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Jared began his love for the culinary experience in his grandmother's kitchen. Jared attended the California Culinary Academy and started his externship with Wolfang Puck and has been working for him for over 20 years along with his mentor Erick Klein . At 17 years old he started working at Spago in Palo Alto and from there he went on to work at several locations including Las Vegas and becoming the Executive Chef in Colorado. After returning to the Bay Area Jared took the Helm of Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino where he became interested in butchery. To hone his butcher skills further he went on to work with Guy Crims at Pape Meat in Millbrae and joined Guy in opening the Butcher Shop by Niku Steakhouse where the focus is on Japanese Wagyu and dry aged beef. Jared is currently doing consulting work for Wolfgang Puck and as a private chef. Excited to share this long awaited podcast about Jared's origins and we talked about his wonderful culinary journey, kitchen challenges , bringing Japanese Wagyu to the US, his new job and favorite recipes. Show Noteshttps://www.foodoriginspodcast.com/podcast-episode-55Firecracker Farm Small-batch Spicy Salt Family farm with a secret blend of Carolina Reaper, Ghost, and Trinidad Scorpion peppers.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show
On this week's episode, we welcome comedian, Vivian Martínez, to chat about brujeria stores, negative Airbnb experiences, doing the ‘time warp,' and more!Check out what Vivian is up to!See Vivian on this Valentine's Day benefit show (supporting recovery from the fires in Los Angeles)!Want your Capybara roasted? Send to our Instagram!#RoastMyCapyJustice for migrants. Please consider donating to Al Otro Lado this holiday season.Pre-order Jordan's Godzilla vs. Los Angeles comic to benefit Wildfire Relief Charity! Pre-order Jordan's Spider-man comic! Be sure to get our new ‘Ack Tuah' shirt in the Max Fun store.Or, grab an ‘Ack Tuah' mug!The Maximum Fun Bookshop!Follow the podcast on Instagram and send us your dank memes!Check out Jesse's thrifted clothing store, Put This On.Go see Free With Ads and Judge John Hodgman LIVE at SF Sketchfest!Come see Judge John Hodgman: Road Court live in a town near you! Jesse and John will be all over the country so don't miss your change to see them. Check the events page to find out where!Follow brand new producer, Steven Ray Morris, on Instagram.Listen to See Jurassic Right!
It's a goodbye 2024 and hello 2025 episode covering a battle of animal necks, Jordan vs. Norm Langer, the status of Spago and Nancy Silverton, Cabo for Thanksgiving, pushed back vs slicked back, Jordan forces Max to eat at Si! Mon again to figure out what the hell is going on, strange latke combo toppings, a Carbone rumor, top 2024 bites, looking forward to 2025 meals, the pain of gift giving, the love of Sade, Genghis Cohen has Jordan rethinking McConnell's, and a night at Shunji.
Surprise! Season Two's not done yet. Dom & Andy welcome Wolfgang & Byron Puck to the basement for the first of a two part conversation on the past, present, and future of Wolfgang Puck. We dive into the early days of Spago and its team of future Hall of Famers, how Wolfgang landed the Oscars party, and the staying power of truly good, classic dishes. Plus Byron reveals his early talent for butchering fish bigger than him and Dom & Andy get a crash course in "tradition and innovation" involving Lambrusco.
Welcome back to Decorating Pages! Today, we're diving into the dark and intricate world of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Set in 1980 and 90's Los Angeles, this season tells the haunting story of the Menendez family, whose polished, wealthy image masked a far more complicated and troubled reality. Joining me are Production Designer Matthew Flood Ferguson and Set Decorator Melissa Licht, whose work on this series brings the hidden turmoil of the Menendez family to life. Matthew and Melissa created spaces that tell a story within a story. From the pristine common rooms that reflect ‘new money' luxury, to the messy, private spaces that reveal a deeper, darker psychological layer, every detail was designed to capture the paradoxes of the Menendez family. With careful recreations of period landmarks like Spago, authentic interiors like the Chateau Marmont suite, courtrooms, jails, and a subtle blend of symbolic elements, their work immerses us in a world that feels both glamorous and unsettling. #FilmLovers #BehindTheScenes #SetDesign #FilmStudents #ProductionDesign #DecoratingPagesPodcast #MenendezBrothers #LosAngeles #ChateauMarmont #TrueCrimeSeries #1980sAestheticAre you passionate about TV and film production? Fascinated by the behind-the-scenes magic that brings your favorite shows and movies to life? Look no further than the Decorating Pages podcast! Join Emmy-winning set decorator Kim Wannop as she guides you through the world of visual storytelling in each episode. With exclusive interviews featuring top industry professionals—from production designers and set decorators to prop masters—you'll gain unparalleled insights and appreciation for the craft. Whether you're a film enthusiast, a design lover, or simply curious about the creative process, Decorating Pages podcast is your essential guide to the art of TV and film production. Don't miss out—subscribe today and embark on a captivating journey behind the scenes! #DecoratingPagesPodcast #TVProduction #FilmProduction #BehindTheScenes #VisualStorytelling #SetDecorator #ProductionDesigner #PropMaster #DesignEnthusiast #FilmBuff #PodcastLove #SubscribeNow Subscribe to Decorating Pages Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and iHeartRadio. Follow me: Instagram: @decoratingpages YouTube: Decorating Pages Podcast TikTok: @decoratingpagespodcast Reach out to Kim Wannop at kimwannop@decoratingpagespodcast.com and visit www.decoratingpagespodcast.com for more information.
Al and Gemini are at Ada's Food + Wine in Tivoli Village to hang with James Trees and Chef Jackson Stamper, and especially Wine Goddess Kat Thomas. All three are back from London, where Ada's won the award for "Most Original Wine Line" in THE WORLD!! Also: new items on the menu at Spago and Carversteak, and a look back at the 2nd Picnic in the Alley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on the LA Food Podcast, the most recognizable chef on the planet joins us for an interview - and I'm not talking about Chef Boyardee. Wolfgang Puck is with us today, alongside his son Byron Lazaroff Puck for honestly one of my favorite conversations we've ever had on this platform. Wolfgang has been one of the most if not THE most trailblazing chef in America for more than 40 years, and we discuss the many changes he's seen in the Los Angeles food scene since he opened Spago back in 1982. But don't just talk about the past - I was truly impressed to find that the Wolfgang Puck group of restaurants is as innovative and vibrant as ever and much of that is down to the passion and savviness of Byron Lazaroff Puck, Wolfgang's son and heir apparent to the legendary restaurant empire. Wolfgang, Byron and I discuss what it's like to operate as a father/son duo, how Wolfgang navigates the temptation to micromanage and how Byron approaches the pressure that naturally comes with the territory. Most interestingly, I ask them both about their vision for the company's future, and I think their answers might surprise you. But first, Father Sal is with us to quickly recap the New York Times' list of Best Restaurants in America, how the Los Angeles Times blatantly disrespected me by crowning somebody else LA's sandwich king, and to dream brand new name for our beloved segment bad idea/horrible idea. RIP, all good things to come to an end, and all that jazz. Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK, where you'll find most of the articles we referenced today https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ Wolfgang Puck https://wolfgangpuck.com/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini Abdo Hajj The Wolfgang Puck interview was produced by Matt Polizzi https://www.instagram.com/matt_polizzi/ – Get 10% off at Rusty's Chips using code “LACOUNTDOWN” https://rustyschips.com/discount/LACOUNTDOWN -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thelafoodpodcast/support
Hot and fresh, it's all the latest foodie news, prepared by Al Mancini, host of the Food and Loathing Podcast. Enjoy all the delicious news, celebrity interviews and on-the-scene reporting; covering the most important restaurant [...] The post Neon Feast: Taylor Sheridan's Steakhouse, Ada's Wine Award, and Spago Menu Changes appeared first on Highway Radio.
The BanterThe Guys geek out over a vertical wine tasting they had with the prescient California winemaker Cathy Corison and give some tips on how to buy and age wines.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys have an enlightening interview with Michelin two-star Chef Michael Cimarusti from Los Angeles. Learn how he brings sustainability at his restaurant Providence to another level–the roof!. The episode concludes with a cameo by Jane Park, a staff member who has worked for both the hosts and Chef Cimarusti.The Inside TrackChef Michael was reunited with a former employee of his, and current maître d' of The Guys' restaurants in New Brunswick, NJ, while in their place for dinner. He's from New Jersey and Stage Left Steak and Catherine Lombardi restaurants are regular stops when he's on the east coast. “I've been at your restaurant several times and, love it. And I'll be there again, in just a couple of weeks,” Chef Michael Cimarusti on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024BioChef Michael Cimarusti worked at Le Cirque then was the opening chef at Osteria Del Circo in New York City. After some time studying in France, he moved to Los Angeles as chef de cuisine for Wolfgang Puck's Spago. Later he held the position as executive chef at Water Grill. In 2005 he opened Providence with wife Crissi Echiverri and Donato Poto. Providence achieved and maintained two Michelin stars among and many other accolades. The next venture was Connie and Ted's in West Hollywood. There he serves classic New England seafood as he had growing up when he visited his grandparents in the northeast. Cimarusti is committed to sustainable fishing and farming and boasts a rooftop ecosystem at Providence which garnered a coveted Michelin green starHe has been a guest judge on Master Chef, Top Chef Family Style, Hells Kitchen and Top Chef. He has competed on Top Chef Masters and Iron Chef America.In 2019, he was recognized as Jame Beard Foundation Best Chef: West. InfoChef Michael Cimarusti's restaurantshttps://providencela.com/https://www.connieandteds.com/Cathy Corison wines @ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/websearch_results.html?kw=corisonOur SponsorsThe Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/Our PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/The Restaurant Guys Podcasthttps://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Today on our episode #394 of All in the Industry®, Shari Bayer's guest is Wolfgang Puck, famed chef, restaurateur, TV personality 'and author, who has built a brand that encompasses three companies: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. The name Wolfgang Puck is synonymous with the best of restaurant hospitality and the ultimate in all aspects of the culinary arts. Wolfgang was born in Austria. He began cooking alongside his mother at a very young age, and worked in some of France's greatest restaurants, including Maxim's in Paris, and the Hotel de Paris in Monaco. At the age of 24, Wolfgang left Europe for the United States, first working at the restaurant La Tour in Indianapolis, and then in Los Angeles, quickly garnering the attention of the Hollywood elite as chef of Ma Maison in West Hollywood. In 1982, Wolfgang opened his first flagship restaurant, Spago located in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. Spago was an instant success and culinary phenomenon. Today, Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining restaurants can be found around the world. In addition, this year, Wolfgang celebrated an Oscar milestone as he marked his 30th year catering for the event. Shari sat down with Wolfgang in Las Vegas at his restaurant Caramá at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino to talk about his impressive career, while she was in town for The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2024 in early June. Today's show also features Shari's PR tip to let simplicity rule; and Solo Dining experience at Le Veau d'Or, a revival of the famed French bistro in NYC that originally opened in 1937, brought back by chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, the duo behind NYC's Frenchette and Le Rock. Listen at Heritage Radio Network; subscribe/rate/review our show at iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify. Follow us @allindustry. Thanks for being a part of All in the Industry®. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support All in the Industry by becoming a member!All in the Industry is Powered by Simplecast.
In today's episode, we speak with our guest Nancy Silverton, co-owner of Pizzeria Mozza, as well as Osteria Mozza, Mozza2Go, and chi SPACCA in Los Angeles. She's also the creative mind behind Nancy's Fancy gelato.In today's interactive chat, Nancy shares how she built an illustrious career based on prep, timing, and luck. This includes working for some of the most influential chefs in the nation, including Jonathan Waxman at Michael's Restaurant and Wolfgang Puck at Spago, as well as opening the legendary La Brea Bakery and Campanile Restaurant. Listen as Nancy Silverton talks about experiencing food on a deeply emotional level, the cookie that changed her life, and finding an obsession in the kitchen.
Dom & Andy welcome Chef Ari Rosenson to the Cheese Store basement. Ari is the VP of Food & Beverage Operations for the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group and the Executive Chef at Spago Beverly Hills, the group's flagship restaurant. His journey began as a prep cook at the young age of 16 for Spago, and he's remained alongside Wolfgang Puck ever since. Tune in to hear how Ari and his team are constantly reinventing the restaurant and guest experience to reach new levels of hospitality with exciting projects in the pipeline. Follow Ari on Instagram @ari.rosenson We'd love to hear from you. Reach out by email at industryonlyatthecheesestore@gmail.com or on Instagram at @industryonlyatthecheesestore
Influential and esoteric celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has been operating restaurants in Las Vegas for more than 25 years, earning a following through his creative cuisine and sense of showmanship at restaurants including Caramá, CUT, and Spago. On this entertaining episode, we hear how Wolfgang was initially drawn to Las Vegas when opening Spago, his first restaurant there, in 1992, and how he's seen the Las Vegas dining scene develop into an internationally acclaimed destination.Also on the show, Aliza and Matt take a tour of Las Vegas's bustling Chinatown, making visits to some really cool places, including Ping Pang Pong, Gäbi Coffee & Bakery, Shang Artisan Noodle, and the 24-hour cocktail bar Golden Tiki. We also experience Cantonese barbecue nirvana at Win Kee HK BBQ and Noodle and catch up with the restaurant's owner, Ida Shek. These very special episodes of This Is TASTE are supported by Las Vegas.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Wolfgang Puck, the Austrian-American culinary legend, takes host Bruce on a journey through his favorite food and travel spots, full of laughter and unexpected tips. Wolfgang shares the serendipitous creation of his signature dish, shares his first memories of getting the travel bug, and describes his initial impressions of the United States. He relives the opening night jitters of Spago (Beverly Hills), defines what he calls "California cuisine," and tells us how to cook 120 pounds of camel meat. Wolfgang also discusses his favorite destinations, from the hidden gem of Bahrain (Asia) to the orphanage his wife established in Ethiopia (Africa). Plus, he reveals his favorite restaurants in Capri and Vienna (Europe), including hidden gems and family-run spots. This episode is a delicious blend of Wolfgang's culinary wisdom, travel adventures, and insider tips – perfect for foodies and travel enthusiasts alike! --- You can find out more details about the locations below mentioned in the episode: Zozobra Festival: https://burnzozobra.com/ Spago: https://wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/spago-beverly-hills/ Hotel Goldener Hirsch (Salzburg, Austria): https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/szglc-hotel-goldener-hirsch-a-luxury-collection-hotel-salzburg/overview/ Steirereck (Vienna, Austria): https://www.steirereck.at/steirereck.en.html Amador (Vienna, Austria): https://www.restaurant-amador.com/ Hospice Alm Hotel (St. Christoph, Austria): https://www.arlberghospiz-alm.at/en/ Bachelor Gulch Ski Resort (Colorado, USA): https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/whrrz-the-ritz-carlton-bachelor-gulch/overview/ Hotel Arlberg (Lech, Austria): https://arlberghotel.at/en/ La Scoglio (Nerano, Italy): https://www.hotelloscoglio.com/en/restaurant Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark): https://noma.dk/ F. X. Pichler (Wachau Valley, Austria): https://fx-pichler.at/en/vineyards-wines/ Schrader Vineyards (Napa Valley, California, USA): https://schradercellars.com/ The Vegetable Shop at Chino Farm (Rancho Santa Fe, California, USA): https://www.instagram.com/chinofarms/?hl=en --- To learn more about Wolfgang Puck, check out his website https://wolfgangpuck.com/ --- Travel That Matters is a CurtCo Media production. Host: Bruce Wallin Producer: AJ Moseley Marketing: Catrin Skaperdas Music: Joey SalviaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Comedian Guy Branum is here! I went to an Oscar viewing party at Spago for Direct TV. I share about my dress and all the real housewives I talked to including Erika Jayne, Alexis Bellino, Vicki, Ashley Darby, Guerdy, Meredith Marks, Sutton and Phaedra. Then we get into the Oscar show itself. From the monologue to naked John Cena we give our honest opinions. Plagiarism in Hollywood happens as often as sexual acts in exchange for roles. Of course we also talk some good and bad fashion choices. Enjoy the juice! Get 15% off OneSkin with the code JUICY at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Shop Juicy Scoop Merch https://juicyscoopshop.com Get EXTRA Juicy on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/juicyscoop Follow Me on Social Media Instagram: https://www/instagram.com/heathermcdonald TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heathermcdonald Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherMcDonald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Will Guidara is the founder of Thank You, a hospitality company that helps leaders across industries transform their approach to customer service. He is also the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park. In his book Unreasonable Hospitality, he shares many of the lessons about service and leadership he learned throughout his career in restaurants and makes the case that any business can choose to be in the hospitality industry by taking ordinary transactions and turning them into memorable experiences. He is also the co-founder of the Welcome Conference, an annual conference that brings together the best minds in the world of hospitality. A graduate of Cornell University, he has co-authored four cookbooks, was named one of Crain's New York Business's 40 Under 40, and is a recipient of WSJ Magazine's Innovator Award. Will Guidara is with us today to reflect on his experience in the restaurant industry and how it has impacted his approach to business, prioritizing human connection and caring for people. He believes that the hospitality industry has valuable lessons to offer, particularly in that it encourages others to choose to concentrate on the people around them. Will also comments on how society's views on leadership have changed over the years and why we need to prioritize connection over perfection “We can inspire people to be better versions of themselves through our attention to detail or our creativity.” - Will Guidara “It's crucial to name for yourself why your work matters.” - Will Guidara “Find one size fits one gestures.” - Will Guidara This Week on The Wow Factor: Will's experience of growing up in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and what he learned from his mentor and best friend, his father Will discusses his experience of spending time with famous chef Daniel Boulud, including his generosity to him and his father The role of Will's mother in his upbringing and how she inspired him even after his death Will's career history in restaurants, including at Tribeca Grill and Spago, and why he credits Danny Meyer as a major influence Why Will left his role with Danny to learn about the inner workings of a corporate restaurant company The gelato spoon that illustrates Will's Rule of 95/5 Why unreasonable hospitality means going above and beyond for guests Moments of Improvisational hospitality, including buying sleds for kids from Spain who had never seen snow The importance of making guests feel seen and valued through personalized gestures rather than relying on generic or contrived acts of hospitality Why Will employs a Dreamweaver on his team at the restaurant and what the job role entails Will Guidara's Words of Wisdom: A leader needs to be a host. They need to pursue with creativity and intention, a genuine sense of connection amongst the people that work with them. Because if we don't feel like we are in a community with our colleagues, we'll never do anything. Connect with Will Guidara: Will Guidara on LinkedIn Unreasonable Hospitality Will Guidara on Instagram Connect with The WOW Factor: The WOW Factor Website Connect with Brad Formsma via email Brad Formsma on LinkedIn Brad Formsma on Instagram Brad Formsma on Facebook Brad Formsma on Twitter
Will Guidara is the founder of Thank You, a hospitality company that helps leaders across industries transform their approach to customer service. He is also the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park. In his book Unreasonable Hospitality, he shares many of the lessons about service and leadership he learned throughout his career in restaurants and makes the case that any business can choose to be in the hospitality industry by taking ordinary transactions and turning them into memorable experiences. He is also the co-founder of the Welcome Conference, an annual conference that brings together the best minds in the world of hospitality. A graduate of Cornell University, he has co-authored four cookbooks, was named one of Crain's New York Business's 40 Under 40, and is a recipient of WSJ Magazine's Innovator Award. Will Guidara is with us today to reflect on his experience in the restaurant industry and how it has impacted his approach to business, prioritizing human connection and caring for people. He believes that the hospitality industry has valuable lessons to offer, particularly in that it encourages others to choose to concentrate on the people around them. Will also comments on how society's views on leadership have changed over the years and why we need to prioritize connection over perfection “We can inspire people to be better versions of themselves through our attention to detail or our creativity.” - Will Guidara “It's crucial to name for yourself why your work matters.” - Will Guidara “Find one size fits one gestures.” - Will Guidara This Week on The Wow Factor: Will's experience of growing up in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and what he learned from his mentor and best friend, his father Will discusses his experience of spending time with famous chef Daniel Boulud, including his generosity to him and his father The role of Will's mother in his upbringing and how she inspired him even after his death Will's career history in restaurants, including at Tribeca Grill and Spago, and why he credits Danny Meyer as a major influence Why Will left his role with Danny to learn about the inner workings of a corporate restaurant company The gelato spoon that illustrates Will's Rule of 95/5 Why unreasonable hospitality means going above and beyond for guests Moments of Improvisational hospitality, including buying sleds for kids from Spain who had never seen snow The importance of making guests feel seen and valued through personalized gestures rather than relying on generic or contrived acts of hospitality Why Will employs a Dreamweaver on his team at the restaurant and what the job role entails Will Guidara's Words of Wisdom: A leader needs to be a host. They need to pursue with creativity and intention, a genuine sense of connection amongst the people that work with them. Because if we don't feel like we are in a community with our colleagues, we'll never do anything. Connect with Will Guidara: Will Guidara on LinkedIn Unreasonable Hospitality Will Guidara on Instagram Connect with The WOW Factor: The WOW Factor Website Connect with Brad Formsma via email Brad Formsma on LinkedIn Brad Formsma on Instagram Brad Formsma on Facebook Brad Formsma on Twitter
On Today's Menu: As a public service, we talk about service… John's perspective on the 2024 James Beard Award nominations Restaurant rundown: Mother Wolf, Balla Italian Soul, Spago, Kaiseki Yuzu, La Popular, Winnie & Ethel's, Forte Tapas, and The George Sportsmen's Lounge What makes the best & worst restaurants in town? Email cheers@eattalkrepeat.com to give us an earful Should John drop a 52 not Las Vegas top restaurants or 50-100 greatest of all time? Food News You Can Use: Coming soon on eatinglv.com… John's idea of what makes the best restaurant in town Award-winning Chef Alon Shaya announced the opening of a new Mediterranean restaurant at the Wynn in 2022… crickets ever since The 2024 James Beard Award nominees came out Congrats to Chef Steve Kessler from Aroma Latin American Cocina, Chef DJ Flores from Milpa Mexican Cafe, and Chef Bryan Howard from Sparrow + Wolf for Best Chef: Southwest nominations; and Oscar Amador Edo from Anima by EDO for Outstanding Chef nomination Filipino pop-up bakery MILKFISH Bakeshop made the list, but pastry awards are a joke Is Edo Gastro Tapas & Wine moving? Ash and Sam tour the new Esther's Kitchen location Recent Ventures & Spots Mentioned: Mother Wolf: Good, but doesn't give a “can't wait to go back” feeling Balla Italian Soul: Blown away by the crowd & food Forte Tapas Winnie & Ethel's Downtown Diner Spago: Go for the Veal 'Wiener Schnitzel' Kaiseki Yuzu: Raw a-FISH-ionado La Popular At Palms Hotel: You can't go wrong with anything you order The George Sportsmen's Lounge at Durango Resort: FAH-get about it… Incredibly bad food Le Cellier Steakhouse in EPCOT at Disney World
In Episode 7 of “Three Ingredients,” we talk about what separates restaurant chefs from home cooks. Is it training? Obsession? A drive for perfection? Or something less tangible? One secret: Nancy says she's never thought of herself as a chef. We ask why. We also have a discussion about open kitchens in restaurants, including Nancy's experiences cooking before an audience of diners at Spago and her own mozzarella bar at Mozza, as well as the time Laurie first realized the kitchen watches back. Plus, do you plate your takeout food or eat it right out of the container? Laurie, Nancy and Ruth have three different answers to this question. Then Ruth and Nancy go head to head on Basque cheesecake recipes — Nancy's favorite method from Pasjoli chef Dave Beran is a bit more complicated than Ruth's stir-and-bake technique — and Laurie tries to keep the peace. Next, we turn to a classic dessert — carrot cake. It's one of the baking favorites that Nancy tried to perfect in her new cookbook “The Cookie That Changed My Life.” Her recipe may change the way you make carrot cake. Is it revolutionary? It's certainly not the usual recipe. Paying subscribers to “Three Ingredients” will soon get a copy of the recipe sent to their inboxes. But even if you're just here to listen, we've got a delicious conversation for you.To receive new episodes of Three Ingredients as they drop, sign up to become a free subscriber. If you want to receive bonus posts, recipes, restaurant recommendations, photos and more, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.Ruth Reichl is author of the Substack newsletter La Briffe and 11 books, including “The Paris Novel,” which publishes in April. She was editor in chief of Gourmet Magazine and the restaurant critic of the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. Nancy Silverton leads the Mozza Restaurant Group and is author of nine cookbooks. Laurie Ochoa is general manager of L.A. Times Food and one of the writers of the paper's Tasting Notes newsletter. She was executive editor of Gourmet when Ruth led the magazine, editor in chief of the L.A. Weekly and co-author of “Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery.” For more about “Three Ingredients,” see our Welcome Page.Thank you for reading Three Ingredients. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threeingredients.substack.com/subscribe
Taylor Swift's associates criticized a New York Times piece speculating about her sexuality while a Jo Koy joke about her NFL viewership annoyed her, though she reunited with celebrity friends at the Golden Globes after dining at Spago the evening prior.
On today's replay episode of I AM HOME, our hosts Tyler, Becca and Hilary are joined by Teresa Ruback, a private chef, about her interesting cooking history. She interned with Wolfgang Puck at the original Spago and cooked for Olympians, rock stars, presidents, kings and queens. Ruback pulls back the curtain on what the life of a private chef looks like and shares advice on making your own salad dressing and which knives make sense in your kitchen. The hosts also learn how to make the perfect holiday turkey and the best mashed potatoes. If you're looking for foolproof recipes, this episode will leave you inspired… and probably hungry!
Have mercy! John Stamos finally spills the tea on a storied career in his new, sort-of-a-bombshell memoir "If You Would Have Told Me." From General Hospital to Full House, getting a handie under the table at Le Dome to getting a DUI on the way to Spago, this is one wild, extremely PG-13-rated journey with America's hottest uncle. RIP Bob Saget.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We're talking about the new album & documentary from the Rolling Stones and how Vanna White has finally received a raise that is long overdo. We also give a shoutout to Ryan Phillippe for putting his health first and discuss Sharon's visit to a fancy Los Angeles restaurant, Spago. Thanks for listening to 90's NOW!
Chef Neal Fraser, owner of multiple restaurant concepts in Los Angeles, started his career in the kitchen at age 20. Fraser touts an impressive resume that includes a degree from the Culinary Institute of America and an honor roll of kitchen credits such as Wolfgang Puck's Eureka and Spago, Checkers Hotel under Thomas Keller, Joachim Splichal's Pinot Bistro, Hans Rockenwagner's Rox, and the highly revered Boxer. Currently, he and his business partner/wife Amy Knoll Fraser own and operate critically acclaimed Redbird and high-volume special events and performing arts venue Vibiana.
MORNING HACK: You already probably have 2 of these...having a THIRD one will dramatically improve your well-being. TUE NGUYEN - She is @TwayDaBae on Instagram and TikTok and back in March 2020, she was a little-known prep cook at Spago posting eating videos and restaurant reviews in her free time but now she has more than a million followers and recently opened her first restaurant, Di Di! RYAN'S ROSES - In Sun Valley - she thinks her husband may be cheating by something she saw…on Google Street View. This may be a first for us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this week's episode, television veteran Michael Burger (Family Feud, Price is Right, Mike and Maty, and many many more) talks about his showbiz career. He looks back on memories from working on cruise ships as well as being able to work with some of his idols.SHOW NOTESMichael Burger's IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0121221/Michael Burger's Website: https://www.michaelburger.com/Free Writing Webinar - https://michaeljamin.com/op/webinar-registration/Michael's Online Screenwriting Course - https://michaeljamin.com/courseFree Screenwriting Lesson - https://michaeljamin.com/freeJoin My Watchlist - https://michaeljamin.com/watchlistAUTOGENERATED TRANSCRIPTSMichael Jamin:So when you shoot a multi-camera sitcom the audience, they bring in an audience and it could take, I dunno, it could easily take five hours to shoot a half hour of television.Michael Burger:22 minutes. Five and a half. Yeah. Five hours to shoot. 22.Michael Jamin:And so what's the audience doing while they're resetting the scenes or the actors are changing?Michael Burger:Well, I've got a lot of stories. Some. I had a guy die once. What? And I just thought he was taking a nap. Yeah. I kept looking up going, God, I don't, A comic wants everybody engaged. Right? And he's just, and at the end, he's not leaving every, the bus is gone and they card him out and he died on the way to the hospital. I guess they revived him, then he died.Michael Jamin:You're listening to Screenwriters. Need to hear this with Michael. Hey everyone, welcome back to Screenwriters. Need to hear this. I'm Michael. I got a cool guest today. So as many of you know, my very first comedy writing job in Hollywood, I was a joke writer on a morning TV show on a b C called the Mike and Maddie Show. And my next guest is Michael Berger, the host of Mike and Mad Mike, thank you so much for joining me here. A areMichael Burger:You nice to see and reconnect with you again? It's been a fewMichael Jamin:And you are this, I know you're not quite a screenwriter, but I think have a lot to, I don't know, just a lot to add to the conversation because you're a professional talk show host and you posted so much. I'm going to blow through some of your credits real fast just so people, but don'tMichael Burger:Blow through 'em. I want you to land on 'em and marinate on 'em for a while.Michael Jamin:Let's linger on them unnecessarily for a long time. So obviously Mike and Maddie, but the Home and Family Feud, the live version as well as the Price is right, the live version, thousand Dollars Pyramid Match Game, iron Chef Personals, the Late Night Dating Show Straight to the Heart, not to mention your long history as a standup comedian on cruise ships, and then later doing warmup. I want for audiences for sitcom audiences, which I know you've, we've been on any of the same shows, which is, that's a whole nother level of comedy. I want to talk about that. But first I want to talk about where you began. It was, how did you become a comedian for cruise ships?Michael Burger:Well, a lot of these entries into showbiz come in through the side door. And this was certainly the case. I was a big fan of Steve Martin and back in the late seventies, there was a contest where they were looking for a Steve Martin lookalike and the payoff, the winner got a spot on the Tonight Show with Carson. So I figured this is my entry in, so I figured that I win this contest and I get my own show. Well,Michael Jamin:And you didMichael Burger:Well. You had to submit a cassette tape, audio cassette tape of you doing Steve Martin. No video cameras just a cassette. And they wanted that in theory, in front of a live audience while I had, I hadn't done any standup. There's no live audience, but my audience in the day was my classroom. So I went back to my high school and said, can I borrow the classroom and just do Steve Martin's material and I'll take my best cut from that. So I went to five teachers. I did five minute sets, and I submitted that tape with the best of the five to the radio station who said, yeah, great. Come on up to the tower records parking lot on Sunset, where there's 25 of us dressed like Steve Martin doing. You're a wild and crazy guy. I win that and go to San Francisco and I meet the western Halfie of the United States at the boarding house, and I win that. And the finals are at the Comedy store with the entire country represented. I'm one of six. Steve Martin is there, Carl Reiner is there. And the winner, the payoff is the Tonight Show spot. And I do, my thing and my twist on it was I came out white suit arrow through the head, no pants with boxers that said a B, C news brief.So I figured I'd add my joke and the guy I was up against that I thought was my competition, played banjo so well and looked like Steve. I thought, there's no way. Right. He does his bit, I do my bit. It's a tie between me and this guy from Nashville that looked like Steve. Steve Martin comes on stage and he's holding our wrists like a ref in a boxing match. And he holds up the other guy's hand. Okay, that guy wins. I lose, three months later I'm watching The Tonight Show and Johnny goes, oh, we have a guest tonight. And Steve Martin comes out and he's out for about 30 seconds and you realize it's not Steve. The real Steve comes out bound and gagged yelling, this guy's an imposter. That guy goes away. We never hear from him again. And that was my first taste at showbiz.Michael Jamin:And you were like, what? 20 something?Michael Burger:Yeah. Yeah. Maybe I was 27, 28. But what would you, somebody saw that and said, Hey, can you do that on a cruise ship? Can you do standup on a ship?Michael Jamin:But wait, what would've you done if you had won this? Because then you would've been on the Tonight Show, but you didn't have an act.Michael Burger:Well, I would do kind of what that kid did. The whole bit was to pay Steve Martin's movie off The Jerk that was coming out. And it was just a sight gag, but I certainly would've come up with something. And then, so what I wound up doing initially after that, and this is in the height of all the singing comedy telegrams, remember back in the day, dancing bears and roller skates? Yeah. So I did a Steve Martin lookalike Soundalike Comedy Telegram where Michael would hire me to make fun of somebody, and I would get all the information and I would go wherever they are, a bank, an office. I actually stopped a wedding once as Steve Martin air through the head white suit, hold on, I don't think this is right. And do a little Steve Martin thing. And there was a guy in the audience at a restaurant who came over after I just did this Rickles kind of riff. And he goes, that's very funny. Can you do ships? And I said, sure. And that's how I got on a cruise ship. And then I'd come on as Steve, and then I'd do my whole act after that, which I developed over time.Michael Jamin:But your act was basically kind of making fun of Steve, or was it all playingMichael Burger:Well, no, you quickly. No, I had some comedy ideas, but what I realized as soon as I got on the ship, 70% of the material comes from being on the ship. Right. I dunno if you've ever worked ships, but No. Oh, there's so much material. It's such a ripe group. And thenMichael Jamin:It's so interesting, you never even did the comedy clubs. You really came up your own way.Michael Burger:I really did. I did a few because of that little bit of notoriety, but the cruise ships were a better paying gig. You got to see the world and you really felt like you were in the business. You had a band behind you generally. There was an opening act. The only downside was if you didn't do well, you'd have to see these people for the next three days, four days, seven days.Michael Jamin:But howMichael Burger:Many I loved it.Michael Jamin:How many shows would you do on a, so you were like, let's say it was a seven day tour. How many shows would you do?Michael Burger:Two.Michael Jamin:That's it really?Michael Burger:Yeah. Yeah. I would do the three and four day cruises down to Ensenada and back. And so I would do welcome aboard show, I would be the headliner. I'd come out and do my hour, and then they said, you can do anything you want on Sunday night. So I'd go in the back lounge and then just try stuff. And that's really where you kind of learned what's funny, what's not. So I got to do, my God, for anybody listening that remembers the Catskills in those old days where you just work well clubs today, you go out and work material, I could go in that back room and I would go on at midnight and the buffet would start at midnight. And my goal as a performer was if I could keep people from getting up and leaving my show to go eat again, then I realized I had some pretty good material. So I would do an hour and a half, two hours in the back room.Michael Jamin:ButMichael Burger:The moment that really, maybe this is where you're headed, that launched my career was in the middle of the cruise. They had a passenger talent show. And on one of these cruises, the cruise director came up to me and said, Hey, can you fill in and host the Passenger Talent Show? I have other things to do. And he meant that as a verb. I mean, this guy was, he was all over the ship just right,Michael Jamin:Yeah. GoingMichael Burger:After whatever moved, you know what I mean? And I said, well, what do I do? And he goes, well, these people sign up throughout the week and then we turn 'em loose at midnight and they do whatever they do. Think America's Got Talent. And I said, well, what would you like me? Wait, introduce 'em, put a little show together, go at 11 o'clock at night, get with the piano player and you figure out maybe an order. I said, well, okay. It sounds like fun. So I did that. And I'm telling you, Michael, I had more fun doing that than any standup really. I had a chance to talk to somebody, where are you from? What do you do? And then you turn 'em loose. But because, and it's not unlike warmup where someone else is the star where someone else has the focus. You just set 'em up and turn 'em loose. Yeah. I had an 85 year old woman, get up and tap dance to the Lord's Prayer. You don't need to top that.Michael Jamin:Yeah. How do you, right.Michael Burger:I mean, I had everything. Right. So I started doing this and about at the same time, I was doing warmup for a game show. We're going to go way back now, a dance show called Dance Fever.Michael Jamin:Yes. WhichMichael Burger:Is again, these dancing shows, but way back, right.Michael Jamin:It was solid Gold and Dance Fever, those two shows. That'sMichael Burger:It. And they had three celebrity judges and they would judge the dancers. And the Cue card woman comes up to me on a commercial break and she goes, N B C is going to do a morning game show. And they want somebody new, somebody unknown, someone that no one's heard of. I said, that's me. I, I'm in the middle of the ocean. No one knows me. She goes, do you have a tape? I said, nah, I got a tape. Sure. I got a tape, I got no tape. So the very next cruise I go back on, I put 2,500 bucks on my credit card and I go buy that two piece video system where you had to buy the base unit, the head unit. And I brought that on the ship. I put it on a tripod, I put it back by the soundboard, and I pushed record and I videotaped every one of these passenger talent shows that I hosted and then cut everybody out.And it just kept my moment. My first demo tape was six minutes of me doing that. Right. So this woman at Dance Fever says, get me that tape. I'll get it to N B C. The two people in charge were Jake Talbert and Brian Franz. They were the presidents of daytime television, N B C. So she sends in the tape and I get a call, my agent and I come in, I have an agent at this point, and they go, do you know why you're here? And I said, yeah, Mary Steck was nice enough. I said, no, it's the guy at the end. I said, what do you mean the old guy? Yeah. What about him? Well, there's this charming old man that I'm introducing and playing with, and he grabs the mic out of my hand and goes, you must be saying something very funny, but I don't get it. Well, it's a huge laugh. And the N B C exec said the fact that that guy got the laugh and you let him have his moment and you didn't come back over with one more ad lib of your own tells me you got a sense of how to host. It's about making someone else shine. He said, we can teach you how to host a game show, but we can't teach you as the instinct to make someone else look better. Were youMichael Jamin:Aware of that though? I mean, we,Michael Burger:Not really. Yeah. I mean, I got better at it and I realized the sneaky joy of this is that if you get a laugh and get out of the way, put the onus back on them when you do a talk show. But when theyMichael Jamin:Said this to you, you're like, oh my God, I, I've been doing this all along and I didn't realize this. Or were you consciously doing that?Michael Burger:I think there was sort of a Midwest polite mentality, kind of how I was raised, don't interrupt, all that kind of stuff. It kind of goes part and parcel just being, I don't know, polite iss the perfect word. My dad was from Missouri, my mom was from Minnesota. We kind of raised in a polite family. I just thought that was the right thing. But I also realized that boy, you could use this to your advantage, 'em shine. And that I work at it to this day trying to be a better listener and try to be better at picking my moments. That's how it started. That's literally how my career started out at sea. AndMichael Jamin:Then so then what happened with that audition then?Michael Burger:So I got the pilot. I got the pilot for N B C Morning Talk show. My very first time on a lot is at N B C. And I'm parked six spots down from Johnny Carson. It's got a white Corvette. His license plate said 360 Guy thought that was a clever license plate all around Guy. Yeah. I'm six spots down from Carson. I just got off the boat. I am so far from showbiz. I'm walking on the set. We shoot the pilot at the same time. They're just about finished with a Tonight Show. We shot across the hall, very little security back in the eighties. I open the door and I walk in and I sit next to Gregory Peck. Colonel Michael going shelf is so easy. Yeah. He goes on, he comes out, I say, hi, Carson walks by, gives me one of these. Everybody walks out and we all go home. Kicker. The story is Pilot did not get picked up, but the production company, reg Grundy, who did all of those shows back in the day, sail of the Century and Scrabble, liked what I did and put me on retainer for a year to develop something else.Michael Jamin:But did they, and I never even asked you about Mike and Maddie did like Yeah. Did they coach you at all before you start doing this? Did they rehearse you or is it like, well, this is who we hired, let him do his thing?Michael Burger:It's a good question. In the game show world, when we were getting ready to do a game show, they would remind me that the first half of the game is fun and q and a and get some joy out of these contestants and root for 'em. And then when it shifts to the bonus round, there really needs to be a shift in tone. This money is serious money and this can change someone's life and this is not the place to go for a joke. Let's kind of shift the focus and really be there for 'em and root for 'em and console them if they lose and be happy for 'em when they win. So there was a little bit of that. Some of it, it's, most of it's just learning where your beats are, getting in and getting out.Michael Jamin:What about Mike in the game show world or home family, same kind of thing?Michael Burger:Well, Mike and Maddie was a whole nother league that was morning network everywhere in the country. And I was working with someone, which I had never done. So I came in for the audition and did well. And the woman I had auditioned with, they had a deal to put in place to put her on the air. And as I was driving home, my agent called and said, I don't know what happened in there, but they now want to do the show with you. And they're letting her go. Said, oh, well don't give her my address.Michael Jamin:AndMichael Burger:He said, we now have to find a woman to pair up with you for this morning talk show. And I thought, well, how do we do that? I said, well, Disney will set it all up. This is a dizzy production. And I auditioned and I audition's not even the right word. I sat down with 85 women and just said, how you doing? How you doing? And we just tried to see if there was any chemistry. It's like dating somebody. Is there there a connection? Maddie?Michael Jamin:This I had? No, I, I'm sorry, I have to interrupt. But this I had no idea about becauseMichael Burger:Yeah,Michael Jamin:It seems like they sell a show to A, B, C, they go, it's going to beMichael Burger:Morning show. We know, actually, let me back up. This show is going to be in syndication for Disney, which they could syndicate across the country and do anything. ABC's not involved at thisMichael Jamin:Moment.Michael Burger:So they had a development deal with this woman. They passed on, they put me in the spot. Now they got to pair me up. They pair me up, Maddie and I had instant chemistry. And about an hour after her audition, they say, we love you both. Let's do it. So we shot a pilot right at K H J on Melrose, a $40,000 pilot, right? I mean, that's about as cheap as you can get. And they took that pilot out and tested it and it tested as high as Oprah tested back in the day, right? A, B, C got wind of this and said, forget syndication, we'll put you on the air now. And three months later, Maddy and I hit the ground running, not knowing each other really. And what began a two year, 535 episode run with someone I got to know every day. We shot literally every, well, five days a week, Monday through Friday.Michael Jamin:So that's interesting.Michael Burger:We got to know each other. Got to learn the whole thing.Michael Jamin:I didn't know that was the origin of, because they're basically saying, okay, we're selling a morning TV show. We don't know who's in it yet, but if you like the idea of a morning TV show, we're going to audition this.Michael Burger:Back in the day, they were handing out these, they were handing these talk shows out pretty regularly. It was kind of the thing fairly inexpensive to produce, I guess. Although we had quite a budget. This was Morning Network. This was a big official show that we traveled and there was a nice budget for a big beautiful set. And everybody got what they needed to pull this off. And then celebrities would catch on and come on. And we had our favorites. And you got to sit down there with your idols. And yeah, there was a little pushback. The fact, I want to talk to you about this, because A, B, C was adamant that this show was not a comedy show in the morning. That you're taking people's time away from them and you got to give them something. They got to feel they haven't wasted their morning. So there's always a recipe, there's always something to learn from. And I came in kind of hot with this idea of comedy and they're going, no, people don't want to laugh in the morning. And I went, well, I got to disagree with you there, but Max Mutchnick and Max and who? Max and Dave, right?Michael Jamin:David Colleen, yeah.Michael Burger:Who created a little show calledMichael Jamin:Will and Grace.Michael Burger:So they were the first writers on Mike and Mad. And it was just overkill. We didn't need that much horsepower from them. They were so talented. They went on and did what they did. But I think because they brought me on, they certainly liked my sense of humor and thought this would be a nice way to wake up in the morning. So eventually they embraced the humor as long as he balanced it with information.Michael Jamin:And that show, it was Tamara Raw, Tamara, she was the producerMichael Burger:Started it.Michael Jamin:She started it. And I guess her vision was Letterman in the morning. But Letterman had a show in the morning. And so that's whereMichael Burger:You don't want to go down that path. And that kind of scared so, and part of this was wise that you, let's not waste people's time in the morning. Let's find that balance of being entertaining and give them a takeaway. And we realized that, I certainly found that balance. Maddie and I started to feel our own beats there on where we could jump in and we each got our own segments where we could shine. Yeah. Maddie was the greatest at locking in on a guest. And Carol Burnett came on and Maddie just started crying. That was, that's how she started the interview. It's because Maddie learned English having come from Cuba on one of the last Freedom Flights out. And now the show that she watched to learn English by the Carol Burnett Show. She's sitting there and she starts crying. Well, that's a great host showing her emotion, being interested. So yeah, I love working withMichael Jamin:Her. Yeah, she's delightful. Yeah, I remember, I remember taking, going to your dressing room with index cards versus jokes here, what about this?Michael Burger:And I wanted that so much to me that felt like Letterman and that felt like The Tonight Show. I was aching for that. I don't remember the conversation we had or what I fought for. I wanted Jonathan Winters on the show, and I had done warmup on his sitcom and they said, no, that's not our audience. And I went, what's not our audience? Funny. So I pushed, six months later, Jonathan came on and I got to sit with him and I got to do what Johnny Carson did with him, which was give him a hat and then do a character. And I thought, this is, I'm in heaven.Michael Jamin:ThisMichael Burger:Is as good as it gets. But it took some pushing because they thought, who wants Johnny in the morning? Yeah. So wait a minute.Michael Jamin:WhoMichael Burger:Doesn't want to laugh in the morningMichael Jamin:And be, but before that, you were still also doing warm before warm up. And then how did, so just so people know, so when you shoot a multi-camera sitcom, the audience, they bring in an audience and it could take, I dunno, it could easily take five hours to shoot a half hour of television.Michael Burger:22, 2 minutes, five and a half. Five hours to shoot 22.Michael Jamin:And so what's the audience doing while they're resetting the scenes or the actors are changing?Michael Burger:Well, I've got a lot of stories. Some had a guy die once. What? And I just thought he was taking a nap. Yeah. I kept looking up going, God, I, a comic wants everybodyMichael Jamin:Engaged.Michael Burger:And he's just, and at the end, he's not leaving every, the bus is gone and they car him out and he died on the way to the hospital. I guess they revived him, then he died. WhatMichael Jamin:Show was this?Michael Burger:Women in Prison?Michael Jamin:I don't remember. Don't remember. Women in Prison. Sure,Michael Burger:Sure you do. It was a sitcom with Wendy, Joe Sperber and Peggy Cass, an all star lineup. Blake Clark played the Warden and it was a sitcom about women in prison. I know. And I was the warmup. And then I did all of those types of sit. I mean, I did big ones, I did shows, you'd know. Yeah. Gosh, Mr. Belvedere is where I started.Michael Jamin:Remember one. AndMichael Burger:That's really where you learn, I don't know a comic that's got five hours, unless you're talking maybe Leno, but you know, do your act. But then you have to figure something else out. And that's where these hosting chops came in and yeah, you're like a surgeon on call. The moment the bell stops, then I start talking to the audience and then they're ready to go again. Could be right in the middle of a joke, you're telling, it doesn't matter, I'm here to serve. And they would do, again, for those uninitiated, maybe 15 scenes in a sitcom of 50 pages, 60 pages. They'll do each scene two or three or four times. The actors want another shot at the scene. Maybe they've got another joke laid in, or maybe they want another angle. And each time they do it, that audience has to be geared up, not only reminded, Hey, where were we? Right. And sometimes literally reminded because a lens went down and we have a 30 minute stop between scenes seven and eight. Yeah, that's happened. So you keep them entertained. And it's actually, I think that was the greatest training for me anyway.Michael Jamin:It must've actually a really important job because as a TV writer, we want the audience to have, they need the energy. They got to keep giving it to the audience. And it's the warmups job to keep them engaged and not wanting to leave and get bored and zoned out. Well, I'mMichael Burger:Glad you said that becauseMichael Jamin:Oh, very important.Michael Burger:The writers will come to me and say, how's the audience tonight? Or if the show's not going well, they'll going, Hey, can't you do anything your fault? I'll certainly try sometimes it just wasn't that funny. Or the reverse is true. Right. I have a Dick Van Dyke story that is painful. He did a sitcom with his son called Van Dyken Company. And Walter Barnett produced and they brought me in. I had a nice reputation of being the warmup guy. So I came in and did the pilot and it's like taking candy from baby, I'm killing. And Walter Barnett walks up to the rail about three feet up audience, and without stopping, he says, just pull it back a little bit and then keeps walking. And a couple scenes later, more laughs, he goes Less. Just less. Okay. Now we're like five seeds in. And he pulls me up and he goes, stop telling jokes.I'll tell you why. Later. I went, oh my God. So now I'm just talking to the audience and I happen to get one guy in the audience that was a mortician. I go, what do you do for a living? Mortician big laugh. He looks at me, what are you doing? People are dying to get in. I go, well, it's not, he's doing it. At the end of the show. He goes, I got to let you go. Dick is not happy. Dick, Dick van Dyke's not happy. Yeah. Yeah. Show's just not coming together. He had hoped, and there's a lot of laughter when we're not shooting, so I'll keep you posted. So the next week they bring somebody else in and it's awful. So they bring me back. But he said, okay, you can come back, but you can't do the puppet bit and you can't do these three jokes. I had some killer bits that I know I could rely on. So I finished the six episodes I did when I did five of them. ButMichael Jamin:It, it's, it's actually, warmup is a pretty high paying job. It's a pretty desirable job.Michael Burger:It was crazy. I'd never seen that kind of money for one night. I'm not doing the clubs. I'm not on tour, and I'm not only in town. I'm getting union money. So now I'm getting my sag guard and I, but that's a union job. Then they tried try to take it away from usMichael Jamin:That that's a union. That's a union chop. IMichael Burger:Didn't know that. It was after I fought for it, it was then a bunch of us got together and went to the union and said, Hey, we're a pretty important part of this production. They agreed, actors stood up for us and spoke on our behalf, and we wound up getting union money, which is how I got vested. But I mean, don't think I'm speaking out of school. Warmups could range. Back in the day was 800 for the night and five or 6,000 a night was not uncommon at the end. Yeah,Michael Jamin:I know that for sure. And then,Michael Burger:So you knock out a couple of those a week and all of a sudden you're going, IMichael Jamin:I'm rich ShowMichael Burger:Business. Well, show business is great, but you're also not on camera. And you're thinking, I remember having shows on the air and then going back and doing warmup and candidly thinking kind of a step back. And a producer said to me, I wouldn't look at it that way. He said, do you like doing it? And I said, I love doing it. He goes, you're good at it. I said, well, okay. And he said, that carries a lot of weight. If people are going to see you work 'em, see you doing what you do. Well. And I kind of reframed that and got back into the warmup and wound up doing a little show with people that you probably, or one actress that was probably everyone's favorite or has been. And that was Betty White. Yeah, sure. And I came back and did Hot in Cleveland and did 135 episodes. I spent 135 Friday nights with Betty White.Michael Jamin:Yeah, she's lovely. Yeah. I worked with her on an animated show. She couldn't be, she was so lovely.Michael Burger:Sweet. Right? Yeah. And gives you everything you'd hope.Michael Jamin:Oh, for such a pro. I remember I've told this story, I was doing an animated show. So I was directing her and she was, I don't know, maybe 15 feet in front of me. I'm at a table, I got my script. I'm giving her notes and she's delivering. She's great. But after a take, I'd give her a note, can you try like this? Like that? And she was very pleasant. But after a few sec or a minutes, she stops and she goes, I'm sorry, dear, but you're going to have to yell. My hearing isn't as good as it used to be. And I said, if you think I'm yelling at Betty White, you're out of your fucking mind. And she just lost it. She loved that. She was so far, I mean, she's like, she was so sweet whenMichael Burger:You would see her on the set, the room changed. Everybody was aware. It was like the Pope walked in and the little ad libs that she would throw off to the side, which having done 135 of 'em, I realized she had a lot to go to. But the first time I heard a couple of these, for instance, cameras rolling, awkward pause. Betty looks up and goes, if no one's saying anything, it's probably my turn. Yeah, that kills. Director goes, we have to go back. Betty goes, how far the pilot? So she got about 50 of these ready to go. And there was a scene where they, once a season, they would pair the girls up, Wendy Mallick, Jane leaves, Valerie Tonelli. They're all single as Betty was. So they would have a date show where all the women got paired up and the girls paired each other up with dates. So they picked Carl Reiner as Betty's love interest. And there's a scene where she and Carl KissAnd crowd goes Nuts. And then we stop. And Carl's 15 feet from me. And I had worked, interviewed Carl on Mike and Maddie. In fact, I, Carl, I let had him cut my tie, which is an old Johnny Carson thing I'll get back to in a minute. But I said, Hey Carl, you just kissed Betty. What was that like? And he goes, without missing a beat. Oh, it was unbelievable. She has her original teeth and all and her, she goes all of her own teeth and her original tongue recess. That right at 90 without missing a beat. And you saw these two connecting, right? As the old guards of the business,Michael Jamin:Some legends. But how did you get that first warmup job? I mean, walking into that is not, is hard.Michael Burger:It was. Or even gettingMichael Jamin:The opportunity to do it as hard.Michael Burger:Yeah, I go back to the cruise ship. I was doing warmup on the ship and a producer for Jeopardy was on who worked for Merck Griffin, and they were doing this dance show. And she goes, can you get me a tape? Then by that time I had, and so the very first warmup I did was Dance Fever. And one of the celebrity judges, it was Christopher Hewitt, who said to me on a break, oh dear Ladd, you should come do our show. And I did, did that show for seven years.Michael Jamin:Wow.Michael Burger:And then that kind of mushroomed into other warmupsMichael Jamin:Because you've had a really unconventional path into Hollywood, I would think.Michael Burger:Yeah, yeah. But my sights were set early on. I saw that Carson did a game show and then a talk show. And I went, well, that works for me. So lemme see if I can get a game show. Let's see if I can get a talk show. And I've accomplished those. IMichael Jamin:Certainly, but you were never a weatherman.Michael Burger:No, I never, I never, what happened? Do I look the part,Michael Jamin:Was that a slam? It's a quietMichael Burger:Slam.Michael Jamin:Letterman was a Well, weather. He was, yeah. I mean, seems like that's another, as long as you're in front of the camera, I'd think. Well,Michael Burger:In the LA market, you couldn't get past Fritz Coleman.Michael Jamin:Yeah,Michael Burger:Right. Did that for 40 years who also did standup. And I never wanted to do that. And the opportunity to act had come up a number of times. And with all humility, I just said, no, I don't think I would be good enough. I knew what I liked. I knew I liked talking to people, basically.Michael Jamin:But you've done some actingMichael Burger:And I figured I'd just stay in my lane.Michael Jamin:But you've done acting. I know you have, in an episode that I wrote, you're an episode, episode of Lowes and Clark.Michael Burger:Yeah. I don't, that's not on the resume. I just don't, those got handed to you because you were on the air doing something else. Right. I got to present at the Emmy's because we were on the air, and Maddy and I handed Oprah, her Emmy award, and we're going down the elevator with Oprah, and she's singing our theme song. And turns out she was a fan of the show, kind of, yeah. Was our godmother. Because when Mike and Maddie went across the country, we aired in Chicago after her. So she was on at nine, we were on at 10:00 AM and we were an instant hit because we followed Oprah. And so much so that Oprah became a fan of the show and invited us to everything. I went to the Oscars with Oprah. I sat at dinner at Spago with Oprah. I mean, she, now, were there any call guests? No, she does not call now.Michael Jamin:Were there any, because you had a lot of great guests on Mike and Matt there. Anything that you in touch with that you kind of became friends with?Michael Burger:Yeah, George Hamilton, Robert Wagner. Robert Wagner is about as cool as anybody gets. Yeah. And he asked me to mc the charity event that he was doing. It was a Jimmy Stewart Relay race. It was a celebrity race in Griffith Park. I said, I'd be happy to. And he goes, do you want to play golf? And I went, well, I don't. I can play hack around, but he's like a member at Bel Air. And I said, well, yeah, maybe that would be nice. And I'm just pushing him off. I didn't want to embarrass myself. So the next year I do the event again. And he goes, are you still playing golf? And I went, yeah. And he goes, are we going to play? And I went, he goes, do I have to send a car for you? And I went, no. RJ is what he wanted to be called. I said, I just didn't feel like I could play right when I first met him, this is So Robert Wagner, I, I'm standing there with a buddy of mine and I see him coming, and we have to go to the stage and he comes up and he takes his arm and he puts it through mine and goes, Michael, walk with me. I mean, so old school, right, Michael?Michael Jamin:Right,Michael Burger:Gloria, my friend. I'm good. Thank you. Rj. Yeah. They were idols. I got a chance to meet. God, I met President Carter, had retired, but I got to do Habitat humanity with him and sit down and build a house and talk to him about life. And every musician you ever heard of. How about the artist? Jewel made her first appearance on Mike and Mad. We put her on there. I did notMichael Jamin:Know that. I remember James Brown. I remember walking past James Brown.Michael Burger:James the Sure. Leanne Rime made her first appearance with us.Michael Jamin:Really? Well, I mean, I wasn't there for that, or I don't know. Yeah. That's so funny. Wow. So that's amazing.Michael Burger:Yeah. James Brown do. So you were there for James?Michael Jamin:Yeah. Yeah.Michael Burger:And he sat down and he said something, and that wound up on entertainment tonight. That night he said, the music is funded by drug money.Michael Jamin:EverybodyMichael Burger:Went, did he just say that? And all of a sudden, now we're hard news reporters. We felt like, I don't know. I don't Charlie Rose or something. We got a scoop.Michael Jamin:I don't remember that. WeMichael Burger:Just stumbledMichael Jamin:Into it. And then what was it like? Just rolling? I mean, I know you had must have talking points on when you're interviewing guests, butMichael Burger:Oh boy, you, you're so right. A celebrity gets interviewed the night before, and then they have bullet points. And the next day you kind of spit out those questions so they could comment on what they were pre-interviewed about. But in conversation, sometimes things go another way. But as you know, the producer's job is to keep you the host on track. And we had God bless her, Kathy Paulino, Kathy, I think her name was.Michael Jamin:Yes. Yes. Is that her name?Michael Burger:IMichael Jamin:Don't remember. I Kathy interview. Yeah.Michael Burger:She, I interviewed Robert Gole the night before, and she had this list of questions, and she's just behind camera with this, and she's doing this, and I see her, and I'm ignoring her because something better is happening. And we get to the, and she goes, Michael, you did not ask any of those questions. What happened? What's wrong? And I said, did you hear what Robert Gullet was saying? She goes, no. Well, I said, the interview took a path down a different road. He had mentioned his father, and I noticed he'd paused almost if he was going to tear up. And I thought, there's something more to explore there. And I said, what about your dad? And he said, on his deathbed, his dad said, Robert, come here. And Robert comes in, and he goes, son, you're meant to sing. Go do that. Well, I mean, I got chill.I got tills hearing that. Now, that was not on the cards. It was following the arc of a conversation. And sometimes these producers feel, maybe they're not doing their job. We didn't ask those questions, but interviewing people is really about a conversation. So we had those moments where we went off the card and I think made some friends there, had some great, some great interviews. I'm very proud of. Patty LaBelle sat down with us and admitted that her three sisters had all died of cancer. And she wasn't sure she was going to see 50. And she starts to tear up and we're going, she goes, I must like you guys, we're six minutes in. Yeah. Talk shows. You get six minutes, seven minutes, maybe two segments, maybe 15 minutes. And I think we did some nice work and met some people in a very finite amount of time.Michael Jamin:Hey, it's Michael Jamin. If you like my videos and you want me to email them to you for free, join my watch list. Every Friday I send out my top three videos. These are for writers, actors, creative types. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. I'm not going to spam you, and it's absolutely free. Just go to michaeljammin.com/watchlist.I remember those morning meetings. We talk about the show, and I remember sitting in the back, because I'm young, it's my first real writing job, and they call me a producer because that way they wouldn't have to pay me writer's skill. So they said, you're a producer. But I'm like, I'm not a producer. I can write stuff. But I remember thinking, how does everyone here know what to do? I really had no idea was I was in awe of the whole thing. How does everyone here know what to do?Michael Burger:But as the more you hung around, it kind of demystifies itself after a while, right?Michael Jamin:Yeah. But there was also, and to some degree, yes, but it was also like you only get one shot. It wasn't like you get to rehearse. It was like, you better get this right. We're on live tv. We're not live, but we're on TV and live detect. Yeah. We're not doing again. We're not doing it again. SoMichael Burger:Yeah, that was, if you concentrated on that, it would paralyze you. What I found starting to do this was that how in the world can we talk to somebody for six minutes and get anything out of it that seems too short? Yes. And you learn to ask. There's a great quote by Blaze Pascal, he's a French philosopher, and the quote is, if I had more time, I would've written a shorter letter.Michael Jamin:Right?Michael Burger:And it talks about the science of the art of being brief. Then you learn that in the talk show world where you need to be concise and you take away all the stuff in the same way. Jerry Seinfeld would take out a word that doesn't work in a joke. A good interview is become very, there's no Sophie's choice there. You know, start cutting things away, not going to make it. And you stick with what works at that moment. So you be, become careful, you be good editors of yourself as you interview. But I found how it was so, it was so phe and so I compared it to cotton candy. You would do it, and it was gone. And then the next day we had to do it all over again. Yes.Michael Jamin:Right, right. Yeah.Michael Burger:The sheer volume Yes. Of cranking out an hour a day for two years was mind boggling to me. But yeah, I didn't have to do it myself. I had help.Michael Jamin:Yeah. And IMichael Burger:Had to show up refreshed,Michael Jamin:The minute recorded. I remember thinking all the producers, well, you're screwed. You got to do this. You're done. All that work you did is over now, and you have to do more. I mean, yeah, it doesn't end.Michael Burger:And we went live to tape. We wouldn't stop unless there was something drastic happening. And once in a while, we would tape two shows on a Thursday so we could travel on a Friday to go to another town and maybe do something live there. Unlike the show I did with Christina Ferrari, which was two hour, two hours live a day there. There's no stopping. I mean, what goes wrong? You see? Which was a whole nother level of fun because,Michael Jamin:But there's aMichael Burger:Too late,Michael Jamin:There's an art though, to getting people to be vulnerable. Like you're saying on television right now, you have six minutes, and then sometimes you'll see it where an interviewer, just like they're reading the questions, they're just waiting to get the next question. They're not really in it.Michael Burger:True. Were you there for Charlie Shaneen?Michael Jamin:I probably would'veMichael Burger:Remembered. Charlie comes on and he's nervous, and he's sitting there and he's looking around. I go, what's wrong, Charlie? Because I don't know, no one's given me anything to say. So what do you need? A cup of coffee would be nice. So I went over, we had a big set. We had a working kitchen. So I got him a cup of coffee, and we sat down and go, anything else? He goes, well, cream would be nice. I went back and got him.Michael Jamin:Great.Michael Burger:That was such a fun interview because he really was authentic and he really was nervous. And we just played it where you had some other guests that were, shall we say, just a little more controlled and didn't want to open up. And they were there to promote something. That's what a talk show does, is we promote you doing whatever you're doing.Michael Jamin:And what were you thinking when you're like, oh, I'm just tanking here. This isMichael Burger:Going with No, the opposite. Oh no, I'm thinking, let's do more of this now. I felt, oh, now we're doing Letterman. Now we're doing a talk show where things are off the rails and there's nothing, and the big camera has to whip out of the way. No one had planned that. I lived those moments where something went wrong, butMichael Jamin:When someone wasn't comfortable on care. What about that? Well, whereMichael Burger:It wasn't scripted, heavily scripted, where you would get something that wasn't planned. No, that'sMichael Jamin:Fine. I mean, when a guest is clearly not engaging, they're just, they're struggling.Michael Burger:Well, you'd see the producer going, let's jump ahead. JumpMichael Jamin:Ahead to, what do IMichael Burger:Jump to? Well, we could tighten it up and then the next guest can go longer. We had a little bit of an accordion, you know, find a way a to get in there somehow, some way. But they're not all, some are better talk show guests than others.Michael Jamin:AndMichael Burger:Some come in, we had, comedians had Richard Jenny on who I went to his dressing room and I go, what do you need? And he gave me five setups, hotdog, car, couch, whatever it was. So he knew all the jokes he'd go to when you just laid 'em in there.Michael Jamin:Would you write those down or on a card, or you just No,Michael Burger:That kind of stuff was just, yeah, they certainly had 'em on a card. But when we got a comic on, I really felt, oh my God, I got to kick up my game here because this is really what I want to be. I mean, this is, I idolize you, you men and women that had come on.Michael Jamin:There really is. SoMichael Burger:Carl Reiner comes on, and there's a very famous episode of The Tonight Show where Carl Reiner comes on and says to Johnny, I never make the best of the Tonight Show. I never make it. And he goes, I, I'd like to be part of those eclipse at the end of the year. And cars going like, okay. And he goes, you're a great dresser. Johnny goes, oh, thank you. And he goes, stand up if you don't mind. And he goes, okay. So Carson's standing up and he's looking at his tie, and he goes, the tie's not right, however, and he pulls out a pair of scissors and he cuts off Johnny's tie. Right. Johnny didn't know it. Fred Decoda had said to Johnny, Hey, just don't wear your best clothes tonight. That's all I'm missing. SayMichael Jamin:God.Michael Burger:So he cuts the tie rightAt the end of our interview with Carl, I said, Hey, there's a moment you had with Carson and I would just be thrilled if we could recreate this. And he doesn't know where I'm, he doesn't know where I'm going with this. I said, there was a moment where you cut Johnny's tie. And he goes, yes, I remember that. And I said, can I? And he goes, oh, no, no, no. My wife gave me. And I went, no, no, I don't want to cut your tie. Right. Would you cut my, he goes, I'd love to cut your tie. And he stands up and makes a production and cuts my tie. Right. And I have that tie cut with an autograph framed in my office. Wow. Wow. It was my moment of, I mean, those are the big moments, right. Meeting your idols. Yeah. Like Jonathan Winters, I assume people listening know Johnny. Remember Johnny the greatest improv artist ever? And Robin Williams was a fan of his. Yep. So I get to do warmup on a sitcom called Davis Rules. Remember that? With Bonnie Hunt? No. Yeah. How do he won an Emmy for that? Okay. Jonathan Winters did. So Jonathan Winters, Bonnie Hunt, the kid Giovanni.Michael Jamin:Yep. Wow.Michael Burger:So they would have a script, John enters kitchen.dot pop on couch because he, yeah. Whatcha going to do with this maniac? So he would start, he'd go off roars of laughter, but he, Jonathan loved audience. So he comes up to me, maybe we're a half hour in, I'd never met Jonathan Winters. And he walks by the rail and without stopping, says to me, Bing, how's your golf swing? And he keeps going. And as he's about eight feet away, I go, Bing, how's your golf swing? And he goes, whoa, whoa, whoa. And he does Bing Crosby. Well, at the end of the show, I go up and say, Hey, I can't believe you're even here, and I can't believe I got to meet you. And he goes, Hey. He goes, that was fun. He goes, I love doing that kind of stuff. He goes, anytime you want to throw me something, let's do it.So this is taking a pitch from Kershaw. This is the best of the best, the best. So the next week it's a sitcom, the format, it's going to be a four hour night, it's going to be stops and starts. And Jonathan is just sitting there like a little kid waiting to play. He does it, the acting he can do in his sleep, but it's the improv that he loves. So I'd catch his eye and go, excuse me. Yeah. Did you not invent lettuce? Is that you? Yes. I invented lettuce. God, for 10 minutes. That happened for a year and a half. So I got to play with him for, I don't know what it was, 52 episodes.Michael Jamin:Wow.Michael Burger:That's meeting your idols and being even more impressed than you could possibly imagine.Michael Jamin:Yeah. But how gracious of him, I mean, that's veryMichael Burger:Much fun. But that's him, him, he loved the audience. And Bonnie Hunt was so great at navigating him back to the script without even seeing it. But the show was funniest when it was off the rails because Jonathan Giovanni eei, the actor would look at him and he had a line, and then there'd be this pause and they'd going, Giovanni, that's your line. He goes, where? What's my line? Because it's so far past what was written in the script. What'sMichael Jamin:My line?Michael Burger:Yeah. Because Johnny had taken it out to the parking lot and then made a left down Ventura. Yeah.Michael Jamin:That's so funny. SoMichael Burger:Those warmup days I loved. And when I got out of it and then got a chance to come back into it, my ego aside that I'm not on the camera, I'm behind it. Well,Michael Jamin:Let's talk. I end up working that though. I mean about that must have been difficult for you, but I don't know. You did it anyway.Michael Burger:Well, it, yeah, it took about 10 minutes to get over myself, and then I'm standing in front of an audience, getting a laugh, and I went, wow, this is pretty cool. Right.Michael Jamin:But did it, I mean, that'sMichael Burger:Felt right back in the mix. That'sMichael Jamin:The Hollywood rollercoaster. I mean, you're up, you're down. You're up and down. I mean,Michael Burger:Yeah, I naively thought one pilot, I'm on my way. I've got a TV show. That very first thing I did for N B C didn't get picked up. And I went, oh, that, that's show bz. Yeah. I, that's the up and low. That's you thought. Right. So you learn to discipline yourself and be grateful for what comes your way, which I think I've done. And I also wound up with some side hustles along the way, flipping homes. And I got my real estate license and did that stuff on the side. Right. Not thinking I'd ever want to, boy, here's something revealing.Michael Jamin:Yeah,Michael Burger:It's probably five years ago, Catholic church. Sunday morning, I'm sitting there and there's a woman in front of me with her husband. The husband looked like he had been beaten down. What's the old joke? Where they've taken the spine out? He's just been beaten so many years by being to this woman. She's eight o'clock black dress Pearls, Mrs. Kravitz from Bewi. Does that help you? This is who I'm dealing with and looking around. And she owns the room and it's church. So the priest says, halfway through, turn to the person next to you or behind you and say, peace be with you. So I'm right behind her. So she turns and goes, what happened to you? And turns around, excuse me, what happened to you? Yeah. You used to be on tv, turn around. This is mess. Listen to Padre there. She couldn't fathom the fact that I wasn't on the air and wanted to know how my life not seeing me on Mike and Maddie anymore. And I said, no, I, I'm, I'm fine. Okay. Things are good. Just turn around. But she needed, I didn't have the time to deep dive into the complexities and the ups and downs of this business inMichael Jamin:Church. But did it hurt though when she said that?Michael Burger:No, I actually thought it was wildly funny because I've told this story now for 20 years or five years. Yeah. But yeah, no, I loved being on the air and certainly miss it. The skillset set is still there. I think it's gotten better. You learn, hosting is cumulative. Everything you do adds one more layer. But I've certainly made peace with it and understand the business that, I mean, I've got a wonderful life because of all the ups and downs. Right?Michael Jamin:Yeah. One of the things that people say to me, because I post a lot on social media, and they go, well, you seem so humble. I'm like, because I've been in the business for 25 years. That's why, I mean, do you not, you're every step of the way you're getting humbled. IMichael Burger:Mean, how about, is there any bitterness in your journey?Michael Jamin:Not really, because I never really thought I was going to get this far.Michael Burger:Oh, that's interesting.Michael Jamin:I thought it was never my goal to my, it never my goal to have my own show and my own Norman Lee Empire. I just wanted to be as aMichael Burger:Writer, showrunner producer, you mean?Michael Jamin:Yeah. No, I just wanted to write on TV show. I wanted to write on cheers, to be honest. AndMichael Burger:OhMichael Jamin:Wow. But when I broke into the business, cheers. It was already well done. But I wound up writing with many writers from who wrote on Cheers. And I wound up shooting a show that was shot on the cheer sound stage. And so in my mind, I made it like it. But certainly,Michael Burger:Well, what demons do you have as a writer? Or what holds you back as a writer, whether you're working or not, and is it amplified when you're not working?Michael Jamin:It's easy to look at other people. Here's what it is. I had a friend I was writing on King of the Hill and one of the other writers signed a big deal or something, and I was very jealous. And my brother friend, he was older on King of the Hill, and he said, he gave me a great piece of advice. He said, there will always be someone younger than you, less talented than you, making more money than you. Oh. I go, well, there it is. That, there it is. And that really, I hung onto that for a long time. I feel like. Okay, so it's easy to compare your career to somebody else, but to honest. I'm so far, I'm so lucky that I have what I have. So I'm not bitter at, because youMichael Burger:Got this far, but I don't want to put words in your mouth. But it hasn't taken away the desire to do this again and work more, or be where someone else is at this moment?Michael Jamin:No, I'm happy. As long as I get to keep working, I'm happy. I really am. Yeah, and it's really, it's funny when you're talking about doing warmup for these multi-camera shows, there are no multi-camera shows anymore. It's true. If you wanted that job today, good luck getting it. There are no shows. So how do you get that?Michael Burger:Good luck in a couple of ways. I have a friend of mine, you probably know Ron Pearson.Michael Jamin:Yeah, Ron, what about him? Ron'sMichael Burger:One of the best out there, hands down, a great comic and a great warmup. But he said the stuff he was doing 3, 4, 5 years ago in front of an audience, he couldn't do nowMichael Jamin:ReallyMichael Burger:The sensitivities of what you can and cannot say. BecauseMichael Jamin:He was prettyMichael Burger:In front of a crowd.Michael Jamin:He was pretty wholesome. I remember I worked with him.Michael Burger:Very wholesome. It's just some things you can't say. I got another buddy of mine, Ross Schaeffer, who was a corporate keynote speaker who says, even in the corporate world, there's some things you can't say. There was some reference to women speak more than men on a daily basis. They, there's more of verbose. Right. Because I was told by the person hiring me, well, I wouldn't say that he was using it as a way women really control the marketplace. A woman will decide what you're ultimately going to buy that flat screen TV you got in your house. Yeah. You got that because your wife said it's okay. Right. But that's actually sensitive to say now.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Michael Burger:Well, didn't even occur to me.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Michael Burger:Here's what some show is up for me. And this happened here in Long Beach, a great little restaurant in Belmont Shore on Thursday nights. They had a jazz piano player. It's this little French cafe and then go in for a bite to eat, and this guy's playing in the corner and there's maybe in a restaurant that seats 80, there's probably seven. And he would play and it'd be nothing. So I'd give him a little something, something, right. We're all performers and you're feeling for this guy, and I know when a song ends. So I gave him a little more and he takes this break and he comes over and sits next to me and he goes, Hey, thanks for trying to make that happen. I said, of course. He said, buy you a drink. Sure. And we get to talk and he goes, lemme tell you my favorite story about supporting another actor or performer. He goes, I'm working a club down in LA and it's the same thing. Nobody's there. It's quiet. And I finish, I don't know, I'm 30, 40 minutes in and I finish a song and I hear, and he looks up to finally thank this one person that's acknowledging his talent. And it was a woman taking a cigarette out of a pack.Michael Jamin:Oh my God. Oh myMichael Burger:God. Try to get the the tobacco into the filter. Yeah. He goes, boy, that if that isn't showbiz rightMichael Jamin:There. Yeah. That is Show biz, just what youMichael Burger:Think. You made it at any level, you're going to get humbled one moreMichael Jamin:Time. Time you're going to get humbled. Right.Michael Burger:Yeah. Yeah. I think it's a humility is a great trait anyway, I think. Yeah.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Michael Burger:As an interviewer, as a host, as anything, anybody in the business, gratitude and humility will serve you a long way, I think. Yeah,Michael Jamin:Right. Yeah. You got to enjoy the ride. And I was told that over and over, enjoy the ride. I didn't really quite what it meant. Yeah. But then whenMichael Burger:We did Match game, match game 98, and we shot at CCB ss, we shot on the same set that they do. The price is right. They just turned it around for us. And I would go in early and I'd leave late and I'd drive in and I'd see that c b s sign lit up and I said, I don't want to leave, and I know this is going to be over. I know it's over because we're airing against Oprah at 3:00 PM on C B Ss. That's why I know it's over. And we did our 135 and it went away. But I never for a moment, took that for granted. I loved every second of that knowing, Hey, you know what? You could worry about it being over, but ultimately, hey, like you said, just enjoy this ride. I had my best friend did the warmup on it. It was the announcer in the warmup, and we laughed ourselves silly, and we shot seven a day. Game shows you shoot a bunch. So we would shoot four, take a lunch break and do three, did 135 episodes.Michael Jamin:Have you seen that movie Babylon yet with Brad Pitt?Michael Burger:I couldn't get through it.Michael Jamin:Oh really? OhMichael Burger:Yeah, about 20 minutes down. I went, yeah, no.Michael Jamin:Oh, you might want to revisit it. I love it. Oh yeah, it was about that. It was about knowing when your time is over and it was so, it was so crushing. I thought it was beautiful. But yeah, I could see, yeah, you need to stick with it a little bit, but I love that.Michael Burger:Where do you think you are in the arc of your career?Michael Jamin:I think, well, I mean, think all of us. I think you hit a certain age in Hollywood, and if I haven't already approached it, I'm getting very close.Michael Burger:It's funny, when you leave your demo, you have a birthday and you leave your demo.Michael Jamin:There was an article, this is a couple, this is many years ago, probably 10 or 15 years ago, and I was my partner and we were taking over for a show. We're running a show. It was Michael Eisner's show, and there's an article in the trades and in a variety, whatever, and it said veteran TV writers, Michael Jamon, Steve Clare, and it was an article about us. And then I go, wow, I become a veteran. And then, oh wow. One of the writers sitting next to me, he goes, that's not a good sign. It means your career's coming toMichael Burger:An edge. Yeah. Veteran was not a compliment. He'sMichael Jamin:Not a compliment.Michael Burger:I remember sitting, I had just turned 40 and I was sitting in an office with an executive at Tele Pictures, I believe it was, and I was sitting there with my agent, Richard Lawrence, who has since retired. I've outlasted my agent. That's not good. And this woman who's in charge of production says, look, Michael, I know who you are and we're fans, but here's the thing. Oh boy. She goes, we're going to hire the person that looks like the person we want watching us. Yeah. I went, well, okay, that can be a lot of things, but I can't be an 18 year old woman. Right. Yeah. Whatever the demo was, they were searching. So that stuck with me that there are things, there are times things you just can't change. I fit a certain demo and a seasoned host would be the category. And if that comes back then great. There's a show coming up this fall where they're bringing back the Bachelor, but it's called the Golden Bachelor. Have you heard about this? No. So it's the Bachelor produced by the same people, but it's for 60 and up. So the contestants will be 60 and up,Michael Jamin:Right.Michael Burger:Called the Golden Bachelor. Right Now the thought is, well, maybe people will value a more seasoned looking picture there, and maybe the host will come along with that. I don't know.Michael Jamin:So what do you know? Probably not. It's going to be hosted by a 20 year old.Michael Burger:It's going to, no, it's going to be hosted by the same guy that's doing the younger version. So I think they're getting it both ways. Right. They're going to get a younger host and an older demo. That's fine. You know, Saja stepping down with Wheel of Fortune that there's a lot of talk about who might slip in there. And that ranges from his daughter. Pat Sajak has a daughter that could certainly do it. Vanna could do it. Ryan Seacrest is, there's talk. Yeah, Whoopi said she wants it. Oh wow. Tom Bergson's name has been tossed around. Right. Mine's been tossed around, but it's tossing it. I'm tossing the name around.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Right. Hey, what about this guy?Michael Burger:I did Wheel of Fortune in Vegas. Harry Friedman, who produced it, right, came up with a live version of Wheel of Fortune. So back in 2000, we went to the M G M, they took over the lounge, which used to be Catch a Rising Star renamed at the Wheel of Fortune lounge, and you got a chance to come in. Oh wow. And play Wheel of Fortune and win prizes. Catch and prizes. So it was just like the TV show, but it was not airing, but it was live. Right. What made the show so fun is that unlike the TV show where you're screened for intelligence and the ability to play the game, this is a bingo ball that's pulled, and now you're on stage. So we have three contestants that could be, well, you name it. In this case, it was a woman who'd had a little bit, a guy who didn't speak the language, and it was as wild and as funny as you'd hoped it would be, because they didn't understand the concept and the letters, and some did didn't. We had this poor gal had the puzzle almost revealed, and the answer was cassette deck. And every letter was turned. Everything was revealed except the C. And she's staring at it and she goes a set deck. And the woman next to her goes cassette deck, you idiot turned her.Which you'd never see on tv, right?Michael Jamin:No.Michael Burger:Oh my God. Gosh, that was fun. We did a half a year of that right now. We did three shows a day for six months.Michael Jamin:And so it's the, it's interesting. Yeah. So it's about, I don't know. Ye
Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas hit the high spot Spago in Beverly Hills where Grace reviews the 60-page wine list to find the hidden gems, value bottles and celebration wines. Whether you lean towards a delightful white Burgundy, Italian or Spanish reds, or are a firm believer in chardonnay all day, every day, Grace finds the wine that will delight and deliver on expectations. Wines reviewed include: 2002 Krug Reims, Champagne, France 2006 Franz Kunstler, Rheingau, Germany 2015 Gangolff Condrieu, France For more information on today's episode, and the wines you love to love, visit www.corkrules.com.
Wolfgang Puck transformed the way Americans thought about cuisine and is the O.G. celebrity chef. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson asked Puck about his journey to become a entrepreneurial cuisine legend, the 25th anniversary of Wolfgang Puck Catering and what he believes his legacy will be. Along the way, the Austrian-born chef dishes out stories about some of the entertainment industry celebrities that frequented his legendary Spago restaurant, how he emerged from the back of the kitchen to become an F&B icon, and the continuing evolution of high-profile events catering.
At age 14, a country boy left an abusive home to take a job peeling potatoes in a nearby restaurant. Two decades later he was a legendary chef, restaurateur, and caterer to the stars in Hollywood.Wolfgang Puck shares his extraordinary journey on Rodeo Drive: The Podcast, Season Four, in a conversation with Lyn Winter.Born in a rural village in Austria, Puck set off on his own after middle school and worked his way to the top of fine dining in Provence, Paris and Monte Carlo before arriving in Los Angeles, where he transformed Ma Maison and then launched the game-changing Spago in West Hollywood and then Beverly Hills, followed by Chinois On Main, and now CUT by Wolfgang Puck Restaurant and Lounge at the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel.Along the way, he invented the open kitchen, introduced Asian fusion, elevated farm-to-table produce and became the caterer for the Oscars. Now his empire spans more than 27 restaurants around the globe, cookware, wine and coffee lines, best selling cookbooks and a documentary film. He has a star on Hollywood Boulevard, a character based on him in an animated TV show, and is studying at Harvard.Puck talks about the twists and turns on his path to success, including the challenges of seating the stars in the most popular restaurant in town. He recalls feeding Lionel Ritchie and Jimmy Connors on the staircase, creating smoked salmon pizza for Joan Collins, and sealing the deal to cater the Academy Awards.“I said, ‘I don't tell you how to make the movie, you don't tell me what to cook,' and that was it. And they said, okay, and they were happy because they didn't have to choose. Before they used to get into fights; one wanted chicken, one wanted fish, one wanted steak, and so forth.”He recollects the violence in his life, first from a terrible stepfather and then in the kitchens of his early days. “It used to be totally, totally crazy in the kitchens, you know. And for what? … But normally, if they mess up something, I just show them how to do it the right way, right. It's easier than yelling at them.”And he expresses the joy of foraging for fresh vegetables, dating back to his childhood with his beloved mother, also a cook. “If you ask me, ‘what do you prefer, going shopping at Neiman Marcus or to the farmers market'? There is no doubt that we'll go to the farmers market. So for me, our cooking is all about the ingredients. If we get the best ingredients and then we don't mess them up we're going to have good food.”Finally, Puck talks about bringing in the next generation and his son Byron, even though he has no plans to stop working himself, “I get excited about everything…to me, continuing doing what you love to do and when you're passionate about it, that's what life is all about.”Season Four of Rodeo Drive – The Podcast is presented by the Rodeo Drive Committee with the support of The Hayman Family, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, and the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau.Season Four Credits:Executive Producer and Host: Lyn WinterOn behalf of the Rodeo Drive Committee: Kathy GohariScriptwriter and Editorial Advisor: Frances AndertonEditor: Hans FjellestadTheme music by Brian BanksProduction Assistant: Isabelle Alfonso.Listen, subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.Visit the website:https://www.rodeodrive-bh.com/podcast/Join us on Instagram:@rodeodrive #onlyonrodeodrive #rodeodrivethepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We have a two for one episode where I checked out the newest speakeasy on The Strip and review of a historic restaurant on Las Vegas Blvd, Spago. I'll dive into why Spago is not for everyone and why I had a rough experience there and then I'll walk you through how you can find Las Vegas' newest speakeasy at Caesars Palace. Instagram: conciergeconfidential_lv Youtube: Concierge Confidential Twitter: @KeystoVegas Tick Tok: KeystoVegas
Micah Wexler's journey from North Hollywood, to Miceli's, to Cornell University Hospitality Management School, 5 Star restaurants, Spago's... he tells the tale.
The Weekend Warrior Clinic is open with listener's calls. Doc welcomes Micah Wexler's journey from North Hollywood, to Miceli's, to Cornell University Hospitality Management School, 5 Star restaurants, Spago's. He tells the tale how Wexler's Deli became a reality.
"What we saw right away, and I would say that to anybody who engages in the fantasy of going into the restaurant business, in the end, it is not about the concept, it's about the people that work with you, work for you. Because if we didn't understand it was about the people, we would have died with one restaurant. I don't care how good your concept is." Rick Rosenfield Who doesn't like pizza? Whether a folded, oily, gooey slice consumed while standing at almost any pizza shop in New York City or at Mozza in LA where Nancy Silverton found a way to make pizza new again, this staple of the American diet is not showing any sign of slowing. My guest, Rick Rosenfield, certainly knows his way around a conversation about pizza. In 1985, this southside Chicago native and former federal prosecutor and defense attorney, teamed up with friend, Larry Flax, left their law practice in Los Angeles, and launched California Pizza Kitchen as an affordable, upscale pizza concept. Their first location on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, put the West Coast in the national pizza conversation and through their own ROCK hospitality culture - respect, opportunity, communication, kindness - they quickly grew to 250 locations in the US and abroad. Stepping down in 2011 from leadership at CPK when it was acquired by a private-equity firm, Rick recently announced plans to return to the restaurant world with the introduction of ROCA, a specialty, Roman-style, street food pizza take-out and delivery concept, now open in Pacific Palisades and soon to open in Marina del Rey, on the west side of Los Angeles. Using premium toppings and a three-day cold fermented dough allows for the dough to appear thick like focaccia but light and airy on the inside. When reheated, it's crisp but still light and airy. Please join me, your host, Brad Johnson, in welcoming and learning more about Rick, a true legend in the restaurant industry, to Corner Table Talk. * * * Instagram: Corner Table Talk and Post and Beam Hospitality LinkedIn: Brad Johnson E.Mail: brad@postandbeamhospitality.com For more information on host Brad Johnson or to join our mailing list, please visit: https://postandbeamhospitality.com/ Theme Music: Bryce Vine Corner Table™ is a trademark of Post & Beam Hospitality LLCSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why was famed Chef Wolfgang Puck in Budapest at the ASTA Global River Cruise Expo just hours after hosting an Oscars party at his Spago restaurant in LA? Chef Puck tells James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his long and storied carrier, the longevity of his famed restaurant, how he had achieved success, and why he keeps focused on his culinary career with the opening of a new Spago at the Matild Palace Hotel in Budapest. For more information, visit www.wolfgangpuck.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Maria Valetta, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas take a trip to Spago where they go through the 60-page menu to find a few select bottles for you to try. In addition to a stellar range of Rieslings, they offer a delicious range of chardonnays and white Bordeaux wines. Wines reviewed include: 2006 Barolo Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno, Italy 2005 Château de Fonsalette, Cotes du Rhone 2015 Paul Lato Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley For more information on today's episode, and the wines you love to love, visit www.corkrules.com.
Tom Bergeron on his new project about ... Mr Rogers! -Mr Rogers wrote and performed all the songs-Did everything on the show-Michael Keaton was on Mr Rogers production staff -Tom actually sings on the new album-Did you know Tom was a singing Taco on the 'Masked Singer'-Hosting Hollywood Squares & working with all the stars-What Whoopie would have Spago catered -Who was the worst dancer on Dancing with the Stars
When former Palm restaurateur Bruce Bozzi and Rob Lowe get together, Hollywood glamour is in the air. On today's episode you'll hear about the politics behind The Palm's famed caricature wall, memories of dining at Spago, Tom Cruise's backflip, and how being a movie star has changed since the glory days. Got a question for Rob? Call our voicemail at (323) 570-4551. Yours could get featured on the show!Check out Bruce's podcast “Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi” from iHeartMedia and Air Mail. Episodes every other Tuesday.
Chef Marcus Samuelsson's podcast gives listeners insider access to the world of fine dining. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile's Alan Minskoff discuss the episodes dedicated to eight iconic eateries. Samuelsson and co-host chef Jonathan Waxman regale listeners with tales of famous restaurants including The French Laundry, Spago, and Dooky Chase, as well as Gabrielle Hamilton's Prune, which shuttered during the start of the COVID pandemic. All the backstories and fortunes of the various establishments make this a compelling listening experience. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile's website. Published by Audible, Inc. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with his doomsday-prepping roommates. Packed with tension, curiosity and optimized soy protein bars, The Survivalists is a darkly funny novel by Kashana Cauley, a former writer for The Daily Show and Pod Save America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas will finally have a sportsbook. The Nevada Gaming Commission approved the Betfred at Mohegan Sun Sportsbook and it is now open. Dayna checked out the Pro Bowl that took place at Allegiant Stadium. Magic Mike The Last Dance had a movie screening and red carpet in Las Vegas. We watched the movie with some of the cast. Sean has a new idea for a residency show that includes two powerful female singers. Duran Duran and Depeche Mode both announce tour stops at T-Mobile Arena in 2023. Durango Casino and Resort announce the "Eat Your Heart Out" food hall restaurants. The lineup includes eateries from New York, Southern California, and Las Vegas. We also have some very Vegas Valentine's Day ideas for you. Plus, a prime rib restaurant that we keep hearing good things about. VegasNearMe App If it's fun to do or see, it's on VegasNearMe. The only app you'll need to navigate Las Vegas. Support the showFollow us on Instagram: @vegas.revealedFollow us on Twitter: @vegasrevealedFollow us on TikTok: @vegas.revealedWebsite: Vegas-Revealed.com
The bar war to end all bar wars. The mob. Johnny Carson. Who could ask for anything more from our beloved Cheers? Grab a reservation at Spago and then enjoy "Bar Wars VI: This Time It's For Real" and "Heeere's..Cliffy!"!! (S10E23 starts 13:20 / S10E24 starts 35:25)
From Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills, to a pro sports stadium, to winning Food Network's Chopped, Japanese Chef Seis Kamimura has brought his culinary expertise and passion as a French trained chef. He also has a wicked crab fries recipe! Keep up with Hudi here: www.instagram.com/hudithefoodie Follow Chef Seis here: www.instagram.com/chefseis
Join Steve and Chef Joey Chavez as they talk about cooking, real estate, and creative vision. Even while playing football, Joey Chavez knows that he wants to be a chef. To be great at dishes, he knows he needs to be surrounded by the best and maintain it. While on the road to being a great chef, the pandemic happened, which shifted his routine of working more than eight hours daily to nothing. With nothing to do, he spent more time with his family, leading him to appreciate time freedom. As a result, he began spending his time discovering and learning how to live a lifestyle of freedom both in time and in finances. A discovery that led him to real estate investment. Combining his expertise in the cooking department and his skills in real estate investing, he set up and will be setting up unique real estate offerings that are bound to be a hot deal. If you want to learn more about what Chef Joey is cooking in the real estate arena, tune in to this episode, and enjoy! Outline of the episode: · [00:01] Intro · [00:50] How he got started as a chef · [05:11] Growing a family, real estate, and the pandemic · [10:15] Pivoting into a high-rate environment · [11:37] Building things together with your spouse · [13:50] The key difference between an assumption and a sub-2 deal. · [17:44] Off-market deals vs. market deals · [22:34] What's your Buy box? · [24:32] New projects and diversifying strategies · [28:13] The power of partnerships · [31:14] An event place and other different facets of the real estate market · [35:45] Finding deals and networking [37:15] Fire round About Chef Joey Chavez Chavez, a Los Angeles native, attended Lamar University in Beaumont on a football scholarship. While earning his bachelor's and culinary degrees there, he worked at a local Pappadeaux's restaurant. That introduction to the restaurant world led to a job at Koi Sushi Bar in Beaumont, followed by La Truffe Sauvage, a French restaurant in Lake Charles. Chavez's mentors at La Truffe Sauvage encouraged him to seek employment with an international hotel chain which led to a job at Wolfgang Puck's Spago at the Ritz Carlton in Beaver Creek, Colo., in 2012. Chavez later staged in New York restaurants, including Le Bernardin, Per Se, 11 Madison Park, NoMad, Dovetail, and Masa. That work helped him snag a year-long training program with the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group in 2015; he worked at both The French Laundry and Bouchon. In 2016, Chavez was named chef de cuisine at the Vietnamese bistro OTD from the Slanted Door Group in San Francisco. He later worked at Caribou Club in Aspen and as executive chef at The Bygone at the Four Seasons Baltimore, where in 2019 he was voted Best New Chef from the Baltimore Sun's Reader's Choice Awards, and as an executive chef at Brennan's of Houston. Resources: ● Hawaii Millionaires Mindset Blueprint · Chef Joey Chavez · Hidden Truffle Connect with The Cashflow Project! ● Website ● LinkedIn ● Youtube ● Facebook ● Instagram
Mario Amaral served 4 years in the Coast Guard as a fireman aboard a drug interdiction ship out of Florida. While still active in the Coast Guard he met a professional chef in 2005, which made him realize he wanted to be a chef himself. He got out of the military and attended Le Cordon Bleu Culinary College in Las Vegas. Since graduating from culinary school, he has helped open restaurants across the country, including the Red Rock Resort, Buddy V's, the restaurant of Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro, in Las Vegas. He worked for several years in restaurants including Olives in the Bellagio, and Spago in the Venetian. While working at a restaurant in New Hampshire, Mario reconnected with Chef Todd English, whom he previously worked for. Mario was brought on to oversee operations with English's restaurants in Alabama, Florida, and Boston as well as large scale events like Super Bowl LIV in 2019. Mario has also won cooking competitions on his own including the Back of the House Brawl in Vegas. Today, Mario is back in Southern California working with his friend and fellow chef Dylan Soros as business partners in the restaurant Savage Chef. PODCAST - LISTEN, WATCH, AND SUBSCRIBE https://linktr.ee/TransitionDrillPodcast CONNECT WITH MARIO https://savagechef.com/ mario@savagechef.com
Teresa Ruback is a private chef and consultant. She studied at the Culinary Institute of America and interned with Wolfgang Puck at Spago. Teresa has cooked for Olympians, rock stars, presidents, kings, and queens. Her culinary delights have been partaken underwater and in outer space. In her personal life, Teresa is a community volunteer and advocates for multiple causes. She is married with two kids and has two dogs. In this episode… Are you looking for the perfect dish ideas for Thanksgiving? Do you need tips to get your family involved in food preparation? Making the perfect meal for friends and family can be a stressful challenge. To prepare for the holiday season, chef Teresa Ruback joins the NFM team to share her top tips for making the perfect holiday meal. With many years of experience cooking for celebrities and working in stressful environments, Teresa knows exactly how to navigate the holiday cooking chaos. In this episode of the I Am Home podcast, co-hosts Tyler Wisecup, Hilary Woltemath, and Becca Sudbeck sit down to interview Teresa Ruback, a private chef and consultant, about her holiday cooking tips. Teresa shares tips for cooking in different locations, staying calm in a stressful cooking environment, and getting family involved in food preparation.
Will Guidara has been immersed in the restaurant industry since the age of thirteen. Guidara trained in the dining rooms of Tribeca Grill, Spago, and Tabla and opened the restaurants at the Museum of Modern Art before becoming the general manager of Eleven Madison Park in 2006. Under Chef Daniel Humm and Will Guidara's leadership, Eleven Madison Park received four stars from the New York Times, earned three Michelin stars, and was given a coveted spot on the San Pellegrino list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants. The restaurant has also received six James Beard Awards, including Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurant inside and a America. In 2011, Humm and Guidara purchased Eleven Madison Park and, in early 2012, went on to open the food and beverage spaces at the NoMad Hotel. Checkout Will's new book, Unreasonable Hospitality. You Unleashed Course 50% off You Unleashed is an online personal development course created by Sean DeLaney after spending years working with an interviewing high achievers.The online course that helps you ‘Unleash your potential'! You Unleashed teaches you the MINDSETS, ROUTINES and BEHAVIORS you need to unleash your potential and discover what you're capable of. You know you're capable of more and want to bring out that untapped potential inside of you. We teach you how. Enroll Today for only $99!- Click Here Subscribe to my Momentum Monday Newsletter Connect with us! Whatgotyouthere TikTok YouTube Twitter Instagram
Today's guest has been immersed in the hospitality industry since the age of 13. Will Guidara is the author of many books, including a new one called “Unreasonable Hospitality”. Will has been trained in the dining rooms of Tribeca Grill, Spago, and Tabla and opened the restaurants at the Museum of Modern Art. Will joins the host Dan Ryan to discuss his journey through hospitality and what it all means to him. Takeaways: Having board games along with fine dining provides an experience that makes the guest feel comfortable and at home. It reminds them of home-cooked meals and time with family and friends. Will has always had a passion for creating spaces where people can get together and enjoy being around friends and family. This is part of what led him to be in the hospitality industry. America used to be a manufacturing economy but now 65% of our GDP is driven by the service industry. This means we have shifted the focus of our economy to be in the service industry and provide people with memorable experiences of hospitality. The culture of your company is a living, breathing tangible thing. It's not just part of a checklist; if you don't live by the cultures of your company, then the culture will die. The best way to talk about hospitality is to compare it to service. Service is bringing the right plate to the right person on time but hospitality is how you make them feel when you bring them their food. Your values transcend everything. If you bring your values to the front and make them a core part of who you are, then those values will drive you and help you succeed. Don't be afraid to look at yourself and tell yourself that you can handle anything that comes your way. Quote of the Show: 9:24 “It has always brought me joy to create spaces where people can come together.” Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-guidara-b64952243/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wguidara/?hl=en Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B13W5GPT/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 Welcome Conference: https://www.thewelcomeconference.com/ Shout Outs: 1:36 The Nomad 05:47 Simon Sinek 25:39 James Cordon 25:43 Balthazar 25:51 Keith McNally 36:09 Rookie Smarts by Liz Wiseman Ways to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419 Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ YouTube : https://youtu.be/o2-7Ko4_P9w
With over fifty restaurants, multiple Michelin stars and innumerable celebrity fans, Wolfgang Puck is one of the world's most famous chefs and global restauranteurs. Born in Austria, he began cooking alongside his mother who was a chef, before starting his formal chef training at just 14 years old, quickly going on to cook at some of France's best restaurants. But, it wasn't an easy childhood, and Wolfgang is incredibly honest about the abusive relationship he had to endure with his step father at home, and how that has shaped who he is today, and where he still can't bring himself to travel to as a result.It was far away from Austria, in Los Angeles, California, where Wolfgang really made a name for himself, garnering the attention of the Hollywood elite, arguably becoming the world's first ‘celebrity chef' and spearheading a revolution of Californian cuisine with his flagship restaurant, Spago. For over thirty years he has also been the official caterer of the Oscars, lining the stomachs of every gong hungry nominee, and he was even awarded his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. When you have global restaurant empire like Wolfgang you spend a lot of time travelling, and this episode takes us to some fabulous locations all over the world from Sardinia to Mexico, Capri to Japan.Destination Recap:45 Park Lane, London, England Spago, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, USAAustriaColchester, Essex, EnglandVillach, AustriaArlberg, Austria Park City, Utah, USAL'Oustau de Baumanière, Provence, France SardiniaCala di Volpe, Sardinia Bonifacio, CorsicaCabo San Lucas, MexicoMontage Los Cabos, Mexico Rosewood Miramar Beach, Montecito, California, USACapri, Italy Quattro Passi Restaurant, Italy Budapest, Hungary Viva Mayr, AustriaJapanNile Cruise, Egypt UgandaIf you'd like to experience Wolfgang's cuisine, then you should check out the new outdoor dining terrace of CUT at 45 Park Lane hotel, part of the Dorchester Collection in London, which is open for lunch and dinner. With thanks to…Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK's leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian.Thanks so much for listening.If you want to be the first to find out who's joining me on next week's episode come and follow me on Instagram, I'm @hollyrubenstein and I'd love to hear from you. If you can't wait til then, remember there's the first seven seasons to catch up on - that's over 85 episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Freddie Rodriguez followed in his dad's footsteps when it came to racing his bike. His dad was a racer in Colombia in 50's and 60's. His inspiration came during the 1984 Olympics when he saw Alexi Grewal win the road race and a gold medal. At 11-years-old he got a used bike from his dad. Freddie quickly realized the freedom of riding. His first race was a criterium and his first club was out of the Montrose bike shop. Freddie says the first bit of interest from the junior national team was after racing the La Vuelta de Bisbee. He was invited to a national team camp. From there he would be given the chance to race in Europe He says one of his greatest accomplishments as a junior was helping Jeff Evanshine win the Junior Worlds Road Race in 1991. During his Under 23 years Freddie rode for Spago and the national team racing all over Europe. At 18 he was living in Ghent, Belgium learning the ropes of kermesse racing. From 92-95 he continued to ride with the national team with Rene Wenzel as his coach. In 1996 he turned pro with Saturn. The team gave Freddie an opportunity to mature as a rider and man before heading to Europe to ride for Mapei.This is one of two interviews with Freddie about his career and what he's doing now.
This week, Phil and David are talking to legendary chef, baker, author and restaurateur Nancy Silverton. Not only has Nancy been good friends with Phil for almost 30 years -- they're also longtime business partners with Phil having invested in some of her now legendary restaurants, including Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza. Hear about Nancy's Silverton's time starting out as a chef, working at Spago, then making her mark at famed LA food spots such as Campanile and the La Brea Bakery. Plus, David and Phil -- who love your 5-star reviews -- read and react to some of your listener comments. Listen up because maybe yours will be featured on "Naked Lunch"! To learn more about building community through food and "Somebody Feed the People," visit the Philanthropy page at philrosenthalworld.com.
Cousin Sal starts the show reading some emails from fans and they are coming after Harry after one of his latest bold takes. Harry thinks there is a double standard against him and still thinks Travis Kelce has great long-shot odds to win MVP. Another fan is calling for Sal to fact-check Harry and one fan has an idea for baseball's version of Race to Ten Tuesday. The Against All Odds crew discuss the latest with the Yankees and Mets as Harry looks to go undefeated in Hawaii. Plus, do either the Yankees or Astros blow their big division lead? The guys give out their MLB picks. The Knicks create more salary cap by trading Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel to reportedly pursue Jalen Brunson; Brother Bri and Parlay Kid weigh in on if they like the move. The guys wrap up the show discussing Harry's expensive Spago dinner in Hawaii and an eagle-eyed fan wonders if he blew out his shoe?