The Restaurant Guys

The BanterThe Guys chat about the fact that sometimes you have to put on pants.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys and Antonia Lofaso bond over common experiences such as using donuts to get through the 14 hour days of opening a new restaurant. The most recent champion of Tournament of Champions talks about kitchen fires, chefwear and how it feels to impress chefs she admires. The Inside TrackThe Guys find a soulmate in Antonia Lofaso. All of them value hard work and loyalty that they have been fortunate enough to find in their staff. “So many great chefs that have worked with me have started as dishwashers, busboys line cooks, prep guys have all come up through the ranks and now run the restaurants.That's the way all the restaurants have been built. The loyalty of them staying with me and wanting to produce great food day after day, started with a culture that I built in the restaurants,” Antonia Lofaso on The Restaurant Guys 2025BioAntonia Lofaso is a chef and co-owner of Black Market Liquor Bar, Scopa Italian Roots, and DAMA in Los Angeles and The Local Peasant in Woodland Hills and Sherman Oaks. She has been in numerous television shows including competing on several iterations of Top Chef and Tournament of Champions, and judging on Cutthroat Kitchen. She was featured in the documentaries  Restaurant Hustle 2020: All On The Line, and its sequel Restaurant Hustle 2021: Back In Business about how the COVID-19 crisis impacted restaurants. InfoAntonia’s restaurants and chefwearhttps://damafashiondistrict.com/Antonia on The Food Networkhttps://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/antonia-lofasoSubscribe: 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 2006The BanterThe Guys talk about premium products and how much is too much to pay. From wild salmon to select chocolate, everyone has their spending limit…and The Guys wish theirs was a little higher. The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys meet Farmer John Peterson to hear about the documentary The Real Dirt on Farmer John. John shares his story of suffering financial and emotional hardship to creating Angel Organics, one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture farms in the US.The Inside TrackThe Guys were eager to talk to John after seeing the documentary. John equates modern farms turning organic to people finding sobriety.“When it's going from a chemical based system to a natural system, it has to be repopulated by the microorganisms. Maybe it's a little like someone going into an addiction clinic and then going from a dependent life to a healthy life. We were raising very unhealthy crops that the insects were invading. It took a long time to figure out how to build things up and how to get the soil healthy,” Farmer John Peterson on The Restaurant Guys 2006BioJohn Peterson was raised on his family’s farm in Illinois. The financial calamity for the farming community hit the Peterson farm in the 1980s nearly closing the farm for good. John decided to rebuild using sustainable farming practices rather than the modern chemical-reliant approach. In 1991, Angel Organics was born. They opted for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model which continued until spring of 2025. Unfortunately, farming halted due to Farmer John having a stroke.  InfoThe Real Dirt on Farmer John documentaryhttps://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/the-real-dirt-on-farmer-john-2005/InfoLocal Harvest (find CSA near you)www.localharvest.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

The BanterThe Guys chat about bad management, good cheese and the way to Mark’s heart.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys catch up with Ti Martin about the past, present and future of the restaurant scene in NOLA. She expounds on Cajun versus Creole, virtual costume parties and 25 cent martinis!The Inside TrackThe Guys speak fondly of New Orleans’ rich history and enduring spirit. These are Ti’s thoughts on her city’s legacy.“A lot of people think New Orleans' greatest gift to the world is jazz. But I offer that if we had not also invented the cocktail, maybe we would've never had jazz,” Ti Martin on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioTi Adelaide Martin’s family bought Commander’s Palace in 1969. In 1997 Ti and her cousin Lally Brennan took over the establishment. They continue the high standards of their predecessor, Ti’s mother, Ella Brennan. Ti has authored several books including one made into a documentary about her mother’s life Commanding the Table: The Ella Brennan Story.Commander’s Palace boasts several James Beard Awards, along with accolades fromWine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. In 2008, the restaurant was inducted into the Culinary Institute of America Hall of Fame.Ti is the founder and chair of The New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute.InfoCommander’s Palacehttps://www.commanderspalace.com/Ti’s books (she mentions)In the Land of Cocktails, Commander's Kitchen: Take Home the True Taste of New Orleans with More Than 150 Recipes from Commander's Palace Restaurant and Miss Ella of Commander’s Palace https://shop.commanderspalace.com/products/commanders-book-collectionThe Husky, New Orleans (Ti recommended restaurant)https://thehuskynola.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 is a Vintage Selection from 2005The BanterThe Guys talk about urban and suburban grape and olive growing and why they CAN Believe It’s Not Butter.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk with Ted Hall about terrior, and hidden olive orchards and consecrated olive oil. Ted tells how organic, sustainable practices yield the highest quality products and the happiest farmers.The Inside TrackThe Guys discuss the symbiosis of wine and food and Ted shares feedback he’s gotten from chefs pairing his wine with their dishes.Ted: What you're creating is wine that really is part of the food. There are so many of these wines, which are basically a bottle of some guy's ego. Why do I want this other guy's bottled ego on the table?Francis: I don't. Usually I'm sitting across from Mark who's got his own ego sitting in the chair across from me. Why would I need a bottle of wine?Mark: It's not in a bottle. It's out there!BioIn 1989 Ted Hall co-founded Long Meadow Ranch, an innovative group of family-owned companies producing grapes and ultra-premium wine, olives and extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed beef and lamb, and fruits and vegetables, using diversified, organic, and sustainable farming methods.Ted is the recipient of the 2017 Grower of the Year Award from the Napa Valley Grapegrowers and the 2013 Acre by Acre Award from the Land Trust of Napa Valley. In 2015 Ted served as chair of the Agricultural Protection Advisory Committee (APAC).InfoLong Meadow Ranchhttps://www.longmeadowranch.com/California Olive Oil Councilhttps://cooc.com/Napa wineries that make their own olive oil (2024)https://oliveoilprofessor.com/blog/8-napa-wineries-that-make-extra-virgin-olive-oilSubscribe: 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 enjoy a snack and Mark tells the secret of what makes it great!The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys are on location in Charleston, SC at Herd Provisions with owner Alec Bradford and wine director Kellie Holmes. Alec tells how he began cattle farming and grew to running a restaurant. Kellie shares how she selects wine to match the farm-to-table story of Herd Provisions and trains the staff to reflect that story.The Inside TrackThe Guys found the concept of having a restaurant and a wine shop familiar, but Herd’s butcher shop and cattle farming takes it even further! When you are invested in a project, it’s incredibly personal.“ I take it very personally, but it is incredibly gratifying. The best day I ever had was the first time I sold a steak at a New York restaurant (to Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin). He does a great food and of course, Eric is not well known for cooking steaks, but he took three ounces of tenderloin and some caviar, and he called it surf and turf.  I think I did a backflip in my mind for sure. That was, that was one of the best days of my life,” Alec Bradford on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BiosAlec Bradford is the owner of Herd Provisions in Charleston, South Carolina, a farm-to-table restaurant and whole-animal butcher shop. Herd’s high quality meats are sourced directly from Alec’s very own Leaping Waters Farm in Virginia. Since 2004, Alec raises one of the oldest and rarest breeds – Ancient White Park cattle. ______________Kellie Holmes is a restaurant consultant who focuses on the creation and implementation of wine programs in the Southeast and beyond. As Herd Provisions’ Wine & Events Director, she runs the wine program for the dining room and retail shop including a wine club and tasting events. She focuses on sustainably produced, small production and minimal intervention wines. InfoHerd Provisionshttps://herdprovisions.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 BONUS! episode relating to the Belmont Stakes 2025The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys sit down with King Cocktail Dale DeGroff and Peter Thomas Fornatale of In the Money Players’ Podcast to talk about horse racing and the cocktails that accompany it. Pete offers his Win, Place and Show for the upcoming Belmont Stakes 2025. Listen and you could wind up in the money.The Inside Track The Guys are horse racing fans and hosted Dale for his performance of “Gamblers, Whisky and Flying Horses.” They recently met Pete and plan to catch up with him at the track in Saratoga this summer. They all have had fun times with Dale including one night when Dale had to give the bartenders at a new NYC hotspot a cocktail recipe. Pete: You're writing out the recipe on the back of a napkin to send to the bartenders to go and make us around. To this day still, it was the most baller move I've ever seen to be in the hot new restaurant writing out the recipe. This is what we'd like to drink, thank you very much.Francis: I wanna make a public service announcement to all dining customers. If you are not Dale Degroff, don't do that. Dale: And by the way, this explains why nobody knows where these famous drinks came from with a few minor exceptions because they wrote 'em down on a cocktail napkin and stuck them in their pocket. Later on in the evening they pulled it out, blew their nose on it and threw it away.Dale DeGroff & Peter Thomas Fornatale on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025InfoPete’s podcasthttps://inthemoneypodcast.com/category/players-podcast/Pete’s bookBrooklyn Spirits: Craft Distilling and Cocktails from the World's Hippest BoroughBy Peter Thomas Fornatale & Chris WertzChris MacMillan mint julep videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJV-O1e10z8&t=358sOur 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 2007The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk with John Scharffenberger about his premium line of chocolate which is the first “bean to bar” chocolate made in the United States. John talks about the history, sourcing and the crucial details in creating some of the finest chocolate in the world!The Inside TrackThe Guys were fans of John’s sparkling wine and are fans of his chocolate. This is how John describes his on-the-job training after his career shift. “ I think we were just stupid when we started and the only way we knew how to do things were the way I had done things in the wine business [which] was just to be really careful about flavor. So we treated the beans like we used to treat grapes. We did blind tastings, we did lots of blind tastings, and only accepted beans that had flavors that we liked,” John Scharffenberger on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007BioJohn Scharffenberger started Scharffenberger Cellars known for their world-class California sparkling wine. He left the winery and started Scharffen Berger Chocolates in 1997 with Robert Steinberg. InfoJohn’s cookbookEssence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine ChocolateBy John Scharffenberger and Rober SteinbergScharffen Berger Chocolate is no longer owned by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. It was acquired by Hershey in 2005, went back to private ownership in 2020 then acquired by Harry and David in 2024. If you want John’s Hot Chocolate recipe, email TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.comOur 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 episode was recorded live before an audienceThe ConversationThe Restaurant Guys are joined on stage by Alex Guarnaschelli. Alex talks about cooking in a French kitchen, on television and for a special someone (i.e., how to make a seduction dinner.) She finds her faith in beautiful ingredients and her restaurant family. The Inside TrackThe Guys talk to Alex about the not-so-secret sauce that makes “Chopped”  so enjoyable for the judges, guests and audience.“It’s the feedback we would give each other in the restaurant. I think it didn't bring the restaurant to the show, but it brought that culture. That pirate that just got off the Black Pearl. I had my parakeet and my eye patch and I'm ready to tell you why your spaghetti sucks!  I think that really resonates with people. I feel like the audience could feel that we wanted to tell the truth,” Alex Guarnaschelli on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioAlex Guarnaschelli began her international culinary journey at Michelin three-star restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris. From there, Guarnaschelli spent four years at a Butte Chaillot, where she became sous chef. After success in France, she returned to the US joining Daniel Boulud at his restaurant, Daniel. In 2003, Guarnaschelli was took the position of executive chef at Butter, where she still oversees her own eclectic American menu.Alex is a recurring judge on the popular Food Network series Chopped and in 2012, she bested nine rival chefs to win The Next Iron Chef: Redemption, earning the coveted title of Iron Chef. She hosts Supermarket Steakout and Alex vs. America among many other shows. She has also been featured as a guest co-host on Beat Bobby Flay. Alex is also the author of several cookbooks including Italian American Forever released in 2024.InfoAlex’s most recent cookbookItalian American ForeverAlex’s sitehttps://alexguarnaschelli.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 2008The BanterThe Guys discuss an issue that persists today, the rising price of food. Hear what little has changed since 2008.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys host food anthropologist Andrew Zimmern for a second time to hear about his travels and love of Bizarre Foods. Two of his favorites are pork roll and yak penis (no, we’re not kidding!).The Inside TrackThe Guys catch up with  Andrew Zimmern and chat about his show’s meteoric rise.“ Well, let's just, let's just call a spade a spade. The two of you are the most prescient, knowledgeable food industry insiders in a global sense. And the minute that you took the golden scepter and knocked me over the head with it, the show took off. So let's just be honest and share the credit where it's due,” Andrew Zimmern on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2008BioAndrew Zimmern is a chef, food writer, radio show host, author, and host of award-winning television series Bizarre Food franchise among others. He is a four-time James Beard Award winner for his television shows. He has received many Emmy nominations and won for The Zimmern List.He is the author of several books for all ages about bizarre foods as well as an adventure book for middle school students.  Currently, Andrew is on The Outdoor Channel’s series, Field to Fire.InfoAndrew’s Websitehttps://andrewzimmern.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 talk about the word “journey.” Don’t stop believin’.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys talk with Rollie Wesen about his work at the Jacques Pépin Foundation and how the JPF lifts up individuals through supporting community and virtual culinary education. Rollie comments on how learning cooking techniques can not only improve one’s health, but prevent disease and extend one’s life. The Inside TrackThe Guys were thrilled to re-launched their podcast with Jacques Pépin and were so glad to start off his 90 for 90 campaign that Rollie and the JPF are orchestrating. “ We're currently in the midst of a national campaign, our 90 for 90 campaign because Jacques is going to turn 90 years old in this upcoming December, which is amazing and we're so happy to still have him with us. But for anybody who wants to celebrate him or feels like they've learned something from him or they want to give back just a little bit for everything that Jacques has given them over the years, there's dinners being hosted all across the country at our, at great restaurants,” Rollie Wesen on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioDr. Rollie Wesen is the Executive Director of the Jacques Pépin Foundation (JPF) and an assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in Providence, Rhode Island. After 20 years of professional cooking experience, including stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in London and France, eight years in New York City, and as a banquet chef for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, chef Wesen joined the faculty at JWU in 2011. With his wife, Claudine Pépin, and father-in-law, Jacques, he co-founded the JPF in 2016. The JPF advances Jacques Pépin’s love of culinary arts and teaching through video recipe production and curriculum development, expanding education and training for all. The foundation supports culinary education for many communities through many channels, with a particular focus on workforce development in community based culinary training networks.InfoThe Jacques Pépin Foundation https://jp.foundation/90 for 90 Campaign JPFhttps://www.celebratejacques.org/Promise Kitchen at Elijah’s Promisehttps://elijahspromise.org/promise-culinary/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