Good Acid

A quick episode with April updates, my current favorite Substack accounts and what's to come for Good Acid podcast!

This is a short but fun solo episode talking about Aperitifs. We're diving into the history, some quirky facts and also the classics you should know about if you want to broaden the options in your bar cart!I really loved prepping for this episode and really enjoyed doing the research to bring this information in a digestable way.This will be a part of a small series where I talk about spirits in general. Hope you enjoy!!

Probably my most casual chit chatty episode yet? I sit down in a noisy Paris café with Sara Petersdotter (and her two dogs) to talk about all things natural wine. Our experience working in the industry here as foreigners, our individual opinions about the natural wine world and harvest 2023. Sara has been living and working in Paris for 18 years. She was part of the opening team of Verjus, worked at the popular restaurant Vivant as well as Jones and is now the director at Ellsworth. She's the cool Scandinavian girl with incredible taste in wine.

Hi! This is a very quick update to tell you all what's been going on the past month and what's to come. So many great things! I can't wait to share with you all.Thanks for listening :)@vnsaruiz@goodacidpodcastHave some feedback on the pod? What to help sponsor this really cool and independently produced podcast? Just want to say hi? Email me! goodacidpod@gmail.com

Before moving to Paris in 2018, when visiting my parents in Florida I'd drive two hours west to Naples, FL for all my wine purchases. There was really (almost) nowhere in the state to purchase low intervention wines. Fast forward to 2020 I noticed online that a new wine shop in the area opened and since then I've stopped by every time I've come back for vacation. Small Wine Shop is a neighborhood shop owned and run by husband and wife duo Tim and Tracy. I spoke to Tim about how his decades (plural!!) of experience in the wine industry led him to open his own place with a very clear vision of the kinds of wines he'd offer, how his business is directly affected by the distributors in Florida and what the natural wine community is like in Fort Lauderdale. Find Small Wine Shop here:IG @smallwineshopFind Good Acid here:IG @goodacidpodcastHave some feedback on the pod? What to help sponsor this really cool and independently produced podcast? Just want to say hi? Email me! goodacidpod@gmail.com

Jeff Hargove, a long-time professional photographer, owns a well-known neighborhood café in the Marais called Fringe. Part coffee shop, part photography gallery, the concept came to him after discovering speciality coffee. Born in the states but having lived outside of the US for most of his life, left him exposed to many different cultures. School is what initially brought him to Paris and after an international career in commercial photography he decided to pursue his own unique concept of what a coffee shop could be. After years of waiting for the right space Fringe opened in 2016. Supplementary to the café Jeff self-published a fine art book named Paris Coffee Revolution dedicated to the history and evolution of specialty coffee in Paris, highlighting the first shops that emerged and some of the first roasters in the city.Today at Fringe you can expect to find a dedicated espresso bar serving a constant rotation of single origin roasts alongside house-made pastries. Find Fringe here:IG @fringecoffeeparisFind Good Acid here:IG @goodacidpodcastHave some feedback on the pod? Email me! goodacidpod@gmail.com

Today's episode is with Paris' favorite california-inspired spot, Echo. Matthias and I talk about his sheer love for LA, how that transpired into opening up a daytime coffee shop and restaurant back in 2018, and how Echo quickly managed to become a Paris cult classic. Towards the end we get to hear about the exciting projects he's working on with friends!Find Echo Paris here:IG @echo.parisFind Good Acid here:IG @goodacidpodcastMatthia's Paris Food + Wine Guide:-La Poule Au Pot-Le Maquis-Classique Bar-Lao Siam-Le Mary CelesteHave some feedback on the pod? Email me! goodacidpod@gmail.com

A solo episode! But this time with a friend. Ashley and I have only known each other for a few months but have quickly gotten very close. Our past life experiences are very parallel, we've lived in multiple places and the same time, have had similar personal and professional paths and are now in the same head space about our careers, what we want in life and what we see for ourselves in the future. We talk about the pros and cons of living in Paris, our thoughts on moving back to California, how even though we're both passionate about wine and spirits we don't enjoy the act of consuming alcohol very pleasurable anymore, the reality of opening up a wine shop,  and how having a family isn't the most compatible thing for this industry :'(

Robert Mendoza is a Mexican chef living his best life in Paris. He started his career in the U.S. working at some pretty impressive kitchens, landed a job in the south of France, fell in love with the country and decided Paris was where he wanted to go next. Since then he's worked as the head chef at some of my favorite Paris restaurants. Verjus, Le Saint Sebastien, Vivant... At the end of the episode Robert tells us about his exciting new project in the U.K.! Find Robert here:IG @rawbgoldFind Good Acid here:IG @goodacidpodcastRob's Paris Food + Wine Guide:-mamiche-telescope-le baratin-bistro paul bert-lao siam-combat-folderolHave some feedback on the pod? Email me! goodacidpod@gmail.com

Our guest today is Natalie Hekmat, the owner of Voodoo Vin in Virgil Village Los Angeles whom she co-owns with her husband Michael. Voodoo Vin is a wine bar and caviste dedicated to hyper seasonal cooking, having an in-house charcuterie program and a collection of wines that are very close to Natalie's heart and an expression of her personal taste.In this episode we talk about our discovery of natural wine in New York many years ago, her brief stint with the court of master sommeliers, her decision to move back home to Los Angeles to open up her own place and how motherhood has affected her career, which if you know me or at least are a regular listener can imagine that's something of interest to me to hear about.INSTAGRAM:Voodoo Vin @voodoovinlaGood Acid @goodacidpodcastHave some feedback on the pod? Email me! goodacidpod@gmail.com

This episode we're talking to Chloe Lucas Walsh, or from Instagram you know her as Chloe Cooks. Chloe was once working in interiors but some years ago she decided to post aesthetic photos of the daily food she was making for herself and managed to very quickly amass 40k plus  followers on Instagram. She's a home cook, food content creator, recipe developer, and food stylist. She now hosts an IRL supper club in Los Angeles and soon all over the U.S. If you like the Los Angeles scene, food, natural wine and community-building then you'll enjoy this one!Find Chloe here:IG @chloecooks___chloe-cooks.comFind Good Acid here:IG @goodacidpodcastChloe's LA Food + Wine Guide:-Bestia-Lolo Wine Bar-Melody-Café Triste-Dudley Market-Marvin-Tabula Rasa Bar-Voodoo Vin-Found Oyster

If you're interested in the world of cocktails, mixology and the paris cocktail scene in general then you absolutely know of our guest today, Margot Lecarpentier. And if you don't know, you should because she's someone who has been able to rise to the top of her game with grace and tenacity in what is a very male dominated industry. She's the owner of Combat, a cocktail bar in Belleville, located in the 19th as well as Petit Combat, it's outpost bar in the 14th. Combat has been recently awarded as Most Sustainable Bar by Time Out Paris, been recognized by Le Fooding and Margot herself has become known online for her very approachable booze tutorials.MARGOT'S FOOD AND DRINK GUIDE:-Tea & TY, 19-Billili, 10-Le Mary Celeste, 3-Kilogramme, 19-Liquiderie Cave, 11-Le Dauphin, 11-Chateaubriand, 11

This episode is a bit personal! Taking a moment to talk about the last 4 years in this city, what it's been like to work in the vineyards a bit as well as in restaurants... I even speak a bit about my personal life and how that has impacted my professional life. The ups, the downs... and lastly what's to come in the future. The whole "why" for this podcast. I hope you enjoy!Instagram: @goodacidpodcast

Whether you're in NYC or Paris, you've probably heard of Allison Kave or at least one of her businesses in the hospitality industry.  Allison a bartender, baker, entrepreneur and an author living in Paris. Before moving here she operated a bar and bakery aptly named Butter & Scotch in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.  Here in Paris she co-owns Izzy's, a cocktail subscription service and Abricot Bar, her long-awaited cocktail bar in the 10th. We talk about what it's been like opening her bar post-covid, the different expectations of French clients vs. Americans and what makes Abricot so special amidst a sea of other cocktail bars in the city.Allison Kave: @allison_kaveAbricot Bar: @abricotbarIzzy's: @izzysparisAllison's Food and Drink Guide:-Des terres, 20-Red House, 11-Bluebird, 11-Boneshaker Donuts, 2-Dirty Lemon, 11-Reyna, 11Follow GOOD ACID on Instagram! @goodacidpodcast

We're talking to Lucie Montel, a barista turned coffee educator. She has a business called Grindin' that's focused on teaching individuals and staff all about the art of coffee. So, coffee lovers, this one's for you!Grindin' IG: @grindin.frPod IG: @goodacidpodLucies' Paris Food + Drink Guide:ESPRESSODreamin' Man, 11Fringe, 3FILTERMotors Coffee, 1ROASTERSFèveRESTAURANTSHolybelly, 10Gramme, 3Clamato, 11

How does a young female chef manage to work in some of the most prominent kitchens in Europe, be a finalist on Top Chef France, successfully own her own consulting company, and host a food & travel TV show all before the age of 27? Let Alexia Duchêne tell you herself!Alexia's Food & Drink Guide to Paris:-YEN, 6

We're talking to Ashley Lhuillery, the owner of Prune Cave. She owns a successful wine shop in the 14th arrondissement of Paris and tells us what it's been like to open a business in France, work to gain the trust of her community (especially as an American) and what's next for her career!Ashley's Food + Drink Guide to Paris:-Liquiderie Bar, 11-Folderol, 11-Shiba Café, 15-Restaurant Pilgrim, 15-Pur Vin, 12-Comer, 10-Librairie Gourmande, 2-Abricot Bar, 10

Good Acid is finally live! This episode is a quick breakdown of what you can expect from this podcast and a little background information on me, your host, Vanessa!I can't wait to start hosting some incredible people here and hope you will join me every week as we sit down with people in Paris that are changing the food & drink culture.