Pan Con Podcast

U.K. native Ashley Moncada studied law before making plans to adopt a globe-trotting lifestyle. She and her wife lived in Australia, New Zealand, France, Barbados and North Carolina. But, as Ashley notes in this interview, “you can’t travel doing law.” She was a good cook, though. So she lied about having professional experience to get her first kitchen job in Australia and was off to the races from there. A careen that began with a fake résumé led Ashley to a place on the Ariete team that won a very real Michelin Star and, most recently, a job as the executive chef at Ariete Hospitality Group’s newest concept, Laurel (set to open in late 2022 at Miami Worldcenter).

In this conversation with Mike Beltran, the two talk about the road to Ariete, the family she found in that kitchen, their vision for Laurel, and why Miami is the first place that’s felt like home. At the end of the podcast, Ashley tries some Okonomi sauce right out of a single-serve pouch.

In the Patreon-only extended cut, Mike asks whether Ashley prefers croissants or bagels and Nick attempts to get some clarity on chip butties.

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When Eddie Zamora moved from Miami to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, it was because — at the time — there wasn’t much opportunity for him in South Florida. Over time, twists of fate (including a well timed tweet about Lance Armstrong and some “douchey duck lip” coffee selfies) led him to a career in food media. He’s built an audience of followers (they know him as The Yum Yum Foodie) who trust him for everything from recipes to restaurant recommendations. He’s also managed to parley that trust into brand partnerships with the likes of Lexus (a former employer of Eddie’s).

Most recently, he launched Kill The Bottle, a podcast in which he and cohost Megan Elizabeth interview guests like chef Richard Blais, Broken Shaker co-founder Gabe Orta, The Boys star Laz Alonso, country star Martina McBride and comedian Craig Kilborn.

In this episode, Eddie and Mike chat about Miami, Los Angeles, food TV, social media, and being a self-appointed ambassador for your hometown.

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Growing up in Texas, Alexys Hernández’s restaurant environment was made up largely of chains and Mexican joints. The mom-and-pop-heavy landscape of Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts (or Camberville, as they say in those parts) was something new. What wasn’t was a dearth of great Cuban food, which is what Alexys was raised on at home in a Cuban-American family.

In this conversation with chef Michael Beltrán, Alexys talks about Ensueño Cubano, the Cuban pastry and sandwich pop up he launched at Bagelsaurus, where he’s been working for several years. From learning to make his own Cuban bread to keeping up with the demand for pastelitos made with the puff pastry he makes from scratch, Alexys has cleared hurdles, learned lessons, and picked up experience that will inform the next steps in his Cuban food venture’s growth.

Alexys and Mike also discuss how they’ve used the attention they get for Cuban food to shine a light on human rights abuses in Cuba, especially since the July 11, 2021 protests on the island.

In the Patreon-exclusive extended cut’s lightning round, Mike asks Alexys about his bagel preferences, whether he makes Cuban coffee at home, and more.

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In this episode of Pan Con Podcast, guest host John Falco (co-owner of Fire Pit Hospitality and first-ballot Pan Con Podcast hall of famer) interviews Eric Isaac. Eric is an FIU professor and the pastor of Neighborhood Church Miami, a Presbyterian church that meets every Sunday for services at Lincoln’s Beard Brewery, where this interview was recorded.

John and Eric talk about Neighborhood, why it was formed, why it meets at a brewery, and how it’s different from (and similar to) other, more conventional congregations. They also discuss Eric’s role at FIU, his academic work on the subject of spiritual abuse, and how those relate to the work he does as a pastor.

Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks:

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Follow Pan Con Podcast:

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Kris Huseby was one of our first guests on Pan Con Podcast back in 2019. His second appearance comes just after the opening of Ariete Hospitality Group’s newest concept, The Gibson Room, where Kris is the executive chef.

In this conversation with Mike Beltrán, the two talk about taking over a restaurant and overhauling it (a first for Ariete Hospitality Group), Kris’ experience settling into his first executive chef role, leading young talent, the fulfillment that comes from teaching skills to the next generation of cooks, and what it’s like to helm a new concept within a company that’s just earned a Michelin Star and a Bib Gourmand at two of its other restaurants.

In the Patreon-exclusive extended cut’s lightning round, things get extra ridiculous as Mike and Kris fall into a heated debate about croissants, bagels, pastelitos, and doughnuts.

Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks:

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Follow Pan Con Podcast:

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Henry Gómez is the VP of strategic planning at Zubi Advertising Services, a Miami based firm founded by the late Tere Zubizarreta, a pioneer of Hispanic advertising and an Advertising Hall of Fame inductee. In this conversation with chef Mike Beltrán, Henry talks about his own career trajectory, his role on the team that won a Cannes Lion for bold Burger King campaign, and the parallels between the advertising business and the restaurant business.

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/DADEmag

Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere:

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Follow Mike Beltran:

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Send any feedback to [email protected].

Production and editing: Nicolás Antonio Jiménez

Theme music: Carlos "Carluba" Rodríguez (instangram.com/carluba)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the pressure of COVID restrictions in Los Angeles pushed chef Phillip Frankland Lee to set up shop in Austin, Texas, it didn’t take long for the gamble to pay off. Sushi by Scratch Bar was a hit. But it was a push from an early Austin guest — Joe Rogan — that sent things into another stratosphere for Phillip’s company. In this conversation, Phillip tells Mike Beltrán about how his career in food began, the experience of earning his first Michelin Star, the impact of a social media post from Joe Rogan, and Sushi by Scratch’s new Miami outpost, which is opening at The Stirrup House, the historic home behind Ariete.

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Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere:

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Follow Mike Beltran:

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Send any feedback to [email protected].

Production and editing: Nicolás Antonio Jiménez

Theme music: Carlos "Carluba" Rodríguez (instangram.com/carluba)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Florida has its first Michelin Guide, with eleven Miami restaurants taking Stars and a number of others being awarded Bib Gourmands and recommendations. In this episode, chef Michael Beltrán recaps the inaugural Florida ceremony, recalls what it was like for him and his team at Ariete Hospitality Group to win a star at Ariete and a Bib at Chug’ s Diner, and talks about the significance of the Guide’s official arrival to Florida chefs and restaurateurs. In the second half of the podcast, Mike answers questions submitted by listeners via Instagram in an Ask-Mike-Anything segment.

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/DADEmag

Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere:

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Follow Mike Beltran:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/piginc/

Twitter: twitter.com/piginc

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Send any feedback to [email protected].

Production and editing: Nicolás Antonio Jiménez

Theme music: Carlos "Carluba" Rodríguez (instangram.com/carluba)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee Schrager is the senior vice president of communications and corporate social responsibility for Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirit of America. He’s also the founder of the New York City Wine & Food Festival and the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Mike Beltrán’s criticisms of SOBEWFF are no secret. In fact, if you’ve hear enough other episodes of this podcast, you’ve heard a lot of them. Mike invited Lee on as a guest for this episode of Pan Con Podcast. In this conversation, the two talk about Lee’s professional history and how it led to the birth of the South Beach festival 22 years ago. The two also open up about their tense relationship and disagreements. A chunk of this conversation was cut from the final product. This chat was recorded days before the Michelin Guide awarded its first ever Florida Stars. We elected not to include the conversation about whether anyone was left out unfairly. You can, however, find some of Lee’s thoughts on that on Instagram.

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/DADEmag

Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere:

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Follow Mike Beltran:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/piginc/

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Send any feedback to [email protected].

Production and editing: Nicolás Antonio Jiménez

Theme music: Carlos "Carluba" Rodríguez (instangram.com/carluba)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Val Chang is a member of what Miami diners affectionately call “the Chang gang.” She, her father Fernando and her brother Nando are the engine that drives Itamae (which began as a stall and recently opened as a standalone restaruant), B-Side Sushi, and Raya. Like our host Michael Beltrán, Val and Nando were named 2021 StarChefs Rising Stars. In this episode of Pan Con Podcast, Val and Mike talk about her childhood, family recipes, working with family, and navigating the waters of an evolving, expanding business.

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/DADEmag

Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/panconpodcast/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/panconpodcast/

Twitter: twitter.com/panconpodcast

Follow Mike Beltran:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/piginc/

Twitter: twitter.com/piginc

Follow Nick Jiménez:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nicolasajimenez/

Twitter: twitter.com/nicolasajimenez

Follow DADE:

Support DADE on Patreon: www.patreon.com/DADEmag

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DADEMAG/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dadeig/

Twitter: twitter.com/dadetweets

Send any feedback to [email protected].

Production and editing: Nicolás Antonio Jiménez

Theme music: Carlos "Carluba" Rodríguez (instangram.com/carluba)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.