Industry Night with Nycci Nellis

Welcome back to another Industry Night with Nycci Nellis. Still taking you on my travels through Italy! The sites, the sounds, the conversations, the wine and the food — so I’m gonna take you on a quick tour of Como: -Stayed just outside Bellagio in the town of Lezzeno in the new hotel, Filario -Spent the morning walking the streets of Cernobbio, shmying around the gorgeous grounds of The Villa D’...

In this episode, we'll be diving into the world of culinary innovation, indigenous knowledge, and the fascinating interplay between food, culture, and the environment. Our featured guest is Sean Sherman, co-founder of the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems and its Indigenous Food Labs. Sean, a renowned chef and author, boasts multiple James Beard Awards and was recently n...

On the last Industry Night … So if you pay attention to my insta feed you know I have been out an about. And it has been a few weeks of incredible eats but I want to tell you about some new restaurants that are opening up … -LITTLE BLACK BIRD Ashok Bajaj will be opening a new wine bar Little Black Bird, in the space formerly home to the original Bindaas in the Cleavland Park neighborhood next mont...

On the next Industry Night … So I know I have mentioned being at the James Beards awards quite a few times but I’m gonna mention it again because it pertains to one of today’s guests. Yes, I am a believer in the James Beard Mission, reason 1 why I was there. And yes I got the gig of a lifetime being hired by Hilton to be their ambassador on the red carpet — interviewing all the amazing people in t...

Before we get into this week’s Industry Night, I want to remind all of you out there that Chef’s For Equality is back - YEA! - and this year the 7-ring circus of an event is back after a pandemic hiatus. If you are unaware - Let me catch you up: -This year at the National Building Museum, 13 “chef tables”  that run from 12k-40k -50 stations of best restaurants in the area -Champagne/Caviar VIP lou...

Ready for the next Industry Night? I am! So if you pay attention to my insta feed you know I have been out an about. And it has been a week or so of incredible eats. So let’s get to it: Perry’s in Adam’s Morgan. This restaurant is one of the OG’s of the DC Dining scene and the very first to host drag bunches. Known for their sushi and their rooftop — Perry’s has always been in rotation. But Now …...

Another Chanel Worth Knowing On the last Industry Night … So I haven’t seen today’s guest in a bit but we do go way back. Years ago on F&TB Chanel Turner came on to talk about Fou-Dre Vodka — she was just 25 and at the time was the youngest black woman to own and operate her own spirit company. She was a FORCE. And here’s the thing about Chanel — she has not slowed down. She then created Globa...

On this week’s Industry Night: Back in June I was fortunate enough to be at the James Beard Awards in Chicago. I am sure those of you who tune in regularly are like — no duh Nycci, we know! Well you are going to hear about it again, but for a totally different reason. Yes, I am a believer in the James Beard Mission, reason 1 why I was there. And yes I got the gig of a lifetime being hired by Hilto...

On this week’s Industry Night! So if you pay attention to my insta feed - @‌NycciNellis -  you know I have been out and about. And it has been a few weeks of incredible eats I am thinking of naming this part of the show — Nycci Knows, or Where is Nycci — think on it and give me your thoughts: -Cafe Teresa — Chef Ruben Garcia "popped up" at Elli Benchimol's little gem, Apero, and took us on a gastr...

So much to chew on in this episode of Industry Night. First! I’ve been eating: The people of DC love to brunch. LOVE IT and the people at the Gaylord are here to feed that beast! In the newly renovated and relaunched Old Hickory, they are now doing a baller brunch, 3- courses — to me it is a little bit too much — but based on the reactions of the other diners I was in the minority. The first cours...

So if you pay attention to my insta feed you know I have been out and about. And it has been a few weeks of incredible eats I am thinking of naming this part of the show — Nycci Knows, or Where is Nycci — think on it and give me your thoughts: the RAMMYS! Yes, that was me up on stage with NBC 4’s Shawn Yancy as we got to give out several awards to the very deserving nominees - I always tear up bec...

June has been a busy month and it’s good to be back in the WineLair, with an amazing camera crew (Hi Ata!) and with an incredible group of guests. But first, where have I been and what have I been doing? -Well, I was at the James Beard Awards in Chicago -I cheered all the winners and the gorgeous Pati Jinich at the Media Awards -Stayed in a fabulous suite at the Waldorf Astoria -Partied with Karao...

Welcome back to Industry Night with me Nycci Nellis. Per usual, I have been out and about and it’s been delish! Omakase at Cafe Unido — Brewmaster Francisco Flores took us on an educational tasting tour of the Panama Geisha bean and I now know why the coffee-connoisseurs are obsessed. There’s a reason that Zepplin’s is a neighborhood fave for sushi. It’s delicious! The Wilder brothers (who were re...

Many of you may remember the recession of 2008 — I do! — it was a heavy crush for a lot of people. Maybe one of the few silver linings that came out of it was people looking at what they did for a living and saying — Screw it! — I am going to do what I love. Makers, craft artisans — whatever you want to call it — these people had passion projects that they wanted to bring to fruition — enter Union...

I met the Wilder Brothers — Ari & Micah — a long … long … time ago. I think I met Ari first when he was behind the bar at Zola? This was just as I was getting into the biz (sigh, Zola!). Ari & Micah Wilder were, and continue to be, a part of the cocktail renaissance here in DC. They made their names known thanks to their commitment to the products they were creating whether in the glass th...

If you pay attention to my insta feed you know I have been out an about. And, per usual, it has been a week of incredible eats: -Love Makato: Last time I told you about the BBQ. Today it's about the Izakaya. -Queen English: Hong Kong cuisine here in DC. Loving the young bamboo shoots, drunken noodles and that whole fried snapper. -Villa Yara: new in Georgetown. Lebanese wines in a beautiful settin...

I love having a guest that I adore on Industry Night. Today’s guest, Julia Coney and I go quite a way back. The first time we met I was at a discussion/luncheon on Champagne and Julia walked into the room. And let me tell you when Julia walks into the room — you know it. There’s an incredible energy radiating from her. It’s so attractive that everyone wants to get to know her — me included! Other...

In the beginning of every show I talk about where I have been and what I have been eating. No shortage of delicious travels this week: Stopped in the beautiful little gem, Kappo by Chef Minoru Ogawa and his partners Ari Wilder and Adrian Williams. We were taken on an 8-course feast and lucky us, we were happily in chef's capable hands. Love love love hiking up Lost Mountain in Sky Meadows Park in...

I love this show — because I just love today’s guest. Fellow New Jersey native, Michael Friedman has been a mainstay of DC dining for more than a decade. He radiates so much positivity and joy — and all of that comes through his cooking and the restaurants that he owns and opens. A CIA grad, Chef Mikey is behind Red Hen, not one but two All Purposes and the forth coming — and I cannot wait – Avent...

Welcome to another Industry Night with Nycci Nellis. If you follow me on Insta - and you should @‌nyccinellis - you know I have been out and about. And it has been a week of incredible eats: -The Napa Valley Vintners were in town pouring their incredible wines all over town. And I wasn’t just at one event, I was at two! First, 25+ winemakers poured at the Duck & the Peach - side note - I did r...

Welcome to another delicious show of Industry Night with me, Nycci Nellis. So excited to share today's show because we are talking wine and not just any wine ... Napa Valley Wine. Those of you who have been tuning in over the last 7 years know that every now and again I have the absolute pleasure of talking to the wine makers & experts of the Napa Valley region. Pre-Covid a whole cluster of th...

I always start an episode of Industry Night with what I’ve been eating and where I’ve been drinking and you know, this week I have been consuming mass quantities: Grazie Nonna — Casey Patton’s latest red sauce Italian HOT spot. Order: Tangy and bright Caesar, spicy meaty pizza & the spinach bucatini with whipped ricotta Back at Petite Cerise — Jeremiah Langhorn’s French brasserie serves all th...

Welcome to another episode with I, Nycci Nellis, your host. Join David and I as we chat with Cory Van Horn, Chief Strategy Officer of Visit Montgomery, Maryland, about exciting programs aimed at engaging with locals and visitors alike in the MoCo region. We'll dive into the creative process behind thoughtful activations like the MoCo Eats program, which highlights local eateries, and the new Taste...

I love having good friends on the show. It just allows for a wholly different vibe. Now just because Chris Floyd is a friend doesn’t mean we don’t have a whole lot to talk about! Every Industry Night show, I end by reminding everyone to take their kindness pills because issue in the restaurant industry have not abated and labor shortages are a real thing. Who better to go down that rabbit hole wit...

Access to healthy, nutritious food is not a given for so many. A lot of food availability issues have to do with both farming and farming practices in this country. I’m really excited to talk with Colin O’Neil, who is Director of Public Policy & Social Impact at Bowery Farming. Bowery is on a mission to reimagine farming from the ground up and is the largest vertical farming company in the Uni...