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PODCAST

The Restaurant Guys

The Restaurant Guys

Subscribe! https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/The Restaurant Guys is one of the original food and wine podcasts, launched in 2005 by restaurateurs Mark Pascal and Francis Schott.With roots as a daily radio show, the podcast features in-depth conversations with chefs, bartenders, winemakers, authors, and hospitality professionals—offering the inside track on food, cocktails, wine, and restaurant culture.New episodes and vintage conversations because the best stories, like the best bottles,

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All Episodes

25:41

The Lost Books Behind the Cocktail Revival | Greg Boehm

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/10/08

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 ...

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46:41

Kenta Goto & Noah Rothbaum | The Goto Bartender’s...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/10/06

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...

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58:47

Martini Expo 2026 | Vol. 2: Colin Asare-Appiah,...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/10/01

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...

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61:45

Martini Expo 2026 | Vol. 1: Toby Maloney, Jackson...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/09/29

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 in...

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29:32

Hospitality Should Be Fun | Rick Tramonto

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/09/24

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...

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48:41

Pasta, Balsamic & Calm Chaos: Inside Monteverde |...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/09/22

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 vi...

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26:48

Nothing Stops a Bullet Like a Job | Father Greg Boyle

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/09/17

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...

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43:33

Last Call at the Funeral Home: Inside a Secret...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/09/15

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 fo...

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29:10

Are We Loving Seafood to Death? | Rick Moonen

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/09/10

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...

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36:15

Preserving the Seasons: Canning, Pickling & Seasonal...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/09/03

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...

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48:43

Knowing When to Change: Ice Cream, Fine Dining &...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/09/01

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...

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8:48

The Mystique, Money and Madness of Truffles | Jane Black

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/08/27

This is a Vintage episode from 2006. 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 . 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 im...

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16:10

Stripper Food, Bachelor Parties & Other Bad Ideas |...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/08/25

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: secu...

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46:27

Can Local Food Save a Town? | Ben Hewitt

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/08/20

This is a Vintage episode from 2010. Why This Episode Matters Hardwick, Vermont became an early test case for whether local food and small agricultural businesses could help revitalize a struggling rural economy.Ben Hewitt challenges the feel-good version of the local food story: What happens when artisanal food creates jobs but remains too expensive for many people in the community?The conversation explores how small farms can compete through distinctive, value-added products rather than com...

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49:21

How Do We Get a New Generation Into Wine? | Tony...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/08/18

Why This Episode Matters Why wine may not be losing younger drinkers so much as failing to introduce itself to them wellHow small, independent producers can offer something industrial wine cannot: place, history and storyWhy wine education works better through tasting, comparison and discovery than scores and intimidationHow restaurants, retailers and wine lovers can make wine more approachable to people just beginning to explore itBanter Francis returns from the Russian River Valley with a d...

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28:44

Heirloom Seeds, Local Farms & Better Food | Erica Renaud

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/08/13

This is a Vintage episode from 2006. Why This Episode Matters Erica Renaud explains why heirloom, traditional and open-pollinated seeds matter to agricultural biodiversity.Mark and Francis share how they worked directly with local farmers to plan crops, commit to purchases and even shoulder some of the farmer's risk.The conversation connects sustainable agriculture with something more immediate to a restaurant: better-tasting food.From backyard tomatoes to restaurant purchasing, they explore ...

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51:36

Authentic Italian Food vs. the Algorithm | Vincenzo...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/08/11

Why This Episode Matters Italian food isn’t one cuisine. Vincenzo Prosperi explains why Italy’s regional traditions matter—and what gets lost when everything is reduced to pizza, pasta and red sauce.Authenticity and innovation can coexist. The question isn’t whether chefs should create new dishes, but whether classics should be changed beyond recognition and still carry the old name.Social media is changing restaurants. Vincenzo, Mark and Francis dig into influencer culture, food designed for...

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29:14

Non-Alcoholic Pairings at Thomas Keller’s Restaurants...

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/08/06

This is a Vintage episode from 2006. Why This Episode Matters Why guests who are not drinking deserve a beverage experience equal to the food, not simply still or sparkling water.How sommeliers can build non-alcoholic pairings using the same principles as wine: weight, acidity, texture and flavor.Why thoughtful glassware and presentation communicate that every guest matters.How one memorable beverage program can turn the non-drinker into the person who chooses the restaurant for the entire ta...

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52:19

Farm-to-Table Was Only the Beginning | Spike Gjerde

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/08/04

Why This Episode Matters What local sourcing looked like before restaurants had reliable farm-to-kitchen distribution.Why supporting local agriculture is an economic commitment not merely a menu description.How “farm-to-table” became vulnerable to greenwashing and what genuine sourcing requires.Why whole-animal butchery, preservation and culinary craft are increasingly difficult to sustain under modern restaurant economics.Why “sustainable seafood” may be too simple and how ocean warming, aci...

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26:04

Can Wine Unlock Creativity? | Michael Gelb

The Restaurant Guys ·

2026/07/30

This is a Vintage episode from 2010. Why This Episode Matters Discover how wine can encourage creativity, conversation and more mindful experiences.Learn why comparative tasting helps develop your palate faster.Understand how fear of being wrong prevents people from describing what they taste.Hear why making time for memorable experiences may change how we perceive our lives.The Conversation The Restaurant Guys, Mark Pascal and Francis Schott, welcome author and organizational consultant Mic...

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265 results

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