The Restaurant Guys

 The BanterThe Guys talk about the chef trend to put inedible items on the plate. Spoiler: it’s not a good idea.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys are thrilled to meet Gael Greene, restaurant journalist and bon vivant! She coined the term “foodie.” Gael shares some of the details from 32 years as a food writer and beyond (including a few famous lovers). The Inside TrackThe Guys didn’t know Gael before this show, but they got along so well they ended up dining out with her! Like them, she never wants the party to stop. “ I firmly believe that on my deathbed I will still be doing this and my last words will be, ‘Bring on dessert’,” Gael Greene on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006 BioGael Greene Greene became food reporter at New York soon after its launch, in fall 1968 as the magazine's "insatiable critic" until 2000. She began her own website, InsatiableCritic.com, but continued as a columnist until 2008. In 2006, she released Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess,  Her other books include Delicious Sex; Bite: A New York Restaurant Strategy for Hedonists, Masochists, Selective Penny Pinchers and the Upwardly Mobile and Sex and the College Girl.In 1981 she co-founded Citymeals-on-Wheels, along with James Beard, to help fund weekend and holiday meals for homebound elderly people in New York City. Greene received many awards for her work with Citymeals and in 1992 was honored as Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation. She was the winner of the International Association of Cooking Professionals' magazine writing award (2000) and a Silver Spoon from Food Arts magazine.InfoGael’s book:Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious ExcessGael’s websitehttp://insatiable-critic.com/Default.aspx The NJ Wine & Food Festival @ Crystal Springs May 1-3The Restaurant Guys will be podcasting from there May 2. Come see us!https://shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/14th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festivalOur PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

The BanterThe Guys talk about a new trend in martinis that’s “super-cool.”The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys reconnect with Anthony Giglio, food writer, wine lecturer, and expert on many things. They do some reminiscing, talk about the evolution of restaurant reviews and the best way to present “fancy pants” topics to people. Don’t miss an opportunity to win some of Anthony’s Side Gig Supersalt!The Inside TrackThe Guys met Anthony in the 1990s. As they became friends, he chose to stop reviewing their restaurant. Mark: I'd much rather be your friend than then have you be the guy who reviews me.Francis: I'd rather have a friend with integrity than than a reviewer in my pocket so kudos to you, man  Anthony: And look at all worked out. We’re still talking 30 years later.Francis: By the way and those magazines and those restaurants are all probably out of business by now so here we are! All you have to do is outlive your enemies and everything works out great. Anthony Giglio on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024BioAnthony Giglio began as a food writer and restaurant reviewer and is an authority in many topics in the food and beverage industry and beyond. He is Wine Director for the American Express Centurion Global Lounge Networks, a longtime Contributing Editor to FOOD & WINE Magazine. He authored 11 books on wine, cocktails and travel, including the annual FOOD & WINE Wine Guide, Mr. Boston’s Official Bartender’s Guide, He has been speaking at FOOD & WINE Festival in Aspen for 28 years as well as other festivals around the country. He is a lecturer, teacher, leader and expert in wine and wine education.InfoAnthony’s Sitehttps://www.anthonygiglio.com/The NJ Wine & Food Festival @ Crystal Springs May 1-3The Restaurant Guys will be podcasting from there May 2. Come see us!https://shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/14th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festivalOur PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

The BanterThe Guys find humor in the imitation Twinkie kit marketed to families. Just let ‘em eat cake!The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys hear all about chef Patrick O’Connell’s extreme measures to heighten the guest experience at The Inn at Little Washington. He tries to view everything from the arrival to the meal to how they will speak about the visit through the eyes of the patron and crafts an unparalleled sojourn in his oasis in Virginia. The Inside TrackThe Guys have stayed at Patrick O’Connell’s Inn at Little Washington and couldn’t have enjoyed it more. It is a thrill to get a peek behind the curtain of how he creates an individualized ultimate dining fantasy for each guest.“And you find that you can't just create one fantasy. You have to intuit what the guest's fantasy is and deliver that and even raise the bar give them something beyond which they imagined could happen,” Patrick O’Connell on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006BioAlong with Reinhardt Lynch, he began a catering business in 1972 in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. In 1978, O'Connell and Lynch opened the Inn at Little Washington in an abandoned gas station. O'Connell was one of the first American chefs courted by the France-based Relais & Chateaux. He is recognized as one of their "Grands Chefs" (formerly the designation was "Relais Gourmands" referring to establishments of two Michelin Star quality or better). He has won numerous awards including Outstanding Chef in America in 2001 and Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region in 1993, both awarded by the James Beard Foundation. In 2019, he was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a member of the American Culinary Federation and was inducted into the ACF Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2019, O'Connell was awarded the National Humanities Medal.InfoInn at Little Washingtonhttps://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/Patrick’s bookPatrick O’Connell’s Refined American CuisineTrue Imitations of the Real McCoyBrendan L. CornerNYT 12 Feb 2006 The NJ Wine & Food Festival @ Crystal Springs May 1-3The Restaurant Guys will be podcasting from there May 2. Come see us!https://shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/14th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festivalOur PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

The BanterThe Guys talk about their meals at home and, unsurprisingly, they are persnickety. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys reconnect with award-winning Head Mixologist of The Bar at the Connaught Hotel in London, Giorgio Bargiani. Giorgio describes some of the specialties Connaught Bar is known for, but it’s difficult to capture what makes it so magical. They discuss Giorgio’s path to the Connaught Bar and how rewarding creating memories can be. The Inside TrackThe Guys have been to Connaught Bar many times and have had the pleasure of being hosted by Giorgio.  Giorgio believes that the road to being excellent is consistency.“ Excellent is very much related to consistency. If you do something well you are doing something extraordinary for one day, because life goes on, people tend to forget, but when you are consistent. We provide an experience that is always unique for our guests, and we never compromise on who we are. We never compromise on what we do. We have  a style of doing things that never sells out to others,” Giorgio Bargiani on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024BioGiorgio Bargiani is a celebrated mixologist who has risen to international acclaim as the Head Mixologist at The Connaught Bar in London. In 2014, Giorgio joined The Connaught Bar team under the mentorship of master mixologist Agostino Perrone, he began as a bar back and was promoted to head mixologist in 2019. The Connaught Bar has been repeatedly recognized as one of the world’s best bars.Among many other awards and recognition, Giorgio won the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best International Bar Team (with Agostino Perrone) in 2020 and International  Bartender of the Year in 2023. Along with Perrone and Maura Millia have written a Cocktail Recipe book The Connaught Bar, Recipes and Iconic Creations.InfoGiorgio’s BookThe Connaught Bar: Cocktail Recipes and Iconic CreationsLondon Bar RecommendationsConnaught Bar, Kwant, SwiftThe NJ Wine & Food Festival @ Crystal Springs May 1-3The Restaurant Guys will be podcasting from there May 2. Come see us!https://shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/14th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festivalOur PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys finally meet chef Floyd Cardoz of the acclaimed Tabla restaurant in New York City. Floyd talks about his experiences that brought him to where he is today and how he melded cuisines of India and the ingredients available in the New York region to create the first New York Times three-star Indian-fusion restaurant. The Inside TrackThe Guys are huge fans of Floyd and later they became friends. Floyd’s passing in 2020 was a loss to them both professionally and personally. He left a legacy of passion for his craft and his heritage.“Everything I put on my menu is not created from my head. It's all created from my heart. It's related to an experience I've had in the past, something I've eaten in the past, something I've seen in India. So everything I do has a story attached to it,” Floyd Cardoz on The Restaurant Guys 2005BioFloyd Cardoz was born in India and received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry before exploring culinary school and moving to New York City in 1988. After working with chef Gray Kunz at Lespinasse he began working for Union Square Hospitality Group. He collaborated with Danny Myer to open Tabla in 1998. Cardoz was a four-time James Beard Award nominee and the author of two cookbooks. He is winner of season 3 of Top Chef Masters.  He was named among the "Top 50 Most Influential Global Indians" by GQ Magazine in 2011. InfoCardoz Legacyhttps://cardozlegacy.com/floyds-restaurants/tablaThe NJ Wine & Food Festival @ Crystal Springs May 1-3The Restaurant Guys will be podcasting from there May 2. Come see us!https://shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/14th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festivalOur PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

The BanterThe Guys talk about elevating their town’s New Year’s Eve celebration and mishaps of New Year’s Eves past. We are grateful for your support of the re-launch of The Restaurant Guys Podcast and wish you wonderful things in 2025! Happy New Year!The NJ Wine & Food Festival @ Crystal Springs May 1-3The Restaurant Guys will be podcasting from there May 2. Come see us!https://shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/14th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festivalOur PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

This is just a teaser from a bonus episode for our subscribers. If you'd like to become a Restaurant Guys' Regular and listen to the entire episode and other commercial-free episodes, subscribe herehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeThis is a Vintage Selection from 2008The BanterThe Guys host their last terrestrial radio show in 2008 by taking calls from their audience, revisiting meaningful topics and giving away things! Hear what the long-time listeners have to say about The Restaurant Guys.The NJ Wine & Food Festival @ Crystal Springs May 1-3The Restaurant Guys will be podcasting from there May 2. Come see us!https://shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/14th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festivalOur PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

This is a Vintage Selection from 2011The BanterThe Guys discuss a New York Times Review from their newly opened Catherine Lombardi restaurant. They are pleased because they met their expectations, if not their aspirations. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome author Robert Tinnell to talk about his graphic novel The Feast of the Seven Fishes. It’s a tale of an Italian-American hosting Christmas Eve and bringing a newcomer to the spectacular dinner. Robert shares the impetus for writing this book and his dream (that came to fruition in 2018).The Inside TrackThe Guys have attended many Italian-American Christmas eves. Mark has experienced them his entire life and Francis joined in once he saw the magic. Robert and Mark compare notes on their varied experiences with big Italian-American families and the feast of the seven fishes.“There's a growing disconnect when you get three, four, five generations,  removed from the original immigrants, who themselves were just gung ho about becoming Americans. I'm happy to be a good American, but there's just a lot of wonderful things about my Italian heritage I'd like not to lose,” Robert Tinnell on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2011BioRobert Tinnell is a director, producer, and graphic novelist. Robert directed such films as Feast of the Seven Fishes (2019), Frankenstein and Me (1996), and Kids of the Round Table (1995). His producer credits include Back Fork (2019), The Hunted (2013) and Surf Nazis Must Die (1987).His graphic novel writing includes Flesh and Blood, The Living and The Dead, The Black Forest, The Wicked West, and the Eisner Award Nominee Feast of the Seven Fishes.InfoGraphic NovelFeast of the Seven FishesMovieFeast of the Seven Fishes (2018)The NJ Wine & Food Festival @ Crystal Springs May 1-3The Restaurant Guys will be podcasting from there May 2. Come see us!https://shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/14th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festivalOur PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

This show is ad-free. Happy Holidays!The BanterThe Guys talk about toys around the tree, special holiday foods and new traditions that began with their restaurant families. However you celebrate or don’t, enjoy time with family and friends during this season and always. The NJ Wine & Food Festival @ Crystal Springs May 1-3The Restaurant Guys will be podcasting from there May 2. Come see us!https://shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/14th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festivalOur PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

 This is a vintage selection from 2006The BanterThe Guys talk about Long Island wines and what the future may hold. When is a wine like a snarky adolescent? The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys have Colman Andrews, editor-in-chief of Saveur magazine, to talk about the often unsung region of Campbeltown scotch. Colman goes over the broad strokes then gets into the nitty gritty details of what makes scotch so varied and gives it a sense of place. He also gives his thoughts about the next big beverage on the horizon. Was he correct?The Inside TrackThe Guys and Colman are in agreement about the culture and traditions around food and beverage being an integral part of the enjoyment. Colman wrote, “I like the trappings of imbibing, the company it keeps, the restaurants and cafes and bars and the people who gather in them. I drink, frankly, because I like the glow, the softening of hard edges, the faint anesthesia. I like the way my mind races one zigzag step ahead of logic. I like that flash flood of the unexpected, utter joy that courses quickly through me between this glass and that one.”Mark: Did you really say that? Colman: I must have been drinking when I wrote that.  -Colman Andrews on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006BioColman Andrews started off as a restaurant reviewer. He went on to write for lifestyle magazines, guest review for the Los Angeles Times and served as senior editor for New West magazine. In 1994, Andrews became a co-founder of Saveur magazine and later editor-in-chief. During his tenure, Andrews won six James Beard Journalism Awards, and in 2000, Saveur became the first food magazine to win the American Society of Magazine Editors' award for General Excellence. He left Saveur in 2006, becoming the restaurant columnist for Gourmet where Reichl was editor-in-chief.He has written numerous cookbooks captivating the cuisine of specific regions and cultures (Catalan, The Riviera, Ireland, Italy, etc) as well as a book about Ferran Adria.InfoSaveur magazinehttps://www.saveur.com/To get the recipe for Caipirinha, email TheGuys@RestaurantGuysPodcast.comThe NJ Wine & Food Festival @ Crystal Springs May 1-3The Restaurant Guys will be podcasting from there May 2. Come see us!https://shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/14th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festivalOur PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com