Interview: Talking ‘Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World’ with Jason Birchard, Tom Birchard, and Director Michael Fiore

The new documentary Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World is very much made for me, but it’s also the kind of warm, universal tale that everyone can enjoy. Whether the restaurant is one of your favorites, like it is for me, or this is the first you’re hearing about it, the doc just works. So, in support of its limited release in theaters today, I got on Zoom earlier in the week with director Michael Fiore, as well as the owners of Veselka, Jason Birchard and Tom Birchard. This is a fun one to share, so dig in!

In my review of the documentary (here), I had this to say about Fiore’s filmmaking:

Filmmaker Michael Fiore loves this place, maybe more than the patrons, and it shows. Opting to be a fly on the wall as the restaurant operates, he never goes too hard on any one element. It’s almost as if the story comes to him. Having David Duchovny narrate sporadically gives things a little heft, but it’s largely Tom, Jason, and the worker who tell this story. There’s not too much in the way of food porn, but it will still make you hungry.

Below, you can hear my conversation with the Birchards and Fiore. They’re very open and forthcoming about the entire process, so there’s a lot to dig into here. Whether it’s their experience with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, why David Duchovny as narrator made sense, or their glee at my familiarity with Veselka, there’s lots going on here. The documentary is wonderful, too, so tune into the chat and then seek this film out…

Here now is my interview with Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World director Michael Fiore as well as Veselka owners Jason Birchard and Tom Birchard. Enjoy:

Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World is in theaters now!