The Restaurant Guys

Latest Episodes:

Martini Expo | Part 1: Salvatore Calabrese, Liam Davy, and Charlotte Voisey Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

This was recorded at the Martini Expo 2025

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

Intro with Robert Simonson, co-founder of The Martini Expo, creator and writer for The Mix with Robert Simonson, and a James Beard Award–winning drinks writer for The New York Times. He authored The Martini Cocktail, one of the definitive modern works on the world’s most iconic drink.

__________

Salvatore Calabrese, “The Maestro,” is one of the world’s most celebrated bartenders. Creator of the iconic Breakfast Martini and the Duke’s Martini, author of best-selling cocktail books, he’s spent over 40 years shaping modern mixology.

__________

Liam Davy is a seasoned bar leader and the driving force behind Hawksmoor’s beverage programs. With roots in London’s cocktail scene and a two-decade career under his belt, he’s risen through roles at Milk & Honey and Match Bar.

__________

Charlotte Voisey is a leading mixologist and the Executive Director of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. She began behind the bar as an award-winning bartender (UK Bartender of the Year, Mixologist of the Year), continued as a brand ambassador for Hendrick’s gin until her current role at TotC Foundation.

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!

Info

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/

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

Cocktail History and Bartending Legends | Brown & Miller Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2013

The Banter

The Guys tell a tale of someone being bamboozled. The question is, who?

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys are joined by cocktail historians Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller who share stories from their book The Deans of Drink and where you can go today to see a Harry Johnson bar. They tell of their experiences renovating Musée des Vins et des Spiritueux.

The Inside Track

The Guys were thrilled to have Jared and Anistatia on the show and found they all enjoy a little wordplay.

Anistatia: We would not have cocktail shakers if it hadn't have been for the Germans bringing in the doppel foss backer.

Francis: I thought that was just when you saw someone who looked a lot like someone else.

Jared: If you see one that looks a lot like another one, that would be the doppel foss backer's doppelganger.

Jared Miller & Anistatia Brown on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2013

Bio

Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller are the award-winning duo behind Mixellany Limited, publishers of influential cocktail and spirits books. They’ve co-authored more than 30 titles.

Beyond writing, they created the Mixologist journal series, and contribute to leading publications such as Imbibe. Brown also serves as master distiller at London’s pioneering Sipsmith Gin, and together they’ve consulted on award-winning spirits worldwide.

Info

Museum of the American Cocktail -https://www.southernfood.org/motac

Musée des Vins et des Spiritueux-http://www.euvs.org/en/

Jared & Anistatia’s site

mixellany.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

Dylan Trotter and the Legacy of Charlie Trotter's in Chicago Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Guys discuss whether a cheeseburger is a composed dish. What do you think?

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys are joined by Dylan Trotter. Dylan shares anecdotes from his unique childhood, his journey into the culinary world, and the challenges and excitement of keeping his father’s legacy alive through pop-ups and potential new ventures.

The Inside Track

The Guys are grateful that Charlie Trotter was so supportive of the early iteration of The Restaurant Guys. They enjoyed sharing their memories of Charlie and talking about Dylan’s rebellious phase.

Mark: I ran to the restaurant business because that's what rebels did when we were kids. They ran to the restaurant business because they were rebelling against everything else. Your rebellious stage, you were trying to run away from the restaurant business, but couldn't make it happen.

Dylan: No, couldn't make it out…but that was really what I needed and I had a great time in the kitchen.

Dylan Trotter on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Dylan Trotter is the son of the late chef and restaurateur Charlie Trotter. As a teen he worked in his father’s business at Trotter’s To Go in Chicago and later El Bulli in Spain.

After Charlie Trotter’s restaurant closed in 2012 and his passing in 2013, Dylan gradually stepped into preserving and honoring his father’s legacy. Dylan led efforts to revive Charlie Trotter’s namesake restaurant in Chicago. In 2025 he created pop-up events and restored much of the original space—while preparing for a full reopening.

Info

To find out about upcoming events charlie-trotters.com

Follow Dylan on IG https://www.instagram.com/dyltrot/

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

Lessons in Excellence | Charlie Trotter | Preview Sep 20, 2025

Show notes

This is TEASER of a Vintage Selection from 2005

The Banter

The Guys talk about their restaurant philosophy and how cultivating a team of people who share your vision is what will sustain you. However, Francis does not share Mark’s vision of going to a Cub’s game.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys are thrilled to have Charlie Trotter on the show to talk about excellence, foie gras and a restaurant that he had planned to open in New York that never came to fruition.

The Inside Track

The Guys have been fans of Charlie’s for a long time yet did not fully realize their similar attitudes on experiential dining.

“ The vision we've had here has been to try to deliver an experience where the food part of it, the service part of it, the wine and beverage part of it, and the ambiance all add up to something greater than the sum of the parts.

So with myself as the chef-operator obsessing about food, almost to the point where it's perverse, I still don't even think that food is the most important part of the dining experience,” Charlie Trotter on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Charlie Trotter opened Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant in 1987. Twice it received two Michelin stars. He closed it in 2012. Restaurant Charlie in Las Vegas received the Michelin Guide One Star Award. He opened other concepts such as a high-end delicatessen store and a seafood restaurant in Mexico.

He received the James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Award for his philanthropic work.

Trotter was the host of the 1999 PBS cooking show The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter.

Info

Charlie’s Book (mentioned in the show)

Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter

by Paul Clarke

Guest Chef Dinner Series at Charlie Trotter’s 2025

https://www.charlie-trotters.com/

If you’d like to hear the full 2009 conversation, listen here:

https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/episode-26-charlie-trotter

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

How Italian Food Conquered the World | John Mariani Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2011

The Banter

The Guys discuss fast food marketing including one which makes them wonder how we became the rat pressing the button in the lab experiment.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys hear from John Mariani how politics, models and the mob impacted the world adopting the now ubiquitous Italian food. From Italian fine dining to Chef Boyardee we learn the rich history of the rise of what some believe to be the best cuisine on the planet!

The Inside Track

The Guys operate an Italian-American restaurant named after Mark’s grandmother who enjoyed filling his belly.

John: So the Italian immigrant woman in American, quite literally became empowered. To become the best cook on her block, the one whose meatballs were renowned in the neighborhood whose Sunday red sauce, tomato sauce was better than anybody else's. And to take pride in being able to fatten up your kids and your husband and to show the abundance of the American way of life.

That's what Italian American food is all about

Mark: … and grandchildren.

John Mariani on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2011

Bio

John Mariani is an acclaimed food and wine writer, historian, and author of more than a dozen books, including The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink and How Italian Food Conquered the World. For 35 years he was the food and travel correspondent for Esquire and a wine critic for Bloomberg News for a decade. He is known for his insightful commentary on dining, culture, and culinary history. His work has earned him awards, acclaim and recognition as one of America’s leading voices on food and wine. For over 20 years he has written his own newsletter Mariani’s Virtual Gourmet.

Info

John’s website where you can read his current newsletters

https://johnmariani.com/

John’s Book

How Italian Food Conquered the World

John Mariani

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 Modern Restaurants Can Learn from the Legacy of Delmonico’s (Max Tucci) Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Guys discuss the movement in the wine industry to market wine as a lifestyle product. Do folks want to choose wine based on what’s on the bottle or what’s in the bottle?

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys chat with Max Tucci, third-generation restaurateur of the iconic Delmonico's in New York. They delve into the rich history of Delmonico's, discussing its significance from the Gilded Age to today and the culinary innovations that originated there. Max shares touching stories about his family's legacy and the importance of hospitality which he carries into his new venture Tucci.

The Inside Track

The Guys and Max, all seasoned restaurateurs, understand that while there are many moving pieces in a dining experience, there is really only one thing that matters.

“Here's one thing, and you guys get it. At the end of the day, people aren't gonna remember the music. They're not gonna remember if the cocktail was perfectly chilled. They're not gonna remember if this steak was medium rare, but they're gonna remember how they were treated,” Max Tucci on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Max Tucci is an award-winning producer, host, and author, best known for carrying forward the legacy of New York City’s iconic Delmonico’s restaurant. Max is also the author of The Delmonico Way: Sublime Entertaining and Legendary Recipes from the Restaurant that Made New York.

His podcast, Max & Friends, began as a radio show in 2008 and became a podcast. It’s currently on hiatus.

Info

Max Tucci (find his restaurants, book and show)

https://thedelmonicoway.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

Sangria and Blue Eggs | Kim Haasarud & Jeanne Kelley Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2008

The Banter

The Guys talk about a civilized way to get groomsmen looking good for the wedding that doesn’t involve a trip to the spa.

The First Conversation

The Restaurant Guys hear from Kim Haasarud, author and mixologist, who gives advice on sangria. They talk about which wines work best, how to get the most out of the fruit and the best ways to implement it at a party.

The Second Conversation

The Restaurant Guys talk with Jeanne Kelley about her experiences with urban gardening –complete with chickens and a goat! She shares her joy of composting, the best kitchen tool she’s ever used and a secret ingredient that’s one of The Guys’ favorites.

Bios

Kim Haasarud is an award-winning mixologist, author, and founder of Liquid Architecture, a consulting firm known for crafting innovative cocktail programs. She is the author of the best-selling 101 Cocktails series and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast, and Cosmopolitan.

Jeanne Kelley is a Los Angeles–based cookbook author, food writer specializing in seasonal, sustainable cooking. She trained at the esteemed École de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris.

Jeanne is the author of several cookbooks, including Salad for Dinner, The Portable Feast, and Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes: A Backyard Garden-to-Table Cookbook. Her work has been featured in publications such as Bon Appétit, Cooking Light, Fine Cooking, and Everyday with Rachael Ray. She also contributed to Williams Sonoma’s Holiday Baking collection.

Info

Kim Hassarud

https://www.liquid-architecture.com/

Jeanne Kelley

https://www.jeannekelleykitchen.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

Robert LeBlanc: Honoring the Past and Shaping the Future of New Orleans Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

Banter

The Guys talk about an unusual cooking appliance and how long is too long to keep snails in your pantry.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys finally catch up with Robert LeBlanc, hotelier and restaurateur. They talk about camaraderie within the restaurant community and how that enhances the experience for all involved. The love of hospitality often goes back to their roots of family and experienced restaurateurs before them and that’s how they navigate the inevitable challenges of the industry.

The Inside Track

The Guys and Robert find common ground in how they lead their teams—training staff to share their own enthusiasm and create genuine connections with guests.

Mark: As I said to the team yesterday, pick something that you are just absolutely passionate about and talk to the customers about that and tell it from your heart and tell it from who you are and tell it from your perspective of why you like it. Nothing's more powerful than that.

Robert: We have a value built on that. It’s called, “Do cool shit and stay humble.”

Robert LeBlanc on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Robert LeBlanc has built some of New Orleans’ favorite spots. His hospitality group, LeBlanc+Smith, is behind Sylvain, the French Quarter bistro; Barrel Proof, a whiskey bar; and The Chloe, an Uptown boutique hotel. He’s also opened The Celestine, a French Quarter stunner with the cocktail bar Peychaud’s, plus neighborhood hangouts like Anna’s and The Will & The Way—each with its own personality.

Info

Robert’s group

https://www.leblancandsmith.com/

Robert’s NOLA recs

https://www.chaisdelachaise.com/

https://patoisnola.com/

https://www.galatoires.com/

https://www.arnaudsrestaurant.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

Taste What You’re Missing | Barb Stuckey | Preview Sep 04, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2012

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys talk with Barb Stuckey, taste expert, about the difference between taste and flavor. They discuss why you need to contemplate what you eat and use all five senses when you taste. Hear about Barb’s UNfocus tasting group that tested how impairment impacts your perception of food.

The Inside Track

The Guys and Barb discuss analyzing food the way we dissect wine.

Barb: We do a lot of critical tasting of wine, yet we don't necessarily do the same of food. I thought that that was pretty odd given that only about 35% of the population in America drinks wine, but a hundred percent of us eat food.

Francis: I would like to point out that that's our favorite 35%, but I get your point.

Barb Stuckey on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2012

Bio

Barb Stuckey is a leading food developer, taste expert, and author of Taste: Surprising Stories and Science About Why Food Tastes Good. As Chief New Product Strategy Officer at Mattson (the largest independent food and beverage innovation company in North America) she’s spent over two decades helping create the products that shape how we eat.

Known as a “taste educator,” Stuckey translates the science of flavor into everyday language. Barb was instrumental in helping The San Francisco Cooking School integrate the science of taste into their curriculum by teaching the fundamentals of taste to each incoming class during the school’s 10 years in San Francisco. She spoke at the NextGen Restaurant Summit, gave a TED Talk on umami and has contributed articles about the food industry to Forbes.com.

Info

Barb’s book

Taste: Surprising Stories and Science about Why Food Tastes Good

By Barb Stuckey

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

Never Touch a Waiter’s Tray: Fine Dining Rules and Restaurant Stories | The Restaurant Guys Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Restaurant Guys are solo this show by listener request. You’ll hear great advice like never touch a waiter’s tray and guidance on the right number of martinis to have before a business dinner (Hint: It’s less than two if you haven’t had lunch.) From celebrity encounters to fur coats, these are a few quirky tales of life behind the scenes of fine dining.

Info

Bistro Huddy on IG

https://www.instagram.com/drewtalbert/

The Sussmans

https://www.instagram.com/thesussmans/

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