We’re revisiting stops on our recently wrapped 2020 virtual tour in support of our new book, Snacky Tunes: Music is the Main Ingredient, Chefs and Their Music . For the New York City leg, Paige Lipari, owner of the amazing culinary bookshop and cafe Archestratus Books + Food , and our HRN fam were gracious co-hosts. Joining us for a conversation about creativity, cooking food and making music were longtime friends of the show, Chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian Von Hauske of Wildair , Contra and Pe...
Dec 06, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 463
In the time before COVID-19, Tommy Brockert had well established himself as a top-flight events photographer. As events and group gatherings ground to halt due to health and safety concerns, Tommy was forced to do the pandemic pivot. He’s temporarily hung up his cameras and photo booths, and fired up the portable pizza oven instead, turning a hobby into a job with the launch of La Sorted's Pop Up Pizzeria . La Sorted’s has quickly gained a cult following in Los Angeles as folks have clamored for...
Nov 22, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 462
This episode is a live recording of the Bay Area stop on the virtual tour for our new book, Snacky Tunes: Music is the Main Ingredient, Chefs and Their Music . We were immensely honored to have our friends at Oxfam America as our partners and hosts for this event which featured a lovely, insightful conversation about food, music and activism with singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down and acclaimed chef Preeti Mistry . Isra Chaker, Senior Advisor for Global Campaigns ...
Nov 15, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 461
In this very special episode we check in on the global tour of our new book, Snacky Tunes: Music is the Main Ingredient, Chefs and Their Music . This tour stop was a part of WRLDCTY , a global city event bringing together thought leaders, urbanists and city lovers on a single digital platform for three days of conversations, connections and experiences broadcast from leading cities around the world. Joining us for a conversation about building restaurant audio signatures, and using music as an i...
Nov 09, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 460
Natalie Hekmat had been working for years to open her natural wine shop, bar and restaurant. During that time she found a spot in Los Angeles’ burgeoning Virgil Village neighborhood, and curated a collection of more than 400 wines from the United States, Europe and beyond. What she couldn’t have planned for was a global pandemic. Despite that epic hurdle, Natalie forged ahead and opened the doors to Voodoo Vin this summer. Adapting to the new reality of the world, she put the bar and restaurant ...
Nov 01, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 459
As Phaidon’s Executive Commissioning Editor, Food & Drink, Emily Takoudes has been integral in publishing some of the most influential gastronomy works of the last decade, including Regarding Cocktails by Sasha Petraske and Jeremy Fox’s On Vegetables . She’s also been vital in shepherding our very first book, Snacky Tunes: Music is the Main Ingredient, Chefs and Their Music , to bookshelves across the globe. Emily sits down with us to discuss her illustrious career, and shares what it’s like...
Oct 25, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 458
In this very special episode we kick off the tour for our new book, Snacky Tunes: Music is the Main Ingredient, Chefs and Their Music . Our friends at L.A.’s premiere cookbook shop Now Serving graciously hosted a panel featuring us and Andy and Briana Valdez of HomeState , moderated by Esquire ’s Food & Drink Editor, Jeff Gordinier. The Valdez sisters contributed to the book, and even gave us their mom’s Peanut Butter Chicken recipe, and Jeff wrote one of the book’s forewords, so it was a to...
Oct 18, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 457
Julia Bainbridge is a James Beard Award-nominated scribe who’s worked at Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit and Atlanta Magazine . She’s also the creator and host of The Lonely Hour podcast, and chief dancer at Club Bainbridge . Julia joins us to share her new book, Good Drinks , a treasure trove of curated non-alcoholic drink recipes collected from the best bartenders in the world. We dive into the Snacky Tunes vault and revisit July 2011 when electronic musician, Ducky, stopped by the studio for...
Oct 11, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 456
While folks might recognize Kenny Gilbert from his turn on season seven of Top Chef, he’s been a critically acclaimed restaurant industry veteran for the better part of two decades. Kenny’s kitchen talents manifested early -- he was cooking his family’s Thanksgiving dinners solo by the time he was 11 -- and over the years he’s helmed the culinary operations at some of the country’s top AAA Five Diamond and Mobile Five Star hotels and resorts, along with running his own restaurants. Kenny calls i...
Oct 04, 2020•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 455
For the past 20 years, Honey’s Kettle has cemented itself as a Los Angeles institution known for great comfort food, and especially for its delicious hand-dipped, kettle-cooked fried chicken. Vincent Williams, Honey’s Kettle’s chef and founder, started in the chicken business at 17 years old, and has spent decades perfecting not only frying chicken, but also developing his family-owned business. Vincent sits down with us to talk about his decision to expand during the pandemic with the launch of...
Sep 20, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 454
The always nattily dressed Maxwell Britten has long been one of our favorite barmen. We first met him in our halcyon wayback Brooklyn days when we would unwind at Maison Premiere’s bar, slurping oysters accompanied by his expertly made cocktails. Maxwell’s now become an industry activist. As the National Chairman for the non-profit THIRST Group (The Hospitality Industry Reimagined Security Trust) , he’s lobbying elected officials to advocate for insurance companies honoring their small business ...
Sep 13, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 453
Philip Krajeck, the chef-owner of lauded Nashville restaurants Rolf & Daughters and Folk gives us some personal insights into resilience. In early March, he and his crew survived a tornado only to be hit a few weeks later with the health crisis and business uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Enduring as best he can, Philip’s managed to keep the lights on and support his community and its farmers. We look back to December 2016 when Light Asylum visited us in the studio. The e...
Aug 09, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 452
Lisa Colton is the founder and president of Darim Online and Darim Consulting. Her work centers on helping nonprofits and social causes develop opportunities for community building, fundraising and education. Most recently, Lisa helped organize The Great Big Jewish Food Fest , a 10-day, virtual food festival that connected home cooks across America in celebration of Jewish cuisine which featured the likes of Molly Yeh, Gail Simmons, Mike Solomonov and Ruth Reichl. For the musical part of the sho...
Aug 02, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 451
Rōze Traore maintains quite the balancing act. He’s a personal chef and owner of the eponymous New York City bespoke events company, Rōze Traore, LLC. Prior to that he cut his teeth alongside acclaimed chef Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park and the Nomad. In addition to his work in the kitchen, Rōze’s been known to walk the runways, and over the years has modeled for the likes of Nike and Rochambeau. Our musical guest, Sean McGuiness, has also made a reputation of keeping multiple plates spi...
Jul 26, 2020•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 450
Rob Levitt is the Chef de Cuisine and Head Butcher of Chicago’s lauded Publican Quality Meats . He discusses with us how the COVID-19 pandemic has compromised America’s meatpacking industry. And though things make look grim at times, Rob shares with us how this crisis can actually provide the impetus to change the industrial food complex, and why supporting local butchers and farmers is more important than ever. UK Singer-songwriter Max Levy joins us from across the pond to give us a listen to h...
Jul 19, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 449
In this episode we’re transported to Tulum, the vacation hotspot on the Caribbean coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Taking us there is James Gardner, CEO and founder of GRUPO Gitano . James, a former Wall Street trader turned digital luxury fashion entrepreneur, opened GITANO Tulum, a mezcal bar and kitchen in 2013, and has since expanded with GITANO Garden of Love, a seasonal restaurant and bar in NYC, and GITANO Miami, a restaurant, bar and jungle rooftop. We’re then joined by Håbe, GITANO’...
Jul 13, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 448
Opened in Sherman Oaks, CA, in 1956 by Rafael Vega, Casa Vega has long been enthroned as an L.A. dining landmark. Over the years, Casa Vega’s esquites, enchiladas, tacos and margaritas have attracted crowds of diners from all over the world, and its dining room has become a well-known celebrity hangout. Rafael’s daughter Christy now oversees daily operations, and she’s determined to keep the doors open for another 60+ years despite the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic. We’re also joined by ...
Jun 28, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 447
This episode is all about Bartholomew Jones, a Memphis-based school teacher, hip hop artist, social activist and the founder of Cxffeeblack . With cxffeeblack Bartholomew explores the history of coffee, its deep ties to black culture and its potential for black empowerment. Cxffeeblack also supports and provides opportunities for people of color to create inspiring work. Bartholomew is our musical guest too, and shares some tracks from his recently released album, Cxffeeblack . In March, HRN beg...
Jun 21, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 446
South Carolina is where we meet up with Kevin Mitchell . He’s a man of many talents and titles including Culinary Historian, Chef Instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston and South Carolina Chef Ambassador 2020 . Kevin’s a strong proponent for the preservation of Southern ingredients, and is widely known for his expertise on the historical importance and influence of African American cuisine. We explore Kevin’s career as a chef and educator, and he also provides us some historical insi...
Jun 14, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 445
In our continuing series of conversations about the COVID-19 pandemic effects on the food industry, we meet up with Naomi Pomeroy and Robert J. Nelson. Naomi is the James Beard Award-winning chef/owner of Portland’s Beast and Expatriate . Robert is a partner at the national plaintiffs' law firm, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein . The pair are helping lead the charge on #JUSTICEFORRESTAURANTS, class-action lawsuits filed against insurers who are denying restaurants’ claims for interrupted b...
Jun 07, 2020•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 444
The COVID-19 pandemic has further cemented Eater as a must-read source for all things related to the food and drink industry. By leveraging its network of local city sites, while also utilizing its team of international contributors, Eater’s been able to give both micro and macro views of the pandemic’s effects. The overall result is a comprehensive collection of articles that includes personal stories, government policy reports, takeout / delivery dining guides, think pieces and even a guide to...
May 31, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 443
Before the coronavirus pandemic Bub and Grandma’s bakery wholesale business was flourishing. They supplied 140 restaurants in Los Angeles, including such popular spots as Mozza, Kismet, Sqirl and Konbi. Since the pandemic has temporarily shuttered so many restaurants, Bub and Grandma’s has been forced to adjust its business accordingly in order to survive. Andy Kadin, Bub and Grandma’s founder and award-winning head baker, shares with us everything he’s done to keep the ovens going. Our good bud...
May 21, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 442
We head south to Kentucky to continue our series about the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on the food industry. Lindsey Ofcacek is co-founder, managing director and mentor of the LEE Initiative . She along with acclaimed chef Edward Lee set up the organization to promote career development, equality and diversity in the restaurant community. As the pandemic sent millions of restaurant industry workers to the unemployment lines, Lindsey connected with Thomas Bolton, diplomat for Maker’s Mark , an...
May 17, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 441
Snacky Tunes’ Los Angeles contingency is fueled by breakfast tacos from Tex-Mex champion, HomeState . Since the coronavirus pandemic hit HomeState has made the transition from full-service restaurant to general store, and has also launched a meal program to support hospital workers. HomeState owner Briana Valdez shares with us her plan to adapt, survive and thrive in these challenging and difficult times. Singer-songwriter Alex Rose landed in L.A. from NYC a few years ago. A longtime pal of the ...
May 10, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 440
The coronavirus pandemic has shut down America’s hospitality industry, financially imperiling many of its workers. Anna Polonsky, a longtime friend of the Tunes, has partnered with Galeen Quinn to develop the #AskChefsAnything campaign to support the industry’s immigrant workforce who are severely lacking access to government unemployment assistance. #AskChefsAnything has established auctions that give bidders a chance to win a one-on-one 30-minute online session with their favorite chef or othe...
May 04, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 439
Devin de Wulf is the founder of the Krewe of Red Beans, a neighborhood carnival parade in New Orleans. He is also married to Annelies, an ER doctor who works at University Medical Center in New Orleans. With the Crescent City being one of the epicenters of the COVID 19 pandemic in the United States, Annelies and other hospital staffers have been toiling nonstop to help the sick, all the while putting themselves in danger of infection as well. On March 17, to help support these folks, along with ...
Apr 26, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 438
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to hold the world captive, we check in with Dale Donchey, award-winning barista and owner of Spiller Parker Coffee ATL . Dale and Spiller Park Coffee first began as a market stall, and has since grown to encompass two popular locations in Atlanta. Since COVID 19 hit, Dale’s had to temporarily shutter his cafes, and has been sustaining himself and his employees through sales and donations via Spiller Park’s online shop . In addition to letting us know how he’...
Apr 19, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 437
We catch up with our longtime friend Cathy Erway, journalist, author and host of the Heritage Radio Network show Eat Your Words . The coronavirus pandemic has meant all of us quarantining at home for safety’s sake, and the result is not being able to frequent our favorite restaurants, delicatessens, food carts and diners. Cathy has deep experience when it comes to being a resourceful, budget-conscious home cook, which she has chronicled via her blog, Not Eating Out in New York , and book, The Ar...
Apr 12, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 436
Before the coronavirus pandemic completely halted the world, Chris Shepherd was one of the country’s most acclaimed chefs with his Underbelly Hospitality family of restaurants being must-visits destinations in Houston. Now, Chris finds himself in the role of relief aid fundraiser, stepping up to take care of his own. His charity the Southern Smoke Foundation has raised and dispensed hundreds of thousands of dollars of crisis financial assistance to unemployed workers in the food and beverage ind...
Apr 05, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 435
In this special episode of Snacky Tunes , Keith Cohen, baker and owner of New York City’s legendary 104-year-old Orwashers Bakery brand, gives us the rundown of what it’s been like running a restaurant during the global coronavirus pandemic. In addition to keeping his teams employed, and providing food for curbside pickup during this crisis, Keith supports the Food Education Fund . All NYC public school students get a $7 credit at Orwashers to use on anything they would like to eat. Snacky Tunes...
Mar 29, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 434
