restauranteurs

Martha Hoover is the founder of Patachou, Inc. One of the first restaurateurs to emphasize fresh farm-to-table ingredients back in 1989, Martha has transformed Patachou into an enterprise of multiple European-inspired restaurant concepts that have elevated the restaurant scene in Indianapolis and the Midwest as a whole.  She talked about how restaurants can shape a city, making the food she wanted to see be made, and why she thinks motherhood is an oppressive word.

Increasing your knowledge about food is an act of Kale Raising. What we eat affects our health, the planet and our economy. What would happen if we knew the impacts of the food we eat on our planet and on our health. Would you make a different choice if you knew? In this episode, we talk with Ken Myska, a chef who worked in elite restaurants around the country, until he woke up along his culinary career path. That awakening caused a critical shift in the way he works with food, and led to his new journey as a CheFarmer.

“I’m not sure what it is with society where people with disabilities are always an afterthought,” says Lakshmee Lachhman-Persad. For Lakshmee, a digital marketer with 20 years of experience in the tourism industry, the issue hits home. Her sister Annie was born with cerebral palsy, so Lakshmee knows firsthand how difficult it can be for a person with disabilities to navigate a city, even one as major and modern as New York, which they call home. In response, Lakshmee launched Accessible Travel NYC, a consultancy and website to help those looking to enjoy what New York has to offer by providing information on restaurants, transportation, accommodations, and more. Lakshmee shares her family’s story and also gives advice for those looking to make their businesses, events, or websites more accessible to the millions of people in this country with disabilities. You can visit Lakshmee’s site at accessibletravelnyc.com. 

Thank you to Kerrygold for supporting today’s show.

Plus, tune in to find out why Denise Yamaguchi, the CEO of the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival in Honolulu, thinks Chef Michelle Karr-Ueoka of MW Restaurant in Honolulu is the Bombe!

Are you dreaming about opening restaurant or neighborhood joint? On this episode of Tech Bites, host Jennifer Leuzzi (@mmesnack) talks with Jenny Goodman (@Jennymcgoody) and Alex McCrery (@al.a.mode), co-host of Opening Soon (@weareopeningsoon), a new show on the Heritage Radio Network line-up. Opening Soon looks at the journey of opening a restaurant with real life advice from chefs, restaurateurs and vendors. Jenny and Alex are also the founders of Tilit NYC (@tilitnyc), bringing their unique perspective as hospitality industry insiders and as the former proprietors of a now shuttered restaurant. This episode of Tech Bites (@techbiteshrn) was made possible by the generosity of the Bushwick co-working space 100 Bogart (@100bogart).

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

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Need a little sunshine? Don’t we all. Thank goodness Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau are here. Sisters, chefs, writers, and restaurateurs, the dynamic duo stop by to talk about good vibes and their newest project, Provisions. This unique cookbook features 150 vegetarian recipes inspired by the cuisines of the Caribbean, as well as special chapters on the history of Jamaican food and the forgotten women on the Rousseau family tree, including their trailblazing great grandmother. Tune in to hear about matriarchs and much more.

Thank you to Handsome Brook Farm Pasture Raised Organic Eggs for supporting Radio Cherry Bombe.
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Culinarians are and were intellectually curious, aesthetically experimental, and gastronomically evangelical. In his new book, The Culinarians: Lives and Careers from the First Age of American Fine Dining, Dr. David Shields traces the stories of 175 lives and careers of chefs, caterers, and restaurateurs who raised the profession of cooking and fine dining in America to an art form.

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It's an all L.A. episode of Snacky Tunes. We catch up with Neal Fraser at his restaurant, Redbird, to hear about how he went from being a professional cyclist to becoming one of the city's most respected chefs and restaurateurs. We then dive into our archives for a live in-studio performance from Chris Kittrell, lead singer of psych-folk band, Baby Alpaca.

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Co-owners and co-chefs of Shuko, Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau, talk to Lynda and Iris about their modern take on sushi, how omakase is changing, and how to have the best omakase experience.

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Vicki Freeman is the force behind some of New York City's most enduring and beloved farm-focused restaurants. With her husband chef Marc Meyer she owns Hundred Acres, Vic's and Cookshop. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, Freeman reveals the unlikely roots of her achievements: waitressing at Bob's Big Boy, catering for Ralph Lauren, opening a restaurant with no fear or experience. Listen in for her delightful stories of groovy New York restaurant days, unexpected star visits, unfortunate closings and ultimate triumph. Plus, Doug Quint tells host Dana Cowin about the launch of cult Big Gay Ice Cream and their latest foray into grocery stores.

The woman behind some of America's best wine lists is the featured guest on this week's Speaking Broadly. Host Dana Cowin interviews June Rodil of McGuire Moorman in Austin, Texas and learns the secret to great service--and generally being a great human being. Lesson number 1: remember that you are not the center of the universe. Rodil shares her favorite wines and regions, some of which are stellar and sell for around $16. Plus, star chef-restaurateur and author of the recently published memoir, Out of Line, Barbara Lynch tells stories of growing up poor in the Boston housing projects and how that set her up for success.

Front Burner regular Amanda Cohen, chef-owner of New York City's Dirt Candy, joins us to discuss a variety of subjects: the relationship between chefs and critics (from the New York Times to the civilian critics of Yelp and other open formats), the case for no-tipping, and the pleasures of her restaurant's Monday night Canadian Beer Hall, which is wrapping up its first season next week.

Customers expect more from restaurants than ever before, but is what they want reasonable, or even realistic? In a business that draws people pleasers, why can't chef-owners always give the people what they want? This week Jimmy and Andrew bat around both sides of hot-button topics including reservations, food allergies, pricing, tipping, and others that have created an unfortunate gap between restaurants and the people they serve.

"I am obsessed with other people's obsessions" This quote sets the tone for how engaged and involved you become when you read Cork Dork. Bianca Bosker, previously the executive tech editor at the Huffington Post, left her job and set out to understand Sommeliers and their obsessions, whilst trying to become a certified Somm in under one year. In today's interview we get to hear about Bianca's journey from philistine to blind taster, the sacrifices she made, is fine wine a genuine industry or just a playground for the rich, and the truth about how knock-off mass production wines are created. Bianca has an incredible story and deserves respect and applause for the depths that she went to in one year. This book has opened my eyes to the true value of wine and has become a springboard to continue my education. Cork Dork is now available online and in-stores. Follow @bbosker on Instagram to see more.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Maiko Kyogoku, owner of Bessou, a restaurant in Noho featuring modern takes on Japanese comfort food.

Bessou was conceived from Maiko's desire to share her family’s food traditions. The ingredients are responsibly sourced and prepared with care, with a menu that is seasonal and changing year-round.

As the founder & CEO, of Dig Inn, a successful farm to table restaurant group based in New York and Boston Adam Eskin was thrown in the deep end right from the start.

With an Economics degree from Brown University, Adam quickly entered the world of finance where he ascended the corporate ladder. His first insight to the world of food came when Wexford Capital acquired a small chain of bodybuilding restaurants, at the time of the protein craze during the mid 00's. Adam soon assumed responsibility for the transformation and revival project of the restaurants which would become Dig Inn.

Dig Inn is an inspiring company with direct connections to the farms that they source from. In the modern era where food companies alternate their fluffy descriptors depending on whats in vogue, Dig Inn has maintained the same vision from day one. They are a farm-to-table, seasonal restaurant group which serve healthy and nourishing food at very affordable prices.

This was the company that I wanted to work for when I first moved to New York, and it still magnetizes me to this day because it’s core ethos is so encouraging. Adam Eskin has thrown himself in to an industry where, on paper, he had no right to succeed, but with humility and ambition he has constructed a machine that will eventually shift the food industry.

How do software and data make your dinner better? Sixteen years ago, entrepreneur Damian Mogavero brought together an unlikely mix of experts—chefs and code writers—to create a pioneering software company whose goal was to empower restaurateurs, through the use of data, to elevate and enhance the guest experience. Today, his data gathering programs are used by such renown chefs as Danny Meyer, Tom Colicchio, Daniel Boulud, Guy Fieri, Giada De Laurentiis, Gordon Ramsay, and countless others. Damian joins us in-studio to discuss his recently published book The Underground Culinary Tour. In the bestselling tradition of Moneyball, it is a high-octane, behind-the-scenes narrative about how the restaurant industry, historically run by gut and intuition, is being transformed by the use of data.

Emily Hyland and her husband Matt met in college and bonded over a series of pizza dinners. Their combined love of pie foreshadowed their first restaurant together, Emily in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn as well as their second Emmy Squared in Williamsburg, both of which have become beloved neighborhood insititutions and instagram darlings . While Matt is the hit-making chef, Emily is the COO. She brings an unusual set of experiences to this position: She was a public school teacher and a yoga instructor. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, Emily reveals the lessons of mindful management.

Imagine if you're first restaurant job was at a two Michelin-starred restaurant and within that restaurant you were the Head Sommelier, quite the start in the industry.

Max Coane's life was dedicated to music from the age 6, it was his obsession. As a producer, sound-engineer, songwriter and musician he worked in some of the finest recording studios around the world. In his early twenties he was introduced to the sophisticated world of wine and this love interest slowly came to a tipping point where he chose wine over music.

This is not a wine-geek conversation, this is an insight into how Max views the world of hospitality and what he can offer it. "

On the season premiere of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Alex Zink and Jeremiah Langhorne, owners of The Dabney in Washington D.C. Tune in to hear them discuss their goal of sourcing the very best ingredients from the Mid-Atlantic region, the restaurant's extensive wine list, and the overall business climate in our nation's capital with looming presidential inauguration.

Jonathan Mendez, co-founder of Saloniki Greek introduces us to his new restaurant and his previous career path as a lawyer. Saloniki Greek takes traditional Greek dishes with New England ingredients to reproduce some delicious classics. In this episode we talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of Greek Street food here in the states, and what to look for when you want some quality feta cheese.