The wedding industry is experiencing a near total collapse as result of the current pandemic. So many couples have had to put their wedding dreams on hold while they wait for new mandates on when and how we can gather. No surprise, a group of leading women wedding professionals in DC have the solution, coming together to form a startup, Petit Soirée. Lauryn Prattes, founded Petit Soiree and reached out to some of the best in the industry to come together (virtually) and collaborate on ways to ex...
May 12, 2020•33 min•Ep. 91
The last 8 weeks of this ongoing pandemic have been filled with incredible stories of people in the food, restaurant and hospitality industries taking their current model and turning them on their heads in order to survive. Today on Industry Night, Nycci talked with Jordan Cotton of DC’s first rum distillery, Cotton & Reed. Jordan, his partner Reed Walker and the rest of their team saw what was coming early on in the pandemic and realized that with the close of area bars and restaurants and ...
May 12, 2020•45 min•Ep. 90
Well, we are in week 6 of the Covid-19 pandemic and everyday brings a new normal for us to grapple with. Some are staying at home — a roof over your head and a fridge full of food. Others do not have those luxuries. Today on Industry Night, Nycci is joined by the Chief Executive Officer of the Capital Area Food Bank, Radha Muthiah, who leads a team that currently distributes over 30 million meals to more than 400,000 food insecure people in the greater Washington region each year. What does this...
Apr 27, 2020•26 min•Ep. 89
The Cares Act, the $2.2 trillion program put together to help businesses during the Covid-19 crisis has left many in the restaurant industry feeling frustrated with the funds or lack thereof appropriated. The Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) was formed to help/save the local restaurant community and demand a well-deserved seat at the table. Today on Industry Night, James Beard award-winner, author and chef Kwame Onwuachi and Nycci break down what is in the Cares Act and more importantly wh...
Apr 14, 2020•29 min•Ep. 88
The nation's restaurants are reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, some have shut down while laying off employees. Others have been able to pivot in an instant and create whole new models — take away and to go — to keep people employed and stay afloat. Michael Babin and his team at Neighborhood Restaurant Group changed their entire company model not just once, but twice in less than three weeks time. Having the foresight to see some of what was coming down the road Michael and NRG have been able t...
Apr 07, 2020•33 min•Ep. 87
Lovers of food in the DC Area know the name Erik Bruner-Yang as someone who has launched a variety of kitchens featuring his creative take on different cuisines. In the last few years, he has opened Maketto, Brothers and Sisters, ABC Pony and most recently was named executive chef of &Pizza. Like most of the chef/restaurateurs in the county, Erik has had to assess his businesses and pivot. Some of the restaurants are functioning in a completely new model and some had to shut their doors. Thi...
Mar 31, 2020•24 min•Ep. 86
Should you be going to your Farmers Market during this Coronavirus pandemic? Is there a safe and healthy way to access fresh, local foods? Today Nycci asks Juliet Glass, the external relations director for the Maryland Farmers Market Association, these questions and more on Industry Night. Durning this special episode, Nycci and Juliet discuss the plight of the local farmer, the value that fresh and local foods hold — not just nutritionally — and how to access them. Tune in for important informa...
Mar 26, 2020•27 min•Ep. 85
In another special edition of Industry Night, Nycci has a conversation with COO of ThinkFoodGroup, Erik Martino about the vision to shut down their restaurant empire — almost before anyone else — and to pivot their team to Community Kitchens. All around the DC Metro Area, former upscale dining ThinkFoodGroup restaurants are now feeding the public from 1-4. Find out how the team was able to make this change so quickly, how thy are supporting their staff and the community at large. Powered and dis...
Mar 20, 2020•20 min•Ep. 84
In this special edition of Industry Night, Nycci talks with Kathy Hollinger, President & CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) about the minute by minute changes to the restaurant and hospitality industries in these scary and strange times. No surprise that area restaurants and small businesses have shown their resilience and ability to make dramatic pivots at a break neck speed. Kathy has the latest from Mayor Bowser’s office and provides valuable resources for...
Mar 17, 2020•33 min•Ep. 83
When you mention Washington, DC, the first thing people think is “politics.” But DC is so much more than just the federal government – it’s cultural, creative, vibrant and delicious. Think you know DC? Elliott Ferguson, CEO and President of Destination DC joined me in the Industry Night studio to chat about the dramatic changes in the DC landscape and how anyone -- visitor or local -- can take advantage of all the offerings. And you can't discuss what's happening in DC during the springtime, wit...
Feb 27, 2020•59 min•Ep. 82
How dedicated are you to that first cup of coffee every morning? Do you take time to select your beans, grind them propertly and finish the ritual with a slow pour over? Sound a little much? Coffee drinking can be ritualistic or can be an eay way to get your caffeine fix. Today Industry Night sips & swirls the magic elixir with Washington Post writer and avid coffee drinker, Tim Carman, Roaster Nicolas Cabrera of Lost Sock Roasters and Director of Coffee and Counter Service at the soon to op...
Feb 14, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 81
Dan Simons and his partner, Mike Vucurevich, created Farmers Restaurant Group, which includes Founding Farmers, Farmers Fishers Bakers, Farmers & Distillers, and Founding Spirits Distillery. Recently named one of DC’s Best Places to Work the company is run like a big family operation. May sound hokey but it's true not just according to Dan but to two Farmers Restaurant Group employees, GM, Ashley Smith & Executive Chef, Alba Marroquin who joined Dan in studio. Employees have direct acces...
Feb 14, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 80
It's always a treat to bring people into the studio that I really admire. It's even more delicious to bring in people that totally inspire and oh, by the way, they're good friends. A little love-fest on Industry Night today with NBC4 anchor, Eun Yang and Salt & Sundry creator, Amanda McClements. During our time on air, Eun shared her fascinating story as a young Asian women in the DC news world (she also fan-girled all over Amanda) & Amanda took us through her vision of Salt & Sundry...
Jan 29, 2020•59 min•Ep. 79
Kathy Hollinger, president of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, popped into the Industry Night studio to share the 411 on DC's booming Restaurant Week and how to navigate it. Local freelancer, Tim Ebner, and Pasty Chef extraordinaire, Alex Levin, bonded on a trip to Israel where together they embraced the culture, history, and food (natch). Alex (Jewish) and Tim (not) were both taken with the weekly ritual of Shabbat and shared how they are replicating it in their lives now....
Jan 17, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 78
Chef Bryan Voltaggio has been a staple in the DC food and wine scene for over 15 years. From his humble beginnings growing up in Frederick, Maryland to being named executive chef at Charlie Palmer Steak, to breaking out on his own and opening the highly acclaimed Volt. Bryan and his brother, Michael, competed on one of the most watched seasons of Top Chef, Season 6 -- where Michael took the win from his brother. Now the two of them have opened up Estuary in the new Conrad Hotel and Bryan is back...
Jan 17, 2020•43 min•Ep. 77
Cheese lady and owner of area Cheesetiques Jill Erber returned to the Industry Night show and this time she didn't just bring cheese-- she brought friends ... good friends ... the kind of friends we all want. Gail Hobbs-Page, owner and head cheesemaker at Caromont Farm, Ron Kingsbury, chocolatier & owner/founder of Kingsbury Chocolates and Jason Whiteside of Winebow of Northern Virginia. A lively conversation about small business, making cheese (and eating it!), producing chocolate (and eati...
Dec 13, 2019•59 min•Ep. 76
Earlier this year, Nycci moderated a panel about plant-based eating, and was able to bring two of the esteemed panelists into Industry Night to chat the change in social norms around limiting meat from your diet and what it means for the environment. Bruce Friedrich, the executive director and co-founder of The Good Food Institute and Nicole Marquis, founder & CEO of HipCityVeg, are both tremendous proponents of the plant-based movement -- the science of it and you eating it. Powered and dis...
Dec 13, 2019•38 min•Ep. 75
Nycci sits down with another Niki: Niki Segnit, London-based author of the multi-award winning book, The Flavor Thesaurus. Niki’s newest cookbook, Lateral Cooking, is, in a sense, the ‘method’ companion to The Flavour Thesaurus – and is just as useful. The recipes in each chapter are arranged on a continuum, the transition from one recipe to another generally amounting to a tweak or two in the method or ingredients. Which is to say, one dish leads to another: once you’ve got the hang of flatbrea...
Nov 20, 2019•49 min•Ep. 74
In studio today with David & Nycci Nellis is famed celebrity chef, television host, restaurateur and cookbook author, Lidia Bastianich, known to millions for bringing Italian cooking into our homes. Listen in for great stories about her life and fascinating insights into the evolution of Italian cuisine in America. Powered and distributed by Simplecast
Nov 18, 2019•53 min•Ep. 73
For a new generation of cooks comes the latest edition of one of America’s most trusted cookbooks, the Joy of Cooking. This kitchen “bible” that home cooks have relied on for nearly 90 years, has now been updated and revised by the next generation of Joy family home cooks—Irma Rombauer’s great-grandson John Becker and his wife Megan Scott. John & Megan chatted revising recipes and what it takes to update a beloved book. Powered and distributed by Simplecast
Nov 18, 2019•54 min•Ep. 72
Today in studio, Nycci was joined by the man, the myth, the beer-director of Neighborhood Restaurant Group (NRG), Greg Engert. Greg & Nycci catch up and chat about the growth of NRG -- chef-driven restaurants, beer-focused offerings -- and now, Food Halls. Tune in and get a taste of NRG's newest offering in DC, The Roost (and The Grand Delancey in Market Line NYC, and The Belleville in Richmond, VA). Powered and distributed by Simplecast
Nov 12, 2019•57 min•Ep. 71
This week Nycci is joined by Crystal Bowyer, the president and CEO of the new National Children's Museum in D.C, and Dr. Ashley Rose Young who is Historian of the American Food History Project at The Smithsonian. Ashley catches up with Nycci about all the exciting upcoming Smithsonian Food History Weekend festivities. And, what happened to the National Children's Museum in DC? It disappeared for a bit but it's coming back this holiday season. As the president of the new rendition of the museum, ...
Nov 05, 2019•59 min•Ep. 70
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Nov 05, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 66
Today Nycci is joined in studio by a very special guest star, her husband, David Nellis. David popped in studio with guests, Dan & Meg McNeill of the recently opened distillery, MISCdistillery and Steve Bashore, director of trades at Mount Vernon. If you don't know about George Washington's massive distilling business, Steve fills us all in on our very first president's role in American distilling and how you can get a taste of it. Meg & Dan McNeill are the other side of the spectrum wit...
Oct 29, 2019•57 min•Ep. 69
If you want to know American whiskey, you’ve got to know the mid-Atlantic region. In Pennsylvania & Maryland whiskey makers laid the groundwork for American whiskey and sparked a national rebellion. The 1790s Whiskey Rebellion played an important role in American history and is the spirit of this mid-Atlantic region. This unbridled spirit lives on today in one of the most prolific craft spirit producing regions in the country. You can op on the Whiskey Rebellion Trail with it's distilleries ...
Oct 25, 2019•59 min•Ep. 68
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Oct 15, 2019•46 min•Ep. 67
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Sep 25, 2019•59 min•Ep. 65
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Sep 23, 2019•57 min•Ep. 64
What is it about being a private chef? Sounds like something only the wealthy can afford. Hold on, don’t judge a toque by its height. Today on Industry Night we chat with entrepreneurs in the food space — LaWanda White (founder of Private Chef, No Restaurant Week), Yahya Sardari (owner of Coffy Cafe), Damian Brown (founder of the Uncaged Chefs), Tiffany Lightfoot (founder of My Cake Theory) and Kareem Mr Bake Queeman (founder of Mr Bake) — about creating your own business, being a personal chef ...
Aug 29, 2019•56 min•Ep. 63
Industry Night is joined by local writer, Lani Furbank (Eater, Michelin, Edible DC, On Tap, etc) who recently wrote a comprehensive piece on how DC restaurants, chefs and bartenders are getting creative when it comes to reducing waste. Also in studio, Josh Carin. Josh is a true renaissance man who is currently the director of hospitality at the Montgomery County Revenue Authority/MCG Events. The Authority is working with Josh to help local farmers get creative and sell their product and also is ...
Aug 29, 2019•56 min•Ep. 62
