The Restaurant Guys Podcast

Mark and Francis discuss Francis's recent visit to the New York City restaurant Tertulia. Their guest is Lucy Lean, author of the new book Made in America: Our Best Chefs Reinvent Comfort Food. They discuss recipes from over a hundred years ago, what comfort food is, and how these chefs have made comfort food more relevant for today....

Gerald Asher joins Mark and Francis to discuss his years as wine writer at Gourmet Magazine and his new book, A Vineyard in My Glass. They talk a lot about the importance of place when it comes to wine and Francis even makes Gerald Asher laugh....

Antoinette Bruno of StarChefs.com joins the guys to discuss the upcoming Chef's Congress happening in New York City October 2, 3 & 4. They discuss mixology, the various events, and the Rising Stars Awards....

In their debut on the Heritage Radio Network, Mark and Francis interview Jennifer McLagan, a two-time James Beard Award winning cookbook author. Her new book is Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal. They discuss why offal has come in and out of vogue over the years and how snout to tail eating can and is accomplished in America and in Europe....

Heather Shouse joins the guys to discuss her book, Food Trucks: Dispatches and Recipes from the Kitchens on Wheels. Food Trucks is a book that profiles some 50 different food truck operations from across the United States. The discussion leads to the economics of food trucks and how they differ from city to city, from cities that don't allow food trucks to those that embrace them, to differences between trucks and the kinds of food that can be cooked inside a truck. Mark, Francis, and Heather also share some of their favorite food trucks across the nation and discuss what makes a food truck great....

John Mariani, food writer for Esquire Magazine, joins Mark and Francis to discuss his new book, How Italian Food Conquered the World. They discuss Italian food, both in the United States and abroad; how, over the years, Italian food took hold in the U.S.; and how Italian immigrants found access to familiar (and unfamiliar) ingredients after moving to the U.S....

Are there still great Mom and Pop restaurants out there? Mark and Francis discuss the lack of truly great everyday restaurants in resort areas and ask that you send us your favorites. Their guest today is Gabrielle Hamilton, the chef at Prune restaurant in New York City and author of the new book, Blood, Bones, and Butter: the Inadvertant Education of a Reluctant Chef. They discuss restaurants that make craveable food, the importance of travel, and Gabrielle's interesting journey to where she is today....

Today's show is all about chefs. Mark and Francis start the show by discussing a reviewer who wasn't as impartial as he should have been when reviewing restaurants for his college newspaper. Their guest is Bob Waggoner, host of the new PBS show, U Cook! with Chef Bob. Chef Waggoner has run restaurants in France and the United States and has been nominated for several James Beard awards. The discussion moves from how one studies to be a chef, cooking and living in France in the 1980s, moving to the US and learning how to cook Southern food, and then how all of that led to a show on PBS....

Mark and Francis announce their guest judging appearance on Ucook! with Chef Bob, which is coming soon to a PBS station near you. Their guest is Kevin Zraly, author of the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course and a new book, The Ultimate Wine Companion: The Complete Guide to Understanding Wine by the World's Foremost Wine Authorities. Kevin is also soon to receive a lifetime achievement award present by the James Beard Foundation. The conversation spans everything from how Kevin inspired so many people, including Francis, to go into the wine business, up and coming wine regions of the world, the passion required in wine making and studying about wine in general, and the technological advances in books that will allow you to watch videos of Kevin when you buy a digital copy of the Windows on the World Wine Course book in the coming months....

Aki Kamozawa, co-author of Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work joins Mark and Francis to discuss the science behind recipes and why bread rises, how to make sauces have a certain mouthfeel, how to cook meat perfectly, specifically why cooking at a lower temperature makes meat more tender and flavorful, and how freezing can enhance the character of foods, among other topics....