# Andy Baraghani Ends Compromise > Andy Baraghani, the chef and writer, stops footnoting his vision after a decade of balancing creativity and family. - Title: Andy Baraghani Ends Compromise · Bon Appétit | Shortify - Summary: Andy Baraghani, the chef and writer, stops footnoting his vision after a decade of balancing creativity and family. - Keywords: andy baraghani, ditto café, union square greenmarket, small-cell lung cancer, persian flourishes, beyond chicken program, con ed, ghost movie, Bon Appétit - Source: Bon Appétit — https://bonappetit.com/story/andy-baraghani-is-done-compromising - Author: Ella Quittner - Published: 2026-11-12T11:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: andy baraghani, ditto café, union square greenmarket, small-cell lung cancer, persian flourishes, beyond chicken program, con ed, ghost movie, food, lifestyle ## Stagnancy vs Stillness Andy Baraghani fears becoming stagnant rather than dying, defining stagnancy as a fetid pond. > Stagnancy, he’s quick to clarify, is different from stillness. Stagnancy is like a fetid pond; stillness is meditative. ## Ditto Café Launch Andy Baraghani opens Ditto café near Union Square with restaurateur Michael Silber. > Baraghani announced he would be opening a restaurant this fall near Union Square with restaurateur Michael Silber. ## Andy's Social Impact Andy Baraghani has 370,000 Instagram and TikTok followers and is called 'the Internet boyfriend of our dreams'. > He has more than 370,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. He’s been called 'the Internet boyfriend of our dreams'. ## Cultural Background Andy Baraghani grew up in the Bay Area, son of Iranian parents who emigrated to Berkeley in 1977. > He grew up in the Bay Area, the son of parents who had emigrated from Iran to Berkeley in 1977. ## Health Challenge Andy Baraghani lost his father to small-cell lung cancer in 2024. > In 2024, after a battle with small-cell lung cancer, his beloved father passed away. ## Creative Process Andy Baraghani writes recipes with caveats about lemony flavors and herb usage. > I know that my food may be a touch too lemony for some, and that I use what has been called a ridiculous amount of herbs. ## Ditto Menu Ditto café features seasonal vegetables with Persian flourishes and a 'beyond chicken program'. > The dishes will weave together all of the threads of Baraghani-ism: seasonal vegetables prepared deftly with Persian flourishes, blending tart and sour and aromatic with a firm point-of-view. ## Name Origin Andy Baraghani chose 'Ditto' as a code for 'I love you' from the movie Ghost. > It’s another way to say 'I love you,' he says simply, before disappearing to join a meeting. ## Restaurant Details Ditto café is a revival of counter-service restaurants with a focus on California-ish sides and salads. > The goal is dishes that are palpably human, in a space Baraghani hopes will seem accessible to everyone. ## Family and Identity Andy Baraghani grew up surrounded by immigrant communities and learned to accept his sexuality in kitchens. > He wrote about learning to accept his sexuality in restaurant kitchens, where he rarely encountered other gay men. ## Current Focus Andy Baraghani is done footnoting his vision after a decade of balancing creativity and family. > Now, though, Baraghani says he is done footnoting his vision. ## Key takeaway Andy Baraghani has stopped compromising his vision for his new café Ditto after a decade of balancing creativity and family.