Joiners

For our first podcast of 2023, we're perusing a loaded display case with Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader , co-founder and co-chef (with her husband, Ben) of Avondale's Loaf Lounge . Recently, she took a turn as head consultant on The Bear for all things baking -- and if you caught a glimpse of any of the cakes or doughnuts that the final cut, you know she knocked it out of the park. She joins us today to...

Happy Holidays, Joiners fans! Our guest this week is Chef Wilson Bauer . Bauer is the talent behind Flour Power , a gem of a pasta restaurant he opened at the beginning of the pandemic. They're doing incredible stuff over there, and it makes sense why: Bauer came from Elizabeth and Schwa , and even helped out as a mercenary cook at Scofflaw. He cuts no corners: he puts a lot of emphasis on ethical...

This week, we're hitching a ride down the hospitality highway with Dinah Grossman of Spinning J fame. Coming off of winning Good Morning America's inaugural United States of Pie competition , Dinah tells us all about how Spinning J evolved, from its humble soda fountain origins into the beloved Humboldt Park institution it is today. This episode, we're talking about the power of collaboration, hip...

This year, we were treated to a gritty depiction of the trials and tribulations of Chicago restaurateurs via the electric, brusque, and lovingly crafted television show The Bear . Celebrated for its unmistakable rhythm, judicious character development, and sharp attention to detail, it's up for all kinds of awards this year, and its authenticity is so palpable that many hospitality vets had troubl...

This week, Billy Zureikat , aka Tripping Billy, brings an inspiring story -- and his trademark shishito pepper pizza -- to the podcast. After being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy a year and a half ago, he has worked to find the silver lining via a variety of creative pursuits, and has been using food collaborations in particular to bring awareness to the disease. He tells us about leveraging pe...

This week on Joiners, your hosts Tim Tierney and Danny "LA Cool" Shapiro are table-crashed by journalist and the Chicago Reader's resident culinarian: Mike Sula. He tells us about his salad days covering music in Pittsburgh, his early boots-on-the-ground reporting at the Reader, and what he's learned about telling captivating stories about food. It's a conversation that covers the feral hog craze,...

This week, we have the pleasure of interviewing the sagacious Tereasa Surratt, a widely accomplished human being, and for our money, one of the greatest creative minds around. From her station in the advertising world, to the founding of Camp Wandawega, to her turn as an author, her list of bonafides is as textured as it is long -- and we touch on as much of it as we can in this week's episode.

Paul Virant is a legend of the Chicago culinary scene. As the Executive Chef of Vie, Vistro Prime, and Gaijin, he's been flexing his epicurean muscle around town for decades. In this week's episode of Joiners, he tells us all about his journey, from being a soda jerk for Six Flags in Eureka, Missouri, to overseeing some of the country's most singular dining experiences. 

Welcome to Taste Test, a new segment where a  ̶b̶l̶i̶n̶d̶f̶o̶l̶d̶e̶d̶ Tim and Danny, with the help of Tim's Sister Liz, pit local culinary delights against their mass-market counterparts. It's the Chicago food version of David vs. Goliath, or Jerry Maguire vs. Sports, with Tim and Danny's pallets settling the score. In episode three, we're rounding out Liz's first stint by tackling a classic Chica...

This week, we're exploring the aesthetic side of the culinary world with none other than Huge Galdones, a man whose portfolio spans the hospitality gamut. This man knows just how to frame art, craft, and product -- he has experience photographing every facet of the Chicago restaurant scene and beyond. He tells us all about transitioning from a career in science to bootstrapping as a photographer,...

Welcome to Taste Test, a new segment where a blindfolded Tim and Danny, with the help of Tim's Sister Liz, pit local culinary delights against their mass-market counterparts. It's the Chicago food version of David vs. Goliath, or Jerry Maguire vs. Sports, with Tim and Danny's pallets settling the score. In episode three, we tackle a Chicago classic: the Italian Sub. Will the boys be able to sus ou...

This week, we're hotboxing the studio with Mindy Segal of Mindy's Bakery and Mindy's Edibles. We settle in deep and plumb the depths in jocular fashion, exploring the true meaning of success and how to arrive at radical self-acceptance -- and Mindy shares some practical advice on safely enjoying cannabis.

Welcome to Taste Test, a new segment where a blindfolded Tim and Danny, with the help of Tim's Sister Liz, pit local culinary delights against their mass-market counterparts. It's the Chicago food version of David vs. Goliath, or Jerry Maguire vs. Sports, with Tim and Danny's pallets settling the score. For our sophomore episode, we're going to Flake Town with a quintessential French Pastry: the w...

Join Tim and Danny as they take a seat with Robby Haynes III of Apologue Liqueurs and Sunday's Finest . He's a world-class drink designer using the knowledge and experience he gained as one of the nomads of Chicago's cocktail renaissance to create obscure liqueurs with one-of-a-kind flavor profiles. He takes us through his creative process (it involves not writing things down, but he's getting bet...

This week, we're taken to school by none other than Chef Brian Jupiter , the extremely accomplished gentleman currently helming Pioneer Tavern Group , the driving force behind spots like Frontier , Jup Soups , Ina Mae Tavern , and Lottie's . He tells about cooking with his grandmother and making food for his friends as a teenager in New Orleans, and leads us through the kitchens that compose his e...

Welcome to Taste Test, a new segment where a blindfolded Tim and Danny, with the help of Tim's Sister Liz, pit local culinary delights against their mass-market counterparts. It's the Chicago food version of David vs. Goliath, or Jerry Maguire vs. Sports, with Tim and Danny's pallets settling the score. For the first episode, the guys take on an early morning staple, often attempted and rarely per...

How do you get from Dua Lipa to Hibiscus Wine in three moves or less? Find out this week, when the boys crack open a few cold ones with Dan Abel, Co-Founder and CEO of Pilot Project, a brewery incubator based out of Chicago. Fittingly, it's the first episode to feature actual drinking, and it's complemented by incredible insight into the type of creativity, market savvy, and attention to detail th...

This week, we're lucky enough to have D'Andre Carter sidle up to the booth. D'Andre is the creative force and culinary talent behind a number of celebrated projects, like Feast & Imbibe and Soul & Smoke : two Chicagoland mainstays that put the chef's attention to detail and panache front and center.  We talk about what characterizes Chicago-style BBQ, how Olive Garden is low-key a masterclass in c...

This week, we're yelling "fore!" with Soo Ahn , executive chef of Adalina , and (to Danny's fanatical delight) fantastic golfer . He tells us about his unconventional journey to the world of hospitality, the invaluable education provided by failure, and how to nail your tasting interview for a world-class restaurant. 

This week, we welcome Emma Janzen , the celebrated writer responsible for such lauded collaborations as The Way of the Cocktail and The Bartender's Manifesto , as well as her own fantastic tome on Mezcal, called Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit. She is a certified expert on cocktails and a fantastic writer to boot, and this is a fun conversation that...

For lucky episode #13, renowned Urbanbelly chef, Cornerstone partner, and all around Chicago gem Bill Kim slides into the booth. He talks to us about how he ran with the chances he was given early on, the hectic coordination that characterized the salad days of farm-to-table, and what it means when you're told to "throw down or go down." 

This week, we're with our friend Wade McElroy , a man who has kind of done it all in hospitality. From working as a server, to helping open The Standard Hotel in New York, to designing bars with his creative partner Jeff Donahue, Wade has a diverse range of experience to draw from, and he's kind enough to share what he's learned along the way. We talk about making people comfortable with design, s...

Our guest this week is Amy Cavanaugh, a food writer whose held positions at Plate Magazine, Time Out Chicago, and elsewhere. She currently works at Chicago Magazine as their dining editor and her knowledge of Chicagoland cuisine runs deep (and she has the Google Doc to prove it.) Our conversation runs the gamut, from the ideal Chicago hot dog and the fluctuating price of lobster rolls, to the ethi...

This week, the table is crashed by none other than Chef Jonathan Zaragoza , the intrepid Goatboy of Birrieria Zaragoza . He walks us through the process of making birria (turns out it's good to start with a goat that's no longer alive), kitchen mishaps, and his family's less-than-legal culinary origin story. Listen to hear tips about the best Mexican spots in and around Chicago, the importance of...

This week, we have the pleasure of speaking with Lily Wang , who along with her partner Joe opened up Nine Bar , an exciting new cocktail bar located in Chinatown. Nine Bar opened up in the back end of her family's restaurant, Moon Palace, which has been around for quite some time, and continues to serve its expansive menu to go.  Lily takes us through the process of growing the concept from a pop...