Pack your best Stanley Tucci cosplay because we are going to Italy! This episode I am fortunate enough to sit down with Fabio Zenato, the Presidente of The Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC. It is no suprise that everyone loves Italy - by association with The Best Ceats, it's safe to assume that you also love wine. So, let's talk about Italian wines, and in this instance, a region you may have ever heard of. The wines are fantastic, and the area is staggeringly beautiful. Fabio takes the time in this episode to discuss the history, the wines, and more, in an international first for The Best Ceats Podcast. Grazie.

Bar Director Gianna Marcario of Darkroom joins the show to discuss the bar and cocktail program she's managing at the lauded restaurant. While Darkroom has been making waves with its food, its cocktails have taken a more subdued path to the public spotlight, due in no small part by the fact that this bar program is working without a full liquor license. This is not holding Marcario back, no. If anything it has emboldened her and her creativity as she and her team are putting out a wildly creative and delicious menu, featuring countless wonderful products, and in-house creations. She sits down to discuss her process in this new episode. Enjoy.

Mandy Naglich - author, award-winning home brewer, taster extraordinaire, and more joins the show to discuss the art and science behind taste. One of the most important sensations we all experience - but experience differently - every single day. Her book, "How to Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life," is a fantastically curated and researched guide on the art of tasting and how and why we all do so. She sits down to discuss the book, her process, how it can be incorporated into everything from daily practices, to staff trainings, and more. Enjoy.

Here we are with episode 155! Friend of the show David Yardley returns to open up about the world of coffee as it stands with tariffs, as well as shed light on his management style, juggling fatherhood, and more! So pour a fresh cup, and settle in for this fantastic new episode as we unpack all the details of how things are at MoonGoat Coffee! Enjoy.

When it comes to this fantastic labor of love, my friend Erin Kirschenmann knows more about it than I think I could ever hope to. She is the Managing Editor at Wine Business Monthly, a prolific figure in the wine industry, an educator, and an entrepreneur. As a lover of books, and a voracious reader, she is now launching her own wine and book club - Novel Pairings. We sit down to discuss the world of wine, tariffs, and Novel Pairings in this wonderful new episode.

This episode is all about what comes next - what lies ahead. What was once a crushing weight of failure has been altered, and new life has been given to The Best Ceats. Join me for the next fifteen minutes, as we walk through just what the future holds, as we all continue to live well, and often.

When a new restaurant or bar opens, seeing how the local industry folks react to it is always a great indicator of how good it is. I have found that in most circumstances if you hear about a place from folks or consistently see a place filled with servers, bartenders and cooks on their days off, you're in for a treat. Verde is just such a place - though when you learn of its founders, who are industry vets themselves, it makes sense. Koire Rogers and Anthony Laborin are established hospitality industry professionals who have opened an amazing new space in Costa Mesa, CA.

This new year has wasted no time making itself known to all - wildfires have ravaged many areas of Southern California, leaving thousands deeply affected. In dark times like these though, humanity shines its brightest - strangers come together to help each other in amazing ways. The hospitality industry is no stranger to aiding others in times of need. The simple act of feeding someone a meal can go miles in helping heal the soul. Recently, three individuals with deep ties to the Orange County hospitality industry - Jill (Cook) Morris, Jennifer Wales, and Niyaz Pirani - got together to help in a truly extraordinary way, and now, they are set to do it again. Tune in to learn all about this incredible undertaking, what the future event and events hold, and how you can get involved. For more information, go to https://www.restaurantsgiveback.com/

Well, here we are. One hundred and fifty episodes. In a year of ups and downs, things truly could not have worked out better than for this episode to land on New Year's Eve, 2024. Welcome everyone to the 3rd Annual Deli Awards - my "best of," if you will, for 2024. Cheers to you, your continued support, and the year ahead.

When learning about a new wine or the people making it, I ask myself, "Why?" What reasons are behind this brand - what is the intention beyond just making a delicious bottle? Sometimes, the answers are just what you would expect them to be, but ever so often, the rare situation comes along that gives you an answer you never expected but are so glad to have discovered. Native Hands Wine is just such a brand - their founder, Chris Lobo, joins the show to discuss what makes this new venture such a special one and how his team's wines honor the history of the Indigenous people of Southern California. Enjoy.

Friend of the show, and expert on all things wine and style, Lamar Engel, joins the show for another episode. He sits down to discuss his new educational endeavors meant to bring wine knowledge to hospitality workers and the continued work of his brand, The Wine Militia. He also gets candid about marketing practices in an ever-evolving wine market landscape and gives some refreshing insight into current trends in the industry. You don't want to miss this, my wine-loving friends! Cheers!

This may surprise some of you, but I am not a vegetarian - I'm definitely not a vegan. Nothing against either, by the way, but it's just not me. I am, however, a massive proponent of what each brings to the culinary landscape, and, in a broader sense, what the ethics behind each bring to the larger conversations about food, our interaction with nature, reducing waste, and more. My guests are absolutely driving forces behind these various aspects and more, as I am joined by the incredibly talented Chef Davin Waite and his incredible wife, Jessica Waite. Owners of The Plot, Wrench and Rodent Seabasstropub, and a host of other concepts and ventures, they are some of the most talented individuals I've ever met. Aside from creating immensely flavorful food, they are doing so while also being advocates - not an easy balance. Their restaurants are some of the most creative and innovative around - plain and simple - and they are two people I am incredibly humbled to finally sit down with. Enjoy.

There are moments when you see someone succeed and do well, and then there is something else entirely. The journey of a chef is a long, arduous one. Coming from varied backgrounds and places, no two stories are ever the same, but there is a common factor, and that is memory. Some defining moment that imprints on a chef, and they chase, sometimes, forever. In the case of my friend, Chef Alan Sanz, his journey has landed him at a place he can - in my opinion - not call home but is home: Enter Maizano. The upscale Mexican restaurant located within the behemoth that is Mercado Gonzalez is the embodiment of Chef's life, travels, and experiences all brought to life, and is a love letter to the beautiful cuisine, culture, and country that is Mexico. Enjoy.

Beyond everything else that makes up this wonderful world - the food, the drinks, the travel, and more - there is one thing that stands above the rest: The people. In this very special episode, I sit down with two of the best I know to discuss all those other people who inspire us. Specifically those in the bar industry and the people around them that make our lives so fun. Accomplished writer Rich Manning and his wife, the fantastically fabulous Heather Hotcakes (as she is known worldwide), join me to celebrate the wonderful people who fill our glasses and hearts and try to explain what makes being a part of this world so special.

It's always great when you see your friends succeeding - and in the case of returning guests and friends of the show, Chef Zach Scherer, it is made even better. A prior guest, Scherer, is joined by his longtime culinary companion, the very talented Chef Drew Adams, as they sit down to discuss their new project, Darkroom. Scherer has touched on this new restaurant, wine bar, and more in prior episodes, but now, we find ourselves recording this interview sitting in the actual space as it comes to life, molded by Zach and Drew's hands. This is a very special episode and the first look into what will surely be an instant classic when its doors open. Enjoy.

I am fascinated by technology. Admittedly, I don't always understand it, but nevertheless, It fascinates me - especially when it can make everyday tasks easier. I don't support AI creating artwork, but I'm all in if it can help me find something faster. My guest for this episode, Gregg Foster, feels a similar way. That is why he co-founded WALDO, a hospitality tech company that aims to assist beverage programs with product tracking, training, and much more! What else, you ask? Well, that's a question for him, as WALDO is in its infancy but has some mighty big goals laid out ahead of it to explore. So please enjoy this wonderfully curious new episode! Cheers.

For all the bad that 2020 brought to the hospitality industry, there were some moments of good. In San Clemente, CA, Gibroni's was a perfect example of this. I say "was" because their original pop-up location is no more - but fear not - because my guest, founder and owner Tony Gioutsos, returns to The Best Ceats Podcast to share all about the new brick-and-mortar location for Gibroni's. From finding the space to expanding upon his dream and more, this episode truly is a success story long in the making. Enjoy.

My guest this episode is truly a wonderful person, and chef. He recently shot into the stratosphere of stardom after a stellar season on the critically acclaimed show, Hell's Kitchen. Nestled in a bustling Long Beach food oasis sits Bar Becky, and at its helm, Chef Johnathan Benvenuti. The chef joins the show to discuss his time on the show, the fame that comes following it, his family-inspired menu, and how Bar Becky came to be. This is a very heartfelt episode, and one I am, as always, very proud of. Enjoy.

In this episode, we get to learn just what it takes to put on one of the biggest wine festivals in the Southland - LAWineFest. The woman behind the behemoth, CEO and Fest Director, Scherr Lillico joins me digitally to discuss what it takes to put on an event like this. How do you find wines, food, parking, and everything else that comes with a major event almost 20 years old? Well, my friends, that's what we are about to find out. As a bonus, should you want to purchase tickets, you can save 20% by using the code BESTCEATS at checkout!

For this episode, we are heading back to Santa Barbara Wine Country - one of my favorite places on Earth - to talk about the legacy, inspiration, and quality of grapes Winemaker Megan McGrath Gates gets to work with every day. Megan was appointed winemaker for Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards in 2007, and hasn't looked back since. She brings a wealth of knowledge to a winemaking landscape she knows incredibly well, and does it with grace, style, and an enduring commitment to getting the very best out of each and every grape. We discuss her history, approach to wine, the history and quality of Lucas and Lewellen, and much more. Enjoy!