Foodie and the Beast

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

·       18 years – hundreds of shows with thousands of guests from all over the world and representing every aspect of hospitality, from international stars like Wolfgang Puck, the late, great Michel Richard, and all of our guests today to local stars in their own right who make the DC hospitality scene America’s most diverse, vibrant and downright delicious.

JOINING US TODAY TO CELEBRATE “FOODIE & THE BEAST” AS WE CELEBRATE THEIR MONSTER ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE FOOD AND WINE SCENE:

·       Tom Sietsema, Food Correspondent for The Washington Sun, author of the online newsletter "Next Course;"; former food critic of The Washington Post, traveler, bon vivant, raconteur and all-around good guy;                                          

·       Masako Morishita, executive chef at Perry’s, who in 2024 received a James Beard Award in the Emerging Chef category and was named a member of Food & Wine's exclusive, 38th annual class of Best New Chefs in September 2026, joining 13 other rising culinary stars from across the United States;                                                                  

·       Local hospitality veteran Jill Tyler, back on the scene with Rye Bunny, a wholly new concept that’s also harvesting rave reviews, along with nods from the MICHELIN Guide and The New York Times 50 Favorite Restaurants in the United States;                                                                                                                     

·       Glendon Hartley,  who oversees ingredient sourcing, bar design, and cocktail creation (former president of the U.S. Bartenders Guild DC Chapter) for The Menehune Group. Their DC culinary footprint includes Causa and Amazonia.

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Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

·        In the Neapolitan dialect, Pupatella means "little doll", a traditional and affectionate term of endearment. And “Pupatella” was Enzo Algarme’s pet name for his beloved grandma. Enzo also loved his hometown Neapolitan pizza -- and so Pupatella is the name of his acclaimed Neapolitan pizzeria. Enzo joins us with tastes and tales of Pupatella along with Michael Berger, president and managing partner of their growing Neapolitan pizzeria chain;                                                                                                                                                                                                          

·        The menu at Navy Yard’s Catahoula is an hommage to New Orleans cooking of the 1970s and 1980s, including the influence of chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. Executive Chef and Partner Thomas Malz draws on his Acadian ancestry and professional experiences to explore the intersection of Cajun, Creole, French, Southern and Vietnamese culinary traditions. Sounds like the delicious intersection of the UN of cooking, and Chef Thomas is in with us with further enlightenment;

·        Chef Binh Lu has joined Harriman’s Grill at The Salamander Middleburg. Previously, Binh led the kitchen at Pineapple and Pearls, the celebrated two-Michelin-star restaurant in Washington, D.C. He also worked under Eric Ziebold at Cityzen in D.C., and earlier in his career sharpened his skills at top culinary institutions including Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina in D.C., Manresa in California under David Kinch, and Attica in Melbourne, Australia with Ben Shewry. Born in Shanghai and raised in the U.S., Binh took an unconventional path into the culinary world. It wasn’t until his college years at the University of Virginia that he discovered his passion for cooking – trading textbooks for tasting menus and ultimately choosing the kitchen over a more traditional career track. That late-blooming passion has since propelled him to the forefront of America’s fine dining scene;

·        Sarah White is the owner of Westover Taco, a Mexican-inspired neighborhood restaurant and women’s sports bar in Arlington, Virginia. She is in to chat about the successful melding of good food, spirited fandom and community giving under the rallying cry of “Watch Women Win” at Westover Taco;

And speaking of female-founded and -led hospitality businesses, our drinks today are in the capable hands of Rochelle Julich. Rochelle started off as a bartender, then launched SHKR (pronounced “shaker”) in 2020, as people got comfortable gathering in small, intimate groups and both she and her friends were out of work. She saw it as a way to bring the bar experience home to guests; it has now evolved to bar-focused catering and staffing at premier venues.

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Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

·        Wouldn’t you love to walk into a bar that you really felt in some way was “yours?” Like Norm on “Cheers?” Well, it’s here … in Navy Yard. Bar Nuestro-- Spanish for “Our Bar” -- is a welcoming, Latin-rooted, European-inspired bar–bistro reimagining classic European dishes through the warmth and flavor of Latin America. Josh Murski is the principal beverage director at 5C Hospitality, where he leads the bar programs at the Colada Shop, Elegancia, and the new Bar Nuestro;                                                                                                                              

·        Mike Curtin – DC Central Kitchen. Capital Food Fight. Need we say more? No, but let’s. Mike is the driving force behind the organization’s awesome annual fundraiser, the Capital Food Fight, coming our way on Nov. 12 at the Anthem. This year’s event features celebrity hosts, celebrity judges, and a raft of nationally prominent chefs, like Anthony Jones, the executive chef at Marcus DC and  a “Top Chef” season 23 competitor, and Lucky Danger’s executive chef, Robbie Reyes, among many others;

·        Vishwesh “Vish” Bhatt, executive chef of Chai Pani D.C., is celebrated as one of the most groundbreaking Southern chefs of our time. He’s a James Beard Award–winning chef and author, winning the Foundation’s award for Best Chef: South in 2019 — for his cuisine and leadership at Snackbar in Oxford, Mississippi — and winning the U.S. Foodways Award in 2023 for his heralded “I Am From Here” debut cookbook. A native of India, Vish immigrated to the U.S. at age 18;

Can poetry help solve the hunger crisis? You may think not, but, for you skeptics, we bring you two folks who not only think it can but have shown so. Poets themselves, Hiram Larew and Tina Daub will shortly publish “Turning Poetry into Food: A Collection of Poetry X Hunger Poems.” These are 50 Poetry X Hunger poems designed to be used by everyone—creatives, leaders, families, congregants, public officials, teachers (yes, especially teachers), and anyone else - to influence audiences and readers to take a stake in preventing hunger.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

·        There’s an old saying: “Local boy makes good.” Well, we have two of ‘em today. Sebastian Zutant, owner of the lovely Primrose in Brookland, is a veteran Washington, D.C. sommelier, restaurateur and wine professional whose career has helped shape some of the city’s most celebrated dining and wine programs. His executive chef, Patrick Benton, grew up in Annapolis, and can really cook, baby!                                                                             

·        Sunflower Bakery enables pathways to employment for young adults and teens with learning differences through pre-employment exposure and workforce development training in the pastry arts, culinary arts, hospitality and related industries. Ellen Shimberg, Sunflower’s director of development, joins us with more on Sunflower and info about how you can help – yes … YOU!

·        Formula 1 is pure adrenaline, pure excitement. Many of its race fans here are part of the DC Motorsport Community (DCMC), a motorsport lifestyle platform. DCMC produces race watch parties, large-scale Grand Prix experiences, automotive showcases, VIP events, and more, including an Oct. 25 rooftop experience, the Motorsport Takeover at City Ridge, for the Austin F1 Grand Prix. DCMC’s Nikki Lang is in with the deets;

·        Carla Sanchez of Spicy Candy and Casa Kantuta has something cool coming up – Kyojin × Casa Kantuta, a cross-cultural celebration of Bolivian and Japanese influences through food and drink. Inspired by Casa Kantuta co-founder Carla Sanchez’s childhood friendship with a girl of Japanese descent, the collaboration celebrates heritage, cultural exchange and the connections that shape us;                                                                                                                       

·        Shia, the modern Korean fine dining restaurant in Washington D.C. focused on sustainability and innovation offers amazing food – also amazing cocktails, where American classics are reimagined through a Korean cultural lens. Geoffrey Chang and AJ Johnson are in to make the party happen.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

·         Betul and Ismail Uslu are a husband-and-wife team with three Agora locations (Dupont Circle, Tysons Corner, Bethesda) serving honest-to-goodness cuisine from Turkiye, Greece, and Lebanon;

·        Executive Chef Sanjay Mandhaiya joins us (that’s Pappe, Karravaan and The Grace). He builds his menu around freshly ground spices, seasonal produce, and fresh meats and seafood, with Northern Indian classics complemented by select dishes inspired by India’s southern and coastal regions;                

·        The Fountain Inn is a cocktail bar, rare spirits tasting room and restaurant in Georgetown that brings fine-dining-level culinary offerings to an approachable bar setting. Led by Chef Greg Heitzig, a Thomas Keller and Aviary alum and former CDC of Michelin-starred Pineapple and Pearls, the kitchen and bar programs are intentionally developed together, creating a cohesive food and beverage experience. On the beverage side, Zack Atzert (along with Luke Georgiadis) pairs seasonally rotating cocktails with a nearly 700-bottle spirits collection, focusing particularly on whiskey.

·        The Taste of Bethesda returns Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, 11:00 am-4:00 pm. It will bring more than 50 restaurants – quite a number of them new - and four stages of entertainment to downtown Bethesda. Stephanie Coppula is back with all the yummy details. And she has brought    Executive Chef Andrew Fleischauer and Bartender Devon Kloth, both of Mon Ami Gabi.   

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

-        Dhiandra Olson, General Manager of Namak, who's bringing three bottles of wine and all the info on Wine Not Wednesday and the brand-new Sunday Feast;

-        Charlotte Voisey, Executive Director of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, who's bringing Tales on Tour to DC this week;

-        Chef Rob Sonderman of Little Engine, his new place at the Eastern Market;

-        Chef Chef Joevel Magpantay of Oribu, the gorgeous new Japanese-Mediterranean spot downtown.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

·        SMYAL is DC's LGBTQ+ youth community center. Its mission is to support and empower LGBTQ+ youth to build a world where queer and trans young people thrive. Hancie Stokes is SMYAL's director of communications and she’s in with lots of info about SMYAL’s many good works and an upcoming fall brunch;

·        Chef and entrepreneur Tony Jackson may be onto something big. He has built businesses around two things he loves—great food and dogs—and now those worlds are coming together with the launch of DMV Dog Grub, his new line of handcrafted, small-batch dog treats. So, be a gooood listener, and sit! And stay! And wait to hear what Tony’s got to say! 

·        Monique Rose Sneed is an entrepreneur, restaurateur, and hospitality leader with more than 20 years of experience building businesses and creating memorable guest experiences. She is the founder of the La’Caj seafood concept, and you’ll hear all about her journey and her offering;                                                                                                                                 

Let’s talk about having the right wines on hand for the changing season. Mickey Edwards is the co-owner of Sohal Wine & Spirits, a neighborhood destination she opened with her husband, Alex, in 2025. Lakeisha Mays is the founder and owner of Vista Stellata, an Italian wine brand born from a lifelong love of wine that took root during visits to the Napa Valley and deepened through years of education across Europe. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

·        Chef Eric Brannon, the man in the kitchen at Little Birdie’s, the too-much fun, deeee-lish chicken joint in Alexandria’s del Ray neighborhood;                                                                                                                                 

·        Rick Bratman, the Founder and CEO of ASA Entertainment, America’s largest action sports event, television, and content production company. It’s coming to Virginia Beach in early September - The Super Girl Festival Series is the world’s largest women’s sports, music and lifestyle platform celebrating female athletes, musicians, creators, and leaders across sport, culture, and community;

·        Bonnie Benwick & Ariel Levinson-Waldman of Tzedek DC, which offers direct legal services at no cost to low-income and working-class DC residents with debt- and consumer-related legal issues;                                                                                                                                   

·        DCFoodGod, a DC-based digital content brand run by native Washingtonian couple, Jason Fisher and Tessa Alimahmoodi. The couple recently won the 2026 RAMMY award for Content Creator of the Year;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

·        Ceren Hunt is a hospitality executive and the chief operations officer at the Levantine-inspired Âla Restaurants. She is the creator of the group’s inspired cocktail program.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

·        John Norman – Norman’s Farm Markets – why you should shop farm markets for produce;

·        A three-time RAMMY nominee for Pastry Chef of the Year – born in Ireland, a longtime resident and student in Florence – Bridie McCalla now is the head baker at Northside Social in Northern Virginia. We’re not in Florence anymore, Dorothy! Bridie’s in with Northside Social's popular Emer O'Rourke, the longtime executive chef and culinary leader there. They join us for tastes and talk of the world-class baked goods at Northside Social;                                                                                            

·        Just opened - The Grace is a modern American tavern and saloon in Shaw, taking over the former space of The Passenger. Courtney Evans, late of Charlotte’s acclaimed Leah & Louise and known for her 2025 turn on Netflix’s “Next Gen Chef,” is the executive chef. You’ll hear all about it – and from her;

·        Public Interest is a modern American brasserie located on K Street NW inside the Tempo by Hilton Washington DC Downtown hotel. It successfully blends French brasserie tradition with American comfort food thanks to the skills of the man who runs the kitchen - Chef Arnaldo Pujols;

·        Veteran bartender José Cox is the bar manager at U Street’s Kathmandu Tapas & Cocktails. This is a Himalayan-inspired cocktail bar blending modern cocktail techniques with ingredients sourced directly from Nepal.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

· Ashok Bajaj, owner and CEO of the Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, has another great dining spot – it’s Rosselli. And it’s Italian, thank you. He’s in with Executive Chef Carlos Cardona to tell us all about it;

· CNN Hero Kerry Brodie is the founder of Emma's Torch, a nonprofit social enterprise that trains refugees, asylees and survivors of human trafficking in the New York and Washington D.C. areas in the culinary arts and empowers them to build meaningful careers in the hospitality industry. Emma’s Torch has enrolled more than 700 students in its full-time paid culinary training program, which includes experience at one of organization’s social ventures and placement assistance for graduates. To date, the program has generated more than $34 million in increased wages for students, creating pathways to financial independence and upward mobility blocked by barriers such as limited English proficiency, lack of support and poverty;

· Combining Mehmet Sukutli's culinary talents with Malti Chaudhari's background in business, the husband-and-wife duo opened Tiffany’s Bar & Bistro in June last year as an ode to Turkish culture and Mehmet’s familial roots;

· Chrissy Sheffey is the general manager at Doyle Bar in the Dupont Hotel.  Her innovative approach to mixology has been recognized by The New York Times in its "Cocktail Renaissance" feature.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.