YOU'RE NOT SPECIAL PODCAST

This week Erin and Dr. Sizzle take on Joël Robuchon —the French chef so legendary he racked up 32 Michelin stars , earned Meilleur Ouvrier de France , and somehow became immortal… largely because of one bowl of mashed potatoes . We're talking: how a guy almost became a priest… and then chose the kitchen instead why "make it simple" is the most violent sentence in fine dining what it takes to build...

We're back from our "sabbatical" (translation: we were getting steamrolled by the holidays). In this catch-up episode, Erin and Dr. Sizzle drag December by the apron strings— 13–14 caterings in three weeks, two-a-days, and a casual 130-hour stretch that ends with Sizzle nodding off on a cooler… on his birthday… after grilling 200+ chicken breasts at 2AM like some kind of poultry-based sleep experi...

Ever wondered what happens when a restaurant chef leaves the safety of their own kitchen… and walks into a stranger's house to cook? In this episode, we break down the chaos of in-home private catering vs. in-house restaurant catering —and spoiler: one involves predictable ovens, actual counter space, and fewer toddlers playing Frogger behind you . You'll hear about: the horror of mystery ovens th...

We're back from hiatus, we disappearred for a month and came back with war stories . December nearly killed us—but at least we got content. In this comeback episode, we break down the hidden labor behind catering chaos: why appetizers are harder than full dinners, how small teams quietly carry massive events, and what really happens when people treat food service like a magic trick instead of a jo...

Welcome back to You're Not Special, where the only thing scarier than Halloween… is the dinner rush. In this Part 2 of Stories From the Server Grave, Erin Loman Jeck and Dr. Sizzle drag you through the restaurant underworld: the ghosts of terrible tippers, the cursed brides, the salt-allergic liars, and the guy who thinks "mid-rare enough" is a temperature.   This episode serves up: 🔥 A capitalis...

Ever wondered what the hell restaurant people are yelling all day? In this episode of You're Not Special , Erin Loman Jeck and Dr. Sizzle pull back the swinging kitchen door and unpack the real glossary of the industry— the acronyms, the insults, the battle cries, and the PTSD triggers that keep restaurants running and servers crying in walk-ins. We're diving into: Why FOH is chaos in yoga pants a...

Hello and welcome to the You're Not Special podcast—where the menu is set and the drama's made to order. This week, Aaron Loman Jack and Dr. Sizzle close out their Bear binge with a full Season 4 breakdown: Carmy soul-searching and maybe quitting just after building the damn place. Sydney still half-in, half-out (and yes, we're still arguing about her loyalty). Richie's redemption arc, wedding-dad...

Order up! In this episode of You're Not Special , Erin Loman Jeck and Dr. Sizzle sink their teeth into Season 3 of The Bear —the season of chaos, cracked egos, and Carmy's iron-fisted "non-negotiables." We dish on: Servers quitting en masse and the eternal battle of front vs. back of house dysfunction. Carmy's descent into menu madness—changing dishes daily, banning repeat ingredients, and blowing...

Erin and Dr. Sizzle are back with hats on, hair unwashed, and knives out for  The Bear Season 2—the season where fast casual implodes into fine dining fever dreams. We dig into: The $300K-in-tomato-cans discovery and Uncle Jimmy's "sure, here's $800K, don't screw it up" loan. Rats, black mold, and the cursed walk-in door that refuses to be fixed (until it eats Carmy alive). Carmy catching feelings...

Erin and Dr. Sizzle are back—SD card corruption be damned—and diving fork-first into  The Bear Season 1. From Carmy's descent into deli purgatory, Richie's anime-level rage issues, and Sydney's "here's a binder, fix your life" moment, to THAT ticket-machine-from-hell episode that triggered every chef, line cook, and server on earth. We cover it all: Why Richie belongs in a cartoon (but maybe not a...

You like your chefs on a pedestal? We prefer them behind the line, sweating bullets over a broken ticket machine. In this special (and slightly unhinged) episode of You're Not Special , Aaron Loman Jack and the gang crack open the cult of Michelin stars and James Beard Awards —those glitzy, anxiety-inducing badges that have chefs chasing perfection like it's a fix. We're talking: Why the Michelin...

What do you get when a TEDx speaker and a firecracker chef walk into a podcast after a 12-hour shift? This episode. Buckle up as Erin and Dr. Sizzle dissect Burnt —Bradley Cooper's sweaty kitchen redemption arc—with the kind of side-splitting, spicy banter that'll leave your spatula curled. They cover everything from: Michelin-star madness and chef rage (read: flying pans and fish apologies) Why s...

What happens when front-of-house meets back-of-house and sparks (or grease fires) fly? In this Year Not Special episode, Erin, Dr. Sizzle, and guest couple Nathan and Heather spill the tea (and maybe some sauce) on what it's really like to date your coworker in the chaotic world of restaurants. From walk-in flings to fire alarms, meatballs on the ground, and the unforgettable scent of burnt garlic...

Ever wondered what happens when you force a real-life chef to sit through a Netflix food show? Spoiler: it's not inner peace—it's inner rage, garnished with profanity and sprinkled with truth bombs. In this episode, Erin and Dr. Sizzle dig into the drama (and trauma) of reality cooking shows, from David Chang's flavor fusion face-offs to Gordon Ramsay's rage fests. Erin is here for the chefing vib...

In this unfiltered tribute to Ryan Reynolds, bad tipping, and restaurant PTSD, Erin and Dr. Sizzle dive fork-first into the 2005 cult classic  Waiting . Expect a full menu of spicy memories—from hungover brunch shifts and cigarette-stained bar sections, to dick games and the myth of "secret sauce." They dish on: Why 20-something servers are basically feral raccoons with drink tickets The true horr...

In this supernatural soup of absurdity , Erin, Pants, and Dr. Sizzle take a woo-woo detour into the world of haunted restaurants, ghostly dishwashers, and poltergeist-approved parsley sabotage. From bathroom paper towels that activate themselves mid-pee, to the Great Ghost of Jalapeños who may or may not hate bartenders, this episode has all the vibes of a séance... if the séance was hosted during...

In this reunion episode of You're Not Special , the gang's back together—and absolutely nothing (and no one) is safe. Fueled by overpriced tequila and spicy nostalgia, Erin, Dr. Sizzle, and Pants relive their most chaotic restaurant moments, from resurrecting the sacred Learning Tube™ to dodging deranged toast point orders like culinary ninjas. You'll get insider dirt on: A hotly contested Eggs Be...

Grab your wine and clutch your pearls—this episode of You're Not Special is a wild ride through the outrageous (and disturbingly true) world of restaurant horror stories. From entitled grandpas grabbing cheeks to a woman demanding someone microwave her shoes (yes, really), Erin and Dr. Sizzle hold nothing back. We're talkin' creepy celebrities, projectile wine glasses, the mysterious case of the w...

Ever wondered what happens when your whole kitchen crew jumps ship and you're left with strangers, salad drama, and a black-and-blue mystery steak? Welcome to another wild ride on You're Not Special , where Erin, Dr. Sizzle, and company spill the (wine-soaked) tea on the chaos of restaurant life. They dish on the secret recipe for building trust in high-stress kitchens, the politics of toast point...

Some people go to work; others go to party —and somehow, those two things overlap more than you'd think! In this episode, we dive into the wild, the weird, and the why-is-this-even-happening moments that make every event unforgettable (for better or worse). From unexpected VIP encounters to after-hours chaos, get ready for behind-the-scenes stories that prove the real party starts after the party....

Ever found yourself knee-deep in a mess thinking, "Welp, here we go again"? You're not alone! In this episode, we spill the tea on life's most ridiculous repeat offenses, the lessons we should've learned (but didn't), and the hilarious misadventures that make us all gloriously human. Buckle up—it's going to be a laugh-out-loud ride through the chaos of personal growth!

If you work in this industry, chances are you've got at least one story about being arrested or landing in jail—it's practically a rite of passage! In this laugh-out-loud episode, we dive into the unexpected, the absurd, and the downright hilarious moments of being temporarily detained —literally or metaphorically. From bizarre bunkmates to life lessons you never saw coming, this episode proves th...

In this heartwarming ( read: chaotic ) episode of You're Not Special , Erin, Dr. Sizzle, and the gang serve up a special blend of restaurant industry realness—because nothing says "love" like two-tops, overpriced steak, and a server praying you don't order toast points. From the nightmares of catering, the horror of last-minute reservations, and why gold-plated silverware won't save a bad event, t...

In this episode of You're Not Special , we dive into the genius—or absolute madness—behind "Tip 33," a revolutionary (read: slightly evil) way to keep servers on their toes. Guest appearances by "Conquestador de Pantelones" AKA Pants and Peeps the genius behind Tip 33.  Ever wondered what happens when you turn tipping into a live-action Hunger Games? Well, stacking $50 in ones on the table and ded...

This week on You're Not Special , Erin and Dr. Sizzle dive into the culinary battlefield of sending food back to the kitchen. From questionable steak temps to cockroach hash browns and spring mix surprise bugs, they share the highs, lows, and WTF moments of restaurant life. Is the customer always right? (Spoiler: No.) Will your food really get "special sauce" if you complain? (Probably not.) Join...