Joiners

Episode #17 - Dan Abel of Pilot Project Brewing

How do you get from Dua Lipa to Hibiscus Wine in three moves or less? Find out this week, when the boys crack open a few cold ones with Dan Abel, Co-Founder and CEO of Pilot Project, a brewery incubator based out of Chicago. Fittingly, it's the first episode to feature actual drinking, and it's complemented by incredible insight into the type of creativity, market savvy, and attention to detail that makes a passion project stand out, from a man who perceives the logic in music and vice-versa. 

Episode#16 - D’Andre Carter of Soul & Smoke

This week, we're lucky enough to have D'Andre Carter sidle up to the booth. D'Andre is the creative force and culinary talent behind a number of celebrated projects, like Feast & Imbibe and Soul & Smoke: two Chicagoland mainstays that put the chef's attention to detail and panache front and center.  We talk about what characterizes Chicago-style BBQ, how Olive Garden is low-key a masterclass in culinary process and planning, and how D'Andre and his team successfully pivoted to provide hundreds of emergency meals every day during the dawn of Covid.

Episode #15 - Soo Ahn of Adalina

This week, we're yelling "fore!" with Soo Ahn, executive chef of Adalina, and (to Danny's fanatical delight) fantastic golfer. He tells us about his unconventional journey to the world of hospitality, the invaluable education provided by failure, and how to nail your tasting interview for a world-class restaurant. 

Episode #14 - Emma Janzen, author of Mezcal and The Bartender’s Manifesto

This week, we welcome Emma Janzen, the celebrated writer responsible for such lauded collaborations as The Way of the Cocktail and The Bartender's Manifesto, as well as her own fantastic tome on Mezcal, called Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit. She is a certified expert on cocktails and a fantastic writer to boot, and this is a fun conversation that spans the craft of both: from the fundamental differences between writing and editing and the exciting opportunities of collaboration, to what makes a memorable cocktail bar experience (and one of the worst Negronis in recorded history.)

Episode #13 - Bill Kim of Urbanbelly and Cornerstone

For lucky episode #13, renowned Urbanbelly chef, Cornerstone partner, and all around Chicago gem Bill Kim slides into the booth. He talks to us about how he ran with the chances he was given early on, the hectic coordination that characterized the salad days of farm-to-table, and what it means when you're told to "throw down or go down." 

Episode #12 - Wade McElroy of Leisure Activities

This week, we're with our friend Wade McElroy, a man who has kind of done it all in hospitality. From working as a server, to helping open The Standard Hotel in New York, to designing bars with his creative partner Jeff Donahue, Wade has a diverse range of experience to draw from, and he's kind enough to share what he's learned along the way. We talk about making people comfortable with design, spotting good frames as a photographer, and some of our favorite Chicago bars. 

Episode #11 - Amy Cavanaugh of Chicago Magazine

Our guest this week is Amy Cavanaugh, a food writer whose held positions at Plate Magazine, Time Out Chicago, and elsewhere. She currently works at Chicago Magazine as their dining editor and her knowledge of Chicagoland cuisine runs deep (and she has the Google Doc to prove it.) Our conversation runs the gamut, from the ideal Chicago hot dog and the fluctuating price of lobster rolls, to the ethics of restaurant criticism amidst the climate of Covid. An absolutely delightful conversation with a bevy of good tips to boot. 

Episode #10 - Jonathan Zaragoza (Goatboy) of Birrieria Zaragoza

This week, the table is crashed by none other than Chef Jonathan Zaragoza, the intrepid Goatboy of Birrieria Zaragoza. He walks us through the process of making birria (turns out it's good to start with a goat that's no longer alive), kitchen mishaps, and his family's less-than-legal culinary origin story. Listen to hear tips about the best Mexican spots in and around Chicago, the importance of under-promising and overdelivering, and so much more.

Episode #9 - Lily Wang of Nine Bar

This week, we have the pleasure of speaking with Lily Wang, who along with her partner Joe opened up Nine Bar, an exciting new cocktail bar located in Chinatown. Nine Bar opened up in the back end of her family's restaurant, Moon Palace, which has been around for quite some time, and continues to serve its expansive menu to go.  Lily takes us through the process of growing the concept from a pop-up to a permanent fixture, unravels a fake Google review conspiracy, and extols the virtues of working fast behind the bar.

Episode #8 - Ethan Lim of Hermosa Restaurant

A good soup takes time. It's intuition and breadth of knowledge that brought this week's joiner, Ethan Lim, to his current station as the chef-owner of the renowned Hermosa Restaraunt, a one-of-a-kind dining experience built around intimacy, connection, and a profound seriousness. This week's conversation runs the gamut -- from Ethan's time selling cars for Mini and Tesla to his experience making meals for a surprising celebrity clientele.