dish; sometimes it’s five small tapas. It’s the ritual that relaxes him.
Midnight: Wind it Down
Before Andrés goes to sleep, he puts his phone on silent and runs through the next day’s plans in his head. Then he tries to quiet his mind. “When you disconnect with the world, you become your own world,” Andrés says. “We all need to do more of that: connect with ourselves.”
Paul Kita is a Deputy Editor at Men’s Health, where he has covered food, cooking, nutrition, supplements, grooming, tech, travel, and fatherhood at the brand for more than 15 years. He is also the author of two Men’s Health cookbooks, Guy Gourmet and A Man, A Pan, A Plan, and the winner of a James Beard Award.
