This week, we’re thrilled to be joined by Chef Curtis Duffy, the culinary dynamo behind Ever and After. He's earned a constellation of Michelin starts for his meticulous, innovative approach to fine dining, where every dish showcases his obsessive attention to detail and zero-waste philosophy. He has a new book out called Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef, which chronicles his journey from a turbulent childhood in Ohio through the kitchens of Charlie Trotter and Grant Achatz to becoming one of America’s most celebrated chefs. We talk: the philosophy behind his silent kitchen, how he finds inspiration in unexpected places, the hard lessons from Grace that shaped Ever, what it takes to achieve greatness, and so much more!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

This week we’re joined by Ryan Castelaz -- founder of Discourse (Milwaukee’s boundary-pushing coffee bars) and co-creator of Agency, a reservation-only cocktail lounge known for its made-to-order “dealer’s choice” program (and equally serious non-alcoholic builds). A former opera singer turned flavor obsessive, Ryan went from Door County pop-ups to running one of the Midwest’s most inventive beverage programs, with a best-selling book -- The New Art of Coffee  -- along the way. You can catch Discourse at its Wicker Park residency across from Dove’s -- with a permanent neighborhood spot on the horizon. Expansion plans are percolating, too. Ryan joins us to talk storytelling as a service, why NA belongs at the same table as spirits, the alchemy of flavor science, how to design two-hour experiences in a two-minute coffee world, and so much more.

This week, it’s all smoke and discipline with the pitmaster–entrepreneur himself, Chef Charlie Mckenna. He’s the founder behind Lillie’s Q, known for Memphis in May-winning pork shoulder, as well as his regionally faithful Lillie’s Q sauces and rubs. He tells us about the journey from CIA grad and Michelin-line cook to Chicago barbecue, and what his Air Force family’s “six Ps” instilled in his leadership. Plus: how CPG realities differ from fine dining, how Roux lets him serve his favorite dishes, the secret salsa at Tony’s Burrito Mex, and so much more!

Joe is an Executive Chef, Culinary Director, and Director of Restaurants with SMG x PRG Restaurant Groups, where his reach spans multiple acclaimed Chicago concepts, new ventures at O’Hare Airport, and forthcoming projects across the city. A meticulous craftsman and systems thinker, Joe’s culinary journey has taken him from small-town Illinois to the helm of some of Chicago’s most innovative dining rooms -- including his leadership role at Apolonia, the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant he helped launch with Chef Stephen Gillanders in 2021. From growing up near the Indiana border with a gearhead father and a nurse mother, to learning the psychology of taste at Kendall College, Joe’s story is one of curiosity, adaptability, and deep respect for craft. This week, we discuss how a musician’s mindset shaped his kitchen leadership, what he learned about efficiency and culture from the Hogsalt Group, how Apolonia evolved during the pandemic, and -- don't you know it -- so much more.

This week, we’re firing up the pit with Heather Bublick, co-founder and CEO of Soul & Smoke, alongside her husband and business partner, Chef D’Andre Carter. A writing major-turned-restaurateur with front-of-house and sommelier chops, Heather blends fine-dining rigor with neighborhood warmth to power one of Chicago’s favorite barbecue brands. She joins us to talk about Soul & Smoke’s evolution with D’Andre -- from initial pop-ups to multiple locations -- the three-year Evanston flagship build, and launching an in-house bottling line. We also talk:  scaling a commissary-driven model without sacrificing craft, why resting brisket beats rushing barbecue at volume, building a values-driven beverage program highlighting BIPOC and women-owned producers, and so much more.

This week on Joiners, we’re talking to Chef Rodolfo Cuadros, the executive chef and owner of the critically acclaimed Chicago restaurants Amaru and Bloom. Growing up in Cali, Colombia, before moving back to Queens and then New Jersey, he’s known for his bold, Pan-Latin cooking at Amaru and his award-winning plant-based philosophy at Bloom. Amaru brings together the flavors, history, and passion of Latin America, while Bloom -- named one of the city's best plant-based restaurants -- earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its vibrant, vegetable-driven menu. He joins us in the studio to talk about growing up amid both joy and conflict in Colombia, his journey from dishwasher to acclaimed chef-owner, why balance and sustainability shape his cooking today, and so much more!

Since his days as a kid housing full packs of double-stuffed Oreos and torching his tongue with bootleg Chinese Warheads, Chef Josh Kulp has always been chasing big flavors. It makes sense, then, that the moment he and his business partners first dipped their fried chicken in honey butter felt like a huge eureka -- salty, crunchy, sweet, and creamy all at once. That unlikely pairing grew into Honey Butter Fried Chicken, the Avondale restaurant he co-founded with Christine Cikowski that became one of our go-to spots. Josh joins us in the studio to share his side of the genesis and to reflect on his journey -- from underground supper clubs to his newest project, Honey Butter Beach Club, a seafood-forward spinoff opening inside SPF Chicago, the city’s massive indoor pickleball facility. We dig into Josh’s philosophy as both chef and owner, hear what it takes to run an ethical business, reminisce about how we all first crossed paths -- and as always, so much more. 

We complete the holy trinity of Maxwells Trading by sitting down with their Executive Chef, Chris Jung. Born in Korea, raised across Alaska, Jersey, and Virginia, he ditched pre-law for the kitchen and never looked back -- and we’re lucky he did, because his food plays a major role in defining Maxwells’ compelling identity. He tells us all about that journey, from grueling training in Japan and celebrity-filled nights at Mataro to building Maxwells from the ground up with Erling and Josh. This one’s a ride -- we’re talking his grind as a workhorse in a Japanese restaurant, bidet destroyers, almost getting a law degree, and so much more.

This week, we’re nestling into the proverbial PDR at Michael Jordan’s Steak House with Josh Zadikoff, a central figure in the hospitality scene and the guiding force behind Cornerstone Restaurant Group. After earning his degree at the University of Illinois and working his way up -- from assistant manager at SolToro Tequila Grill, to Food & Beverage Manager at Hyatt Regency Chicago, to Assistant General Manager at Michael Jordan’s Steak House in Chicago -- he took the helm in 2018 to oversee a portfolio spanning Michael Jordan–branded restaurants, Chef Bill Kim’s acclaimed concepts like bellyQ and Urbanbelly, and innovative partnerships like Table at Crate. He joins us to talk about working with Michael Jordan, projects in South Korea, new opportunities in the suburbs, and so much more!

This week, we’re thrilled to sit down with the resilient and razor-sharp Thai Dang. A chef who rose meteorically through the fine-dining world -- from cooking under Laurent Gras at L2O to opening his own ambitious restaurant at just 26 -- Thai joins us to unravel the saga of Embeya: the dazzling debut that collapsed into chaos after his business partner disappeared in an international manhunt straight out of a crime thriller. He shares how he and his wife, Danielle picked up the pieces to open the community-driven HaiSous, and how they’ve since grown that into not just a restaurant but a platform for hardcore Vietnamese cuisine, coffee ventures, and incredible wings. Now, Thai’s focusing in on Crying Tiger, a bold new collaboration with Lettuce Entertain You that expands into the flavors of greater Southeast Asia. We’re talking: Thai tea, Vietnamese drive-thru pipe dreams, the highs and lows of a turbulent culinary career, and so much more.

This week, we’re riding into the dog days of ice-cream summer in conversation with Dana Cree — award-winning pastry chef, molecular enthusiast, and the creative force behind Pretty Cool Ice Cream. Serving up about 11,000 frozen delights weekly, Dana crafts everything from ice-cream bars and sandwiches to vegan pops and tricked-out popsicles, all from her flagship shop. With stints at spots like Alinea, Noma, Blackbird, and The Publican — plus James Beard nominations and a Jean Banchet Award — her deep roots as a pastry chef inform her at every step. Inspired by Jeni Britton’s trailblazing spirit, Dana shares what propelled her into the world of ice-cream, what she learned in elite kitchens, the lessons behind the NYT recipe controversy (and the power of three key differentiators), and so much more.

This week, we’re busting through the saloon doors with the affable chap Tony Selna — founding partner, operator, and bartender extraordinaire behind local favorites Little Victories and Spilt Milk. Tony takes us through his cross-country journey, from a coin-flip that sent him to Los Angeles, to the serendipitous find of a 1920s pharmacy space in Logan Square that became home to Spilt Milk’s timeless corner-bar concept. We get into the behind-the-stick fiascos, dream bar designs, the fast-flying popularity of Little Victories, mat shots, and plenty more, in an episode brimming with good vibes and raucous chatter.

This week we’re keeping things fresh with a member of a family business devoted to just that. Supreme Lobster & Seafood is one of the largest seafood distributors in the Midwest, with operations in Las Vegas and Chicago supplying restaurants, hotels, and markets nationwide. Jonathan Stramaglia, a third-generation vice president of the company, joins us in the studio to share the inside story of running a successful high-volume seafood operation in Chicago. If you’ve ever been curious about how seafood travels from the ocean to your plate, this is the episode for you — we’re talking crab, oysters, fishing regulations, the best day of the week to order seafood, the real deal with “market price,” and so much more.

This week we have a remote conversation with Alexis Readinger, an LA-based hospitality designer and the founder of Preen, Inc., a studio known for its soulful, story-forward spaces that translate a chef’s vision into architecture. In this episode, she joins us to talk about building Preen, designing from essence over aesthetic, and what it means to create spaces that hold meaning. We get into: lighting that makes lettuce look fresh, getting deported from the UK, rescuing Katana by redrawing the entire plan by hand, and so much more!

This week we sit down with Erin Carlman Weber, the founder and owner of All Together Now -- a cozy café, cheese counter, and natural wine shop in Ukrainian Village. After honing her palate at Formaggio Kitchen in Boston and working with Stephanie Izard’s restaurant group, Erin opened ATN in 2018 with a mission to bring people together over thoughtfully curated food and drink. We talk about what inspired her to launch this one-of-a-kind neighborhood spot, how it became a lifeline for connection during COVID, and her tips for pairing cheese and wine like someone who knows what they’re doing. Plus -- an extra-special gratuity round with a renaissance curator of the finer, funkier things.

This week’s guest once crunched numbers in finance -- a world that, as he tells it, never quite added up. But after one bite of brisket at Franklin Barbecue, Chef Charles Wong found a new equation that made sense: low and slow. He swapped spreadsheets for smoke and hasn’t looked back. A longtime fixture in Chicago’s pop-up scene, Charles built Umamicue from the ground up, mixing Vietnamese flavors with Texas barbecue. He held down a years-long residency at Split Milk and nearly opened a brick-and-mortar at Sterling Food Hall. These days, he’s focused on catering, collaborations, and fine-tuning his own vision of what barbecue can be. This week, we slice deep into brisket -- how to render it, what variables matter most, and how to make it your own -- alongside insights into hospitality, sides, pop-ups, and the messy, rewarding work of turning a cult favorite into a full-time craft from a man who knows his stuff. 

When Chef Jake Potashnick opened Feld, it stirred controversy among Chicago’s culinary insiders -- some critics called the plating sparse, the seasoning “too European”, and the concept overly cerebral. But even as a first-time owner-operator, Potashnick leaned into his global experience -- from Michelin-starred kitchens in Tokyo, Berlin, and Sweden -- and a philosophy rooted in deep relationships with farmers and diners alike. Rather than retreat, he listened, adapted, and refined. Now, Feld is one of Chicago’s most distinctive tasting menus, known for its immersive 30-course format, transparent sourcing, and ever-evolving narrative. He joins us in the studio to talk about taking criticism seriously without losing creative voice, how Feld became a relationship-to-table experience, the importance of listening, and so much more.

This week, we’re joined by Chef Lamar Moore -- a celebrated chef and culinary innovator, known for winning Vegas Chef Prizefight and for memorable showdowns on Beat Bobby Flay and Chopped, as well as Bravo’s Welcome to Waverly. He’s cooked for Barack and Michelle Obama, fed the Chicago Bears, and coordinated menus for Super Bowls and NBA Finals. His latest venture is etc. (Experience, Taste, Cocktails) -- a bold new dining concept in the South Loop, where he blends elevated Southern cuisine with an intimate bar experience. In the studio, Lamar shares insider tips on making next-level grits, recounts the wild ride of Vegas during COVID as he worked at Bugsy & Meyer’s, reflects on the Waverly social experiment, and so much more.

From his early days at Chuck E. Cheese to launching a consulting firm with his son Tyler, Art Mendoza has built a career defined by innovation, hospitality, and a deep understanding of customer experience. He joins us in the studio to discuss new ventures with Barreled Aged Hospitality—including the playful, whiskey-forward “Toasted” brand and a forthcoming café bar at the Lyric Opera House—while reflecting on his storied career. We discuss his early lessons in leadership and systems-thinking at Marriott’s Great America, the strategic evolution of Chili’s and Brinker International, his approach to crafting concepts that balance simplicity with profitability, and so much more. 

Alba Huerta is a Houston-based bartender, entrepreneur, author, cocktail educator, and owner of the James Beard Award–winning cocktail program at Julep—which is expanding with the addition of The Parlor, a new lounge space designed for private, immersive gatherings. Born in Mexico and raised in Texas, she has spent over a decade shaping the national cocktail scene, creating more than 110 cocktails and earning widespread recognition for her work. She joins us during her recent visit to Chicago for the James Beard Awards, where she shares insights into her inspiring career trajectory, her collaborative and story-driven approach to cocktails, and her evolution from hospitality professional to industry innovator.