We are joined today by Jordan Rubin, who is the co-owner of Crispy Gai, and chef-owner of Mr. Tuna, and the forthcoming Bar Futo — all located in downtown Portland, ME. Jordan has always been drawn to Japanese cuisine and has spent his 20-year career working in some of the top sushi bars across New England. Marisa Lewiecki is the co-owner and director of operations at Portland, ME’s Mr. Tuna and the forthcoming Bar Futo. She began working in hospitality over 15 years ago and has held every position from waitress to Director of Operations and has played an integral role in some marquee openings across Portland, ME.

Photo Courtesy of Natalie Black.

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Our guest today is no stranger to competition and no stranger to media notoriety. She’s one of the rare few that has managed to strike twice, first as an Olympian and more recently as an acclaimed chef, working through some of the best restaurants in Houston, past the competition on Top Chef Season 18, and now into the Innovation Community of Houston’s Ion with her own concept.

We're excited to welcome to the show chef Dawn Burrell. Excited to hear more about Late August!

Photo Courtesy of Jenn Duncan.

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How do you go from a few Taco carts in 2017 to an 11,000 Square ft. Warehouse complete with kitchen and counter service in just a few years? Not to mention the 60+ retail outlets and coffee shops where you can score an Austin style breakfast taco. We are about to find out!

Today on the show we have founder Liz Solomon Dwyer of King David Tacos, the Austin-native responsible for NYC's now ubiquitous breakfast tacos at carts and cafes across the city.

HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we’re asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

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Today’s guests join us from the restaurant opening soon you’ve heard nothing about, but will undoubtedly be talked about, once the secret gets out. Or it opens? Which will come first? The Noortwyck is an elevated neighborhood restaurant focusing on delicious food and warm hospitality set to open in NY’s West Village. 

Helmed by a team of EMP Alums including Chef Andy Quinn, Director of Ops Cedric Nicaise, and dream weaver and artist Bridgette Zhou. We're excited to hear what they have been working on!

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Over the years there have been many trendy methods of naming your restaurant, from street numbers to creative abbreviations. I personally like when a business is straightforward, a book title that clearly describes its contents. Cafe Spaghetti does that, in a playful way, while leaving room for the diner to be wowed by just how serious this neighborhood Italian spot is about its food. 

We wouldn’t expect anything less from our friend, chef, and owner Sal Lamboglia. Opened at the start of this month, Cafe Spaghetti in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens is Sal’s first step into ownership after many years amongst the talented teams behind Andrew Carmellini’s Noho Hospitality group and most recently Bar Primi.

Photo Courtesy of Lauren Roche.

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Ci Siamo means, we have arrived. And judging by the packed dining room and the buzzing,  expertly trained service team at Ci Siamo last month, we may have finally arrived into the post covid era of dining. 

We’ve had the pleasure of knowing Chef Hillary since her time as CDC at A Voce with Chef Missy Robbins, to chef/partner at neighborhood favorite Vics and now exec Chef at Danny Myers's latest venture, Ci Siamo, where her cooking centers on live-fire cooking showcasing the simplicity of fine seasonal ingredients and drawing on her diverse culinary background from Spain to Italy.

Watch this episode on YouTube HERE!

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At first glance, Hungry House reminds us of the experience we remember as a kid at the mall food court, the fantasy realized of having all of your faves available in one meal. However, Hungry House, its roster, and the way it works with its collaborators are much more than an indulgent trip to the mall. 

Founded by Kristen Barnett this past Fall, Hungry House is a brick and mortar and delivery platform that dubs itself the “anti-ghost kitchen”, having recently served as the COO of ghost kitchen Zuul. Serving up dishes from a seasonally rotating roster of chefs you may not have otherwise had access to. Including our friend Woldy Reyes, chef and owner of Woldy Kusina, a modern Filipino concept, who joins us today.
 

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Opening a restaurant is a challenge. In the sense of the word that it’s hard, it’s expensive, stressful, and much more. Today’s guests are tackling that challenge, of course, but they’re also using their new restaurant as a challenge to the industry, to the norms that have been created, and the exclusions that have been present in their careers and throughout the industry. They aim to build an experience that serves everyone equally and thoughtfully, with acceptance, balance, and fun.

We are here today with partners Chef Telly Justice and Camille Lindsley of HAGS, a community-driven tasting menu restaurant in NYC’s East Village by Queer women for everyone. Chef Telly has been working in restaurants for over 15 years since she was 18 years old, with stints at anarchist vegan restaurants in ATL to Michelin Star tasting menus in NYC. Camille Lindsley is a certified Somm and heads up the beverage program. Expect a fun, thoughtful, and communicative brand of hospitality that centers queerness at HAGS.

We have a new format today! We will be chatting, drinking, and cooking along with Telly and Camille as we chat about all things HAGS.

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We were first introduced to Edith’s in the summer of 2020 when we joined the line of several dozen other hungry Brooklynites looking for hand-rolled bagels and hot latkes. Fast forward 18 months and Ediths has 2 permanent locations including a brand new flagship complete with café and grocery. 

Founder Elyssa Heller is on a mission to highlight food of the Jewish Diaspora beyond the standard delicatessen offerings. Elyssa has previously worked in operations for big brands such as Milk Bar and Dylan’s Candy Bar and is bringing her love of Jewish Cuisine forward with Edith’s.

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Every restaurant, no matter how hard they try to avoid it, ends up with food waste. Slow nights, weather impacted outdoor dining, pandemic surges and dips, and just the normal ebb and flow of running a restaurant can leave food on the table, literally. There have been options in the past, but how does a case of celery on the brink or an overstock of milk help by itself?

ReThink Food tackled this problem with a solution that puts ready-to-eat meals directly in the hands of those that need it. Starting in 2017, ReThink has distributed nearly 6.9M meals to communities impacted by food insecurity. 

Here with us today is ReThink’s founder and CEO, Matt Jozwiak. Matt has worked in restaurants nearly his entire life starting as a dishwasher and eventually landing as chef de partie at EMP.

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