Joiners

This week, Chef Erling Wu-Bower discusses his storied career in Chicago dining and the highly-anticipated opening of his new restaurant, Maxwells Trading, in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor. Erling reflects on formative experiences at renowned restaurants Publican, avec, Nico Osteria, and Pacific Standard Time, as well as lessons learned from mentors like Rick Bayless and Paul Kahan. With Maxwells...

This week we are thrilled to be joined by restaurant legend Kevin Boehm, co-founder of the acclaimed BOKA Restaurant Group. With over 30 years in the business and 40 concepts launched, Boehm has countless insights and stories to share from his winding journey to becoming an award-winning hospitality icon. He takes us through the exhilarating early days, opening ambitious restaurants in different c...

This week, join us for a spirited conversation with Christine Cikowski. Along with her business partner Josh Kulp, she's the chef and co-owner behind the legendary Honey Butter Fried Chicken in Chicago. She tells us about how the Sunday Dinner Club, a multi-course dining experience, was a perfect canvas for their playful, seasonal approach to cooking, and the genesis for HBFC. Also: We chat about...

Joiners listeners probably know Anna Posey as the pastry chef and visionary behind the dessert menu at Elske, the contemporary American restaurant she co-owns with her husband David Posey in the West Loop. Elske opened in 2016 and channels Anna and her husband’s philosophy of simplicity coupling seasonal ingredients with energetic hospitality. Anna came into pastry with a background in art and des...

This week, we hear from Zach Engel, Executive Chef and co-owner of Galit, a Middle Eastern restaurant in Lincoln Park that just retained its much-deserved Michelin Star. Zach discusses opening Galit in 2019 to showcase his experience with Middle Eastern cuisine. He talks about his focus on Middle Eastern wines, building relationships with winemakers, and training staff on ingredients and technique...

This week, we get an inside look at the origin story and evolution of The Whistler bar in Chicago from co-owner Billy Helmkamp. He takes us through his early days in New York City, moving to Chicago and starting an arts collective, eventually leading to opening The Whistler in Logan Square in 2008. Billy shares anecdotes about pivoting to a major focus on craft cocktails with the help of Paul McGe...

This week, we’re graced with insight into one of Chicago’s most dynamic restaurant groups from a woman who’s been with them from the start: Kristianna Smith was Land And Sea Dept’s first employee, and after helping them grow for over ten years, she’s got stories to tell and wisdom to share. With a clear zeal for bringing unconventional ideas to life, she tell us about projects like LSD’s first ind...

This week's guest, Joe Frillman, cultivated his passion for seasonal, farm-to-table cuisine from an early age. As the executive chef and owner of Daisies in Chicago's Logan Square, Frillman emphasizes fresh, locally-sourced ingredients on the restaurant's vegetable-focused and pasta-driven menu. In our conversation, Frillman gives us the origin story behind Daisies, explaining how the pandemic pus...

This week's guest, Derrick Tung, dreamed of a life as a muscle-bound sanitation worker in his youth. But we're delighted his trajectory led him to his current role as pizza potentate instead. As the award-winning owner of Paulie Gee's in both Wicker Park and Logan Square, Derrick is responsible for some of the city’s most inventive and mouthwatering wood-fired pies. In our wide-ranging conversatio...

This week, we are so excited to have Chef Oliver Poilevey, chef/owner at Le Bouchon, Taqueria Chingón, and Obélix, join the podcast. Oliver started washing dishes at his father's restaurant at age 13. After briefly attending culinary school and working abroad, he returned to work at Le Bouchon in his 20s, eventually taking over as head chef. A low-key master of his craft, Oliver talks about coming...

Maggie Hennessy, a writer known for whimsical and observational stories about food, joins the pod to discuss her career and experiences on the literary side of the Chicago culinary scene. Maggie details her journey from business writing to becoming a freelance food journalist, and the importance of relentlessly practicing writing every day. She shares thoughts on the current state of food media, i...

This week, we're joined by acclaimed chef Doug Psaltis, who has worked in some of the world's most prestigious kitchens alongside legendary chefs. As a partner at Lettuce Entertain You, Doug opened some of Chicago's hottest restaurants, including RPM Italian, Bub City Chicago, Three Dots & A Dash tiki lounge, and more. Now at Eat Well Hospitality, he brings decades of experience combined with...

This week, we're treated to an effervescent conversation with Instagram's Urban Bourbonist, Chris Blatner. Chris, who started his journey into the world of bourbon in 2019, regales us with his boundless passion for all things whiskey, inviting everyone along on his voyage of discovery. He tells us all about his initiation into the world of whiskey, schools us on bourbon mash bills and barrel aging...

This week, we sit down with one of Chicago's preeminent beer insiders. Samantha Lee of Hopewell Brewing Co. takes us through the origin story of how she, her husband Stephen Bossu, and their friend Jonathan Fritz turned their college dream of launching their own brewery into a reality. We get a behind-the-scenes peek into scouting locations, securing loans, and creating an inclusive vibe. Her pass...

If you need anything grocery-related, just give this week’s guest a call. Whether it’s fielding over 400 text messages at the dawn of Covid, surveying the neighborhood for interest in new products, or doing some personal shopping for Tim’s mom, Kosta Drosos is a model of hospitality in the grocery lane, and Fresh Market Place, the independent store he manages in Bucktown, is a community institutio...

This one has been a long time coming. We are immensely delighted to share some quality time with none other than Chef Jason Hammel, the executive chef and owner of Logan Square’s acclaimed Lula Cafe. With humility and an eye trained on constant improvement, he’s a tour de force in Chicago’s culinary landscape, a man whose restaurants engender fierce loyalty amongst guests and staff alike. He joins...

It’s all things chocolate on Joiners this week as we sit down with the one and only Katherine Duncan. You know her from her Irving Park based company, Katherine Anne Confections, where she has been delighting patrons since 2006 with inventive treats and a community focus. In an episode that will certainly pique your sweet tooth, Katherine joins us to dispel myths about truffles, provide insight in...

This week, we’ve got Brad Bolt on the show. Brad stands as a trailblazer of Chicago's cocktail movement, and his resume is rich with time spent at the helm of some of the city's most iconic bars. We talk about the opening of Bar Deville, whether or not bartending is a young person's game, what happened to that beautiful Chartreuse sign, and as always, so much more. Plus: Brad provides an updated r...

This week, we're treated to a delightful series of framings and meanderings by sommelier Derrick Westbrook. Derrick, who served as the Cellar Manager of Alinea Group's NEXT and Beverage Director for Elizabeth, harbors a profound passion for wine that is crystal clear and infectious. With spirited storytelling and an inclusive attitude, he is generous with his knowledge, inviting everyone to discov...

David Manilow understands the magic of bringing people together with an unforgettable meal. In fact, he made a whole television show about it, one of this very podcast’s spiritual progenitors: Check, Please! Hundreds of episodes later, his passion for people, places, and food is undoubtable, and he has stories galore to back it up. He stops by the Joiners studio to tell us all about his inspiratio...

This week, we're joined by the founder of Heisler Hospitality (and half of its portmanteau namesake), Matt Eisler. With the uncanny ability to impliment a signature vision, Eisler is one of the most respected names in the industry -- and along with his partner Kevin Heisner, he's responsible for some of the city's most enduring and innovative establishments, from Estereo to Sportsman's Club to Lon...

Don’t let her down-to-earth approach and genial humility fool you: Bridget Albert is an absolute legend of the craft cocktail scene, a powerhouse of creativity and raw performance whose keen sensibility and passion for education helped make the scene what it is today. With a raucous story that spans 19th century small-town taverns, airplane rescues, and riverboat casinos, she walks us through her...

This week, we’re joined by Chicago’s preeminent bread head, the wheat wizard of West Town, Greg Wade. Greg runs Publican Quality Bread and cut his bread-making teeth all over the city — his knowledge of the rising staple is vast, and he conveys it all in a low-key and relatable way, made evident on this episode and in his new book, Bread Head: Baking For the Road Less Traveled. We talk the history...

This week, we have the multi-talented Elise Bergman on the pod. A musician and apparel designer, she is also one of the creative powerhouses behind Judson & Moore, an award-winning whiskey distillery based in Chicago that she founded alongside her husband, Collin Moore. We go deep into the spirit distilling process, with an insightful conversation about barrels and proof, as well as the puzzle...

For our longest episode yet, we are talking with prolific food writer and critic Michael Nagrant. A long-time champion and observer of Chicago’s food scene, he takes us through his storied career, from his pioneering podcasting days to covering the scene in an independent fashion on his Substack, The Hunger. In a sprawling and delightful interview, we talk the ethics of food criticism, taking prec...