The Best Ceats Podcast

It is time for something new and exciting! The first-ever Deli Awards have arrived! Let's talk about the initial crop of awards wrapping up the best-of selections for 2022! Buckle up, and enjoy! The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best...

There will always be those who paved the way for others - people who see a path beyond their professional bounds to greater things. Not just in terms of success, mind you, but, as it relates to the hospitality industry, to new flavors and techniques. In the world of cocktails, one of the most important individuals in the last 15 years is Gabrielle Dion . She helped to lay the foundation for the cr...

Live entertainment is a major aspect of the world of hospitality. From a solo guitarist at a Sunday brunch to a live band on a Saturday night at your favorite bar, to go to a comedy club and more. The possibilities are endless. However, other avenues of live entertainment are more misunderstood, even though the artists behind them put just as much love and care into them as more common bookings. T...

When it comes to experiential dining, there are few -if any in Orange County - that can hold a candle to the Bello Chef's Table . Now, having a chef's table is not a new phenomenon - it has even been discussed on this show - but how it continues to evolve and fuse into the fabric of its host restaurant, Bello by Sandro Nardone is another thing entirely. I am joined by Owner and Chef Sandro Nardone...

You always love to see people do well and continue to grow in their careers - but what challenges do those new changes bring? There are obvious ones of course, but how a person navigates the unknowns is the test of someone's mettle. For friend of the show Tony Juarez , this new venture takes him to The Leucadia Co. in San Diego county as he takes on the role of Beverage Director. Knowing drinks is...

There is no hyperbole, metaphors, or anecdotes needed to introduce the importance of my guest(s) for this episode of The Best Ceats Podcast because, frankly, the name Heritage Barbecue speaks for itself. It is one of the best restaurants in San Juan Capistrano and, frankly, in the western United States. I am joined once again by Owner and Pit-master Daniel Castillo . He brought along his new Bever...

Watching a friend seize a new opportunity is an exciting prospect. When that opportunity is to helm the bar program of a new cocktail lounge, you pay attention a bit more. That is precisely what Julian Flores Torres is doing at Rodeo 39 Public Market as he prepares to open a new cocktail hot spot - Union Social . While there has been no lack of delicious drinks produced by Torres in his time behin...

When you open a new restaurant, you create more than just a menu - you create an entire experience for your guests. Moreover, you establish where the business falls within the hierarchy of other businesses concerning the said experience. Are you opening a casual burger joint or a white tablecloth dining room? Finding where a space fits in this spectrum is challenging, and it seems more and more th...

Here we are, the hundredth episode of The Best Ceats Podcast ! Making it to this episode is an achievement I am very proud of, and I wanted to make sure my guest for this episode was someone with a personality, and resumé that matched this moment. When it comes to the Orange County hospitality scene, few people have a persona that is as grandiose as my guest, Miss Bosscat of Bosscat Kitchen &...

Chef Alan Sanz is - to put it mildly - a very well-traveled man. He began his cooking journey at 17 in Mexico City, and from there, he would launch himself into renowned kitchens around the globe until his journey took him to our humble home of Orange County, CA. He recently took the kitchen helm as executive chef at the highly praised Porch & Swing in Irvine, CA. We sit down to talk about his...

I love it when things work out - like the fact that I get to do back-to-back episodes at Lido House in Newport Beach with extremely talented people. This week's guest is Stephanie Krawczyk , who is more than just a Food and Beverage Director - she is the mind behind the cocktail programs at the hotel's properties. While she has been trained under Chef Huddleston (like you heard in the last episode...

It is no small feat to open a restaurant - it takes massive talent and work, and if you are opening a high-end space, it takes ten-fold more. What must it take then to open multiple spaces within a luxury hotel? Chef Riley Huddleston , Executive Chef Partner at Lido House and Vice President of Food & Beverage with R.D. Olson Development, joins the show to discuss just that. We candidly discuss...

Coffee - well, for those that drink it anyways - has become more than just a part of our daily routine. If you're going to interact with a product almost every day, it is a no-brainer then to make sure you get the best product possible. That is where Moongoat Coffee comes in. David Yardley , one of the founders of the company, joins me to talk about all things coffee. How the brand came to be, sur...

What do you get when you take immense drive, talent, and vision, and put them into a stunning space surrounded by various gardens? Chef Jessica Roy is the answer. Executive Chef of 608 Dahlia in Corona del Mar, Chef Roy is an absolute treasure. She brings style and vision to her food matched by few others. Experiencing a meal created by her is to experience something truly transformational and bea...

Town Hall time! A lot of great new features and updates are coming to The Best Ceats so I figured the best way to inform everyone about them is with a town hall episode of the podcast! Let's sit down your yours truly to chat about all of the upcoming updates and new features coming your way! Enjoy! The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each an...

Food waste is a massive issue that needs to be tackled - but how do we do that? Well, Caleb Finn thinks he has the answer. He left a life as a structural engineer to create a better future for his children, and when he was trying to figure out how, he landed on worms. Yes, you read that right - worms. He is the CEO and Founder of Circular which aims to take food waste from restaurants, and similar...

When I open this podcast, I always say that this is for Orange County, the rest of Southern California, and beyond - and what a perfect example of this with this episode. Jon Sanchez is no stranger to this show - nor is his VP, Lacy Allen - but he and his brand, Native Son , are strangers to Los Angeles, and that is very interesting. Expanding your business is one thing, but what is it like to exp...

If Orange County had a Mount Rushmore of culinary creators, then Chef Craig Strong would undoubtedly be included. He has a lifetime of excellence and accolades behind his name, but it is his humility and kindness that stands out most. His food is familiar yet elevated - astoundingly flavorful at every turn and approachable to all. He has settled into a new life at Hotel Laguna in Laguna Beach, and...

The hospitality world is so big, and yet so small at the same time. So many shared stories and experiences woven into the very fabric of the industry - many similar, and all valuable. It is important to have these stories shared whenever possible, and that is why Chef Luis Sanchez is such a special guest for this episode. Owner of Mouthful Eatery in Thousand Oaks, Chef Sanchez is a driven, passion...

I’m always curious about the people that help make a wine, spirits, or food festival happen. As summer approaches, more and more of these events are returning from their pandemic-fueled hibernation. Whatever our new "normal" is, I'm glad that it includes events like these. LAWineFest is the latest to occur - taking place right across from the Queen Mary in Long Beach, giving both Los Angeles resid...

Opening a new restaurant is always a daunting task - unless, of course, you work with a group that does it all over the country and have spent your career cooking at some of the highest levels around! When Solstice recently opened in Irvine, CA, it instantly made an impact on the dining scene. Embracing seasonality to an incredibly sharp degree, with unapologetic style and flavors. Who is responsi...

Mother's Day was just here - the day to celebrate mom filled, often filled with chaotic brunch services, floral arrangements, champagne, and - God willing - well-behaved children. When I was booking a guest for this episode, I had a handful of chefs and beverage directors in mind, but after some careful thought, I invoked an executive decision. My guest for this episode of The Best Ceats Podcast i...

We often find ourselves yearning for a taste of home. For some of us, that's easy to find, but for others, not so much. For Bob Levey and his wife, San Diego was just a little far from their home of Philadelphia and that meant fair from their beloved Philly cheesesteaks. This lead them to creating Philly's Best Cheesesteak and Hoagie shop in Fountain Valley in 1992. Now with multiple locations, an...

One of the best things, as we shift into Spring, is that events are really coming back in full force - including wine tasting events. However, there is more to showcasing your wine than just showing up and pouring if you really want to make an impact. That is where my guest for episode 85 comes in. Joel Quigley has decades of experience in hospitality and wine events. Since coming onboard with Llo...

I don't know about you, but I absolutely adore a good bagel. Something about that perfect bite - the big schmear and heaping of good seasoning - utter bliss. Why then, if we can all agree that a good bagel is something to be cherished, is it so hard to actually find good bagels around here? Outside of 1 or 2 places, Orange County is a bit barren when it comes to a truly great bagel. Thankfully tho...