The Restaurant Guys
The Restaurant Guys is one of the original food and wine podcasts, launched in 2005 by restaurateurs Mark Pascal and Francis Schott.
With roots as a daily radio show, the podcast features in-depth conversations with chefs, bartenders, winemakers, authors, and hospitality professionals—offering the inside track on food, cocktails, wine, and restaurant culture.
New episodes and vintage conversations because the best stories, like the best bottles, age well. Expect insightful, opinionated, and entertaining conversations about food, wine, and the finer things in life.
Subscribe for ad-free content, bonus episodes and invitations to special events!
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Contact: TheGuys@RestaurantGuysPodcast.com
Episodes
208 episodes
Woodford Reserve and the Future of Bourbon | Elizabeth McCall
Why This Episode MattersElizabeth McCall, Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve, joins the show to talk bourbon, innovation, and what makes Woodford Reserve distinct in a crowded whiskey world.She explains how barrel toastin...
Winning Top Chef, Kitchen Culture, and Chicago Ambition | Stephanie Izard
This is a Vintage episode from 2008.Why This Episode MattersStephanie Izard joins the show just after winning Top Chef Season 4, while the moment is still fresh and the career shift is just beginning.She giv...
The Maître d’ Was God | Michael Cecchi-Azzolina
Why This Episode MattersMichael Cecchi-Azzolina offers a front-of-house counterpart to the classic back-of-house memoir: a sharp, funny, often brutal look at how great New York City dining rooms really worked.The episode ca...
Why Americans Feel Guilty About Food and the French Don’t | Dr. Paul Rozin
This is a Vintage episode from 2005.Why This Episode MattersDr. Paul Rozin brings psychology into the dining room, explaining how culture shapes appetite, portion size, pleasure, and food anxiety.The episode gets at ...
The New Jersey Wine & Food Festival and Destination Hospitality | Robby Younes
Why This Episode MattersRobby Younes explains how Crystal Springs Resort and the New Jersey Wine & Food Festival helped New Jersey recognized as a serious food-and-wine destination.Mark Pascal and Francis Schott connect...
Tom Colicchio on Top Chef, Craft, and What Makes a Great Chef | Preview
This is a preview of a full subscriber episode from 2006.Why This Episode MattersTom Colicchio was already one of the most respected chefs in America, but this conversation catches him at a fascinating moment: building restau...
Inside 20 Years of Imbibe Magazine | Paul Clarke
Why This Episode MattersPaul Clarke explains why Imbibe has lasted 20 years by staying consumer-focused, independent, and credible.It’s also a great look at how cocktail culture changed over two decades, from teach...
American Artisan Cheese, Local Food, and New Jersey Originals | Jeffrey Roberts
This is a Vintage episode from 2007Why This Episode MattersThough this is a vintage episode, many of the producers and traditions discussed here remain part of the American artisan cheese conversation today.American ...
Hybrid Grapes, Natural Wine Myths, and the Future of Wine | Doug Frost
Why This Episode MattersDoug Frost connects wine education, grape growing, climate pressure, and wine culture mythmaking in one conversation.This episode makes a smart, practical case for hybrid grapes as part of wine’s fut...
Why Eating Well Got So Complicated | Margaret Wittenberg, Whole Foods
This is a Vintage episode from 2008Why This Episode MattersEating “responsibly” has only gotten more confusing. This conversation shows how to navigate it without obsessingWhat terms like organic and loc...
The Jack Rose, Applejack, and America’s First Distilling Family | Lisa Laird Dunn
Why This Episode MattersLisa Laird Dunn shares the story of America’s oldest distilling family and how Laird’s helped shape the history of Applejack in the United States.This conversation connects cocktails, New Jerse...
Copper River Salmon, Oysters, and the Science of Better Flavor | Jon Rowley
This is a Vintage episode from 2007Why This Episode MattersIf you’ve ever wondered why some salmon, oysters, or tomatoes taste better than others, this episode gets into the reasons.Jon Rowley explains how better fis...
How Blue Ribbon Changed Late-Night Dining | Eric and Bruce Bromberg
Why This Episode MattersA defining New York restaurant story about how Blue Ribbon helped reshape late-night dining in downtown ManhattanA look at hospitality that lasts through warmth, consistency, personality, and a refus...
How Great Sommeliers Guide a Table | Roger Dagorn
This is a Vintage episode from 2005Why This Episode MattersMaster Sommelier Roger Dagorn joins Mark Pascal and Francis Schott for a thoughtful conversation about how wine service was evolving in America in the mid-2000s....
Milk Punch, Cocktail Culture, and the Art of Hospitality | Eamon Rockey
Why This Episode MattersEamon Rockey has worked at the highest levels of restaurant service, cocktail culture, beverage education, and spirits production, giving him a rare view across the industry.The conversation looks at...
Bake Smarter, Not Harder | Gail Sokol
This is a Vintage episode from 2007.Why This Episode MattersBaking isn’t magic; it’s chemistry. Gail explains ingredient function so you can so you can bake with intention rather than habitLearn how to subst...
Scones & Scaling: Growing The Hungry Gnome | Danielle Sepsy
Why This Episode MattersWhat happens after a reality cooking show and how to convert exposure into growthScaling a wholesale bakery: space, equipment and financingWhy wholesale can be a sustainable alternative to r...
Cool Napa, Serious Wines | Susan Ridley, Hendry Wines
Vintage episode (2006)Why This Episode MattersThe Guys dissect classic “wine gaffes” and the social survival tactics that follow.Susan Ridley explains why Hendry’s vineyard site matters: cool maritime influence, rock...
The Best Meals Tell You Where You Are | Jeffrey Merrihue
Why This Episode MattersWhy food that reflects place matters more than Michelin prestige.How Xtreme Foodies connects global travelers with local culinary experts.Why tasting-menu fine dining is starting to feel for...
The Sex Life of Food: Romance, Ritual & What We Reveal at the Table | Bunny Crumpacker | Preview
This is a Vintage episode from 2006.This is just a teaser from a bonus episode for our subscribers. If you'd like to become a Restaurant Guys' Regular and listen to the entire episode and other commercial-free episodes, subscribe at ...
After Closing: Eggs, Mass Spectrometers & House Rules | Inside Track
Why You Should ListenWhat “closing time” really means — and why restaurants, and their staff, should honor what they promiseAn inside peak at Valentine’s Day operations, ticket flow, and why larger tables can ease pressure ...
Save the Fish (So We Can Eat Them) | Beth Lowell, Oceana
This is a Vintage episode from 2005.Why You Should ListenAn early, still-relevant look at sustainable seafoodWhat “dirty fishing” and bycatch really meanPractical advice for diners and restaurateurs...
Eric Scheffer | Building Restaurants and Community in Asheville
Why You Should ListenFrom television and advertising to building Asheville’s restaurant sceneHow fine dining, farm-to-table thinking, and wine culture shaped a food townThe 2008 crisis and a pivot to neighborhood I...
Neal Rosenthal on Globalization and the Future of Wine
This is a Vintage episode from 2005.Why This Episode MattersHow globalization began reshaping wine style, taste, and production in the early 2000sWhy market pressure and critical consensus can ...
Bartenders Matter: Ryan Foley on Legacy, Craft, and the Future of the Bar
Why This Episode MattersBartenders are central to hospitality cultureIndustry legacy plays a critical role in preserving bar professionalism Non-alcoholic cocktails require intention, balance, and struc...