On today's episode, I am excited to share the audio recording of a live event I recently emceed for HRN. Lessons Learned: Tales from Small Business Owners features captivating stories from four storytellers who opened up about their trials and tribulations in the restaurant business. Sponsored by TD Bank, the event took place at the Tilit NYC Showroom. In addition to introducing our fabulous guests, I sprinkled some of my own stories throughout the night. The first small business storyteller was Eric Huang of Pecking House, Brooklyn. An Eleven Madison Park alum, the pandemic caused Eric to ree ..read more

On today’s episode, I'm joined by Steven Satterfield, the executive chef and co-owner of Miller Union, a celebrated ingredient-driven restaurant located in Atlanta's West Side neighborhood. The restaurant, which opened in 2009, has become an institution and has been recognized as a top restaurant in America by Eater, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, and Esquire.  Together we talk about opening his restaurant and how he has kept it running smoothly after all these years of operation; growing up in Savannah; seasonal Georgia cooking; and the many local ingredients he works with, including peanu ..read more

This episode features Darren and Charlene Lopez Young, the owners of The Fattened Caf, based in St. Louis. When The Fattened Caf started as a once-a-month popup Charlene and Darren were exploring the dream of so many food entrepreneurs with the goal of opening a restaurant. The COVID shutdown led them to pivot their popups into a company selling Longganisa-style sausages. With the focus now on growing the sausage company, they have big hopes of expansion and growth. sausage that is commonly served for breakfast with fried rice and a fried egg. On today’s episode we talk about incubators and bu ..read more

On today's episode of theLINE: Chef Suzanne Barr. Suzanne was previously the Head Chef and a partner at True True Diner in Toronto, Canada, the owner of the popular restaurant Saturday Dinette, and the inaugural chef-in-residence at the Gladstone Hotel. She has participated in the James Beard Foundation Chef’s Bootcamp, been a featured speaker at the Mad Symposium in Copenhagen she was chosen as one of six finalists to present a project at the Women In Hospitality United symposium in New York City. Suzanne was also one of the chefs featured in Maya Gallus’ documentary film The Heat: A Kitchen ..read more

As we mark the one-year anniversary of the pandemic, now is a time to reflect on what we've endured. The audio I'm sharing today was collected in those first weeks of the pandemic, when restaurants, bars, and cafes sat dark and quiet across the nation. Owners were unsure if they would ever be able to re-open and hundreds of thousands had lost their jobs as millions were quarantining at home. You'll hear from chefs and restaurant owners from around the nation in their own words about the impossible and life-changing decisions they had to make as they adapted to the realities of COVID-19.  ..read more

This is the second in a special series of COVID-focused episodes, showcasing voices from around the country as they reflect on one year of the pandemic. On the first half of today's episode we focus on New York, featuring Caroline Schiff, Patrick Miller, Jessica and Trina Quinn, and Bryan Noury. Then, in the second half, we move to Detroit to hear from Kiki Louya and Lisa Ludwinsky. Photo Courtesy of Lizzie Munro  Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Line by becoming a member! theLINE is Powered by Simplecast ..read more

One year of COVID. In this first of a special series of COVID-focused episodes reflecting on one year of the pandemic, theLINE is showcasing voices from around the country. On today's episode: Ashleigh Shanti in North Carolina, Angela Garbacz in Nebraska , Alex Raij in Brooklyn NY, Matthew Bell In Tennessee and Julie Horowitz in Manhattan. Photo Courtesy of Julie Horowitz  Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Line by becoming a member! theLINE is Powered by Simplecast.   ..read more

On this episode I speak with Zarah Kahn the chef of Botanica, located in Silverlake in Los Angeles.  A self-described farm and produce nerd, Zarah majored in environmental studies and forestry  at University of Washington. Growing up in Seattle, cooking was always part of her family ritual and she was required to cook dinner one night a week for her family.  After working at Delancey & Essex and running the kitchen at the London Plane, she made the decision to move to Los Angeles to continue her cooking career. She arrived in LA on March 8th of 2020 right as COVID ..read more

On today's episode I welcome St. Louis native chef Ben Grupe.  Like many traditional chef trajectories, Ben began his career in the industry as a dishwasher. He worked extensively at country clubs and became addicted to competition as team captain for the U.S. Culinary Olympic Team in 2016 and while competing in the Bocuse d'Or, the most prestigious culinary competition in the world. He was recently a James Beard Award semi-finalist (2018) for "Best Chef Midwest." His new restaurant venture, Tempus, opened after a year of delays in October 2020. Never planned as a takeout or to-go restaur ..read more

On today's episode, I welcome Dario Wolos, founder of Tacombi. After spending 5 years at an internet startup in London, he moved back to Playa Del Carmen and in 2005 purchased a VW bus which became the first location of Tacombi. In 2009 he decided to move Tacombi to NYC, and while biking around NYC he found the spot which is now Tacombi Nolita. With over 10 brick and mortar locations, a production facility in NYC, and a planned expansion in 2022 on the east coast, Tacombi is taking big steps to grow the brand. On today's episode we spoke about the difficulties and pressures of expansion, the c ..read more