By The Restaurant Guys
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott are The Restaurant Guys! The two have been best friends and restaurateurs for over 30 years. They started The Restaurant Guys Radio Show and Podcast in 2005 and have
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The podcast currently has 43 episodes available.
The Banter
The Guys discuss the most sought-after restaurant in France which is probably not what you think.
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys are thrilled to meet soul food royalty Melba Wilson. Melba recounts her childhood centered around food and frugality which is what led her to where she is today. She brought gospel brunch to Windows on the World and helped revitalize a Harlem neighborhood by bringing folks together over home cooking at her restaurant Melba’s. There may be a Melba’s coming closer to you. Find out where!
The Inside Track
The Guys knew Melba was a go-getter, but they were not expecting such a powerhouse! They were so taken with her they decided to attend her gospel brunch shortly after this conversation.
“Well, I look at my story truly as the American dream. That's my life story. I'm someone who was born, bred and buttered, right here in the village of Harlem that had a dream,” Melba Wilson 2024 on The Restaurant Guys Podcast
Bio
After some experience at her aunt Sylvia’s restaurant, the iconic Sylvia’s, she struck out on her own in Harlem serving soul food to big wigs and regular folks. She created gospel brunch on Sundays first at Windows on the World then at her own place, Melba’s, which she opened in 2005.
She appeared on the Food Network shows Beat Bobby Flay, Worst Cooks in America, and Throwdown! with Bobby Flay
Her book is Melba's American Comfort: 100 Recipes From My Heart to Your Kitchen
Info
Melba’s Restaurant
https://www.melbasrestaurant.com/
Le Grande Buffet in Narbonne, France
https://www.lesgrandsbuffets.com/en
Boulom (Paris Buffet Restaurant)
https://www.boulom.net/
Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys
**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**
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This is a Vintage Selection from 2007
The Banter
The Guys talk about the idea of “forbidden foods” and the ethics of whether to seek them out as a travel article suggests.
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys dig into the details (and a box) of chocolate with chocolatier Jacques Torres. They discuss sourcing, technique, perishability and the transcendent power of chocolate. How is a chocolatier like a winemaker? Find out.
The Inside Track
The Guys are fans of Jacques Torres chocolates and were excited to have a high-energy chat about all things chocolate. Jacques makes hot chocolate like Mark’s grandmother and he gives a tip for making it spectacular.
"The best chocolate is the chocolate that you prefer to eat. Let's be very honest. It's not because you have a brand on it. It's not because you have a name on the, on the, on the tablet of chocolate that the chocolate is going to be the one that you prefer. There's different chocolates. The one that you prefer. It's the best chocolate," Jacques Torres on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007
Bio
Jacques Torres, affectionately known as Mr. Chocolate, is an expert in the field of chocolate and beyond. He worked at Le Cirque, as the Executive Pastry Chef.
In 2000, Torres left Le Cirque and opened his own chocolate factory and retail shop in Brooklyn. Eventually, He went on to open seven shops, including two chocolate factories and an ice cream shop. Jacques was a pioneer in the bean to bar movement, he was the first artisan chocolatier in New York City to start from cocoa beans and make his own chocolate.
He has received numerous awards over the years as well as The James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year Award in 1994, and inducted in The James Beard Who’s Who of American Food & Beverage Award in 2003. In 2016, Dessert Professional Magazine inducted him in the Chocolate Hall of Fame and also the same year was awarded the highest honor in France, The Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
He authored several cookbooks and has been the head judge on “Nailed It!”. The show has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Competition Program.
Info
Jacques Torres Chocolates
www.mrchocolate.com
Jacques' Books
Dessert Circus: Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home
Dessert Circus At Home
A Year in Chocolat
Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys
**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**
Click Below!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe
The Banter
The Guys discuss the fall of one of Mark’s old employers where you may have enjoyed a "fest."
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys have a talk with Jacques Torres, Mr. Chocolate, while enjoying the fruits of his labor. They discuss sourcing high quality ingredients, the future of the cacao bean and why his hot chocolate is so incredible.
The Inside Track
The Guys hosted Jacques Torres on their radio show back in 2007 and are thrilled to speak with him again. They are long-time fans of both his and his chocolate.
“Chocolate and pastry. This is my life. This is what I do. I've got that in my veins,” Jacques Torres on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024
Bio
Jacques Torres, affectionately known as Mr. Chocolate, is an expert in the field of chocolate and beyond. In 1988, he came to the U.S. as the Corporate Pastry Chef for Ritz Carlton Hotels. After a year, Sirio Maccioni invited Jacques to New York City to work at his restaurant, Le Cirque, as the Executive Pastry Chef.
In 2000, Torres left Le Cirque and opened his own chocolate factory and retail shop in Brooklyn. Eventually, he went on to open seven shops, including two chocolate factories and an ice cream shop. Jacques was a pioneer in the bean to bar movement, he was the first artisan chocolatier in New York City to start from cocoa beans and make his own chocolate.
He has received numerous awards over the years as well as The James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year Award in 1994, and inducted in The James Beard Who’s Who of American Food & Beverage Award in 2003. In 2016, Dessert Professional Magazine inducted him in the Chocolate Hall of Fame and also the same year was awarded the highest honor in France, The Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
Jacques has been the head judge on “Nailed It!”. The show has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Competition Program. He also hosted a television series, Chocolate with Jacques Torres, on the Food Network.
His cookbooks: Dessert Circus: Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home , and Dessert Circus At Home, A Year in Chocolate .
Info
Jacques Torres’ Shop
https://mrchocolate.com/
Cacao Trace video
https://youtu.be/KCCLPWVk6PY?feature=shared
Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys
**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**
Click Below!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe
The Banter
The Guys reply to a listener email about a faux pas in his favorite restaurant. They address how to craft a complaint for the best result including ingratiating yourself with the management.
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys welcome back Chef Charlie Trotter to hear what’s going on in Chicago and Las Vegas, especially during challenging economic times. You’ll hear Chef Trotter’s advice on culinary school, making stocks at home and many things in between.
The Inside Track
The Guys welcome Charlie Trotter on their show for a second time. They were pleased to know that Chef Trotter played his previous interview on The Restaurant Guys Podcast to his staff.
“I've told so many people that this (podcast) is basically Car Talk for food,” Charlie Trotter on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2009
Bio
Charlie Trotter opened Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant in 1987. Twice it received two Michelin stars and other acclaim. He closed it in 2012. Restaurant Charlie in Las Vegas received the Michelin Guide One Star Award as well as the James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Restaurant. He opened other concepts such as a high-end delicatessen store and a seafood restaurant in Mexico.
He received multiple James Beard Foundation Awards including Humanitarian of the Year Award for his philanthropic work.
Trotter was the host of the 1999 PBS cooking show The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter,
Info
Charlie’s Books
Home Cooking with Charlie Trotter by Charlie Trotter
Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter
Lessons in Service from Charlie Trotter
Lessons in Wine Service by Charlie Trotter
Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys
**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**
Click Below!
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The Banter
The Guys talk about fast food and the Super Size Me guy, Morgan Spurlock, a former guest on the show whose work impacted their lives.
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys catch up with Chef Jose Garces in his busy kitchen to discuss his story from Spain to New York to Philadelphia. Chef and The Guys both opened up restaurants in October 2005 named after their grandmothers!
The Inside Track
The Guys and Chef Garces have crossed paths over the past several decades and held friends in common, but never met.
“I think it was a turning point for me as a chef, I realized then that I could drive traffic with just consistent food, consistent, fresh, delicious food day in and day out,” Chef Jose Garces on The Restaurant Guys 2024
Bio
Chef Jose Garces is known as a leading culinary authority of Spanish and Latin-American food from the Spanish tapas at Amada, his first restaurant, to the playful Japanese street food at Okatshe in Atlantic City, Chef Garces continually pushes the boundaries of culinary excellence.
To help provide ongoing and actionable assistance to the immigrant community, Chef Garces co-founded The Garces Foundation in 2011. The Garces Foundation provides services, including community health days, English language skills classes, and a providing food supplies to the food insecure.
Chef Garces won James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic as well as the title Iron Chef.
He is the author of two cookbooks, Latin Evolution and The Latin Road Home
Info
Chef’s Projects
www.chefgarces.com
Chef’s Restaurants
https://garcesgroup.com/
Morgan Spurlock’s Book & Movie
Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America by Morgan Spurlock
Super Size Me
Jamon Iberico de Bellota
https://www.tienda.com/
Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys
**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**
Click Below!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe
The Banter
The Guys talk about Calvados, what makes it special and why we should taste a wide range of spirits to find the ones you truly enjoy. To this end they run The Spirits Project at their restaurant where they offer samplings of high-end spirits at cost to consumers to further community and conversation. It’s still happening in 2024. If you’re near central NJ, join us!
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys talk with Jim Meehan, an accomplished bartender and operator of Please Don’t Tell speakeasy and now author of The PDT Cocktail book. The Guys are taken with the recipes, artwork and beauty of the book. Hear about Jim’s inspirations behind it all.
The Inside Track
The Guys are so friendly with Jim he has a special nickname for Francis.
"You guys, thank you so much. It's been such an inspiration to me to come to your restaurants over the years. To not only get to know you guys as restaurateurs, but to get to know you guys as friends. So, it's really exciting for me to share this with you on your great show,” Jim Meehan on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2011
Bio
In 2007 Jim Meehan, a seasoned bartender, opened Please Don’t Tell speakeasy bar in the East Village (NYC) which garnered much acclaim.
Jim has been awarded numerous Spirited Awards from Tales of the Cocktail including American Bartender of the Year, World’s Best Cocktail Bar, Best New Cocktail Book, and Best Bar Mentor. He received James Beard Foundation Awards for Outstanding Bar Program and Best Beverage Book as well as numerous other accolades.
He has written countless articles and three books. The most recent is The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar.
Info
Jim’s Book mentioned in the podcast
The PDT Cocktail Book: The Complete Bartender's Guide from the Celebrated Speakeasy by Jim Meehan and Chris Gall
Jim’s Instagram
@mixography
Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys
**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**
Click Below!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe
The Banter
The Guys talk about sourcing products for their restaurants through relationships with local farms and hobbyists. Catherine Lombardi, Mark’s grandmother and the inspiration for his restaurant of the same name, had family heirloom vinegar pots brought from Italy. The Guys recently began experimenting and making vinegar. Hear how it’s going!
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys catch up with mixologist, author and friend Jim Meehan. They discuss various bar trends over the years and what might be coming next. They highlight Jim’s most recent book which is a way to make truly unique cocktail.
The Inside Track
The Guys have known Jim for years from frequenting his bars and through the industry. They are even “restaurant in laws.” Listen to find out how!
Bio
In 2007 Jim Meehan, a seasoned bartender, opened Please Don’t Tell speakeasy bar in the East Village (NYC) which garnered much acclaim.
Jim has been awarded numerous Spirited Awards from Tales of the Cocktail including American Bartender of the Year, World’s Best Cocktail Bar, Best New Cocktail Book, and Best Bar Mentor. He received James Beard Foundation Awards for Outstanding Bar Program and Best Beverage Book as well as numerous other accolades.
He has written countless articles and three books. The most recent is The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar.
Info
Jim’s Instagram
@mixography
Jim's Book
The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar by Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso
https://www.thebartenderspantry.com/
Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys
**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**
Click Below!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe
Subscriber-only episode
The Banter
The Guys talk about sourcing products for their restaurants through relationships with local farms and hobbyists. Catherine Lombardi, Mark’s grandmother and the inspiration for his restaurant of the same name, had family heirloom vinegar pots brought from Italy. The Guys recently began experimenting and making vinegar. Hear how it’s going!
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys catch up with mixologist, author and friend Jim Meehan. They discuss various bar trends over the years and what might be coming next. They highlight Jim’s most recent book which is a way to make truly unique cocktail.
The Inside Track
The Guys have known Jim for years from frequenting his bars and throughout the industry. They are even “restaurant in ‘laws.” Listen to find out how!
Bio
In 2007 Jim Meehan, a seasoned bartender, opened Please Don’t Tell speakeasy bar in the East Village (NYC) which garnered much acclaim.
Jim has been awarded numerous Spirited Awards from Tales of the Cocktail including American Bartender of the Year, World’s Best Cocktail Bar, Best New Cocktail Book, and Best Bar Mentor. He received James Beard Foundation Awards for Outstanding Bar Program and Best Beverage Book as well as numerous other accolades.
He has written countless articles and three books. The most recent is The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar.
Info
Jim’s Instagram
@mixography
Jim's Book
The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar by Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso
https://www.thebartenderspantry.com/
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys
**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**
Click Below!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390435/support
This is a Vintage Selection from 2006
The Banter
The Guys discuss new trends in desserts as Francis nurses his sugar hangover.
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys hear the tale of Steven Rinella’s experience spending a year collecting wild game to create a 45 course meal from Chef Auguste Escoffier’s book Le Guide Culinaire. From turtles to elk to blue trout, don’t miss this epic adventure! (You won’t believe what he went through to acquire squab.)
The Inside Track
The Guys were fascinated by Steven Rinella’s determination to cook obscure dishes from Escoffier and were eager to speak with him.
“You just kind of get a sense that you want the world to be sort of as big and as beautiful as it can be. And that sense for me comes very much just from being around animals and seeing animals and having the occasion to eat them,” Steven Rinella on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006
Bio
Steven Rinella is the host of the long-running television show MeatEater and top-ranked MeatEater podcast. and the audio original, MeatEater's Campfire Stories: Narrow Escapes and More Close Calls.
The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine was the first of many books authored by Rinella. He is the New York Times bestselling author of ten books dealing with wildlife, hunting, fishing, and wild game cooking, most recently Outdoor Kids in an Inside World: Getting Your Family Out of the House and Radically Engaged with Nature.
He is the recipient of the Conservation Achievement Award from The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
Info
Steven Rinella’s book
The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine: How I Spent a Year in the American Wild to Re-create a Feast from the Classic Recipes of French Master Chef Auguste Escoffier
Steven Rinella’s YouTube channel
MeatEater - YouTube
Steven Rinella’s Podcast
https://www.themeateater.com/listen/meateater
Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys
**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**
Click Below!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe
Subscriber-only episode
**This is an commercial-free version available to Restaurant Guys Regulars. Subscribe today!**
Click Below!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390435/support
This is a Vintage Selection from 2006
The Banter
The Guys discuss new trends in desserts as Francis nurses his sugar hangover.
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys hear the tale of Steven Rinella’s experience spending a year collecting wild game to create a 45 course meal from Chef Auguste Escoffier’s book Le Guide Culinaire. From turtles to elk to blue trout, don’t miss this epic adventure! (You won’t believe what he went through to acquire squab.)
The Inside Track
The Guys were fascinated by Steven Rinella’s determination to cook obscure dishes from Escoffier and were eager to speak with him.
“You just kind of get a sense that you want the world to be sort of as big and as beautiful as it can be. And that sense for me comes very much just from being around animals and seeing animals and having the occasion to eat them,” Steven Rinella on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006
Bio
Steven Rinella is the host of the long-running television show MeatEater and top-ranked MeatEater podcast. and the audio original, MeatEater's Campfire Stories: Narrow Escapes and More Close Calls.
The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine was the first of many books authored by Rinella. He is the New York Times bestselling author of ten books dealing with wildlife, hunting, fishing, and wild game cooking, most recently Outdoor Kids in an Inside World: Getting Your Family Out of the House and Radically Engaged with Nature.
He is the recipient of the Conservation Achievement Award from The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
Info
Steven Rinella’s book
The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine: How I Spent a Year in the American Wild to Re-create a Feast from the Classic Recipes of French Master Chef Auguste Escoffier
Steven Rinella’s YouTube channel
MeatEater - YouTube
Steven Rinella’s Podcast
https://www.themeateater.com/listen/meateater
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Reach out to The Restaurant Guys
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys
**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**
Click Below!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390435/support
The podcast currently has 43 episodes available.