The Restaurant Guys

This is a Vintage Selection from 2007The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk with John Scharffenberger about his premium line of chocolate which is the first “bean to bar” chocolate made in the United States. John talks about the history, sourcing and the crucial details in creating some of the finest chocolate in the world!The Inside TrackThe Guys were fans of John's sparkling wine and are fans of his chocolate. This is how John describes his on-the-job training after his career shift. “ I think we were just stupid when we started and the only way we knew how to do things were the way I had done things in the wine business [which] was just to be really careful about flavor. So we treated the beans like we used to treat grapes. We did blind tastings, we did lots of blind tastings, and only accepted beans that had flavors that we liked,” John Scharffenberger on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007BioJohn Scharffenberger started Scharffenberger Cellars known for their world-class California sparkling wine. He left the winery and started Scharffen Berger Chocolates in 1997 with Robert Steinberg. InfoJohn's cookbookEssence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine ChocolateBy John Scharffenberger and Rober SteinbergScharffen Berger Chocolate is no longer owned by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. It was acquired by Hershey in 2005, went back to private ownership in 2020 then acquired by Harry and David in 2024. If you want John's Hot Chocolate recipe, email TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.comOn Friday, June 27 Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Andrew Zimmern at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Brunswick, NJ. VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Andrew. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This episode was recorded live before an audienceThe ConversationThe Restaurant Guys are joined on stage by Alex Guarnaschelli. Alex talks about cooking in a French kitchen, on television and for a special someone (i.e., how to make a seduction dinner.) She finds her faith in beautiful ingredients and her restaurant family. The Inside TrackThe Guys talk to Alex about the not-so-secret sauce that makes “Chopped”  so enjoyable for the judges, guests and audience.“It's the feedback we would give each other in the restaurant. I think it didn't bring the restaurant to the show, but it brought that culture. That pirate that just got off the Black Pearl. I had my parakeet and my eye patch and I'm ready to tell you why your spaghetti sucks!  I think that really resonates with people. I feel like the audience could feel that we wanted to tell the truth,” Alex Guarnaschelli on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioAlex Guarnaschelli began her international culinary journey at Michelin three-star restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris. From there, Guarnaschelli spent four years at a Butte Chaillot, where she became sous chef. After success in France, she returned to the US joining Daniel Boulud at his restaurant, Daniel. In 2003, Guarnaschelli was took the position of executive chef at Butter, where she still oversees her own eclectic American menu.Alex is a recurring judge on the popular Food Network series Chopped and in 2012, she bested nine rival chefs to win The Next Iron Chef: Redemption, earning the coveted title of Iron Chef. She hosts Supermarket Steakout and Alex vs. America among many other shows. She has also been featured as a guest co-host on Beat Bobby Flay. Alex is also the author of several cookbooks including Italian American Forever released in 2024.InfoAlex's most recent cookbookItalian American ForeverAlex's sitehttps://alexguarnaschelli.com/On Friday, June 27 Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Andrew Zimmern at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Brunswick, NJ. VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Andrew. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/ Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2008The BanterThe Guys discuss an issue that persists today, the rising price of food. Hear what little has changed since 2008.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys host food anthropologist Andrew Zimmern for a second time to hear about his travels and love of Bizarre Foods. Two of his favorites are pork roll and yak penis (no, we're not kidding!).The Inside TrackThe Guys catch up with  Andrew Zimmern and chat about his show's meteoric rise.“ Well, let's just, let's just call a spade a spade. The two of you are the most prescient, knowledgeable food industry insiders in a global sense. And the minute that you took the golden scepter and knocked me over the head with it, the show took off. So let's just be honest and share the credit where it's due,” Andrew Zimmern on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2008BioAndrew Zimmern is a chef, food writer, radio show host, author, and host of award-winning television series Bizarre Food franchise among others. He is a four-time James Beard Award winner for his television shows. He has received many Emmy nominations and won for The Zimmern List.He is the author of several books for all ages about bizarre foods as well as an adventure book for middle school students.  Currently, Andrew is on The Outdoor Channel's series, Field to Fire.InfoAndrew's Websitehttps://andrewzimmern.com/On Friday, June 27 Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Andrew Zimmern at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Brunswick, NJ. VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Andrew. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/ Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about the word “journey.” Don't stop believin'.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk with Rollie Wesen about his work at the Jacques Pépin Foundation and how the JPF lifts up individuals through supporting community and virtual culinary education. Rollie comments on how learning cooking techniques can not only improve one's health, but prevent disease and extend one's life. The Inside TrackThe Guys were thrilled to re-launched their podcast with Jacques Pépin and were so glad to start off his 90 for 90 campaign that Rollie and the JPF are orchestrating. “ We're currently in the midst of a national campaign, our 90 for 90 campaign because Jacques is going to turn 90 years old in this upcoming December, which is amazing and we're so happy to still have him with us. But for anybody who wants to celebrate him or feels like they've learned something from him or they want to give back just a little bit for everything that Jacques has given them over the years, there's dinners being hosted all across the country at our, at great restaurants,” Rollie Wesen on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioDr. Rollie Wesen is the Executive Director of the Jacques Pépin Foundation (JPF) and an assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in Providence, Rhode Island. After 20 years of professional cooking experience, including stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in London and France, eight years in New York City, and as a banquet chef for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, chef Wesen joined the faculty at JWU in 2011. With his wife, Claudine Pépin, and father-in-law, Jacques, he co-founded the JPF in 2016. The JPF advances Jacques Pépin's love of culinary arts and teaching through video recipe production and curriculum development, expanding education and training for all. The foundation supports culinary education for many communities through many channels, with a particular focus on workforce development in community based culinary training networks.InfoOn Friday, June 27 Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Andrew Zimmern at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Brunswick, NJ. VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Andrew. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/ Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

 This is just a teaser from a bonus episode for our subscribers. If you'd like to become a Restaurant Guys' Regular and listen to the entire episode and other commercial-free episodes, subscribe herehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeThis is a Vintage Selection from 2005The BanterThe Guys discuss the inequities in Father's Day and Mother's Day as well as pairing strawberries with the perfect sparkling wine. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys want to speak with writer Sam Gugino after reading his fantastic article about coffee. They talk about its journey from farm to roasting to brewing. After his deep dive, Sam shares five criteria for making the best coffee. The Inside Track The Guys chat with Sam about quality coffee and, in typical Restaurant Guys fashion, they don't choose the lesser variety.Sam: There are actually two basic different kinds of coffee, Robusta and Arabica. The robusta, the cheap stuff that goes into the cans and supermarkets, actually has more caffeine than the more expensive stuff. So if you really want that caffeine jolt, get the cheap stuff.Mark: I'd rather have two cups of something good. Is that okay? Sam Gugino on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005InfoSam's websitehttps://www.samcooks.com/(Sadly, the coffee article is no longer available)Sam's newest book (2025)Eat! You'll Get Hungry, A Family Food SagaBy Sam Gugino On Friday, June 27 Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Andrew Zimmern at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Brunswick, NJ. VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Andrew. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about a new trend: concierge for teens.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys catch up with traveling writer Michael Stern who searches for our country's best roadside restaurants. They discuss the finest dishes he's encountered and where he finds the best (and worst) places.The Inside TrackThe Guys often road trip through the U.S. and were thrilled to hear Michael and his wife Jane's theory about a pillar of American cuisine: barbecue. Here is their tip on finding the best places.“ Jane and I, in fact, developed a whole theory. It's the pigs plus Jesus theory of barbecue. When you're in the deep south, if you go into a barbecue parlor and see a lot of religious iconography on the wall, chances are very good the barbecue is gonna be excellent,” Michael Stern on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005BioMichael and his wife Jane were trailblazing guides for over 40 years. After meeting at Yale, where they came to study art, they began a collaboration that has yielded over forty books including New York Times best sellers Elvis World and The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste. Michael is co-creator of roadfood.com – the first website to feature photography. In 1992, Jane and Michael Stern were inducted into the Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America for their pioneering work discovering regional food. Michael was an editor at Gourmet Magazine for 17 years. The monthly column he and Jane Stern wrote won three James Beard journalism awards. He was a contributing editor to Saveur Magazine from 2010 to 2015. For ten years the Sterns were regular weekly guests on the Public Radio show, The Splendid Table. In 2016 the Smithsonian Institution acquired the Jane & Michael Stern Roadfood collection for its permanent archives.InfoMichael & Jane's bookRoad Food 17th EdBy Jane and Michael SternRoadfoodhttps://roadfood.com/On Friday, June 27 Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Andrew Zimmern at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Brunswick, NJ. VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Andrew. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/ Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys provide suggestions on what restaurants should do if they don't have a pastry chef. Mark points out why you should not take dieting tips from Francis.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys are *on location* with chef James London of Chubby Fish. They talk about the operations and dining experience of his jewel-box restaurant and how dock-to-table benefits everyone…except the fish.The Inside TrackThe Guys dined at James' place the night before this podcast and were blown away by the meal! They also marveled at the wonderful blend of southern hospitality and northern hustle. “ When you go in and you see a service at Chubby Fish, it's almost like watching ballet. It is the way that they spin and they dance and work with each other seamlessly,” James London on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioJames London, a Charleston native, came up cooking in barbecue and Southern restaurants in South Carolina. Once he graduated College of Charleston he made the leap to New York City where he enrolled at The French Culinary Institute. After graduation James worked with Chef Josh Dechellis before becoming the Executive Chef at Niko in Soho.After his time in New York, James went west to San Francisco where he led the kitchen at The Elite Café, a Creole restaurant in Pacific Heights.James eventually returned to Charleston where he and his wife, Yoanna, opened Chubby Fish, a dock to table seafood concept. Chubby Fish has garnered a Best New Restaurant nod from Bon Appetit, was ranked #7 Restaurant in the US from Food and Wine Magazine, and a James Beard finalist for Best Chef Southeast 2024.InfoChubby Fish, Charleston, SChttps://www.chubbyfishcharleston.com/Life Raft Treats “Not Fried Chicken” Ice Cream on Goldbellyhttps://www.goldbelly.com/On Friday, June 27 Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Andrew Zimmern at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Brunswick, NJ. VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Andrew. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/ Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2007The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys speak with Lettie Teague about her articles “The Secret Life of a Wine Salesperson” and “The Secret Life of a Sommelier.” Lettie gets a behind the scenes look into the selling of wine both to restaurants and to consumers. Hear how good shoes and avoiding coffee can lead to success. The Inside TrackThe Guys invite Lettie on the show after reading her insider articles about getting wine from the distributor into restaurants then into the glasses of consumers. Lettie says this about Food & Wine magazine. “It is half of our name and we really make a point to have it in every possible place, not just in bottles recommended or profiles of winemakers or stories but also absolutely every dish that it's appropriate to. So, our commitment to wine is profound,” Lettie Teague on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007 BioLettie Teague has been The Wall Street Journal's wine columnist for 15 years. Before joining the Journal in 2010, Lettie was the executive wine editor and columnist for Food & Wine magazine.She has won three James Beard awards for her wine writing and is the author of three books: “Wine in Words” and “Educating Peter,” and "Dear Readers and Riders," a biography of best-selling children's book author Marguerite Henry. She is also the co-author and illustrator of “Fear of Wine" and was inducted into the Wine Media Hall of Fame in 2015.InfoLettie's article “Secret Life of a Wine Salesmen”https://www.foodandwine.com/wine/secret-life-of-a-wine-salesmanThe Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Monday, May 12! VIP = After-Party with Alex! Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/rglivealexguarnaschelli Discount on Tickets AND Cocktail Party for Restaurant Guys Regulars on May 10 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

From The Wine Makers Podcast:This week, Sam hits the road with MJ Towler—The Black Wine Guy—for a special crossover episode recorded live in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They sit down with legendary restaurateurs and OG podcasters Francis Schott and Mark Pascal, the co-owners of Stage Left Steak and Catherine Lombardi, and hosts of The Restaurant Guys podcast.Long before podcasts went mainstream, Francis and Mark were pioneering thoughtful, unpretentious conversations in food, wine, and hospitality, straight from their corner of the Garden State. Sam and MJ dive deep into Francis and Mark's early days in the restaurant industry, the dramatic evolution of hospitality, and how New Brunswick emerged as an unexpected—and underrated—food and wine hotspot.The conversation also revisits the wild, early days of podcasting, raising a glass to names like DiSpirito, Trotter, and Bourdain. With behind-the-scenes restaurant stories, old-school podcast wisdom, and heartfelt reminders about the timeless power of passion and hospitality, this is an episode you won't want to miss.Guests Francis Schott and Mark Pascal join co-hosts Sam Coturri and MJ Towler (The Black Wine Guy, Beats Vines & Life) for this special collaboration.HostsSam Coturri of The Wine Makers podcast and Sixteen 600 Winehttps://radiomisfits.com/twm369/MJ Towler of Beats, Vine and Life podcast and The Black Wine Guy Experiencehttps://blackwineguy.com/The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Monday, May 12! VIP = After-Party with Alex! Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/rglivealexguarnaschelli Discount on Tickets AND Cocktail Party for Restaurant Guys Regulars on May 10 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2007The BanterThe Guys talk about restaurants being an integral part of emerging downtowns and about a yogurt shop that needs a bouncer.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys host Marcus Sammuelson to talk about cuisines all over the world, particularly the regions of Africa. He wants to open people's eyes to the delicious flavors of African cuisine and expresses interest in opening an African restaurant someday. This dream finally happened in 2024!The Inside TrackThe Guys and Marcus discuss the uniqueness of the restaurant business and the power of food to communicate. “Food is an incredible thing! Through food, people can see your passion and your culture. You can teach people where you're from and what you believe in, which not every business can really do,” Marcus Sammuelson on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007BioMarcus Samuelsson is the chef behind many restaurants worldwide, including Red Rooster Harlem and Red Rooster Overtown in Miami; Hav & Mar in the Chelsea Arts District; Metropolis at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in lower Manhattan; “Marcus” restaurants in Atlanta and New Jersey, plus several international locations. His latest venture, Marcus DC debuts Spring 2025 at The Morrow in Washington DC. In 2023, Marcus earned an Emmy Award for the Short Form Program “My Mark.” He is a longstanding judge and TV personality on the hit Food Network show Chopped, head judge of Top Chef: Family Style, and an Iron Chef on Netflix's rebooted Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, and makes frequent appearances on Scandinavian TV. He is the author of multiple books including The New York Times bestseller Yes, Chef: A Memoir as well as the critically acclaimed The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.Samuelsson is co-chair of Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which focuses on helping underserved youth. Samuelsson wasThe Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Monday, May 12! VIP = After-Party with Alex! Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/rglivealexguarnaschelli Discount on Tickets AND Cocktail Party for Restaurant Guys Regulars on May 10 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome Scott Conant to a conversation LIVE at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. They talk about Scott's origin story, what it's like being a television personality as a host, judge and competitor and why he's going to upgrade the Italian products you can use at home: it's all about soul.The Inside TrackThe Guys have enjoyed Scott's cooking and vision since they ate his food at his NYC restaurants and had Scott as a guest on The Restaurant Guys in 2005. Scott has uttered Mark's favorite line spoken on television. (It was directed at one of their former chefs. You'll want to hear it!)Scott explains what has guided him throughout his life and advises young chefs to do the same.“When I identify bullshit, I walk away from it. I think that's been really difficult for me at certain times in my career. It's always served me in the end because I only choose the things that I love to do, but I do it with full commitment, with no expectation of result except the love and the passion that I have for it,” Scott Conant on The Restaurant Guys LIVE 2025BioScott opened L'Impero in NYC. Following L'Impero, Scott went on to open Alto. Scott left L'Impero and Alto in 2007 and, in 2008, launched Scarpetta in Manhattan. Later, Cellaio in Monticello, NY then The Americano in  Atlanta, GA.Scott is known as a judge on Chopped for over a decade and frequent co-host on Beat Bobby Flay. His newest show, House of Knives, debuted in 2025. In addition, Scott has made frequent guest appearances on The Today Show, Rachael Ray Show, and Good Morning America, and others.    Scott's most recent cookbook is Peace, Love, and Pasta: Simple and Elegant Recipes from a Chef's Home Kitchen.He is opening up several new eateries and launching a consumer products line in 2025. ​LinksHouse of Knives on Food NetworkThe Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Monday, May 12! VIP = After-Party with Alex! Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/rglivealexguarnaschelli Discount on Tickets AND Cocktail Party for Restaurant Guys Regulars on May 10 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005The BanterThe Guys discuss the joy and ridiculousness of weddings.The ConversationThe Restaurant guys are joined by Blake Spalding and Jennifer Castle of Hell's Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah. They talk about how they got there, how they became part of their community and how they've created something truly special in the middle of nowhere. The Inside TrackThe Guys heard about their book and became enchanted with their story. They discuss how vision and passion can create relationships and fulfillment for themselves and their staff.“To give people work that has meaning, where they feel like they're part of something larger. We have a mission that doesn't have much to do with making money.  That's why people come back year after year and give us their hearts and their souls…and work themselves to the bone to make it happen,” Blake Spalding on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005BioBlake Spalding and Jennifer Castle both started as river chefs. In the year 2000, the opportunity to own Hell's Backbone Grill presented itself, and they moved to Boulder, Utah.Hell's Backbone Grill & Farm was selected as a James Beard Awards semifinalist in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and advanced to nominee in 2020, the year the awards were canceled due to the pandemic. Spalding and Castle were honored most recently by the restaurant's inclusion as semi-finalists for Outstanding Restaurant for both 2022 and 2023.Co-owners Jen Castle and Blake Spalding have also created a retail line of food and two acclaimed cookbooks, With a Measure of Grace, the Stories and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant, and This Immeasurable Place, Food and Farming from the Edge of Wilderness. They operate a food truck dubbed “Little Bone.”They, along with investors and donors, very recently acquired the Boulder Mountain Lodge property in Boulder, Utah.InfoHell's Backbone Grill, Boulder, UtahSee The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Monday, May 12! VIP tickets include an After-Party with Alex! Become a Restaurant Guys Regular for a discount https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/rglivealexguarnaschelli Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about their visit to one of their new favorite cities: Charleston, SC.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys catch up with cocktail creator and bar operator Jillian Vose in her Charleston home as she prepares to open up her newest venture, Hazel and Apple, with business partner Sean Muldoon. Jillian tells her story of where she's been and where she's going (which is pretty exciting!)The Inside TrackThe Guys have known Jillian from Death & Co. and The Dead Rabbit (NYC) and were happy to meet up while they were in Charleston. Jillian shares some of what she is looking forward to about running her soon-to-open bar Hazel and Apple. “Knowing that people want to work, they want to do a good job, and hiring the right people and investing in people, having a great education program and giving people opportunities not only helps yourself, but them. That is what I want to achieve and create: a great community and a great working environment,” Jillian Vose on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioJillian Vose is a renowned mixologist and entrepreneur, celebrated for her innovative approach to cocktails and her influential presence in the beverage industry. After starting out in AZ, she quickly ascended the ranks, contributing significantly to establishments like Clover Club, Maison Premiere, Death & Co., and notably, The Dead Rabbit in NYC. Her latest venture, Hazel and Apple in Charleston, SC, is set to bring a fresh perspective to the city's vibrant bar scene.Co-authored Mixology & Mayhem and Paddy Drinks: The World of Modern Irish Whiskey CocktailsNamed one of the 10 Best American Bartenders in 2017 by the Spirited Awards from Tales of The Cocktail.InfoHazel and Apple, Charleston, SChttps://www.hazelandapple.com/Badger Bevs https://badgerbevs.com/See The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Monday, May 12! VIP tickets include an After-Party with Alex! Become a Restaurant Guys Regular for a discount https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/rglivealexguarnaschelli Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2007The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys share this conversation Francis had with chef and winemaker David Page at the opening weekend of his new bed & breakfast on Shinn Estate Vineyards. He talks about growing and sourcing food on Long Island, ovens that cook for days and the differences between hosting a guest for a couple of hours or a couple of days.The Inside TrackThe Guys knew David from The Red Meat Club (a monthly gathering of NYC restaurateurs) and his restaurant Home which he ran with wife Barbara Shinn. The couple bought a vineyard and taught themselves how to grow grapes and make wine. He talks about immersing themselves in their lives as farmers, winemakers and proprietors of a bed & breakfast. “We love our lifestyle. We really, truly, truly do. It doesn't mean that every second of every day we're in ecstasy, but we love our lifestyle. And when you find something that you love, it's worth doing. So yes, we do wake up very early and we do spend the entirety of our day immersed in this lifestyle, and there's not anything else that we can think that we really want to do other than have a nice glass of wine at the end of the day and have  a good dinner.And we retire and we start all over the next day,” David Page on The Restaurant Guys 2007 David Page no longer owns Shinn Estate Vineyards.See The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Monday, May 12! VIP tickets include an After-Party with Alex! Become a Restaurant Guys Regulars for a discount https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/rglivealexguarnaschelliOur Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2007The ConversationThe Restaurant Guy, Francis, visits viticulturist Barbara Shinn at her vineyard in Long Island, NY. As they walk the fields, they discuss how she became a biodynamic farmer and how that is expressed in the wine. She uses a variety of methods from fish guts to laser planters with sublime results. The Inside TrackThe Guys knew Barbara from The Red Meat Club (a monthly gathering of NYC restaurateurs) and her restaurant Home which she ran with husband David Page. The couple bought a vineyard and taught themselves how to grow grapes and make wine. Barbara talks about forging her own path to create a sustainable vineyard with excellent wines. “ My philosophy before we planted the vines was to make very, very high quality wine and to be as organic as possible. Our best winemaker friends and our best manager friends and even the viticultural section of Cornell University flat out said to us, ‘You cannot do both things at once. Here on the East Coast, we have too much disease pressure. It's too humid. You cannot be organic in this environment. So if you wanna make high quality wines, do that. You'll be lucky if two to 3% of the materials that you use in your vineyard are organic.'And this year, well, I proved them wrong,” Barbara Shinn on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007InfoBarbara no longer owns Shinn Estate VineyardsSee The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Monday, May 12! VIP tickets include an After-Party with Alex! Become a Restaurant Guys Regulars for a discount https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/rglivealexguarnaschelli Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys discuss wine dinners and tasting menus and how it's fun to cede control of your dinner and be swept away.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys are thrilled to hear from Peter Byck, documentary filmmaker and advocate for climate solutions in cattle farming. Peter explains how we created the problem and how (relatively) easy it can be to repair it. Fascinating stuff!The Inside TrackThe Guys have promoted sustainable farming practices for decades, believing that solutions can be found that benefit both nature and the people involved. When they came across Peter's work they had to have him on the show!“We were doing research to find out if a method of grazing animals could be beneficial for the farmer, beneficial for the land, and beneficial for the climate. Those were our questions and, and we're finding that yes, it can be, and that's our focus,” Peter Byck on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioPeter Byck is a professor at Arizona State University where he teaches students to make short documentary films about sustainability solutions. He is the director, producer and writer of carbon nation, a documentary film about climate change solutions. In 2020, he completed carbon cowboys, a 10-part documentary short film series, focused on regenerative grazing.Peter is currently helping to lead a $10 million research project comparing Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing with conventional grazing; collaborating with 20 scientists and 10 farm families, focused on soil health & soil carbon storage, microbial/bug/bird biodiversity, and much more. The research also includes a new, 4-part docuseries called “Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there),” directed by Peter, which is all about the inventive farmers and maverick scientists building a path to solving climate change.InfoPeter's film Roots so Deep (You Can See the Devil Down There)https://rootssodeep.org/See The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Monday, May 12! VIP tickets include an After-Party with Alex! Become a Restaurant Guys Regulars for a discount https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Tickets https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/rglivealexguarnaschelli Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about Francis' decadent evening the night before with some industry mavens and a hog's head.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk with writer Melissa Clark about her new cookbook Chef Interrupted which simplifies chef's recipes for the home cook. The discuss cooking shortcuts, macaroni and cheese and kitchen gadgets that make your meal preparation easier and prettier.The Inside TrackThe Guys are loyal readers of Melissa's articles and they love the concept of her new cookbook. Mark even gave her a tip.Mark: The fact that water should never touch your pepper was one of those things we just classically learned in my family. In my family, we would wash with olive oil. Melissa:  That is such a good idea! If I had a recipe from you in this book, that's the kind of thing that would come out in the conversation we'd have. And I'd write it down because I think that's brilliant!Melissa Clark on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006BioMelissa Clark is an American food writer, cookbook author and New York Times columnist. Clark has been a regular guest on television series such as Today show, Rachael Ray and Iron Chef America and on several radio programmes. In her early career, Clark was a freelance writer for various publications, including the New York Times. In 2007, she began her weekly "A Good Appetite" column at the New York Times and she became a full-time staff writer at the Times in 2012.Melissa has written more than 40 cookbooks.She's won two James Beard Foundation awards and two IACP awards (International Association of Culinary Professionals) Her work has also been selected for the Best American Food Writing series.InfoMelissa's bookChef, Interrupted: Delicious Chefs' Recipes That You Can Actually Make at HomeMelissa's sitehttps://www.melissaclark.net/Benriner SCome see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Scott Conant at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 17! VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Scott Conant. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Get tickets at https://secure.nbpac.org/scott-conant. Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about the drive of hospitality and it isn't what some folks say it is. The ConversationsThe Restaurant Guys welcome writer Genevieve Yam to discuss the decline in quality of Honeycrisp apples. Genevieve, who has investigated this issue, shares what happened and how we can keep other varieties from following suit.The Inside TrackThe Guys have been fans of Honeycrisp apples since the 1990s and even gave them as birthday gifts. Genevieve's article about the apple's origin, rise and “crapification” intrigued them so they had Genevieve on to tell them about it.“Dr. David Bedford and Dr. Jim Luby, two scientists working at the University of Minnesota's fruit breeding program came across a tree that was actually slated for the trash. Bedford was extremely curious about this tree. He thought that it had not been given a fair chance and decided to do a little bit of research and what he did changed the course of apple history because what would have ended up in the trash ultimately has become one of the most popular apple varieties here in the United States,” Genevieve Yam on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioGenevieve Yam is a writer and editor based in New York. After graduating with a degree in politics and a brief stint in the start-up world, she enrolled in the International Culinary Center in New York City and cooked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Per Se.  After that, she became a freelance food stylist, a recipe tester and editor for the new edition of The Essential New York Times Cookbook, a personal chef, and a contributor to various publications. Most recently, she was an editor at Epicurious. Genevieve is currently an editor at Serious Eats, where she writes, edits, and develops recipes.InfoGenevieve's Honeycrisp articlehttps://www.seriouseats.com/how-honeycrisp-apples-went-from-marvel-to-mediocreCome see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Scott Conant at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 17! VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Scott Conant. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Get tickets at https://secure.nbpac.org/scott-conant. Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is just a teaser from a bonus episode for our subscribers. If you'd like to become a Restaurant Guys' Regular and listen to the entire episode and other commercial-free episodes, subscribe herehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeThis is a Vintage Selection from 2007The BanterThe Guys tell how being a regular at a restaurant can be a wise investment.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys host Tony Soter of Etude Wines and Soter Vineyard about the joys and challenges of creating cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and sparkling wines and how Tony has been able to find success in both California and Oregon. The Inside TrackThe Guys reminisce about a particular bottle of Tony's pinot noir that may have changed Francis' life and talk about the true purpose of wine: enjoyment.“The ultimate satisfaction is when you can sit there and watch the bottle go down and watch the smiles on people's faces,” Tony Soter on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007BioTony Soter is the founder, with his late wife Michelle, of Soter Vineyards at Mineral Springs Ranch in Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon. Soter is a Portland, Oregon, native who began his remarkable 40-year winemaking career in the Napa Valley. After graduating from Pomono College in southern California with a degree in philosophy, Soter joined the staff at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in 1975 to learn the trade. By 1982, he released his own wine under the Etude label, selling the winery almost 20 years later. In the meantime, Soter worked as consulting winemaker for such world-famous Napa estates as Araujo (now Eisele), Chappellet, Dalla Valle, Shafer, and Spottswoode, among others. After almost 30 years in California, Soter moved back to Oregon and founded Soter Vineyards in 1997, where he is still making some of the most heralded pinot noirs in the state.InfoSoter Vineyardshttps://www.sotervineyards.com/Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Scott Conant at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 17! VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Scott Conant. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Get tickets at https://secure.nbpac.org/scott-conant. Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys are thrilled to host chef Rocco DiSpirito on stage for their inaugural LIVE show. Rocco talks about family legacy, Tournament of Champions, and shares some secret ingredients to elevate weeknight meals. The Inside TrackThe Guys got acquainted with Rocco's cooking back in the ‘90s when he cooked them one of the greatest meals of their lives at Union Pacific.  ”Art is when craft and point of view intersect. You have to have a point of view to become an artist. When you can elevate your craft plus a point of view into something that you remember 30 years later, that's a pretty good life moment,” Rocco DiSpirito on The Restaurant Guys LIVE! 2025BioRocco DiSpirito is an Italian-American chef, television personality, and author of 15 cookbooks. At the age of sixteen Rocco began his formal studies at the Culinary Institute of America and trained in Europe. He returned to the states to work at Lespinasse; the restaurant received four stars from the New York Times.At 31, Rocco subsequently opened two Manhattan restaurants. Union Pacific was the first, and shot Rocco to fame. He also opened Rocco's which was  the subject of a reality series called “The Restaurant”, featuring his mother Nicolina making her famous meatballs.He has appeared on Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and was the first chef to compete on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.Rocco is frequently on Food Network's Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games, Beat Bobby Flay and now Tournament of Champions.He is the author of 15 cookbooks including three New York Times bestsellers. He received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor.InfoRocco's bookshttps://www.roccodispirito.com/cookbooksTournament of Champions on Food NetworkCome see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Scott Conant at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 17! VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Scott Conant. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Get tickets at https://secure.nbpac.org/scott-conant. Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2006The BanterThe Guys discuss one mayor's aim to eliminate non-English advertising and why they think that's a stupid idea. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome back Dr. Steven Witherly, to discuss the science of why humans like junk food and how we can use those tactics to get kids to eat their broccoli. The Inside TrackThe Guys have had several enlightening conversations with Steven Witherly. In this episode he shares some foods with superpowers that can elevate almost any dish.“ These are foods you can put in your cooking today without even changing the flavor profile, but it will be better. They're small things. For example, soy sauce is a secret weapon pleasure food, so is cheese, so is garlic, and my favorite of all is adding parmesan cheese to foods. That's a secret weapon,” Dr. Steven Witherly on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006BioSteven Witherly received his BS in dietetics and his MS in food science from the University of California, Davis, and his PhD in human nutrition from Michigan State University. He has worked for Nestlé Foods, Nutrilite, and Herbalife and as a food and nutraceutical consultant.He authored Why Humans Like Junk Food: The Inside Story on Why You Like Your Favorite Foods, the Cuisine Secrets of Top Chefs, and How to Improve Your Own Cooking Without a Recipe!InfoSteven's bookWhy Humans Like Junk Food: The Inside Story on Why You Like Your Favorite Foods, the Cuisine Secrets of Top Chefs, and How to Improve Your Own Cooking Without a Recipe!https://a.co/d/97w27JiCome see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Scott Conant at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 17! VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Scott Conant. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Get tickets at https://secure.nbpac.org/scott-conant. Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about a common practice that is dubbed “too hospitable.”The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys catch up with Alton Brown while he is on a bus in the middle of his Alton Brown Live tour. They laugh about culinary mishaps, debate using the title chef and elaborate on Mark's term “restauranting.”  The Inside TrackThe Guys and Alton found common ground on the desire and benefits to being a regular in an establishment.“ I want to be a regular. I don't need the new shocking experience. What I love is being able to walk in on a night when I do not have a reservation. And the maître d' sees me and not only gets me a table, and gets me my table. And the drink that I like best comes without me ordering it.I will tip until I bleed to death!” Alton Brown on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioAlton Brown is an American television personality, food show presenter, chef, author, actor, cinematographer, and musician. He is the creator and host of the Food Network television show Good Eats that ran for 14 seasons, host of the miniseries Feasting on Asphalt and Feasting on Waves, and host and main commentator on Iron Chef America and Cutthroat Kitchen. Alton is a best-selling author of several books on food and cooking. He is the recipient of two James Beard Awards and a Peabody. He won the Best Book award in 2003 for his first book, I'm Just Here for the Food, and the Broadcast Media Award in 2011 for TV Food Personality/Host. InfoAlton Brown Livehttps://www.altonbrownlive.com/Alton Brown (check out his 2025 book tour)https://altonbrown.com/book-tour-2025/Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Scott Conant at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 17! VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Scott Conant. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Get tickets at https://secure.nbpac.org/scott-conant. Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005The BanterThe Guys answer a listener's question about foie gras and give a major beer manufacturer some advice.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk to Scott Conant, chef of L'Impero and Alto about Italian and Italian-American food and why some have difficulty accepting it as high cuisine. The Inside TrackThe Guys had a wonderful meal at Alto and were glad to get a chance to discuss Scott's heritage and inspiration for his interpretation of Italian cuisine.“I think it's important to understand the emotion behind Italian food at the same time. It's the honesty of the cuisine, the integrity of the cuisine, and the soulfulness of the product and the extraction of flavor. So, those are the catchphrases that I try to live by,” Scott Conant on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005BioWhile at the Culinary Institute of America, Scott interned at the restaurant San Domenico in NYC.In September 2002, Scott opened L'Impero in NYC. Within weeks, the restaurant received a rave three-star review from The New York Times. Food & Wine went on to name him one of America's "Best New Chefs" in 2004.Following L'Impero, Scott opened Alto. After leaving those he opened Scarpetta (Manhattan, 2008), Cellaio (Monticello, 2018) and then The Americano (Atlanta, 2022).Since 2007 he has been a judge on numerous cooking shows such as Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay. His newest Food Network competition show, House of Knives, debuts March 2025. He is the author of four cookbooks.LinksHouse of Knives on Food Networkhttps://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/house-of-knives/articles/house-of-knives-announcement-food-networkScott Conanthttps://www.scottconant.com/Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Scott Conant at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 17! VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Chef Scott Conant after the show. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Get tickets at https://secure.nbpac.org/scott-conant. Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys learn a new term for a long-standing practice: zebra-striping. Do you zebra stripe??The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys are thrilled to host Lance Geiger, The History Guy. He has a prolific YouTube channel as well as a podcast where he presents history in bite-sized chunks. Lance tells stories about mustard, the banana trade and even poisonings. Listen to Lance! He could save your life. The Inside TrackThe Guys have watched many of The History Guy episodes on numerous topics. They talk with Lance about his motivation for his varied channel.“Part of it is because to really understand the present, we need to understand the past and try to remember accurately rather than this kind of constant process of rewriting the past to match our present.But part of it is just because it's a good story. It's fun. It's a channel that's intended to entertain you because I think history sometimes tells better stories than Hollywood does,” Lance Geiger, The History Guy on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioLance Geiger earned a college degree in history while working summers at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota and Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Pennsylvania. Then he attended graduate school for speech communication and began teaching at Northern Arizona University.He started The History Guy channel in 2017 after being laid off from his job in insurance. By 2018 it had exploded amassing millions of views and thousands of followers. The channel currently has over a thousand videos and 1.5 million subscribers.InfoThe History Guy on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/c/TheHistoryGuyChannel/videosThe Tie Barhttps://www.thetiebar.com/Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Scott Conant at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 17! VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Chef Scott Conant after the show. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Get tickets at https://secure.nbpac.org/scott-conant. Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage selection from 2007The BanterThe Guys discuss a new breakfast treat and questionable reviewer tactics.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys have chef Michael Psilakis on the show to talk about earning a Michelin star for Anthos, the first Greek restaurant outside of Greece to achieve that. Hear about the passion, dedication and a dark day that changed a front of the house guy into a world-renowned chef.The Inside TrackThe Guys appreciate Michael's obsession with excellence and his quest to find staff that feels the same. He shares an interview question.“ When I'm talking to young cooks coming in, what do you like to do? There's only one right answer. And if, if you don't love to cook, if you don't think about it when you're in the toilet in the morning, taking a shower, doing your daily chores, if it's not about food 24/7, then how the hell are you gonna be able to compete at this level?” Michael Psilakis on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007BioMichael Psilakis is an American celebrity chef, author, and restaurateur.The same space on the Upper West Side, Manhattan has been home to many of his restaurants including Onera, Kefi, Gus & Gabriel Gastropub, Fishtag followed by Kefi returning to this same location. Michael owned and operated MP Taverna in Queens.For his work at Anthos, Psilakis was named Esquire magazine's Chef of the Year in 2006. In 2007, he received a Michelin Star for Anthos. In 2008 he was named Bon Appétit's Chef of the Year.He is best known for his Greek cuisine and appearances on television shows including Ultimate Recipe Showdown, Iron Chef America, The Best Thing I Ever Ate and No Kitchen Required. Michael served as a judge on Ultimate Recipe Showdown and was twice a contestant on Iron Chef America. InfoMP Taverna (Michael's current restaurant)https://www.mptaverna.com/Come see The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Scott Conant at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 17! VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet After-Party with Chef Scott Conant after the show. Restaurant Guys Regulars get a discount so subscribe here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Get tickets at https://secure.nbpac.org/scott-conant. Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys read about a food group that works as a de-stresser. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys have Ron Cooper on to talk about his Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal. Dive into the agave weeds listening to the centuries-old traditions and processes including one involving distilling with a suspended chicken breast. The Inside TrackThe Guys are familiar with Ron's high-quality products that he sources from mezcal experts out in the villages of Oaxaca. He describes traveling away from urban areas to get the truest expressions of the spirit.“I realized very fast that kilometer by kilometer, the closer a good Mezcal got to the city, the more adulterated and watered down it became.  So I made it my mission to make it available to me and my friends in the United States,” Ron Cooper on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006BioRon Cooper is an American artist who found a passion for mezcal. In Oaxaca, Ron lived and worked with the locals, and strived to bring Mezcal to the world at large. He founded Del Maguey in the 1990s, bringing Mezcal to the awareness of American consumers as an artisanal or craft ingredient for many creative cocktails. Ron has done dinner pairings with chefs José Andrés, and Mary Sue Milliken appeared on CNN with Anthony Bourdain.In 2016 Cooper was awarded the James Beard Award for “Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional”.InfoDel Maguey Single Village Mezcalhttps://delmaguey.com/Friday, March 14 is the first Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the NBPAC in New Brunswick, NJ (next to The Guys' restaurants!)Restaurant Guys' Regulars get a discount code for VIP tickets. Become on today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeGet tickets here.https://secure.nbpac.org/rocco-dispirito/22947 Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is from an in-person wine tasting with Chris DeardenThe ConversationThe Restaurant Guys host Chris Dearden, owner-winemaker of Sleeping Giant Winery of Los Carneros. The Guys and Chris hosted a wine tasting so guests could hear the genesis and explore the wines from this artisanal winery. Learn more about the legend and wines of this region from someone who has lived and worked there all his life. The Inside TrackThe Guys were better acquainted with Chris when they took their staff to Robert Biale Vineyards in 2021 where Chris worked at the time. They found common interests in Chris' admirable sustainability practices.“I did want to build something that was a state of the art production facility and environmentally sensitive…We really wanted to do the right thing for the property. [I wanted to] show what our winery is doing to try to be good stewards to the land,” Chris Dearden on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioChris Dearden attended UC Davis for his bachelors in science, writing his own major as Viticulture, Enology and Winery Operations. He would continue on to UC Berkeley Haas School of Business to earn his Masters in Business Administration. He has held several winemaking positions over the years including for Hublein, Benessere and consulted for several small, premium, Napa Valley-based brands. He worked for Seguin Moreau Cooperage in the early 1990s which was an integral part of his winemaking education. He began a fourteen-year journey developing a Napa Valley winery from the ground up. He established the vineyard, brand, wine style and identity. He also developed luxury wine brands Chanticleer and Sleeping Giant, and a premium pinot noir vineyard estate in the Carneros district of Napa Valley. In 2010 he established the Dearden Wines Portfolio achieving his lifelong goal of owning his own vineyard and winery. The cornerstone of the brand is Dearden's Carneros vineyard property which houses Sleeping Giant Winery. InfoFriday, March 14 is the first Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the NBPAC in New Brunswick, NJ (next to The Guys' restaurants!)Restaurant Guys' Regulars get a discount code for VIP tickets. Become on today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeGet tickets here.https://secure.nbpac.org/rocco-dispirito/22947 Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2006The BanterThe Guys talk about a new (2006) NY state law permitting distilling on a small scale and two guys who are making an interesting vodka from apples. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome Ted (T. A.) Breaux, chemist, microbiologist and absinthe expert. Ted talks about the misguided banning of absinthe and his leading the charge for its legalization. (It was legalized in the U.S. the following year.) He also described the history and ritual of absinthe including the unfounded rumors about its hallucinogenic properties. Hear about his quest to reanimate the Green Fairy. The Inside TrackThe Guys are fascinated by Ted's analysis of unopened antique bottles of absinthe which led him to developing modern absinthe that is true to its tradition.“Well, it's akin to forensic chemistry. What I had to do was take samples  from these unopened bottles and I subjected them to a chemical analysis. It took quite a while for me to go through and identify every significant compound in these absinthes. It opened up a whole new world of detail. I'm talking detail of…a list of herbs, where those herbs are grown, how they're harvested are all key elements in the end result,” Ted Breaux on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006BioTheodore (T. A.) Breaux is a research chemist and absinthe expert. He lobbied for the legalization of absinthe in the United States. He founded Jade Liquers and revitalized the world of absinthe. He was able to effectively reverse engineer antique brands of absinthe. January of 2004, he began distilling absinthe using a distillery founded in 1834 with absinthe distilling equipment installed by Gustave Eiffelthis. This launched Jade Liqueurs, with the Jade absinthes being held in high regard for over 20 years. In 2007, he created LUCID absinthe for Viridian Spirits, which we used to break the 95-year ban on absinthe in the USA. In March of 2007, LUCID became the first genuine absinthe sold in the Friday, March 14 is the first Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the NBPAC in New Brunswick, NJ (next to The Guys' restaurants!)Restaurant Guys' Regulars get a discount code for VIP tickets. Become on today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeGet tickets here.https://secure.nbpac.org/rocco-dispirito/22947 Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys went to a firefighter cook off. It was fantastic! Listen for Mark's advice on how to elevate any dish. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome pillar of California wine country Bettina Sichel of Laurel Glen Vineyard. Bettina talks about the uniqueness of Laurel Glen and the amazing story of her family's legacy from escaping Germany during the war to owning the best selling wine in the world! The Inside TrackThe Guys took their staff to visit Bettina at Laurel Glen a few years ago. It was great to hear about her work leading up to running Laurel Glen Vineyard. “Well, it did start small. so I went to work for Augustine Hues who was getting ready to launch his pet project, his very special project Quintessa. And, I was lucky enough to be on there to help him. I was the first director of sales and marketing and I helped to build the reputation and it was a great ride. It was really fun,” Bettina Sichel on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioIn 2011, Bettina Sichel, a veteran of the California wine industry, became the steward of Laurel Glen Vineyard after purchasing the iconic estate from founder Patrick Campbell in partnership with a small group of wine lovers. During her 30-plus-year career, she has worked with some of the finest producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1998, Sichel helped launch Quintessa and went on to develop its reputation and profile distribution over the next decade as director of sales and marketing. The daughter of Peter M.F. Sichel, the man responsible for making his family's Blue Nun a household name in America, Bettina is the fifth generation of the Sichel family to work in the wine business.InfoLaurel Glen Vineyardhttps://laurelglen.com/Peter Sichel (who passed away Feb 2025)https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/peter-m-Friday, March 14 is the first Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the NBPAC in New Brunswick, NJ (next to The Guys' restaurants!)Restaurant Guys' Regulars get a discount code for VIP tickets. Become on today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeGet tickets here.https://secure.nbpac.org/rocco-dispirito/22947 Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about the serious issue of migrant farm workers (yes, back in 2011) and who will pick the food if we don't let them do it.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys meet with Jon Taffer after his first season of the hit show Bar Rescue. He shares how he came to this line of work and they all swap crazy restaurant consulting stories.The Inside TrackThe Restaurant Guys and Jon dig deep into how to attract and maintain a client base and what keeps folks coming back.“I don't believe guys that we're in a restaurant business. I don't believe we're in a bar business. I don't believe we're in a product business…I bet you guys will agree with me on this cause you obviously get it. That cook in the kitchen isn't making an entree. He's making a reaction. He's achieving it through the entree.  I suggest that the plate of food isn't a product at all, it's just a vehicle. The product is the reaction,” Jon Taffer on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2011 BioAfter decades of experience bartending and running nightclubs, Jon Taffer starred on the television show Bar Rescue for over 200 episodes. He owns Taffer's Tavern in Georgia.He is a New York Times best-selling author of Don't Bullsh*t Yourself and authored several books and ebooks.  His latest creation is Taffer's Browned Butter Bourbon. InfoJon Tafferhttps://jontaffer.com/Bar Rescuehttps://www.youtube.com/c/BarRescueFriday, March 14 is the first Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the NBPAC in New Brunswick, NJ (next to The Guys' restaurants!)Restaurant Guys' Regulars get a discount code for VIP tickets. Become on today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeGet tickets here.https://secure.nbpac.org/rocco-dispirito/22947 Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys revisit an incident involving an older Burgundy, a decanter and a difference of opinion. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys have Philip Duff on the show to hear about his genever.  The conversation winds into Irish whiskey, Batavia Arrack, and a special vodka endorsed by an action film star whom Philip is teaching to bartend. The Inside TrackThe Guys have crossed paths with globe-traveling Philip Duff for decades. Philip has had his hand in many aspects of the bar world and here is what he thinks is the key to making it in this wild and wonderful industry.“You build something, be it a brand, be it a bar and people are right to tell you it's crazy because if it was a good idea, well, why didn't anybody else do it? But without lunatics, we don't get Teslas and Stage Left Steak and Old Duff Geneva and Door 74, right? A certain degree of lunacy has to be baked in,” Philip Duff on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioPhilip Duff began bartending at 15 in his native Ireland. In addition to working behind bars, he became an educator of spirits, bartending and cocktails and teaches at many spirits and cocktail conventions. He began Liquid Solutions, the on-trade consultancy. He founded Holland's first speakeasy bar, Door 74 in Amsterdam, and owns the award-winning Old Duff Genever brand. Philip has published articles in Drinks International, CLASS magazine, Imbibe UK, Mixology (Germany), Australian Bartender, and Reuters. He also served as the educational director for Tales of the Cocktail and judged for the IWSR, the World's 50 Best Bars, and the Spirited Awards.InfoOld Duff Geneverhttp://www.oldduffgenever.com/Philip's podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-philip-duff-show/id1614308846Francis demonstrates decanting BurgundyFriday, March 14 is the first Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the NBPAC in New Brunswick, NJ (next to The Guys' restaurants!)Restaurant Guys' Regulars get a discount code for VIP tickets. Become on today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeGet tickets here.https://secure.nbpac.org/rocco-dispirito/22947 Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys discuss the role of the bartender. With great power comes great responsibility…and some amusing stories. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk with Kim Severson of the New York Times about her recent assessment of The Joy of Cooking in its past and present iterations. They go on to discuss a novel product: Brooklyn-Style pizza. Find out what the heck that is!The Inside TrackThe Guys welcome Kim Severson on her first of many appearances on The Restaurant Guys. They enjoy her articles and “steal” her topics for the show. This is what she said about her experience with the classic cookbook The Joy of Cooking.“The thing that I think is enduring about The Joy of Cooking is it has all kinds of things in it. It can tell you how to purify water and how to make a gimlet, both of which are valuable in cases of emergency,” Kim Severson on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007BioKim Severson is a national food correspondent for the New York Times. She was previously the New York Times Southern bureau chief. Severson won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for her contributions to the team that investigated sexual harassment and abuse against women. She also has won four James Beard awards and the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism for her work on childhood obesity.She has written four books, The Trans Fat Solution, The New Alaska Cookbook, a memoir called Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life, and, in 2012, Cook Fight! a collaborative cookbook with fellow New York Times writer Julia Moskin.InfoKim's websitehttps://www.kimseverson.com/Domino's Brooklyn-style pizza commercial 2006https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua_OjuCQZSkFriday, March 14 is the first Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the NBPAC in New Brunswick, NJ (next to The Guys' restaurants!)Restaurant Guys' Regulars get a discount code for VIP tickets. Become on today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeGet tickets here.https://secure.nbpac.org/rocco-dispirito/22947 Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys are stoked about The Restaurant Guys LIVE with Rocco DiSpirito taking place at the theater next door on March 14, 2025! In other earth-shattering news, Francis changes his mind.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome pizza pioneer Daniel Holzman who was determined to bring NYC slices to LA. They discuss some of the challenges and joys of great pizza and why Daniel wants to share that with California. The Inside TrackThe Guys and Daniel, co-host of On the Line, talk about the loss of food journalism and how a quality podcast can help fill that void.“You start to see the breakdown of information that is actually useful to people, which for me is the biggest sadness. I think (the podcast) definitely plays a useful and realistically a positive role in society, which is a nice place to start if you're going to think about adding something to the already overcrowded conversation,” Daniel Holzman on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioDaniel started his cooking career at the age of 15 at Le Bernardin in New York City until he attended the Culinary Institute of America. In 2010, Daniel co-founded The Meatball Shop in New York City followed by five more locations.He moved to LA to embark on a new passion, pizza, and opened Danny Boy's Famous Original in 2021. He opened his second location in the summer 2024, and has his plans for a third.He is the co-author of Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts, and The Meatball Shop Cookbook.He is a co-host of On the Line podcast with Amanda Freitag. InfoDanny Boy's Famous Original Pizzahttps://www.dannyboysfamousoriginalpizza.com/Link to On the Line podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-line/id1739016869Friday, March 14 is the first Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the NBPAC in New Brunswick, NJ (next to The Guys' restaurants!)Restaurant Guys' Regulars get a discount code for VIP tickets. Become an RG Regular today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeGet tickets here.https://secure.nbpac.org/rocco-dispirito/22947 Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2010The BanterThe Guys tell about the wonderful and enormous Vinitaly Wine Festival that they just attended along with a story about a Verona closer to home.The ConversationsThe Restaurant Guys are in Italy at Vinitaly Wine Festival! They walk the listeners through the wine supply chain from proprietor Silvia Vannucci of Piaggia to exporter Jano de Grazia of Marc de Grazia Selections to importer Harmon Skurnik of Skurnik Wines. Hear from each link in the chain that brings YOU excellent wine.The Inside TrackThe Guys have had a long-standing business relationship and friendship with Harmon Skurnik. Here is how Harmon describes wine.Harmon: Wine is enjoyment. It's a pleasure. It's one of life's pleasures. It's no secret. You guys are restaurant guys. You guys have a passion for wine and the reason is that wine is meant to be consumed with food. It's all about a pleasurable hedonistic experience. Francis: Yeah. We're all about hedonism here in The Restaurant. Guys.Harmon Skurnik on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2010InfoSkurnik Wines (Harmon Skurnik)https://www.skurnik.com/De Grazia Imports (Jano De Grazia)https://marcdegrazia.com/us/Piaggia (Silvia Vannucci)https://www.piaggia.com/Piaggia at Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/websearch_results.html?kw=piaggiaFriday, March 14 is the first Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the NBPAC in New Brunswick, NJ (next to The Guys' restaurants!)Restaurant Guys' Regulars get a discount code for VIP tickets. Become an RG Regular today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeGet tickets here.https://secure.nbpac.org/rocco-dispirito/22947Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys discuss keys to having a great restaurant experience. Find out what happens when one is missing.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys host ground-breaking (literally) wine guy Michael Juergens who has championed wine-making in Bhutan. Hear the story of how that has come to fruition as well as the future and impact of Bhutanese wines.  They also discuss his edgy book and the “right” way to experience wine. The Inside TrackThe Guys met Michael through a long-time college friend of theirs and co-worker of Michael's. After spending some time together hearing about his exciting project, they knew they had to have him on the show!This how Michael describes our profound relationship with wine.“I believe that wine is an intrinsic part of the human experience. It's wired into our DNA,” Michael Juergens on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioMicheal Juergens is prominently known as a Senior Partner at Deloitte Consulting, running the “Wine Solutions Practice.” He is a certified sommelier, a certified wine specialist and is on the way to becoming a Master of Wine. He and his wife Ann Cross created Bhutan Wine Company in 2017, and planted the first vines ever to be planted in the Kingdom of Bhutan in 2019.  He has written eight books about wine under the pen name Micheal Amon and publishes a weekly newsletter Drinking and Knowing Things. InfoMichael's Site                                                  https://www.drinkingandknowingthings.com/Bhutan Wine Company                                                                  https://www.bhutanwine.com/His Books (Under Michael Amon)        https://www.drinkingandknowingthings.com/who-am-iFriday, March 14 is the first Restaurant Guys LIVE with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the NBPAC in New Brunswick, NJ (next to The Guys' restaurants!)Restaurant Guys' Regulars get a discount code for VIP tickets. Become an RG Regular today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeGet tickets here.https://secure.nbpac.org/rocco-dispirito/22947Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005The BanterThe Guys colorfully mock the snobbery of the authors of a travel guide. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk with the Caviar Queen, Deborah Keane of Tsar Nicoulai Caviar about the caviar situation in the world and in the U.S. You'll be getting out your mother-of-pearl spoon by the end of the episode!The Inside TrackThe Guys met Deborah at an event where she was serving Tsar Nicoulai. They liked it so much that they began serving it in their restaurants.“ I think you start with the restaurants and chefs because the chefs are always looking for something new, trying to improve and… looking for better alternatives and really paying attention to the planet and organic farming and higher quality products,” Deborah Keane on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005BioDeborah Keane, dubbed the “Caviar Queen”,  built a complete, vertically integrated spawning-to-serving enterprise and is a leading pioneer in sustainable fish farming. She is the first female owned and operated caviar company in the world and the first female fish farm owner in the state of California, California Caviar Company. She is on the cutting edge again harvesting caviar using a no-kill method.InfoTsar Nicoulai Caviar https://tsarnicoulai.com/California Caviar (Deborah's current company)https://californiacaviar.com/No-Kill Caviar, Deborah Keane https://news.northeastern.edu/2021/08/10/the-caviar-industry-was-in-trouble-this-former-nursing-student-is-saving-it/Join us for The Restaurant Guys LIVE Chef Series at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center this spring! Details coming soon!Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about elements of a great restaurant: excellent food, good atmosphere and discretion.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome acclaimed chef from Eleven Madison Park, Daniel Humm, to the show to discuss his new cookbook and how EMP does things a bit differently than other places to create a unique dining experience. The Inside TrackThe Guys have had the great pleasure of eating at Eleven Madison Park and are thrilled to chat with Daniel Humm. Their restaurants have some differences, but Daniel sums up the similarities like this.“You can have great food, great wine, but in the end, we are in the people business. You need to have great people.  The people need to be happy and that's it,” Daniel Humm on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2011BioDaniel Humm was born in Switzerland in 1979. In 2003, he moved to the United States to become the executive chef at Campton Place in San Francisco. Three years later, he moved to New York to become the executive chef at Eleven Madison Park, and in 2011 he and his business partner Will Guidara purchased the restaurant from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group. The following year also opened the critically acclaimed NoMad New York. In 2018 Humm and Guidara opened NoMad Los Angeles. Humm opened Davies and Brook, his first restaurant outside the US at London's historic Claridge's. In 2021, he reopened Eleven Madison Park with a completely plant-based menu. Eleven Madison Park became the first and only plant-based restaurant in Michelin Guide history to receive a three-star rating in October 2022. The restaurant again received a three-Michelin-star rating in 2023. In the fall of 2024, Daniel opened Clemente Bar, a bar and dining hotspot, on the second story of Eleven Madison Park.He is the owner of Daniel Humm Hospitality group and the author of five books.InfoDaniel Humm Hospitalityhttps://www.hummhospitality.com/Daniel's First EMP CookbookEleven Madison Park: The Cookbook by Daniel Humm and Will Guidaraby Daniel Humm, Will Guidara, Francesco Tonelli (Photographer)Join us for The Restaurant Guys LIVE Chef Series at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center this spring! Details coming soon!Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys do a taste test of a product that was released and then repealed. Find out when sugar is a preferred ingredient.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome Brian Miller to New Jersey! Brian is known in NYC for being a tiki pirate captain bartender. Now he's heading up a bar in a 300 year old inn. Hear about what's old, what's new and what's next!The Inside TrackThe Guys have had the privilege of enjoying Brian's personality and beverages. They've become friends sharing their love of hospitality and showing that over the bar through conversation and great drinks.“I think even as bartenders in general, every place that I've worked, we want to leave a legacy one day. I would hope some of my cocktails are in a book, but you want to take care of people first and foremost. It's not about me. It's about the guests and their experience and making sure that they have good cocktails,” Brian Miller 2024 on The Restaurant Guys PodcastBioBrian Miller worked the bar scene in New York City for several years before being on Audrey Saunder's opening staff at Pegu Club.  He then worked for Phil Ward at Death & Company. After Brian took the reins as head bartender, Death & Company won Spirited Awards “Best American Cocktail Bar” and “World's Best Cocktail Menu” at Tales of the Cocktail in 2010. That same year, Brian was nominated for Spirited Award “International Bartender of the Year.” He was a partner and ran the bar program at The Polynesian, New York City.He is currently the bar manager at the historic and newly re-opened Stockton Inn in Stockton, NJ. InfoBrian Millerhttps://www.instagram.com/brian.effing.miller/Stockton Innhttps://www.stocktoninn.com/Hampden Rum Pack @ Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/spirits/The-Hampden-Estate-Distillery-Eight-Marks-Collection-Ex-Bourbon-Barrels-w6946671y9Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys discuss what a world-renowned owner did when crowds infiltrated his speakeasy.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys speak with Andrew Carmellini, acclaimed  chef and author of Urban Italian, a cookbook he created with his wife in his home kitchen in Manhattan. Andrew shares some stories and favorite dishes including an ingredient some Americans might find unusual with pasta.The Inside TrackThe Guys talk with Andrew about what's next for him. This was just before he was approached by Robert DeNiro to open Locanda Verde in the Greenwich Hotel in NYC. Here's what he had to say about cooking Italian. “A lot of my best customers would come up to me and the things they were loving the most and coming back and requesting were a lot of the Italian stuff. So when I went out on my own as a chef, I really wanted to do Italian cooking because it really made people happy, my Italian food,” Andrew Carmellini on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2008BioAndrew Carmellini began his cooking career at age 14 in his hometown of Seven Hills, Ohio. Carmellini worked at restaurants in Europe, including Valentino Marcatili's two-star Michelin restaurant San Domenico. In New York, he spent four years on Gray Kunz's New York Times four-star team at Lespinasse and served as sous chef at Le Cirque.Andrew worked as chef de cuisine at Café Boulud, where he earned three stars from The New York Times, won The James Beard Foundation's Best New Chef and Best Chef: New York awards and was named to Food & Wine's Best New Chefs roster. As chef at A Voce, he earned a three-star New York Times review and a Michelin star.In 2009, he opened Locanda Verde, a Tribeca Italian taverna, in Robert de Niro's Greenwich Hotel with partners Luke Ostrom and Josh Pickard.With his wife, Gwen Hyman, Andrew is the author of two books of recipes and stories: Urban Italian, and American Flavor.InfoAndrew Carmellinihttps://www.andrewcarmellini.com/Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about the 20th anniversary of the wine film Sideways and its impact on the industry. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk with chef and television personality Judy Joo. Judy strives to make Korean food accessible and educates the naive on the wonders of the cuisine. and marvels at its metamorphosis.  The Inside TrackThe Guys get acquainted with Judy and find they all share a passion for their life's work.“Just like with you guys, if you're in this industry it's absolutely crazy! You have to inherently love it cause it's tough. It's really tough,” Judy Joo on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024BioJudy Joo grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Columbia University. After some time in banking, she switched careers and attended The French Culinary Institute for Pastry Arts. Later, she moved to London where she worked at several of Gordon Ramsey's restaurants. In 2015, Joo opened up her own restaurant in London called Jinjuu in Soho, London, which expanded to three locations. She left the Jinjuu brand in 2019 and then opened a fast casual concept, Seoul Bird in 2020 in London. In 2021 she opened another location in Canary Wharf and then in the Aria Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas in 2022 and in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York in 2023.Joo was one of the four Iron Chefs on the cooking show Iron Chef UK, making her the first female Iron Chef in the United Kingdom and the second globally. She was a resident judge on season four of the Food Network show The Next Iron Chef, and Kitchen Inferno. She hosted Korean Food Made Simple. InfoJudy Joohttps://www.judyjoo.com/Judy's latest book (available for pre-order)K-Quick: Korean Food in 30 Minutes or LessJudy Joo's home kitchenhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1ADfkG4yrMThe New Zoo Review (TV show from Mark's childhood)https://youtu.be/dwJQ6G7Z_II?feature=sharedOur Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is just a teaser from a bonus episode for our subscribers. If you'd like to become a Restaurant Guys' Regular and listen to the entire episode and other commercial-free episodes, subscribe herehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeThis is Vintage episode from 2005The BanterThe Guys talk about restaurant reality shows and how they are not grounded in reality.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome Deborah Koons Garcia, widow of Jerry Garcia and creator of the documentary The Future of Food. This is part two where they discuss more of the concerns of genetically engineered products, herbicide overuse and they wonder if some of the critters its killing is us. The Inside TrackThe Guys had so much to talk with Deborah in the previous show that they spontaneously invited her back to be on again. Their conversation went to food access and what we can do to help provide to those in areas of need. “ They need healthy soils, they need roads, they need infrastructure so they can get their crop out, they need stable markets. There's all kinds of things they need, but the patented seed from a corporation that is to be used with a chemical…how are they going to afford to buy Roundup?” Deborah Koons Garcia on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005BioDeborah Koons Garcia has a Master of Fine Arts from The San Francisco Art Institute.  She owns her own production company in the Bay Area of California. Later in her career, she focused primarily on films about agriculture and the food system.Her film The Future of Food won awards from the Women Film Critics Circle and the Ashland Film Festival. In 2011, Symphony of the Soil, was released and was designated a Critics' Pick by the New York Times and was shown at the United Nations on World Soil Day.InfoDeborah's filmhttps://thefutureoffood.com/Center for Food Safetyhttps://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/The Meatrixhttps://www.themeatrix.com/Current info about GMOhttps://www.nongmoproject.org/GMO Labeling Timeline (up to 2020)https://agrisk.umd.edu/post/gmo-labeling-timeline-what-happened-and-why-part-iOur Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys discuss methods of popping corn and health benefits of doing it the old-fashioned way. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys sit down with Phoebe Damrosch, first female captain at Per Se and author of Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter. Phoebe shares service tips and intel gathered from the art of observing the guests. She broke barriers and fell in love. Listen!The Inside TrackThe Guys had the pleasure of serving Phoebe and her husband André Mack at their restaurant. This is how Phoebe justifies the expense of dining out at top tier restaurants. ”It's an expensive meal, but I think of it more as travel or entertainment. Like, you'd buy a plane ticket or you'd buy an expensive concert ticket. It's an experience. You're paying for a memory and not just for calories,” Phoebe Damrosch on The Restaurant Guys 2007BioPhoebe Damrosch completed her Bachelor's degree at Barnard College and while working on her Master's at Sarah Lawrence College, she got a job at the renowned Per Se in New York City. She rose through the ranks to become a captain. While working there, she wrote Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter InfoPhoebe's BookService Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping WaiterOur Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys decide to taste some non-alcoholic wines. Pleasure or punishment?The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome old friend André Hueston Mack, sommelier, winemaker, graphic artist and more! You may know of some of his accomplishments, but he will probably reveal more ventures that will surprise you. The Inside TrackThe Guys have known André for years and tell of an amusing run in with him and how he helped the re-launch of the podcast. André describes coming across the podcast in the mid-aughts.“I was an early adopter of technology and I was looking at podcasts. And so I see these guys that call The Restaurant Guys. I'm like, who the f*** are these guys? Right? So I'm starting to listen through and one episode you guys are talking about Gravner.I'm like, okay, these m-fers are serious! And I started listening to the show,” André Mack on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024BioAndré Mack is a wine educator who has hosted seminars and led panel discussions at top industry gatherings across the United States, including Aspen Food & Wine Classic and Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival.He was a sommelier at Thomas Keller's renowned French Laundry before helping open Chef Keller's three-Michelin-starred Per Se as head sommelier.André now produces wine in Oregon's Willamette Valley under his own label, Maison Noir, sold all over the world.A self-taught graphic designer, André designs all of the labels as well as a t-shirt line for Maison Noir. Most recently, he authored and illustrated Small Thyme Cooks, the world's first culinary coloring and activity book.InfoAndré  Mackhttps://www.andrehmack.com/André  Mack on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@andremack7643Spring in a Bottle NAhttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/noalcohol/Wolffer-Estate-Vineyard-Spring-In-A-Bottle-Non-Alcoholic-Sparkling-Rose-Wine-w6962013taSellbach Oster Funkelwurz NAhttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/wines/Selbach-Funkelwurz-Alcohol-Free-w3090628afOur Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

 The BanterThe Guys talk about the chef trend to put inedible items on the plate. Spoiler: it's not a good idea.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys are thrilled to meet Gael Greene, restaurant journalist and bon vivant! She coined the term “foodie.” Gael shares some of the details from 32 years as a food writer and beyond (including a few famous lovers). The Inside TrackThe Guys didn't know Gael before this show, but they got along so well they ended up dining out with her! Like them, she never wants the party to stop. “ I firmly believe that on my deathbed I will still be doing this and my last words will be, ‘Bring on dessert',” Gael Greene on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006 BioGael Greene Greene became food reporter at New York soon after its launch, in fall 1968 as the magazine's "insatiable critic" until 2000. She began her own website, InsatiableCritic.com, but continued as a columnist until 2008. In 2006, she released Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess,  Her other books include Delicious Sex; Bite: A New York Restaurant Strategy for Hedonists, Masochists, Selective Penny Pinchers and the Upwardly Mobile and Sex and the College Girl.In 1981 she co-founded Citymeals-on-Wheels, along with James Beard, to help fund weekend and holiday meals for homebound elderly people in New York City. Greene received many awards for her work with Citymeals and in 1992 was honored as Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation. She was the winner of the International Association of Cooking Professionals' magazine writing award (2000) and a Silver Spoon from Food Arts magazine.InfoGael's book:Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious ExcessGael's websitehttp://insatiable-critic.com/Default.aspx Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about a new trend in martinis that's “super-cool.”The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys reconnect with Anthony Giglio, food writer, wine lecturer, and expert on many things. They do some reminiscing, talk about the evolution of restaurant reviews and the best way to present “fancy pants” topics to people. Don't miss an opportunity to win some of Anthony's Side Gig Supersalt!The Inside TrackThe Guys met Anthony in the 1990s. As they became friends, he chose to stop reviewing their restaurant. Mark: I'd much rather be your friend than then have you be the guy who reviews me.Francis: I'd rather have a friend with integrity than than a reviewer in my pocket so kudos to you, man  Anthony: And look at all worked out. We're still talking 30 years later.Francis: By the way and those magazines and those restaurants are all probably out of business by now so here we are! All you have to do is outlive your enemies and everything works out great. Anthony Giglio on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024BioAnthony Giglio began as a food writer and restaurant reviewer and is an authority in many topics in the food and beverage industry and beyond. He is Wine Director for the American Express Centurion Global Lounge Networks, a longtime Contributing Editor to FOOD & WINE Magazine. He authored 11 books on wine, cocktails and travel, including the annual FOOD & WINE Wine Guide, Mr. Boston's Official Bartender's Guide, He has been speaking at FOOD & WINE Festival in Aspen for 28 years as well as other festivals around the country. He is a lecturer, teacher, leader and expert in wine and wine education.InfoAnthony's Sitehttps://www.anthonygiglio.com/Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys find humor in the imitation Twinkie kit marketed to families. Just let ‘em eat cake!The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys hear all about chef Patrick O'Connell's extreme measures to heighten the guest experience at The Inn at Little Washington. He tries to view everything from the arrival to the meal to how they will speak about the visit through the eyes of the patron and crafts an unparalleled sojourn in his oasis in Virginia. The Inside TrackThe Guys have stayed at Patrick O'Connell's Inn at Little Washington and couldn't have enjoyed it more. It is a thrill to get a peek behind the curtain of how he creates an individualized ultimate dining fantasy for each guest.“And you find that you can't just create one fantasy. You have to intuit what the guest's fantasy is and deliver that and even raise the bar give them something beyond which they imagined could happen,” Patrick O'Connell on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006BioAlong with Reinhardt Lynch, he began a catering business in 1972 in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. In 1978, O'Connell and Lynch opened the Inn at Little Washington in an abandoned gas station. O'Connell was one of the first American chefs courted by the France-based Relais & Chateaux. He is recognized as one of their "Grands Chefs" (formerly the designation was "Relais Gourmands" referring to establishments of two Michelin Star quality or better). He has won numerous awards including Outstanding Chef in America in 2001 and Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region in 1993, both awarded by the James Beard Foundation. In 2019, he was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a member of the American Culinary Federation and was inducted into the ACF Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2019, O'Connell was awarded the National Humanities Medal.InfoInn at Little Washingtonhttps://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/Patrick's bookPatrick O'Connell's Refined American CuisineTrue Imitations of the Real McCoyBrendan L. CornerNYT 12 Feb 2006 Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about their meals at home and, unsurprisingly, they are persnickety. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys reconnect with award-winning Head Mixologist of The Bar at the Connaught Hotel in London, Giorgio Bargiani. Giorgio describes some of the specialties Connaught Bar is known for, but it's difficult to capture what makes it so magical. They discuss Giorgio's path to the Connaught Bar and how rewarding creating memories can be. The Inside TrackThe Guys have been to Connaught Bar many times and have had the pleasure of being hosted by Giorgio.  Giorgio believes that the road to being excellent is consistency.“ Excellent is very much related to consistency. If you do something well you are doing something extraordinary for one day, because life goes on, people tend to forget, but when you are consistent. We provide an experience that is always unique for our guests, and we never compromise on who we are. We never compromise on what we do. We have  a style of doing things that never sells out to others,” Giorgio Bargiani on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024BioGiorgio Bargiani is a celebrated mixologist who has risen to international acclaim as the Head Mixologist at The Connaught Bar in London. In 2014, Giorgio joined The Connaught Bar team under the mentorship of master mixologist Agostino Perrone, he began as a bar back and was promoted to head mixologist in 2019. The Connaught Bar has been repeatedly recognized as one of the world's best bars.Among many other awards and recognition, Giorgio won the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best International Bar Team (with Agostino Perrone) in 2020 and International  Bartender of the Year in 2023. Along with Perrone and Maura Millia have written a Cocktail Recipe book The Connaught Bar, Recipes and Iconic Creations.InfoGiorgio's BookThe Connaught Bar: Cocktail Recipes and Iconic CreationsLondon Bar RecommendationsConnaught Bar, Kwant, SwiftOur Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys finally meet chef Floyd Cardoz of the acclaimed Tabla restaurant in New York City. Floyd talks about his experiences that brought him to where he is today and how he melded cuisines of India and the ingredients available in the New York region to create the first New York Times three-star Indian-fusion restaurant. The Inside TrackThe Guys are huge fans of Floyd and later they became friends. Floyd's passing in 2020 was a loss to them both professionally and personally. He left a legacy of passion for his craft and his heritage.“Everything I put on my menu is not created from my head. It's all created from my heart. It's related to an experience I've had in the past, something I've eaten in the past, something I've seen in India. So everything I do has a story attached to it,” Floyd Cardoz on The Restaurant Guys 2005BioFloyd Cardoz was born in India and received a bachelor's degree in biochemistry before exploring culinary school and moving to New York City in 1988. After working with chef Gray Kunz at Lespinasse he began working for Union Square Hospitality Group. He collaborated with Danny Myer to open Tabla in 1998. Cardoz was a four-time James Beard Award nominee and the author of two cookbooks. He is winner of season 3 of Top Chef Masters.  He was named among the "Top 50 Most Influential Global Indians" by GQ Magazine in 2011. InfoCardoz Legacyhttps://cardozlegacy.com/floyds-restaurants/tablaOur Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

The BanterThe Guys talk about elevating their town's New Year's Eve celebration and mishaps of New Year's Eves past. We are grateful for your support of the re-launch of The Restaurant Guys Podcast and wish you wonderful things in 2025! Happy New Year!Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is just a teaser from a bonus episode for our subscribers. If you'd like to become a Restaurant Guys' Regular and listen to the entire episode and other commercial-free episodes, subscribe herehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeThis is a Vintage Selection from 2008The BanterThe Guys host their last terrestrial radio show in 2008 by taking calls from their audience, revisiting meaningful topics and giving away things! Hear what the long-time listeners have to say about The Restaurant Guys.Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2006The BanterThe Guys discuss a New York Times Review from their newly opened Catherine Lombardi restaurant. They are pleased because they met their expectations, if not their aspirations. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome author Robert Tinnell to talk about his graphic novel The Feast of the Seven Fishes. It's a tale of an Italian-American hosting Christmas Eve and bringing a newcomer to the spectacular dinner. Robert shares the impetus for writing this book and his dream (that came to fruition in 2018).The Inside TrackThe Guys have attended many Italian-American Christmas eves. Mark has experienced them his entire life and Francis joined in once he saw the magic. Robert and Mark compare notes on their varied experiences with big Italian-American families and the feast of the seven fishes.“There's a growing disconnect when you get three, four, five generations,  removed from the original immigrants, who themselves were just gung ho about becoming Americans. I'm happy to be a good American, but there's just a lot of wonderful things about my Italian heritage I'd like not to lose,” Robert Tinnell on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2011BioRobert Tinnell is a director, producer, and graphic novelist. Robert directed such films as Feast of the Seven Fishes (2019), Frankenstein and Me (1996), and Kids of the Round Table (1995). His producer credits include Back Fork (2019), The Hunted (2013) and Surf Nazis Must Die (1987).His graphic novel writing includes Flesh and Blood, The Living and The Dead, The Black Forest, The Wicked West, and the Eisner Award Nominee Feast of the Seven Fishes.InfoGraphic NovelFeast of the Seven FishesMovieFeast of the Seven Fishes (2018)Our Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe