The Restaurant Guys

Latest Episodes:

Wine, Hospitality, and Other Stuff | Chris Cree & John Fischer Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005

The Conversation with Chris

The 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 John

The 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 Fischer

After 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.

Info

Chris Cree

https://www.creewine.com/

John’s book

At Your Service: A Hands‑On Guide to the Professional Dining Room

Find out more about CIA

ciachef.edu

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar at Stage Left Steak

https://www.stageleft.com/event/spooky-bar-1026-1031/

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party

More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings Without Overthinking It | Aldo Sohm Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Guys discuss the benefits of tip pooling and the mystery of cheek pinching.

The Conversation

The 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 Track

The 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 2025

Bio

Aldo 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 2025

Info

Aldo’s book

Wine Simple, Perfect Pairings

By Aldo Sohm and Christine Muhlke

https://aldosohm.com/collections/book

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar at Stage Left Steak

https://www.stageleft.com/event/spooky-bar-1026-1031/

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party

More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

Southern Smoke Festival | Part 2: Angie Rito & Scott Tacinelli, Lucas McKinney, Felipe Riccio & Austin Waiter Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

This show was recorded on location at the Southern Smoke Festival in Houston, October 2025

Angie 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 Waiter

Felipe 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 Shepherd

After 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.

Info

https://southernsmoke.org/

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar at Stage Left Steak

https://www.stageleft.com/event/spooky-bar-1026-1031/

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party

More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

Southern Smoke Festival | Part 1: Aaron Bludorn, Rebecca Masson and Kyle Knall Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

This show was recorded on location at the Southern Smoke Festival in Houston, October 2025

Aaron 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 Desserts

Kyle 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.”

Info

The Southern Smoke Foundation

https://southernsmoke.org/

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar at Stage Left Steak

https://www.stageleft.com/event/spooky-bar-1026-1031/

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party

More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

No-Knead Bread, Pizza, and a Baking Revolution | Jim Lahey Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2012

The Banter

The Guys taste something new and unusual.

The Conversation

The 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 Track

The 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 2012

Bio

Jim 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.

Info

Jim’s books

My Bread

My Pizza

The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook

Sullivan Street Bakery Celebrates 30 Years

https://w42st.com/post/three-decades-of-dough-how-sullivan-street-bakery-became-a-nyc-institution/

Bar Hill Gin

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar at Stage Left Steak

https://www.stageleft.com/event/spooky-bar-1026-1031/

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party

More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

What It Really Takes to Build a Lasting Restaurant (Ryan DePersio) Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Guys talk about restaurant upselling and how NOT to do it like a sleazy car salesman.

The Conversation

The 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 Track

The 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 2025

Bio

Chef 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.

Info

Battello

https://www.battellojc.com/

Ember & Eagle

https://www.emberandeagle.com/

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar at Stage Left Steak

https://www.stageleft.com/event/spooky-bar-1026-1031/

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party

More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

The Culinary School Promise — And the Kitchen Reality | Nicholas Harary Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

Vintage episode (2007)

The Banter

The Guys kick off the show discussing date night plans that don’t involve food. Spoiler, there aren’t many.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys welcome back Nicholas Harary, owner of Restaurant Nicholas. The Guys quip that newborn Nicholas Jr. may start work in the kitchen immediately then they discuss the balance of family and work in a life of hospitality. The conversation moves Harary's passionate tirade against the state of culinary education and what he’s doing at his place to improve the experience for everyone.

The Inside Track

The Guys have known fellow New Jersey restaurateur Nicholas for years. While he is a culinary school graduate, he speaks out against the current institution and says this about its students.

“They’re going to the best schools in the world to learn their craft. They’re getting charged ridiculous amounts of money, but they’re not being prepared to do anything,” Nicholas Harary on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007

Bio

Nicholas Harary is an award-winning chef and restaurateur best known for founding Restaurant Nicholas, one of New Jersey’s most acclaimed fine-dining destinations. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Harary earned top honors from The New York Times and Zagat before reimagining his concept into Barrel & Roost, a modern, chef-driven comfort food restaurant in Red Bank. Alongside his wife Melissa, he also runs Nicholas Creamery, offering artisanal small-batch ice cream. Harary is a published cookbook author and passionate about food, family, and hospitality.

Info

Nicholas’ current restaurant

https://www.barrelandroost.com/

Nicholas Creamery

https://www.nicholascreamery.com/

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar at Stage Left Steak

https://www.stageleft.com/event/spooky-bar-1026-1031/

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party

More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

Building Indian Fine Dining in New York | Rajesh Bhardwaj Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Guys share some of the cool cocktail experiences they had on their safari the night before.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys welcome Rajesh Bhardwaj, operator of the first Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the U.S. Rajesh talks about cultivating his vision, curating a team to execute it and how he continues to change the landscape of Indian cuisine in the United States.

The Inside Track

The Guys listen as Rajesh shares his vision of creating the unique experience at Junoon.

“ We are fusion, but not of tradition or of flavors. We are fusion of technique,”

Rajesh Bhardwaj on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Rajesh Bhardwaj is the founder and CEO of Junoon, the acclaimed Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in New York City. A visionary restaurateur, Rajesh has redefined modern Indian dining in the United States. He blends deep cultural roots with a sophisticated, contemporary approach to cuisine and service, earning Junoon international recognition and loyal acclaim.

Info

Clemente Bar

https://www.clementebar.com/

Hawksmoor

https://www.hawksmoornyc.com/

Junoon

https://www.junoonnyc.com/

Jazba

https://www.jazbanyc.com/

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar at Stage Left Steak

https://www.stageleft.com/event/spooky-bar-1026-1031/

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party

More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

Martini Expo | Part 3: Joe Magliocco, David Wondrich, and More | Preview Oct 04, 2025

Show notes

This is a TEASER in our Martini Expo series

Inside Track The Restaurant Guys were invited to be the official podcasters of The Martini Expo. They spent the day sipping and chatting with the greatest makers, stirrers and shakers on the planet!

Guests

Joe Magliocco is the president of Michter’s Distillery, where he has been instrumental in reviving the historic American whiskey brand. His company is involved in creating eco-sustainable Farmer’s gin.

Dale DeGroff known as “King Cocktail,” is a legendary bartender, author, and educator known for reviving the craft of the classic cocktail. Dale is a James Beard Award winner and founding president of the Museum of the American Cocktail.

David Wondrich is a cocktail historian, author, and James Beard Award winner recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on drinks and drinking culture.

Robert Simonson, co-founder of The Martini Expo and The Mix with Robert Simonson, is an award-winning journalist and author who writes about cocktails. He has authored several acclaimed books, including The Martini Cocktail.

Mary Kate Murray, co-founder of The Martini Expo and The Mix with Robert Simonson, is a drinks writer and event producer. Her career spans communications and media where she shares a deep love for the communal spirit of drinking.

Lisa Laird Dunn is the ninth-generation family member behind Laird & Company, America’s oldest licensed distillery and the historic producer of Laird’s Applejack.

Info Martini Expo 2025 https://martiniexpo.com/

David's book The Comic Book History of the Cocktail

The Mix with Robert Simonson https://robertsimonson.substack.com/

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar at Stage Left Steak

https://www.stageleft.com/event/spooky-bar-1026-1031/

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party

More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

Martini Expo | Part 2: William Elliott, Tim Cooper, and Sarah Morrissey Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

Inside Track

The Restaurant Guys were invited to be the official podcasters of The Martini Expo. They spent the day sipping and chatting with the greatest makers, stirrers and shakers on the planet!

Guests

William Elliott is the bar guru and creative force behind Brooklyn’s legendary Maison Premiere. Rising from opening-team bartender to Managing Partner & Executive Bar Director, he helped guide Maison to a James Beard Award and international acclaim. Known for blending theatrical flair with obsessive precision, he helped launch sister concept Sauvage and co-authored The Maison Premiere Almanac.

Tim Cooper is a veteran NYC bartender-turned spirits advocate—serving as Director of Advocacy for Fords Gin in the U.S. garnering Best Brand Ambassador Spirited Award. With over 20+ years in the beverage world, he’s worked behind the stick, built beverage programs, consulted, and now brings the brand to life in the U.S. market.

Sarah Morrissey is a seasoned NYC bartender renowned for her innovative approach to classic cocktails, particularly the martini. At Le Veau d’Or, she reimagined the martini by incorporating high-proof Old Raj gin, fino sherry-based La Copa Extra Seco vermouth, and orange bitters, served alongside a salty vermouth sidecar featuring dirty ice and Vichy Catalan mineral water highlighting her as a key figure in NYC's cocktail scene.

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar at Stage Left Steak

https://www.stageleft.com/event/spooky-bar-1026-1031/

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party

More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/