The Restaurant Guys

From kitchens around the world to cocktail media, why it’s time to talk about cooking with booze The Conversation In this episode of The Restaurant Guys Podcast, hosts Mark Pascal and Francis Schott head to Brooklyn to record at the new studio of Tim McKirdy. Tim McKirdy shares his unconventional career path, from cooking in kitchens in London and Buenos Aires to becoming an influential writer in...

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005 Ever wonder how great restaurant wine lists actually come together — and why some completely miss the mark? The Banter The Guys tell stories of their “glamorous” lives being restaurateurs that (surprisingly) involves more plumbers than they ever expected.  The Conversation In this episode, The Restaurant Guys are joined by Chris Goodhart, wine buyer for Keith...

California whiskey isn’t just a trend — it’s challenging bourbon’s throne. First, The Guys talk about recent dining experiences including being escorted into a bar, and too much salt.  Then, The Restaurant Guys meet up in-person with Jeff Duckhorn, Head Distiller at Redwood Empire, to talk about why West Coast whiskey tastes different, ages differently, and is suddenly showing up on serious back b...

This is a Vintage Selection from 2007 The Banter The Guys discuss food psychology. When it comes to the containers used for fruit juice to M&Ms, size matters. The Conversation The Restaurant Guys talk with Eric Asimov, wine and spirits writer for the New York Times, about rye whiskey. He details its history, resurgence and highlights some of the excellent choices on the market at the time. You...

Vintage episode (2005) The Banter The Guys talk about the new concept (in 2005) of podcasting and answer some listener questions about sweet corn and sweet looks.  The Conversation The Restaurant Guys are joined by Charlie Palmer shortly after he opened Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, CA. They talk risk, vision, sourcing relationships, and why Healdsburg was worth betting on long before it became...

The Conversation The Restaurant Guys talk about fine dining at the Arctic Circle.  They discuss delicacies like reindeer and seal, and highlight the restaurant's enormous wine list! Naturally their conversation includes their comedic banter (and a comparison of Mark to a tiny reindeer) in this special Christmas episode. Info Jeffrey Merrihue’s article https://open.substack.com/pub/xtremefoodi...

This is one of the two shows recorded on location at the Food & Wine Classic - Charleston 2025.  Maneet Chauhan The Restaurant Guys welcome ball of fire Maneet Chauhan, accomplished chef, restaurateur and two-time winner of Tournament of Champions . They discuss the beauty of street food and the myth of authentic Indian cuisine. Hear what she has to say when people complain she doesn’t make di...

This is one of the two shows recorded on location at the Food & Wine Classic - Charleston 2025.  Our Guests Ivy Odom The Restaurant Guys catch up with Ivy Odom, Senior Lifestyle Editor at Southern Living Magazine, at the Food & Wine Classic - Charleston. They talk about bourbon, recipes, bacon fat, and how those support her passion for Southern cooking and hospitality.  James London James...

This is a Vintage Episode from 2006 The Conversation The Restaurant Guys discuss the much-anticipated arrival of the Michelin Guide in New York City, marking the first time the prestigious guide has reviewed restaurants in the United States. They delve into the significance of Michelin stars  and the impact of receiving Michelin stars on restaurants in terms of recognition and business. They highl...

The Banter The Guys answer a listener’s question about one of their favorite topics: Martinis! The Conversation The Restaurant Guys travel to Charleston, SC to meet up with chef Orlando Pagán at his newly Michelin-starred restaurant Wild Common. They cover tasting menus, health challenges and, for some reason, Dungeons and Dragons.   The Inside Track The Guys get real with Orlando about taking car...

The Banter The Guys talk about making vinegar and why you have to take care of your mother.  The Conversation The Restaurant Guys welcome writer Rowan Jacobsen to discuss the fifth taste: umami. What is umami? Where does it come from? What pairs well with it? And what does breastmilk have to do with it? Get the skinny from Rowan.  The Inside Track The Guys happily get the inside track on the healt...

The Banter The Guys talk about actors being waiters and whether that is a good thing. The Conversation The Restaurant Guys catch up with bar owner and author Neal Bodenheimer. They wax sentimental about their glory days behind the bar, discuss clinging to standards and talk about the trajectory of New Orleans. At some point Mark commits Francis to a whole big thing!  The Inside Track The Guys, who...

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005 The Banter The Guys give you the behind the scenes of the first few days of the opening of their second restaurant Catherine Lombardi and why they have to keep a fork handy. The Conversation The Restaurant Guys speak with Heritage Foods founder Todd Wickstrom about his company’s mission to support family farms by providing high quality products to consumers. H...

The Banter The Guys talk about early days of restaurant-ing and how taking reservations over the phone led to scammers as well as long-time patrons. (Francis may even cry.) The Conversation The Restaurant Guys welcome an icon in their field: Drew Nieporent! Drew has been behind some of the most acclaimed restaurants world-wide. Listen to his experiences and stories from his decades as a restaurate...

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005 The Banter The Guys tell of an unnecessary battle: it’s curtains! The Conversation The Restaurant Guys welcome wine and restaurant critic Peter Schleimer from his home in Austria. They talk about grape-loving birds, where to get authentic Austrian food and some wine recommendations that are still good advice today.  The Inside Scoop The Guys have spent time ea...

The Banter The Guys discuss cultural differences in the best way to leave a party. Expeditious or rude? The Conversation The Restaurant Guys speak to Procera Gin founders Alan Murungi and Guy Brennan from Kenya. Alan and Guy had a vision to create gin from fresh (not dried) juniper berries that are hand foraged at great heights in the juniper forests of Kenya. They distill locally and use hand-cra...

This is a Vintage Selection from 2012. The Banter The Guys talk about The Balkans International Wine Competition and the implementation of Wine Diplomacy. Hear the Balkan wine suggestions you didn’t know you needed. The Conversation The Restaurant Guys are joined by Johnny Schuler from his vineyards in Peru. He runs the oldest working distillery in the Americas that is both state-of-the-art and tr...

The Banter The Guys discuss a restaurant experience that let the rabbit out the hat. The Conversation The Restaurant Guys catch up with buddy Jeff Bell to discuss the bar scene in New York. From humble beginnings as a barback at PDT to owning it and several other of the coolest places in NYC, Jeff tells about his experiences of becoming a business owner, including (the requisite) major disaster du...

This is a Vintage Selection from 2012 The Banter The Guys talk about a taste of the military that they would have rather not had and what they will be doing to make it up to our U.S. service members.  The Conversation The Restaurant Guys spill the tea with Sebastian Beckwith, tea master, tea lover and tea educator. Topics include the complexities of tea service in fine dining, the nuances of diffe...

This show was recorded on location at the Southern Smoke Festival in Houston,  October 2025 The Banter The Guys look a gift horse in the mouth….and it was delicious! The Conversations The Restaurant Guys catch up with more fun people at the Southern Smoke Festival 2025 in Houston, TX in their third episode recorded on location Joaquin Rodas’s passion was ignited by his work in Chicago and being in...

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005 The Conversation with Chris The Restaurant Guys talk with Chris Cree, Master of Wine, about the challenges of being among the first to earn that degree and the only person in NJ. Chris talks about running his wine shop and how he educates and encourages the public to dive into the world of wine. The Conversation with John The Restaurant Guys speak with chef, w...

The Banter  The Guys discuss the benefits of tip pooling and the mystery of cheek pinching.  The Conversation The Restaurant Guys welcome back sommelier Aldo Sohm who’s mission is to pair wine with food, but also people with wine they will enjoy. The three discuss the joy of connecting all of the pieces of that puzzle. Aldo shares his insights on wine pairing, recounting the development of his new...

This show was recorded on location at the Southern Smoke Festival in Houston,  October 2025 Angie Rito & Scott Tacinelli met working in NYC at Park Avenue Seasons.  In 2018, they opened their special neighborhood spot Don Angie. Angie and Scott garnered a nomination for Best Chef: New York City and New York State by the James Beard Foundation in both 2019 and 2020, respectively, and Outstandin...

This show was recorded on location at the Southern Smoke Festival in Houston,  October 2025 Aaron Bludorn began his journey at Culinary Institute of America (CIA) which led to a prosperous career working under the country’s most celebrated chefs including Michelin-starred Chef Douglas Keene and Daniel Boulud. While working as Executive Chef in Manhattan’s Café Boulud and was cast in Netflix’s bloc...

This is a Vintage Selection from 2012 The Banter The Guys taste something new and unusual. The Conversation The Restaurant Guys hear a revolutionary idea from Jim Lahey of how to make not only bread, but pizza dough with his no-knead method. Jim discusses the obstacles many folks face while baking at home and his suggestions to overcome them so you, too, can make great pizza! The Inside Track The...