Snacky Tunes

Darin is in the DC / Virginia metro area for an all new episode today. First up, he sits down with co-owner and executive chef of Ama , Johanna Hellrigl . She talks about being born into the restaurant industry, her coming up and cooking through the DC scene, and how Italian love inspired her new restaurant. Then we head down to Virginia to hang out with Jeff and Jake of Illiterate Light , whose n...

Host Darin Bresnitz sits down with Mike Traud , the executive director and founder of The Chef Conference , which is coming to Los Angeles on October 21st at the ChowNow headquarters. They discuss why Mike chose to bring the conference to LA, as well as the diverse mix of topics this year; including kitchen leadership and mental health, and what attendees can expect to eat at the event. Tickets ar...

Darin is joined by legendary chef Renee Erickson , who sits down to chat about her new cookbook, Sunlight & Breadcrumbs: Making Food with Creativity and Curiosity (Abrams; September 24, 2024; US $37.50; Hardcover), which is available for pre-sale now! They chat all about her creative process, how her restaurants are extended art projects, and how painting came back into her life during the pan...

On today’s episode, Darin sits down with producer and director Antonio Diaz , alongside chef Diego Argoti , to dive into the new PBS SoCal series, Rebel Kitchens SoCal , where Diego’s innovative restaurant, Poltergeist , is featured in one of the episodes. We chat about what it means to tie your art to your life, and of course, the incredible soundtrack you can expect to hear at Poltergeist over t...

On this week’s episode, Darin is delighted to be sitting down with Ben Hundreds and Kate Burr , two of the owners of The Benjamin Hollywood , one of LA's best new restaurants and instant clubhouse for everyone who likes a good martini and a great burger. They talk about their road to opening, why Ben took so long to open up his first restaurant and what one can expect on the soundtrack at any give...

This week, Darin presents a special episode celebrating the new book Taste in Music . The book offers a fantastic and fun look at eating on tour with indie musicians, written and compiled by Alex Bleeker of Real Estate and Luke Pyenson of Frankie Cosmos . They share their fascinating insights into how meals on the road can be just as important as the shows musicians play. As summer rolls on, pleas...

There have been a lot of words used to describe Justin Chearno in the last few days: father, husband, inspiration, colleague, supporter, and the one that keeps popping up over and over and over again, friend. Justin‘s true gift was to make anyone in his presence feel like they were his close friend, whether they had known him for years or they had just met him. For anyone lucky enough to share a m...

Today Darin sits down with the co-owners of Ggiata , Max Bahramipour and Jack Biebel (with Noah Holton-Raphael in spirit) as they chat about their new location in Highland Park. They talk about their shared childhood love for Italian delis, growing up in New Jersey, and what drove them to open up a sandwich spot in Los Angeles. And then it's a deep dive into the archives when the sisters of Zambri...

Today, Darin dives into a nostalgic chat with modern-day Renaissance man, Harley Wertheimer , the owner of LA’s Stir Crazy . They reminisce about their early days in New York City, spinning tracks at East Village Radio, and savoring the culinary delights of the mid-aughts. Harley shares how his passion for music, hospitality, and art culminated in the creation of one of the city's most beloved res...

We have an all new summer fun filled episode and we're kicking things off in DC with Brian Lowit . You may know him from his legendary indie label, Lovitt Records . He's also the label manager over at Dischord and one of the owners of Mount Desert Island Ice Cream in DC. We talked about how we started his own label, some of the different shows we've been at together throughout the years, and what...

We are so excited to share an all new jam-packed episode, starting in Vegas and ending in Brooklyn. First up, Darin chats with the Executive Chef of Momofuku Las Vegas , James Bailey . We talk about him growing up in Las Vegas, him cutting his teeth at different burger bars in the city, and him rising through the ranks of Momofuku Las Vegas. Then we dip over to Brooklyn for a live chat and perform...

Today, Darin heads to Portland to chat with Louis Lin and Jolyn Chen of Xiao Ye , one of the city's best new restaurants.  They chat about their LA roots, their time in DC, and why they eventually called Rose City Home. Then we head into the archives, when we welcomed musical guest Pree to the show, hailing from D.C. Talking about the live music scene, Philadelphia roots, music venues, and inspira...

Today Darin sits down with food writer and cookbook author, Khushbu Shah , whose new book AMRIKAN is a love letter to the culinary traditions of the Indian American Diaspora. We talk about how immigration shapes food cultures, how her parents adapted their pantry, and she shares some of the delicious recipes that you can find in the book.  In the second half of the show, Anni Rossi joins as musica...

Today Darin sits down with Josh Hartley & Eric Bedroussian of one of L.A.'s most delicious and new Izakaya's Budonoki . We chat about their early day dorm dinners, their incredible playlist that rules over the restaurant, and how they are taking an open mind and wide approach to the food they serve. Then we dip into the archives when multi-instrumentalist Emily Wells joined us for a chat and l...

Today, we're back in Brooklyn for an all-BK episode. First, we sit down with Tomer Blechman , chef and owner of multiple restaurants. He shares stories about growing up in his grandma's kitchen, building community through his restaurants, juggling multiple operations, and creating a family-friendly space with live music on Sunday evenings. Next, we dip into the archives for one of our favorite sou...

On this episode, Darin chats with fellow Philadelphian Josh Agran, who you might know from the legendary band, Paint It Black. Josh is also the founder of Delco Rose Hoagies , a pop-up in Los Angeles, serving Philadelphia-style hoagies. They chat about how Josh started the business, his quest to find the perfect bread, and the music he enjoys while preparing sandwiches for service. To round out th...

On today’s episode, Darin sits down with Garrett Bess, the host of Bike to Bites , coming back for its second season on EarthxTV. Garrett shares his love of the open road, his journey into international food tv production and what he loves to think about when he’s on his custom bike. Then it's a dive into the archive from a live performance with Moira Smiley. Snacky Tunes: Music is the Main Ingred...

For episode six-hundred, Darin is up in Homer, Alaska for a special food and music roundtable. Joining him from the culinary side is Mandy & Kirsten Dixon , one of the legendary families of The Last Frontier, who share their stories about farming up north, putting Alaskan cuisine on the map, and bringing the community together.  They are joined on the music side by Luna and Ursus , who share a...

Darin sits down with Katherine Lewin , the founder of the store Big Night and the author of the upcoming cookbook Big Night , which is all about dinners, parties and dinner parties. He talks to Katherine about the opening of her store, how you don't need to be perfect to throw a dinner party, and what she puts on her playlist for a night of having friends over. Then we head into the archives for t...

Darin welcomes Jess Damuck back to the show to celebrate her new book health nut which is currently out on Abrams. They chat about the journey from the first book to the second book, the vibrations she finds in food, creating a community around her, and some of the music that pops up in the pages. Then it is a dip into the archives for one of our favorite artists, TOMI , who stopped by in 2018 to...

Today we are talking with Sasha Zabar , from the legendary Zabar family and owner of Glace , one of the most exciting new ice cream shops in New York City. We talk about growing up in his family’s grocery store, his heading out to hospitality school, and him coming back into the family fold to start his own business with his dad and brother. Then it's a dip into the archives where we sit down with...

We're hitting both coasts for this week’s episode, kicking things off in New York City with Chef Dan Kluger . We talk about him cutting his teeth in the local culinary scene, him opening up his first restaurant, and what it's like to open in Hudson Yards. Then we dip into the archives for a performance from Matt Costa at Dangerbird Studios in LA. Matt chatted about his 15 year music career and sha...

Today we sit down with Hanna Raskin , the editor and publisher of The Food Section , an incredible indie food publication/newsletter that covers the American South. We talk about her journey in the world of editorial writing, her time as a restaurant reviewer, and how the south is tied together by food. Then it's a deep dip into the archives back to March 2017, when Kid Wave stopped by the studio...

Join us for another live recording of Snacky Tunes Salon from the ChowNow HQ in Culver City. For this roundtable, Darin chatted with Corporate Chef of Momofuku , Jude Parra-Sickels , and Pijja Palace ’s owner, Avish Naran , about the direct connection between food and sports. Snacky Tunes: Music is the Main Ingredient, Chefs and Their Music (Phaidon), is now on shelves at bookstores around the wor...

We have an all new episode today, and we are so excited to be kicking it off with two of our good friends, Antonio Diaz and Casey Felton, who launched a Kickstarter for their new series Fire The Menu . We chat about the current landscape of cooking shows, how they met, and what they hope to do and say with their new show. Then we head to London, where we chat with Hatis Noit before she heads out o...