Losing Your Mind with Chef Chris Cosentino

Well folks, we are about to celebrate my 100th episode, and over these last four years, the podcast has evolved, so I’m changing the name to better reflect what it’s about.

Hey Everybody! In this episode, I catch up with the one and only Guy Fieri. He shares his journey from a small-town boy with a passion for food to becoming one of the most recognizable faces in America. We dig into how his early experiences in restaurants shaped his work ethic and cooking style, and why he’s always thinking about how he can use his platform to do more. This episode is a great reminder that success isn’t just about what you achieve—it's about how you give back along the way.

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Cindy Pawlcyn, a pioneer in the development of wine country cuisine, is the owner of Napa Valley’s legendary restaurant Mustards Grill. Since Mustards opened in 1983, Pawlcyn has been involved in the creation of many heralded restaurants in the greater San Francisco Bay Area including Fog City Diner, Bix, Roti, Betelnut, Buckeye Roadhouse, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, Go Fish, Cindy’s Waterfront at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Mustards Grill-SFO. 

 Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Pawlcyn grew up in an accomplished culinary family where garden fresh ingredients were an integral part of every meal and suppertime was always family time. “My parents raised me to appreciate good cooking,” she fondly says of her mother and father.

 At 13, Pawlcyn was working at a local cooking school and equipment store and helping in her mother’s kitchen. She ran a catering business through high school, and went on to earn a degree in hotel and restaurant management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She further augmented her formal training by taking courses at Le Cordon Bleu and La Varenne in Paris.

 Pawlcyn began her career in the kitchen of the Pump Room in Chicago. She went on to cook in various other esteemed restaurants in both Chicago and Minneapolis before moving to California in 1979 to take a job at McArthur Park in San Francisco. In her first experience in a Northern California kitchen, Pawlcyn gained valuable insights into the region’s unique food culture.

 Pawlcyn entered Napa Valley’s burgeoning restaurant culture as the opening chef at Meadowood in St. Helena and from there joined Bruce LeFavour at his acclaimed Rose et LeFavour. Armed with extensive kitchen leadership and regional culinary expertise, she successfully launched Mustards Grill in 1983, her now landmark and legendary restaurant.

 With over 40 years of experience working and living in the Napa Valley, Pawlycn remains intimately involved in the kitchen operations of Mustards Grill, which features its own culinary garden that supplements the locally sourced produce used in many of her dishes. Pawlcyn’s commitment to seasonal inspiration and the use of the region’s bountiful harvests continue to play a major role in the food coming out of her kitchen.

“My father had a green thumb and he taught me a lot about growing produce and instilled a love for fresh flavors,” she says. “Everywhere I have lived, I have had a garden, whether it was a window box of herbs when I lived in Chicago or the large garden at my house. I feel it’s important for freshness and flavor and it brings people closer to their food.” 

At his award-winning seafood-focused culinary concepts, Executive Chef & Restaurateur Michael Cimarusti, winner of the 2019 James Beard ‘Best Chef: West’ award, combines his knowledge and appreciation of the dynamic nature of seafood with an advocacy for sustainable fishing practices evident in every dish. Cimarusti’s acclaimed restaurant Providence, a bastion of Los Angeles fine dining for almost two decades, has yielded numerous James Beard Award nominations and two highly coveted Michelin stars for over a decade, and a newly minted Michelin Green Star. Located in the heart of West Hollywood, Connie and Ted’s pays homage to Cimarusti’s grandparents and the simple, honest seafood cookery of New England.

Follow Him Here: @cimarustila 

Chef Dan Giusti grew up in a food-loving Italian family inspired Dan to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He quickly rose through the culinary ranks, serving as Executive Chef of 1789 in Washington, D.C. and Head Chef of Noma in Copenhagen. After three years in the latter role, he returned to the United States to tackle another culinary challenge: school food.

 In 2016, he founded Brigaid, assembling a team of professional chefs who were eager to apply their culinary expertise  to help school foodservice programs achieve their goals. Today, Brigaid’s work has expanded to senior centers and a state prison system. It remains guided by Dan’s belief that everyone deserves nourishing food, cooked with care and passion.  

Chef Dan Giusti & Brigaid cooking delicious meals for children in public schools.

Chef Dan Giusti grew up in a food-loving Italian family inspired Dan to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He quickly rose through the culinary ranks, serving as Executive Chef of 1789 in Washington, D.C. and Head Chef of Noma in Copenhagen. After three years in the latter role, he returned to the United States to tackle another culinary challenge: school food.

 In 2016, he founded Brigaid, assembling a team of professional chefs who were eager to apply their culinary expertise  to help school foodservice programs achieve their goals. Today, Brigaid’s work has expanded to senior centers and a state prison system. It remains guided by Dan’s belief that everyone deserves nourishing food, cooked with care and passion.  

CHEF RYAN HARDY FOUNDER/CEO/CHEF, THE DELICIOUS HOSPITALITY GROUP (NYC)CHARLIE BIRD, PASQUALE JONES, LEGACY RECORDS, ADA’S PLACE, EASY VICTOR CAFÉ, BAR PASQUALE, and MIDNIGHT PLUS ONE.