Podcasts about restaurant news

Starbucks might be number one in market share, but the competition over coffee is hot. In one corner, you've got the New England-based fan favorite Dunkin, with their no-frills vibe and celebrity boosters. In the other, you've got the up-and-comers: drive-through only chains like Dutch Bros and Seven Brew that have become popular among younger consumers and on-the-go customers. Comedian (and lifelong Dunkin fan) Josh Gondelman joins David to talk about the reign of Dunkin in Massachusetts and beyond. Later, Sam Oches of Nation's Restaurant News joins David to shed some light on the newer drive-through brands and whether they can outshine Starbucks and Dunkin. Be the first to know about Wondery's newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ube, the photogenic purple sweet potato from the Philippines, has been trending gradually in the United States. It got a boost recently when it made it onto the menu of the three Starbucks Reserve Roastery locations in Chicago, New York, and Seattle where it's added to a coconut cold foam and spooned over an Espresso Martini.Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed the ube phenomenon, which also came up in Pat's conversation with the operators of Tous Les Jours, a Korean-based pastry concept that's growing quickly in the United States. Pat said they see ube and another trending Asian ingredient, matcha, as points of distinction for the brand.Speaking of trends and Korean food, Bret went to a preview of a collab between fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen and fine-dining Korean steakhouse Cote. Sweetgreen has collaborated with fine-dining chefs in the past, including Dan Barber of Blue Hill and Nancy Silverton of Mozza, and this new one features Korean sauces and marinades that are used in three limited-time offers: Two salads and a more substantial plate.The LTOs expand on Sweetgreen's introduction of steak last year—another trend in fast-casual restaurants. While chicken, always popular, is gaining even further traction at limited-service restaurants, Pat and Bret discussed how steak really shines as LTOs, including these new ones at Sweetgreen and the Steak Stroganoff at Noodles & Company, which was discussed during that chain's recent earnings call as a reason for the fast casual's relative success during the first quarter. Bret also sampled the returning Campfire menu at Cracker Barrel. It's become a harbinger of summer for the chain, which this year added a shrimp skillet with andouille sausage to the lineup. Bret also shared an interview with Indian chef Rasika Venkatesa, the former chef de cuisine of Mourad in San Francisco, who is now in New York City operating a series of pop-ups called Mythili, named for her grandmother. Venkatesa discussed her approach to cooking Indian food, and shared how she collected recipes from villagers from throughout the state of Tamil Nadu.

Cinco de Mayo is now in the rearview mirror, and restaurant chains are focusing on new tie-ins. Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, noted the launch of Sonic's Unicorn Dreams Slush, a bubbly, bright pink drink that comes with a choice of four color-changing straws. It's perfectly positioned for Instagram, as many new menu items are lately.Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, commented that beverages continue to be a hotbed of menu innovation.  Pizza also saw some action this week, with both Mellow Mushroom and &pizza debuting taco-inspired pies. Bret also pointed out the return of chicken and waffles to KFC and barbecue sandwiches at Shake Shack. At the latter, there's a chicken sandwich and burger, each with a choice of either the Shake Shack's signature barbecue sauce or a new Carolina-style flavor profile. Along with a new campfire s'mores shake and lemonade drinks, this is a menu that's anticipating summer. Then we shared an interview with Mark Boyton, VP of global food & beverage for Puttshack, a mini-golf eatertainment concept with 16 locations. Boyton is an experienced restaurant chef and is intent on elevating Puttshack's food, cocktails, beer and wine. Instead of the usual nachos and wings, the menu features globally inspired small plates and local flavors. Listen as he shares the tasty details.

Someone wants to buy Olo. McDonald's sales took a hit. And get ready for Shake Shack combo meals. Welcome to Restaurant Daily, a look at the most important restaurant news of the day from the editors of Restaurant Business and Nation's Restaurant News. I'm Jonathan Maze, editor in chief of RB.

Lots of LTOs and permanent menu items launched recently, as innovation accelerates. Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, started with the big news: Crispy Chicken Strips are now on McDonald's permanent menu—the mega-chain's first new menu item since 2022. Arby's continues its LTO collaborations with celebs, this time partnering with Cedric The Entertainer and Anthony Anderson, slathering the comedians' line of barbecue sauces on a brisket and pulled pork sandwich. And Cava introduced a spicy variation on its fan-favorite pita chips—Hot Harissa.Pat had a first taste of a couple of sweets from soon-to-open Cinnabon Swirl, a dual-branded Cinnabon-Carvel concept from GoTo Foods. The highlight is a Bonini, an ice cream sandwich made with two cinnamon roll slices with a disc of Carvel vanilla in the middle. It's placed in a panini press for 15 seconds and comes out all gooey—in a good way.Bret attended a 4/20 party at Red Lobster, learning that the chain's Cheddar Biscuits are a popular munchie for stoners. Instead of passing out joints, Red Lobster served cocktails featuring Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre's gin mixed with orange juice, pineapple juice and guava juice with a garnish of Skittles on the side of the glass. There's a recurring candy theme here.Our guest this week is Jay Kumar, chef-owner of Lore in Brooklyn, N.Y. He specializes in the cuisine of the Malabar coast with masala dosas a signature, but the restaurant has a diverse and interesting menu. Give a listen.

Pat Cobe, senior menu editor at Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor for Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, together moderated a menu innovation panel at the Restaurant Leadership Conference last Monday in Phoenix. Participants included operators from Popeyes, Noodle's & Company, Potbelly, Applebee's and Velvet Taco, and we heard a lot about what's in the works and what's to come.At RLC, we also heard from Kevin Hochman, CEO of Chili's and our Restaurant Leader of the Year. He chatted about a lot of things on stage, including the Big QP Burger, Chili's quarter-pound burger that launched that day. It's a clear swipe at McDonald's, and as a special introductory deal, it comes with fries and a soft drink for $10.99.Then we shared an interview with Bob Johnston, CEO of The Melting Pot, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. When the restaurant chain started, there were only three fondues on the menu: beef, cheese and chocolate. Johnston, who began as a dishwasher at The Melting Pot, talked about how the menu has since expanded, with on-trend items like seafood and veggie fondues, a brie and fig variation, and steak fondue with mango-habanero sauce. There is also a full bar with craft cocktails and a varied wine selection, a far cry from Michelob—the only beer option back in the ‘70s. Listen as we hear how The Melting Pot has evolved but is still offering an interactive dining experience, which is exactly what many guests want these days when they visit a restaurant. 

Mike continues on this day of reflection with a caller who reminds us to be grateful. Who has taken the place of Olive Garden as #1? Mike fills us in!!! The Obituary of Jesus The Christ!!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UPCOMING EVENT: Access Louisville Live presented by Baird. Be on hand for a live recording of the Access Louisville podcast April 22. Details and registration here.A new pizza joint, a French Bistro and the latest on the brewing scene.All of the above are topics on this week's Access Louisville podcast. LBF Restaurant reporter Michael L. Jones is on the show to tell us about a new St. Matthews Pizza joint, Pizza Jones (no relation.) Pizza Jones will be located at 126 Breckenridge Lane, next to the China 1 restaurant, and is scheduled to open in early May. Gene Stein, co-owner of Pizza Jones, is the former co-owner of the defunct Pizza Guy brand, which closed nearly two decades ago.Jones also tells us about French bistro M. Peppers, which opened at 1306 Bardstown Road, inside the Bellwether Hotel, opened Tuesday, April 15. It comes from the team behind bar Vetti inside NuLu's AC Hotel. The ownership group includes chef Andrew McCabe and restaurateur Ryan Rogers, co-owner of Feast BBQ and Royals Hot Chicken.We also chat about Mashup Food Hall landing its first restaurant, the closure of the Oddbird Cafe in the Highlands and the latest trends in craft beer brewing. Brewing is still a growing business (despite troubles experienced lately by Louisville brewers) though it's not growing as fast as it was pre-pandemic, as our data showed.After the restaurant talk, we chat about music festivals — including the news that Danny Wimmer Presents, the promotor behind Bourbon & Beyond and Louder than Life, has committed to Louisville for the next 10 years. Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life generated more than $33 million in local economic impact in 2024 and drew more than 300,000 attendees, booking over 60,000 hotel room nights, as Jones reported. We also chat about the recently announced lineup of The Big Stomp festival, which you can find here. Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Hosts Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, had a busy week going to chain restaurants' promotional events in New York City.Pat had high tea featuring Portillo's menu items, and Bret went to a preview of the first United States location of Chinese chain Pull-Tab Coffee, whose signature menu item is a sort of reversed iced cappuccino: Coffee foam on top of milk on the rocks. He also went to Bar Tender, a two-day pop-up in Brooklyn created by Wingstop, featuring the chain's upgraded, crunchier chicken tenders in 12 different flavors (he didn't try them all, but he did his best).They also discussed the big chain news of Wendy's new Frosty options. They can now be blended with syrups, and starting in May there will be mix-ins available — like Dairy Queen Blizzards.Also big news: McDonald's has upgraded its lemonade, doing away with Minute Maid (although its orange juice is still in stock), and replacing it with a beverage of lemon juice, lemon pulp and sugar. Then Bret shared an interview with Juan and Gee Smalls, the owners of three-unit Virgil's Gullah Kitchen & Bar in Atlanta, featuring the food of the Gullah and Geechee people of the coastal areas from North Carolina to Georgia. They're first-time restaurateurs, motivated by what they saw as a need for venues owned and operated by Black gay people. The couple discuss their learning process and plans for the future.

Pickles are moving from sidekick to main event on restaurant menus, as the Menu Talk co-hosts witnessed recently. Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, attended Popeyes' pickle reveal at the chain's flagship Times Square location in New York City. The restaurant was decked out in green from top to bottom, and Bret got to taste Popeyes new pickle menu, which included fried pickles, a tart pickle glazed chicken sandwich and pickle lemonade. Although not on the menu, servers also handed out Pickle Margaritas infused with pickle juice, and pickles with smoked salmon, caviar and crème fraiche, courtesy of NYC deli landmark, Zabar's.When Pat Cobe, senior editor of Restaurant Business, interviewed Popeyes chef Amy Alarcon following the event, she mentioned the hydrating properties of pickle juice, which is mixed into Popeyes' signature cane sugar-sweetened lemonade. Coffee chain Dutch Bros also introduced a pickle juice energy drink this month, the Pickleback Rebel. Moving on to non-pickle items, Pat talked about the inspiration behind Jack in the Box's culturally connected milkshakes. The latest is the Pink Pineapple Express that ties into 4/20, the unofficial “holiday” celebrating cannabis. Bret mentioned that Ike's Love and Sandwiches and Jimmy John's are both offering special munchies for 4/20 as well. Other food news of the week focused on the never-ending parade of ranch dressing variations and Subway's latest footlong snack—Doritos Footlong Nachos. Bill Nevruz of Shaw's Crab House | Photo courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You EnterprisesThen the two shared an interview with Bill Nevruz, an executive partner in Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises and the divisional president of Shaw's Crab House in Chicago. Shaw's is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, and Nevruz described the festivities around that milestone, including a throwback menu that features items like sauteed frogs' legs, clams casino and crab-stuffed shrimp. Of course, signatures including oysters, sushi and king crab legs will also be on hand, along with two anniversary cocktails—an Old Fashioned and a Martini—both garnished with oysters and caviar. Listen as Nevruz relates Shaw's story and how the restaurant has earned its reputation as a premier seafood destination far from both coasts.

Beverage concepts are proliferating across the country, and for good reason. As Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, reported recently and discussed on this week's podcast, Gen Z has become a generation of afternoon treat-buyers and they enjoy rewarding themselves with something colorful and refreshing that they can exhibit proudly on social media. Hence the proliferation of beverage concepts such as HTeaO, Sip Fresh, and Krak Boba, among many others. In fact, she and Nation's Restaurant News senior food & beverage editor Bret Thorn noted that big chains have gotten in on the act, launching their own beverage-focused concepts such as Taco Bell's Live Más Café and McDonald's CosMc's.In food news, the co-hosts groused a bit about the relentless spread of hot honey (Subway jumped on the bandwagon last week) and suggested alternatives, such as sweet Thai chile sauce, or maybe brown sugar with habanero. Maybe hot honey is becoming table stakes at restaurants, but it's not going to get anyone's attention anymore. Other chains are flexing their creative muscles, however, such as Pokeworks, which just came out with a line of “Hot Plates” that resemble a Hawaiian midday staple called the plate lunch, made with some kind of center-of-the-plate protein accompanied by two scoops of rice and macaroni salad. Pat and Bret observed that Hawaiian food is becoming more prevalent on the mainland and is worth looking into. Fogo de Chão is making sure that its customers can spend as much money as they like when they visit with the introduction of an Indulgent Churrasco menu, about $20 more than the concept's all-you-can-eat Churrasco Experience and featuring luxury items such as lobster and bone marrow. Then Bret shared an interview with Jesús Méndez, a restaurateur and bar owner in Birmingham, Alabama, who recently opened Salud Taqueria, bringing Mexican street food to the center of the city. 

Spring brings a lot of menu activity, and the most recent launches show a focus on upgraded ingredients and formats. Menu Talk hosts Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, and Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, noted Maggiano's updates, which include Wagyu meatballs and Chicken Parmesan topped with freshly grated cheese.  Bret also cited Tender Greens' menu upgrades, which include the artisan Laura Chenel goat cheese as an ingredient, along with heirloom cherry tomatoes and Great Northern beans. The pair also observed more fresh vegetables on menus, with carrots—an everyday veggie—getting treated to some fancy preparations at restaurants. Another trend that's gaining steam is happening at Italian concepts. Your Pie is doing pizza shop sandwiches, filling their proprietary pizza dough with various ingredients and baking them into portable, handheld items. All have sauces based on ranch, America's favorite sauce flavor, it seems.The duo also shared an interview with Scott Davis, chief concept officer for Noodles & Company, the fast casual that just experienced a major menu upgrade two years in the making. Davis talks about how he and his culinary team responded to customers' cravings for more generous portions of sauce, more mac ‘n cheese variations, more protein and more bold, global flavors. All of those show up in the new menu additions. Give a listen.

Menu Talk hosts Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, agree that restaurants are pushing out spring flavors earlier than ever.It's also the season for menu makeovers at several restaurant chains. After identifying “team mom” as a core customer, Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux introduced a number of new, female-friendly dishes, less sugary cocktails and higher-end wines. And Noodles & Company launched nine new menu items—an overhaul two years in the making—which you'll hear more about next week.But this week, we are spotlighting Matt King, president and COO of Legal Sea Foods, as our guest. He chats about the recent menu makeover at the Boston-based casual-dining chain. While the restaurants' signatures will never be taken off the menu—we're talking about the best-selling lobster roll and fish and chips—King shares Legal Sea Foods' journey toward customization. Guests can now create their own flavor profiles, choosing the protein they prefer, along with a sauce or rub, cooking technique and sides. For the indecisive, there are also plenty of chef-curated dishes featuring seasonal, sustainable seafood. Listen as King, the brand's former head chef, describes Legal Sea Food's new culinary direction and what's next. 

On this special episode of Arch Eats, co-hosts George Mahe and Cheryl Baehr are breaking some big news for the St. Louis restaurant scene: A brand new restaurant from one of the area’s most popular chefs. After running a series of wildly successful spots, beginning with a beloved pizzeria that opened in 2008, this chef has been keeping a fairly low profile for the last couple of years. He’s back and ready to launch an exciting new project that is sure to delight area diners, especially those partial to good pies. George and Cheryl have the exclusive details on his forthcoming restaurant, including its inspiration, menu and what he hopes it will add to the St. Louis dining landscape. Tune in for the inside scoop! Listen and follow Arch Eats on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever podcasts are available. New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing! Have an idea for a future Arch Eats episode? Send your thoughts or feedback by emailing podcasts@stlmag.com. Hungry for more? Subscribe to our Dining newsletters for the freshest coverage on the local restaurant and culinary scene. And follow George (@georgemahe) and SLM on Instagram (@stlouismag). Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com. Mentioned in this episode: The Good Pie: 6665 Delmar, Delmar Loop Randolfi’s: 6665 Delmar, Delmar Loop Privado: 6665 Delmar, Delmar Loop Publico: 6679 Delmar, Delmar Loop Half & Half: 8135 Maryland, Clayton, 314-725-0719 Medianoche: 8135 Maryland, Clayton Little Country Gentleman: 8135 Maryland, Clayton Nettie’s Pizza Den: 33 N. Central, Clayton Grassi’s: 10450 German, Frontenac, 314-994-1111 Protzel’s: 7608 Wydown, Clayton, 314-721-4445 Carl’s Drive-In: 9033 Manchester, Brentwood, 314-961-9652 Louie: 706 De Mun, Clayton, 314-300-8188 Wright’s Tavern: 7624 Wydown, Clayton, 314-390-1466 iNDO: 1641D Tower Grove, Tower Grove, 314-899-9333 You may also enjoy these SLM articles: More episode of Arch Eats Restaurant openings, closings, and coming soons See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lent is upon us, and that means seafood specials at restaurants across the country, both for Catholics who refrain from eating meat on Fridays during the six-week period, and for those for whom it has become a seasonal lifestyle for other reasons.Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, noticed some relatively unusual fish, such as Alaska cod and flounder, rather than the more typical pollock gracing menus, particularly at quick-service restaurants. Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, pointed out that the rather debauched holiday of St. Patrick's Day always falls during Lent, which is intended to be a time of abstinence. The contrast means that green menu items and corned beef share menu space with seafood at this time of year.Bret noted that there are other, smaller, less formal holidays at this time of year, too. Mar. 10 is Mario Day, important to a certain subset of young video gamers. It's followed by Pi Day on Mar. 14, celebrating the universal constant that starts with 3.14. Restaurants reinterpret it as Pie Day, and offer a variety of specials around pizza and dessert. Pat observed that BJ's is offering specials in its skillet cookies, called Pizookies. Mar. 16 is Steve Austin Day, which holds some importance for professional wrestling fans. This year it's also part of St. Practice Day, which some people celebrate on the weekend before St. Patrick's Day (which is on a Monday this year), ostensibly to build up their alcohol tolerance for the annual celebration of Irish culture. Then there's April Fool's Day on April 1, International Cannabis Day on April 20, Earth Day on April 22, and Star Wars day on May the 4th. Pat pointed out that March 9 was National Meatball Day, and Bret expressed his disdain for that and other food holidays, but he acknowledged that they can be a great and relatively easy way to bring in more customers. In other F&B trends, Pat observed the rollout of several new sandwiches this week, including Potbelly's Barnyard, and Bret noted new sauces from Buffalo Wild Wings and Hardee's. Of particular interest, he said, was the fact that Hardee's called out Duke's mayonnaise specifically as an ingredient in its new Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce, and Bojangles also mentioned that it is serving its annual Lenten fish special, the Bojangler, made with Duke's tartar sauce. The guest on this week's podcast is Einat Admony, the chef and owner of Balaboosta restaurant in New York City and the recently opened Moondog, a listening bar that serves Admony's version of Mexican food, among other things. The Israeli chef and restaurateur shared insights into how Middle Eastern and Mexican cuisines are related, and also discussed the unique nature of Israeli cuisine.

Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, were both invited to a preview of Starbucks' spring menu. At the tasting, which took place at the Starbucks Reserve location in NYC's Empire State Building, they sampled a collection of colorful beverages, including a purple Iced Ube Coconut Latte, pink Iced Cherry Chai and several lavender drinks returning from last spring. Pat especially liked the cherry chai with its topping of cherry cream foam and crunchy red and pink sugar flakes, while Bret was impressed with the combination of ube, coffee and coconut and voted that as his favorite.The editors were also impressed with the new food additions—a warm, savory Jalapeño Chicken Pocket and a sweet pistachio-filled pastry. Both made nice accompaniments to Starbucks' newest blonde roast coffee, Sunsera Blend. It tasted pretty complex for a light roast.The two then shared an interview with Sayat and Laura Ozyilmaz, husband-and-wife chef-owners of Dalida in San Francisco. Dalida serves “borderless” Mediterranean food, mixing and matching flavors and dishes from the Turkey, Lebanon, Armenia, Cypress and other countries in the region. Sayat is from that area but Laura is Mexican, and some of her culinary influences come into play on the menu, too.Listen as they describe how the restaurant's location in Presidio Park and California-sourced ingredients also impact their menu, and how they foster sustainability and community at Dalida.

Robey Martin and Scott Wise discuss the latest restaurant news in Virginia, including the expansion of The Fishin' Pig to Innsbrook. Nash Osborn joins to talk about The Fishin' Pig's origins, its growth to six locations, and its philanthropic efforts, including supporting Virginia universities and community events. They also discuss the upcoming opening of The Fox and Lamb in Farmville, offering a members-only speakeasy and event space. Scott shares his experiences at Susie's, Brave Captain, and Pink Room. Robey's offers insight into Stanley's cheesesteaks in Richmond and Frank and Patty's in Virginia Beach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you craving new restaurants to try or want the latest on Vermont's food scene? We've got you covered. Food and drink editor Melissa Pasanen of Seven Days shares culinary updates from around the region.

Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, recently attended a milestone event for the town of Seguin, Texas: the debut of the first Applebee's-IHOP cobranded restaurant. With around 110 items, the menu is about as large of those of Applebee's and IHOP individually, featuring their greatest hits alongside collaborative mashups, like a Buffalo Chicken Omelet that Pat particularly enjoyed. Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, remarked that, although Buffalo chicken is everywhere, and spicy breakfasts are now quite commonplace, this is the first Buffalo breakfast item he has seen.He and Pat also discussed menu items that debuted at other chains, including caviar service that is now available at Sullivan Steakhouse and sister brand Eddie Merlot's. At $110 it's a premium offering to say the least, but the co-hosts observed that if there weren't demand for it they wouldn't have added it to their menus.There were also some interesting new collaborations this week, most notably Taco Bell introducing Birthday Cake Churros developed in concert with the New York City-based pastry shop Milk Bar. A couple of doughnut chains also introduced collabs of different sorts. Duck Donuts rolled out Sonic the Hedgehog-themed treats in celebration of the debut of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on streaming service Paramount+. Meanwhile, Krispy Kreme rolled out more broadly movie-themed items, such as a Caramel Popcorn doughnut and a Blue Raspberry Slush doughnut in partnership with Hulu, apparently encouraging people to snack on the movie theater concession-inspired treats while watching their favorite shows at home. Bret also interviewed Sarah Thompson, executive chef of Casa Playa, a coastal Mexican restaurant at the Wynn Las Vegas, who discussed her approach to procuring top-notch ingredients and elevated cuisine while also appealing to the many guests who just want tacos and queso fundido without a lot of fuss. 

Chef Andrew Gruel, a graduate of Johnson & Wales University, is a food entrepreneur and media personality. He is the CEO and founder of American Gravy Restaurant Group, which includes Calico Fishhouse, Big Parm Pizza, Two Birds Chicken, Butterleaf, Lolo's Tacos, and 101 Burger. Previously, he founded Slapfish Restaurant Group, an award-winning food truck-turned-international restaurant chain with 27 locations, based in Huntington Beach, CA. Andrew has appeared on numerous television series, most recently as a judge on Food Network's Chopped Junior alongside Meghan Markle. He hosted FYI's Say It To My Face and was a judge on Food Network's Food Truck Face Off. His media presence includes appearances on NBC's TODAY, Fox News, CNN, NBC Nightly News, PBS, and the Cooking Channel, as well as features in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Men's Health, Food & Wine, USA Today, Entrepreneur, and Nation's Restaurant News. Recognized as a top industry leader, he was named among the Top 25 Business Executives for Fast Casual magazine and featured in Nation's Restaurant News' 2017 Power List. In 2013, he was honored as one of Orange County's Top 40 Under 40 entrepreneurs. During the pandemic, he and his wife Lauren Gruel were named Pandemic Heroes by Restaurant Business Magazine, alongside Guy Fieri and José Andrés. Andrew currently co-hosts The SoCal Restaurant Show on AM 830 and is a regular contributor on various national news channels.

McDonald's is bringing back a character who disappeared in the '80s. Waffle House has added an egg surcharge. And another chain has gone seed-oil free. Welcome to Restaurant Daily, a quick look at the industry's top stories from the editors of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Business. I'm NRN Managing Editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister.

Sam's Band Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Wkp6yWAqvf6Hvga07alzT?si=ca99ccfad1ac4f08Live life loudly! Couldn't agree more!This was a blast! Thanks Sam Oches, Editorial Director at Informa and the mastermind behind Nation's Restaurant News.We dove into everything in this podcast from his passion for drumming (yes, drumming!) to our shared childhood obsession with Little Debbie Nutty Buddy Bars—trust me, there were plenty of laughs along the way.Here's a sneak peek at what you'll hear:>>>Sam's journey from being a bona fide “news junkie” as a kid (credit to his parents) to using his killer writing skills, and even a free education, to break into journalism.>>>A look at the standout mentors who've shaped his path, inspiring him to pay it forward to the next generation of storytellers.>>And the common thread among the industry's greatest leaders? A blend of longevity and a real commitment to keeping the true meaning of culture alive - it's all about balancing quality and quantity!

The ups and downs of Maine's restaurant industry, from popular restaurants closing to others winning accolades

On today's program, we talked to the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts about the MBTA communities act. We're also joined by the senior reporter for the Boston Business Journal Greg Ryan who outlined the states influx of $8 billion into the transportation system. Stephen Clark president of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association explained the impacts of “Dry January”  and the growth of Mock Tails. Boston Globe  reporter Diti Kohli will shared her story about the layoffs at a popular Boston restaurant chain having to do with immigration issues. And finally, Martha Sheridan president of Meet Boston  talked about a new survey praising the city for its restaurants.

Welcome to a new year of Menu Talk. On this week's podcast, Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, and Pat Cobe, senior menu editor at Restaurant Business, talk trends. New Year's Day marks the start of Dry January, which seems to be motivation for people to moderate alcohol consumption for a while, even if they fall off the wagon before the month is out. Pat has tried it and stuck with it twice, but this year, she's going with “Damp” January instead, cutting back without completely abstaining.  However Dry January shakes out, the hosts are in agreement that the quantity and quality of mocktails at restaurants and bars is much improved. Bret recently wrote about how the complexity and craftsmanship of spirit-free options offers non-drinking guests an experience that's not at all diminished. In fact, spirit-free pairings or smaller pours with a tasting menu can actually enhance rather than dull the experience. Aside from the spirit-free trend, which Pat and Bret see continuing, we chatted about the abundance of food and drink predictions that have landed in our inboxes. Will the sweet-heat or “swicy” flavor trend move into 2025, and what will be the “it” cuisine this year? And what's with all the brown sugar and espresso on the beverage side? Plus, what happened to all the healthy menu items that usually launch in January?  Tune in to find out the latest, plus Pat shares an interview with Nathan Louer, chief brand officer at Jamba. He discusses how Jamba has evolved from a juice and smoothie concept to a destination for meal replacements and snacks that balance health and indulgence. Louer and his team are focusing innovation on the core menu, introducing new categories including bowls, blended coffees and bites. Give a listen.

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discuss recent tasting adventures. Bret traveled to Los Angeles on vacation, where he began exploring restaurants in the West Hollywood neighborhood where he was staying almost as soon as the plane landed. He tried two happy hours, one at Madre, where he had a memorable fruity and spicy margarita and chicken enchilada with mole, and another at Laurel Hardware, where he ate glazed pork ribs while sipping a couple of beers. The next day, Bret met up with a restaurant consultant friend who led him to several of his favorites, starting in Beverly Hills at a small plates restaurant called Bacari, where each dish was better than the next and most were a reasonable $15. The culinary tour continued to an old-timey place called The Hideaway, followed by loaded breakfast burritos at Cofax Coffee, and several hotspots in the Silver Lake-Eagle Rock area of the city. Before heading to Las Vegas for the second leg of his trip, Bret had tasted L.A.'s wide array of global cuisines, including Armenian, Japanese and regional Mexican. Meanwhile, Pat got a preview of Taco Bell's new chicken nuggets, which roll out nationwide on Dec. 19. The nuggets are coated with a mix of breadcrumbs and tortilla chips to make them extra-crunchy, and they lived up to the crunch. Since nuggets demand a dipping sauce, Taco Bell introduced three new ones: Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce, Jalapeno Honey Mustard and creamy Bell Sauce. The steak boards at Rare Society offer a sampling of several cuts and sauces. | Photo courtesy of Trust Restaurant Group. Then Pat shared clips from an interview with Brad Wise, chef-partner in San Diego-based Trust Restaurant Group and operator of six Rare Society steakhouses—among other concepts. Chef Wise introduced the Santa Maria style of wood-fired cooking at Rare Society, using oak sourced from Central California. He also has a unique way of presenting Wagyu and dry-aged steak on wooden boards and lazy Susans so guests can sample many different cuts. Listen as Chef Wise talks about how he developed Rare Society as the antithesis of traditional steakhouses and describes his other concepts within Trust, including a zero-waste ice cream shop is primed for expansion.

On this week's podcast, Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, said that the holiday season is actually a quiet time for him, with fewer media events as restaurants are busy serving paying customers, so the only party he went to this week was the holiday party of his own company, Informa, where he drank martinis and ate some interesting spring rolls — one topped with trendy chili crisp and another with Southeast Asian aromatics like makrut lime leaf.  Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, was at the party too, and noticed how many Espresso Martinis were being ordered. She also found other events to go to, including one at Meduza Mediterrania in NYC's Meatpacking District, which was, in fact, Yelp's top restaurant for 2024, based on reviews. It was very trend-forward with Eastern Mediterranean dips, seafood towers and passed lamb chops. She also checked out a new restaurant at Grand Central Terminal, Grand Brasserie, where she enjoyed a very French trout amandine.  Then Bret shared clips from an interview with Daniel Garwood, who is chef at Acru, a restaurant that opened in New York's West Village in October. Originally from Australia, Garwood arrived in the United States in 2022 and landed a job as sous chef of the popular modern Korean restaurant Atomix before being put in charge of Acru where, among other things, he is serving dry-aged steaks from dairy cows.

The investigation into the recent McDonald's E. coli outbreak is now closed. Pizza Hut's new design looks like a fast-food concept. And one long-dead Mexican chain appears to be prepping for a return. Welcome to Restaurant Daily, a quick look at the industry's top stories from the editors of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Business. I'm RB Managing Editor Heather Lalley.

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discuss recent eating adventures. Pat took the subway to Jackson Heights, a multicultural neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It's home to a large population of Nepalese and Tibetan families, and momos are one of their specialties.  Momos are round or crescent-shaped steamed or fried dumplings with fillings of spiced beef, chicken, goat, chives or potato. Led by a friend who has sampled many a momo in the Himalayas, the group visited four restaurants and one food truck, tasting a good cross-section of dumplings. It was a new culinary experience for Pat and one she would like to repeat soon. Both Menu Talk hosts described their opulent Thanksgiving feasts, and Bret continued his feasting on Black Friday. He and a group of longtime friends have a tradition of visiting Chinatown after turkey day, and this year they started with soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai, a spot famous for the item. They followed that with drinks at Whiskey Tavern, then soup at Great NY Noodletown. Bret admitted the day-after “feasting” has gotten a bit lighter through the years. Pat visited Baar Baar, a modern Indian restaurant in NYC's East Village, where she enjoyed a dinner of small plates and inventive cocktails. Among the standouts was Dahi Puri, tiny crisp rice shells filled with potato, cilantro and spices and topped with yogurt mousse and house-made chutney. Her Anarkali cocktail was an Indian-flavored riff on an Aperol Spritz; a combination of gin, Aperol, rose cordial, cardamom and prosecco. We moved on to chat about smoothies and bowls after playing clips from an interview with Deborah Von Kutzleben, CMO of Tropical Smoothie Café. She discussed how the chain differentiates itself from its competitors with an all-day menu, how it is positioning itself for Gen Z's snacking style, and how items like a pork slider are the perfect add-ons for a signature smoothie. 

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discuss recent tasting adventures as the holidays approach.  Pat went to Pete's Tavern near Union Square in Manhattan, which decks itself out in Christmas regalia every year. She went early with friends to beat the crowds and enjoyed well-made fish & chips while her friends had burgers and nachos. The festive décor and negronis made up for the pouring rain. On another day, Pat and her friends went to Mermaid Inn's Times Square location, which has an “amazing” happy hour from 4-5:30 p.m. every day. That includes $12 cocktails and a bunch of appetizers, highlighted by particularly good oysters.  Bret went to the 30th anniversary celebration of Virgil's, also in Times Square. It's a barbecue restaurant run by the same people who operate neighboring Italian-American landmark Carmine's. Both are among those rare places in Midtown Manhattan where you can usually show up with a large crowd and get a table, and also eat your fill for a reasonable price. A guest at the celebration was Shaw-naé Dixon of Shaw-naé's House on Staten Island, who served her Savage Fries, which are fries topped with braised oxtail, four cheese mac & cheese and collard greens. Bret recommended that highly. Bret also shared an interview with Chris and Megan Curren, who operate Graceful Ordinary, a restaurant in St. Charles, Illinois, that opened at the tail-end of the pandemic and serves satisfying and slightly cheffed-up food from its wood-burning hearth. Give a listen.

This week on the Friday news roundup, host Bianca Martin talks with Madison Ald. MGR Govindarajan about his efforts to formally censure fellow Ald. Charles Myadze following allegations of sexual harassment and assault. Executive producer Hayley Sperling has the latest on a Minnesota lawsuit that involves Madison Superintendent Joe Gothard. And Newsletter Editor Rob Thomas gives the team an update on some local restaurants. Mentioned on the show: Why So Many Public Officials Have Called For a Madison Alder's Resignation [

We go over all the latest restaurant news on this week's Access Louisville podcast. LBF Reporter Michael L. Jones is on the show to tell us about several interesting developments. Notably, Jones shares the story of Frank Faris, who formerly owned Genny's Diner and today is behind the Frickled Pickle Express food truck. Jones, who has reported on the restaurant scene in Louisville for many years, said he's always wanted to speak with Farris. He got to do so for a recent feature story, which you can read here.Frickled Pickle Express has been operating for a couple of years but Jones said he was surprised about how much attention his story has gotten on social media, as many people seem to be curious about what Faris has been up to. Next, Jones tells us about a new ice cream shop, Retta's Scoop. The shop will open its first physical location at 2011 Frankfort Ave. in early 2025, but it's ice cream is already available at some retail and restaurant locations. Retta's Scoop offers unique flavors like Sweet Potato Pie, Fancy Toast, and Sour Dough PB&J, Jones explains.We also talk about a new bakery concept from the folks behind Quill's Coffee — Oddbird Cafe. Right now it has baked goods but it'll be adding sandwiches and other lunch items in the future.Off the restaurant news, Digital Editor Zak Owens tells us about a new cigar bar that's open. The Louisville Cigar Company, at 967 Baxter Avenue, will offer a wide selection of cigars plus craft cocktails in a speakeasy-like setting.After that, Reporter Piper Hansen tells us about a new event center being built at the under-development Origin Park. And a plan to connect trails within six counties in Southern Indiana that she recently wrote about.Lastly, we wrap up the show, on the news that Louisville has lost its only flight to LAX. Spirit Airlines cut its flight from SDF to LAX ahead of its recent bankruptcy filing. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

With the colder weather seeping in, it's about time for cozy fall recipes and trying new hot spots. This ski season, our region's mountain towns are teeming with new and newly reimagined restaurants. Melissa Pasanen, food writer for Seven Days, joins us for a conversation about our region's food and beverage scene. For more info on Melissa's recommendations: Places to eat near Vermont's ski towns Frankie's in Burlington is one of Eater's 14 best new restaurants of 2024Access Cafe opens in Montpelier Dedalus Wine Shop closed in Stowe and BurlingtonMichael's On the Hill adds a wine bar in StowePlus, squash rolls!

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discuss recent tasting adventures, starting with more of a smelling experience. Bret was invited by Via Carota, a gem of an Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village, to try their new bottled cocktails. But the event was held at a perfume shop that crafted personal scents for the attendees while they sipped on espresso martinis, spritzes and white negronis. Bret left with samples of both bottled cocktails and his custom scent. Pat visited Jones Wood Foundry, a British-style pub with an impressive draft beer selection. Between the Scotch eggs, Yorkshire pudding with blue cheese lemon dip, curried chicken pot pie and toffee pudding, she could have been in London rather than a few blocks from her Manhattan apartment.  We shared an interview with Anthony Amoroso, the new VP of innovation and growth at Maggiano's Little Italy. Amoroso has helmed the kitchen in several famous independents and Michelin-starred restaurants, and now welcomes this opportunity to return to his Italian-American roots and work with the chefs across Maggiano's 50 locations.  He talks about how he is elevating the dining experience with top-quality ingredients and presentations while retaining the menu's well-loved favorites and Maggiano's tradition. Amoroso also works closely with the beverage director and sommelier, and new cocktails and wine selections now complement the food. And he describes what's next in terms of the Dallas-based chain's menu, restaurant design and growth. 

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed Bret's trip to the San Francisco Bay area, where he went for The Culinary Institute of America's annual Worlds of Flavor conference in Napa.  The theme this year was Borders, Migration, and the Evolution of Culinary Tradition, which Bret acknowledged was quite a mouthful, but basically it was a discussion of how cooks adjust their food based on what ingredients are available and what customs and traditions are around them, as well as their own life experiences. In short: It's all fusion. Highlights included a demonstration of southern Italian spaghetti and tomato sauce made like it was risotto and accompanied by a lecture of how spaghetti and tomatoes got to Italy, and lentil fritters that combined the traditions of West Africa and East Africa. Bret then spent the weekend in San Francisco, and a culinary highlight was a pastrami sandwich with horseradish and red pepper aïoli at Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Café in the North Beach neighborhood.  Pat stayed in New York City and checked out a Cambodian restaurant called Bayon. It was her first time trying that particular cuisine and she found it lighter and more subtle than the cuisines of its neighbors, Vietnam and Thailand. She also had brunch at Sarabeth's, a long-standing concept with four locations in New York City, where she enjoyed tasty popovers and mushrooms with eggs. Then Bret shared an interview with Cheng Lin, chef and owner of Shota Omakase in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. The chef discussed the importance of rice in sushi and of cultivating regular customers.

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discuss a week's worth of eating experiences, starting with a dine-around in Chicago. The two editors were in Chicago for the last conference of the International Foodservice Editorial Council, familiarly known as IFEC, and the opening event featured a tasting tour of three restaurants in the city's Fulton Market district. Chef-owner Joe Flamm of Rose Mary spoke about his popular Croatian-Italian restaurant while we chowed down Pork Ribs Pampanella with Calabrian Chile Agrodolce and walnut relish as well as Beef Cheek Gnocchi; at Publican Quality Meats we learned how to spatchcock a chicken while nibbling on Grilled Pork & Mango Brochettes, Porchetta Sandwiches and charcuterie; and at Leña Brava, we sampled Watermelon Aguachile and al pastor-marinated Watermelon Steak and sipped a watermelon cocktail and mocktail.  While in Chicago, Pat also had dinner at Eataly, and was reminded of how this Italian retail emporium is also a worthy restaurant destination. She joined friends at Vino &, an in-store wine bar with a large menu featuring specialties like Tagliolini al Limone, Pollo alla Milanese and Grilled Branzino, all of which her table ordered along with a nice bottle of red wine.  Bret continues to explore his Brooklyn neighborhood, where he discovered some Eastern European meat dumplings that he brought home for dinner. First, he tried them the traditional way, topped with sour cream, but then concocted an Asian-influenced “ranch dressing” with chili crisp and Chinese black vinegar that took the dumplings into another flavor dimension. This week we share an interview with renowned chef and restaurateur Michael Mina, whose new cookbook, “My Egypt,” was just published. Subtitled “Cooking from My Roots,” the book relates Mina's experiences of journeying back to Egypt—which he left at the age of two—to rediscover his family's culinary legacy. The result is a book filled with stories, firsthand cooking experiences and a lifetime of recipes. Mina operates more than 30 restaurants in the U.S., including the recently opened Orla in Santa Monica, California—his first to specialize in Egyptian-Mediterranean cuisine. Here he elevates the dishes he enjoyed eating around his mother's table and shares the food he tasted and cooked in Egypt. Listen as the chef shares his passion for Egyptian food and talks about how Mina Group is ramping up restaurant openings.

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed their recent eating adventures. That included Pat's visit to a Hampton Inn, home of the original waffle bar, created by the midscale hotel chain 40 years ago.  That historical milestone is being celebrated by the hotel chain and promoted by Paris Hilton, since Hampton Inn is a brand of her family's hospitality empire, in the form of special pink waffles with edible glitter that guests can add. The hosts observed that there's a lot of edible glitter on menus these days, because it's fun and dazzling on social media and, one hopes, safe to eat.  It turns out that some onions being served by McDonald's probably weren't safe and allegedly sickened a number of people, resulting in one fatality. Pat and Bret discussed that turn of events. First, however Bret discussed his visit to a sushi restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, which he said was fine, just like a lot of sushi is fine these days, but not with the attention to detail that came with sushi in the past—the server didn't even bother to explain what type of fish he had been served. Pat suggested that this is what happens when food like sushi becomes ubiquitous.  She had a chance to visit the newest location of Kernel, a heavily automated quick-service restaurant developed by Chipotle founder Steve Ells, and was happy to report that the formerly meatless chain is now serving chicken.  While Pat was at Kernel, Bret went to a preview of Hudson Club, a new restaurant in Midtown Manhattan headed up by chef John DeLucie. He particularly enjoyed oysters with an apple mignonette, and that was a nice segue to this week's guest, Aaron Juvera, a level one certified oyster master and chef de cuisine of Southerleigh Fine Foods & Brewery in San Antonio, Texas.  Juvera discussed the oyster master certification program, Texas's burgeoning oyster-cultivation industry and Southerleigh's increasing use of lesser-known fish species. We hope you'll tune in.

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, share highlights from their recent eating and drinking excursions. Both editors attended a media preview of Taco Bell's chef-created Crunchwrap Supremes. The chain tapped three emerging chefs to come up with variations of this wildly popular menu item, and the results included Indian and Thai versions as well as a Southwest-style hot chicken.  Bret also attended a Cava event at a country western bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to celebrate the launch of the fast casual's garlic ranch pita chips. The tie-in between ranch as a flavor and “ranch” as an icon of the American West was a little shaky, but Bret enjoyed the new chips and some ranch water cocktails.  Australian coffee café Bluestone Lane was also a recent stop on Bret's itinerary. It's known for its personalized service, and he reported that he did get extra-special attention along with his flat white. And Pat took a trip to Cape Cod and treated herself to a lobster roll done in the Connecticut style—hot and toasty with lots of melted butter. She also enjoyed a New England specialty: fried clam bellies. Speaking of clams, we share a conversation with Sammy Monsour, chef at Joyce Soul & Sea in L.A. and an ambassador for Food for Climate League, where he is promoting sustainable bivalves like clams as well as sea vegetables. October is National Seafood Month, and Monsour describes how he sources and prepares fresh seaweed, sea lettuces and mussels at his restaurant. He also talks about his advocacy work with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and other nonprofits to help chefs and consumers make smarter choices when it comes to farm-raised and wild-caught seafood.

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discuss a week's worth of eating adventures, starting with the CREATE conference in Nashville.  The conference, geared toward emerging chains, is organized by NRN, so Bret and his colleagues were on the ground hosting sessions and networking with operators. He was super-impressed with the quality of the speakers—not a dud among them. Bret was very busy at CREATE but he still had time to hit a couple of Nashville's restaurants, including Rodney Scott's whole-hog barbecue spot. Scott is famous for his North Carolina-style barbecue, where his now six-location restaurant started, and Bret feasted on pulled pork with cole slaw and collard greens. Spanish restaurant Barcelona was another stop on his Nashville dining tour, and Bret got to try a unique rendition of boquerones—marinated anchovies served on house-made potato chips—and huge platters of paella.  Once back home, Bret attended EatOkra, a new festival celebrating Black-owned businesses. One of the standouts he sampled were nachos made with plantain chips topped with Haitian-style braised pork. He also took a trip to Princeton N.J. and visited restaurant Agricole, where he had a tasty mushroom flatbread. And Bret stopped at McDonald's on the way back to try the new Chicken Big Mac. Tune in to hear his review. Meanwhile, back in New York, Pat attended Eeeeeatscon, a food and entertainment festival organized by restaurant review platform, The Infatuation. All the vendors were local restaurants, including Shake Shack—now a national chain that got its start in Manhattan. Its booth served up the Thai Burger Shack, a cheeseburger topped with “evil jungle prince Shack Sauce,” pickled bamboo, green chili relish and Thai basil. Pat's favorite taste was Hong Kong Style Wonton Noodles from Great NY Noodletown. Also on offer were empanadas from actress Sophia Vergara's Toma, a retail brand that she and her son, Manolo (the chef in the family) are planning to spin off into a fast casual. Manolo was especially proud of the everything bagel empanada he created exclusively for Eeeeeatscon. Chef Tse Richmond We wrapped up with clips from an interview Pat did with Tse Richmond, a culinary specialist with Sysco in Portland, Oregon. The chef was excited to talk about the fall product line from Sysco's Cutting Edge Solutions, an innovation-focused division that supports smaller producers. Just rolling out this week are several seafood products, a new condiment, recipe-ready beans and global pork preparations. All are designed to help operators save time and labor while turning out signature menu items. Chef Richmond is also playing around with AI, and she enthusiastically shares tips and smart strategies to maximize its benefits in the kitchen. Give a listen.

Bret was a bit of a homebody last week as he prepared for CREATE: The Event for Emerging Restaurateurs, a conference that Nation's Restaurant News is hosting in Nashville this week, but he did enjoy traditional Jewish brisket for Rosh Hashannah at a friend's home in Manhattan.  Pat attended two Broadway shows that were preceded by tasty and affordable meals, which can be hard to find in New York City's Theater District. She had a prix fixe pre-theater dinner of creamy parsnip soup, grilled swordfish with vegetables, and baklava at Kellari Taverna for $55, and before a Saturday matinee, she had a tasty and reasonably priced brunch at Boqueria, which was less than $20 per person (before tip) — an extreme rarity in Midtown Manhattan. The co-hosts also discussed the Chicken Big Mac, which McDonald's is launching on Oct. 10, replacing the two all-beef patties with breaded and fried chicken patties. Like the original sandwich, the new version has special sauce, lettuce, cheese, and pickles, but no onions. Bret wondered about that, which led to a discussion on the role of onions on a chicken sandwich and whether, in fact, they have a role to play at all.  Then he shared an interview he had done with Rob Levitt, head butcher and chef de cuisine of Publican Quality Meats in Chicago. Levitt shared his passion for butchery and his appreciation for One-Off Hospitality's leader and chef, Paul Kahan. He also discussed his appearance on the hit TV show "The Bear," streaming on Hulu, in which he played himself.

Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, kicked off this week's podcast by briefly introducing a friend, of sorts. He had asked ChatGPT to greet the audience of Menu Talk, and the chatbot, which can now simulate a human voice much better than the electronic messages we have grown accustomed to, inferred pretty accurately what sorts of topics would be discussed in a podcast with that name. Real co-host Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, was duly impressed. She was also impressed by KPOT, a Korean barbecue and hot pot concept that is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in the country. The food was abundant and well-priced, the service was great and apart from the hot pot and barbecue, there was also a substantial food bar with kimchi and an assortment of different sauces, among other items. Then Bret shared clips of an interview he did with Olivier Rassinoux, vice president of culinary and bar for Patina Restaurant Group, and they discussed cocktail trends, including spirit-free cocktails, as well as Rassinoux's management style and the joy of dining out.

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, start off by chatting about the joys of grazing. Neither editor is in the Gen Z or Millennial age group that popularized the “girl dinner” on TikTok, but both like to try small tastes of a lot of different things—whether they are eating alone or dining with friends. On a recent visit to Boston, Bret went to a dinner party where friends gathered around the counter and nibbled on Middle Eastern dips, sashimi, grilled scallops and more while they caught up with each other. Pat is a fan of happy hours, which encourage sharing and nibbling without breaking the bank. She recently went to Springs Tavern on the East End of Long Island where the group ordered a multi-cultural spread that included mussels and frites, potstickers, chicken nachos and Mediterranean spreads with pita. Everything was under $15, including the $12 well-crafted margaritas. Bret also mentioned how heat levels are escalating, sometimes to the detriment of the dish. During a visit to a Chinese restaurant his table specified “medium” spicing on the food they ordered, but it was too hot for most of the diners.  Which brings us to Eggs in Purgatory, an item that seems to be showing up more often on breakfast menus. Can it be the next Shakshuka? Let us know your thoughts. Pat was down in Atlanta visiting GoTo Foods and the team from Moe's Southwest Kitchen. She learned to roll her own burrito like the pros at Moe's and got a sneak peek at some of the flavors coming on to the menu. Look for birria and chili crisp soon. And we shared clips from an interview with Paul Pszybylski, VP of culinary innovation for California Pizza Kitchen. The chef has been with CPK for 15 years but recently moved into this role.  He talks about how the menu has evolved, the signatures that can never be taken away, labor challenges, and the new direction of CPK's sourcing and limited time offers. Chef Pszybylski is especially proud of the new Nashville hot chicken pizza he developed. Give a listen.

We catch up with the latest restaurant news on this week's Access Louisville podcast.Reporter Michael L. Jones leads the podcast with a story about Renshoku Ramen, an Old Louisville restaurant that has faced a few struggles of late, including being hit by a car (known as being MagBarred) more than two months ago. The crashed killed the driver and caused a fire that spread to the building at Second and Oak streets. Co-owner Nick Robey told Jones in a recent story about how the ramen shop reopened in late August, but the crash is still impacting his business.That's just one of the stories on this week's show. We also talk about a favorite New Albany doughnut shop, Honey Créme, which recently hit the auction block. The online reserve auction launched last Monday with an opening bid of $750,000. We also chat about the sale of Kyros Brewing in Louisville's Portland neighborhood; an expansion for Back Deck BBQ into the Butchertown neighborhood, the closure of Bakersfield in the Highlands and a new location for Derby City Pizza that's coming to Jeffersonville.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, talk about the post-summer flurry of restaurant activity in New York City. Bret was treated to a pre-opening preview of Alessa, a new Italian restaurant where the chef created a menu spotlighting mushrooms in many sizes and shapes. His first bite was a white pizza topped with assorted mushrooms and lots of garlic, then he moved on to crab-stuffed cremini mushrooms and risotto with hen-of-the-woods and truffle butter. Mushrooms and fall are a perfect pairing, although the pistachio gelato for dessert was devoid of mushrooms. Bret also got to try a new Korean restaurant from Hand Hospitality called Odre, where the food is cooked in cast-iron pots. It's kind of a rustic style for what he thought was a refined tasting menu, but he thoroughly enjoyed all the different courses. That night, he sampled asparagus with cured shrimp in a pine nut sauce with grapefruit, squash pancakes, little pork dumplings with shiso leaf, and braised beef shank with shishito pepper and yes—mushrooms. The tasting menu is a reasonable $42 for dinner. Also on Bret's restaurant itinerary was the revamped Central Park Boathouse, a venue in the middle of NYC's Central Park that has long been known as a special occasion place. It was recently taken over by Legends Hospitality—the same company that does the food at Yankee Stadium—and there's a new chef-driven menu that makes it a great destination for lunch and dinner. David Pasternak, a chef known for his former seafood-focused restaurant Esca, is a consultant, so Bret tried some of the fish dishes, including a salmon crudo and swordfish. Pat was on vacation and was dining around in the South of France instead of New York City, but she did get a chance to interview Brad Hedeman and Mo Frechette of Zingerman's, the destination deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Brad and Mo both worked behind the counter and in the retail section of the famous deli, but now head up Zingerman's thriving mail-order business. They talk about how they travel the world to meet farmers and producers and procure the specialty foods that have built Zingerman's reputation. Service and hospitality are built into Zingerman's DNA, and Brad and Mo share how they extend that to online customers that they never interact with face-to-face. People in any part of the restaurant industry can learn a lot from their many years of combined experience and fascinating stories. Give a listen.

On this week's podcast, Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality senior food & beverage editor Bret Thorn is joined by Lisa Jennings, executive editor of Restaurant Business, who subbed in for Pat Cobe. Lisa came fresh off of the launch of Rokusho in Los Angeles, which has an eight-seat omakase room upstairs that's an outpost of a Udatsu Sushi, a Michelin-starred restaurant based in Tokyo. It's headed up by chef Shingo Ogane, but it will also host visiting Japanese chefs for three-week stints. Downstairs is a more casual sushi restaurant run by Carlos Couts, recently of Sushi by Scratch. The venue is a collaboration between the Japanese parent company and Boulevard Hospitality Group, which operates many properties in L.A., including Yamashiro, Comedor and the TCL Chinese Theatre. Lisa particularly enjoyed an avocado half stuffed with salmon tartare and served with nori seaweed, allowing guests to make their own handrolls. Bret discussed the trends that Rokusho addresses, including experiential dining, making news with visiting chefs and providing luxury for guests who can afford to pay for it. He went to the opening of the second location of Reserve Cut, a kosher steakhouse. It has long had a location in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood, but the new one is in Midtown. It's a much grander space than its downtown sibling and is trying to show that kosher dining can appeal to a broader audience than just Jews who follow religious dietary practices. Apart from steak, Bret enjoyed the restaurant's sushi, short rib tacos, butternut squash bites and more. He also is continuing to explore his new neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, where he discovered fresh dates, which are crunchy and taste like less-concentrated versions of dried dates. Lisa had not had fresh dates, although California has a robust date industry, but she did recently try paw paws for the first time while she was visiting Philadelphia. She said they'd be great as ice cream. Bret marveled that fresh dates apparently weren't being used by Angeleno chefs, and recalled that chefs in Atlanta didn't used to cook with local green peanuts, but now they do. So perhaps there is a future for fresh dates in restaurants in California. Then the editors discussed TV food competition shows. They're not fans, but Bret did enjoy his interview with Alyssa Osinga, who is chef de cuisine of The Butcher's Cellar, which opened earlier this year in Waco, Texas. She was a contestant on Hell's Kitchen, where she met Alejandro Najar, who is executive chef of The Butcher's Cellar and Osinga's life partner. Bret shared clips with his interview with Osinga, who discussed the restaurant and the fact that she strives to find uncomfortable situations, because they help her to grow.

This is the afternoon All Local for Saturday, August 17th, 2024.

Both Stephanies are back and kick off the show with an Olympics recap! Tune in to learn about what's opening and what's closing restaurant wise. They discuss ways to cool down this summer with a Frosé recipe and other wine recommendations. They finish off the first hour with Ask Stephanie! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Both Stephanies are back and kick off the show with an Olympics recap! Tune in to learn about what's opening and what's closing restaurant wise. They discuss ways to cool down this summer with a Frosé recipe and other wine recommendations. They finish off the first hour with Ask Stephanie! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lifelong friends Sahil Rahman and Rahul Vinod said they opened RASA, a growing Indian fast-casual eatery, to make Indian food more accessible and to be a “bright spot” in people's days. Sahil and Rahul grew up in the restaurant industry and witnessed the way that food impacted our community and spread joy. RASA, today, has expanded to 5 locations. Founded by second generation restaurateurs, RASA has been named a Breakout Brand by Nation's Restaurant News, Best Concept Mid-Atlantic by Starchefs, highlighted in the Washington Post Fall Dining Guide, and featured on the cover of QSR Magazine's 40/40 list, which highlights emerging restaurant brands nationwide. Here are some key insights from this week's show: - Just take the leap. We often regret the leaps we don't take. - New products start with authenticity and maintain consistency. - Create an environment where everyone feels welcome. - Service starts with the mindset of a tour guide. - How we introduce new products defines them. - Partnerships need positive intent, conscious effort, and commitment. - Always be your authentic self. Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/5hsg7ToFwEg

In this episode of the Success is a Choice podcast, our guest is Chef Andrew Gruel, a renowned food entrepreneur and TV personality.   Twitter - @chefgruel Email - admin@wintherace.info Website - chefgruel.com Facebook - Facebook.com/CHEFGRUEL Instagram - @andrewgruel YouTube - youtube.com/user/andrewgruel Substack - andrewgruel.substack.com Chef Gruel covers a lot of ground in this conversation including ... Behind the scenes of running a restaurant Thoughts about pineapple on pizza The food dish he never gets right Differences between him and his wife when it comes to cooking Tipping at a restaurant ... and much more!!! Andrew Gruel is the Founder of Slapfish Restaurant Group (27 locations), the award-winning food truck turned international brick and mortar, based out of Huntington Beach, CA and currently CEO and founder of American Gravy Restaurant Group which comprises Calico Fishhouse, Big Parm Pizza, Two Birds Chicken, Butterleaf, Lolo's Tacos and 101 Burger. Andrew has appeared on multiple television series including his most recent role as a judge on Food Network's “Chopped Junior” with Megan Markle. He was the Host of FYI Series “Say It To My Face”, as well as a judge on Food Network's “Food Truck Face Off.” He has made appearances on the TODAY show, Fox News, CNN, NBC Nightly News, PBS, Cooking Channel, and has been featured in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Men's Health, Food & Wine magazine, USA Today, Entrepreneur and Nation's Restaurant News. He was named Top 25 Business Executives for Fast Casual magazine as well as featured in Nation's Restaurant News' 2017 Power List. In 2013 he was named top 40 under 40 entrepreneurs in Orange County. He and his wife Lauren Gruel were named Pandemic Heroes by Restaurant Business Magazine alongside Guy Fieri and Jose Andres. Episode Timestamps: 2:00 - Anything you can't make? 3:20 - Instructions or Improvising 4:16 - Career snapshot 6:25 - Pineapple and Anchovies on Pizza 7:30 - Go-to picnic dish // working with lobster 9:30 - Dish he never gets right // Cooking difference between he and wife 11:00 - Running cross country in college // Going on TODAY show during honeymoon 12:45 - Behind the scenes on cooking shows // Reality TV 17:00 - The restaurant business 20:15 - Creative business tips 23:00 - How covid affected small businesses 27:00 - Economics and tipping at restaurants 30:30 - Final meal he'd like to eat - - - - Each week, the SUCCESS IS A CHOICE podcasting network brings you leadership expert Jamy Bechler and guest experts who provide valuable insights, tips, and guidance on how to maximize your potential, build a stronger culture, develop good leadership, create a healthy vision, optimize results, and inspire those around you. - - - -  Please follow Jamy on Twitter @CoachBechler for positive insights and tips on leadership, success, culture, and teamwork. Check out our virtual sessions for parents, coaches, students, and administrators at FreeLeadershipWorkshop.com. These sessions are free and cover a variety of topics. - - - -  The Success is a Choice podcast network is made possible by TheLeadershipPlaybook.com. Great teams have great teammates and everyone can be a person of influence. Whether you're a coach, athletic director, or athlete, you can benefit from this program and now you can get 25% off the price when you use the coupon code CHOICE at checkout. Build a stronger culture today with better teammates and more positive leaders.  If you like quotes, then you'll want to check out Jamy Bechler's new book "The Coach's Bulletin Board". It contains thousands of insights, thoughts, and quotes are contained in this book. Please visit JamyBechler.com/BulletinBoardBook to get your signed copy. - - - -  Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a quick review on iTunes.  Ratings and reviews are the lifeblood of a podcast. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. Thanks again for listening and remember that “Success is a choice. What choice will you make today?” - - - -  Jamy Bechler is the author of five books including "The Captain" and "The Bus Trip", host of the "Success is a Choice Podcast", professional speaker, and trains organizations on creating championship cultures. He previously spent 20 years as a college basketball coach and administrator.  TheLeadershipPlaybook.com is Bechler's online program that helps athletes become better teammates and more positive leaders while strengthening a team's culture. As a certified John Maxwell leadership coach, Bechler has worked with businesses and teams, including the NBA. Follow him on Twitter at @CoachBechler. To connect with him via email or find out about his services, please contact speaking@CoachBechler.com. You can also subscribe to his insights on success and leadership by visiting JamyBechler.com/newsletter.