Pan Con Podcast

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call 800-273-TALK (8255) Crisis Text Line – Text NAMI to 741-741 National Alliance on Mental Illness – nami.org This episode was recorded shortly before Mike's Ariete Hospitality Group was able to begin reopening its restaurant's dining rooms after the COVID pandemic shutdown, but shortly after the Ariete family lost a member to suicide. We took some time to...

Just as Miami restaurants prepared to reopen their dining rooms, a protest campaign against police brutality — along with looting and rioting that has muddied the national conversation and endangered communities — threw a monkey wrench into what was already bound to be a clunky process. Mike talks about his own experience reopening restaurants, how he was singled out by Miami police afte...

In this episode you'll hear from Pablo Zitzmann, Susana Jiménez and Enrique Hernández. The first two deal in food and the third is in the tire business, but you'll there's value in what they all have to share about their coronavirus experiences. Pablo is Colombian-born chef who won Miami diners' hearts with No Name Chinese in South Miami. He was also was one of the very first guests on this podcas...

Most of this episode is Mike and Nick taking a break from making what little sense they usually make. You'll be forgiven for skipping this one. On the other hand, if you're into that kind of thing, enjoy! Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/DADEmag Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere: Facebook: www.facebook.com/panconpodcast/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/panconpodcast/ Twitter: twitter.com/panc...

In this episode, we're bringing you a new set of mini-interviews on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. First, we're hearing from Cleveland chef Brett Sawyer on how his restaurants (The Plum and Good Company) have been impacted by COVID-19. Next, Ilkay Suuctugu, the executive chef at Matador Room, the Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant at the Miami Beach Edition, talks about her experience d...

Mike and Nick have cocktails in Nick's backyard while discussing the government programs to keep small businesses alive during the COVID-19 outbreak, whether government should regulate restaurant delivery, and the news media's treatment of coronavirus's impact on the restaurant business. Also, Mike folds under the pressure when he's asked to rank his favorite Star Trek series. Mentioned on this po...

Nick Jiménez is filling in for Michael Beltran to bring you more phone conversations with a variety of people telling us about how they've been experiencing and adjusting for the coronavirus outbreak. We'll start with Margie Pikarsky, owner and operator of Bee Heaven Farm in Homestead, Florida, which is a supplier to Mike's restaurants — among many others. She gave us some perspective from her cor...

Mike Beltran comes back to the podcast for an update on his first week in the coronavirus shutdown, how Chug's Diner became a specialty grocery store in response to the crisis, and what relief might be available to Miami area restaurant staff who were laid off in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. We also touch on Uber Eats, OpenTable, and the sloppy rollout of the City of Miami's shelter-in-place...

Hear from three guests about how they've been dealing with the coronavirus shutdown. First, John Falco, the co-founder and president of Fire Pit Hospitality, which is the company behind Miami's Lincoln's Beard Brewery and Strange Beast, a brewpub and pizzeria. Next, you'll hear from Jason Schoendorfer. Jason and his wife Melanie own and operate Babe's Meat & Counter, a specialty meat retailer...

On this episode of Pan Con Podcast, Nick Jiménez has conversations with three different people in the food world about how they're experiencing and adjusting for the COVID-19 outbreak. First, attorney-turned reality TV personality-turned cookbook author and food media star Ana Quincoces. Then Matt Kuscher of Kush Hospitality, who has been a guest on this podcast before. And finally Joe Richard, a...

The Coronavirus outbreak has left food industry professionals scrambling for ways to survive, keep their staffs employed and continue bringing value to customers. We spoke with three guests — chef and restaurateur Danny Serfer, catering operations professional Adelee Cabrera, and the James Beard Award winner Norman Van Aken — about their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic and their o...

The coronavirus has all but brought the restaurant industry to a nationwide halt. We sat down for a special episode to talk about how Mike Beltran and his restaurant group in particular have experiences and responded to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere: Facebook: www.facebook.com/panconpodcast/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/panconpodcast/ Twitter: twi...

Jorge Mas is the co-founder and chairman of MasTec, the chairman of the Cuban American National Foundation, co-owner of Major League Soccer's Inter Miami CF, and a regular at our host Mike Beltran's Coconut Grove restaurant, Ariete. Jorge joined Mike on Pan Con Podcast for a conversation about his experience teaming up with soccer superstar David Beckham to bring an MLS team to Miami, realizing hi...

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the world's most famous and decorated chefs. He's got James Beard Awards, Michelin stars, and hIs company operates 40 restaurants worldwide, employing about 5,000 people. He's also the author of one of the first cookbooks that our host Mike Beltran even purchased. Mike sat with Jean-Georges at The Matador Room, Jean-Georges' restaurant at the Edition Hotel...

Ed Reed calls himself a “park baby” because of the role that parks played in his life when he was growing up in New Orleans. Among other things, they helped him in the early stages of his journey to a legendary career in football. He’s a hall of famer at the high school, college and pro levels. His time at the University of Miami earned him a place in fans’ hearts as an all-time great Hurricane an...

In the days before Pan Con Podcast, Mike Beltran was the second Mike on another show called Tea Time! with Mike and Mike. In this episode of this podcast, that other podcast's founding Mike, Mike Ortiz, joins this podcasts's host, Mike Beltran, for a conversation between the two Mikes from Mike & Mike, except this time one Mike is just visiting the other Mike to hang out and drink tea. It's al...

Marta Verdes Darby's blog, My Big Fat Cuban Family, is 13 years old. Marta, who lives in Los Angeles, was blogging long before being a food blogger was cool, and her recipes have helped introduce people to Cuban culture as well as strengthen people's connection to their Cuban roots when they have limited access to Cuban restaurants and traditional ingredients. She joined Mike Beltran to talk about...

Matt Kuscher is a third-generation restaurateur who grew up around the doughnut business. Now he's at the helm of Kush Hospitality, the company behind Miami restaurants like Lokal, Kush, the Spillover, and Stephen's Deli. He joined Mike Beltran to talk about his the path he took to his current position in Miami's restaurant landscape, his anti-fast-food stances, and his feelings about hearing his...

Look back on some of the major themes and the most recent guests of Pan Con Podcast so far. Michael Beltran reflects on his conversations and relationships with guests like Ani Meinhold, Eileen Adrade, Norman Van Aken, Michael Schwartz, Vanessa Garcia, Victoria Collado, Tyler Malek and Danny Serfer. We also talk Cuba and get into Mike's new restaurant Nave (although this was recorded just before t...

When Danny Serfer opened his first restaurant, Blue Collar, he expected to see it fail and then use the experience as a stepping stone to his next job. Eight years later, the "stick-to-your-ribs comfort food" joint is a Miami favorite, along with Danny's other two restaurants, Mignonette and Vinaigrette. In this episode, Danny and Mike discuss restaurant openings, kitchen leadership styles, addict...

Chef Mike Beltrán, Carlos Rodríguez and Nicolás Jiménez gather around the mics to explore questions of work-life balance in the restaurant industry on this special mini episode of Pan Con Podcast. Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere: Facebook: www.facebook.com/panconpodcast/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/panconpodcast/ Twitter: twitter.com/panconpodcast Follow Mike Beltran: Instagram: www.instagram.c...

Salt & Straw, the handmade ice cream shop chain with 19 locations on the West Coast, is expanding into Miami with two locations (Coconut Grove and Wymwood). Cofounder Tyler Malek joined Mike Beltran in Ariete's underground bunker for a conversation about ice cream, telling a community's stories by using its own ingredients, and and balancing a love for the craft of handmade ice cream with an e...

James Beard Award winner (Best Chef South 2010) Michael Schwartz is our guest on this episode of the podcast. He and Michael Beltran — who we will refer to as Chug in this text from here on out in the interest of clarity — discuss their relationship, which began when Chug was working at the Cypress Room, and how it's evolved over time. Michael discusses the birth of his flagship restaurant — Micha...

Playwright Vanessa García and director Victoria Collado are partners in Abre Camino Collective. They're the creative force behind Amparo, an experiential theater production about the story of Havana Club rum that has become the hottest ticket in Miami (and been referenced numerous times on Pan Con Podcast). On this episode, Vanessa and Vicky join Mike to talk about Amparo, Cuban identity, ordering...

Eileen Andrade became well known to Miami diners when she opened Finka, a Cuban-Korean-Peruvian fusion restaurant. Finka is now five years old and Eileen also has a second restaurant, Amelia's 1931. Both restaurants are in the suburbs West of Miami. She grew up in the family behind Islas Canarias, one of Miami's most popular Cuban restaurants and the consensus source for the best croquetas in the...