In today’s episode, we speak with our guest Peter McQuaid, 25-year-old Executive Chef of Cala, a Clive Collective restaurant in Scottsdale, as well as the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America Award recipient at the JBF Taste America Tour in Phoenix.

Referenced as a culinary “prodigy,” Peter shares how early career mentors such as Silvana Salcido Esparza at Barrio Café and Beau MacMillan at the Sanctuary have opened several doors for him. Through his relentless thirst to learn new skills and build connections, Peter chats about the steps he took after graduating from culinary school to claim an Executive Chef title. He also discusses his experience being a private chef for former UFC commentator Mike Goldberg, Alicia Keys, and the Arizona Cardinals’ A.Q. Shipley.

Listen as Peter McQuaid talks about how he started an Emulsion Popup restaurant series and why networking is important for up-and-coming chefs. 

In today’s episode, we speak with our guest Bryan Dayton, founder of Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality. Bryan is also an award-winning mixologist, beverage director, decorated ultramarathoner, and trail runner.   

From starting as a dishwasher at a mom-and-pop shop, then transitioning up the ranks through various bartending roles, Bryan shares his entrepreneurial journey and how he built an elite restaurant group in Colorado. 

Listen as Bryan talks about his commitment to hospitality, how sports and restaurant life intersect, and the major cocktail trends you need to know.  

In today’s episode, we speak with Francois de Melogue, a chef, recipe developer, cookbook author, photographer, and mentor for revered chefs like Beau MacMillan. 

With over 30 years of cross-cultural culinary experience, working in acclaimed kitchens such as The Bakery in Chicago, Old Drovers Inn, as well as opening an award-winning restaurant Pili Pili in his hometown of Chicago, Francois shares exclusive details about his climb to success. This includes how he bounced back from major setbacks—like a motorcycle accident that nearly ended his culinary career.

Listen as Francois de Melogue talks about restaurant entrepreneurship, the meaning behind “people eat results,” and why resiliency and mentorship are critical to success. 

In today’s episode, we speak with our guest James Porter, Arizona-born chef and business owner of TERRA farm + manor—a combined restaurant and rustic farm cooking school located in the Prescott National Forest. 

With a career spanning 33+ years in the hospitality industry, including private clubs and boutique hotels, Chef Porter is nothing short of a creative visionary. Now at TERRA, he’s dedicated to employing sound culinary principles that directly support local businesses, farmers, and ranchers. Chef Porter always presents fresh, innovative menu ideas that still remain nostalgic.

Listen as Chef Porter talks about how he built his own food mecca from the ground up, his transition from apprentice to culinary risk-taker, and ways to bring innovative menu ideas to the table.

In today’s episode, we speak with our guest Jayson Simons-Jones, CEO of Lotus Alpine Adventures, an alpine rock, ice, and ski mountain guiding company, and the 95th American to earn his IMFGA/ UIAGM Mountain Guide License.

Jayson has spent the last two decades of his life and career as an outdoor educator and mountain guide, which is his most authentic passion. Now he dedicates his career to mentoring others in the outdoor world and finds the most joy in witnessing his clients’ deep personal development. 

Listen as Jayson Simons-Jones talks about guiding clients through challenging terrains like rock, ice, and snow, building a brand based on your ‘why,’ and the power of learning something new and applying it immediately. 

In today’s episode, we speak with our guests Chefs Antonio Pérez and Luis Rodriguez, two friends who started Epicuro Culinary Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The chef-driven event hall offers guests a culinary journey through South America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. 

As an international chef and Escoffier Disciple, Antonio Pérez met his mentee and recent Escoffier graduate Luis Rodriguez—a US Navy Veteran who turned his passion for cooking into a culinary career. As the two developed a friendship, they recognized their shared eagerness for creating a lifestyle around food and teaching others how to cook.  

Listen as Antonio and Luis talk about adopting cultural influences in their cuisine from world travel, viewing culinary arts as a lifestyle, and how they started a unique chef hall in Puerto Rico. 

In today’s episode, we speak with Jeffrey Saad, author of Jeffrey Saad's Global Kitchen: Recipes Without Borders: A Cookbook, and creator of several restaurants such as San Francisco’s Sweet Heat, Pasta Pomodoro, and the Grove.

Chef Saad started his culinary career at the young age of 13 working in a local diner. Once the hospitality bug hit him, he followed his passion all around the world, launching several eateries. With his bold culinary voice and intrinsic desire to teach everyday people how to cook locally, he began his TV career, appearing on Food Network’s Chopped All-Stars, Grill it! with Bobby Flay, ABC’s The Chew, and many more.

Listen as Chef Saad talks about creating a social media presence in culinary arts, his encyclopedic knowledge of spices and ingredients, and building a career doing what you love. 

In today’s episode, we speak with Patrick Nuzzo, an alternative medicine doctor who’s opened five practices including the Southwest University of Naprapathic Medicine and Health Sciences. 

After spending years formulating nutritional supplements for the natural food industry, Dr. Nuzzo discovered naprapathy—what he sees as the future of health and nutrition. This type of “hands-on” manual medicine involves nutritional counseling and techniques that optimize circulation of the body. Dr. Nuzzo’s passion for this treatment made him instrumental in the passing of the Naprapathic Practice Act of New Mexico—allowing naprapaths to practice in the state of New Mexico.

Listen as Dr. Nuzzo talks about the difference between naprapathy and physical therapy, developing a sports nutrition line for former NFL great Walter Payton, and why naprapathy is one of the best wellness treatments in natural medicine. 

In today’s episode, we speak with our guest Nikhil Abuvala, owner and executive chef of Roux 30A and Nanbu Noodle Bar in Santa Rosa Beach, FL.

Nikhil developed his passion for cooking before he could even reach a kitchen countertop. Helping his grandmother roll out fresh Indian flatbread was one of his early motivations for pursuing culinary arts. With experience cooking in more than 30 countries over twenty years, Nikhil aims to create unique dining experiences leveraging global ingredients, food, culture, and entertainment. His restaurant culture and ambiance is built on the idea that the most intimate thing that you can do is break bread with your family.

Listen as Nikhil talks about the influence of his grandmother’s cooking, starting his culinary career at age 13, and the joy of “breaking bread” at one big table. 

In today’s episode, we speak with our guest Brad Barnes, award-winning certified Master Chef, author, food strategist, and president at Pure Food Consulting. 

Chef Barnes is the co-author of the American Culinary Federation’s Guide to Culinary Certification, as well as So You Want to Be a Chef? A Guide to Culinary Careers. He is dedicated to helping a new generation of chefs understand the shifts in technology, business, and education so they can “make space” for innovation in the culinary arts.

Listen as Brad talks about how to reduce the cost of food, society’s growing interest in plant-based foods, and other emerging culinary trends.