Joiners

Allan Perales knows how to solve problems. He champions a powerful idea: that there's no such thing as an unsolvable problem -- you're just looking at it from the wrong angle. After working in hospitality as a hotel manager for a number of years, Allan pivoted to a career in real estate. As partner at Goldstreet , his discerning approach and eye for optimal experience have helped independent resta...

After a string of formative restaurant experiences in Detroit and Chicago, Norman Fenton, preoccupied by wanderlust, got in his car and drove to Tulum, Mexico. In this week’s episode, he tells us all about a journey that shifted the trajectory of his career and life — what he learned about food, leadership, and hospitality, all lessons he’s showcased by opening Cariño, an immersive, innovative tac...

Green City Market has zeroed in on a number of problems plaguing food distribution and accessibility in our city – and they've resolved to do something about it. Our guest this week, Mandy Moody, is the executive director behind many of these initiatives, supporting farmers in selling their products (without sacrificing a major cut), educating people about food sustainability, and working hard to...

In collaboration with Tales of the Cocktail for our first entirely remote episode, we're on the horn with New York City's Harrison Ginsberg. He's a world-class bartender and bar director who cut his teeth at renowned establishments in Providence and Chicago before heading back to the Big Apple to help curate one of the finest hospitality experiences on the planet: Overstory, a 64th-floor cocktail...

It’s happy hour on Joiners this week as we sit down for a booze-infused conversation with Luke DeYoung. He's a bartender and cocktail craftsman with decades of experience at some of the city’s finest bars, including Scofflaw, where he worked alongside the one and only Danny Shapiro. Together, they have been hard at work on Sip Sip, a video cocktail series that seeks to lower the barrier of entry f...

This week, we're excited to sit down with Thomas Oh who recently opened his newest restaurant, Perilla Korean American Steakhouse with his partner Andrew Lim. It's a fine dining joint dedicated to creatively reinterpreting Chicago steakhouse staples with a modern twist -- and delivering with the commitment to hospitality Thomas clearly champions. We explore what it's like to collaborate with one o...

This week, we delve into the world of Michael Muser, a charismatic veteran sommelier who has played a pivotal role in shaping Chicago's dining scene. With his characteristic showmanship and deep passion for hospitality, Michael guides us through a captivating array of topics, his raconteur's charm on full display. From his beginnings as a self-described "baseball brat" to his influential positions...

This week, we're strengthening the Chicago-Cleveland connection by chatting with one of The Land's kind titans of hospitality: Andrew Watts, the proprietor of the renowned Cordelia, a restaurant named for his great grandmother. Known for its delicious, elevated, sharable takes on American classics (conceived by Andrew's right-hand man, Chef Vinnie Cimino), Cordelia was named Cleveland Magazine's b...

This week, we sit down with Ria Neri, the creative force behind the acclaimed Four Letter Word Coffee and a certified Cicerone with an unwavering passion for craft beer, made crystal clear by her founding of Whiner Beer Company. Inspired by the vibrant coffee culture in Istanbul, Ria and her partners opened their first café on Burgaz Island before bringing their vision to Chicago. Ria shares the f...

This week, we speak to another member of the growing Highland Park mafia — Adam Pollack, a cook turned farmer, responsible for supplying some of the best restaurants in the city. Adam grows his produce right here in the heart of Chicago at Closed Loop Farms. He tells us about his journey, from discovering his passion for food and fresh ingredients, and ultimately expanding his culinary horizons by...

Do tropical drinks actually make for gnarly hangovers? What have been the major advancements in distilling in the last century? What happens when a college kid has drink-slinging know-how and unfettered access to booze? In this week’s episode of Joiners, we explore big questions with none other than Kevin Beary, the sagacious beverage director behind River North tiki treasure Three Dots and a Dash...

For our latest episode, we sit down with the inimitable Cecily Federighi to explore her fascinating path from the fashion world to the culinary scene. Cecily takes us through her early days being scouted at Six Flags as a teen, globe-trotting adventures in the modeling world, and learning the ins and outs of the restaurant industry from the ground up with Eat Free Pizza. She shares behind-the-scen...

For episode 101, we are sitting down for a master class on hospitality with one of its most innovative and fastidious practitioners. Chris Gerber is a front-of-house guru whose attention to detail and commitment to guests at places like Trio, Alinea, and currently Smyth + The Loyalist have helped earn those establishments scores of well-deserved accolades, including a third Michelin star for Smyth...

This week, we’re ringing in our 100th episode the only way we know how: exploring the world of hospitality by chatting with its most colorful characters. This week, our tagline is especially appropriate — we sit down with the multitalented, accomplished, and vibrant Stephanie Izard, whose list of accolades is as impressive as it is long. She opened her first restaurant when she was only 27, bested...

This week, we’ve brought in an owner who just might handle more covers per night of service than anyone else in town. In this episode, Danny Wirtz, the fourth-generation owner of the Chicago Blackhawks , joins the crew to discuss everything from growing up in the northern suburbs to the evolving landscape of sports and entertainment in the city. Danny shares his passion for music, his experiences...

Chef Christian Hunter may be new to Chicago, but he's already making waves in the city's culinary scene as the inventive talent behind Atelier, where he and his dynamic team recently earned their first Michelin star. In this episode, Christian shares his journey from his early days experimenting in the kitchen to his time at culinary school and his rise through the ranks of the restaurant industry...

This week, Tim and Danny are joined by Adam Meyer, the Chef de Cuisine at Brasero and John Manion's trusted right-hand man. Adam shares his inspiring journey of thrusting himself into the world of food at a young age. He discusses his time at The Bristol before the pandemic hit, and how he's now working alongside Manion to develop inventive South American cuisine at Brasero. Also: a New Year's Eve...

In a very special episode of Joiners, we start things out by sitting in studio with Donnie Madia. He’s a man who needs no introduction, but in case you’ve been predisposed for a few decades: he’s the James Beard Award-winning powerhouse behind acclaimed institutions like Blackbird, avec, The Publican, The Violet Hour, Big Star, and so much more — and maybe you recognize him from The Bear, where he...

This week on Joiners, we sit down with Jake Schneider, the owner of Schneider Deli, a new Jewish deli that's bringing classic flavors to the heart of River North. Jake takes us on a journey through his culinary career, from taking a cooking class as an adolescent, to staging at high-end restaurants, to working at a summer camp and even a kitchen technology company. He shares his passion for preser...

This week, we’re joined by Leigh Omilinksy. She is partner and executive pastry chef at Daisies, the Michelin Star adorned Chicagoland darling that was recently named the best restaurant in the city by Eater. And after chatting with her, it makes sense why — after having a borderline magical Crème Brûlée at San Francisco’s Top of the Mark, this would-be jazz pianist was set upon a fated path of pâ...

In this episode of Joiners, we sit down with the accomplished Chef Sahil Sethi. He’s the culinary mastermind behind Indienne and Sifr, two of the most exciting spots in the city today. From his early days studying hospitality management in India to stints at renowned restaurants like Noma in Copenhagen, Sethi has built an impressive resume and unique perspective on cuisine. He takes us on a journe...

This week, we’re joined by the talented Monica Casillas-Rios, the acclaimed bartender at Chicago's Elske, whose exceptional cocktail program recently earned her the prestigious 2023 Michelin Guide Exceptional Cocktail Award. Monica shares her fascinating journey in the world of hospitality, from her early days discovering the art of cocktails in Detroit to her current role as the creative force be...

This week, Tim and Danny sit down with Alfredo Nogueira, the talented New Orleans-born chef currently heading up the kitchens at NOLA's Cane & Table, Cure, and VALS. Alfredo shares his journey, from getting his start cooking in his hometown, to pursuing his passion for music in Chicago post-Katrina where he ended up falling in love with the kitchen life. Alfredo takes us behind the scenes of h...

Monica Eng knows a thing or two about how to talk and write about food in Chicago and beyond. She got her start at the Chicago Sun-Times as a copy clerk in high school and spent sixteen years as a reporter on the food scene for the Chicago Tribune. She went on to write for every major Chicago outlet and currently writes for Axios Chicago, where she covers a wide range of issues, from food policy,...

This week we’re joined by beverage entrepreneur Jess Feller. She founded Aged & Infused with her husband, John — it’s a company devoted to providing innovative, palate-pleasing spirit infusion kits that take the fuss out of mixology at home. She tells us about what led her to leave behind the world of advertising to delve into the beverage industry. We talk about ingredients that infuse well (...