The Restaurant Guys

Latest Episodes:

BONUS! Dale & Pete on Turf & Tipple Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

This is a BONUS! episode relating to the Belmont Stakes 2025

The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys sit down with King Cocktail Dale DeGroff and Peter Thomas Fornatale of In the Money Players’ Podcast to talk about horse racing and the cocktails that accompany it. Pete offers his Win, Place and Show for the upcoming Belmont Stakes 2025. Listen and you could wind up in the money.

The Inside Track The Guys are horse racing fans and hosted Dale for his performance of “Gamblers, Whisky and Flying Horses.” They recently met Pete and plan to catch up with him at the track in Saratoga this summer. They all have had fun times with Dale including one night when Dale had to give the bartenders at a new NYC hotspot a cocktail recipe.

Pete: You're writing out the recipe on the back of a napkin to send to the bartenders to go and make us around. To this day still, it was the most baller move I've ever seen to be in the hot new restaurant writing out the recipe. This is what we'd like to drink, thank you very much.

Francis: I wanna make a public service announcement to all dining customers. If you are not Dale Degroff, don't do that.

Dale: And by the way, this explains why nobody knows where these famous drinks came from with a few minor exceptions because they wrote 'em down on a cocktail napkin and stuck them in their pocket. Later on in the evening they pulled it out, blew their nose on it and threw it away.

Dale DeGroff & Peter Thomas Fornatale on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Info

Pete’s podcast

https://inthemoneypodcast.com/category/players-podcast/

Pete’s book
Brooklyn Spirits: Craft Distilling and Cocktails from the World's Hippest Borough
By Peter Thomas Fornatale & Chris Wertz
Chris MacMillan mint julep video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJV-O1e10z8&t=358s

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

TEASER! John Scharffenberger: Winemaker to Chocolatier *V* May 29, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2007

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys talk with John Scharffenberger about his premium line of chocolate which is the first “bean to bar” chocolate made in the United States. John talks about the history, sourcing and the crucial details in creating some of the finest chocolate in the world!

The Inside Track

The Guys were fans of John’s sparkling wine and are fans of his chocolate. This is how John describes his on-the-job training after his career shift.

“ I think we were just stupid when we started and the only way we knew how to do things were the way I had done things in the wine business [which] was just to be really careful about flavor. So we treated the beans like we used to treat grapes. We did blind tastings, we did lots of blind tastings, and only accepted beans that had flavors that we liked,”John Scharffenberger on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007

Bio

John Scharffenberger started Scharffenberger Cellars known for their world-class California sparkling wine. He left the winery and started Scharffen Berger Chocolates in 1997 with Robert Steinberg.

Info

John’s cookbook

Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate

By John Scharffenberger and Rober Steinberg

Scharffen Berger Chocolate is no longer owned by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. It was acquired by Hershey in 2005, went back to private ownership in 2020 then acquired by Harry and David in 2024.

If you want John’s Hot Chocolate recipe, 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/

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

Alex Guarnaschelli on The Restaurant Guys LIVE! May 27, 2025

Show notes

This episode was recorded live before an audience

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys are joined on stage by Alex Guarnaschelli. Alex talks about cooking in a French kitchen, on television and for a special someone (i.e., how to make a seduction dinner.) She finds her faith in beautiful ingredients and her restaurant family.

The Inside Track

The Guys talk to Alex about the not-so-secret sauce that makes “Chopped” so enjoyable for the judges, guests and audience.

“It’s the feedback we would give each other in the restaurant. I think it didn't bring the restaurant to the show, but it brought that culture. That pirate that just got off the Black Pearl. I had my parakeet and my eye patch and I'm ready to tell you why your spaghetti sucks! I think that really resonates with people. I feel like the audience could feel that we wanted to tell the truth,” Alex Guarnaschelli on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Alex Guarnaschelli began her international culinary journey at Michelin three-star restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris. From there, Guarnaschelli spent four years at a Butte Chaillot, where she became sous chef. After success in France, she returned to the US joining Daniel Boulud at his restaurant, Daniel. In 2003, Guarnaschelli was took the position of executive chef at Butter, where she still oversees her own eclectic American menu.

Alex is a recurring judge on the popular Food Network series Chopped and in 2012, she bested nine rival chefs to win The Next Iron Chef: Redemption, earning the coveted title of Iron Chef. She hosts Supermarket Steakout and Alex vs. America among many other shows. She has also been featured as a guest co-host on Beat Bobby Flay.

Alex is also the author of several cookbooks including Italian American Forever released in 2024.

Info

Alex’s most recent cookbook

Italian American Forever

Alex’s site

https://alexguarnaschelli.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: Bizarre Food Anthropologist May 22, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2008

The Banter

The Guys discuss an issue that persists today, the rising price of food. Hear what little has changed since 2008.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys host food anthropologist Andrew Zimmern for a second time to hear about his travels and love of Bizarre Foods. Two of his favorites are pork roll and yak penis (no, we’re not kidding!).

The Inside Track

The Guys catch up with Andrew Zimmern and chat about his show’s meteoric rise.

“ Well, let's just, let's just call a spade a spade. The two of you are the most prescient, knowledgeable food industry insiders in a global sense. And the minute that you took the golden scepter and knocked me over the head with it, the show took off. So let's just be honest and share the credit where it's due,” Andrew Zimmern on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2008

Bio

Andrew Zimmern is a chef, food writer, radio show host, author, and host of award-winning television series Bizarre Food franchise among others. He is a four-time James Beard Award winner for his television shows. He has received many Emmy nominations and won for The Zimmern List.

He is the author of several books for all ages about bizarre foods as well as an adventure book for middle school students.

Currently, Andrew is on The Outdoor Channel’s series, Field to Fire.

Info

Andrew’s Website

https://andrewzimmern.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

Rollie Wesen of the Jacques Pépin Foundation May 20, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Guys talk about the word “journey.” Don’t stop believin’.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys talk with Rollie Wesen about his work at the Jacques Pépin Foundation and how the JPF lifts up individuals through supporting community and virtual culinary education. Rollie comments on how learning cooking techniques can not only improve one’s health, but prevent disease and extend one’s life.

The Inside Track

The Guys were thrilled to re-launched their podcast with Jacques Pépin and were so glad to start off his 90 for 90 campaign that Rollie and the JPF are orchestrating.

“ We're currently in the midst of a national campaign, our 90 for 90 campaign because Jacques is going to turn 90 years old in this upcoming December, which is amazing and we're so happy to still have him with us. But for anybody who wants to celebrate him or feels like they've learned something from him or they want to give back just a little bit for everything that Jacques has given them over the years, there's dinners being hosted all across the country at our, at great restaurants,” Rollie Wesen on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Dr. Rollie Wesen is the Executive Director of the Jacques Pépin Foundation (JPF) and an assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in Providence, Rhode Island. After 20 years of professional cooking experience, including stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in London and France, eight years in New York City, and as a banquet chef for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, chef Wesen joined the faculty at JWU in 2011. With his wife, Claudine Pépin, and father-in-law, Jacques, he co-founded the JPF in 2016.

The JPF advances Jacques Pépin’s love of culinary arts and teaching through video recipe production and curriculum development, expanding education and training for all. The foundation supports culinary education for many communities through many channels, with a particular focus on workforce development in community based culinary training networks.

Info

The Jacques Pépin Foundation

https://jp.foundation/

90 for 90 Campaign JPF

https://www.celebratejacques.org/

Promise Kitchen at Elijah’s Promise

https://elijahspromise.org/promise-culinary/

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! Sam Gugino on Coffee May 18, 2025

Show notes

This is just a teaser from a bonus episode for our subscribers. If you'd like to become a Restaurant Guys' Regular and listen to the entire episode and other commercial-free episodes, subscribe here

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005

The Banter

The Guys discuss the inequities in Father’s Day and Mother’s Day as well as pairing strawberries with the perfect sparkling wine.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys want to speak with writer Sam Gugino after reading his fantastic article about coffee. They talk about its journey from farm to roasting to brewing. After his deep dive, Sam shares five criteria for making the best coffee.

The Inside Track

The Guys chat with Sam about quality coffee and, in typical Restaurant Guys fashion, they don’t choose the lesser variety.

Sam: There are actually two basic different kinds of coffee, Robusta and Arabica. The robusta, the cheap stuff that goes into the cans and supermarkets, actually has more caffeine than the more expensive stuff. So if you really want that caffeine jolt, get the cheap stuff.

Mark: I'd rather have two cups of something good. Is that okay?

Sam Gugino on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005

Info

Sam's website

https://www.samcooks.com/

(Sadly, the coffee article is no longer available)

Sam’s newest book (2025)

Eat! You'll Get Hungry, A Family Food Saga

By Sam Gugino

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

Michael Stern, Road Scholar, Talks About Road Food May 15, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005

The Banter

The Guys talk about a new trend: concierge for teens.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys catch up with traveling writer Michael Stern who searches for our country’s best roadside restaurants. They discuss the finest dishes he’s encountered and where he finds the best (and worst) places.

The Inside Track

The Guys often road trip through the U.S. and were thrilled to hear Michael and his wife Jane’s theory about a pillar of American cuisine: barbecue. Here is their tip on finding the best places.

“ Jane and I, in fact, developed a whole theory. It's the pigs plus Jesus theory of barbecue. When you're in the deep south, if you go into a barbecue parlor and see a lot of religious iconography on the wall, chances are very good the barbecue is gonna be excellent,” Michael Stern on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005

Bio

Michael and his wife Jane were trailblazing guides for over 40 years. After meeting at Yale, where they came to study art, they began a collaboration that has yielded over forty books including New York Times best sellers Elvis World and The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste. Michael is co-creator of roadfood.com – the first website to feature photography.

In 1992, Jane and Michael Stern were inducted into the Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America for their pioneering work discovering regional food. Michael was an editor at Gourmet Magazine for 17 years. The monthly column he and Jane Stern wrote won three James Beard journalism awards. He was a contributing editor to Saveur Magazine from 2010 to 2015. The Sterns were regular weekly guests on the Public Radio show, The Splendid Table. In 2016 the Smithsonian Institution acquired the Jane & Michael Stern Roadfood collection for its permanent archives.

Info

Michael & Jane's book

Road Food 17th Ed

By Jane and Michael Stern

Roadfood

https://roadfood.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

Innovative Dock-to-Table in Charleston | James London May 13, 2025

Show notes

The Banter

The Guys provide suggestions on what restaurants should do if they don’t have a pastry chef. Mark points out why you should not take dieting tips from Francis.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys are *on location* with chef James London of Chubby Fish. They talk about the operations and dining experience of his jewel-box restaurant and how dock-to-table benefits everyone…except the fish.

The Inside Track

The Guys dined at James’ place the night before this podcast and were blown away by the meal! They also marveled at the wonderful blend of southern hospitality and northern hustle.

“ When you go in and you see a service at Chubby Fish, it's almost like watching ballet. It is the way that they spin and they dance and work with each other seamlessly,” James London on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

James London, a Charleston native, came up cooking in barbecue and Southern restaurants in South Carolina. Once he graduated College of Charleston he made the leap to New York City where he enrolled at The French Culinary Institute. After graduation James worked with Chef Josh Dechellis before becoming the Executive Chef at Niko in Soho.

After his time in New York, James went west to San Francisco where he led the kitchen at The Elite Café, a Creole restaurant in Pacific Heights.

James eventually returned to Charleston where he and his wife, Yoanna, opened Chubby Fish, a dock to table seafood concept. Chubby Fish has garnered a Best New Restaurant nod from Bon Appetit, was ranked #7 Restaurant in the US from Food and Wine Magazine, and a James Beard finalist for Best Chef Southeast 2024.

Info

Chubby Fish, Charleston, SC

https://www.chubbyfishcharleston.com/

Life Raft Treats “Not Fried Chicken” Ice Cream on Goldbelly

https://www.goldbelly.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

TEASER! Lettie Teague on Secret Lives in Wine May 08, 2025

Show notes

This is a Vintage Selection from 2007

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys speak with Lettie Teague about her articles “The Secret Life of a Wine Salesperson” and “The Secret Life of a Sommelier.” Lettie gets a behind the scenes look into the selling of wine both to restaurants and to consumers. Hear how good shoes and avoiding coffee can lead to success.

The Inside Track

The Guys invite Lettie on the show after reading her insider articles about getting wine from the distributor into restaurants then into the glasses of consumers. Lettie says this about Food & Wine magazine.

“It is half of our name and we really make a point to have it in every possible place, not just in bottles recommended or profiles of winemakers or stories but also absolutely every dish that it's appropriate to. So, our commitment to wine is profound,” Lettie Teague on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007

Bio

Lettie Teague has been The Wall Street Journal’s wine columnist for 15 years. Before joining the Journal in 2010, Lettie was the executive wine editor and columnist for Food & Wine magazine.

She has won three James Beard awards for her wine writing and is the author of three books: “Wine in Words” and “Educating Peter,” and "Dear Readers and Riders," a biography of best-selling children's book author Marguerite Henry. She is also the co-author and illustrator of “Fear of Wine" and was inducted into the Wine Media Hall of Fame in 2015.

Info

Lettie’s article “Secret Life of a Wine Salesmen”

https://www.foodandwine.com/wine/secret-life-of-a-wine-salesman

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

The Restaurant Guys ON The Wine Makers Pod May 07, 2025

Show notes

From The Wine Makers Podcast:

This week, Sam hits the road with MJ Towler—The Black Wine Guy—for a special crossover episode recorded live in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They sit down with legendary restaurateurs and OG podcasters Francis Schott and Mark Pascal, the co-owners of Stage Left Steak and Catherine Lombardi, and hosts of The Restaurant Guys podcast.

Long before podcasts went mainstream, Francis and Mark were pioneering thoughtful, unpretentious conversations in food, wine, and hospitality, straight from their corner of the Garden State. Sam and MJ dive deep into Francis and Mark’s early days in the restaurant industry, the dramatic evolution of hospitality, and how New Brunswick emerged as an unexpected—and underrated—food and wine hotspot.

The conversation also revisits the wild, early days of podcasting, raising a glass to names like DiSpirito, Trotter, and Bourdain. With behind-the-scenes restaurant stories, old-school podcast wisdom, and heartfelt reminders about the timeless power of passion and hospitality, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Guests Francis Schott and Mark Pascal join co-hosts Sam Coturri and MJ Towler (The Black Wine Guy, Beats Vines & Life) for this special collaboration.

Hosts

Sam Coturri of The Wine Makers podcast and Sixteen 600 Wine

https://radiomisfits.com/twm369/

MJ Towler of Beats, Vine and Life podcast and The Black Wine Guy Experience

https://blackwineguy.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