Snacky Tunes

Welcome to the Fall 2023 Season of Snacky Tunes! We are coming back fresh and with an all new episode. First up, we chat with Emmeline Zhao , the managing partner & sommelier of the Silver Apricot in New York City. We talk about her growing up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Shanghai, what brought her into the restaurant world, and the stories she is telling through what she curates on the...

This week, on the last episode of the summer, Darin sits down with Woody Hambrecht & Ross Dawkins of Ami Ami to chat about their gorgeously designed, beautifully tasting wine.  We chat about how they met, their road to launch, and how they are planning for the future.  Then we dip into the archives for a Ramones meets Elvis vibe with a performance from Tall Juan . Snacky Tunes: Music is the Ma...

It’s summertime in Scotland as Darin sits down with Ooni co-founder and co-owner, Darina Garland . They have a great chat about her belief in family, community, the shows she’s seen this summer (Hello Dolly, Willie and Beyoncé), and how the future of the company is being shaped with an eye on environmentalism. Then we dig deep into the archives for a classic Brooklyn performance from Prima , Brook...

Darin welcomes back our good friend, Philip Speer , to chat about life, running, and his work in the culinary community.  Since we last chatted, he has opened the critically acclaimed Comedor , launched his own run club , and become a national advocate for mental health in the F&B space. We talk about the importance of having your own clubhouse, focusing on a pre-shift culture, and what he lis...

This week we are hanging right off of Sunset, sitting down with Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan of Tsubaki & OTOTO . We talk about their recent James Beard win, how they met during their time in the restaurant scene in New York, and what guests can expect to hear on a Tuesday night at the bar. Then we head into the archives for a frenetic, punk, jubilant performance from Brooklyn's Grim Stre...

Happy July Fourth Weekend! We head to Las Vegas for this week's episode, where we sit down with executive Chef Sarah Thompson , who oversees Casa Playa at the Wynn Las Vegas. We talk about her time in New York, her discovery of cooking Mexican food at Cosme, and what brought her out to Las Vegas. Then it's a dive into the archives, all the way back to 2013, for a legendary performance from Cassand...

On this episode of Snacky Tunes , Darin makes moves to Manhattan to chat with Amelie Kang about her delicious, dry pot restaurant, Málà Project . She shares her stories of growing up in Tangshan, China, making her way to the CIA in New York, and how Grandma still knows best in the kitchen. Then it’s a dip into the archives when Dead Stars visited the HRN shipping container studio to play some song...

Summer is here and we are kicking it off with a conversation with Andrew Quinn , the co-owner and Executive Chef at New York’s The Noortwyck . We chat about his road to opening, the freedom he finds in cooking from the farmer’s market, and what regulars can expect on the stereo when they sit down at the bar. We then head to the South to revisit a performance from our archives by Grammy-nominated L...

Happy Memorial Day! We are celebrating the official kickoff to summer with a little bit of drinking and a little bit of dancing with our two all new guests. First up, Dane Volek of Anchor Brewing Company chats about home brewing in college and the wonderful concoctions he made, his road to becoming the Head Brewmaster at Anchor Brewing Company, and the concerts he's excited about seeing this summe...

In this all Brooklyn episode, Darin bellies up to the proverbial bar with William Elliot , the Executive Bar Director and Managing Partner of Maison Premiere .  William and Darin dive deep into the bar’s history as they talk about The Maison Premiere Almanac , out now on Potter. They also chat about the bar’s legendary cocktails, their approach to creating a unique atmosphere, and what one can exp...

Darin is joined by author and legendary bon vivant, Nils Bernstein , whose new book The Joy of Oysters was released on Artisan this week. They chat about the oyster's current mainstream moment, the internal connection of this ingredient, and the perfect soundtrack to shuck to.  Then it’s into the archives for a performance from Finnish songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Peppina , who has been w...

This week we kicked off Snacky Tunes Salon, our new live series in partnership with ChowNow . Hosted at their gorgeous headquarters in Los Angeles, Darin sat down for a roundtable conversation with Tommy Brockert of La Sorted's and Travis Hayden of Voodoo Vin , which we are sharing with you for this special episode. The night also included delicious food and drinks from Skyduster Beer and Jumbo Ti...

Darin meets up with Chef Ashley Christensen , Chef + Proprietor of AC Restaurants , in advance of the Annual Hot Luck Festival happening in Austin this Memorial Day Weekend (tickets available here )! We chat about her decades plus support of the culinary community, the reopening of Fox Liquor Bar, and her plans for attending concerts this season.  We then dig back into the archives to when we met...

Darin welcomes back one of our first guests, George Motz , for a long overdue chat on Snacky Tunes . George, aka the Burger Scholar, shares many delicious tales about what he’s been up to for the last decade, including the launch of his new book, The Great American Burger Book , the opening of his new restaurant, Hamburger America , and how his TV show, Burger Land , still stands up today.  Then i...

On this episode of Snacky Tunes , Darin catches up with Chef Ryan Bartlow , whose spot, Ernesto’s , was just recognized on Pete Well’s New York Times 100 Best Restaurant list.  We chat about the current dining scene in the city, his formative years cooking in San Sebastián, Spain, and the story behind his iconic plates. Then, from the archives, we share a chat and performance from garage punk rock...

Darin crosses the 405 to chat with Zarah Khan , the new(ish) Executive Chef of Rustic Canyon .  She talks about cooking dinner for her family as a teenager, the first time she met Chef Jeremy Fox, and her time as a self-proclaimed Seattle “Pizza Rat”. Then we head back to 2018 for an experimental performance from Coleman Zurkowski , recorded live at the Dangerbird Records studios in Silverlake. He...

Darin chats with Cream Co. Meats ’ CEO, Clifford Pollard , about his game changing butcher company. Clifford shares how he got his start in the San Francisco dining scene, talks about his approach to working with farmers, and what he likes to listen to when he’s breaking down animals. Then we dip into the archives for performance from Triple Hex , who swung by in 2016 to share their new full lengt...

Darin turns on the disco ball for Jumbo Time Wines as co-owner Jonathan Yadegar swings by to talk shop about his burgeoning wine label. Jonathan shares stories about the sip of wine that changed his life, how he got the business started, and his curated playlist that pairs perfectly with a bottle of his chilled red.  Then we dig into the archives for a psychedelic performance from New York rockers...

Darin heads to Ojai to chat with Heather Stobo and Lisa Casoni , the founders of Beato Chocolates . They talk about the creative spirit of the area, how they became gallery curators, and their creation of their delicious art project turned chocolate bar. We then jump into the archives and land in October 2018 to revisit our dance party meetup with Morgan Wiley and Ria Bouttier, the duo behind trop...

Darin sits down for a cultural chat with Kashy Khaledi , proprietor and owner of Ashes and Diamonds Winery .  They chat about Kashy’s start in the world of magazines at Grand Royal, his foray into the music industry, and the launch of his own wine label. In the second half of the show, we dig into the archives for a performance from Anni Rossi .  An American singer, violist and keyboardist from Mi...

Snacky Tunes is on the continent for an all new episode of delicious food and fantastic music.  Darin’s first stop is Amsterdam, where he chats with Kevin Kearny & Amber Leugs of the newly opened Stacks Diner .  They talk about the road to opening, American food in the Netherlands, and what’s on the nightly soundtrack. Then it’s over to Spain for a hang with Sergio Díaz De Rojas , whose new al...

Austin’s very own Birdie’s stops by for a chat on this episode of Snacky Tunes . Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel ( Chef and Co-owner, Birdie’s ), Arjav Ezekiel ( Wine Director and Co-Owner, Birdie’s) and their son, Remy sit down with Darin for a chat about the local dining scene, their new approach to running a restaurant, and who gets to pick the playlist at their fine-casual spot. Then we dig into our ar...

Darin talks music and Irish bars with Liam Craig , the Director of Music for NYC’s legendary cocktail bar, The Dead Rabbit .  Liam chats about the bar’s decade long legacy, the modern shifting of music & bar culture in Ireland, upcoming Irish bands at SXSW, and legal Poitín from Dublin being served in NYC.  Then we dig into the archives for a dream pop performance from Brooklyn’s Gingerlys . ...

Influential food writer and LA scene maker, Andy Wang , sits down with Darin to chat about the local culinary scene, the community building through Industry Only LA, and some of the stories he’s been covering across the nation.  Then singer-songwriter Rachel Grae stops by for a chat and live performance in advance of her national tour. She talks about using writing as therapy, her dad’s best recip...

To kick off Valentine’s Day, Darin sits down with Valerie Gordon of Valerie Confections to chat about her lifelong dedication to giving the perfect gift. She reminisces on the early days of the business and shares the details on her new headquarters located in beautiful Glendale. In the second half of the show, we feature a live in-studio performance by Diane Birch , whose 2016 album is the self-p...