The Connected Table Live

Dirty sodas, freezer martinis, alcohol-free drinks, functional beverages, pistachios, kataifi, conchas, Turkish ice cream, stuffed croissants, Asian snacks and desserts, Yemeni coffee and Dubai chocolate bars. These are examples of foods and beverages we will be eating and drinking in 2025 according to the annual Trends Report jointly published by integrated marketing agencies, Carbonate Group and...

Southern cooking in the U.S.A. is diverse and culturally rich from state to state and community to community. Cook's Country Editors, Toni Tipton-Martin, an award-winning food journalist and author, and Morgan Bolling, recipe developer, producer and cast member, Cook's Country TV discuss the intersection of southern foodways and women's empowerment and their book, "When Southern Women Cook: Histor...

Sparkling wines produced in the traditional method (methode champenoise) are made around world. Champagne remains the benchmark and a protected designation. But elsewhere in France one can find crémants made in the same method with second fermentation taking place in the bottle. Italy has Franciacorta DOCG, and Spain has Cava D.O. Melanie and David discuss sparkling wines from England, Argentina,...

Amid the steep vineyards of the Côte-Rôtie in the Northern Rhône Valley you will see signs bearing the name E. Guigal, a storied family producer founded in 1946 by Étienne Guigal. His son, Marcel, and grandson, Philippe Guigal have continued his legacy, overseeing production of E. Guigal wines in several Rhône Valley appellation including Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermi...

Felicity Carter is the founder of the Drinks Insider podcast, research and content consultancy, as well as Editorial Director of Areni Global, a fine wine think tank based in London. Previously, she was founding Executive Editor of The Drop at Pix, editorial consultant for Liv-ex, and Editor in Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International. Carter is a versatile wine writer who tackles intricat...

Umbria is a verdant landlocked region of hilltop villages including Montefalco, Orvieto, the monastery town of Assisi and Spoleto, home to a renowned performing arts festival. The local cuisine features grilled meats, porchetta and pasta with black truffles paired with red wines made from Sagrantino di Montefalco and Sangiovese Grosso. Livia Colantonio, co-proprietor of Castello delle Regine winer...

Samantha Weiss and Kelly Jacques own AYU Bakehouse, a popular corner bakery in New Orleans' Marigny neighborhood. AYU is an Indonesian term for joy and a nod to Kelly's family heritage. Customers line up for AYU's flakey croissants, pillowy pastries and specialties such as muffaletta breadsticks laced with olives and salami, “shroom boom,” a mushroom-filled crusty pastry, chocolate babka knots and...

Silver Oak Cellars was founded by two people on a handshake in 1972. Ray Twomey Duncan was a visionary Colorado entrepreneur who saw potential investing in California farmland to grow grapes. Justin Meyer was a winemaker and Christian Brothers member. They built a legendary wine focused solely on Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and Napa. Ray's son, David Duncan, CEO since 2002, continues...

Stewards of the land in Sicily since the 1600s (17 generations), the Planeta family's influence on the evolution of Sicilian wines is significant. Alessio Planeta, CEO, discusses his family’s history in Sicily, their role in focusing Sicily from bulk wine production to commercial bottling and the rediscovery and renaissance of Sicilian wines in the 21st century. Planeta has wine estates in five re...

Valeria Agosta is a family owner of Palmento Costanzo in Contrade Santo Spiritu in Sicily's Etna North region. Palmento Costanzo is a modern winery built into an 18th century stone palmento, an historic Etna winemaking structure. Valeria’s winemaker daughter, Serena, produces sublime Etna DOC wines from native Carricante bianco and Nerello Mascalese rosso sourced from specific contrade (production...

In 2000 Andrea Franchetti, purchased abandoned vineyards on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, an area marked by steep vineyards and vast lava fields. Franchetti focused on quality over quantity. He planted not only indigenous red Nerello Mascalese but also Chardonnay for his Passobianco and Petit Verdot and Cesanese d'Affile for his iconic Vini Franchetti red blend. Benjamin Franchetti took over...

A delightful dining experience can be found in Bryan, Texas (Brazos County) thanks to Amanda and Brian Light, the husband-wife owners of Ronin Farm & Restaurant. The restaurant's seasonal menus feature what's fresh from the couple's nearby farm which hosts monthly full moon communal dinners. Of course, there's always a juicy chicken-fried Texas steak and giant burger on the menu at Ronin. The...

Born in Israel, Chef Alon Shaya's parents moved to Philadelphia when he was 4, a hard adjustment for Alon. But home economics teacher, Donna Barnett, saw Alon's potential and encouraged him to enroll in the Culinary Institute of America. Shaya's Pomegranate Hospitality Group includes Saba and Miss River (New Orleans), Safta (Denver), Silan (Bahamas), and Safta 1964 (Las Vegas). Shaya and his forme...

A 2023 Mintel survey revealed nearly 4 in 10 U.S. consumers embrace a sober- curious lifestyle. So, it makes sense for restaurant and bars to provide alcohol-free cocktails on menus. It's much like creating vegetarian options on a dinner menu. Enter Hilary Sheinbaum, journalist and founder of Going Dry. Sober-curious since 2017, Hilary advises restaurants and bars on how to create alcohol-free men...

Born and raised in New Orleans, Chef Michael Gulotta drew inspiration from both his Sicilian great-grandmother, Gaetana, and his experience working in Liguria, for TANA Italian, his most personal restaurant concept. Chef Gulotta is also a chef-partner in two popular New Orleans Asian fusion restaurant concepts, MOPHO near City Park and Maypop in the Central Business District. Chef Gulotta discusse...

Messina Hof was established in 1977 by Paul Vincent and Merrill Bonarrigo, who began with one acre of vineyard in Bryan, Texas. The Bonarrigos are considered “the first family of Texas wine" and produce many varietals. Messina Hof wines are all produced from Texas grapes. Many are sourced from the high elevation Texas High Plains AVA in the northwest near Lubbock. Son Paul and daughter-in-law Kare...

During the covid-19 pandemic, U.S. marketing executive Frank Grillo moved to Puglia, Italy, to work remotely and embrace his Italian heritage. Puglia's Pane di Altamura D.O.P. made from locally grown ancient wheat, and Europe's first bread given a protected designation of origin status, sparked Grillo's entrepreneurial spirit to create Altamura, a wheat based premium Italian vodka. Grillo set out...

Luscious layer cakes, fruit pies and cobblers, pecan pie, flaky biscuits, sweet and savory corn breads and buttery shortbreads are a few of the South's beloved baked dishes. Native southerner and best-selling cookbook author, Anne Byrn, documents baking traditions, anecdotes and gathered recipes from fourteen southern states for her book, “Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold...

One of the nation’s most esteemed journalists on food and food policy, Corby Kummer is Executive Director of Food & Society at the nonprofit Aspen Institute. He spearheads several initiatives, including Food as Medicine, Food Justice and Open Access to support minority -owned startup food businesses. His work has opened conversations about food policy, food insecurity and regenerative farming...

Chef Melissa Araujo grew up in a large family in La Ceiba, Honduras, where her Sicilian mother and Latina grandmother were important culinary influences. At Alma Café in New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood, Araujo prepares in her words "elevated Honduran cooking." Alma means “soul” in Spanish. And cooking is where Araujo found what stirs her soul, offering farm to table menus reflecting her heritage...

The Bocuse d’Or, established by Chef Paul Bocuse in 1987, is the world’s most rigorous culinary competition. Chef teams from 76 countries compete in qualifying rounds, narrowed down to 24 spots for the finals taking place in Lyon, France, in January 2025. For the first time the Bocuse d’Or Americas was held in the U.S.A. in New Orleans (June 2024) with 9 competing teams. Team U.S.A. won the gold a...

Held annually in July in New Orleans, Tales of the Cocktail is the largest gathering of the global professional bar and spirits industry, a place to discover new products, learn trends and share ideas. Award-Winning Mixologist and Masterclass Host Lynnette Marrero discusses highlights from the 2024 Tales events and awards and the growth of zero proof and low alcohol cocktails. Marrero is cofounder...

Clean eating, dirty sodas, Asian street food, sea vegetables and souped-up snacks for a nation of noshers- these are all items you may be seeing on more restaurant menus, observes Pat Cobe, Senior Editor for Restaurant Business Magazine. In her long career covering the foodservice industry, Cobe has reported on menu restaurant and development and other industry topics. She edits the weekly On the...

The Southern Food & Beverage Museum (SoFAB) celebrates 20 years in 2024 with a new cookbook and special exhibits from Coffee Culture to the 125h Anniversary of Oysters Rockefeller. SoFAB Founder Elizabeth (Liz) Williams discusses how changes in the South's population over time have redefined southern food and shares a few "lagniappes" about popular dishes and drinks from styles of gumbo to chi...

Many Americans dream of moving to Europe. Cynthia Chaplin did it in 1990, living in Spain, Belgium and ultimately Italy, her home since 2012, where she has built a career as an Italian wine specialist. She is a Vinitaly International Academy Certified Italian Wine Ambassador, a professional Sommelier with Fondazione Italiana Sommelier and the Worldwide Sommelier Association and a sought-after educ...