This is  TEASER of a Vintage Selection from 2005

The Banter

The Guys talk about their restaurant philosophy and how cultivating a team of people who share your vision is what will sustain you. However, Francis does not share Mark’s vision of going to a Cub’s game.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys are thrilled to have Charlie Trotter on the show to talk about excellence, foie gras and a restaurant that he had planned to open in New York that never came to fruition.

The Inside Track

The Guys have been fans of Charlie’s for a long time yet did not fully realize their similar attitudes on experiential dining.

“ The vision we've had here has been to try to deliver an experience where the food part of it, the service part of it, the wine and beverage part of it, and the ambiance all add up to something greater than the sum of the parts.

So with myself as the chef-operator obsessing about food, almost to the point where it's perverse, I still don't even think that food is the most important part of the dining experience,” Charlie Trotter on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025 

Bio

Charlie Trotter opened Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant in 1987. Twice it received two Michelin stars. He closed it in 2012. Restaurant Charlie in Las Vegas received the Michelin Guide One Star Award. He opened other concepts such as a high-end delicatessen store and a seafood restaurant in Mexico.

He received the James Beard Foundation 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 Book (mentioned in the show)

Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter

by Paul Clarke

Guest Chef Dinner Series at Charlie Trotter’s 2025 

https://www.charlie-trotters.com/

If you’d like to hear the full 2009 conversation, listen here:

https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/episode-26-charlie-trotter

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

Reach Out to The Guys!
[email protected]

**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

This is a Vintage Selection  from 2011

The Banter

The Guys discuss fast food marketing including one which makes them wonder how we became the rat pressing the button in the lab experiment.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys hear from John Mariani how politics, models and the mob impacted the world adopting the now ubiquitous Italian food. From Italian fine dining to Chef Boyardee we learn the rich history of the rise of what some believe to be the best cuisine on the planet!

The Inside Track

The Guys operate an Italian-American restaurant named after Mark’s grandmother who enjoyed filling his belly. 

John: So the Italian immigrant woman in American, quite literally became empowered. To become the best cook on her block, the one whose meatballs were renowned in the neighborhood whose Sunday red sauce, tomato sauce was better than anybody else's. And to take pride in being able to fatten up your kids and your husband and to show the abundance of the American way of life.

That's what Italian American food is all about 

Mark: … and grandchildren. 

John Mariani on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2011

Bio

John Mariani is an acclaimed food and wine writer, historian, and author of more than a dozen books, including The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink and How Italian Food Conquered the World. For 35 years he was the food and travel correspondent for  Esquire and a wine critic for Bloomberg News for a decade. He is known for his insightful commentary on dining, culture, and culinary history. His work has earned him awards, acclaim and recognition as one of America’s leading voices on food and wine. For over 20 years he has written his own newsletter Mariani’s Virtual Gourmet. 

Info

John’s website where you can read his current newsletters

https://johnmariani.com/

John’s Book

How Italian Food Conquered the World

John Mariani

Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting

 https://www.withum.com/restaurant

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

Reach Out to The Guys!
[email protected]

**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 movement in the wine industry to market wine as a lifestyle product. Do folks want to choose wine based on what’s on the bottle or what’s in the bottle?

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys chat with Max Tucci, third-generation restaurateur of the iconic Delmonico's in New York. They delve into the rich history of Delmonico's, discussing its significance from the Gilded Age to today and the culinary innovations that originated there. Max shares touching stories about his family's legacy and the importance of hospitality which he carries into his new venture Tucci.

The Inside Track

The Guys and Max, all seasoned restaurateurs, understand that while there are many moving pieces in a dining experience, there is really only one thing that matters.

“Here's one thing, and you guys get it. At the end of the day, people aren't gonna remember the music. They're not gonna remember if the cocktail was perfectly chilled. They're not gonna remember if this steak was medium rare, but they're gonna remember how they were treated,” Max Tucci on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Max Tucci is an award-winning producer, host, and author, best known for carrying forward the legacy of New York City’s iconic Delmonico’s restaurant. Max is also the author of The Delmonico Way: Sublime Entertaining and Legendary Recipes from the Restaurant that Made New York. 

His podcast, Max & Friends, began as a radio show in 2008 and became a podcast. It’s currently on hiatus.

Info

Max Tucci (find his restaurants, book and show)

https://thedelmonicoway.com/

Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting

 https://www.withum.com/restaurant

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

Reach Out to The Guys!
[email protected]

**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

This is a Vintage Selection from 2008

The Banter

The Guys talk about a civilized way to get groomsmen looking good for the wedding that doesn’t involve a trip to the spa. 

The First Conversation

The Restaurant Guys hear from Kim Haasarud, author and mixologist, who gives advice on sangria. They talk about which wines work best, how to get the most out of the fruit and the best ways to implement it at a party. 

The Second Conversation

The Restaurant Guys talk with Jeanne Kelley about her experiences with urban gardening –complete with chickens and a goat! She shares her joy of composting, the best kitchen tool she’s ever used and a secret ingredient that’s one of The Guys’ favorites. 

Bios

Kim Haasarud is an award-winning mixologist, author, and founder of Liquid Architecture, a consulting firm known for crafting innovative cocktail programs. She is the author of the best-selling 101 Cocktails series and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast, and Cosmopolitan.

Jeanne Kelley is a Los Angeles–based cookbook author, food writer specializing in seasonal, sustainable cooking. She trained at the esteemed École de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris.

Jeanne is the author of several cookbooks, including Salad for Dinner, The Portable Feast, and Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes: A Backyard Garden-to-Table Cookbook.  Her work has been featured in publications such as Bon Appétit, Cooking Light, Fine Cooking, and Everyday with Rachael Ray. She also contributed to Williams Sonoma’s Holiday Baking collection. 

Info

Kim Hassarud

https://www.liquid-architecture.com/

Jeanne Kelley

https://www.jeannekelleykitchen.com/

Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting

 https://www.withum.com/restaurant

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

Reach Out to The Guys!
[email protected]

**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

Banter

The Guys talk about an unusual cooking appliance and how long is too long to keep snails in your pantry.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys finally catch up with Robert LeBlanc, hotelier and restaurateur. They talk about camaraderie within the restaurant community and how that enhances the experience for all involved. The love of hospitality often goes back to their roots of family and experienced restaurateurs before them and that’s how they navigate the inevitable challenges of the industry. 

The Inside Track

The Guys and Robert find common ground in how they lead their teams—training staff to share their own enthusiasm and create genuine connections with guests.

Mark: As I said to the team yesterday, pick something that you are just absolutely passionate about and talk to the customers about that and tell it from your heart and tell it from who you are and tell it from your perspective of why you like it. Nothing's more powerful than that.

Robert: We have a value built on that. It’s called, “Do cool shit and stay humble.”

Robert LeBlanc on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Robert LeBlanc has built some of New Orleans’ favorite spots. His hospitality group, LeBlanc+Smith, is behind Sylvain, the French Quarter bistro; Barrel Proof, a whiskey bar; and The Chloe, an Uptown boutique hotel. He’s also opened The Celestine, a French Quarter stunner with the cocktail bar Peychaud’s, plus neighborhood hangouts like Anna’s and The Will & The Way—each with its own personality.

Info

Robert’s group

https://www.leblancandsmith.com/

Robert’s NOLA recs

https://www.chaisdelachaise.com/

https://patoisnola.com/

https://www.galatoires.com/

https://www.arnaudsrestaurant.com/

Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting

 https://www.withum.com/restaurant

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

Reach Out to The Guys!
[email protected]

**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

This is a Vintage Selection from 2012

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys talk with Barb Stuckey, taste expert, about the difference between taste and flavor. They discuss why you need to contemplate what you eat and use all five senses when you taste. Hear about Barb’s UNfocus tasting group that tested how impairment impacts your perception of food.

The Inside Track

The Guys and Barb discuss analyzing food the way we dissect wine. 

Barb: We do a lot of critical tasting of wine, yet we don't necessarily do the same of food. I thought that that was pretty odd given that only about 35% of the population in America drinks wine, but a hundred percent of us eat food.

Francis: I would like to point out that that's our favorite 35%, but I get your point.

Barb Stuckey on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2012

Bio

Barb Stuckey is a leading food developer, taste expert, and author of Taste: Surprising Stories and Science About Why Food Tastes Good. As Chief New Product Strategy Officer at Mattson (the largest independent food and beverage innovation company in North America) she’s spent over two decades helping create the products that shape how we eat.

Known as a “taste educator,” Stuckey translates the science of flavor into everyday language. Barb was instrumental in helping The San Francisco Cooking School integrate the science of taste into their curriculum by teaching the fundamentals of taste to each incoming class during the school’s 10 years in San Francisco. She spoke at the NextGen Restaurant Summit, gave a TED Talk on umami and has contributed articles about the food industry to Forbes.com.

Info

Barb’s book

Taste: Surprising Stories and Science about Why Food Tastes Good 

By Barb Stuckey

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

Reach Out to The Guys!
[email protected]

**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 Restaurant Guys are solo this show by listener request. You’ll hear great advice like never touch a waiter’s tray and guidance on the right number of martinis to have before a business dinner (Hint: It’s less than two if you haven’t had lunch.) From celebrity encounters to fur coats, these are a few quirky tales of life behind the scenes of fine dining.

Info

Bistro Huddy on IG

https://www.instagram.com/drewtalbert/

The Sussmans

https://www.instagram.com/thesussmans/

Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting

 https://www.withum.com/restaurant

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

Reach Out to The Guys!
[email protected]

**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 reconcile salumi and salami and talk about a high-end chocolate scandal.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys are eager to speak with Natalie MacLean, renowned wine and food writer, to talk about pairing wines with summer foods, especially vegetables. She offers insightful advice on choosing wines for weddings and other gatherings.

The Inside Track

The Guys talk with Natalie about the beauty of toasts.

“ I love making toasts because I think it just seals the celebration like the bow on the present. It's a symbol of unity. That's what toasting was in the old days. People would literally clink their glasses to make sure the wine spilled a little bit into each other's cup. Well, and they were also making sure they weren't poisoning each other. But that's another issue,” Natalie MacLean on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007 

Bio

Natalie is a wine writer and educator. She is the wine expert on CTV's The Social,  CTV News, and Breakfast Television.

Natalie's first book Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass and her second book Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines were both selected as one of Amazon's Best Books of the Year. Her third book Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much has become a National Bestseller.

She was named the World's Best Drinks Writer at the World Food Media Awards, and has won four James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards  and the M.F.K. Fisher Award for Excellence in Culinary Writing from Les Dames d'Escoffier International.

Info

Natalie’s site (find her books here)

https://www.nataliemaclean.com/

Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting

 https://www.withum.com/restaurant

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

Reach Out to The Guys!
[email protected]

**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 changes in how vintage port is aging and then (somehow) pivot to mezcal. Like wine, agave spirits are tied to the land and the magicians who create it.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys host the founders of Southern Smoke Foundation Chris Shepherd and Lindsey Brown to share the origins of the foundation and how it operates today. Southern Smoke supports hospitality workers and beyond by facilitating services for those in need. They host a festival with dozens of talented chefs, great music and even fly fishing.

The Inside Track

The Guys get the inside track on the Southern Smoke Festival. 

“It’s five hours of Heck, Yes!” Chris Shepherd on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bios

Lindsey Brown

Lindsey Brown spent a decade as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In 2015, she co-founded the Southern Smoke Foundation. The following year, she launched her own firm, Lindsey Brown Public Relations, which she led until she became Executive Director of the foundation in 2023.

Chris Shepherd

After nearly a decade working in the city’s high-end culinary scene, Chris Shepherd launched Underbelly, a restaurant concept designed to celebrate Houston’s uncelebrated cultures. He published his first cookbook Cook Like a Local in 2019, to highlight Houston’s food scene and the people behind it. 

Through his work, Chris has been honored with a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, two James Beard nominations for Underbelly, and several “Best Of” list appearances in national publications. 

Info

Southern Smoke Foundation

https://southernsmoke.org/

Eat Like a Local on YouTube

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE9Pqq0sa8JN0SYXuL82IdCd7Ep_oTexE&feature=shared

Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting

 https://www.withum.com/restaurant

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

Reach Out to The Guys!
[email protected]

**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

This is a Vintage Selection from 2006

The Banter

The Guys assert that in addition to the arts, one of the keys to revitalizing cities is al fresco dining…but close the doors if it’s sultry.

The Conversation 

The Restaurant Guys gather intel from expert Ed Hamilton who spent time studying the spirit. Ed discusses the different processes, labeling and deceit in the rum market. Most importantly, Ed shares some of the best ways to enjoy rum. Cheers!

The Inside Track

The Guys have learned a great deal from Ed’s research; they are appreciative of his obsession…or should they say passion.

Francis:  You have a kind of an obsession with rum. Why rum? 

Ed: Well, I would call it a passion, not an obsession.

Mark: That's 'cause you haven't met you, Ed.

Francis: All obsessed people called their obsessions passions.

Ed: Yeah. And all my friends are characters except me. 

Bio

Ed Hamilton is a leading authority on rum and the founder of the Ministry of Rum, a trusted resource for enthusiasts and professionals alike. A former merchant mariner turned rum advocate, Ed has spent decades traveling the Caribbean to document distilleries, traditions, and styles of rum. He is the author of several definitive books on the spirit.

Ed has been instrumental in introducing authentic Caribbean rums to broader markets through his Hamilton Rum portfolio.  His Ministry of Rum Lost Voyage Rum was named Rum of the Year at the Bartenders Spirits Awards 2024. 

Info

Ed’s site (a work in progress so check back!)

http://www.ministryofrum.com/

For recipes, email

[email protected]

Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

Magyar Bank

https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting

 https://www.withum.com/restaurant

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

Reach Out to The Guys!
[email protected]

**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