How Did I Get Here? With Ryan Poli

In this week's episode, Ryan does something rather unorthodox by sitting down with two of his friends to talk horror stories starting out in the restaurant industry and to share their knowledge and experience traveling the globe. Kris Esqueda, formerly of 3 Michelin-Starred Saison Hospitality Group in San Francisco, now resides in Nashville and has left the restaurant world for a real estate...

Husband and wife duo Leina Horii and Brian Lea are both no strangers to the culinary arts. Having both worked extensively at a number of high-profile restaurants, including Husk, Bastion, Le Sel, and Catbird Seat, the pair launched their own homage to Japan's "kissaten," which roughly equates to the Western concept of a cafe, in 2023. Ryan talks to the owners and chefs about opening...

Chad Koeplinger is a tattoo artist and lover-of-all-things-food based in Nashville, TN. In this episode, Ryan and Chad discuss the golden moment that first interested Koeplinger in food, how his culinary experiences have affected his perspective on art, and, of course, how he came to be one of the Southeast's most revered tattooists. Check out Adventure Tattoo here: adventuretattoo.com

Nashville-via-Chicago chef Mark Bolton joins Chef Poli in episode 15 of the podcast. Originally hailing from Kentucky, Bolton cut his teeth in the Chicago culinary world in such esteemed establishments as Boka, Tru, and The Loyalist. Since moving to Nashville, the talented chef has found a home with the team behind two of Nashville's best restaurants, Rolf & Daughters and Folk. Check out...

In episode 14, Ryan chats with Steve Newman, Sales Director of Chicago's premiere rare food importer, Regalis Foods. They discuss Newman's roles in various restaurants before settling into his Sales/Importer role at Regalis, how the business model was forced to change during the pandemic, and a myriad of other philosophical nuggets of wisdom.  Check out Regalis Foods here: regalisfoods.c...

Ryan sits down with up-and-coming Philly chef Amanda Shulman. Shulman has honed her culinary expertise over a long period of time, working at famed restaurants like Vetri Cucina, Momofuku Ko, and Joe Beef in Montreal. Now, she brings a relaxed dinner-party vibe to her charming space in Philadelphia that feels more like a dinner at an old friend's house than a restaurant. Ryan and Amanda discu...

Ryan chats with Chef/Owner of the beloved Nashville-based, punk-rock ramen hotspot, Black Dynasty Ramen. Chef Rooney walks us through his tumultuous journey to becoming a chef and how he started a secret ramen house in an unlikely market and how he continues to grow his dream into a reality. Check out Black Dynasty Ramen here: blackdynastyramen.com

In this week's episode, chef Poli talks with longtime friend Jenner Tomaska, chef and owner of the Michelin-starred Esmé in Chicago. The chefs discuss the culinary landscape of Chicago, the trials and tribulations of opening a new restaurant, and Esmé's unique capacity to link visual art to its food. Check out Esmé here: esmechicago.com

In the tenth episode of HDIGH, Chef Ryan Poli sits down with Alex Talbot, proprietor of decorated blog  Ideas in Food, author of a handful of well-received cookbooks, and chef/owner of Curiosity Doughnuts. Over the years, Ideas in Food   has garnered a massive cult following of dedicated chefs, eager to see what new tricks can be pulled from Talbot's often-wild culinary experiments. Ryan and...

In the ninth episode of Season 1, Ryan chats with legendary Philadelphia chef and restaurateur Marc Vetri. Vetri Cucina has become a longstanding staple of the Philly culinary community and has been serving classic italian dishes since 1998. Chef Vetri has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation a countless number of times for his culinary expertise, outstanding service, and for his contribu...

Ryan sits down with Shola Olunloyo, chef-owner of Philadelphia's StudioKitchen. At StudioKitchen, Olunloyo works with restaurants and food equipment manufacturers to employ the latest tech in crafting new, unique flavors. Originally from Nigeria, the lauded chef shares his story and, of course, answers the question: "how did I get here?" Check out StudioKitchen here: studiokitchen.c...

Ryan sits down with restaurateur and professional chef Greg Vernick, who owns a slew of well-celebrated restaurants in Philadelphia (Vernick Food & Drink, Vernick Fish, Vernick Wine, Vernick Coffee Bar). The award-winning chef talks about his beginnings in the industry, working alongside some legendary chefs (e.g. Jean-Georges), and how he came to be the owner and operator of a highly regarded...

Ryan sits down with the tea wizard himself, Rod Markus, who has built a strong reputation for being able to get his hands on rare and unique food and drink products from around the globe. Headquartered in Chicago, Rare Tea Cellar provides chefs and consumers alike with impressive, standout ingredients that allow for elevation to the Michelin-Star level. Of course, it all began with Markus and his...

In the fifth episode, Ryan gets deep with Mindy Segal, legendary pastry chef and lovable, introspective guru of all things balanced. The James Beard award-winner comes from a legacy of baking and has built quite the pedigree of her own over the years. Now, she seems to have struck a perfect balance of her own with her newest bakery concept in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood. Mindy and Ryan ta...

Ryan sits down with Meg Galus, pastry chef extraordinaire. Topics include: what it's like to go from restaurant pastry chef to owning and running your own pasty shop, all things Chicago, and what work life balance is. Check out Cocoa + Co. here: https://cocoaandco.com/

Ryan talks with longtime friend and fellow chef, restauranteur, and Italian culinary adventure-seeker Jeff Michaud. Jeff's much-lauded restaurant Osteria features authentic Italian cuisine with a focus on fresh and simple ingredients that taste delicious.  Chef Michaud has earned multiple James Beard Awards over the years, as well as a slew of other accolades, thanks to his passionate take on...

In the second episode, Ryan sits down with fellow chef Brian Baxter, who helms the kitchen at the buzzy and coveted small-seating chef's counter The Catbird Seat in Nashville, TN. To dine at Catbird is to be pleasantly surprised again, again, and again. Employing an almost inhuman technical ability and a deep passion for the artfulness of flavor and function, the chefs there present a whirlwi...

In the inaugural episode, Ryan sits down with Lauren Palmer, owner and cultivator of Bloomsbury Farms, a gap- and organic-certified farm which provides many local restaurants, grocery stores, and food distribution centers with some of the finest seasonal veggies in the southeast. Find Bloomsbury Farms here: bloomsburyfarms.com