Joiners

Episode #33 - Rick Bayless of Frontera

We’ve got an exciting one for you this week, folks. You know him from his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time, his seven James Beard Awards, and his winning run on Top Chef Masters -- and you've probably dined at Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Tortas Frontera, or any of his other widely lauded restaurants. That’s right: this week we are talking to Rick Bayless, the magnanimous master of Mexican cuisine, who comes to the Joiners studio to tell us about the changing nature of celebrity chefdom, the spoils of Mexico City, the ephemeral beauty of Oaxacan radish festivals, and so much more. And of course, not even Rick Bayless is safe from the sizzling grill of the gratuity round. 

Episode #32 - Pete Ternes of Middle Brow

For Episode #32, we're shucking the oyster of life down to its bare essentials with our friend Pete Ternes. He's one of the founders of Bungalow by Middle Brow, once "the littlest bar in Illinois," and one of our favorite brewpubs around. He tells us about his days farming oysters in a windy atoll in French Polynesia, and how that experience helped him leave behind a career as a corporate tax lawyer to start a brewery with a charitable bent. We're talking beer, pizza, and the connected etymology of Middle Brow and Bungalow, as well as their planned enological future.

Episode #31 - Abe Vucekovich of Meadowlark

This week, we break one of the Violet Hour's cardinal rules by having their bartending alum Abe Vucekovich crash the podcast. He's currently working as the beverage director of Meadowlark, one of Chicago's best craft cocktail lounges. He delves into his unique approach to curating a fine drinking experience, illuminates the process of developing one of the most creative menus in the business, and helps us review The Violet Hour's list of rules. 

Episode #30 - Lou Bank of S.A.C.R.E.D.

This week, we're going long on all things agave with one of its most zealous evangelists: Lou Bank of Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education, and Development, or S.A.C.R.E.D., a not-for-profit corporation that helps build libraries, replant agave, and maintain water-preservation systems in rural Mexico. A delightful raconteur, Lou comes to the studio to do more than preach the holy gospel of Mezcal, though there's plenty of that. We talk about the power of leveraging your passions to make the world a better place, the dangers of homogenization, the world's rarest liquid, and of course, so much more. 

Episode #29 - Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader of Loaf Lounge

For our first podcast of 2023, we're perusing a loaded display case with Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader, co-founder and co-chef (with her husband, Ben) of Avondale's Loaf Lounge. Recently, she took a turn as head consultant on The Bear for all things baking -- and if you caught a glimpse of any of the cakes or doughnuts that the final cut, you know she knocked it out of the park. She joins us today to tell us about her education as a pastry chef, opening a restaurant with your spouse, how working on The Bear felt a lot like working in an actual kitchen, and so much more.

Episode #28 - Wilson Bauer of Flour Power

Happy Holidays, Joiners fans! Our guest this week is Chef Wilson Bauer. Bauer is the talent behind Flour Power, a gem of a pasta restaurant he opened at the beginning of the pandemic. They're doing incredible stuff over there, and it makes sense why: Bauer came from Elizabeth and Schwa, and even helped out as a mercenary cook at Scofflaw. He cuts no corners: he puts a lot of emphasis on ethical sourcing, maintaining relationships with vendors, and making sure he uses local and sustainable ingredients. We get into the sometimes-tricky ethics of food, pricing and service, as well as the illuminating practice of growing your own. 

Episode #27 - Dinah Grossman of Spinning J Bakery

This week, we're hitching a ride down the hospitality highway with Dinah Grossman of Spinning J fame. Coming off of winning Good Morning America's inaugural United States of Pie competition, Dinah tells us all about how Spinning J evolved, from its humble soda fountain origins into the beloved Humboldt Park institution it is today. This episode, we're talking about the power of collaboration, hippie parents and baking off of the land, and the important difference between Benny the Bull and his more dexterous double. 

Episode #26 - Eric Frankel, Set Decorator for The Bear

This year, we were treated to a gritty depiction of the trials and tribulations of Chicago restaurateurs via the electric, brusque, and lovingly crafted television show The Bear. Celebrated for its unmistakable rhythm, judicious character development, and sharp attention to detail, it's up for all kinds of awards this year, and its authenticity is so palpable that many hospitality vets had trouble watching it -- including our own resident scofflaw, Danny Shapiro (though he's very happy he got eventually got through it.) It was in large part the hard work and unflappable eye of today's guest, set decorator Eric Frankel, that made the show feel so real, textured, and alive. He tells us all about the process (and so much more), in an episode that touches on controlled burns, sex toy continuity, and the sleepy giant that is the Chicago film industry.  

Episode #25 - Billy Zureikat, AKA Tripping Billy

This week, Billy Zureikat, aka Tripping Billy, brings an inspiring story -- and his trademark shishito pepper pizza -- to the podcast. After being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy a year and a half ago, he has worked to find the silver lining via a variety of creative pursuits, and has been using food collaborations in particular to bring awareness to the disease. He tells us about leveraging perceived limitations, embracing new circumstances by baking up a storm, making your own hot dogs, and so much more. 
 
To follow along with Billy's collabs, and/or make a donation to the MDA, click here.

Episode #24 - Mike Sula of the Chicago Reader

This week on Joiners, your hosts Tim Tierney and Danny "LA Cool" Shapiro are table-crashed by journalist and the Chicago Reader's resident culinarian: Mike Sula. He tells us about his salad days covering music in Pittsburgh, his early boots-on-the-ground reporting at the Reader, and what he's learned about telling captivating stories about food. It's a conversation that covers the feral hog craze, squirrel hunting, unnecessary (and necessary) parental censorship, and so much more.