Salt Lick with David McMillan & Derek Dammann

Latest Episodes:

License to Churn with Jeffrey Finkelstein Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

Recording from the Radio-Nature dining room under construction next to Grille-Nature, David and Derek welcome the Montréal baker Jeffrey Finkelstein of Hof Kelsten for an extended chat.

Finkelstein reflects on his classical training, working abroad and hiring immigrants, maintaining quality amid rising supply costs, self-improvement and growing from a small bakery to a serious wholesale operation.

David makes the case that Hof's chocolate babka should be sold in grocery stores, and Finkelstein explains why some of his pastry is at a higher price point, packed with butter and quality chocolate. David also can't resist getting into more of the politics of food: supply management, interprovincial trade and why hospitality keeps getting harder.

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Salt Lick is a TNKR Media original production.

Gentle Simmer with Marie-Claude Lortie May 15, 2026

Show notes

After more than 35 years in journalism, Marie-Claude Lortie joins David and Derek for a conversation about the food and media businesses, and the pleasure of learning to slow down.

The former La Presse restaurant critic, columnist and editor reflects on restaurant reviewing before Instagram, the changing power of food media, and why a good restaurant is not only about what is on the plate.

Now recovering and taking life at a slower pace, Lortie also talks about surviving cancer, and revisits some of her core issues: food waste, eating terroir or hyperlocal, and Québec's inefficient liquor monopoly.

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Salt Lick is a TNKR Media original production.

Canadian Grocery Rage with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

One of Canada's most outspoken experts on food and agribusiness joins David and Derek for a blunt, sometimes shocking conversation about how too much supply management has driven up grocery prices.

The Food Professor, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois of McGill and Dalhousie universities, explains why some sectors function better than others, why dairy remains a particular flashpoint, and why debates about affordability often ignore deeper structural problems. With talk of tariffs, butter, eggs, chicken and beef, the chefs try to make the issue relatable for restaurateurs and home cooks trying to buy decent food without going broke. David also makes a surprising admission to Derek about the affordability of their new restaurant.

Salt Lick is a TNKR Media original podcast.

Bootstrap Pizza with Richi Ourichian Mar 15, 2026

Show notes

Pizza is art and, in Canada, it can also be political. David and Derek look for inspiration from a Montrealer whose first-time pizza venture Segreta is a hit with lovers of the thicker Roman variety Al Taglio.

Richi Ourichian goes deep on fermentation, sourcing and the discipline behind doing a simple thing properly. He traces his path from the family fleeing the Armenian genocide, to running successful mall shoemaking businesses, and then how pandemic-era inspiration led him to take a chance with a style of pizza that stands out from the rest.

The chefs unpack how tomato provenance can shape the final product, and how Canada's supply management system can limit access to the cheeses many pizzamakers would prefer. They also take on one of the more loaded questions in modern baking: whether sourdough is worth the effort and, for pizza purposes, if it is more about ego than good pies.

Salt Lick is a TNKR Media original podcast.

Deep Dive with Will Allen Feb 15, 2026

Show notes

A mild-mannered Montréal pub owner has been keeping an open secret, living a double life as a deep sea photographer and documentary filmmaker specializing in diving with sharks.

Will Allen is a partner with the Burgundy Lion group but spends weeks at a time traveling to remote locations around the world, filming sharks and myriad spectacular sights, including interactions with uncontacted tribes in the Amazon rainforest. David and Derek explore his journey from growing up on a dairy farm to routinely risking his life to capture nature scenes, for a time alongside his late mentor and 'Sharkwater' colleague Rob Stewart.

The chefs also deliver raw commentary and updates at the beginning of each Salt Lick episode on their progress with the new Grille-Nature family restaurant, and they drop more hints about one, maybe even two expansion projects.

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Salt Lick is a TNKR Media Original production.

Holiday Transitions with Derek Dammann Dec 21, 2025

Show notes

Change is in the air for the final Salt Lick episode of the year. For starters, David has a new co-host and business partner.

Derek Dammann, renowned chef, farmer and co-owner with David of the new Grille-Nature on Montréal's West Island, joins the program and the pair will be podcasting in the new year from a studio nook in the restaurant. Just hours away from Christmas break, the chefs are admittedly exhausted and use this time to review their opening menu, describing the creative choices made, shout-out farmers and suppliers who help elevate the offerings, and describe the chaos of the first few weeks—along with touching moments, like watching their kids work together on the line.

Speaking of Montréal's most talked-about restaurant opening, the chefs aren't wasting any time to announce an expansion: a fast-casual concept attached to Grille-Nature, and details are shared later in the episode.

Special thanks to Lesley Chesterman for her contribution to Salt Lick's first year. You can follow her writing on Substack at Lick My Plate.

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Salt Lick is a TNKR Media Original production.

Scratch Kitchen with Sam Richman Dec 07, 2025

Show notes

David invites a friend from Maine onto the podcast to explore how the scrappy chef grinded his way onto the 2025 New York Times 50 Best Restaurants list while cooking on a glass-top home stove.

Sam Richman of Sammy's Deluxe in Rockland, Maine is candid about his wildly diverse journey from washing dishes and making cheeseburgers as a teen in New Hampshire, to working pastry at The Fat Duck in the English countryside when it topped the World's 50 Best, to Manhattan's WD-50 as the (unfortunate) molecular gastronomy craze heated up, and finally landing on a quiet corner of the New England coast where he's blossomed.

As a younger chef, Sam describes a road trip-pilgrimage up to Montréal to meet David, inspired by the first Joe Beef cookbook. This conversation is a testament to the power of mentorship in cooking; if these classical bonds between chefs remain strong, mentees become peers.

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Salt Lick is a TNKR Media Original Production.

Oyster Sommeliers with Patrick McMurray Nov 16, 2025

Show notes

What began as an episode devoted to the noble oyster took a sad turn with the news that our guest's mentor had passed away. This edition of Salt Lick featuring Patrick McMurry is dedicated to the memory of Rodney Clark, the Toronto restaurateur and founder of Rodney's Oyster House.

Patrick, the Guiness World Record holder for fastest oyster shucker, shares his experiences working for Rodney over eight years and how his legacy lives on in seafood market restaurants across the country run by other protégés. Through his Oyster Master Guild, Patrick trains food professionals to understand, appreciate and properly serve the molluscs; he explains tips for effective shucking, how he wins competitions, and why the right knife is key.

Oysters have been depicted in literature for centuries; a luxury, aphrodisiac or fertility stimulant. Patrick shares poems from MFK Fisher and, to conclude, one of Rodney's favourites, The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll.

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Salt Lick is a TNKR Media Original Production.

How to Write Cookbooks with Naomi Duguid Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

Having written multiple books themselves, David and Lesley invite one of North America's most renowned cookbook authors to discuss her adventures, creative process and the challenges of publishing.

Naomi Duguid has published nine cookbooks, her latest being the James Beard-nominated Miracle of Salt: Recipes and Techniques to Preserve, Ferment, and Transform Your Food; her 2016 book Taste of Persia won the prestigious award.

The trio are candid about what it takes to write a cookbook and the challenges of maintaining creative control. David takes us behind the scenes of his first Joe Beef cookbook, while Lesley gets real about how much of her writing gets trimmed by editors. Naomi takes the hosts on a journey through her many travels, taking great lengths to balance honest storytelling from trusted local sources while avoiding politics entirely.

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Salt Lick is a TNKR Media Original Production.

Wine is Fine Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

A short bonus chat show as Lesley and David prepare to welcome some high-profile guests. The hosts have wine on their mind; specifically, a recap of Lesley and boyfriend/wine writer Jean Aubry's trip to David's vineyard where they assisted with the harvest of Chardonnay, Pinot and Gewürztraminer grapes.

David explains the fermentation process ahead as he expects to produce about 8,500 litres of wine from this year's crop.

They also spend some time analyzing the 50 Best Restaurants list, and how one in ten are located in Montréal; did any benefit from a Chesterman bump? David also gushes about a former Joe Beef colleague who was named best sommelière in North America, as both agree that concerns over the negative effects of drinking wine may be blown out of proportion.

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Salt Lick is a TNKR Media Original Production.