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Why This Episode Matters Kyle Knall explains why Milwaukee offers the community support to build ambitious restaurants—and a life outside them.Jason Ryczek takes us inside Caviar Camp, from getting into tanks with sturgeon to selecting roe and serving it at Little’s Oyster Bar.Leonard Botello IV reveals what separates exceptional brisket from disappointing barbecue, including the importance of fire management, resting and learning to listen.These conversations celebrate the craft and hospitality behind memorable meals, all in support of Southern Smoke Foundation’s work helping food and beverage workers.The Conversation Back at Southern Smoke Festival in Houston, Mark and Francis welcome returning guest Kyle Knall of Milwaukee’s Birch and newly opened Cassis. Kyle describes his vision for an all-day French brasserie and the community enthusiasm that makes Milwaukee such a rewarding place to cook. They also discuss the city’s cocktail culture and its newest residents, drinks writer Robert Simonson and his wife, Mary Kate Murray. Jason Ryczek of Little’s Oyster Bar offers a remarkably hands-on look at caviar production, including his annual visits to Caviar Camp with mentor Deborah Keane. He discusses selecting roe, using the rest of the sturgeon and developments in no-kill caviar. Back at the table, Jason explains his Southern approach to caviar service, complemented by hush puppies and potato dumplings. Leonard Botello IV of Truth BBQ gets into the details that make great Texas barbecue: quality beef, steady fires, humidity and the crucial resting period. He describes the quiet overnight hours when the sounds of the pit tell him what needs attention, and why experience matters more than a rigid formula. Mark and Francis also share what made their visit to Truth so memorable, from the welcome their luggage received to outstanding brisket, warm hospitality and banana cake with an Old Fashioned. The Guests Kyle Knall — Chef and co-owner of Birch and Cassis in Milwaukee, where he and his wife and business partner, Meghan Knall, combine ambitious cooking with neighborhood hospitality. Jason Ryczek — Chef of Little’s Oyster Bar in Houston, bringing a West Coast perspective to Gulf Coast seafood and a hands-on approach to caviar selection and service. Leonard Botello IV — Owner and pitmaster of Truth BBQ in Brenham and Houston, known for his meticulous approach to Central Texas barbecue. Timestamps 00:00 — Back in Houston for Southern Smoke 01:00 — Kyle Knall: Birch, Cassis and Milwaukee’s dining scene 05:00 — An all-day brasserie and the power of community support 10:00 — Jason Ryczek: Inside Caviar Camp 15:00 — Selecting roe and using the whole sturgeon 17:00 — Developments in no-kill caviar 19:00 — Caviar service with a Southern accent 20:00 — Oysters, Gulf seafood and a taste of place 25:00 — Leonard Botello IV: The welcome at Truth BBQ 30:00 — What makes Texas barbecue distinctive 32:00 — Listening to the pit and learning through experience 38:00 — Great brisket, proper resting and managing the fire Info Southern Smoke Foundation: https://www.southernsmoke.org/ Birch: https://www.birchonpleasant.com/ Cassis: https://www.cassismke.com/ Little’s Oyster Bar: https://littlesoysterbar.com/ Truth BBQ: https://truthbbq.com/ Stage Left events, including the Robert Simonson book signing: https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

Why This Episode Matters Can restaurants offer exceptional food and hospitality while giving their employees a better life? These owners explain how they’re doing it.Birdie’s challenges the traditional fine dining model with counter service, a serious wine program and meaningful employee benefits.Shuai Wang shares how Top Chef helped him rediscover his inspiration through collaboration with other chefs.Ayu Bakehouse teaches employees the business skills to pursue their own ideas—and pays them to learn.The Conversation Recorded at Southern Smoke Festival in Houston, these conversations explore what makes a restaurant worth working in, visiting and keeping alive. Benjy Mason discusses his journey from nonprofit founder to Houston hospitality operator, building neighborhood gathering places and earning employees’ trust. Arjav Ezekiel and Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel explain how Birdie’s in Austin combines counter service with thoughtful hospitality, seasonal tasting menus and a business model that supports both its owners and its team. Shuai and Corrie Wang talk about weathering a pandemic, a restaurant fire and the pressures of ownership while continuing to find joy in their work. Shuai describes how Top Chef renewed his enthusiasm for cooking, and they share the inspiration behind King BBQ’s blend of Chinatown and Carolina barbecue. There’s also the amaro shakerato that stopped Mark and Francis in their tracks. Lastly they touch on Corrie’s other life as a novelist. Samantha Weiss of New Orleans’ Ayu Bakehouse brings croissant king cakes, savory Boudin Boys and the unforgettable “challigator” to the conversation. She explains how Ayu Schoolhouse helps employees develop business plans and test their concepts through pop-ups, along with the practical reasons for using Goldbelly to ship king cakes. Throughout the episode, Southern Smoke’s mission gives these conversations a shared purpose: taking care of the people who make hospitality possible. The Guests Benjy Mason — Houston hospitality entrepreneur behind neighborhood destinations including Johnny’s Gold Brick, Winnie’s, Starduster Lounge and Shredders Pizza. Arjav Ezekiel and Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel — Married co-owners of Birdie’s in Austin, combining Arjav’s wine and hospitality expertise with Tracy’s seasonal cooking. Shuai and Corrie Wang — Married restaurateurs behind Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ in North Charleston. Shuai is a chef and Top Chef alumnus; Corrie is also the author of The Takedown and City of Beasts. Samantha Weiss — Co-owner of Ayu Bakehouse in New Orleans with Kelly Jacques, bringing a background in financial services and pastry to the bakery and its employee education program. Timestamps 0:00:00 — Southern Smoke and an industry taking care of its own 0:03:00 — Benjy Mason: Neighborhood places and community 0:06:00 — From nonprofit work to restaurant kitchens 0:13:00 — Building a workplace based on trust 0:18:00 — Arjav and Tracy: Rethinking restaurants at Birdie’s 0:21:00 — Counter service, wine in line and real hospitality 0:33:00 — Seasonal menus and a different kind of tasting menu 0:38:00 — Shuai and Corrie Wang: Restaurants, resilience and shakeratos 0:41:00 — Finding fresh inspiration on Top Chef 0:45:00 — Chinatown meets Carolina barbecue at King BBQ 0:48:00 — Samantha Weiss: King cakes, Boudin Boys and challigators 0:54:00 — Ayu Schoolhouse and helping employees become entrepreneurs 0:58:00 — Shipping king cakes with Goldbelly 1:00:00 — What’s coming in Vol. 2 Info Southern Smoke Foundation: https://www.southernsmoke.org/ Benjy Mason’s Houston restaurants: https://www.southernsmoke.org/chef/benjy-mason/ Birdie’s: https://www.birdiesaustin.com/ Jackrabbit Filly: https://www.jackrabbitfilly.com/ King BBQ: https://eatkingbbq.com/ Corrie Wang’s books: https://www.corriewang.com/ Ayu Bakehouse: https://www.ayubakehouse.com/ Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

This is a Vintage episode from 2010. Why This Episode Matters Greg Boehm explains how obscure pre-Prohibition cocktail books became useful again as ingredients and serious bartending returned.He shares how Mud Puddle Books reproduced historic cocktail books in painstaking detail — right down to the paper, binding and gold stamping.  The conversation captures an important moment in the rise of Japanese bartending in the U.S., including Kazuo Uyeda, the Hard Shake and the English-language release of Cocktail Technique.  Boehm also opens up his remarkable 2,800-volume cocktail collection to bartenders, writers and researchers.   Banter Mark and Francis make the case that if you're going to eat a doughnut or a donut, it had better be worth it.   The Conversation Greg Boehm joins The Restaurant Guys to discuss Mud Puddle Books and the revival of historic cocktail literature. He explains how once-obscure bartending manuals became valuable resources during the cocktail renaissance and why he began reproducing classics by Jerry Thomas and Harry Johnson. The conversation turns to Japanese bartending traditions, from specialized bar tools to precise stirring, shaking and ice techniques. Boehm also previews the English-language release of Kazuo Uyeda’s Cocktail Technique and its potential influence on American bartenders.   Guest Bio Greg Boehm is a publisher, cocktail-book collector and the founder of Mud Puddle Books and Cocktail Kingdom. His collection of thousands of historic cocktail books became both the source for meticulously reproduced editions and a working research library for bartenders, writers and cocktail historians.     Timestamps 00:00 — Donuts worth the calories 07:55 — Greg Boehm and the lost literature of cocktails 10:30 — When antique cocktail books became useful again 12:00 — Choosing which of 2,800 books to reproduce 16:00 — Japanese bar tools and Cocktail Kingdom 18:00 — Angel's Share, Kazuo Uyeda and the Hard Shake 20:35 — Preserving and sharing cocktail history Info Cocktail Kingdom https://cocktailkingdom.com/ Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

Why This Episode Matters Kenta Goto explains why the first sip of a cocktail is like a job interview: you get one chance to make the right impression, so every detail from ice and dilution to the order of operations matters. Noah Rothbaum makes the case that cocktail recipes have changed far less than cocktail culture itself, and that The Goto Bartender’s Guide fills in the technical information most recipes leave out. The conversation traces Kenta’s path from Tokyo to New York, his formative years at Pegu Club with Audrey Saunders, and the philosophy of precision and hospitality that eventually became Bar Goto.  Banter Fall has arrived, which means Autumn Leaves cocktails, Spooky Bar and a Robert Simonson book launch at Stage Left. Mark is also counting down to Italy; Francis is counting down to Mark being in Italy.  The Conversation Kenta Goto and Noah Rothbaum join The Guys on the release day of The Goto Bartender’s Guide. The collaboration grew out of years of friendship that began at Pegu Club and later included traveling together to teach seminars on omotenashi, or Japanese hospitality. Noah says what intrigued him was Kenta’s habit of questioning assumptions bartenders have accepted for generations: not just inventing new drinks, but reconsidering how cocktails are actually made.  Kenta traces his unlikely route into bartending from moving from Japan to New York, studying fashion, drifting through jobs and finally recognizing how much he had loved helping in his mother’s restaurant. A visit to Pegu Club changed his trajectory, and an anonymous Craigslist ad eventually led to an interview with Audrey Saunders. Her second interview was a surprise visit to watch him work, followed by an on-the-spot request for a gin sour along with a question he couldn’t answer: which gin did he use, and why?  From there, the discussion gets deeply practical. Kenta and Noah explain why shaker size, ice type, proof, dilution, stirring time and even the order ingredients enter a mixing glass can change a drink. The book translates those instincts into usable numbers, including different shake and stir counts for different ice and proof levels, while still treating them as guidelines rather than absolutes. They also explain why specifying a spirit brand matters, why teaspoons can sometimes be more useful than jiggers, and how they chose the book’s 100 recipes from classics to Kenta’s own greatest hits.   Guest Bios Kenta Goto is the Tokyo-born bartender and owner of Bar Goto in Manhattan and Bar Goto Niban in Brooklyn. After seven years at the influential Pegu Club, he opened Bar Goto in 2015. He has been named U.S. Bartender of the Year at Tales of the Cocktail and is known for combining exacting cocktail technique with Japanese hospitality.  Noah Rothbaum is a James Beard Award-winning drinks writer, author of The Whiskey Bible: The Art of American Whiskey, and an editor of The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails. He and Goto are co-authors of The Goto Bartender’s Guide.  Timestamps 00:00 — Fall cocktails, Spooky Bar and Mark’s Italy escape 06:30 — Kenta Goto & Noah Rothbaum: Why another cocktail book? 11:30 — Kenta’s path from Tokyo to New York bartending 15:30 — Pegu Club, Audrey Saunders and the interview that changed Kenta’s career 20:00 — Noah on Kenta’s approach and what cocktail recipes have been missing 25:00 — Precision in practice: ice, dilution, shake counts and consistency 31:30 — Noah on jiggers, teaspoons and making precision accessible at home 34:00 — Proof, brand specificity and why substitutions change a drink 38:30 — Noah & Kenta on choosing the book’s 100 cocktails Info The Goto Bartender’s Guide by Kenta Goto and Noah Rothbaum Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

Recorded on location at the Martini Expo in Chicago. Why This Episode Matters Colin Asare-Appiah takes The Guys inside Ajabu, the cocktail and spirits festival connecting bartenders across Africa and the wider cocktail world, and discusses Black Mixcellence and the Black voices too often missing from cocktail history.François Monti explains why vermouth deserves far more respect than the neglected bottle at the back of the bar and how Madrid’s cocktail culture changed the way he thought about both vermouth and the martini.Ryan Maybee traces the unlikely revival of J. Rieger & Co., from a pre-Prohibition Kansas City whiskey brand to a modern distillery and hospitality destination, and explains why their American gin deliberately looks to classic London dry tradition.The Conversation Colin Asare-Appiah talks about co-founding Ajabu, created to spotlight the ingredients, bartenders and rapidly developing cocktail cultures across the African continent. The conversation turns to his book Black Mixcellence, the importance of recovering Black contributions to cocktail history, the enduring legacy of Tom Bullock and the Pornstar Martini created by his late friend Douglas Ankrah. Colin also explains why he sees the martini as a timeless drink—and why his choice between gin and vodka depends on what’s on the table. Belgian-born, Madrid-based writer François Monti joins The Guys for a deep dive into vermouth. He explains Spain’s culture of drinking vermouth on its own, his journey from Belgian beer to cocktails, and Madrid’s long history of serious cocktail bars. The conversation eventually becomes unexpectedly personal when Mark explains why he disliked his early martinis: old vermouth or virtually no vermouth at all, and the fresh bottle that finally convinced him that vermouth could be delicious. Ryan Maybee tells the story of discovering the forgotten J. Rieger & Co. whiskey brand while researching the history of a Kansas City hotel and ultimately helping bring it back to life. He recalls the visit to Milk & Honey that changed his career, describes the easygoing Midwestern hospitality he brought to Manifesto, and explains the historical use of sherry in Kansas City whiskey. The Guys taste Rieger Gin before Ryan discusses the freedom of American gin, why his own version deliberately embraces London dry tradition, and the classic martini experience that showed him just how much presentation matters. Guest Bios Colin Asare-Appiah is a Ghana-born, London-raised bartender, drinks industry veteran and co-founder of the Ajabu Cocktail and Spirits Festival in South Africa. He is co-author of Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology. François Monti is a Belgian-born spirits and cocktail writer based in Madrid. His work has appeared in publications including Punch, and he is the author of 101 Cocktails to Try Before You Die. Ryan Maybee is a bartender, restaurateur and co-founder of J. Rieger & Co. in Kansas City. He previously opened Manifesto and has played a significant role in the development of Kansas City’s modern cocktail culture. Timestamps 00:00 — Back at the Martini Expo: three more conversations from Chicago 02:30 — Colin Asare-Appiah and the Ajabu cocktail experience 09:30 — Black Mixcellence, Tom Bullock and recovering Black cocktail history 17:00 — The Pornstar Martini, the cocktail canon and Colin’s martini philosophy 22:30 — François Monti: from Belgian beer to Madrid cocktail culture 28:30 — Why vermouth is more than a martini ingredient 34:00 — François’ martini revelation—and Mark’s problem with bad vermouth 39:00 — Ryan Maybee: resurrecting J. Rieger & Co. 50:30 — American gin, London dry tradition and Ryan’s martini moment Info Martini Expo Colin Asare-Appiah — Ajabu Cocktail and Spirits Festival Book: Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology François Monti — 101 Cocktails to Try Before You Die Writing: Bottoms Up Ryan Maybee — J. Rieger & Co., Kansas City, MO Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

Recorded on location at the Martini Expo in Chicago. Why This Episode Matters Toby Maloney looks back at the first wave of the modern cocktail renaissance from Milk & Honey to The Violet Hour and explains why great ice, precise dilution and serious technique still have to serve hospitality.Jackson Cannon recalls bringing serious cocktails into a high-volume Boston restaurant at Eastern Standard, building a team around consistency and collaboration, and why, after all the technique and innovation, the guest still matters most.Federico Lombardi, formerly of Barcelona’s Paradiso and now working in the U.S., compares European and American cocktail cultures and explains the lesson that taught him why temperature, dilution and precision make the martini such an exacting drink.Dan Smith takes The Guys inside Chicago’s Queen Mary Tavern, where a 1940s neighborhood bar became an elegant cocktail destination without losing its soul and explains why, when every small detail of a martini comes together, “it is perfection.”Banter Before heading into the Expo, The Guys compare notes on their very compact Chicago hotel rooms and discover that the Moxy apparently shares Stage Left’s taste in wallpaper: monkeys smoking cigars and drinking vodka. The Conversation Toby Maloney goes back to the beginnings of the modern craft-cocktail movement, including becoming the first bartender hired at Milk & Honey and later helping establish The Violet Hour in Chicago. He and The Guys geek out over metal-on-metal shakers, why experienced bartenders can hear the quality and quantity of ice in a tin, and how dilution changes a drink. Toby also reflects on The Violet Hour’s influence, the danger of cocktail expertise becoming pretentious, and his newer project, The Elbow Room in Vancouver, Washington. Then he explains his unusual martini built around vermouth-and-sherry granita topped with frozen gin. Jackson Cannon joins the conversation to talk about opening Eastern Standard in Boston in 2005, when serious cocktails were still largely disconnected from serious restaurant dining. He recalls the self-taught first generation of the cocktail revival, building consistency across a large bar team and creating buy-in rather than simply dictating technique. Looking at where cocktail culture has gone since, Cannon argues that technique and creativity aren't enough to sustain a career behind the bar. What matters most is still the guest: as he puts it, borrowing from Julia Child, “It’s not what’s on the table, it’s what’s on the chairs.” Federico Lombardi compares the cocktail cultures of Italy, Spain and the United States, talks about creating drinks through the lens of chefs and food, and recalls the training that made him understand the martini as a drink in which every detail has to be right.  Finally, Dan Smith explains how old movies first made him curious about cocktail culture, how The Violet Hour turned that curiosity into a career, and how a Polish neighborhood tavern sealed up for four decades became Queen Mary Tavern. He gets into the judicious use of salt in cocktails, the gin-and-rum Navy Strength Old Fashioned, and the Violet Hour martini that showed him what happens when dilution, bitters, temperature and technique all land exactly where they should. Guest Bios Toby Maloney is a bartender, author and longtime figure in the American craft-cocktail movement. He was the first bartender hired at Milk & Honey and later helped open Chicago’s influential Violet Hour. He is the author of The Bartender’s Manifesto and The Classic Cocktail Sessions and is now involved with The Elbow Room in Vancouver, Washington. Jackson Cannon helped shape Boston’s modern cocktail culture as the longtime bar director at Eastern Standard, which opened in 2005 with serious cocktails integrated into a large, full-service restaurant. He later partnered in The Hawthorne and became an influential mentor to a generation of Boston bartenders. Federico Lombardi is an Italian bartender who worked at Paradiso in Barcelona when it reached No. 1 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list. He has since moved to the United States and works behind the bar at Dante in New York. Dan Smith is managing partner of Queen Mary Tavern in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village. His approach combines serious cocktail technique with the warmth and accessibility of a neighborhood tavern. Timestamps 00:00 — Chicago, Martini Expo and the Moxy Hotel 03:45 — Toby Maloney: Milk & Honey, The Violet Hour and hearing the ice 14:30 — The Elbow Room, free pouring and Toby’s vermouth-granita martini 24:45 — Jackson Cannon: bringing craft cocktails to Boston 31:00 — Building bartenders, cocktail culture and hospitality 34:45 — Federico Lombardi: Europe vs. America and his martini lesson 42:45 — Dan Smith: The Violet Hour and the story of Queen Mary Tavern 54:00 — Navy Strength Old Fashioned and Dan’s perfect martini moment  Info Martini Expo — https://www.martiniexpo.com/ Toby Maloney — The Elbow Room, Vancouver, WA Books: The Bartender’s Manifesto; The Classic Cocktail Sessions Jackson Cannon — Eastern Standard; The Hawthorne Federico Lombardi — Paradiso, Barcelona; Dante, New York City Dan Smith — Queen Mary Tavern, Chicago Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

This is a Vintage episode from 2006. Why This Episode Matters Rick Tramonto makes the case for fine dining that is polished and precise without being stiff or intimidating.The Guys tackle an enduring hospitality dilemma: when does accommodating one guest diminish the experience for everyone else?Tramonto reflects on restaurants as a place for nontraditional careers, mentorship and finding a sense of belonging.The conversation ends with the importance of cooking, family and gathering around the table. Banter Mark and Francis discuss a 2006 proposal to block cell-phone signals in movie theaters—and whether restaurants should do the same. That leads to the story of guests who opened a laptop in the Catherine Lombardi dining room and started watching a movie with the sound on. The Conversation Rick Tramonto joins the cell-phone debate from the perspective of Tru, where the philosophy was to cherish the customer and say yes whenever possible—until one guest’s behavior began interfering with everyone else’s experience. From there, he explains his approach to fine dining: maintain impeccable technical standards, but lose the stiffness, read the table and make people feel comfortable. The conversation broadens into why restaurants attract people who take unconventional paths. Tramonto talks about cooking as a combination of art, science, craft and business, and about the responsibility chefs and operators have to mentor young people drawn to the intensity of restaurant life. He closes with the importance of home cooking, family meals and keeping people gathered around the table. Guest Bio Rick Tramonto is an acclaimed chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. At the time of this 2006 conversation, he was chef-partner of Chicago’s celebrated Tru restaurant and one of the leading figures in American fine dining. Timestamps 00:00 Vintage introduction 01:00 Cell phones and dining-room etiquette 08:00 Rick Tramonto joins: when hospitality has to say no 14:00 Taking the intimidation out of fine dining 18:00 Restaurants as a path for nontraditional learners 22:00 Mentorship and restaurant culture 25:00 Family, home cooking and gathering around the table Info More about Rick https://tramontocuisine.com/ Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

Recorded on location at Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago  Why This Episode Matters Grueneberg explains why being willing to step down in title to keep learning can be one of the smartest career moves in hospitality.Monteverde turns pasta production into part of the dining-room experience with its open pastificio, including filled pasta made to order.The restaurant’s batteria of balsamic barrels isn’t just decoration: Grueneberg sees the continuously aging, fermenting vinegar as part of Monteverde’s living soul.She also shares what comes next: Trattoria Lo So, Monteverde’s forthcoming second restaurant in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, with longtime Monteverde chef Bailey Sullivan leading the kitchen. The Conversation Grueneberg traces the path from Brennan’s of Houston to Chicago, where she deliberately went back to garde manger at Spiaggia because she wanted to learn Italian cooking. She and The Guys talk about the value (and ego check) of taking a lower position in order to learn from the right people, as well as what Chicago’s restaurant culture gave her that she was looking for at that stage of her career. At Monteverde, that education shows up in both the food and the room. Grueneberg wanted guests to feel what she calls “calm chaos”: a restaurant alive with music, smells, movement and pasta being made in full view. She explains why the pastificio was brought out of the prep kitchen and put onstage, how Monteverde handles both extruded and filled pastas, and why its seven-barrel balsamic batteria has become part of the restaurant’s identity. The conversation moves into Grueneberg’s approach to Italian cooking “a traditional heart with a modern hand” from pork neck ragù to cacio whey pepe, and how traveling through Italy gave her permission to respect tradition without simply reproducing it. She also breaks news about Trattoria Lo So, her team’s next Chicago restaurant. Then, after dinner, Mark and Francis return to the microphones to report on whether Monteverde lived up to everything they had just heard. Spoiler: Mark finds a meatball worthy of discussion, which is not a low bar. Guest Bio Sarah Grueneberg is the chef and co-owner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago’s West Loop. She previously spent eight years at Spiaggia, rising to executive chef during a period when the restaurant earned one Michelin star for three consecutive years, and is a James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Great Lakes. Her cooking combines Italian traditions with influences from her Texas upbringing, travels and training. Grueneberg and her Monteverde partners are preparing to open Trattoria Lo So in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood in early 2027. Bailey Sullivan will lead the kitchen as executive chef, with Grueneberg serving as creative director.  Timestamps 00:00 The Restaurant Guys arrive in Chicago and head to Monteverde 01:30  Sarah Grueneberg’s path from Houston to Spiaggia; taking a step backward to learn 08:00 — Chicago hospitality, “Midwestern nice” and building a restaurant team 14:00 — Creating Monteverde’s “calm chaos” 18:30 — The pastificio: fresh pasta, filled pasta and making it to order 21:00 — Monteverde’s balsamic batteria and how traditional balsamic is made 28:00 — Grueneberg’s approach to Italian cooking “Traditional heart, modern hand” 33:00 — The Italy trip that changed her career 37:00 —  Sarah’s new Trattoria Lo So and what comes next 39:00 — After dinner: The Guys review Monteverde, from meatballs to agnolotti Info Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio https://monteverdechicago.com/ Trattoria Lo So  Bucktown, Chicago; expected to open in early 2027 Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

This is a Vintage episode from 2007. Why This Episode Matters Father Greg Boyle explains how Homeboy Industries uses jobs, training and support to help former gang members build different lives.Rival gang members work side by side — and Boyle describes what happens when people who once saw each other as enemies begin to know one another.The conversation gets at something restaurants can do particularly well: teach skills, create pride in work and offer a path that doesn’t require a traditional academic route.Boyle makes the case for employment as intervention in one unforgettable line: “Nothing stops a bullet like a job.”The Conversation Father Greg Boyle joins The Restaurant Guys to talk about Homeboy Industries, the Los Angeles organization he founded to help people leave gang life through employment, training and support. He explains how former rivals learn to work side by side, and how services such as tattoo removal and mental-health care grew out of the needs of the people coming through the program. The conversation turns to the role of food and restaurants in that work. Boyle describes the pride that comes from making something tangible at Homeboy Bakery and Homegirl Cafe, while Francis reflects on restaurants as places where people can learn by doing, build skills and create a career without following a traditional academic path. Boyle also talks about replacing hopelessness with the possibility of a future for people who have often been “planning their funerals and not their futures” and why, as Homeboy puts it, “nothing stops a bullet like a job.” Guest Bio Father Greg Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles. In this 2007 conversation, he discusses the organization’s work creating employment, training and support for former gang members through ventures including Homeboy Bakery and Homegirl Cafe. Timestamps 00:00 Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries  02:20 Rival gang members working side by side  04:00 Tattoo removal, food and the dignity of creating something  08:30 Learning the basic skills of work  13:00 Restaurants, apprenticeship and planning futures instead of funerals  16:00 “Nothing stops a bullet like a job”  22:30 The Guys on good causes, good food and why quality still matters More Information Homeboy Industries https://homeboyindustries.org/ Elijah’s Promise School https://elijahspromise.org/promise-culinary/ Father Boyle’s book G-Dog and the Homeboys: Father Greg Boyle and the Gangs of East Los Angeles by Celeste Fremon (Author), Tom Brokaw (Introduction)  Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

Why This Episode Matters Til Death The Speakeasy is literally hidden beneath a working funeral home outside Kansas City and unlike most modern “speakeasies,” it really isn’t generally open to the public.  The room comes complete with a casket bar, an urn used to smoke cocktails, mysterious doors and at least one unexplained doorbell incident.  The basement’s secret-drinking history predates its current owners: decades ago it reportedly served as a discreet drinking club for local Southern Baptists.  What started as a cocktail obsession became a charitable passion project, raising money for organizations including Veterans Community Project and inspiring Til Death’s cocktail education program. Banter Before heading underground, Mark and Francis find an object lesson in how not to communicate hospitality: a neighborhood restaurant whose storefront has slowly accumulated signs telling customers what NOT to do. As Francis puts it, the whole storefront seems to say: “Go away! Don’t do this! You’re all wrong!"  The Conversation Andrew Loos and Phil Worden join The Guys from Til Death The Speakeasy, a private Prohibition-inspired cocktail room beneath a working funeral home near Kansas City. They explain how home bartending, Sasha Petraske’s cocktail movement and Kansas City’s bar scene inspired them to transform a forgotten basement into a genuinely secret speakeasy. Guests enter through the funeral home before descending through a series of doors which naturally leads Francis to start planning his own funeral and cocktail party there. Andrew and Phil also share the stranger side of Til Death: an unplugged doorbell that mysteriously rang after an event, cocktails smoked in an urn and served on a casket, and the basement’s earlier life as a secret drinking spot. Beyond the novelty, Til Death has become a vehicle for giving back. Andrew and Phil discuss their work with Veterans Community Project, along with other charitable events, and explain how Til Death The Academy teaches cocktail enthusiasts to become more knowledgeable bar patrons. Guest Bio Andrew Loos and Phil Worden are the team behind Til Death The Speakeasy. Together with their families, they run cocktail events, Til Death The Academy and charity fundraisers beneath Andrew’s working funeral home.  Timestamps 00:00 The restaurant storefront that says “Go away” 05:45 Inside Til Death: a speakeasy beneath a working funeral home 13:00 Francis plans his own speakeasy funeral 15:00 Ghosts, an urn smoker and the basement’s secret drinking history 25:00 Turning cocktails into a charitable passion project 29:00 Veterans Community Project and the tiny-home model 37:00 Til Death The Academy  Info Veteran’s Community Project https://vcp.org/ Til Death https://tildeathkc.com/ Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

This is a Vintage episode from 2006. Why This Episode Matters Long before sustainable seafood became a mainstream restaurant conversation, Rick Moonen was pushing chefs and diners to think about where their fish came from and how it was caught.Moonen explains why cooking fish requires precision and why buying the freshest fish often means abandoning your shopping list and letting the market decide dinner.From beluga caviar to Chilean sea bass, the conversation shows how quickly popularity can put pressure on a species.And because this is The Restaurant Guys, a serious discussion about ocean conservation eventually leads to foie-gras potatoes and steaks stuffed with oysters.Banter Mark and Francis consider the economics of extraordinarily expensive restaurants and why a casino might happily operate one without worrying much about the restaurant itself making money. Naturally, this gives them an idea: put slot machines downstairs at their own restaurant. There is, unfortunately, the small matter of getting arrested. The Conversation Rick Moonen joins The Guys shortly after making the move from New York to Las Vegas, where RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay represented the biggest opportunity of his career. They talk about why seafood can be unforgiving to cook, Moonen's effort to make home cooks more comfortable preparing fish, and how to shop for seafood by looking at what's freshest rather than arriving at the market with a fixed plan. Then the conversation turns to sustainability. Moonen discusses the pressure on sturgeon and caviar, the enormous popularity of Chilean sea bass, and the responsibility chefs have when deciding what goes on their menus. His message extends to diners, too: ask where your seafood came from, ask how it was caught, and don't assume one person's choices don't matter. Finally, the conversation returns to the friendship between Moonen, Mark and Francis through their years in the Red Meat Club including one memorable cookout featuring potatoes cooked in foie gras fat and carpetbagger steaks stuffed with oysters. Guest Bio Rick Moonen is a chef best known for his work at The Water Club, Oceana and RM Seafood, as well as his longtime advocacy for responsible seafood sourcing. In this 2006 conversation, he was also working on his cookbook Seafood Without a Doubt. Timestamps 0:00 The price of luxury dining 5:30 Rick joins: leaving New York for Mandalay Bay 9:00 Why cooking fish intimidates home cooks 13:00 How to buy fresh fish and cook what's in the market 15:30 Sustainable seafood, caviar and Chilean sea bass 21:20 The Red Meat Club, responsible sourcing and an upscale cookout Info & Links Rick’s book Seafood Without a Doubt Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals-the-ocean/how-to-choose-sustainable-seafood/seafood-guidesPerry's Restaurants — Rick Moonen currently serves as Master Development ChefOct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

This is a Vintage episode from 2012. Why This Episode Matters Chef Paul Virant explains how preservation can extend truly seasonal cooking well beyond the growing season.Canning and pickling can deepen a restaurant's relationship with local farmers while creating new possibilities in the kitchen and behind the bar.Preserving peak-season ingredients isn't necessarily cheaper. The value comes from flavor, identity and having something uniquely your own.From pickled vegetables and aigre-doux to cocktail ingredients, preserves can become ingredients rather than simply condiments.Banter Mark Pascal and Francis Schott visit DeBragga & Spitler and get a hands-on look at dry-aged beef at different stages of the aging process. They talk about why properly aged meat costs more, what actually happens to a piece of beef as it ages, and why tasting and comparing things side by side is one of the best ways to learn. The Conversation Chef Paul Virant joins Mark and Francis to talk about The Preservation Kitchen and the preservation program that became a signature of his acclaimed restaurant Vie. For Paul, preserving wasn't simply about opening a jar of pickles alongside a dish. Brines, pickled vegetables, preserved fruits and sweet-and-sour preparations became building blocks in his cooking adding acidity, contrast and unexpected flavor to everything from roasted meats to cocktails. The conversation explores the practical side of cooking seasonally in places like Chicago and New Jersey, where the growing season doesn't last all year. Paul and the Guys discuss buying directly from farmers, preserving crops when they're at their peak, reducing waste and creating a restaurant pantry that reflects the local harvest long after summer is over. They also get into the economics. Preserving food takes ingredients, jars, storage and substantial labor, and it often costs more than simply buying a commercial product. The payoff is something different: exceptional ingredients captured at their best, stronger relationships with farmers and food that belongs uniquely to your restaurant. Also: home winemaking gone wrong, preserving fruit with spirits, using every drop of a pickling brine, and Paul's beer-jam Manhattan made with Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. Guest Bio Paul Virant is an acclaimed Chicago-area chef known for his focus on seasonal Midwestern ingredients, preservation and relationships with local farmers. His restaurant Vie earned a Michelin star and operated in Western Springs, Illinois, for 19 years before closing in 2023. Virant currently operates Petite Vie in Western Springs, Vistro Prime in Hinsdale and Gaijin in Chicago. He is the author, with Kate Leahy, of The Preservation Kitchen: The Craft of Making and Cooking with Pickles, Preserves, and Aigre-doux, originally published in 2012. Timestamps 00:00 Dry-aged beef and why artisan food costs more  05:45 Paul Virant on preserving the seasons  11:30 How preserves become part of the cooking  15:30 Working with farmers and preserving the harvest  17:45 Beer-jam Manhattans and unexpected uses for preserves  25:45 Why preserving isn’t cheaper, yet it’s still worth doing Info Paul’s book The Preservation Kitchen Paul Virant with Kate Leahy Paul’s Places (all in Illinois) Petite Vie  Vistro Prime  Gaijin Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

Why This Episode Matters Nicholas Harary explains why he chose to reinvent one of New Jersey’s most acclaimed fine-dining restaurants before the business forced him to.A surprisingly technical look at what separates great ice cream from mediocre ice cream: butterfat, overrun, and the cold chain.Nicholas, Mark Pascal and Francis Schott debate whether traditional fine dining is dead or simply evolving.The conversation turns to Michelin: what its stars mean today, how the Guide’s expansion model complicates perceptions of independence, and why restaurateurs should always focus on the customers in the room.Banter Mark and Francis return from Sonoma with stories from Paul Hobbs’ 35th anniversary, smoke drifting across wine country and conversations with winemakers about what actually causes smoke taint. They make it onto Martinelli’s famously steep Jackass Hill where tasting zinfandel grapes directly from vines behind a wine he has loved for decades proves considerably more appealing than actually working a harvest. The Conversation Nicholas Harary and his wife, Melissa, opened Restaurant Nicholas in 2000 and spent two decades building it into one of New Jersey’s defining fine-dining restaurants. But Nicholas had already begun another chapter. What started in 2018 as a small seasonal ice cream shop where their kids might work became Nicholas Creamery. On opening weekend, police were directing traffic while Nicholas realized the 300 gallons of ice cream they had made weren’t going to be enough. That leads to a deep dive into ice cream: why controlling temperature matters, why Nicholas had a freezer truck custom-built, how butterfat and overrun affect quality, and what happens when you melt different commercial ice creams side by side. Nicholas also explains the elaborate process behind flavors such as bourbon barrel-aged coffee chocolate chunk. Then the conversation moves from ice cream to reinvention. Even after Restaurant Nicholas had its best year, Nicholas could see diners changing. Rather than gradually dilute what the restaurant had been, he closed it and rebuilt the concept as the much more casual Nicholas Barrel & Roost. His philosophy is simple: if your business looks exactly the same five years from now, you may have a problem. Nicholas, Mark and Francis debate whether the version of fine dining they grew up with is gone and what has replaced it. They ask what gets lost when restaurants begin designing for the camera as much as the diner. Finally, they tackle the Michelin Guide from changing definitions of a Michelin-worthy restaurant to the financial arrangements used to bring Michelin into new markets before Nicholas offers his advice to younger chefs: concentrate on the people inside your restaurant, not the people outside talking about it. Guest Bio Nicholas Harary is the chef and restaurateur behind Nicholas Barrel & Roost, Nicholas Creamery and Nicholas Wines. He and his wife Melissa opened Restaurant Nicholas in 2000; during its 20-year run, the restaurant received an “extraordinary” from The New York Times Harary later transformed the space into the more casual Nicholas Barrel & Roost while expanding Nicholas Creamery across New Jersey. Timestamps 00:00 Sonoma, smoke taint and Jackass Hill 08:08 Nicholas Harary joins the Guys 09:50 How Nicholas Creamery unexpectedly took off 14:40 Why the cold chain matters for great ice cream 17:00 Butterfat, overrun and what you're really paying for 21:05 Jersey flavors and bourbon barrel-aged coffee ice cream 23:30 Why Nicholas walked away from fine dining at its peak 28:25 Is fine dining dying or just changing? 34:45 What does a Michelin star mean now? 42:15 Michelin, Sysco and the appearance of impartiality Info Nicholas Barrel and Roost https://www.barrelandroost.com/ Nicholas Creamery https://www.nicholascreamery.com/ Nicholas Wines https://www.nicholaswines.com/ Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

You’re hearing a preview of this subscriber bonus episode. Restaurant Guys’ Regulars can hear the full episode, plus other commercial-free bonus episodes, at  restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com . This is a Vintage episode from 2006. Why This Episode Matters Why one of the world's most prized ingredients commands extraordinary prices.How truffle cultivation began challenging the romantic image of hunters searching the woods with trained dogs.Why aroma, scarcity and spectacle are as important to the allure of truffles as flavor.What happens when restaurants get their hands on thousands of dollars' worth of an ingredient that doesn't stay fresh for long.Banter Mark Pascal and Francis Schott begin with a tale of New Jersey lobster justice that makes Maine's system of informal fishing rules look positively genteel. A territorial dispute involving lobster pots somehow progresses to gunfire, arson and a neighboring boat unfortunately parked in the wrong slip. Then, reports of people eating, and even cooking and driving, while asleep lead Mark to identify the true indignity: consuming thousands of calories without even getting to remember the meal. The Conversation Food writer Jane Black joins Mark and Francis after traveling through Spain to report on the changing world of truffles. The romantic picture is familiar: a hunter and his dog wandering through the woods in search of an elusive underground treasure. What Jane found instead were truffle orchards, inoculated trees and farmers trying to turn an unpredictable delicacy into a viable agricultural business. They explore why truffles became so scarce and expensive, how a former peasant food became one of dining's ultimate luxury ingredients, and why their remarkable aroma may matter more than their actual taste. Jane and the Guys also get into the sensual reputation of truffles, the theater of shaving them tableside and the questionable proliferation of truffle oil. Then come the cautionary tales: an enormously valuable white truffle purchased at a charity auction that was locked in a safe and allowed to rot, and Francis's considerably more personal horror story about a chef who received thousands of dollars' worth of beautiful fresh truffles—and immediately preserved them in oil. 2026 update: At the time of this conversation, successful cultivation of the prized Italian white truffle (Tuber magnatum) remained elusive. Researchers have since documented controlled production of the species in a French orchard. Guest Bio Jane Black is a food journalist who covers food, culture, politics and sustainability. At the time of this interview, she was food editor at Boston Magazine and had written for publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, BusinessWeek and Newsweek International. She later became a staff writer at The Washington Post and co-host of the James Beard Award-winning podcast Pressure Cooker. Timestamps 0:00 New Jersey vigilante lobster justice 4:35 Sleep eating, Ambien and forgotten calories 7:20 Jane Black enters the changing world of truffles 12:00 How truffles went from peasant food to luxury 15:00 Why truffles smell like sex—and why aroma matters 22:20 The $35,000 truffle disaster, Francis’s truffle tragedy and the future of cultivation Info Jane’s article on truffles “Cultivating a Mystique,” The New York Times (2006)  Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]

This is a Vintage compilation from 2010. Why This Episode Matters A Real Housewives of New Jersey cookbook introduces one particularly memorable piece of dietary advice: avoid “stripper food.”“Juicy bits from Joe” require Mark to summon his Nutley Italian accent. Things deteriorate from there. A New York Times story about changing bachelor parties sparks a conversation about great food, excessive drinking and what actually makes a night memorable.Then come the restaurant stories: security deposits, chicken suits, and three unexpected strippers.The Conversation Mark Pascal and Francis Schott find the ridiculous side of food, restaurants and the ways people celebrate. First, a cookbook associated with The Real Housewives of New Jersey offers some reasonable food advice and one rule Mark and Francis are unlikely to forget: never eat anything that could also be a stripper’s name. Cookie, Candy and Cupcake quickly lead to Bambi, Bunny and the question of what Michael Pollan would make of all this. Then a story about increasingly food-focused bachelor parties gets them talking about why a great meal might be more memorable than the traditional blowout. Naturally, this leads to their own restaurant experience including a three-page rulebook that clearly existed for a reason and a bachelor party that somehow acquired three strippers from elsewhere in the building. Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! [email protected]