Ace and Angel: A Podcast for Food Lovers

  Alex Gass grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where his late mother and nanny owned and operated a catering company, which Gass was forced to help with as a child. While he despised it then as a boy, working closely with food throughout his life has taught him the importance of local farms and tending the land. “People want to be connected back to where their food originated,” Gass says.He carries with him the lessons and techniques he acquired from his family into his culinary career, which started as a teenager at Big Ed’s Pizza. He worked for several restaurants in the area before finding his dream job. “My first passion in life was music, but true passion is making people happy,” Gass says. He combined his love of music and cooking for years on the road, cooking for musicians on tour. From Widespread Panic to Elton John, and Van Halen to Chris Stapleton, Gass was able to cook custom meals for a variety of artists, and was in bliss. Being on the road for several months out of the year was hard on Gass and his wife and children, so he decided to work closer to home while keeping connected to both music and cooking.He helped open the Knoxville Babalu, and through facilitating secret pop-up dinners around the region, he was introduced to Aubrey’s Inc. and worked at Bistro By the Tracks. While Gass has been with The Walnut Kitchen since 2017, he has been the executive chef since March 2019. He continues to keep relationships with local farmers a priority, and those ingredients drive the seasonal menu at The Walnut Kitchen. “I want to have The Walnut Kitchen be as sustainable and wholesome as possible. Chef tasting experiences are a great way to highlight who we are.”

  Scott Corwin grew up in the hills of East Tennessee in Lenoir City. His heart and passion for food and libations have taken him to 46 states in the continental US and 16 countries around the world. Starting in restaurants at the tender age of 15 as a line cook, he has worked every position in the back and front of the house. He began studying the craft of cocktails at local esteemed Fox Den Country Club, and has continued his journey and passion of bartending for over 13 years—now serving at Finn’s Irish Pub in historic Baker Peters Jazz Club, and also serves as a manager. This is the first time at The Ace & Angel Show we have the privilege of interviewing a staff member of this industry we love, who will shine insight on the behind the scenes stories of those who are the backbone of the restaurants we experience—we are so honored to represent Scott’s heart for service and passion for all things food and libation.

  Our guest chef Paul Moody was born in East Tennessee, raised in New York City and then went on to Hawaii where the fullness of his vision for his current culinary creations were revealed. His culinary journey has taken him into the prestigious kitchens of The Inn at Blackberry Farms, Le Bernardin, Restaurant Cafeteria and Food Network. Then in March of this year this husband and wife duo (Ashley) channeled their energy together and created Lanai Food Truck, fusing flavors inspired from all their many adventures with a focus on island flavors.

  Listen to the tales of Chef Jonathan Gatlin of restaurant Oliver Royale. Chef Gatlin is committed to creating awareness and appreciation of thoughtfully sourced, high-quality food— and training the chefs of Knoxville’s future restaurants. He received his own training at Le Cordon Bleu Atlanta, where he worked under the South’s best to hone his culinary skills and develop his style. Here in the kitchen at Oliver Royale, Chef Gatlin mixes utmost respect for regional traditions with unbridled creativity as he crafts our menus and selects ingredients that meet his standards for freshness and flavor. His vision for sourcing locally and sustainably whenever possible has guided Oliver Royale since its start in 2015.

  For 30 years, Holly Hambright has built her reputation as the premier source for event catering. From cooking for presidents and governors, to the Queen of Thailand and Frank Sinatra, Holly is one of the most respected chefs to call East TN home. Whether you are catering for a small luncheon or a group of hundreds, she can accommodate your vision. You can also dine in with her at her restaurant Gourmet Market.

  We interview the "Ramblin' Man" himself, Jody Collins, as we dive in to what's hot on the scene in all things food and wine. Jody is one of our most dynamic guests having worked with Scripps Networks, Knoxville News Sentinel, Discovery, AC Entertainment, to name a few...he's also our most seasoned guest to date in the wonderful world of podcasts!