On The Pass

People often highlight how food brings us together, yet seldom do we acknowledge its potential to divide us. Our upcoming guest firmly believes in the mantra, "food culture is for everyone," shaping her vision as the newly appointed Editor-in-Chief of Condé Nast's Bon Appétit.    In this On The Pass episode, we are joined by Jamila Robinson, a veteran journalist, esteemed leader in food media, and...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Jacqueline Coleman, Miami based wine and travel writer, judge and wine consultant.     I had the pleasure of spending a week with Jacqueline in northern Portugal with our friends at The Fladgate Partnership. For seven years, she's been Miami's only regular wine colunmist, wiriting the monthly "Vino" column for the Biscyane Time...

On This episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Alisssa Fitzgerald, Brooklyn-based freelance food, travel and spirits writer and chef.     Alissa's wealth of information is rooted in her diverse work and life experiences, ranging from cooking on yachts in Croatia, to working with startups in San Francisco, and spending time in various kitchens throughout Brooklyn.     Her pa...

When was the last time you indulged in the rich flavors of port wine? Whether it was a festive holiday occasion or an exquisite tasting menu paired with delectable sweet treats, this episode is designed for both seasoned port enthusiasts and those new to the category. The aim here is to encourage everyone to break free from their preconceived notions, explore new drinking experiences, and cultivat...

On This episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Jasmine L. Pierce, New York based hospitality publicist, freelance writer and founder of JLP Consulting. Over the last decade Jasmine has worked with notable clients like The Standard Hotels, The Jose Andres Group, Daniel Boulud's Dinex Group, and beverage brands like Louis XIII and Ten To One Rum to name a few. Jasmine is also...

On This epiosde of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Jillian Dara, a freelance journalist and avid traveler. Jillian's expertise lies in crafting compelling narratives about travel, wine & spirits, and culture. Chances are, you've come across her articles in renowned publications such as Forbes, Travel + Leisure, Vine Pair, Wine Enthusiast, and more.   In this episode, we discuss...

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with with chef Franco Sampogna and operator Bernardo Silva, co-owners of FREVO, a contemporary French restaurant hidden behind a small art gallery in Greenwich Village, New York—a secret you'd want to share with everyone.   The name "Frevo" in Portuguese means "to boil," reflecting not only the shared language of the co-owners but a...

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Chef Tolu Eros. Chef Eros is a storyteller, entertainer and African ambassador on a mission to share and explore the wonders of West African food; a food and culture full of life and flavor, just like Eros.       Chef's formative years were spent between Benin City and Lagos, Nigeria, where he learned from his mother, "if food...

You've probably heard the incredible story of Nearest Green, the former slave who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. If you haven't, you're in for a treat. If you have, I invite you to dive deeper into the story, the history, the mission and the legacy, guided by Fawn Weaver, Founder and CEO of Grant Sidney, Inc. (GSI), a privately held investment company, which owns Uncle Nearest Premium Whi...

He's been referred to as the real life "Willy Wonka!" Gonzo Jimenez is a celebrated pastry chef, chocolatier and República del Cacao's North American corporate pastry chef. We believe, if Willy Wonka was real, he would actually want to be Gonzo Jimenez.    Gonzo, as he openly says, "had a very blessed start," originally from Northern Argentina and was raised in a Spanish household surrounded by go...

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Yiming Lin.  He's the creator and food ethnographer behind Literally. Starving—the highly popular social media platform and human interest food account he started in the summer of 2022 as a means of understanding his personal relationships with food and creating community as a new resident to New York.    It's no surprise that...

Did you know Colombia is home to 87 indigenous communities and 51,330 species of flora and fauna, which makes it the second-most biodiverse country in the world?    Back in April 2023, Gabriel had the pleasure of spending time in Bogotá, Colombia with our next guests: Chef Leonor 'Leo' Espinosa and her daughter, the sommelier and drinks alchemist, Laura Hernández Espinosa. Both are the owners and...

This episode was recorded and released in Feb 2021.   Who is Shep Gordon? You've probably heard the popular phrase "Chefs Are The New Rockstars" — you can thank Shep for that.  He's the visionary who brought chefs like Roger Vergé, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Roy Yamaguchi and Daniel Boulud to the mainstream and coined the term "Celebrity Chefs." Coming from a colorful life as a music manager t...

Starting any business requires your energy, enthusiasm, and passion for the space, but to catalyze its success, you also need a mission, vision, and business plan. Our next guest, Sherry Villanueva, was a first-time hospitality entrepreneur, but with a focused vision and mission, she's been able to successfully grow a multifaceted restaurant and hotel company. The mission is simple: Make people ha...

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with chef and restaurateaur Sean MacDonald. Sean is the chef/owner of Bar Monette—one of LA's newest and most talked about restaurant openings located in Santa Monica. Sean was named Canada's best young chef in 2016 by San Pellegrino and through the years, he has since made his mark on Toronto's fine dining scene. Thanks, in large p...

A little over 2 years ago, we released   Season 2 episode 27 titled "The Future of Food and Tech," featuring journalist and author of "Technically Food", Larissa Zimberoff .    So much has transpired in the last 2 years since the release of this episode and her book, "Technically Food". Given the lightning-fast pace the food-tech space moves at, it only made sense to have Larissa back on the podca...

"Tea mind," as referenced by Steve Schwartz, is the simple, celebratory act of serving tea and has well-documented, powerful health and wellness benefits on a physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional level. Over the years, researchers have discovered how the ingredients in a cup of tea can lift mood, improve focus, and perhaps even ward off depression and dementia.  The combination of this simpl...

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with entrepreneur and sommelier Kristin Olszewski. Kristin is the Founder and CEO of Nomadica Wine—a premium, sustainably sourced canned wine brand that is looking to make waves in the industry, or as they say on the Nomadica website, they are sourcing universally gratifying wines with flavor profiles that are "serious enough for a...

"Everywhere in the world there are tensions – economic, political, religious. So we need chocolate," says the great  Alain Ducasse—iconic chef, creator, and artisan of living . We couldn't agree more and believe life is so much better because of chocolate. C hocolate is one of the most beloved foods and ingredients around the world. Almost every culture and society have a passionate love affair wi...

The journey of an entrepreneur is often layered with numerous challenges and setbacks. It requires a certain level of determination, sacrifice, willingness to learn, and getting used to hearing alot of no's. Layering on the challenges Black women face in our society adds another element of difficulty. Our next guest speaks to her own entrepreneurial journey as a Black woman, the hurdles she has fa...

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Chef Charlie Mitchell, chef and co-owner of Clover Hill, a restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. Charlie is no stranger to the kitchen. Over the past 9 years, the 30-year-old Detroit native has worked sous chef and executive sous chef positions at Eleven Madison Park, Jônt in DC, Bresca in DC, the Greenwich village neighborhood cla...

"Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show." - Unknown   This quote really embodies how Luis Vargas lives his life and runs his business. Luis is one of the worlds premier experiential travel executives and thought leaders. He is Founder and CEO of Modern Adventure, a certified b-corp, climate neutral and award winning travel company based in Portland, Ore...

Did you know, coffee consumption in the United States rose by 14% from January 2021 through January 2022, according to the National Coffee Association? And demand for top-quality coffee like organic and fair-trade is on a roll in every region of the world.   Coffee was an important part of my early life for many years, but not for the reasons you may think. I wasn't a consumer, or even the passion...

This epiosde was recorded in Jan 2020 and released in April 2020. Iconic award-winning Chef-Owner and Restaurateur Daniel Boulud discusses the early days in his career, why building a strong corporate culture is important, and how he's maintained longevity with over 4 decades in the culinary industry. For more information on Daniel Boulud and his team: https://www.danielboulud.com   Follow Daniel...

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Chef Pyet DeSpain, a rising culinary talent who hit national notoriety as the recent winner of Gordon Ramsey's "Next Level Chef" Season 1 on Fox Network. Having grown up on a reservation and a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Pyet collides the cuisine of both her Native American and Mexican heritage.  Having won "N...