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.
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Contact: TheGuys@RestaurantGuysPodcast.com
Episodes
220 episodes
Market-Driven Brooklyn Dining Before the Hype | Liza Queen | Preview
This is a Vintage episode from 2005.The Restaurant Guys welcome chef-owner Liza Queen of Queen’s Hideaway, a tiny Greenpoint restaurant where the menu changed with the market, the farmers, the smoker, and whatever was left in the kitchen...
How to Build a Team That Actually Cares | Preston Lee
Hospitality consultant Preston Lee explains how restaurants can build stronger teams, earn employee trust and create the kind of human connection that keeps guests coming back.Why This Episode MattersWhy hospitality begins wi...
Jersey Fresh, Local Farmers, and the Flavor of New Jersey | William Walker
This is a Vintage episode from 2005.William Walker of Jersey Fresh joins Mark Pascal and Francis Schott for a conversation about New Jersey agriculture, local produce, farmers markets, and why fresh food tastes different when it does not...
The Ghost of Jerry Thomas Has Notes | AI, Dale DeGroff & the Future of Cocktails
The Ghost of Jerry Thomas Has Notes | AI, Dale DeGroff & the Future of Cocktails Mark and Francis attempt the impossible: an interview with Jerry Thomas, the 19th-century bartending legend who helped write the book on American c...
Julie & Julia Before the Movie | Julie Powell
This is a Vintage episode from 2006.Julie Powell joins Mark Pascal and Francis Schott to talk about Julie & Julia, her year cooking 524 Julia Child recipes, and how a personal blog became a book before food blogging was a ca...
Hamburger America and the Great American Burger | George Motz
This is a Vintage episode from 2006George Motz joins The Restaurant Guys to talk about Hamburger America, his documentary celebrating eight beloved burger institutions and the regional traditions, family pride, old grease, beef,...
David Burke | Jersey Roots and Bold Restaurant Ideas
Chef David Burke joins Mark and Francis at the New Jersey Wine & Food Festival for a conversation about Jersey dining, restaurant ambition, early kitchen life, and the creative ideas that become a chef’s signature.Why This Episode Ma...
Beer vs. Wine: Which Pairs Better With Food? | Garrett Oliver
This is a Vintage episode from 2006Why This Episode MattersLong before craft beer became mainstream, Garrett Oliver was arguing that beer belonged at the fine dining tableThis 2006 conversation captures the early day...
New Jersey Wine & Food Festival at Crystal Springs Resort 2026
About This EpisodeRecorded in person at the New Jersey Wine & Food Festival at Crystal Springs Resort, this special episode features conversations with chefs, restaurateurs, producers and hospitality leaders shaping New Je...
The Next Iron Chef and the Reality of Restaurant Life | Morou Ouattara & Gavin Kaysen
This is a Vintage episode from 2007.Why This Episode MattersBefore celebrity chefs became mainstream brands, chefs like Morou Ouattara and Gavin Kaysen were navigating what television exposure actually meant for serious worki...
The Future of Wine Service | June Rodil
Why This Episode MattersWhat actually makes a great wine pairingHow younger diners are changing wine culture and what that means for restaurantsWhere real wine value exists right now (hint: not where everyone’s loo...
Pinot Grigio Explained: Italian Wine Regions and Labels | Giovanni Barone | Preview
This is a Vintage episode from 2010Why This Episode MattersWhy most Pinot Grigio on the market tastes the same—and how to spot the real thingThe difference between DOC vs IGT wines (and why it actually...
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...