The Restaurant Guys

This is a Vintage Selection from 2012.The BanterThe Guys talk about The Balkans International Wine Competition and the implementation of Wine Diplomacy. Hear the Balkan wine suggestions you didn’t know you needed.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys are joined by Johnny Schuler from his vineyards in Peru. He runs the oldest working distillery in the Americas that is both state-of-the-art and traditional to create the classic pisco that has been made there for centuries (yes, centuries!). The Inside TrackThe Guys came across Johnny when they were learning about his beloved pisco. Both Peruvians are unique and something you want to have in your restaurant.“My argument that pisco is for friendship, pisco is for drinking pisco is for conversation,” Johnny Schuler on The Restaurant Guys 2012BioJohnny Schuler is one of the world’s leading ambassadors of Peruvian pisco. A restaurateur, distiller, and TV host, he’s best known for guiding audiences through the history, craft, and culture of Peru’s national spirit on the hit television series “Por Las Rutas del Pisco”.As master distiller at Pisco Portón / La Caravedo, Schuler helped introduce premium Peruvian pisco to a global audience. For more than 20 years, Johnny has played an integral role in rallying government ministries and the private sector to regulate the Pisco industry in Peru. The Peruvian Congress awarded Johnny the Medal of Honor.InfoCaravedo Piscohttps://www.caravedopisco.com/hacienda-la-caravedoBook Johnny mentionedThe Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld by Herbert AsburySubscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our 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.comFollow us on Instagram @restaurantguyspodcast

The BanterThe Guys discuss a restaurant experience that let the rabbit out the hat.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys catch up with buddy Jeff Bell to discuss the bar scene in New York. From humble beginnings as a barback at PDT to owning it and several other of the coolest places in NYC, Jeff tells about his experiences of becoming a business owner, including (the requisite) major disaster during his first year. The Inside TrackThe Guys have known Jeff for years and were taken by his wisdom of bartending preparing him for fatherhood. “ Being a bartender for years is just absolutely great training for parenthood. There is this volatility you get from people drinking [of] the highs and lows where they can just start laughing for no reason or crying for no reason… or have a bodily fluid mistake,” Jeff Bell on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioJeff Bell has been bartending and running bars for over 15 years. At Please Don’t Tell (commonly known as PDT) in the East Village of NYC, he started as a bar-back, worked his way up to head bartender and, eventually, owner. He is also a managing partner in PDT Hong Kong.In 2025, Jeff co-launched a new venture: a bar concept called Mixteca, an agave-forward cocktail bar in the West Village. The concept is rooted in tequila and mezcal. He will be opening Kees bar, a different concept in the same location, later this year.He also was in charge of restoring Peacock Alley in the Waldorf Astoria to “its original grandeur” reviving the space and cocktail offerings from the hotel’s rich historyThroughout his tenure at PDT Jeff has earned numerous accolades including Spirited Award: American Bartender of the Year 2017.InfoMixteca bar, NYChttps://cocteleriamixteca.com/Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our 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.comFollow us on Instagram @restaurantguyspodcast

This is a Vintage Selection from 2012The BanterThe Guys talk about a taste of the military that they would have rather not had and what they will be doing to make it up to our U.S. service members. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys spill the tea with Sebastian Beckwith, tea master, tea lover and tea educator. Topics include the complexities of tea service in fine dining, the nuances of different tea types and the aging and infusion of teas. Sebastian also shares his personal journey into the world of tea.The Inside TrackThe Guys visited Sebastian to have a tea experience as well as an education. Here is how Sebastian relates it to one of their other favorite beverages. “I would just talk about the parallels with wine. All wine comes from one grape, different varietals. All the vintners are doing different things. Same with the tea plant, the Camellia sinensis plant. Many different varietals and many aspects of terroir and then the craftsmanship and people that make the tea,” Sebastian Beckwith on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2012 BioSebastian Beckwith was a trekking guide in Bhutan and northern India, he first fell in love with tea. Since founding the company, he has returned to Asia several times each year, tasting and selecting leaves that are served at some of the finest restaurants in the country, including New York City's Eleven Madison Park, Daniel and Gramercy Tavern. He has lectured at Columbia University with integrative health expert Dr. Andrew Weil, and has led educational seminars on tea at The French Culinary Institute, the Institute of Culinary Education, and The American Museum of Natural History. In 2018, he published A Little Tea Book, a pocket guide to the wide world of tea.Info In Pursuit of Teahttps://inpursuitoftea.com/Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our 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.comFollow us on Instagram @restaurantguyspodcast

The BanterThe Guys look a gift horse in the mouth….and it was delicious!The ConversationsThe Restaurant Guys catch up with more fun people at the Southern Smoke Festival 2025 in Houston, TX in their third episode recorded on locationJoaquin Rodas’s passion was ignited by his work in Chicago and being inspired by some great New Orleans chefs, he made his way to Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits in New Orleans where wine paired with great food and music elevate the experience. Colby Rasavong is the Executive Chef of Bad Idea, an East Nashville restaurant serving Lao-French cuisine that was named one of the Best Restaurants in America by the New York Times in 2024 and a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in the 2025 James Beard Awards.Caroline Schiff is an award-winning Chef and cookbook author based in Brooklyn, NY. She was named a Food and Wine Best New Chef ’22 and is a James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef Finalist. She is currently working on writing her second cookbook Daily Dessert with aspirations to bring her first restaurant to life- a classic diner. Lee Anne Wong is an acclaimed chef, restaurateur, and TV personality best known for her standout run on Top Chef (Season 1) and her culinary leadership in destination-worthy kitchens from New York to Hawaiʻi. After early roles at culinary icons like Jean-Georges and Melia Meliá, she helped launch the original Top Chef empire as a supervising culinary producer. Lee Anne later moved to Hawaiʻi, where she opened the popular Koko Head Café.Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our 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.comFollow us on Instagram @restaurantguyspodcast

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005The Conversation with ChrisThe Restaurant Guys talk with Chris Cree, Master of Wine, about the challenges of being among the first to earn that degree and the only person in NJ. Chris talks about running his wine shop and how he educates and encourages the public to dive into the world of wine.The Conversation with JohnThe Restaurant Guys speak with chef, wine director, professor and friend John Fischer. Given his many positions including teacher, he is well-experienced in the topic of his book  At Your Service which describes how to run a professional dining room. From emergencies to the divide between the front and back of the house, John covers it all.Bio Chris Cree is a Master of Wine and one of New Jersey’s most respected wine authorities. With more than four decades in the industry, Chris has worked in nearly every facet of the wine world: from retail and importing to education and consulting. A New Jersey native, he’s the founder of Cree Wine Company in Hampton, where he curates exceptional wines from around the globe and leads tastings that make the world of wine accessible and engaging. Chris continues to champion great producers and demystify fine wine for all who love it.John FischerAfter graduating Culinary Institute of America, John worked in several prestigious NYC restaurants from The Rainbow Room to Manhattan Ocean Club to Mondrian. He returned to CIA to teach in 2000, wrote his book At Your Service in 2005 and recently retired. InfoChris Creehttps://www.creewine.com/John’s bookAt Your Service: A Hands‑On Guide to the Professional Dining RoomFind out more about CIAciachef.eduSubscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our 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.comFollow us on Instagram @restaurantguyspodcast

The Banter The Guys discuss the benefits of tip pooling and the mystery of cheek pinching. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome back sommelier Aldo Sohm who’s mission is to pair wine with food, but also people with wine they will enjoy. The three discuss the joy of connecting all of the pieces of that puzzle. Aldo shares his insights on wine pairing, recounting the development of his new book, Wine Simple, Perfect Pairings.The Inside TrackThe Guys have known Aldo for years, first having him on the show in 2008, and have been long-time admirers. They all agree that stepping into their respective dining rooms is daily pleasure.“ I'm very, very fortunate because I found in a very early stage of my life what I love to do the most, and that was my hobby back then, and it's now my job, but I've never worked a day,” Aldo Sohm on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioAldo Sohm is an award-winning sommelier, author, and wine director at the three-Michelin-starred Le Bernardin in New York City, where he has overseen one of the world’s most celebrated wine programs since 2007. Named Best Sommelier in Austria four times and Best Sommelier in the World in 2008 by the World Sommelier Association, He has been awarded M. Chapoutier prize for the Best Sommelier of Les Grandes Tables du Monde in 2019 and Wine Spectator’s Grand Award for Le Bernardin's restaurant wine program in 2021.He is founder of the acclaimed Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, and a collaborator with Zalto glassware and Bäuerl Vineyards in Austria.He has a TV series "An Austrian Wine Journey"He is the co-author of Wine Simple and his newest Wine Simple Pairings to be released in November 2025InfoAldo’s bookWine Simple, Perfect PairingsBy Aldo Sohm and Christine Muhlkehttps://aldosohm.com/collections/bookSubscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our 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.comFollow us on Instagram @restaurantguyspodcast

This show was recorded on location at the Southern Smoke Festival in Houston,  October 2025Angie Rito & Scott Tacinelli met working in NYC at Park Avenue Seasons. In 2018, they opened their special neighborhood spot Don Angie. Angie and Scott garnered a nomination for Best Chef: New York City and New York State by the James Beard Foundation in both 2019 and 2020, respectively, and Outstanding Chef 2022. Don Angie was also awarded a Michelin star in 2021 and 2022. In 2024, they opened their second restaurant San Sabino.Lucas McKinney moved to Houston in 2018 to work under James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd with Underbelly Hospitality. A proud steward of Gulf Coast ingredients and an ardent supporter of agriculture and aquaculture, working with local purveyors, farmers and conservationists.He is the Executive Chef at Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition in Midtown Houston. Felipe Riccio & Austin WaiterFelipe  With a mother of Spanish heritage and father from Naples, Italy, Mexico native Felipe Riccio moved to Houston as a teenager and began working in kitchens as a high schooler. He has staged in Italy and New York.Riccio moved back to America to join Goodnight Hospitality as chef/partner, for restaurants Rosie Cannonball and March, which was named a 2021 Best New Restaurant by Esquire. In 2022, Riccio was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best: Chef Texas. Austin After attending CIA he started as a line cook at Houston’s Tony’s and rose until he attained Executive Chef in 2017. He joined Goodnight Hospitality in January 2022 as Executive Chef and Partner for their highly anticipated restaurant, The Marigold Club.Chris ShepherdAfter nearly a decade working in the city’s high-end culinary scene, Chris Shepherd launched Underbelly, a restaurant concept designed to celebrate Houston’s uncelebrated cultures. Chris has been honored with a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest and two James Beard nominations for Underbelly. Along with his team, he runs the Southern Smoke Festival. Infohttps://southernsmoke.org/Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our 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.comFollow us on Instagram @restaurantguyspodcast

This show was recorded on location at the Southern Smoke Festival in Houston,  October 2025Aaron Bludorn began his journey at Culinary Institute of America (CIA) which led to a prosperous career working under the country’s most celebrated chefs including Michelin-starred Chef Douglas Keene and Daniel Boulud. While working as Executive Chef in Manhattan’s Café Boulud and was cast in Netflix’s blockbuster culinary competition show, The Final Table. That same year, he was honored by Star Chefs when he earned New York City’s Rising Star Community Chef Award. In 2019, the Bludorns moved to Houston and in 2020, they opened the eponymous restaurant, Bludorn. In the fall of 2022, he opened his second restaurant, seafood inspired, Navy Blue, followed by Bar Bludorn in March 2024, and most recently, Perseid, which opened in January of this year inside of Hotel Saint Augustine.Rebecca Masson is Houston’s own “Sugar Fairy,” a renowned pastry chef and owner/operator of H-Town’s Fluff Bake Bar. The Wyoming native cut her teeth at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and started her career in New York, where she became head pastry chef at The Red Cat under Chef Jimmy Bradley. After arriving in Houston she worked with chefs like Charles Clark and Southern Smoke Foundation’s own Chris Shepherd, before opening Fluff in 2011. That same year, she competed in the second season of Top Chef: Just DessertsKyle Knall Kyle is the Culinary Director at Stone Bank Farms and Chef and Co-Owner of Birch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which he runs with his wife and business partner, Meghan Knall. At Birch, Kyle spotlights ingredients sourced exclusively from the region in an open-hearth setting while prioritizing delicious, honest cooking and sustainability. Kyle and Meghan’s next concept is Cassis, a French bistro opening in the Third Ward in fall 2025.His work has earned impressive accolades, including a semi-finalist nomination for “Best Chef:Midwest” (2024, 2025) and “Outstanding Chef” (2022) by the James Beard Foundation and a nod for Birch on The New York Times coveted list of the best restaurants in America, “The Restaurant List.”InfoThe Southern Smoke Foundationhttps://southernsmoke.org/Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our 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.comFollow us on Instagram @restaurantguyspodcast

This is a Vintage Selection from 2012The BanterThe Guys taste something new and unusual.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys hear a revolutionary idea from Jim Lahey of how to make not only bread, but pizza dough with his no-knead method. Jim discusses the obstacles many folks face while baking at home and his suggestions to overcome them so you, too, can make great pizza!The Inside TrackThe Guys hear what Jim really thinks about a typical pizza.“Most of the dough and our notion of pizza that's out there is really bad. Industrialized. Hopeless. Sad. You could say the pizza lacks self-esteem. The Pizza Mafia is probably planning a hit on me,” Jim Lahey on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2012BioJim Lahey is the founder of Sullivan Street Bakery and a pioneering force in modern breadmaking. Trained in Italy, Lahey introduced his signature “no-knead bread” method in The New York Times, sparking a global home-baking movement. His slow-fermentation techniques, minimalist approach, and unwavering commitment to craft have influenced chefs, bakers, and culinary programs around the world. InfoJim’s booksMy BreadMy PizzaThe Sullivan Street Bakery CookbookSullivan Street Bakery Celebrates 30 Yearshttps://w42st.com/post/three-decades-of-dough-how-sullivan-street-bakery-became-a-nyc-institution/Bar Hill GinSubscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our 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.comFollow us on Instagram @restaurantguyspodcast

The BanterThe Guys talk about restaurant upselling and how NOT to do it like a sleazy car salesman.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk with friend Ryan DePersio about wins, losses, and marine borers. Ryan believes teamwork and tenacity are keys to surviving and thriving in this industry.Inside TrackThe Guys served Ryan at their restaurant before he became a chef!“My parents were taking us to New York City once or twice a year, and eating at Gotham Bar and Grill and Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Cafe. At that point, I felt like I was only getting that experience at those restaurants in Manhattan. And then I ate at Stage Left and I felt the same thing I felt at a place like Gotham Bar and Grill.It really was a core memory for me of upscale dining and refined service and caring about what was going on the plate. That was 30 years ago,” Ryan DePersio on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioChef Ryan DePersio is the culinary force behind New Jersey spots Fascino, Kitchen Step, Battello and Ember & Eagle. Known for his “Italian without borders” style, DePersio blends classic technique with modern flair, earning critical and loyal guest acclaim. A James Beard–recognized chef, he’s helped shape New Jersey’s dining scene with his refined yet approachable cuisine.InfoBattellohttps://www.battellojc.com/Ember & Eaglehttps://www.emberandeagle.com/Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our 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.comFollow us on Instagram @restaurantguyspodcast