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Episode #139 - Jenner Tomaska of Esmé & The Alston

This week’s guest worked in nearly every culinary setting imaginable—from Dairy Queen to sports bars—before making his mark in fine dining. Chef Jenner Tomaska earned his stripes at top spots like Mk and Next before founding the renowned Esmé alongside his wife, Katrina Bravo. He joins the pod to share how creativity serves as his North Star in navigating the fine dining world and gives us the inside scoop on The Alston, a new steakhouse concept that explores the surprising origins of ingredients. This week: tips for working with your life partner, reimagining farm-to-table, the origins of Esmé’s art gallery concept, and much more.

Episode #138 - Felipe Ospina, Hospitality Veteran

From Colombia to South Beach, Williamsburg to Chicago, Felipe Ospina’s hospitality journey has taken him through some of the most dynamic culinary landscapes in the world. With a track record of opening 25 restaurants in Chicago and a passion for concept creation, agility, and innovation, Felipe has helped shape the city’s dining scene. Now a business developer and consultant, he collaborates with top chefs and operators to refine restaurants and drive profitability. He joins us in the studio to talk about what it takes to launch successful restaurants, transitioning from on-the-floor hospitality to business development, the best Colombian food in Chicago—and so much more.

Episode #137 - Dennis Lee of Food is Stupid and The Party Cut

You might know this week’s guest from the antics of his Substack, Food is Stupid, where he lovingly skewers food culture with irreverent humor and subversive stunts. But don’t get it twisted: despite his approach, the man behind it, Dennis Lee, is a serious voice in Chicago’s culinary community—a true purveyor and champion of hidden gems, and someone who knows food inside and out. By day, he’s a writer for The Takeout, covering everything from fast food to local Chicago eats. His new Substack, The Party Cut, has him doubling down on his signature style, blending deep dives into Chicago’s food scene and a respectful approach to the city’s less-known establishments with sharp-witted observations. He joins us in the studio (with treats!) to talk about how Food is Stupid served as a refreshing antidote to the over-seriousness of food writing, why we’ll never run out of hidden gems, the rise of Korean culture in the U.S. (and a celebration of Korean markets), and so much more.

Episode #136 - Greg Hall of Goose Island and Virtue Cider

Greg Hall, the brewmaster and beverage visionary behind Goose Island’s meteoric rise, has long been a pioneer in the craft beer world. As the son of founder John Hall, Greg’s boundless creativity and willingness to experiment with unconventional styles helped establish Goose Island as a trailblazer in the golden age of craft brewing. After the brewery’s acquisition by Anheuser-Busch, Greg found a new passion—hard cider. A formative trip to England opened his eyes to what the U.S. was missing, inspiring him to launch Virtue Cider. In this episode, he shares how he got into brewing, the rollercoaster trajectory of Virtue, his predictions for the future of the beverage industry, and much more.

Episode #135 - Doug Sohn of Hot Doug's

This week’s guest is a man whose reputation precedes him—we sit down with the inimitable Doug Sohn, the visionary behind Hot Doug’s. A lighthearted stalwart of Chicago’s culinary old guard, his namesake restaurant became a storied institution, and his sausages have been enjoyed at Wrigley Field since 2015. Doug joins us in the studio to share insights into his journey toward the culinary arts, the fire that razed the first iteration of his restaurant, the ascent of Hot Doug’s to cultural and culinary prominence, and much more. 

Episode #134 - Omar Cadena of Omarcito's

This week’s guest is a beacon of warmth and inspiration in Chicago’s hospitality scene — a spiritual guide and charismatic leader with an infectious passion for taking care of others. Omar Cadena, a proud Chicago native and veteran of the restaurant industry, is the visionary behind Omarcito's, a vibrant celebration of his family’s Cuban and Ecuadorian culinary heritage. In this episode, we delve into Omar’s journey as a first-generation immigrant growing up in Chicago, the versatility of seafood stew, reimagined health inspections, and much more.

Episode #133 - Malcolm Simkoff of Ritual Cannabis Hospitality

As we close out 2024, we’re excited to sit down with Malcolm Simkoff of Ritual Cannabis Hospitality. Simkoff honed his craft in some of Chicago’s most celebrated restaurants (Acadia, Elizabeth, Leña Brava...) before venturing to Tulum, where he navigated the region’s culinary gold rush. Upon returning to the U.S., he noticed a glaring gap in the cannabis industry: the lack of sophistication and care in public consumption spaces. Determined to change that, he founded Ritual Cannabis Hospitality, a company dedicated to redefining cannabis-infused lounge experiences with the same refinement and hospitality he advocated for in the culinary world. We dive into: Vegas lounge concepts, rubbing shoulders with the Mexican cartel in Tulum, the unique intricacies of serving cannabis, and much more.

Episode #132 - Lacey Irby of Dear Margaret

This week’s guest got her start in hospitality PR before trying her hand at launching a restaurant of her own. Lacey Irby’s unique perspective as storyteller and tastemaker, coupled with inventive dishes courtesy of executive chef Ryan Brosseau, has helped turn Dear Margaret into a dining experience worth writing home about. She comes by the studio to tell us how they transformed an old dilapidated seafood restaurant into a space for a fine dining concept and offers some practical advice for aspirant restaurateurs looking to strike out on their own. We talk: the influence of influencers on the restaurant media landscape, running a nimble operation, getting your kids to touch tables, and so much more.

Episode #131 - Josh Tilden of Maxwells Trading

Last year, when we had Chef Erling Wu-Bower on the pod, Maxwells hadn’t opened yet — the concept was brimming with promise, but its mettle was yet untested. After a year of service, there’s no denying how much the spot is thriving, and it’s in large part to this week’s guest — Josh Tilden, Chef Erling’s front-of-house counterpart. Josh is an engineering major-turned hospitality maestro, whose methodical approach and attention to the finer points have made him an indispensable member of the Chicago dining community. He joins us to tell us about the inception of Maxwells, give us a tour of their inspiring space, talk Shaw's lore, and so much more.

Episode #130 - Giuseppe Tentori of GT Prime

This week, we are delighted to welcome a culinary artist who, despite his reluctance to embrace the title of "chef", is undeniably one of the industry’s most esteemed talents. Chef Giuseppe Tentori refined his culinary skills in some of Chicago’s premier kitchens before joining BOKA Group, where he led BOKA (the restaurant) and subsequently opened GT Fish & Oyster, GT Prime, and BOKA Catering. In our conversation, we dive into Chef Tentori’s experiences working with Charlie Trotter, explore the philosophy of allowing a protein to speak for itself versus enhancing it, discuss the pursuit of artful consistency, and much more.