On The Pass

On This episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Jasmine L. Pierce, New York based hospitality publicist, freelance writer and founder of JLP Consulting. Over the last decade Jasmine has worked with notable clients like The Standard Hotels, The Jose Andres Group, Daniel Boulud's Dinex Group, and beverage brands like Louis XIII and Ten To One Rum to name a few. Jasmine is also a freelance writer with bylines in EBONY Magazine, POPSUGAR and The Zoe Report.

In this episode, we discuss:

☑️Sustainable / regenerative travel

☑️Conscious decision making

☑️Conservation diving / Blue Apple Beach Cartagena

☑️Regenerative food programs

☑️Whats a destination dupe?

☑️New York food scene

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On The Pass Website:

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On This epiosde of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Jillian Dara, a freelance journalist and avid traveler. Jillian's expertise lies in crafting compelling narratives about travel, wine & spirits, and culture. Chances are, you've come across her articles in renowned publications such as Forbes, Travel + Leisure, Vine Pair, Wine Enthusiast, and more.

In this episode, we discuss:

☑️Multigenerational travel

☑️Luxury deepens into more experiential travel

☑️ Sober and wellness travel is having a moment

☑️Her love for Napa and its continuous evolution

☑️Emphasis on smaller wine producers from specific storied regions

☑️Where she's traveling to in 2024

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Lets work together! Get in contact:

www.gabrielornelas.com

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with with chef Franco Sampogna and operator Bernardo Silva, co-owners of FREVO, a contemporary French restaurant hidden behind a small art gallery in Greenwich Village, New York—a secret you'd want to share with everyone.

The name "Frevo" in Portuguese means "to boil," reflecting not only the shared language of the co-owners but also the vibrant energy of New York City. Originally from Brazil and Portugal respectively, Franco and Bernardo crossed paths in their late teens in France, driven by a youthful hunger for knowledge and a passion for the hospitality industry. Franco spent a decade in France, working with culinary legends like Alain Ducasse, Guy Savoy, and Fabrice Vulin, while Bernardo focused on honing his hospitality management skills at esteemed places such as the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris and Hôtel Windsor in Nice.

France served as their training ground and foundation, but New York remained their North Star. After almost a decade in France, Franco and Bernardo made the leap to New York, slowly shaping their dream. Despite the challenges, they opened FREVO, featuring an exquisite tasting menu an intimate 18 counter seats and a table for six.

Tune in as Franco and Bernardo passionately narrate their journey—a tale of friendship, partnership, and the pursuit of their dream against all odds in the bustling city of New York.

Discover more about our partner REPÚBLICA DEL CACAO:

https://bit.ly/3ZRoVIv

Visit FREVO's website for more information:

https://bit.ly/3Ob5tD1

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On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Chef Tolu Eros. Chef Eros is a storyteller, entertainer and African ambassador on a mission to share and explore the wonders of West African food; a food and culture full of life and flavor, just like Eros. Chef's formative years were spent between Benin City and Lagos, Nigeria, where he learned from his mother, "if food does not have love, you might as well not cook it at all!" It is that love for food and for building community that brought Eros to Los Angeles in 2021. The many years he spent in Nigeria honing his ability to entertain and educate through food brought him to the entertainment capital of the world. But not to open a restaurant right away, he started with a series of intimate, well thought out dinners at his personal home, in Hollywood. Eros quickly received critical acclaim from numerous publications and from industry icons like Wolfgang Puck, expressing their excitement and passion for the food and overall experience. His private dinner series is called Ilé, which in the Yoruba language means home, which Eros gives you listeners a look into this memorable experience. His food has and always will be about bringing people together, in a way that is elevated, yet fun, fresh and worth talking about. He also recently opened up Ilé Bistro, in Culver City, which highlights some of his classic favorites, but in a fast casual setting. I encourage you all to head to the show notes while listening to this episode to check out Chef Eros on instagram and his concepts. There is so much more to say, but I'd rather you hear from Chef himself. Listen as we explore his mind and creativity, his vision for continuing build community through West African food culture and what we can expect next from him.

Discover more about REPÚBLICA DEL CACAO:

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Follow Tolu Eros on Instgram:

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You've probably heard the incredible story of Nearest Green, the former slave who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. If you haven't, you're in for a treat. If you have, I invite you to dive deeper into the story, the history, the mission and the legacy, guided by Fawn Weaver, Founder and CEO of Grant Sidney, Inc. (GSI), a privately held investment company, which owns Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Uncle Nearest is currently the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in U.S. history. A brand she founded with her husband in 2016 and has since made her mark on history, culture and the spirits industry. After learning about Uncle Nearest, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make Tennessee whiskey, Fawn was on a mission to solidify, or as she says, cement the legacy of Nearest Green. Uncle Nearest as he was referred too, was the first known black master distiller, which up until that point when Fawn started this journey, was sadly lost in history and less known by a wider audience. Fawn and her husband purchased the 300-acre farm in Tennessee, where Nearest taught Jack how to distill and has since been on a mission to bring this legacy to life through the bottle, its award winning liquid and incredible story. As actor Jeffrey Wright (a passionate consumer and collaborator of Uncle Nearest) who you'll know from popular series and films like Westworld, Shaft, The Batman, James Bond No Time To Die and many others, says…"its a story that unifies us." There was a deep love and respect between Jack Daniel and Uncle Nearest. This is a story of love and respect, not a story of a successful historical white man taking advantage of a black man. But just like Uncle Jack, as he's known in Tennessee, Uncle Nearest's legacy deserves to stand on its own and to never be lost again. Fawn and her team are ensuring people will be telling the story of Uncle Nearest for generations to come, but also uplifting and supporting so many other brands along the journey. Please enjoy the conversation with storyteller, serial entrepreneur and sprits industry innovator Fawn Weaver.

Discover more about REPÚBLICA DEL CACAO:

https://bit.ly/3ZRoVIv

For more info on Uncle Nearest:

https://bit.ly/464ow8N

Follow Uncle Nearest on Instagram:

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The Story of Nearest Green w/ Jeffrey Wright:

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He's been referred to as the real life "Willy Wonka!" Gonzo Jimenez is a celebrated pastry chef, chocolatier and República del Cacao's North American corporate pastry chef. We believe, if Willy Wonka was real, he would actually want to be Gonzo Jimenez. Gonzo, as he openly says, "had a very blessed start," originally from Northern Argentina and was raised in a Spanish household surrounded by good food and long family meals. These strong family values helped him find his calling in food, but specifically on the sweeter side of the business. His early training taught him that he was able to apply not only science, but also artistic expressions when it came to presenting beautiful sweets and confections. He was instantly hooked and found his true calling. In addition to being a valued República del Cacao partner, Gonzo is an educator, Co-owner and chocolatier of Miette et Chocolat in Denver Colorado where he currently lives. You may also recognize him from the Netflix Original Series "BakeSquad," hosted by Christina Tosi, where Gonzo and the cast of talented pastry chefs develop some of the most incredible treats for life celebrations. Get ready for a fun filled, energetic and informative conversation as Gonzo gives us a look into his life as a chocolatier, what motivates him personally and professionally and why he finds so much joy in being a República del Cacao partner, helping educate and empower the future generation of culinary creatives.

Discover more about República del Cacao:

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On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Yiming Lin. He's the creator and food ethnographer behind Literally.Starving—the highly popular social media platform and human interest food account he started in the summer of 2022 as a means of understanding his personal relationships with food and creating community as a new resident to New York.

It's no surprise that in less than a year, Literally.Starving has garnered over 3 million subscribers from around the world and has been featured on BuzzFeed, First We Feast, World Journal, Fox News, and numerous other publications. We're excited to have him at On The Pass where we dig deeper into his creator journey.

This journey began long before the genesis of Literally.Starving and stretches back to when his Chinese immigrant parents sought a better opportunity and escaped China's one child policy regulations. Yiming's parents settled in Tampa, Florida and opened a local Chinese-American takeout restaurant, which is where he truly found his love and deep curiosity for cooking and how food brings people together.

In this episode, we discuss the impact of his upbringing in his family's restaurant, the origins of Literally.Starving, the evolution of both his content creator journey and this platform, and the responsibility and ethics around creating media and having a growing, global platform. It's a story about entrepreneurship, community building, and following one's passions.

Hungry for more? Let's get into our exciting conversation with Yiming Lin of Literally.Starving!

For more info on Literally.Starving:

https://bit.ly/3OFWZUZ

Follow Literally.Staving on Instagram:

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Did you know Colombia is home to 87 indigenous communities and 51,330 species of flora and fauna, which makes it the second-most biodiverse country in the world?

Back in April 2023, Gabriel had the pleasure of spending time in Bogotá, Colombia with our next guests: Chef Leonor 'Leo' Espinosa and her daughter, the sommelier and drinks alchemist, Laura Hernández Espinosa. Both are the owners and creative visionaries behind the critically-acclaimed and globally recognized restaurant, LEO.

Chef Leo and Laura are Colombia's highest-profile women working in gastronomy and have played an integral role in putting Colombia on the global culinary map. Restaurante LEO has ranked in both The World's 50 Best and Latin America's 50 Best lists many times, and Leo has been named The World's Best Female Chef. She also took home the prestigious Basque Culinary World Prize for the social and economic development work she, her daughter, and their team do at their NGO, FUNLEO.

Both inspiring women are on a mission to reintroduce Colombia's ancestral culinary knowledge, while also supporting the country's Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities. Colombia has 1.5 million indigenous people who, like elsewhere in the world, have been historically stripped of their rights and left with little resources. Leo and Laura are artfully telling the story of Colombia's invisible territories and indigenous communities through the experience of fine dining.

Both the food and drinks proposal are uniquely delicious and extremely memorable. Leo and her team bring you on an unforgettable gastronomic journey through Colombia's incredible biodiversity. It's been one of Gabriel's favorite meals this year, and this experience has been a catalyst for wanting to discover more of Colombia and learn more about its numerous beauty and offerings. Our hope is that this episode sparks a similar interest and curiosity for listeners to get out and explore Colombia's rich culture and delicious culinary scene.

For more info on Restaurante LEO and FUNLEO:

https://bit.ly/3JPr0za

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This episode was recorded and released in Feb 2021. Who is Shep Gordon? You've probably heard the popular phrase "Chefs Are The New Rockstars" — you can thank Shep for that. He's the visionary who brought chefs like Roger Vergé, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Roy Yamaguchi and Daniel Boulud to the mainstream and coined the term "Celebrity Chefs."

Coming from a colorful life as a music manager to artists like Alice Cooper, Luther Vandross, Blondie and Teddy Pendergrass to name a few, Shep brought his show business know-how to the culinary arts where he singlehandedly paved the path for chefs to become today's cultural icons.

If you've seen him in the beloved 2013 documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, directed by Mike Myers, his persona is no different in this episode. Being the phenomenal storyteller that Shep is, he shares personal stories about some of today's most iconic chefs before their heydays, what he saw in chefs that encouraged him to create a highway for them to have a better life, and his own journey with food.

For more info on Shep Gordon:

https://bit.ly/3PoAowZ

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Starting any business requires your energy, enthusiasm, and passion for the space, but to catalyze its success, you also need a mission, vision, and business plan. Our next guest, Sherry Villanueva, was a first-time hospitality entrepreneur, but with a focused vision and mission, she's been able to successfully grow a multifaceted restaurant and hotel company. The mission is simple: Make people happy.

Sherry is the founder and managing partner of Acme Hospitality and proudly serves as the owner and operator of an innovative collection of restaurants and historic hotels. If you've spent any time in Santa Barbara, we guarantee you've eaten, sipped on a fun cocktail, or enjoyed a glass of wine (or some combination of the three) at one of her spots like Loquita, The Lark, Santa Barbara Wine Collective, La Paloma Cafe, Lucky Penny, Helena Ave Bakery, and numerous others.

With over a decade in the business, Sherry and her team diversified their portfolio several years back, started Acme Lodging, and have since opened historic properties in Grass Valley, Nevada City, and the newly opened 1950's mid-century modern Palm Springs hotel, Azure Sky.

Sherry discusses helping pioneer Santa Barbara's Funk Zone, gives us a look into her creative process, and foreshadows what we can expect from her and her team in the years to come.

For more info on Acme Hospitality:

https://bit.ly/42tmIUk

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Check out On The Pass website:

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