Chef & Rare Podcast

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. 

In this episode of Chef AF, I chat with Hunter Evans, chef and owner of Elvie's in Jackson Mississippi. Elvie’s which offers a modern take on classic French cuisine through Southern Culinary ingredients and traditions. The restaurant was named after Evans’ grandmother who he spent time with in the kitchen growing up in New Orleans. 

Chef Evans a native of Jackson, Mississippi worked in kitchens run by acclaimed chef John Currence while getting his bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Evans continued his training at CIA, the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Chef staged at top restaurants in NYC, including Le Bernardin, Cafe Boulud and Daniel. After graduation, Hunter went on to work for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality before returning to Mississippi to fulfill his dream of opening a restaurant in his hometown.

I asked Evans about getting into culinary and he said his grandmother was the most influential and early exposure to food and great ingredients definitely came from her. He talks about his family always eating together and being around food, but said he didn’t see cooking as a career possibility until his senior year. 

When Evans went to Culinary Institute of America he says, “I kind of saw my path and my goals pretty clearly early on which I feel like a lot of people don't so I feel very grateful that I figured out what I wanted to early on and that felt like the next step. I wasn't sure what to expect but you know I've told a lot of people and especially young cooks that are coming through the restaurant, I want to go to school, make sure you want to do it because it costs a lot of money. It's very time consuming. But ultimately you get out of it what you put into it.”

To hear about challenges Evans faced and how he was able to help his community, plus get his recipe for Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette, check out this episode of Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion.

In this episode of Chef AF, I chat with Executive Chef Jair Solis Mendoza from The Restaurant at the Norton Museum of Art about his twenty years of experience, influences on his menu and mentoring the next generation of young cooks.

Chef Mendoza born in Lima, Peru, was introduced to food early on by his family's pickling business and in the kitchen. As a young boy, Chef spent time over summer break making meals for the staff and began learning the restaurant business.

Over his career, Mendoza has held positions at Troquet on South in Boston, NIOS at the Muse Hotel in New York City, Area 31 in Miami and The Breakers in West Palm Beach. Chef infuses a global approach to his culinary point of view.

Chef talks about the importance of mentorship and about mentoring young cooks today. He says, “to me cooking is what keeps people together and you can learn from each other and you get to experiment.” Adding, “I try to pass that along to the new newbies too and for them to understand that if you don't make mistakes you will not learn. There's no such thing as a perfect recipe. You know you need to be able to judge less, try more.” Mendoza says focus is important in the kitchen, he says, “I guess it all depends on the individual, I treat every single one of my cooks as individuals and you know everyone deserves the opportunity to get better,”

I asked Mendoza about industry challenges he has faced in day-to-day business, he says, “I guess the most obvious one is just staffing, to be able to find people that are willing to work and willing to do the type of work that we do. I mean after a pandemic, we've gotten a lot of people that just never been in the industry before.”

To hear about special events at The Restaurant at the Norton Museum, how an exhibition can influence the menu and get the Norton’s Quiche recipe, check out this episode of Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion.

In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe talks with Executive Chef Jeremy Shelton of Verde, located at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, to discuss his early passion for comfort food, menu innovation, and a new recipe that is a fresh take on an old classic.

When Pepe asks Shelton why he decided to cook for a living, he shares that cooking is important to him and it's something that he has always wanted to do. He talks about spending a lot of time as a child in the kitchen, watching the great cooks in his family preparing dishes and enjoying meals together. He says, “I think food has always been something that's been a value to me, that kind of helps to bring people together and I think that's incredibly important and it's just something that I was always drawn to.”

Shelton talks about his Southern roots and growing up in Florida. He shares fond memories of comfort foods like Grandpa’s pancakes on Sunday mornings, and a favorite stew, pinto beans and Ham Hocks served with butter and horseradish. He says, “For some reason it's like one of the most comforting things in the world to me. He adds that he still makes the dish from time to time, although not as often as he’d like to.

Pepe and Shelton chat about his culinary training and experience. Shelton reveals that he actually started in the industry at 16 years old as a dishwasher and slowly worked his way up to line cook. After turning 18 and completing high school, Shelton tells Pepe that he moved to Miami and attended Johnson & Wales. He talks about the years following culinary school being filled with a wide range of opportunities, and working at several prominent restaurants in the Miami area. He talks about a short stint in DC, which he recalls was, “a nice chance of pace”, before returning to Florida, initially to Palm Beach, where he helped run several high volume operations and partnered in a fast casual concept before landing back in Miami, joining the Constellation Culinary team and running Verde at the Pérez Art Museum Miami.

When asked about the menu offerings at Verde, Shelton talks about using seasonal ingredients and working with local farmers and distributors whenever possible. He shares that the restaurant recently decided to do what he calls, “a major overhaul of the menu”, by changing about 75% of the dishes. He says that while the new menu “took a more Mediterranean approach”, he is also quick to point out that the menu features treasured dishes from the previous menus as well. He says, “There are certain things that are on our menu that will never change based on, you know, the history of the restaurant and its relationship with the museum.” He adds, “There's certain things that are ‘the untouchables’ so to speak. But those are all very, very good dishes. So, it's not really something that needs to change.”

To hear Shelton talk about the importance of being able to pivot, solving labor shortages, and the positive change happening due to Covid, check out the episode of Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at iTunes Now!

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. 

In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe chats with Chef Kaytlin Dangaran about her unique path to becoming a Chef, her passion for Italian food and her commitment to using the freshest, local ingredients. 

When asked about her passion for cooking, Dangaran says, “I can't remember a time that I didn't want to cook.” She shares that even when she was very young she loved cooking and actually had the goal of attending culinary school following high school but instead she decided to follow her parent’s advice to attend college where she studied cultural anthropology. She shares that her studies led to her becoming even more passionate about food. She says, “That kind of reinforced my love of food, of how different cultures eat and how food is the central thing that brings people together.” 

Dangaran talks about her time working with a nonprofit in South America, and shares that she continuously felt another calling, the drive to cook, which led to her moving to New York, enrolling into culinary school and finding a mentor. She says, “I went to the French Culinary Institute in New York, and I found this wonderful Chef who taught me everything there was to know about Italian food which is my passion for sure.”

Pepe asks Dangaran how she ended up at Bistro in Sarasota, Florida, and Dangaran shares that after her time in New York she wanted to see different things, and considering she had always been on the East Coast, she decided to check out the West Coast and ended up in San Francisco. She talks about working at a few high end venues and finding an appreciation for fresh produce during her time there. She talks about missing New York and returning there for a short time before moving back home to Florida where she worked at Pérez Art Museum until joining the team at Bistro.

Dangaran talks about her experience working predominantly in Italian restaurants, her love for cooking and the importance of using fresh ingredients. She says, “That's what I love about Italian cooking is the honesty of the ingredients.” She adds, “I didn't realize that as much until I moved to San Francisco and I found that love for produce and ingredients and how important those things are in a dish.”

When asked about her culinary point of view, Dangaran shares that her focus is on staying hyper local and hyper seasonal. “In Sarasota, specifically at Bistro, I've probably had the most local ingredients that I've ever had at any of my restaurants.” She talks about sourcing ingredients like milk and honey locally and the excitement she feels when getting to use new ingredients as the produce changes seasonally. She adds, “I want to make beautiful dishes but I want the ingredients to be in season because nothing's better than when you're in season.”

To hear Dangaran talk more about seasonal ingredients, offering cooking classes and the importance of mentorship, check out this episode of Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next-generation consumer. In this podcast, we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion.

In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe talks with Corporate Executive Chef Dewey LoSasso of Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production, to discuss his early start in the industry, why it’s important to be a lifelong learner, and the latest innovations in catering menus.

LoSasso talks about growing up in New Jersey, along the Jersey Shore, and his early start in the restaurant industry. He shares that his first job was as a dishwasher at the age of 13, and how he immediately fell in love with the business. By the age of 14, he had decided that he wanted to become a Chef. LoSasso talks about how his very supportive father, a master plumber, would bring home used restaurant equipment in order to create a kitchen in the family's basement for the young chef to practice with. He talks about cooking with his mother and father, their discussions about food and ingredients, making memorable holiday meals together, and how that shaped him during his childhood. He says, “I think it was something that definitely influenced me as I got older.”

When asked about his education, LoSasso shares that he continued to work in restaurants throughout high school, then right after graduation, he enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America. He talks about working his way through culinary school and traveling from New York to Miami while sampling a variety of dishes, and learning along the way. He says “It was always about hospitality and culinary, and just the whole business whether it's construction, wine lists, dining room elements, the whole thing for me has been a case study in life. In a way and still to this day, I mean, I'm always learning.”

Pepe and LoSasso chat about a few of his career highlights. He talks about being hired at The Forge, one of the oldest restaurants in Miami, then relaunching the brand around 2009, and both the challenges and joys that came along with recreating a menu that paid homage to the dishes of the past while embracing new concepts as well. LoSasso reflects on his time working with Micki Wolfson and the Wolfsonian Museum which enabled him to travel every summer to places like Switzerland, France and Australia. He recalls that timeframe was like an experimental kitchen that was a big influence on him. He talks about his journey leading up to opening his first restaurant and working with ‘farm to table’ decades before it was trending. In addition to launching several other restaurant concepts, LoSasso was a private chef for numerous celebrities, before deciding to join the team at Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production in 2016.

LoSasso talks about working with Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production over the past five years and how they have been expanding the brand and bringing a restaurant sensibility to a catering environment. He says, “Bill Hansen, who's been around for over 42 years, is an iconic man, he actually wrote the book on catering.” LoSasso shares some key insights regarding catering menu development and why incorporating new options, such as vegan dishes are important because plant-based foods are becoming more and more relevant. He adds, “We feel that if you're reactive to what's in the marketplace, we can do a great vegan menu without using a lot of processed plant-based food. And I think the trends are showing, for us, plant-based food is here to stay.”

Tune in to the podcast to learn more from LoSasso about plant-based catering, future predictions, and his thoughts regarding Covid takeaways, on Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen on iTunes Now!

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. 

In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe chats with Chef Jose Garces about growing up around fantastic Ecuadorian cuisine, why he started developing plant-based foods and launching his latest concept.

When asked about becoming a chef, Garces talks about growing up and watching fantastic cooks, his Mother and Grandmother, preparing foods revolving around the cuisine of Ecuador. Garces talks about attending cooking school in Chicago at Kendall, moving to Spain and working at the local eateries and hotels. He talks about moving to New York, where he worked under mentors at the Four Seasons and the Rainbow Room. He says, “I'd say that part of my career is where I really learned how to cook, how to become a Chef. I would say it was my heaviest training there.” 

Garces moved from New York to Philadelphia in 2000. He shares that the next part of his career involved leaning into ownership and entrepreneurial opportunities. He opened his first restaurant, Amada, named after his Grandmother, in 2005. He talks about competing on ‘The Next Iron Chef’,  becoming an ‘Iron Chef’, and appearing on 5 seasons of the show. He says, “I have quite a few battles under my belt.”

Pepe and Garces discuss why he started developing plant-based foods. He shares that there were a few factors in the decision. He tells Pepe that a colleague had reached out to him and asked if he would be interested in collaborating on a project to create Latin inspired plant-based meals. Garces says that around the same time-frame, his daughter was having gluten allergies as well as lactose intolerance, and they found that a plant-based diet worked better for her. Garces says, “I was challenged to create these plant-based foods and I took it on wholeheartedly.” He says the result was the launch of Casa Verde.

Pepe asks Garces about his most recent endeavor, a Mexican fast casual concept. Garces is excited to talk about the opening of Buena Onda, which means ‘Good Vibes’. The restaurant, a Baja Taqueria, was inspired by the spirit of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. Garces talks about how the restaurant is scaling in both units and with new franchising opportunities. He adds, “This should be a national brand within this year.”

To hear Garces talk more about plant-based foods, virtual brands, and the Garces Foundation, check out this episode of Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!

Produced by Lisa Pepe

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion.

In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe talks with Josh Chanin, Energy Efficiency Consultant for California Instant Rebates to discuss how the California Instant Rebates Program works, why it is beneficial to commercial foodservice customers and their business, and who can qualify for these rebates.

Chanin talks about working with utilities across the nation to help them run energy efficiency programs. He explains that utilities actually want their customers to save energy because it also saves the utility companies money in the long run since they don't have to build as much infrastructure to serve a growing customer base. Chanin shares that a lot of utilities are mandated by their public utilities commission to save energy. He says, “We help them do that by running things like rebate programs”.

Chanin shares that the California foodservice instant rebates program is a California statewide program targeted specifically at commercial foodservice customers by allowing them to get rebates when purchasing any high efficiency, commercial foodservice equipment such as high efficiency fryers, convection ovens and steamers. Chanin talks about how the program works. Chanin shares that when commercial foodservice customers buy high efficiency, commercial foodservice equipment from their local or national food service equipment dealer or supplier, they are able to get pretty impactful rebates. Chanin shares that the rebates are offered at the time of purchase, making it an instant rebate as opposed to other standard rebate programs that arrive via mail and can take months to reach the customer. He says, “The instant rebates program is great because it allows you to get those rebates as a discount, and have a lower upfront cost when purchasing high efficiency equipment.”

Chanin talks about how commercial customers can easily learn what products qualify for rebates and which California residents are eligible for rebates based on their zip code. Chanin says, “We cover almost all of the State of California.” Chanin shares that customers can visit the company’s website, featuring a user-friendly search tab to look for equipment by name, manufacturer, model number or they can work directly with their equipment dealer to find the right products for them and check eligibility.

Chanin talks about the benefits of high efficiency equipment. He says, “High efficiency equipment has a lot of benefits, especially for the small and medium sized businesses, not only do you get these great rebates, and you're able to save money on the purchase and save energy, which means saving money on your utility bills over the lifetime of your products.” Chanin talks about additional benefits of high efficiency equipment. Chanin shares that often those models have lower recovery times, which means that they can recover faster, such as when frozen food goes in the fryer, or when refrigerator doors are opened and closed again, they're able to get back to temperature faster than other models. Chanin adds, “High efficiency equipment is often name brand products that are higher quality and longer lasting.”

Tune into the podcast to learn more from Chanin about the California Instant Rebates Program, on Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at iTunes Now!

Produced by Lisa Pepe

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion.

In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe talks with Rick Petralia, Culinary Director at Fazoli’s to discuss his jumpstart to becoming a Chef, his Culinary point of view and why he’s passionate about approachable, authentic Italian food.

Petralia talks about his unique journey towards becoming a Chef. He shares that while attending college to become a math major, he was working at a local restaurant as a server. During his shift one evening the cook called out and the manager asked him if he would be interested in learning how to cook. Petralia replied, “Sure I'll try it.” He adds, “I really enjoyed that and I transitioned from serving to cooking at the restaurant.” Petralia shares that this opportunity led to him changing course from being a math major to going to Culinary school.

Petralia talks about the 15 years following Culinary school and how he held a variety of positions in the industry, none of which had him utilizing his culinary experience. He talks about a position becoming available at Fazoli’s that would allow to get back into the culinary side of things. He says, “I thought, hey that'd be great to get back into a culinary more creative type of role.” He adds, “Italian is my background and you know it just really seemed like an exciting opportunity.”

Petralia shares his culinary point of view and how he approaches recipe development particularly when it comes to QSR and Fast Casual. He talks about having over 200 locations that serve over 700000 meals per week and how being able to replicate every recipe with consistency is key. He says, “First and foremost, that's in the back of my mind every time I develop a recipe, is how is this going to happen 700000 times a week in the same way.”

Tune into the podcast to learn more on how Petralia feels about developing recipes including Fazoli’s Breadstick Panzanella (Bread Salad), what he has to say about upcoming culinary trends, and his thoughts on supply chain issues on this episode of Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!

Produced by Lisa Pepe

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion.

In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe talks with Alex Sadowsky, Executive Chef at Twin Peaks to discuss his humble beginning in an industry that he quickly fell in love with while working his way up in a variety of kitchens, his passion for comfort food and how a childhood sandwich would become a signature recipe.

Sadowsky talks about entering the industry as a dishwasher out of necessity and quickly learned that he’d found his calling. He talks about admiring other Chefs, reading their books and consuming as much knowledge as possible as he worked his way up in the kitchen, and into The Culinary Institute of America where he immersed himself in his culinary education.

Sadowsky shares that following graduation he returned home to Minnesota and decided he wanted to gain even more experience. He says, “I worked my way through all these kitchens and tried to get a little bit of experience with everything you know, from Diners to Fine Dining, Seafood, Steakhouse, Country Clubs.” At one point he even owned two bars and grills where he really started to lean into cooking and serving comfort food.

Sadowsky talks about growing tired of the cold weather in Minnesota and being ready to relocate to someplace warmer when a chance call with his best friend from culinary school, encouraged him to relocate to Texas. Once there Sadowsky joined a great company emerging in the Gastro Pub trend. It was during this time that Sadowsky says he was able to work directly with little farmers, create farm to table dishes and open up a lot of new concepts for the company.

Sadowsky talks about becoming the Executive Chef at Twin Peaks and how it opened up the opportunity to take his love for comfort food to the next level first Nationally, and then scaling it Internationally with the company. Sadowsky shares details on a new comfort recipe that was inspired by his favorite food as a child. He says, “I love to talk about this! Okay I was addicted when I was a little kid to eating fried baloney sandwiches and I would put the potato chips right on the sandwich and I don't think I'm the only one. And, right now it seems like Bologna is having a big comeback.” So much so that he has created a special dish in honor of it!

Chef shares with us his recipe for [Potato Chip Crusted Bologna], an inexpensive dish that he developed with hopes that it will bring back fond memories and make a bunch of people happy.

Tune into the podcast to learn more about Chef Sadowsky’s thoughts on virtual brands, comfort foods and labor shortages in the restaurant, on Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at iTunes Now!

Produced by Lisa Pepe

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. 

In this episode of Chef AF, I chat with Chef Dawn Burrell about her incredible journey as an Olympian to finding her passion for a career in culinary, becoming a finalist on Top Chef Portland and her James Beard Award Nomination. 

Burrell who traveled the world with the USA’s Track and Field team says it was a great way to spend her early twenties, she was traveling and there was airport and hotel time sprinkled with culture and great food. Her traveling played a role in her love of food and she says, “You know when you eat the food of the people, you are learning about their history and their culture without even knowing if you're in tune in that way.” Burrell says that her love for food came from her grandmother and aunts. 

I ask Burrell about culinary becoming a full-time career for her and she shares that during a difficult time in her life when she was facing retirement from track and field, she needed to find something else that she loved to do. She says, athletes have blinders on and you can lose sight of other interests and things you can do in life. She says, “So I had to quickly figure out for myself in my adult life and I landed in culinary, I really remember I had the fondest childhood memories of food and I always wanted to know more.”

Burell has been extremely busy as a chef since culinary school. She was the sous chef at Uchiko, the executive chef at Kulture, she had a James Beard nomination, and became part of Lucille’s Hospitality Group opening the restaurant Late August, a culinary collaboration with Chef Chris Williams. 

Burrell also talks about two industry non-profit organizations she supports, I’ll Have What She’s Having, a women-led non-profit, raising community awareness and funds in support of better health and healthcare in the food and beverage industry and Lucille 1913, a conscious community collective that is building a vertically integrated ecosystem to combat food insecurity and waste; creating training and employment opportunities in traditionally under-resourced neighborhoods; and empowering communities to discover a self-sustainable livelihood through food.

To hear Chef Burrell talk about being an all star guest judge on Top Chef Season 19 and her recipe for Salmon with Buttermilk Broth & Gai Lan, plus find out why she decided on culinary school, check out this episode of Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!