The Restaurant Guys

Latest Episodes:

Ruth Reichl, Critic in Disguise Jul 31, 2025

Show notes

Current day intro and the interview is a Vintage Selection from 2005

The Banter

The Guys, in 2025, set the scene for this interview with Ruth Reichl, a newspaper restaurant critic who changed the landscape of professional reviews. The Guys share reviews they have received and ones they were glad they didn’t.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys interview Ruth Reichl to discuss the roles of critic and restaurateur and how they must stay focused on enhancing the diner experience. Ruth talks of hate mail, disguises and the enormous pressure on critics to get it right.

The Inside Track

The Guys finally got to talk to Ruth about whether to acknowledge a critic in your restaurant. If only she could have told them sooner…

Francis: You spot the restaurant critic in the dining room. My inclination is to go over and say hello. Like I say hello to everybody in my dining room.

Ruth: Well, you probably shouldn't.

Mark: Yeah, we're sure of that now.

-Ruth Reichl on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005

Bio

Ruth Reichl started out as a co-owner and chef of Swallow Restaurant in Berkeley, California. She became the restaurant editor then food editor and critic at the Los Angeles Times. Ruth returned to her native New York in 1993 to become the restaurant critic for the New York Times where she rocked the NYC restaurant scene with her dual review of Le Cirque in 1993. She stayed until 1999 when assumed the role of editor of Gourmet magazine.

She has written a dozen books and has appeared as a judge on Top Chef Masters.

Currently, Ruth co-hosts a podcast and posts a food writer newsletter on Substack.

Ruth is a winner of six James Beard Awards as well as their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Info

Ruth’s podcast, Three Ingredients

https://threeingredients.substack.com/

Ruth’s Substack, La Briffe

https://ruthreichl.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

Andrew Zimmern on The Restaurant Guys LIVE! Pt 2 of 2 Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

This is part 2 of a 2 part episode

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys are thrilled to sit down with Andrew Zimmern to talk about food television, globe-trotting and some surprisingly delicious foods. Hear the tale about the BEST family feud Andrew, or anyone, has ever experienced!

The Inside Track

The Guys have had Andrew on their podcast several times years ago. They all agree that humans are designed to care for each other and break all kinds of bread together.

“With food, you can be very indiscriminate. One night I'm going out for sushi, and the next night I'm cooking at home, and then I'm gonna go over to this person's house and they're gonna make me something.

There is a level of sharing with that intimacy that crosses more boundaries than if Gael [Greene] was here, I would say, than sex does. So there's an argument that it is the most universal of intimate acts,” Andrew Zimmern on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and passionate global citizen. As the creator, executive producer and host of the Bizarre Foods franchise, Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, MSNBC’s What’s Eating America, the Emmy-nominated Family Dinner, Outdoor Channel’s Wild Game Kitchen and Field to Fire, and the Emmy-winning The Zimmern List, he has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food.

Info

Andrew’s site

https://andrewzimmern.com/

Andrew’s 2008 appearance on The Restaurant Guys Podcast

https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/episode-98-andrew-zimmern

Andrew’s new book (out in October 2025)

The Blue Food Cookbook: Delicious Seafood Recipes for a Sustainable Future (A Comprehensive Guide, from Buying and Preparing to Cooking Delicious Nutritious Blue Food Recipes)

By Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver

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

Andrew Zimmern on The Restaurant Guys LIVE! Pt 1 of 2 Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

This is part 1 of a 2 part episode

The Conversation

The Inside Track

The Guys have had Andrew on their podcast several times years ago. They all agree that humans are designed to care for each other and break all kinds of bread together.

Bio

Info

Andrew’s site

https://andrewzimmern.com/

Andrew’s 2008 appearance on The Restaurant Guys Podcast

https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/episode-98-andrew-zimmern

Andrew’s new book (out in October 2025)

The Blue Food Cookbook: Delicious Seafood Recipes for a Sustainable Future (A Comprehensive Guide, from Buying and Preparing to Cooking Delicious Nutritious Blue Food Recipes)

By Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver

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 Dark Ages of the American Cocktail | David Wondrich Jul 24, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2008

The Banter

The Guys talk about past, present and future trends in cocktails and Francis makes a prediction of the next great flavor. Was he right?

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys are joined by cocktail historian David Wondrich. They talk about cocktail glasses (yes, size DOES matter) and his book Imbibe! Spoiler: It won a James Beard Award!

The Inside Track

The Guys and David, who have bent an elbow together, discuss the bartending skills that go well beyond mixing a drink.

“It's not just mixing drinks, that's even the smallest part of it. You have to be a character. You have to be able to talk to people from all walks of life.

You know, I've always admired a great bartender for that social versatility, that sense of dignity behind the bar where you're in charge, and yet at the same time, you're hospitable. And you can handle people in all states of.. sobriety,” David Wondrich on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2008

Bio

David Wondrich is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the history of the cocktail and one of the founders of the modern craft cocktail movement. He is a Drinks Correspondent for Esquire magazine, the author of countless newspaper and magazine articles and five books, including the influential Imbibe!, which was the first cocktail book to win a James Beard award. He completed the enormous Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (2021).

He is a founding partner in Beverage Alcohol Resource, America’s leading advanced training program for bartenders and other mixologists.

Info

David’s newest book (to be released fall 2025)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/675535/the-comic-book-history-of-the-cocktail-by-david-wondrich-illustrated-by-dean-kotz/

The Rise, Fall, And Rise Again Of Sloe Gin

By Janelle Alberts May 17, 2024

https://www.mashed.com/1582212/rise-fall-sloe-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

From Employees Only to Sip & Guzzle | Steve Schneider Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Guys raise a glass to honor an iconic cocktail bar that has recently closed its doors.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys catch up with world-renown bar operator Steve Schneider. Steve talks about his experiences working in and running various types of bars and how a few chance encounters catapulted his career. He describes how he strives to create the perfect vibe in his bar and tells how a night off at the theatre altered his perspective.

The Inside Track

The Guys have been long-time fans of Steve. Francis even had a brief appearance in Steve’s movie Hey Bartender!

Steve waxes sentimental about one little wish he has that many experienced bartenders probably share.

“If I could have one more shift in my twenties at EO (Employees Only), I would go back. That's what I would do. I would go back to freaking like 2012 and I would work one more shift with my old team and just be debaucherous,” Steve Schneider on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Steve Schneider has more than 20 years of bar experience in New York, Singapore, Shanghai and Panama City, earning a reputation as one of the most respected and inspiring bartenders in the industry. Steve is a Partner at Employees Only Singapore, The Odd Couple in Shanghai and The Elysian Café in Hoboken, N.J. These positions followed a long-time stint as a Principal Bartender at Employees Only in New York when it earned “The World’s Best Cocktail Bar” Award at Tales of the Cocktail.

Steve is Bar Manager and Head Bartender at Guzzle.

Info

Sip & Guzzle

https://www.sipandguzzlenyc.com/

Hey Bartender! Movie trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLHdqCXe-OM

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

Sean Harrison, Master Distiller of Plymouth Gin *V* Jul 17, 2025

Show notes

This a Vintage Selection from 2006

The Banter

The Guys kick around some questionable burger ideas that they don’t find appealing.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys welcome Plymouth Gin Master Distiller Sean Harrison from across the pond. Sean talks about the trials and rebirth of gin and even shares the secret Plymouth Gin recipe.

The Inside Track

The Guys are fans of Sean’s Plymouth Gin both in and out of cocktails.

Francis: Sean, will you tell us how gin is made and why gin is so much more flavorful than it's the other clear spirit vodka?

Sean: Yeah, because gin is a recipe. In all, if you actually look at what gin is, we take very neutral alcohol. That very neutral alcohol, we can actually put it into a bottle and call it vodka. So gin is the original flavored vodka.

Francis: So basically you're saying that vodka is incomplete gin?

Sean: Yes. It's halfway to God's world, basically.

Sean Harrison on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006

Bio

Sean Harrison, Plymouth Gin Master Distiller, joined Plymouth Gin in 1994 as Assistant Manager, rising to become Master Distiller. He is the keeper of their coveted 200 year old recipe, passed down verbally to every Master Distiller since 1793.

Info

Plymouth Gin

https://www.plymouthgin.com/en/

If you want the recipe for a Vesper email TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.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

Charlotte Voisey, New Leader of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Guys talk about remarkable Italian wines that you should try including an alternative to the amazing, and pricey, Amarone.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys appreciate Charlotte Voisey, newly minted Executive Director of The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, taking time to talk to them when Tales of the Cocktail Conference is merely days away. They go over the past, present and future of both Tales of the Cocktail and Charlotte and how the intersection created The Contemporary Cocktail Landscape, internationally!

The Inside Track

The Guys have been attending the Tales of the Cocktail Conference in New Orleans for years, crossing paths with Charlotte.

Francis: I remember the first time I met you. I was in a bar in New Orleans, I think, and you came in in full regalia at a Tales thing and you were carrying a croquet mallet and then you opened your mouth and a British accent spilled out. And I thought, wow, that girl's really going all the way with it.

Charlotte: That sounds about right.

Charlotte Voisey on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

As Executive Director of Tales of the Cocktail, Charlotte Voisey oversees the Foundation’s mission to educate, advance, and support the global drinks community. Prior to the Executive Director appointment, Charlotte served as the Overall Chair of the Spirited Awards from 2016 to 2024. In 2010 her contributions were recognized when she won a Spirited Award for “Best American Brand Ambassador.”

Her career is also marked by her tenure at William Grant & Sons, where she led the company’s globally respected Brand Ambassadors.

Charlotte has been recognized as UK Bartender of the Year, Mixologist of the Year, and a Silver Medal at the World Female Bartender Championships.

Info

To attend the LIVE podcast in NOLA on July 22, 2025 email

TheGuys@RestaurantGuysPodcast.com

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

https://talesofthecocktail.org/

BAR 5 Day

https://beveragealcoholresource.com/bar-5-day-program/

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

TEASER! Ray Isle, Wine Author and Editor at Food & Wine *V* Jul 12, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2007

The Banter

The Guys talk about what Altoids and Cap’n Crunch have in common. They also “cover” some issues with “uncovered servers”

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys welcome wine writer Ray Isle who explains biodynamic viticulture and shares his 7 rules for pairing wine and food. Find out what Ray calls the shortstop of wine.

The Inside Track

The Guys have had Ray on the show previously and wanted to have him back on to discuss his Seven Rules.

Ray: Some wines do go better with some foods than others. So I do think it's possible to have some basic rules at hand that actually do work. Once in a while they may slightly backfire on you, but I came up with seven. I'm willing to go to the mat to say that they're pretty effective.

Mark: So, Ray, do you know how you know that I liked your seven rules? I brought you on the show. If I were just gonna make fun of 'em, I wouldn't have embarrassed you in person.

-Ray Isle on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007

Bio

Ray Isle was a senior editor at Wine & Spirits magazine. In 2005, he moved to Food & Wine. He writes the monthly “What to Drink Next” column as well as regular feature articles. He’s also the wine editor for Travel + Leisure.

His writing on wine, spirits, travel and other topics has appeared in Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Wine & Spirits, Time, Martha Stewart Living, and others.

He has won awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), the American Food Journalists and the North American Travel Journalists Association, and is a James Beard Award nominee.

His book is The World in a Wineglass.

He appears regularly in national media such as Today and Weekend Today.

Info

Ray’s site

https://rayisle.com/

Ray’s contribution to Food & Wine

https://www.foodandwine.com/search?q=ray+isle

Email us for Ray’s 7 Rules for Perfect Pairing

theguys@restaurantguyspodcast.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

Kim Chauvin and Her Wild American Shrimp! *V* Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005

The Banter

The Guys read some fan mail and discuss the reviews a couple of unusual restaurants–would you prefer drawbridges or beds?

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys welcome Kim Chauvin who tells us all about the American shrimp industry and the superior product of fresh, wild shrimp. She also talks about the hardships of hurricanes and as well as and life in the family business.

Inside Track

The Guys hit it off with Kim Chauvin and even got invited to her boat blessing! They were impressed with the hearty stock shrimpers are made of, particularly during hurricanes.

Francis: Your husband stayed on the boat. What is it like to ride out a category five hurricane on a boat?

Kim: Well, you have to realize it really wasn't a five hitting where we were.

Francis: Um, okay. Category three, then. I don't walk outside when it's thundering, okay?

-Kim Chauvin on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005

Info

Mariah Jade Shrimp is part of David Chauvin Seafood Company

https://www.davidchauvinsseafood.com/

https://americanshrimp.com/suppliers/mariah-jade-shrimp/

Mariah Jade Shrimp is a mobile dock.

David Chauvin's Seafood Company is an unloading facility of shrimp, ice house, fuel dock and a supply house for commercial and recreational fishing vessels. They sell shrimp and seafood to consumers. Located in Dulac, LA.

Bluewater Shrimp Company is a processing facility and unloading facility located in Dulac, LA.

Kim Chauvin's Seafood Company is a brand new company to an older facility. It’s an unloading facility of shrimp and fish, ice house, fuel dock and supply house for commercial and recreational fishing vessels. They sell shrimp and seafood to consumers. Located in Grand Isle, LA.

The Ninja New York Review by Frank Bruni

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/26/dining/yelping-warriors-and-rocks-in-the-broth.html

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

Deborah Keane, No-Kill Caviar Queen Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Guys talk about the joys and heartbreak of urban and suburban gardening.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys get expert advice about the goings on in the world of caviar from Deborah Keane. She is a pioneer in sustainable caviar farming and is changing the game again with her no-kill caviar. Hear how tradition, politics and technology have all played a role in the caviar we have today and the extracted version we can have very soon.

The Inside Track

The Guys get to ask Deborah about an age old tradition of keeping metal away from caviar.

Francis: There's an old kitchen rule that you never touch caviar with a metal utensil. So we have these mother-of-pearl spoons with which we serve caviar. Is that true? And if it's true, why?

Deborah: So I will start with the king of the culinary world, Jacques Pépin. He says to me, “Deborah, the caviar is never long enough on the spoon to make it make a difference.” And he's right! So use whatever you want.

-Deborah Keane on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Deborah Keane, dubbed the “Caviar Queen”, built a complete, vertically integrated spawning-to-serving enterprise and is a leading pioneer in sustainable fish farming. She is the first female-owned and operated caviar company in the world and the first female fish farm owner in the state of California, California Caviar Company.

She is on the cutting edge again harvesting caviar using a no-kill method.

Info

California Caviar

https://californiacaviar.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/