Industry Night with Nycci Nellis

In this episode of Industry Night, Nycci Nellis kicks off her new residency at RPM Italian in Washington, DC, going behind the scenes of one of the city’s most dynamic dining rooms. Filmed inside RPM Italian in Mount Vernon Triangle, this conversation brings together the people who make the experience sing: – Richard Hanauer, Operational Beverage Partner, on building RPM’s award-winning wine progr...

Hey everyone, I’m Nycci Nellis, and welcome back to Industry Night, where we go behind the scenes with the people shaping how and why we eat and drink the way we do. I’m so happy to be back here at City Ridge. This has become such a wonderful partnership and one of my favorite places in D.C. to tell real-time stories about food and the people building our hospitality scene. Today’s show is coming...

On this episode of Industry Night, I’m back at a.kitchen + bar for our final show in this space and I want to start with gratitude. Huge thanks to Ellen Yin and Eli Collins for welcoming us in and for being such generous partners. This room has been a wonderful home for thoughtful conversations. Joining me today are Chef Matt Conroy and Chef Isabel Coss, partners in life and in the kitchen, and tw...

What does it really take to build a restaurant that lasts—creatively, financially, and emotionally? On this episode of Industry Night, I’m recording from Rim Tang and sitting down with some of the most thoughtful voices in hospitality to talk about breaking the restaurant mold and putting it back together in a way that works for today. First, I’m joined by Jon Sybert and Jill Tyler, the husband-an...

Hey everyone, it’s Nycci Nellis, and welcome back to Industry Night, where we go behind the scenes with the people shaping the hospitality industry, not just through food and drink, but through culture and community. Today’s show is a special one. I’m coming to you from one of my favorite rooms in the city, a.kitchen + bar at Hotel AKA,  a place that's the perfect backdrop for conversations about...

I’m especially excited about today’s conversation. If you care about the future of restaurants — how they nourish communities and sustain themselves — this is an episode you’ll want to spend time with. Joining me are Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and Arjav Ezekiel, the chef, beverage director, and co-owners of Birdie’s in Austin, Texas, a restaurant that has quietly become one of the most important case...

Hey everyone, it’s Nycci Nellis, and welcome back to Industry Night. Yes, this is show number two today, and honestly? I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sit down with today’s guests. If wanderlust is one of your intentions for 2026, it is certainly mine! Who isn’t craving travel, connection, nature, and food that tells a story? If you are like me? Then this episode is absolutely for you. Becau...

Hey everyone, it’s Nycci Nellis, and welcome back to Industry Night — my love letter to the people who feed us, pour for us, and keep this industry moving. And first of all… Happy New Year! Whoo hoo — this is our first episode of 2026, and I am very happy to be back behind the mic. I am really excited about our show today because I am going to be talking to a chef who has really changed the conver...

Today’s Industry Night comes to you from one of my favorite spaces in the City Ridge development, the light-filled Anna’s House greenhouse. Huge thanks to the City Ridge team for hosting and for creating a place where design and community truly intersect. This episode brings together two builders working in very different (but deeply connected) lanes. First, Chef Erik Bruner-Yang, a chef who helpe...

This was an amazing show. I had a whole list of questions ready for my guest, but the second we sat down, we dug in deep and went off-script. We followed some fantastic rabbit holes: Michelin stars, hustle vs. flow, culinary storytelling, leadership, and the future of dining both here in D.C. and across the country. On this episode of Industry Night, I’m coming to you from Yume Sushi, the flagship...

Hey, it’s Nycci! Welcome to Industry Night: my pod/vod love letter to the people who feed us, pour for us, and keep the DMV delicious. We’re posted up in Georgetown at Rimtang —huge thanks to Cici Yang, Chef Saran “Peter” Kannasute, and Chef Prapit “Mama” La Femina — for hosting this shiny new residency. Today’s guest! My friend Chef Rock Harper. You know him, Hell’s Kitchen winner, community buil...

Get ready for a wealth … I mean a WEALTH …  of Whiskey knowledge. Today I am not at one of my Industry Night residencies. No City Ridge, no restaurant, no bar. I am actually home, surrounded by my plants… and, believe it or not, a frankly ridiculous amount of whiskey. I went to my own bar and pulled a little selection for today because I am very honored to be joined by someone who has probably for...

Hey all,  it’s Industry Night with me, Nycci Nellis. And yes, today I am coming to you from home. Don’t panic! I still have all my residencies — a.kitchen + bar in the West End, Fauquier County’s “Fauquier Fabulous,” City Ridge, and of course my ongoing work with the Yume Hospitality Group — but today’s guest is traveling, and after having him on Foodie & The Beast, I knew we needed more time...

Hey, it’s Industry Night, and I’m kicking off a brand-new residency with the YUME Group, coming to you from their stunning spot tucked into Cady’s Alley in Georgetown — and trust me, if you know, you know. I’ve known Chef Peter Kannasute and his partner-in-life-and-operations Cici Kannasute for years, and I couldn’t be more excited to spend the next few months exploring their evolving culinary wor...

Hey everyone, welcome to Industry Night. Today we’re taking a day trip to Warrenton, Virginia, and we’re filming from the beloved Claire’s. Huge thanks to Laura Torpy and the team at Fabulous Fauquier—aka Fauquier Fabulous—for getting us here and showing us the lay of the land. I launched this road-show series about a year ago, crisscrossing the region to spotlight communities that are rewriting w...

It’s hard when the mic turns on me—I’m wired to ask the questions. But today I’m in the hot seat for a special crossover: Industry Night × When You Just Want a Glass of Wine with Zena Polin & Renee Gentry. We’re recording on Historic 23rd Street at Beauty Champagne & Sugar Boutique, presented by the National Landing BID (cheers to a neighborhood that spans Crystal City, Pentagon City, and...

Welcome back to Industry Night with me, Nycci Nellis. I’m here today at Capital One Center in Tysons, Virginia,  a 35-acre mixed-use development that has completely redefined this part of Fairfax County. It’s not just office towers and retail; it’s a cultural hub with Capital One Hall, The Watermark Hotel, Capital One Park, and The Perch,  a three-acre skypark with a biergarten, food trucks, and e...

Welcome back to Industry Night, the podcast where we dig deep into what’s cooking, literally and figuratively—across the culinary, hospitality, and creative industries. I’m your host, Nycci Nellis, and today I’m once again coming to you from City Ridge, a dynamic new development that has redefined a massive corner of Northwest D.C. What was once the historic Fannie Mae headquarters is now a 10-acr...

Welcome back to Industry Night, the podcast where we dig deep into what’s cooking, literally and figuratively, across the culinary and hospitality industries. I’m your host, Nycci Nellis, and I’m thrilled to kick off my new residency at City Ridge! City Ridge isn’t just another development, it’s a 10-acre reimagining of the former Fannie Mae headquarters into a thriving mixed-use community. Think...

This week’s Industry Night has it all, historic preservation, stunning design & rum-soaked nostalgia. We recorded on-site at Annex on 12th, a posh new residential community that brings serious Art Deco glamour to what was once the USDA Cotton Annex. First up is Stephen Johnson, Senior Community Manager and a walking encyclopedia of the building’s past lives. From presidential vault doors to lu...

Hey there, Nycci Nellis here, and welcome to another episode of Industry Night! Today’s show is a special one. I’m coming to you from the gorgeous, sun-dappled patio of a.kitchen+bar in the West End of DC. Seriously, it’s a little oasis right in the middle of the city, so chic. Later in the show, I am joined by two of DC’s biggest hospitality stars,  Chad Spangler and Glendon Hartley. You know the...

Hey there, it’s me—Nycci Nellis—and welcome back to Industry Night! Today’s show is a big one. We’re talking steak, style, and serious star power. That’s right, I’m coming to you from the stunning CUT DC, the sleek, modern steakhouse tucked inside Rosewood Washington, D.C., right in the heart of Georgetown. Now, if you’ve ever had a dry-aged ribeye that made you want to cry happy tears or a martin...

Well, hello bubbles! It’s me, Nycci Nellis, and welcome to Industry Night, where we sip, swirl, and spill the sparkling tea on all things delicious. Today’s episode comes to you from Apéro—the utterly charming Champagne and caviar bar tucked right at the entrance of Georgetown. It’s the kind of place where every glass is a celebration and every corner is camera-ready. I’m starting things off with...

I am back at Jackie for the last of my residency here. And it has been amazing. So grateful to Dmitri Chekaldin and his team for the tremendous hospitality!  Now today’s show — You all know I love a great story — especially when it’s poured into a glass. Today’s guest brings us not just a story of Scotch whisky, but one of rebellion & innovation, — all bottled up on the rugged west coast of Sc...

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Industry Night with Nycci Nellis! I’m back out in Fabulous Fauquier—or as I love to say, Fauquier Fabulous! If you’ve been following along, you know this isn’t my first time out here. Over the last year, I’ve practically set up camp in this charming part of Virginia, thanks to the amazing partnerships I’ve formed with Laura Torpy and the countless inspiring conv...