Written by DCist contributor Lauren Jacob

Premier D.C. chef José Andrés cuts an imposing figure, both in his culinary prowess and his Tony Soprano-like stature, but if you see him walking down the street, don’t be afraid to give him a hearty hello and congratulate him on his new TV series “Made in Spain,” which has begun airing on WETA at 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

We caught up with the gregarious Andrés recently at a press event held for his show, slated to be shown on PBS in various markets across the U.S. In the bright downtown dining room of his restaurant, Jaleo, filled with the melodic Spanish accents of Jose’s friends and foreign dignitaries, Andrés told us he once had a primetime show in his home country for four years. In America, he was amused by shows like Yan Can Cook! and Giada De Laurentis’s Everyday Italian and noted that there were shows “even about British cooking,” but none featuring a Spanish chef and his cuisine.