Zach Geerson is one of the most prolific chefs Orange County has ever had. He is creative, passionate, and provocative, and, unfortunately, no longer cooking in California. Just before the pandemic struck, he moved back to his native Florida to start a family. We sit down to discuss what it is like living in a state hit so hard by COVID-19, and what it has been like to watch restaurants re-open, only to have to re-close. We also talk about the history of food and the cultural significance of what has been influencing so much of what we cook today, especially as he begins to launch his new pop-up concept, SYLA. He may no longer be an OC Chef, but he is one of the best Southern California had and was am immense knowledge on the area that is exceptionally relevant during these turbulent times. Enjoy.

The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best Ceats Podcast showcases the very best of Southern California’s bars, restaurants, and beyond.

To support content like The Best Ceats Podcast, please consider supporting The Best Ceats, at:

https://Patreon.com/TheBestCeats

To learn more about Ali Coyle, as well as her debut track “Trust. Me,” please see her official website:

https://alicoylemusic.com

There is nothing quite like a neighborhood sports bar. They are equal parts unofficial town halls, community centers, and places of athletic worship. When you have a global pandemic however, they become shells of their former selves. Jim Rafferty of Kelly’s Korner Tavern, in Placentia, CA, sits down to talk about the future of his beloved neighborhood institution during COVID-19, where both bars and sports alike have had operations suspended, and what the future may hold.

The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best Ceats Podcast showcases the very best of Southern California’s bars, restaurants, and beyond.

To support content like The Best Ceats Podcast, please consider supporting The Best Ceats, at:

https://Patreon.com/TheBestCeats

To learn more about Ali Coyle, as well as her debut track “Trust. Me,” please see her official website:

https://alicoylemusic.com

The idea of coming back to work for a chef following a pandemic is a daunting task. Starting a new job, only to have it paused on you for reasons you can’t control, is even more of an immense task. No one knows this better than Chef Anthony Dismuke. However, it is the details of Dismuke’s life that have been the biggest hurdles, as we tackle what his experience has been, not as a chef, but an African American man in 2020 America. An immensely talented chef, we sit down to tackle topics ranging from how he got into cooking, to his own experiences with police. Even down to his sister’s assault. It is a deep episode that you cannot shy away from, but jump into with your eyes and heart fully open. Enjoy.

The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best Ceats Podcast showcases the very best of Southern California’s bars, restaurants, and beyond.

To support content like The Best Ceats Podcast, please consider supporting The Best Ceats, at:

https://Patreon.com/TheBestCeats

To learn more about Ali Coyle, as well as her debut track “Trust. Me,” please see her official website:

https://alicoylemusic.com

These are unprecedented times.

These are also times where necessary conversations have to be had about our past, and how to fix it and everything that it has created. In the world of food and drink - especially in these times where even food media has its own issues - people in the industry, and beyond, have to be heard. The protests around the nation are filled with people trying to achieve just that. Justin Woolfolk is just one of those people. A Long Beach native, and hospitality industry veteran, Justin knows his way around the industry - more importantly, he knows his way around the annals of history. He is incredibly smart, graceful, and I could not be more grateful to him for the time in this episode. I hope it challenges everyone to be the best version of themselves during these days, and focus on the humanity we all need in these times.

The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best Ceats Podcast showcases the very best of Southern California’s bars, restaurants, and beyond.

To support content like The Best Ceats Podcast, please consider supporting The Best Ceats, at:

https://Patreon.com/TheBestCeats

To learn more about Ali Coyle, as well as her debut track “Trust. Me,” please see her official website:

https://alicoylemusic.com

In times where every restaurant and bar is having to pivot or die, it is how each business adapts that matters most. When it comes to Bello by Sandro Nardone in Newport Beach, CA, it is Chef Nardone, and this episode’s guest, Chef Frank DeLoach, leading the charge as they adapt their renowned pizzas into frozen, prepare at-home versions. Also in this episode, we delve into the world of making charcuterie out of video game characters, life in the industry, and more!

The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best Ceats Podcast showcases the very best of Southern California’s bars, restaurants, and beyond.

To support content like The Best Ceats Podcast, please consider supporting The Best Ceats, at:

https://Patreon.com/TheBestCeats

To learn more about Ali Coyle, as well as her debut track “Trust. Me,” please see her official website:

https://alicoylemusic.com

Running a restaurant is a hard business - but what about a pop-up restaurant? Moreover, what is it like to not be able to work during a pandemic, not because your restaurant is closed, but because every restaurant is closed? The Dining Project OC is one of Orange County’s premier dinner pop-ups, and Chef and Co-Founder of it, James Caveness sits down to talk all about it. Also, we discuss how he has stayed busy since, what re-opening plans look like for him, and more!

The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best Ceats Podcast showcases the very best of Southern California’s bars, restaurants, and beyond.

To support content like The Best Ceats Podcast, please consider supporting The Best Ceats, at:

https://Patreon.com/TheBestCeats

To learn more about Ali Coyle, as well as her debut track “Trust. Me,” please see her official website:

https://alicoylemusic.com

Pitmaster and Owner of Heritage Barbecue, Daniel Castillo, is one busy man. His barbecue pop-ups are renowned, his restaurant is nearly open for business, and he has a child on the way - and even with all of this, he helms the #OCSmokeKitchen

He cares about people, community, and not just making great food, but doing it for the right reasons. He is a busy man, so I am even more grateful for his time. This is one you won’t want to miss!

The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best Ceats Podcast showcases the very best of Southern California’s bars, restaurants, and beyond.

To support content like The Best Ceats Podcast, please consider supporting The Best Ceats, at:

https://Patreon.com/TheBestCeats

To learn more about Ali Coyle, as well as her debut track “Trust. Me,” please see her official website:

https://alicoylemusic.com

Restaurants that push the envelope are important to help push food, educate their diners, and ultimately, enrich their community. Spreading knowledge through flavors and techniques is the keystone of what makes Whitestone in Dana Point such a prolific restaurant. So what does it mean then to be a chef in this environment, when COVID-19 has removed the ability to have those diners in your restaurant? Chef Tony Celeste calls into the show to discuss how a progressive kitchen copes with the current environment, gives a crash course on fermenting, and more.

The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best Ceats Podcast showcases the very best of Southern California’s bars, restaurants, and beyond.

To support content like The Best Ceats Podcast, please consider supporting The Best Ceats, at:

https://Patreon.com/TheBestCeats

To learn more about Ali Coyle, as well as her debut track “Trust. Me,” please see her official website:

https://alicoylemusic.com

What is it like to want to work, but not be allowed to? How hard is it to live near the bar you run, but not be able to run it? Kalina Russel, lead bartender at Broadway by Amar Santana in Laguna Beach sits down to talk about how her life and bar has been affected by COVID-19, what life in a beach city with closed beaches is like, and the other spots she hopes to see open on the other side of a global pandemic.

The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best Ceats Podcast showcases the very best of Southern California’s bars, restaurants, and beyond.

To support content like The Best Ceats Podcast, please consider supporting The Best Ceats, at:

https://Patreon.com/TheBestCeats

To learn more about Ali Coyle, as well as her debut track “Trust. Me,” please see her official website:

https://alicoylemusic.com

It takes a lot to manage a restaurant - but what does it take to manage several, while dealing with a pandemic? Troy Barton of The Helmsman Alehouse in Newport Beach sits down to discuss life as a restaurant manager during COVID-19. Also, what it is like to wear many hats to help the business, protesting to re-open safely, and how life has changed under stay-at-home orders. Plus, cats.

Enjoy!

The Best Ceats Podcast brings unprecedented access to the Orange County hospitality industry each and every episode. Bringing you the best stories, and the people behind them with every interview, The Best Ceats Podcast showcases the very best of Southern California’s bars, restaurants, and beyond

To support content like The Best Ceats Podcast, please consider supporting The Best Ceats, at:

https://Patreon.com/TheBestCeats

To learn more about Ali Coyle, as well as her debut track “Trust. Me,” please see her official website:

https://alicoylemusic.com