This is a great show for those who want to be chefs! We hear what it's like to learn from and cook with Chef's Scott Crawford and Colin Bedford. Plus, we get the details on how to rock a cook test (an interview for a chef where he or she prepares food for those hiring) for an aspiring job, so all you aspiring EC's listen up!

Chef Thomas Card has worked his way up the ranks through some of the best dining establishment in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area and now he's running his own kitchen at the 21C hotel. Thomas likes the challenge of creating food for multiple menu's and revenue centers. We also get into how you elevate a "hotel restaurant" into something that is a beacon of the Durham culinary community.

To top it off we get top tips on French Fries technique, how to make the ultimate bread pudding, and find out what's the deal with the pink penguin!

Plus, we speak with Chefs Bud Taylor & Regan Stachler about the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and the multiple popup dinners planned by ChickenWire to support the relief. Click HERE for more information.

We are home for the Hurricane and figured everybody could use some extra entertainment during this time. With Wilmington, NC being affected most by Hurricane Florence, we thought it would be a good time to highlight some of the best moments from our earlier Wilmington episodes. On this show we take the best snippets from our conversations with Dean Neff and Lydia Clopton of Pinpoint Restaurant, Vivian Howard at Benny's Big Time, Billy Mellon of Manna and Keith Rhodes of Catch.

Hopefully this helps you find some respite from the storm. Remember you can download this episode so even if you lose power you still have some listening entertainment.

To help Wilmington and others affected by Hurricane Florence, donate to the American Red Cross by clicking this > redcross.org.

Gear up for Hurricane Flo with Chef Daniel Lewis of Coastal Provisions in the outer banks. Max and Daniel get into hurricane prep, the geography of oysters and it's parallels with wine. Also find out what everyone is talking about regarding Oystoberfest in OBX!

This is the ultimate pork show. Sam Suchoff dives deep into how his Lady Edison Ham has distinguished itself from so many other hogs. We discuss everything involved into producing delicious pork from choosing the right breed like Chester White's and Bershire's, using Animal Wellfare Approved farms, and of course tips for curing the meat.

Sam's success has been recognized by winning two Good Food Awards for his sweet sopressata and spanish style chorizo. On top of everything else Sam does, he finds time to run The Pig, one of the top BBQ joints in the Triangle and be an integral part of The North Carolina Natural Hog Growers Association.

Chef Jason Smith has been at the forefront of the Raleigh-Durham "finer" dining scene for many years. Chef Jason has never shied away from hard work or mentoring future chefs. Over the last 12 years Jason Smith has successfully opened four restaurants throughout the Triangle. In June of 2017, Chef Jason felt things were becoming stagnant at his flagship restaurant 18 Seaboard. Never one to be complacent, chef Jason hired on a local maverick, chef Jake Wood to give his downtown Raleigh staple restaurant a shot in the arm.

Jake Wood has used his vast experience to bring a refreshed and dynamic new menu and vibe to 18 Seaboard. We chat about ceviche, hospitality, local politics and cocktails. Warning, listening to this episode will cause you to be hungry and motivated!

Discover how an unfulfilled IBM engineer resuscitates a childhood music career to become an integral member of the Avett Brothers band. Then, that Avett Brothers cellist becomes a champion of the North Carolina culinary community. Joe uses his enthusiasm, charm, humility and some of his moms native Korean cooking skills to ingratiate himself with titans of our industry such as Ashley Christensen, Matt Kelly, Sam Jones and Vivian Howard. Listen in, it will make your heart and ears happy plus some great recipes for your tummy.

Tyler Watt and Chris Lopez are crushing it in downtown Cary, North Carolina. Tyler (Owner) and Chris (Chef) opened Postmaster Restaurant and Bar in November of 2017, by doing so they essentially have linked the Triangle by taking slices out of downtown Raleigh and downtown Durham and placing them in downtown Cary. Postmasters is providing food, beverage and service to a level of quality and hipness that Cary has never seen.

Listen to this episode and find out how and why a sleepy little suburb can turn into a culinary destination. Within a few blocks you have La Farm Bakery, Chatham Street Wine Market, Sidebar, Bond Brothers Brewery, Pizzeria Faulisi and of course Postmasters. Go to Cary, seriously.

We take our last bite of the big apple with Chef Nick Anderer, who is the Executive Chef and partner of Danny Meyers Roman triumvirate of restaurants in NYC, Mialino, Marta and Martina. Chef Nick takes us deep into Roman cooking, what it's like to run 3 restaurants simultaneously and how to rise through the ranks of Union Square Hospitality Group.

Did you know that Pecorino, Guanciale and Black Pepper are the tenets of Roman cooking? Also, Find out what type of cuisine Chef Nick would want to cook next.

Floyd Cardoz is the master of spice and the Champion from Top Chef Masters season 3. Chef Cardoz invited us into his home to discuss cooking high- brow Indian Food in a NYC Fine dining restaurant versus cooking in his native Bombay, India (now called Mumbai). We chat about working for Danny Meyer, the success of Tabla and how Chef Floyd is furthering awareness of fine Indian food in America with Bombay Bread Bar. Oh, we also discuss conquering fears of dogs!

We take the show up a notch to the C-Suite level when we talk to the leader of Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti. This episode takes us beyond "Setting the Table," for one restaurant, this is about establishing a hospitality and leadership culture that transcends all over the world. With strong leadership, a vivid idea of who you are and what you do, Shake Shack is able to re-create your neighborhood burger stand in any city in the world, specifically Charlotte, North Carolina.

Friends & Sponsors:

Social House Vodka

Triangle Wine Company

Food Seen

Hungry Harvest

Larry's Coffee and 42 & Lawrence

Ramona Wine Coolers

Michael's English Muffins

Alley 26 Tonic

Magnum Beard

Hosts: Matthew Weiss & Max Trujillo

Producer: Max Trujillo

Announcer/House Voice: Brian Hoyle

Music: Max Trujillo

Marketing Management: Food Seen