The Restaurant Guys Podcast

Mark and Francis discuss the upcoming New Year's Eve celebrations across the US and specifically, in New Brunswick, NJ. Their guest is Randy Clemens, co-author of The Craft of Stone Brewing Co: Liqud Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance. They discuss Stone Brewing Co, other smaller breweries, and unusual things to do with beer, including how to make something called Beer Nog....

Mark and Francis welcome Doug Frost, MS, MW to the show to discuss being a sommelier in today's market and the importance of cocktails in general. They talk about wine ratings, selling wine to consumers, differing palates, and the importance of cocktails in today's beverage programs....

Mark and Francis welcome Sam Mogannam of Bi-Rite Market in San Francisco. They discuss the role of the supermarket in a community, why big business supermarkets are different from small supermarkets, and why produce from small farmers is better than mass-produced produce. They also discuss Sam's new book, Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food....

Mark and Francis welcome Natalie MacLean, the Canadian wine writer. They discuss Natalie's new book, Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines. They discuss what makes a wine a bargain wine, what some of the up and coming regions of the world are, and some of the new things Natalie's up to...

Mark and Francis being the show with a discussion of spirits competitions and a spirit they recently tried blind and is now coming onto the market. Their guest is Allegra McEvedy, author of Bought, Borrowed, and Stolen: Recipes and Knives from a Travelling Chef. Conversation ranges from the importance of knives to a chef, culturally, and in our homes, as well as how Allegra chose the regional foods mentioned in her book and how knives factor into the preparation of these recipes....

Mark and Francis reminisce about their days of eating fast food in high school and college. Their guest is Kathleen Flinn, author of the Kitchen Counter Cooking School, a book that followed home cooks as Kathleen taught them how to eat less processed food and how to cook real food at home. The conversation spans from a discussion of what people put into their shopping carts, about how learning to cook can be empowering and about the way processed food is actually made....

Mark and Francis welcome Daniel Humm to the show to discuss the book he's written with Will Guidara, the Eleven Madison Park Cookbook. They talk about the book, about running a four star restaurant, and about some of the unique things that they're doing at Eleven Madison Park in regards to training, service, and the menu in general....

Mark and Francis discuss spirits, especially Calvados and Eau de Vie and some of the exciting things they're doing with them in the restaurants. Their guest is Jim Meehan, author of the PDT Cocktail Book. They discuss the book's beautiful illustrations by Chris Gall and how the relationship between author and illustrator evolved over the course of the book. They also discuss some of the big cocktail bars in the country and how bartenders can give great service while still making great cocktails....

Mark and Francis discuss why super fine dining restaurants are on the decline in popularity and how what people are looking for in restaurants has changed over the years they've been in the business. Their guest is Kathy Gunst, author of Notes From a Maine Kitchen: Seasonally Inspired Recipes. They discuss Maine staples such as lobster, blueberries, and maple syrup and how you don't have to be in Maine to enjoy these typical Maine foods....

Mark and Francis begin the show with a discussion on the place of migrant workers in the American economy and the role they play on farms across America. For their interview, they welcome Jon Taffer, star of the Spike TV show Bar Rescue to the show. In addition to hosting Bar Rescue, Mr Taffer also runs a successful consulting business. Conversation ranges from discussion about the show, about how Mark, Francis, and Jon approach consulting jobs, how consulting is different in front of the camera under a 5 day time constraint and about what these restaurants are like after the cameras leave....