Cheftimony

My guest today is Megan O'Neill, a Vancouver-based lawyer who focuses on the wine industry. Megan shares how she found her way into “wine law,” how she supports clients in the space, and the creative ways younger people are finding to break into a traditionally expensive industry.We explore tariff and interprovincial trade issues, the work of industry organizations, and the impact of shifting demographics—particularly the challenge facing winery owners as their core customer base of boomers ages, while younger consumers show more interest in lower-alcohol or no-alcohol options - the world of “nolo”.Megan also offers some great career advice for those starting out (in any field!), along with a few of her current favourite food and wine picks. Think high-acid pinot noir and some delicious rosés, perfect for summer. Join us!

In an outcome I'm really glad I didn't bet on happening… I just cancelled my trip to Las Vegas scheduled for later this month. I can't say when I'll be ready to go again.Thanks to my friends Sonja Cho Swanson and Dayvid Figler at the fantastic City Cast Las Vegas Podcast for inviting me to share my thoughts on just what led me to pull the plug and to give up all that glorious food and gambling. In today's episode, I'm sharing an interview with City Cast co-host Dayvid, from a recent City Cast Las Vegas episode. You can hear that full episode (and subscribe to that fantastic show) right over here.Stay great, Las Vegas, I do hope to see you again!

Today, my guest is Chef Thompson Tran of The Wooden Boat Food Company. Long-time listeners to Cheftimony have heard from Thompson in the past. He's an old friend, and we met way back in the day when I was a stagiaire at Bishop's restaurant in Vancouver. You can hear more on Chef's background on Episode 009 of the show and on a Snapshot episode in the summer of 2021. In today's episode, Thompson and I dive right on into the joys of middle age, cooking for children and – of all things – boxing. Chef is taking part in a charity boxing match on Friday, April 4th, and we discuss the charity the event is supporting (McMaster Children's Hospital) and the training regime Thompson is currently working his way through. We also touch on the latest in Chef's business and a couple of his recent favourite dining experiences. Join me in supporting this great charity boxing match! You can donate to Chef Thompson Tran at this link. And more information about the event (and the opportunity to purchase a livestream link) is available right here.

Today, points-and-miles expert Julia Menez of Geobreeze Travel joins me to talk delicious food around the world. We also dive into some of the techniques Julia uses to significantly reduce the cost of luxury travel and the outstanding food and drink that goes along with it. From her current home base in Las Vegas where Julia loves off-Strip dining, to a steakhouse in Buenos Aires, to some great (and not-so-great) food options when flying business or first class, Julia takes us to some of her favourite food-friendly destinations around the globe. If you've ever boarded a flight and wondered what the folks in first class are enjoying for lunch (and just how to get there without spending a fortune), Julia's is a voice you should hear. Join us for some points, and some miles, but most importantly, for the food!

All right, it's more like 45 minutes than fifteen, but the point is you're going to hear from the wonderful Chef Anjula Devi. I had the enviable job of speaking with Chef about her long-standing interest in food, her experiences growing up in the UK in a first-generation immigrant family that used food to forge community, and about Anjula's soon-to-be-released new cookbook, 15-Minute Indian. Surprisingly for Cheftimony, we also talk a little sports! Or at least about the most important aspect of sports – the food available on game day. Join us for the talk! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I'm taking you inside the Chairman's Room at Sinatra Restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas.  You'll hear from several of the lucky dinner guests with their thoughts on the private, Frank Sinatra-inspired menu that Michael of TravelZork and ZorkFest, Keren from the 360 Vegas Podcast, and I planned way back on Episode 070 of Cheftimony. Join us in the Chairman's Room at Sinatra, and head to the Cheftimony website for detailed show notes, including the exact menu from which our twenty diners had to make their choices for each course.

Today my friend Tania Tomaszewska and I dive deep into the world of NOLO and “zebra”-ing. And yes, those terms were new to me too! Our topic is no- and low-alcohol drinks (hence “NOLO”), and Tania and I discuss the increasingly popular choice to reduce alcohol consumption by alternating between drinks with and without alcohol: zebra-ing. Today on Cheftimony, I'm sharing the latest episode of the excellent TT Wine Explorer Podcast in full. You're about to hear Episode 19: The Rise of NOLO. Join us for our talk, and head to the Cheftimony website for detailed show notes.

Today's snack-sized episode answers a seemingly simple question: “Just what goes into making a great burger?” My guest is Chef Robert Belcham who shares the goods on his iconic Dirty Burger. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me and my friends Keren and Michael for a behind-the-scenes discussion as we plan two beautiful menus for an extravagant dinner for twenty in fabulous Las Vegas. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

The second and final part of Episode 069 is here! Keren and I complete our talk about fantastic Vegas restaurants - past and present - and we welcome two new Vegas-based guests to share their thoughts too. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Here is the first installment of a two-part season-ending episode, all about great restaurants in Las Vegas – past and present. My co-host is Keren from the 360 Vegas Podcast, and together we welcome Las Vegas food enthusiasts to discuss the great restaurants we've lost and the ones we should visit now. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Here's a quick update from Las Vegas, with a focus on fabulous food from a middle-of-the-night steak dinner to amazing brunches on-Strip and off. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today is a snapshot of food, friends and fun on the garden island. Order the Ahi Au Poivre! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I sit down with Chef Hilary Prince and Chef Jack Chen to talk everything from the business realities of running a restaurant to the importance of taking your staff to the farm to a story so hilariously tragic - or tragically hilarious - that it is literally A Knife to the Tart. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me on Sardinia and meet three characters who have left lives of stress behind and chosen to “downshift” on this idyllic island. We'll dive into pasta making, pizza, gelato, coffee, and the wonderful Sardinian pasta, culurgiones. Detailed notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me in Venice for delightful breakfasts, one stand-out lunch, and an important life lesson from an elderly waiter who calmed me as I tried to rush dinner to make it to a jazz show. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me for quick thoughts on food in Bologna, captured through the lens of one special meal at Osteria del Mirasole. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me in Piedmont for a tour through lunch, coffee, family-style dinner and the second visit to my absolute favourite restaurant in Italy. If you have not been to the village of Roddino, you might consider booking a trip when you hear about the food… Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I'm delighted to speak with Seattle-based food writer, video producer, home cook, food scientist, James Beard Foundation award winner, chef, New York Times columnist, and accomplished Street Fighter II player, J. Kenji López-Alt. Lattes, pizzas and the best kitchen plunger story I've ever heard. This and so much more. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

An iconic bistro, high-stakes gambling and a classic steakhouse… Northern California (and Nevada!) did not disappoint. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me at the edge of the world, for amazing food stops on a zodiac tour through Gwaii Haanas and back on-island on Haida Gwaii. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me to hear about some great meals in Gibsons, BC and to look ahead to stops in Haida Gwaii, Lake Tahoe and Italy. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me from Esther's Kitchen in the Arts District of Las Vegas for my talk with the wonderfully talented and wonderfully hospitable Chef James Trees. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me in Paradise for culinary updates from mid-way through the latest trip to Las Vegas! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me for an extended session of SideBar with Tania Tomaszewska of TT Wine Counsel. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me for my talk with Chef Gary FX LaMorte of Honest Hospitality in Las Vegas. From incredible stocks and sauces to feeding the Las Vegas Raiders, it's all ahead on today's episode. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

I'm looking back at an absolutely fantastic dinner at Brezza by Chef Nicole Brisson. Join me in Las Vegas! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me in Downtown Las Vegas for a fantastic dinner at Oscar's Steakhouse. From "destination bread" to start to the rib cab steak to the deep dish chocolate chip cookie at the end, this was a meal I will seek out again. Made some new friends too! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me for a quick episode today as I look ahead to an extended weekend in fabulous Las Vegas. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me for my talk with Chef Nicole Brisson, a champion for ethically-raised meat and the creator of some amazing restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Merry Merry and Happy Happy! Join me for this snack-sized episode all about charity and food. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today's report is all about the delicious food in southern Spain. Tapas and cava and cockles (alive, alive, oh). Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I bring you thoughts on two meals in Barcelona and on the excitement of the recent Michelin Guide news out of Vancouver. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me today at The Wine Bar at The End of The World, Bar Gobo in Vancouver, British Columbia. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me for a Snapshot of Cuba, featuring truly delightful food (and people!) in Matanzas and Havana. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me for a few quick minutes so that I may offer some thoughts on a recent trip to Cuba as well as restaurants in Vancouver and on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I look back at the great weekend that was Vegas Vacation 11 and I bring you an interview with Chef Brian Howard direct from his soon-to-open new restaurant in Las Vegas, Half Bird Chicken & Beer. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Vegas Vacation 11 is almost here! Joining me today to get the party started early are six Las Vegas enthusiasts who will appear at the 360 Vegas Family Meet and Greet on June 13th. Detailed show notes, including links to all the episodes mentioned today, are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I talk law and cooking, social media and advocacy, all with the multi-talented, unstoppable Joanne Molinaro, The Korean Vegan. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I'm bringing you stories and some wonderful food from a place that seems to me like the edge of the world. It's Haida Gwaii off the west coast of Canada. You'll meet Chef Giulio of Gather Restaurant and hear about both the inspirations and the challenges of cooking in this remote, beautiful place. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I'm so excited to bring you my talk with Dayvid Figler, host of City Cast Las Vegas, along with a complete episode of Dayvid's show. Dayvid is another Vegas-loving, food-loving lawyer and, as always, I'm very, very happy to talk Las Vegas and the culinary scene. Join us! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I'm so excited to bring you my talk with Dayvid Figler, host of City Cast Las Vegas, along with a complete episode of Dayvid's show. Dayvid is another Vegas-loving, food-loving lawyer and, as always, I'm very, very happy to talk Las Vegas and the culinary scene. Join us! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

It's all Las Vegas all the time today. Tony from the 360 Vegas Podcast stops by to talk gambling and dining in Sin City, and I have a meal at Lotus of Siam that is so incredibly good I couldn't help but use colourful language to describe it. Cover your ears! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me in Paradise, Nevada for a mid-trip snapshot of three Las Vegas dining experiences. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me with friends new and very new for our discussion at Oscar's Steakhouse in Downtown Las Vegas just before hearing from former Vegas mayor and criminal defence lawyer, Oscar Goodman. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today it's all about luxury travel and indulgent dining and, of course, Las Vegas. Plus fried chicken. Detailed show notes are at Cheftimony website.

Today I look forward to a whole lot of Las Vegas culinary experiences and discussions. Join me for this quick snack-sized episode!

Today's episode finds me on Keats Island helping to cater a wonderful wedding celebration. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Merry Christmas! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me in the village of Roddino in northern Italy at Uri Ristorante where the delicious food is traditional and influenced by the flavours of Korea! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me in the village of Roddino in northern Italy at Uri Ristorante where the delicious food is traditional and influenced by the flavours of Korea! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.