Joiners

Episode #45 - Jean Tomaro of Hogsalt

Don’t let this week’s guest’s low-key demeanor fool you — she is a creative powerhouse behind Hogsalt, a restaurant group known for their impeccable design and commitment to quality, and her work speaks for itself. On the precipice of their first (okay, technically second) foray into Paris, co-founder and beverage specialist Jean Tomaro joins us to chat the concept-to-implementation process, the importance of feedback, cardboard stand-ins, and the magnificence of the Vesper Martini. We also debate whether Small Cheval qualifies as a fast food joint — the results of which could spell major consequences for future Gratuity Rounds.

Episode #44 - Rob Lopata

You might notice that this week's guest is a bit... untethered (in the best possible way). Though he might not be tied to any particular concept, or restaurant, or project, when we talk about the "colorful characters" in our intro, our guest is exactly the kind of person we're referring to. He harbors a vast quantity of knowledge about various foods -- and beyond that, he's an enthusiast who truly loves immersing himself in cuisine and culture, in the intrinsic experience and community-making of good hospitality. Pull up a chair and join us for a round of drinks, legend telling, and genuine cheer with the good man Rob Lopata. We're talking The Urinator (#1 and #2), food fandom in 80s and 90s Chicago, the Beef-a-thon, the Wasabi incident, and so much more. All hail Pigman!

Episode #43 - Mike Satinover, aka Ramen_Lord

This week, we're thrilled to be joined by a man who takes no shortcuts and leaves no stone unturned: the Ramen_Lord himself, Mike Satinover. A true enthusiast and champion for the Japanese culinary staple, he got his start sharing recipes and musings on Reddit, and has grown his personal brand and knowledge to impressive heights. His passion culminates in the imminent opening of his own restaurant, Akohashi, in a few months, and we couldn’t be more excited. Listen in to learn about the best off-the-rack noodle (and where to find it), ramen-adjacent dishes in Japanese cuisine, why alkaline agents are essential to the process, and so much more.  

Episode #42 - Paul McGee of Lost Lake

This week, we welcome one of Danny’s mentors to the studio for a special conversation with a man who embodies the true spirit of generous hospitality.   He helped spur Chicago’s cocktail revolution with forward thinking and graceful grit at The Whistler, and gave us one of the city’s best tiki bars with the opening of Lost Lake in 2017. We are lucky to have renowned bartender, cocktail champion, and our truly stand-up pal Paul McGee in the Joiners studio. We talk the intricacies of measuring baby feet in Houston, monitoring booze pump rooms in Vegas, rare bottles, and more. Plus: Danny reminisces about the good ol' days learning from Paul at the Whistler, and Tim tells us about spanking mint before a Super Bowl party. 

Episode #41 - Michael Kiser of Good Beer Hunting and Feel Goods Company

Our guest this week wears a lot of hats. As the founder and creative director of Good Beer Hunting, he's fostering a worldwide conversation and community around the ubiquitous brewed beverage and helping breweries of all shapes and sizes thrive. He also founded Feel Goods Company, a full-definition beverage development studio innovating on the always-evolving world of drinking. That's right: brand guru, creative visionary, and poet Michael Kiser saunters into the Joiners studio to tell us about what drew him to beer, apple products (the actual fruit), what's hip and happening in the beverage industry, and so much more.

Episode #40 - Rob Levitt of Publican Quality Meats

We can say with absolute confidence that this week's guest is the most famous butcher in all of Chicagoland. Luckily for us, he's also an affable mensch and an extremely pleasant hang. After studying jazz at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Rob Levitt found his true passion in the culinary arts, and decided to trade his tenor saxophone for an even-more-cutting arsenal of meat-rendering implements. These days, he works for One Off Hospitality as the head butcher and lead at Publican Quality Meats. Our conversation spans pork belly injuries, the fundamental differences between Italian salumi and French charcuterie, meeting his wife Allie at the CIA, and he helps us get to the bottom of Tim's questionably pink chicken breast.

Episode #39 - Diana Dávila of Mi Tocaya Antojería

Our guest this week cut her culinary teeth at her parents’ restaurants, where she witnessed firsthand what it takes to run a successful operation, and Oaxaca’s Seasons of the Heart Culinary school, where she opted to go instead of Paris. This devotion to heritage, augmented by an almost mystical creative approach, has helped her find success as the chef-owner of Logan Square’s lauded Mi Tocaya Antojería. Chef Diana Dávila joins us for a captivating conversation that covers her years at Butter and beyond, enticing Mexican dishes that are new to us, and where dreams and cooking intertwine.  

Episode #38 - Nick Kindelsperger of Chicago Tribune

Our guest this week never intended to break into the newspaper game, but we are happy he did. Nick Kindelsperger stumbled into food writing by following his gut — after college, he moved to New York City, where he was blown away by the ubiquity of high quality food, and the concept of making one single dish as well as you possibly can. Fast forward to now — Nick is a food critic for Chicago’s paper of record, and his no-nonsense passion for food and expressive panache have helped form and chronicle our city’s vibrant hospitality culture. He sits down with us to tell us about staying excited about food writing, burgers that blew his mind, and what’s new and notable in the Chicagoland food scene. 

Episode #37 - Cecilia Cuff of Bronzeville Winery

With a body of work as impressive as it is diverse, our guest this week is a consummate world builder whose unique approach to concept development marries a commitment to community with acute systems thinking. That's right: this week, Cecilia Cuff pops by to tell us all about her international hospitality journey, from bringing trays of food to the neighborhood trash collectors as a child, to launching an airline in Taos, to what's new at  Bronzeville Winery. Plus: Tim tells us a cautionary tale about the first time he visited New Orleans. 

Episode #36 - Elana Schulman of Eli’s Cheesecake

April Fool's pranks, James Beard awards, and more cheesecake than we know what to do with -- this week, we're talking to our friend Elana Schulman of Eli's Cheesecake, who knows all of these things well. She tells us about growing up in a food family, the extended history of Eli's, and what makes Chicago style cheesecake Chicago style. And at the head, the boys play an educational round of two truths and a lie.