Menu Talk

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discuss recent tasting adventures, starting with more of a smelling experience.

Bret was invited by Via Carota, a gem of an Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village, to try their new bottled cocktails. But the event was held at a perfume shop that crafted personal scents for the attendees while they sipped on espresso martinis, spritzes and white negronis. Bret left with samples of both bottled cocktails and his custom scent.

Pat visited Jones Wood Foundry, a British-style pub with an impressive draft beer selection. Between the Scotch eggs, Yorkshire pudding with blue cheese lemon dip, curried chicken pot pie and toffee pudding, she could have been in London rather than a few blocks from her Manhattan apartment. 

We shared an interview with Anthony Amoroso, the new VP of innovation and growth at Maggiano’s Little Italy. Amoroso has helmed the kitchen in several famous independents and Michelin-starred restaurants, and now welcomes this opportunity to return to his Italian-American roots and work with the chefs across Maggiano’s 50 locations. 

He talks about how he is elevating the dining experience with top-quality ingredients and presentations while retaining the menu’s well-loved favorites and Maggiano’s tradition. Amoroso also works closely with the beverage director and sommelier, and new cocktails and wine selections now complement the food. And he describes what’s next in terms of the Dallas-based chain’s menu, restaurant design and growth. 

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed Bret’s trip to the San Francisco Bay area, where he went for The Culinary Institute of America’s annual Worlds of Flavor conference in Napa. 

The theme this year was Borders, Migration, and the Evolution of Culinary Tradition, which Bret acknowledged was quite a mouthful, but basically it was a discussion of how cooks adjust their food based on what ingredients are available and what customs and traditions are around them, as well as their own life experiences. In short: It’s all fusion. Highlights included a demonstration of southern Italian spaghetti and tomato sauce made like it was risotto and accompanied by a lecture of how spaghetti and tomatoes got to Italy, and lentil fritters that combined the traditions of West Africa and East Africa.

Bret then spent the weekend in San Francisco, and a culinary highlight was a pastrami sandwich with horseradish and red pepper aïoli at Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store Café in the North Beach neighborhood. 

Pat stayed in New York City and checked out a Cambodian restaurant called Bayon. It was her first time trying that particular cuisine and she found it lighter and more subtle than the cuisines of its neighbors, Vietnam and Thailand. She also had brunch at Sarabeth’s, a long-standing concept with four locations in New York City, where she enjoyed tasty popovers and mushrooms with eggs.

Then Bret shared an interview with Cheng Lin, chef and owner of Shota Omakase in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. The chef discussed the importance of rice in sushi and of cultivating regular customers.

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discuss a week’s worth of eating experiences, starting with a dine-around in Chicago.

The two editors were in Chicago for the last conference of the International Foodservice Editorial Council, familiarly known as IFEC, and the opening event featured a tasting tour of three restaurants in the city’s Fulton Market district. Chef-owner Joe Flamm of Rose Mary spoke about his popular Croatian-Italian restaurant while we chowed down Pork Ribs Pampanella with Calabrian Chile Agrodolce and walnut relish as well as Beef Cheek Gnocchi; at Publican Quality Meats we learned how to spatchcock a chicken while nibbling on Grilled Pork & Mango Brochettes, Porchetta Sandwiches and charcuterie; and at Leña Brava, we sampled Watermelon Aguachile and al pastor-marinated Watermelon Steak and sipped a watermelon cocktail and mocktail. 

While in Chicago, Pat also had dinner at Eataly, and was reminded of how this Italian retail emporium is also a worthy restaurant destination. She joined friends at Vino &, an in-store wine bar with a large menu featuring specialties like Tagliolini al Limone, Pollo alla Milanese and Grilled Branzino, all of which her table ordered along with a nice bottle of red wine. 

Bret continues to explore his Brooklyn neighborhood, where he discovered some Eastern European meat dumplings that he brought home for dinner. First, he tried them the traditional way, topped with sour cream, but then concocted an Asian-influenced “ranch dressing” with chili crisp and Chinese black vinegar that took the dumplings into another flavor dimension.

This week we share an interview with renowned chef and restaurateur Michael Mina, whose new cookbook, “My Egypt,” was just published. Subtitled “Cooking from My Roots,” the book relates Mina’s experiences of journeying back to Egypt—which he left at the age of two—to rediscover his family’s culinary legacy. The result is a book filled with stories, firsthand cooking experiences and a lifetime of recipes.

Mina operates more than 30 restaurants in the U.S., including the recently opened Orla in Santa Monica, California—his first to specialize in Egyptian-Mediterranean cuisine. Here he elevates the dishes he enjoyed eating around his mother’s table and shares the food he tasted and cooked in Egypt. Listen as the chef shares his passion for Egyptian food and talks about how Mina Group is ramping up restaurant openings.

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed their recent eating adventures. That included Pat’s visit to a Hampton Inn, home of the original waffle bar, created by the midscale hotel chain 40 years ago. 

That historical milestone is being celebrated by the hotel chain and promoted by Paris Hilton, since Hampton Inn is a brand of her family’s hospitality empire, in the form of special pink waffles with edible glitter that guests can add. The hosts observed that there’s a lot of edible glitter on menus these days, because it’s fun and dazzling on social media and, one hopes, safe to eat. 

It turns out that some onions being served by McDonald’s probably weren’t safe and allegedly sickened a number of people, resulting in one fatality. Pat and Bret discussed that turn of events.

First, however Bret discussed his visit to a sushi restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, which he said was fine, just like a lot of sushi is fine these days, but not with the attention to detail that came with sushi in the past—the server didn’t even bother to explain what type of fish he had been served. Pat suggested that this is what happens when food like sushi becomes ubiquitous. 

She had a chance to visit the newest location of Kernel, a heavily automated quick-service restaurant developed by Chipotle founder Steve Ells, and was happy to report that the formerly meatless chain is now serving chicken. 

While Pat was at Kernel, Bret went to a preview of Hudson Club, a new restaurant in Midtown Manhattan headed up by chef John DeLucie. He particularly enjoyed oysters with an apple mignonette, and that was a nice segue to this week’s guest, Aaron Juvera, a level one certified oyster master and chef de cuisine of Southerleigh Fine Foods & Brewery in San Antonio, Texas. 

Juvera discussed the oyster master certification program, Texas’s burgeoning oyster-cultivation industry and Southerleigh’s increasing use of lesser-known fish species. We hope you’ll tune in.

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, share highlights from their recent eating and drinking excursions.

Both editors attended a media preview of Taco Bell’s chef-created Crunchwrap Supremes. The chain tapped three emerging chefs to come up with variations of this wildly popular menu item, and the results included Indian and Thai versions as well as a Southwest-style hot chicken. 

Bret also attended a Cava event at a country western bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to celebrate the launch of the fast casual’s garlic ranch pita chips. The tie-in between ranch as a flavor and “ranch” as an icon of the American West was a little shaky, but Bret enjoyed the new chips and some ranch water cocktails. 

Australian coffee café Bluestone Lane was also a recent stop on Bret’s itinerary. It’s known for its personalized service, and he reported that he did get extra-special attention along with his flat white. And Pat took a trip to Cape Cod and treated herself to a lobster roll done in the Connecticut style—hot and toasty with lots of melted butter. She also enjoyed a New England specialty: fried clam bellies.

Speaking of clams, we share a conversation with Sammy Monsour, chef at Joyce Soul & Sea in L.A. and an ambassador for Food for Climate League, where he is promoting sustainable bivalves like clams as well as sea vegetables. October is National Seafood Month, and Monsour describes how he sources and prepares fresh seaweed, sea lettuces and mussels at his restaurant. He also talks about his advocacy work with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and other nonprofits to help chefs and consumers make smarter choices when it comes to farm-raised and wild-caught seafood.

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discuss a week’s worth of eating adventures, starting with the CREATE conference in Nashville. 

The conference, geared toward emerging chains, is organized by NRN, so Bret and his colleagues were on the ground hosting sessions and networking with operators. He was super-impressed with the quality of the speakers—not a dud among them.

Bret was very busy at CREATE but he still had time to hit a couple of Nashville’s restaurants, including Rodney Scott’s whole-hog barbecue spot. Scott is famous for his North Carolina-style barbecue, where his now six-location restaurant started, and Bret feasted on pulled pork with cole slaw and collard greens. Spanish restaurant Barcelona was another stop on his Nashville dining tour, and Bret got to try a unique rendition of boquerones—marinated anchovies served on house-made potato chips—and huge platters of paella. 

Once back home, Bret attended EatOkra, a new festival celebrating Black-owned businesses. One of the standouts he sampled were nachos made with plantain chips topped with Haitian-style braised pork. He also took a trip to Princeton N.J. and visited restaurant Agricole, where he had a tasty mushroom flatbread. And Bret stopped at McDonald’s on the way back to try the new Chicken Big Mac. Tune in to hear his review.

Meanwhile, back in New York, Pat attended Eeeeeatscon, a food and entertainment festival organized by restaurant review platform, The Infatuation. All the vendors were local restaurants, including Shake Shack—now a national chain that got its start in Manhattan. Its booth served up the Thai Burger Shack, a cheeseburger topped with “evil jungle prince Shack Sauce,” pickled bamboo, green chili relish and Thai basil. Pat’s favorite taste was Hong Kong Style Wonton Noodles from Great NY Noodletown.

Also on offer were empanadas from actress Sophia Vergara’s Toma, a retail brand that she and her son, Manolo (the chef in the family) are planning to spin off into a fast casual. Manolo was especially proud of the everything bagel empanada he created exclusively for Eeeeeatscon.

Chef Tse Richmond

We wrapped up with clips from an interview Pat did with Tse Richmond, a culinary specialist with Sysco in Portland, Oregon. The chef was excited to talk about the fall product line from Sysco’s Cutting Edge Solutions, an innovation-focused division that supports smaller producers. Just rolling out this week are several seafood products, a new condiment, recipe-ready beans and global pork preparations. All are designed to help operators save time and labor while turning out signature menu items.

Chef Richmond is also playing around with AI, and she enthusiastically shares tips and smart strategies to maximize its benefits in the kitchen. Give a listen.

Bret was a bit of a homebody last week as he prepared for CREATE: The Event for Emerging Restaurateurs, a conference that Nation’s Restaurant News is hosting in Nashville this week, but he did enjoy traditional Jewish brisket for Rosh Hashannah at a friend’s home in Manhattan. 

Pat attended two Broadway shows that were preceded by tasty and affordable meals, which can be hard to find in New York City’s Theater District. She had a prix fixe pre-theater dinner of creamy parsnip soup, grilled swordfish with vegetables, and baklava at Kellari Taverna for $55, and before a Saturday matinee, she had a tasty and reasonably priced brunch at Boqueria, which was less than $20 per person (before tip) — an extreme rarity in Midtown Manhattan.

The co-hosts also discussed the Chicken Big Mac, which McDonald’s is launching on Oct. 10, replacing the two all-beef patties with breaded and fried chicken patties. Like the original sandwich, the new version has special sauce, lettuce, cheese, and pickles, but no onions. Bret wondered about that, which led to a discussion on the role of onions on a chicken sandwich and whether, in fact, they have a role to play at all. 

Then he shared an interview he had done with Rob Levitt, head butcher and chef de cuisine of Publican Quality Meats in Chicago. Levitt shared his passion for butchery and his appreciation for One-Off Hospitality’s leader and chef, Paul Kahan. He also discussed his appearance on the hit TV show "The Bear," streaming on Hulu, in which he played himself.

Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, kicked off this week’s podcast by briefly introducing a friend, of sorts. He had asked ChatGPT to greet the audience of Menu Talk, and the chatbot, which can now simulate a human voice much better than the electronic messages we have grown accustomed to, inferred pretty accurately what sorts of topics would be discussed in a podcast with that name. Real co-host Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, was duly impressed.

She was also impressed by KPOT, a Korean barbecue and hot pot concept that is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in the country. The food was abundant and well-priced, the service was great and apart from the hot pot and barbecue, there was also a substantial food bar with kimchi and an assortment of different sauces, among other items.

Then Bret shared clips of an interview he did with Olivier Rassinoux, vice president of culinary and bar for Patina Restaurant Group, and they discussed cocktail trends, including spirit-free cocktails, as well as Rassinoux’s management style and the joy of dining out.

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, start off by chatting about the joys of grazing.

Neither editor is in the Gen Z or Millennial age group that popularized the “girl dinner” on TikTok, but both like to try small tastes of a lot of different things—whether they are eating alone or dining with friends. On a recent visit to Boston, Bret went to a dinner party where friends gathered around the counter and nibbled on Middle Eastern dips, sashimi, grilled scallops and more while they caught up with each other.

Pat is a fan of happy hours, which encourage sharing and nibbling without breaking the bank. She recently went to Springs Tavern on the East End of Long Island where the group ordered a multi-cultural spread that included mussels and frites, potstickers, chicken nachos and Mediterranean spreads with pita. Everything was under $15, including the $12 well-crafted margaritas.

Bret also mentioned how heat levels are escalating, sometimes to the detriment of the dish. During a visit to a Chinese restaurant his table specified “medium” spicing on the food they ordered, but it was too hot for most of the diners. 

Which brings us to Eggs in Purgatory, an item that seems to be showing up more often on breakfast menus. Can it be the next Shakshuka? Let us know your thoughts.

Pat was down in Atlanta visiting GoTo Foods and the team from Moe’s Southwest Kitchen. She learned to roll her own burrito like the pros at Moe’s and got a sneak peek at some of the flavors coming on to the menu. Look for birria and chili crisp soon.

And we shared clips from an interview with Paul Pszybylski, VP of culinary innovation for California Pizza Kitchen. The chef has been with CPK for 15 years but recently moved into this role. 

He talks about how the menu has evolved, the signatures that can never be taken away, labor challenges, and the new direction of CPK’s sourcing and limited time offers. Chef Pszybylski is especially proud of the new Nashville hot chicken pizza he developed. Give a listen.

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, talk about the post-summer flurry of restaurant activity in New York City.

Bret was treated to a pre-opening preview of Alessa, a new Italian restaurant where the chef created a menu spotlighting mushrooms in many sizes and shapes. His first bite was a white pizza topped with assorted mushrooms and lots of garlic, then he moved on to crab-stuffed cremini mushrooms and risotto with hen-of-the-woods and truffle butter. Mushrooms and fall are a perfect pairing, although the pistachio gelato for dessert was devoid of mushrooms.

Bret also got to try a new Korean restaurant from Hand Hospitality called Odre, where the food is cooked in cast-iron pots. It’s kind of a rustic style for what he thought was a refined tasting menu, but he thoroughly enjoyed all the different courses.

That night, he sampled asparagus with cured shrimp in a pine nut sauce with grapefruit, squash pancakes, little pork dumplings with shiso leaf, and braised beef shank with shishito pepper and yes—mushrooms. The tasting menu is a reasonable $42 for dinner.

Also on Bret’s restaurant itinerary was the revamped Central Park Boathouse, a venue in the middle of NYC’s Central Park that has long been known as a special occasion place. It was recently taken over by Legends Hospitality—the same company that does the food at Yankee Stadium—and there’s a new chef-driven menu that makes it a great destination for lunch and dinner.

David Pasternak, a chef known for his former seafood-focused restaurant Esca, is a consultant, so Bret tried some of the fish dishes, including a salmon crudo and swordfish.

Pat was on vacation and was dining around in the South of France instead of New York City, but she did get a chance to interview Brad Hedeman and Mo Frechette of Zingerman’s, the destination deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Brad and Mo both worked behind the counter and in the retail section of the famous deli, but now head up Zingerman’s thriving mail-order business.

They talk about how they travel the world to meet farmers and producers and procure the specialty foods that have built Zingerman’s reputation. Service and hospitality are built into Zingerman’s DNA, and Brad and Mo share how they extend that to online customers that they never interact with face-to-face.

People in any part of the restaurant industry can learn a lot from their many years of combined experience and fascinating stories. Give a listen.

On this week’s podcast, Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality senior food & beverage editor Bret Thorn is joined by Lisa Jennings, executive editor of Restaurant Business, who subbed in for Pat Cobe.

Lisa came fresh off of the launch of Rokusho in Los Angeles, which has an eight-seat omakase room upstairs that’s an outpost of a Udatsu Sushi, a Michelin-starred restaurant based in Tokyo. It’s headed up by chef Shingo Ogane, but it will also host visiting Japanese chefs for three-week stints. Downstairs is a more casual sushi restaurant run by Carlos Couts, recently of Sushi by Scratch.

The venue is a collaboration between the Japanese parent company and Boulevard Hospitality Group, which operates many properties in L.A., including Yamashiro, Comedor and the TCL Chinese Theatre. Lisa particularly enjoyed an avocado half stuffed with salmon tartare and served with nori seaweed, allowing guests to make their own handrolls.

Bret discussed the trends that Rokusho addresses, including experiential dining, making news with visiting chefs and providing luxury for guests who can afford to pay for it.

He went to the opening of the second location of Reserve Cut, a kosher steakhouse. It has long had a location in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, but the new one is in Midtown. It’s a much grander space than its downtown sibling and is trying to show that kosher dining can appeal to a broader audience than just Jews who follow religious dietary practices. Apart from steak, Bret enjoyed the restaurant’s sushi, short rib tacos, butternut squash bites and more.

He also is continuing to explore his new neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, where he discovered fresh dates, which are crunchy and taste like less-concentrated versions of dried dates. Lisa had not had fresh dates, although California has a robust date industry, but she did recently try paw paws for the first time while she was visiting Philadelphia. She said they’d be great as ice cream.

Bret marveled that fresh dates apparently weren’t being used by Angeleno chefs, and recalled that chefs in Atlanta didn’t used to cook with local green peanuts, but now they do. So perhaps there is a future for fresh dates in restaurants in California.

Then the editors discussed TV food competition shows. They’re not fans, but Bret did enjoy his interview with Alyssa Osinga, who is chef de cuisine of The Butcher’s Cellar, which opened earlier this year in Waco, Texas. She was a contestant on Hell’s Kitchen, where she met Alejandro Najar, who is executive chef of The Butcher’s Cellar and Osinga’s life partner.

Bret shared clips with his interview with Osinga, who discussed the restaurant and the fact that she strives to find uncomfortable situations, because they help her to grow.

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed the time they spent on and near the water in New York City. Pat took a ferry down the East River to Wall Street to check out Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Tin Building, a much-ballyhooed food hall that neither co-host had had a chance to visit yet. Pat enjoyed a savory buckwheat crêpe, and observed that she also had the option to have a South Indian crêpe-like item called a dosa, a fact that dovetailed nicely with a feature that Bret had just written on chicken curry, one of the fastest-growing types of chicken dishes on menus these days.

Bret has taken to watching the birds flying over Sheepshead Bay, where he lives now, and he strolled along the bay to Rocca, a Turkish-accented restaurant with a bayside view, where he had a light meal of various mezze dips such as labneh, hummus, babaghanoush and Turkish bread.

Pat, too, had sampled a Turkish food she’d never had before, a tiny dumpling called manti, which she had with labneh at a Turkish place called A la Turka.

In other food samplings, Bret was sent Buffalo Wild Wings’ chicken wings with its new Bacon Buffalo sauce as well as its Triple Bacon Cheeseburger.

The guest this week is William Dissen, chef and owner of The Market Place in Asheville, North Carolina, as well as three-unit Billy D’s Fried Chicken.

Dissen recently returned from a culinary ambassador mission to Malaysia, where he cooked for stateless children near the city of Kota Kinabalu. He also recently published his first cookbook, “Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted in the New South.”

Dissen said the book reflects his own ethos of using wholesome, local food, and he advocates for people to cook that way at home, too.

The restaurateur doesn’t just help Malaysian kids. He’s also involved in education programs for young people at home in North Carolina, and he discussed that mission and also shared strategies for keeping his restaurant’s staff engaged, motivated and excited to provide great hospitality.

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, talk about how tennis players aren’t the only stars at the US Open, which kicked off on Monday. There’s a lot of star power off the courts, with more than 20 top New York City restaurants and chefs offering their specialties over the next two weeks.

The podcast guest this week is JJ Johnson, a well-known TV chef, James Beard award-winning cookbook author and founder of Fieldtrip, a fast casual bowl concept that reflects the chef’s Afro-Caribbean roots.

Johnson worked as a fine-dining chef before opening Fieldtrip, which now has four locations, including the newest at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. Johnson started Fieldtrip to bring healthier, affordable restaurant food to his Harlem community. He sources top quality ingredients, including rice from farmers in North Carolina, to curate his rice bowls, which also include fresh vegetables and proteins for a complete meal. All the sauces are made from scratch to give the bowls unique flavor profiles.

Listen as chef and restaurateur Johnson describes his vision for Fieldtrip, his cooking adventures at Martha’s Vineyard and his plans for the future.

On this week’s podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed pumpkin spice season, which is upon us in August just as it is every year, despite annual complaints that it arrives too early. But as Pat observed, operators know when their customers want to start buying those autumnal items, and that time is now. 

It's also “Restaurant Week,” in New York City, which now lasts for a month, and Pat made it to a long-standing Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant, Perry Street, where son Cedric Vongerichten helms the kitchen. For dinner, she had great pea soup, fried chicken with sweet corn sauce and molten chocolate cake, paired well with sparkling wine, Grüner Veltliner and a berry-flavored spritz-like dessert cocktail. All in, it was $60 for dinner and another $40 for the pairings.

That’s a good value in New York City, but Pat also took a trip to the Berkshires in Massachusetts, a popular summertime getaway for New Yorkers and Bostonians, and was surprised and delighted to find that entree prices there were considerably lower than at other seasonal resorts in the Hamptons and Cape Cod.

Bret stayed local, but enjoyed a good $12 cocktail at his favorite bar, Logan’s Run in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope, and reported in Restaurant Hospitality’s New on the Menu column about a cocktail that was a cross between a spritz and an Espresso Martini.

The podcast guest this week was Paco Moran, who won season 52 of the TV competition show “Chopped” and is also the executive chef of Loreto, a Mexican seafood restaurant in Los Angeles.

Moran’s a native Angelino whose parents are from El Salvador, and he started working in restaurants at age 17, when he had a child on the way and needed to make money. He worked hard in professional kitchens at a time when those environments could be quite harsh, and Moran has taken a different approach in managing his own restaurant. He said the cruelty of the past isn’t necessary and he wants his restaurants to be fun to work in. That’s especially true since his son, now aged 16, is working for him too. That has taught him and his crew patience, both to their benefit and to that of the young cooks who are joining his team.

Although he is now an executive chef, Moran loves to get back on the line and cook.

This week on Menu Talk, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, zero in on Japanese tasting menus and a trendy pizza style.

Bret paid a visit to Hakubai in the Kitano Hotel, a restaurant known for its kaiseki menu. Kaiseki is a Japanese tasting menu similar to omakase, but it’s more specifically focused on pristine, seasonal ingredients. Hakubai’s 11-course menu was paired with sake and the amuse-bouche stood out as one of Bret’s favorite parts. It was a very tender and succulent squid with a Japanese-style vinaigrette and caviar on top—another example underscoring caviar as the “it” ingredient this year.

Pat’s pizza experience was a bit more down market but very tasty. She had dinner at Emmy Squared, a Detroit-style sit-down pizza restaurant that earned a spot on Restaurant Business’ Future 50 ranking of emerging chains this year. Detroit pizza is a rectangular pie that’s baked in a black cast iron pan so that every slice comes out with a very crispy edge. It originated in Detroit and may have some link to the auto industry but it’s now trending outside of that city—as proven by Emmy Squared, which is expanding on the East Coast. Pat had the MVP pizza topped with vodka sauce, pesto, burrata and Calabrian chilies and, as a New Yorker, she may just become a Detroit pizza fan.

 Food halls have traditionally been another lower-risk way to test out a concept or menu, but they have evolved a bit since the pandemic. Pat shared her interview with food hall veteran Akhtar Nawab, who has opened and operated several in the last few years. His company, Hospitality HQ, tends to stick to smaller cities, such as Omaha, Charlotte, North Carolina, and metro-Minneapolis rather than New York, Chicago and L.A.

Chef Nawab talks about the importance of having a good mix of cuisines. And the concepts don’t all have to be fast casual. A live-fire Brazilian-style full-service steak concept that’s clearly higher-end is doing very well in one of his newer food halls. Event spaces are also key to success; a place to host planned activities that turn food halls into destinations for more than eating and drinking.

This week, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed their visits to Tara Kitchen, a Moroccan restaurant run by Indian chef Aneesa Waheed with three locations near Albany, New York, one in Wildwood, New Jersey, one in Hyderabad, India, and one in the New York City neighborhood of Tribeca.

Pat and Bret took separate trips to the Tribeca location, where Pat had brunch and enjoyed the 1,000-hole pancakes, a traditional Moroccan dish made with a yeast batter that bubbles and produces all those holes, giving the pancakes a lacy quality. Bret, coincidentally, had also visited the restaurant just to get a look at those pancakes and watch the chef prepare them.

Pat discussed a story she wrote last week that was a deep dive into recent menu innovations in family dining. Many of the big chains in that segment, including IHOP, Denny’s, Perkins and Cracker Barrel have undertaken substantial overhauls recently as they try to find the balance between attracting new guests without alienating existing ones, all while providing value.

Bret wrote about potatoes last week, and how, especially in the form of French fries, they can be a vehicle for introducing new flavors. It’s an increasingly common strategy to add lesser-known ingredients to something familiar to make them seem less scary. Bret said flavor combinations like Indian tandoori chicken or Vietnamese bánh mì can seem more approachable if you put them on top of fries.

Pat noted other places where French fries are added, like on Bobby Flay’s burgers and on Primanti Brothers’ sandwiches.

Then Bret shared his interview with Bryan Ogden, the chef of Bourbon Steak’s New York City location. He is also the son of Bradley Ogden, a pioneer in the modern American cuisine movement of a generation ago.

The team behind Brine, a fast casual with a location in New York City and another in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, invited 100 of the restaurant’s regulars (plus some media folks) to taste test new menu items and evaluate them. Chef-partner Joe LoNigro was behind the counter as guests helped themselves to grilled chicken with a “umami” sauce, roasted Brussels sprouts, a spicy chicken sandwich, elote corn ribs, tostones and Brine’s new take on its house-made Pop-Tart-inspired dessert. It will be interesting to see what makes it onto the menu, but we liked those corn ribs, grilled chicken and Brussels sprouts.

Bret returned to Momofuku, celeb chef David Chang’s NYC flagship, with some out-of-town friends who wanted to go for dinner. Although it wouldn’t have been Bret’s first choice, everything was better than he expected. Of particular note was a new tomahawk pork katsu with a Japanese-style curry sauce and the kimchi, which got the seal of approval from both Bret and his Korean-American dining companion.

We also talked about how and why Pete Wells is ending his 12-year-run as restaurant critic of The New York Times, citing how dining out four or five times a week can become a health hazard—even if it sounds like an enviable job.

Our guest this week is Jacob Bickelhaupt, chef-owner of Konro in West Palm Beach, Florida. The self-taught chef trained under culinary icon Charlie Trotter, and at Konro, he offers a 10-14 course tasting menu serving just 10 guests nightly, all of whom sit at the chef’s counter. Although the artful cuisine is not Japanese, it is an intimate omakase-style experience, complete with wine pairings by sommelier Nadia Bickelhaupt, Jacob’s wife.

Jacob is six years sober and has created a selection of non-alcoholic pairings that closely mimic the wines, each house-made through a multi-step process. The couple orchestrates the evening at Konro to be as much an extension of their home as a unique and memorable gastronomic experience.

This week, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed national food holidays. In a nutshell, they’re not huge fans of promotions like National Chicken Wing Day or National Tequila Day, but they do acknowledge that promotions around them can be effective marketing tools and traffic drivers, which are particularly important these days as costs rise and guest counts decline.

Pat discussed her recent visit to La Palapa, a Mexican restaurant that has been in New York City’s East Village at least for a couple of decades. She gave top marks to the margaritas, guac and churros, enjoyed everything else, and was pleased to see that the restaurant was busy.

Bret is continuing to explore his new neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, New York, including Wheeler’s, a bar and restaurant that, like La Palapa, has been around for decades and serves large portions of perfectly fine food.

They also discussed New York Restaurant Week, which is actually a month long this year, and shared strategies for the best ways to capitalize on it (in short, don’t cheap out; put your best foot forward).

Then Bret shared clips from his conversation with Trevin Hutchins, beverage director of Aphotic, a seafood restaurant in San Francisco, where he offers a very ambitious beverage program, including house-distilled gin that has seaweed as its main botanical.

Hutchins also offers a non-alcoholic beverage pairing for the restaurant’s tasting menus for which everything is made in-house, and he went into detail about the process for putting that together.

This week, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor at Restaurant Business, shared her take on Blank Street’s summer matcha drinks and the escalating price of lobster rolls, while Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, recounted his visit to Philadelphia to dine at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant and Zahav, chef Michael Solomonov’s Israeli restaurant.

The guest on this week’s Menu Talk is Dan Kluger, chef-partner of Greywind in New York. Chef Kluger got his start working with Danny Meyer at Union Square Café, then moved on to Tabla, where he was mentored by the late chef, Floyd Cardoz. He talks about how his experience at Tabla really molded his palate and management style.

This week, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, recounted her visit to Fieldtrip, J.J. Johnson’s Afro-Caribbean rice bowl concept with items like jerk meatballs and coconut yogurt, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed his visit with an old friend to an Indian restaurant attached to a Hindu temple in the New York City neighborhood of Flushing in Queens, which led to a discussion of rice-making techniques. Pat uses a fool-proof rice cooker and Bret uses a traditional pot, but he finishes it in the oven to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.

Pat also visited Chick-fil-A’s first all-digital location, which is designed for streamlined, order-ahead takeout and has a separate section for delivery drivers. Bret also expressed his joy at the return of potato cakes to Arby’s locations nationwide, as it’s one of his favorite quick-service sides, and that segued into an observation of both co-hosts about the increased availability of merch, especially clothing, sold by restaurants, which can be both a revenue stream and a marketing vehicle.

The guest on this week’s podcast was Tin Do, the CEO and founder of Krak Boba in Southern California. The beverage concept is actually named for the legendary Polish King Krakus, who saved his village from a dragon.

Tin Do explained that Krak Boba’s three philosophical pillars are courage, service and joy, and he discussed how he empowers his own team members to live their best lives while also encouraging guests to express their own “personaliTea.” Listen as he describes how he differentiates Krak Boba as the boba tea sector continues to trend.

Despite what are usually characterized as the “lazy days of summer,” there’s been a lot of menu action this week.

Pat and Bret both attended an outdoor pig roast at Back Bar in the Eventi Hotel in New York City. The patio party was hosted by Chef Laurent Tourondel and his team, who operate the dining venues at the hotel. They started cooking the pigs at noon, inside a charcoal-fired China box or “caja chino,” which is a Cuban style of cooking pork.

The pigs were roasted to perfection by 6 p.m. with burnished, crackly skin and tender meat. The cooks sliced the pork and sandwiched it in bao buns with a creamy, garlicky green sauce. Also on offer was chicken shawarma and elote, where the ears of corn were cooked over live fire and topped with cotija cheese and spices.

Bret was a guest at Heritage Grand Bakery, a grab-and-go eatery that’s connected to a full-service restaurant with wood-burning pizza ovens. The owner, Lou Ramirez, is into ancient grains and uses a product called “population wheat” for baking. It’s a type of wheat that results from tossing 17 different grains into a field, and whatever sprouts up is harvested and milled.

Chef Ramirez uses population wheat in pizza crust and in a whole-grain pasta that’s served with a mushroom sauce. Both check the boxes for sustainability, healthfulness and abundant flavor.

Our guest this week was Mindy Armstrong, VP of menu innovation at Perkins and Huddle House. Perkins is on a revitalization journey, recently changing its name from Perkins Restaurant & Bakery to Perkins American Food Co.

But Armstrong points out that the bakery will remain a differentiator, setting the chain apart in the family-dining segment. Pies are still menu mainstays, as are breakfast and comfort foods, but the plan is to offer more portable items, lean into sandwiches and burgers and innovate the beverage lineup.

At Huddle House, the R&D strategy focuses on the core menu instead of creating limited-time specials. And with both chains, it’s risky to get too wild with flavor.

Family-dining chains seem to be on a reinvention streak lately, with Cracker Barrel, Friendly’s, Denny’s and now Perkins and even Huddle House all refreshing their menus and images. It will be interesting to watch this segment in the months ahead.

This week, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, reported from Atlanta, where Menu Directions, a conference hosted by sister publication FoodService Director, had just wrapped up. Meanwhile, Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, reported on happenings in New York City.

Foodservice Director covers on-site dining, so attendees were mostly chefs from healthcare, schools, corporate dining, etc., rather than restaurants per se. Pat reported that they’re a nice group eager to share ideas. This year that included strategies for using artificial intelligence in menu development, as well as approaches for reducing waste—such as using leftover coffee grounds as part of a spice rub for roasted beets and meats.

Bret, meanwhile, attended a party thrown by the Mushroom Council where he enjoyed cocktails as well as lettuce wraps and tostadas made with different varieties of the fungus, and learned that the trade association is trying to make Mushroom Mondays a thing. Mushroom products also were on display at Menu Directions, blended into beef meatballs by Mush Foods, Pat said.

Bret also attended the launch of Pizza Hut’s new Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza, a thin-crust pie that’s actually more popular in the Windy City than the better-known deep dish pizza.

And he interviewed James Wozniuk, the chef of Makan, a Malaysian restaurant that started in Washington, D.C., and just opened a second unit in Charleston, S.C. The chef discussed why he loved Malaysian food, how he discovered it as a non-Malaysian, and how he went about developing the menu for Makan, which means “to eat” in Malay.

This week on Menu Talk, hosts Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor at Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, start off with a beer tasting. Bret discovered a low-alcohol brew called kvass in his new Brooklyn neighborhood, which is populated by Russian, Ukrainian and Eastern European residents. As Pat visited Sysco headquarters in Houston to get an inside look at how innovative products get into the distributor’s supply chain. Steak seems to be an ongoing topic of discussion here on Menu Talk. This week, we chat about Michael Mina’s newest branch of Bourbon Steak, which opened in New York City recently. Along with Entrecote and Skirt Steak, two restaurants that offer a prix fixe steak dinner. Skirt Steak is one of Laurent Tourondel’s restaurants, and reservations are hard to come by. One reason: for $45 per person, diners get grilled steak, fries, salad and bread. That’s a pretty good deal at a chef-driven restaurant in Manhattan. Tourondel started as a chef in France, but has since operated restaurants in several U.S. locales, including New York, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and South Florida. Listen as the accomplished chef-restaurateur shares his journey and talks about what’s next. A bakery is in the works. But another French restaurant? Not so fast.

This week on Menu Talk, hosted by Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food and beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, we discuss the latest news in Cheez-It crackers. The snack food has partnered with Taco Bell to offer giant versions of Cheez-Its, and chef and restaurateur Dan Kluger is offering his own take at Greywind, his new restaurant near Hudson Yards in New York City.

The guest for this week is Nia Grace, who Bret interviewed about her newest restaurant Grace by Nia at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. It’s Grace’s fourth restaurant, and the second location of Grace by Nia, which she opened in partnership with Big Night Entertainment, a restaurant and club operator in Boston.

We also hear how the entrepreneurial chef infuses her family’s culinary legacy into her menus.

This week on Menu Talk, hosts Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food and beverage editor at Nation’s Restaurant News, share their take on high menu prices. Their editors at both publications have had a lot to say about fast-food inflation, but how about sticker shock at full-service restaurants?

Fogo de Chao has found ways to keep prices reasonable without hurting its margins, as CEO Barry McGowan revealed in a chat with Pat. We played clips from their conversation, in which he talks about controlling costs by purchasing “overhang” from meat suppliers, in-house butchering and introducing new cuts to guests. Fogo has raised menu prices by 2.5% in the last couple of years, while other restaurants in the steakhouse category have averaged 10%, he said.

And Bret gives the lowdown on some saucy new fast-food items he tasted. Wendy’s introduced Saucy Nuggs, its version of chicken nuggets tossed and coated with sauce. There’s a choice of seven flavor combos—four spicy and three a little tamer.

This week on Menu Talk, your hosts, Restaurant Business senior menu editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, caught their breath after a whirlwind long weekend at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, and they shared insights into what they saw and tasted there.

Pat was struck by the prevalence of cardamom on the show floor, including in an Indian lassi and a new soda flavor from Tractor Beverage Co.

Bret noticed sprouted coffee, green coffee that is treated with moisture, time, and controlled temperature so that it sprouts, resulting in coffee that is lower in acid and less bitter.

Their colleagues at the show came across a wide variety of boba drinks, but Pat and Bret were more struck by the presence of caviar and caviar-like items, like Australian finger limes with pulp that bursts in a way similar to good fish roe, and other popping spherical food, such as encapsulated and flavored fortified fish broth that provided a lower-cost option for attractive presentations.

Caviar has become an increasingly popular embellishment at full-service restaurants, even in fairly casual venues. Pat also sampled dulse, a seaweed that she said tastes like caviar.

Restaurant Show attendees also often get invited to other events in Chicago, especially if they’re members of the media, and Pat and Bret both attended one by Unilever Food Solutions at fine-dining restaurant Esmé, where they were presented with a multicourse meal that, apart from being beautiful, interactive and delicious, represented some of the broad trends that Unilever explained to the guests.

And finally Bret played clips from his interview with Nathan Myhrvold, author of the food encyclopedia “Modernist Cuisine” and subsequent books, including his latest, “Modernist Bread at Home,” co-written with Francisco Migoya. Myhrvold debunked some common myths about bread baking, and our hosts learned that over-proofed bread doesn’t need to be thrown away: It can be saved.

Listen to the podcast to find out how.

Menu editors Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn were among the guests who celebrated the winners of the 2024 MenuMasters awards on Saturday. We were in the thick of the event at Morgan Manufacturing in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, sampling the chef-prepared food at the various stations and talking to the eight chefs honored this year.

Chef and restaurateur Nancy Silverton was inducted into the MenuMasters Hall of Fame, and we talk on the podcast about her accomplishments as a chef and restaurateur. She was particularly touched to receive an award from the industry, and commented on how these awards celebrate the diversity of restaurants represented at the ceremony. Other winners included fast casuals Cava and Tender Greens, quick-service players Del Taco and McDonald’s and casual-dining concept Fogo de Chao.

Indian entrepreneur Meherwan Irani and digital cooking guru Samuel “Sam the Cooking Guy” Zien were also honored, further reflecting that diversity.

We also dish on the wild MenuMasters “after party,” where special effects, music, dancing and more food and drinks kept guests hopping until almost midnight.

MenuMasters took place during the National Restaurant Show, so we roamed the exhibits and chatted about our favorite tastes, sips and happenings.

This week on Menu Talk, Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food and beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News, share their take on some recent happenings in the world of food, drink and restaurants.

Pat recently visited Coqodaq, a classy NYC Korean fried chicken restaurant with a casual vibe run by the owners of upscale steakhouse Cote.

Both Bret and Pat attended an event for Rocco DiSpirito, the James Beard Award-winning chef and TV celeb who just released a new cookbook called “Everyday Delicious.” Although DiSpirito isn’t currently affiliated with a restaurant, he earned acclaim as the hot and talented young chef helming the kitchen at Union Pacific.

And we played clips from Pat’s podcast with Doug Willmarth, president of Mooyah Burgers, Fries and Shakes, the 72-unit better burger chain. Willmarth talked about how Mooyah differentiates itself in the crowded fast-casual burger segment with its laser focus on quality ingredients cooked from scratch.

Menu Talk is a collaboration between Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. You can subscribe to it wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week on Menu Talk, Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food and beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News, share their take on some recent happenings in the world of food and drink.

Bret is settling into his new Brooklyn digs, discovering the vast assortment of pickled and smoked fish available in his new neighborhood. And buckwheat—that’s the grain of choice in the shops that surround his apartment.

Pat was recently a guest at a “Nikkei Twist” dinner in which private chef Will Ono created a five-course Colombian-Japanese menu. Off-duty private chefs, restaurant sous chefs, line cooks and other culinary pros develop the menus and cook at these events. There’s also a sommelier at the dinners to pair wines. It’s a new kind of dining platform that’s becoming a win-win for both chefs and consumers.

We listened to clips from Bret’s podcast with Joe Schaeffer, VP of Culinary for Atlanta-based Electric Hospitality, about Muchacho, the group’s Southern California-inspired taqueria. Schaeffer created six unique fresh salsas using a variety of chilies, some raw, some roasted or simmered, to infuse each with complex flavor.

This week on Menu Talk, Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, Senior Food and Beverage Editor of Nation’s Restaurant News, share their take on some recent happenings in the world of food and drink.

Bret recently moved from one Brooklyn neighborhood to another, and the culinary scene is very different. He’s surrounded by Turkish food and already tried a Turkish breakfast specialty that’s currently trending on TikTok but has been served in mom-and-pop restaurants forever.

Pat shares a virtual taste of three memorable pizzas she shared with colleagues at Pizzeria Bianco while in Phoenix, which sparks a lively discussion of pizza styles.

We also comment on clips from podcasts recorded at the recent Restaurant Leadership Conference. Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ Christopher LaBarbera, and Ricky Richardson, CEO of breakfast-lunch chain Eggs Up Grill. They mention sustainability initiatives, equipment upgrades , along with new programs and menu items

Menu Talk is a collaboration between Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. You can subscribe to it wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week on Menu Talk, Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food and beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News, share their take on some recent happenings in the world of food and drink.

This week on Menu Talk, Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food and beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News, share their take on some recent hot topics.

The James Beard Foundation announced the finalists in the restaurant and chef categories, naming nominees in 22 categories, including both national regional honorees. While culinary skill and operational excellence still play into the awards, a positive work culture and community involvement are now key criteria for a nomination. And, since the pandemic, the foundation completely overhauled the program to bring more diversity into the awards selection process, including broader geographic representation. 

Pat and Bret weigh in on the revised criteria and discuss the cachet the James Beard Awards hold for the winners.

Mike Freeman, CEO of McAlister’s Deli, joins the podcast to share the brand’s menu evolution. It started with breakfast catering, launched last year when the fast casual was under the former Focus Brands banner.

“There’s been lots of attention placed on our catering innovation, expanding our reach from the beginning of the day to the end of the day.” Snacks, desserts, and beverages also got a refresh, and a new “semi-homemade” category provides takeout options.

Speaking of beverages, new ones keep flowing out of the pipeline. Lately, we noticed orange creamsicle drinks on several menus. The nostalgic flavor taps into childhood summers. With summer fast approaching, we will probably see more of these retro frozen treats showing up on beverage menus.

Pepe Moncayo is the chef and owner of Cranes, a restaurant he opened in Washington, D.C., in February of 2020 to enthusiastic acclaim. Of course, normal operations ceased five weeks later, but the fine-dining restaurant survived and the chef’s food, which reflects his own culinary journey, continues to be appreciated by guests.

Moncayo was born and raised in the suburbs of Barcelona and started cooking after his mother passed away when he was 13. He would accompany her to the market, carrying her bags for her as she shopped for food for their meals, and he continued to follow in her footsteps after her death, preparing meals for his father, who worked in a factory, and his older brother and younger sister. He realized that cooking was the field he wanted to go into when, as he searched for colleges to attend, the only thing that appealed to him was culinary school. 

After graduation he worked at some of the best restaurants in Barcelona until his mentor, Santi Santamaria of Can Fabes restaurant, invited him to work under him at Santi restaurant at the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore. Moncayo stayed in that city-state, working in various positions until he eventually opened his own restaurant, Bam! in 2013.

During his stay in Asia he also visited Japan to learn about that country’s cuisine, and he fell in love with it.

That influence is reflected in the food at Cranes, a restaurant named for the migratory birds. Moncayo says his own journeys have had a strong impact on his own cooking, so the name seemed appropriate.

Listen as the chef-owner shares his culinary legacy and his approach to cooking and running restaurants.

This interview was part of a new podcast series called Menu Talk, a collaboration between Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. You can subscribe to it wherever you listen to podcasts.

Menu Talk will still feature Pat Cobe, but now she'll have a cohost: Informa colleague, Bret Thorn with Nation’s Restaurant News.

Both are veteran reporters on the menu beat and eager to bring you inspiring conversations about what’s happening in restaurant and foodservice kitchens, including weekly interviews with chefs, operators and food professionals.

Get ready for a new era of Menu Feed with Menu Talks!

Gott’s Roadside got its start in California’s Napa Valley 25 years ago and has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation as an early pioneer of fast-casual dining. Through the years, the food has evolved from a limited menu of burgers, fries and shakes to a broad and varied selection that offers something for everyone, says Clay Walker, president of the iconic drive-in.

This year, culinary director Jennifer Rebman is introducing a commemorative 25th anniversary menu, rotating in old favorites and new LTOs during each month of 2024. Items like a soft shell crab sandwich, grilled artichokes, street corn and a lobster BLT are coming up as specials.

Listen as Walker describes how he is honoring Gott’s legacy while growing the brand, how the roadside restaurant puts hospitality front and center, and what guests can expect next from Gott’s.

Sara Bradley, chef-owner of Freight House in Paducah, Kentucky, worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and Chicago, but always wanted to return to her hometown and be her own boss. She opened Freight House in 2015 with the mission to create a technique-driven yet accessible restaurant where all guests would feel comfortable dining and all team members could experience true work-life balance.

Bradley knows all about balance—she juggles her job as restaurant chef-owner with her role as mother to two young children and a contestant on multiple chef competition shows, including "Top Chef: World All-Stars." During the "Top Chef" filming, she made headlines for pumping and shipping breast milk from London to Paducah for her youngest daughter.

Listen as Bradley describes how her locally inspired menu gives her the opportunity to tell her culinary story, how she’s built a popular and profitable restaurant while creating a compassionate work environment, and why Paducah is the perfect place for Freight House.

John Manion introduced Chicago diners to Brazilian ingredients and flavors when he opened La Sirena Clandestina back in 2012. It’s a cuisine that’s near and dear to his heart and palate, as the chef spent part of his childhood living in Sao Paolo.

Manion went on to open El Che Steakhouse & Bar, where the menu covers more of South America with a focus on meats cooked over live fire. But when La Sirena Clandestina closed in 2019, he always had the vision to open a more expansive Brazilian restaurant in Chicago.

That vision became a reality in February with the launch of Brasero, a tribute to Brazilian flavors and cooking. The menu features woodfire-grilled seafood and meats and a slow-cooked over charcoal marinated chicken. Manion also offers his take on feijoada, personalizing Brazil’s national dish with elements like a smoked and braised beef shank, fermented collard green kimchi and orange mostarda.

Listen as the chef-owner talks about how he revolutionized live-fire cooking at El Che, gives the lowdown on Brasero’s unique wine program and menu, and shares how he blends a bit of the Midwest into all his restaurants.

Raeanne Sarazen, author of "The Complete Recipe Writing Guide," created a comprehensive guidebook to help chefs, menu developers and dietitians master the art of recipe writing. In our conversation, she explains why and how well-written recipes can boost efficiency, ease staff training and improve the menu.

Traditionally, cooks learned at the side of more experienced chefs, but that model isn’t always practical in today’s fast-paced, labor-challenged kitchens. The detailed chapters of Sarazen’s book can stand in for that one-on-one mentorship, as she covers recipe development, formatting, nutrition guidance and visual presentation—the visual part more important than ever in this age of Instagram and TikTok.

As a registered dietitian, professional recipe developer and former restaurant chef, Sarazen shares all the skills that go into writing a recipe and why those skills are key to a successful operation.

Larissa Dubose is a certified sommelier and national director of beverages for Paradies Lagardère, overseeing the wine program at Vino Volo, the wine bars at airport locations all over North America. She’s tasked with creating an oasis for busy travelers who want to relax with a glass or flight of wine and perhaps a bite to eat before boarding their plane.

Chef Duane Nutter and Dubose coordinate wine and food pairings.   

At each location, Dubose has curated a diverse wine selection that appeals to every type of palate, often incorporating local bottles and working with the chef to pair complementary small plates and snacks. Her favorite current flight is called “Behind the Vines,” which highlights wines from BIPOC and/or women-owned producers. She has also introduced an alcohol-free wine list and a new loyalty program for frequent guests.

Training and server education are key to Vino Volo’s mission and Dubose is especially proud of the annual Vino Volo GM Summit she organizes. “It gives our general managers the opportunity to go to different wine regions every year for an immersive experience and does wonders for their wine knowledge,” she says.

Listen as Dubose shares the details behind the success of Vino Volo’s unique wine program.

Arthur Carl II joined IHOP at the end of 2022, and in just over a year, he has accelerated menu innovation and taken the 1,794-unit pancake house in new culinary directions.

Carl began by identifying gaps in the menu, quickly developing a line of indulgent Eggs Benedict and sweet and savory crepes to elevate the morning daypart. Then he leaned into lunch and dinner, introducing a collection of Ultimate Steakburgers with culinary touches, like bacon jam and Parmesan crisps. Pancake Tacos followed—an instant hit with both new and core customers.

Pancakes will always be a platform for innovation at IHOP—new this year is the chain’s Pancake of the Month promotion—but Carl is going beyond pancakes to bring on-trend ingredients and chef-driven dishes to the menu.

Listen as the chef describes how he balances value, quality and innovation, talks about IHOP’s attention-getting menu and marketing tie-ins, and shares what’s next at the iconic chain.  

Ryan Ratino has helmed the kitchens at D.C. restaurants JONT and Bresca for several years, earning Michelin stars for both. Now he’s taking on Florida, opening MAASS in the Four Seasons Hotel in Fort Lauderdale and putting the finishing touches on OMO in Orlando.

Each of the restaurants has a distinct personality and offers a distinct dining experience, from the bistro-style Bresca to the Japanese-inspired tasting menu at JONT and the contemporary seasonal spirit of MAASS. At OMO, Ratino is curating a “choose your own adventure” dinner experience. He is also laser-focused on service, even creating the position of director of hospitality at MAASS to pamper guests with something extra.

Listen as the 33-year-old chef and restaurateur describes how his passionate pursuit of excellence pushes him and his team to constantly evolve and how as he matures, his restaurants mature with him.

Steven Chandler, general manager of Husk in Charleston, S.C. earned his culinary chops in the back-of-the-house, working in hotel kitchens overseeing purchasing, event planning, catering and more. But he felt his true calling was in the front-of-the-house, and he made that transition several years ago, landing at Husk in 2022.

Since he joined the team, he’s elevated the training program, added a bar and patio with a more casual vibe and menu and preserved the cherished restaurant’s legacy while positioning it for the future.

Listen as Chandler describes how his empathetic approach and holistic hospitality experience serve him well as GM, shares the keys to creating a positive culture and talks about what’s next for Husk.

Alexis Schultze Parra became a fan of juicing as a California mom and yoga enthusiast before she co-founded Nekter Juice Bar 13 years ago. The healthy fast casual has since grown to over 300 locations, and in her role as chief visionary officer, Parra oversees culinary, supply chain, marketing and more.

Although Nekter has a large core customer base for its convenient, nutritious and functional juices, smoothies and bowls, she is exploring new ways to grow this audience beyond the health-conscious consumer. Recent collaborations with beauty and gaming brands have created innovative menu items and attracted new users, she said.

Listen as Parra describes how she is evolving the menu to be both fun and functional, how she maximizes her role as a female leader through mentorship and her plans for Nekter in the year ahead.

When Cindy Syracuse joined BurgerFi International last January as CMO, she hit the ground running. Her first order of business: Earn more recognition for BurgerFi in the “better burger” category. So she tasked the culinary team with creating a new burger to enter into the South Beach Wine & Food (SOBE) festival’s Burger Bash taking place in February.

In less than a month, they developed the BBQ Rodeo Burger, entered it into the competition and won first place. Sister concept Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza also competed at SOBE, entering meatball sliders and garlic Romano wings in Guy Fieri’s Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives showdown, earning the popular vote as the “people’s choice.”

Listen as Syracuse relates her journey through the restaurant industry, including stints at Burger King, TGI Fridays and as a Firehouse Subs franchisee, and shares her passion for the BurgerFi and Anthony’s brands and her plans for differentiating both in the crowded burger and pizza segments.

Neil Doherty’s official job title at Sysco is senior director of global culinary development, but it wouldn't be wrong to call him “chief problem solver” for the broadline distributor.

He works along with the 87 chefs Sysco employs at 32 test kitchen sites around the country to help operators in every segment source products to meet back-of-house challenges. Right now, the biggest challenge is labor. Kitchens in restaurants, colleges, health care and other segments are still understaffed or short of skilled workers.

Listen as Doherty talks about his journey through the hospitality industry that landed him at Sysco, how he and his team are curating top quality, labor-saving culinary solutions and the trends he’s predicting will most impact menus in the year ahead.

Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo, husband and wife co-owners of Esmé, met when they were both starting out in the industry at MK, a groundbreaking Chicago restaurant that has since closed. The pair eventually married and ventured out on their own, opening Esmé in 2021.

The Chicago fine-dining restaurant embodies their vision to marry Bravo’s passion for art and Tomaska’s passion for culinary artistry with the shared goal of providing first-rate hospitality.

Esmé offers an evolving tasting menu inspired by Chicago’s rich cultural scene. The couple collaborate with local artists and creatives, and each quarter, Esme’s menu, servingware, décor and music reflect the current artistic collaboration.

Listen as Bravo and Tomaska describe their one-of-a-kind Michelin-starred dining destination and share how they tell their story through a culinary and artistic lens.

Philippe Massoud grew up Lebanon, spending a lot of time in his family’s hotel learning hospitality and cooking from the best. He was forced to leave his country during the civil war, arriving in the U.S. with a strong desire to pursue his culinary passion.

That desire finally became a reality 15 years ago, when, after many fits and starts, he opened ilili in New York City, introducing Americans to Lebanese fine dining. The restaurant, whose name means “tell me” in colloquial Arabic Lebanese, features a striking modern design and a progressive menu that showcases many of Massoud’s family recipes. Two years ago, a second ilili opened in Washington, D.C.

Listen as Massoud shares his arduous journey from refugee to restaurateur, how discovering the “recipe card” in a food and beverage class at Cornell University changed his life, and how he has plans in the works to expand ilili to more locations.

Towards the end of every year, Technomic releases its annual predictions for the year ahead. Lizzy Freier, director of menu research and insights, worked with her team of researchers and analysts to compile Technomic’s report, “What’s in Store for 2024.” She joins the podcast to talk about the data-based trends that rose to the top.

Freier digs into the report to reveal vivid details behind the predictions. Listen to find out how weather is impacting menus, why breakfast and brunch are rising in popularity, how TikTok is influencing what we eat in restaurants and why 2024 is “the year of the tomato.”

Joel Reynders was named VP of culinary and executive chef at Bar Louie just last May, and he hit the ground running. The 67-unit chain has long been a popular happy hour destination, but guests would order a drink or two and some nibbles and leave to have dinner someplace else.

To fill that gap, Reynders—whose casual-dining experience includes Red Lobster, Darden, Tijuana Flats and more—developed a new collection of approachable, flavor-forward dinner entrees and sides. He also worked on filling the lunch gap with $10 menu items that could get customers in and out quickly. And he expanded the bar menu with craveable bites like fried cheese curds, truffle fries and shareable flatbreads.

All along, his R&D goal was to make sure the food complemented and didn’t overpower Bar Louie’s all-important cocktails. And while affordability was key, Reynders paid lots of attention to execution, too. Performance provides value to consumers as much as price, he feels.

Listen as Reynders details how he’s elevated the culinary experience at Bar Louie while preserving its DNA and where he’s taking the menu next.

Becky Boyd has worked at Outback Steakhouse most of her adult life, starting as a server and moving up to bar manager and eventually to her current position as Director of Menu Innovation & Strategy for all of Bloomin’ Brands. Bloomin’ is the parent company of Outback, Bonefish Grill and Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

Outback is currently on an innovation tear, launching seasonal limited-time menus at a steady pace. The most recent promotions focused on Fall’s Swicy menu flavored with the sweet heat of hot honey and “Steakmas Season” for the holidays.

Boyd and her team pay equal attention to the food and drink sides of the menu during R&D sessions, with cocktails such as the Winter White Cosmo and Hot Honey Margarita becoming instant signatures. But for the Steakmas promotion, the menu riffs on two core items: ribeye steak and the Bloomin’ onion.

Listen as Boyd shares her culinary journey, talks about how Outback’s Australian connection differentiates the menu and reveals what might be coming next on the menu.

Carl Sobocinski opened his first restaurant called Soby’s 26 years ago in Greenville, S.C., serving low-country cuisine along with a personalized brand of hospitality. More restaurants followed, and Sobocinski eventually formed Table 301 as the umbrella company that oversees them all. Now there six unique concepts, all within a three-block radius in Greenville, plus a food truck, two event venues and a catering arm.

Diego Campos is executive chef at one of the six called CAMP, a modern American restaurant with a globally influenced menu that changes monthly. He started as a line cook and worked his way up—something that Table 301 strongly encourages. In fact, Sobocinski has created a special buyout program through which his chefs and managers can become restaurant owners.

Listen as Sobocinski and Campos share the inspiring story behind Table 301’s name, describe how Greenville has evolved into a melting pot of cultural influences and how the restaurant company’s loving attention to guests and staff is the secret to its longevity.

Entrepreneurship runs through the veins of Andrew Munday, co-founder of Local Kitchens, a micro food hall that collects small and independent restaurants under one roof. He’s also been involved in six other startups, including delivery giant Door Dash, and is now on a mission to help existing restaurants grow and partner with operators and chefs to create new concepts.

Local Kitchens’ most recent collaboration is with Andy Ricker, chef-founder of Pok Pok in Portland, Ore., who is recognized worldwide as an expert in Northern Thai cuisine. Ricker and Munday conceptualized and launched Tam Sang in Local Kitchens’ California locations. The menu reflects Thailand’s vibrant street food scene, and guests can order up signatures like Red Curry with Sweet Potato, Crispy Wings and more—for takeout, delivery or dining in.

Listen as Andrew shares the details about Tam Sang, how he plans to grow Local Kitchens from its current 11 locations, and what type of future culinary collaborations may be in the works.

Pepper Lunch currently has five restaurants in the U.S., but CEO Troy Hooper is on a mission to accelerate growth into both traditional and nontraditional spaces. The fast casual was founded by a Japanese master chef more than 30 years ago, and now counts hundreds of locations around the world.

The focus of the menu is a dish called Beef Pepper Rice, a favorite meal in Japan that’s usually served lazy Susan-style in family homes. Pepper Lunch pared down this family-style dish to a personal-sized iron plate that’s uniquely designed so the food can be cooked teppanyaki-style on the plate by each guest. Hooper and his team are working on packaging that will make it possible to replicate the experience for carryout and delivery customers.

Listen as he describes how Pepper Lunch got its name, how the concept differentiates itself in the Asian fast-casual space, why the U.S. menu includes French fries and onion rings served in no other countries, and how this low-labor, low-waste model meets today’s industry challenges.

At its five locations in the Chicagoland area, Beatrix pulls in crowds all day long. Andrew Ashmore, corporate chef and partner in the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants has created a widely appealing menu with elevated touches such as house-baked breads and pastries, handcrafted cocktails and locally sourced ingredients. The varied menu includes plenty of vegetarian items for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch—the busiest meal occasion, said Ashmore.

Listen as he describes how his culinary journey landed him with Lettuce Entertain You, how he is constantly upgrading the menu with seasonal items, how a revitalized catering program is growing revenue and what to expect from Beatrix in 2024 and beyond.

Yia Vang did not set out to be a restaurateur, but after his Hmong food popup took off in Minneapolis, he realized this was his mission.

Vang emigrated to the U.S. from Southeast Asia with his family as a young child, seeking refuge among other Hmong people in Minnesota. His popup found a home in a trailer and eventually started operating as Union Hmong Kitchen in Minneapolis’ Graze Food Hall. He is now working with partners to open a full-service brick-and-mortar restaurant called Vinai in 2024. Vinai is named after the refugee camp in Thailand where his parents ended up after the Vietnam War and many of the restaurant’s ingredients will be sourced from his parents’ farm.

Vang is spreading the word about Hmong culture and cuisine through his cooking, his podcast called “Hmonglish” and TV appearances on the Food Network, Iron Chef and the Outdoors Channel. Listen as the James Beard-nominated chef describes the culinary influences that make Hmong cuisine so unique and how he’s honoring the legacy of the Hmong people through their food.

As chef-partner in Pomegranate Hospitality, Alon Shaya has shared the rich culinary landscape of Israel through his acclaimed restaurants—Saba in New Orleans, Safta in Denver and the newest, Silan in the Bahamas. But, he says, it has been one of the greatest honors of his life to help preserve one family’s legacy through the Rescued Recipes series of dinners he’s hosting in cities across the country.

Shaya began this project after discovering a recipe book from the Fenves family during a visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The collection had been saved by the family’s cook after the parents and children had been sent to concentration camps during World War II. After the war, the cook was able to get the cookbook into the hands of the son and daughter and it eventually ended up at the museum.

The first Rescued Recipes dinner was held last year in Washington, D.C., and now Shaya is expanding them across the country to Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver and New York City. The dinners will raise funds to preserve and digitize the Museum’s Holocaust documents.

Listen as Shaya shares the memorable story of the Fenves family legacy, how his cooking is bringing their culinary memories to life, and how his restaurants continue to give back through Hummus for a Cause.

Nick Graff joined Noodles & Company in 2014 and quickly advanced to the position he holds today as executive chef and VP of culinary. Along the way, he introduced scores of new ingredients, formats and global dishes. Among the standouts are veggie-based zoodles, stuffed pastas including tortelloni and ravioli in several flavor iterations, a high-protein pasta called leanguini, and Chicken Parmesan—Noodles’ first baked entrée and already a runaway best seller.

He also introduced new equipment to the line, speeding prep times and easing executions. Steamers now expedite the pasta cooking process and eliminate the extra step of draining the noodles. And with ovens installed at each unit, the menu can now expand into baked pastas and entrees.  

Listen as Chef Graff describes his culinary journey at Noodles & Company, talks about the challenges of menu development in a fast-casual environment and reveals what may be next for Noodles’ menu.  

Steve Sturm, VP of Food & Beverage at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, has been with the polished casual concept for 23 years, steering and evolving the menu from its first restaurant in 2000 to its present-day count of 56 locations.

The concept’s centerpiece is its wood-fired grill, which adds bold flavor, innovative prep and dramatic flair to everything it touches. Firebirds’ signature steaks, seafood and vegetables are all elevated on the grill, and this year, Sturm is using the cooking technique to differentiate the new Bar Bites menu, creating shareables and appetizers to enjoy with cocktails at the bar or the dinner table. The chef is also focusing on changing up the lunch menu to better fit more flexible remote work styles. And he and his team launched a new catering platform serve the needs of workers returning to the office.

Listen as Sturm talks about all these initiatives, describes his strategy for creating limited-time Chef’s Features, shares what Firebirds’ new Menus of the Future panel is all about, and provides a glimpse into the seasonal surprises ahead for the holidays.

Paul Fehribach, chef-owner of Big Jones in Chicago, has operated a popular Southern restaurant since 2008, but he has always been enamored by Midwestern food.

His roots are in Indiana, where German culinary traditions and farm-fresh ingredients defined meals. But the story behind the scope and diversity of Midwest cuisine has scarcely been told.

Fehribach sets out to change that through “Midwestern Food,” a narrative cookbook many years in the making, published this month by University of Chicago Press. Through 100 recipes and their stories, he describes the evolution of the cuisine, incorporating rural, urban and regional specialties. Fried chicken, sausages and cheese curds are all part of the mix, but so are the five pizza styles that are solidly Midwestern, as well as tamales and barbecue. All are touchstones of the Midwest identity.

Listen as Fehribach describes how Big Jones led the way in educating Chicago diners about Southern food and how he’s now on a mission to dispel misconceptions about Midwestern cuisine by relating the fascinating stories behind it.

Sharon Arthofer had a career in marketing, retail and the snack industry before she started fast-casual Sip Fresh in 2017, but she noticed a huge growth opportunity in the beverage segment. Instead of doing just another pressed juice concept, she hired mixologists to take it to the next level. They created a menu of unique, alcohol-free juice-based drinks with on-trend ingredients like dragon fruit, kiwi, chamoy and tajin—each artfully garnished like cocktails.

“Sipologists” develop the recipes and each of the four locations employs trained “sipistas”—patterned after baristas—to serve the handcrafted drinks. The units are designed with a bar-style vibe, with the beverage selection displayed in large glass barrels on the counter.

Listen as Arthofer shares why the time is right to refresh the beverage segment, how beverage catering is a focus for growth and her future plans for franchising and expanding Sip Fresh beyond its home base of California.

Adam Crocini, VP and global head of food and beverage for Hilton hotels, is reimagining food and beverage service at all the company’s brands—from family-friendly Hampton Inn to the luxe Waldorf Astoria.

With guests looking for more meaningful experiences post-pandemic, Crocini is leading the charge to create more chef partnerships in the hotel restaurants. José Andrés, Michael Mina and Nancy Silverton are already established in some Hilton properties, but “we have thousands of hotels around the world and thousands of opportunities for talented chefs,” he said. The goal is to create more destination restaurants and signature dining experiences for guests and locals alike.

Breakfast is also a top priority for Hilton guests, and there’s an increased focus on better-for-you, fresher items on breakfast buffets and menus. The same goes for the snacks and grab-and-go items in hotel retail markets, which have been upgraded with healthier, higher quality foods and drinks. And Hilton’s newest lifestyle hotel, Tempo, offers an on-trend list of handcrafted “Spirited” and “Spirit-Free” cocktails at the bar as well as other contemporary perks.

Listen as Crocini describes how he is positioning Hilton to meet guests where they are with upgraded food and beverage service, how the hotels are primed to deliver memorable dining experiences and what’s in store for 2024.

Chicken Salad Chick started with one recipe created by an Alabama mom and has grown to more than 225 restaurants across the South, with units now open in Colorado and the Midwest as well. Its menu features more than a dozen variations of chicken salad, many named after their female creators or fans.

Now, the chain has introduced its first warm sandwich: the Chick Melt. Based on a tuna melt but filled with—you guessed it, chicken salad—it’s the latest example of Chicken Salad Chick’s continuing drive to innovate the menu while staying true to its roots.

CMO Tom Carr, who is very involved in the culinary side of the business, describes the new melts and the clever marketing campaign built around their launch.

Eileen Andrade, chef-owner of the newly revamped Amelia’s 1931, started out in the fashion business. But she couldn’t resist the pull of her Cuban family’s restaurant legacy, especially that of her abuela Amelia, for whom the restaurant is named.

Andrade renovated her grandmother’s diner in June, breaking through to the dry cleaner next door to add 100 seats, a trendy cocktail lounge and dazzling artistic touches. Her eclectic Asian-Latin menu pays homage to her family’s Cuban heritage, elevating the cuisine with upscale ingredients and Korean flavors. Andrade even established a dress code—an uncommon restriction in laid-back Miami.

Listen as Andrade describes working her way up in her family’s restaurants (she started as a dishwasher), how she quickly transitioned into running a food truck and two casual spots—Finka and Barbakoa—and how she designed Amelia’s 1931 with the goal of transporting guests nightly on a culinary journey.

Amanda Stelly, general manager of Camp Margaritaville Breaux Bridge, remained unruffled when tasked with supervising the overhaul of food and beverage operations.

She has deep experience as a restaurant manager, and even though the revamp had to be done in just a few months, she put one foot in front of the other and got it done.

The Jimmy Buffet-branded Margaritaville venues were all in top operating order by the time the busy summer season started this year. These include the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill, License to Chill, Feeding Frenzy and Lah de Dah Bar—all reporting robust sales.  

Listen as Stelly describes the new food and drink concepts and their impact on sales, how she managed to quickly train staff in Margaritaville style before the summer rush and what’s in store as Phase 2 gets underway later this year.

Jeff Carcara, CEO of Sixty Vines, says he owes a lot to the Hillstone Restaurant Group, the hospitality company where he began his career.

He followed that start with stints at innovative casual-dining players, including Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and Del Frisco.

Carcara now leads Sixty Vines, an eight-location polished casual differentiated by its unique wine-on-tap initiative and vineyard-inspired global menu. The restaurant came onto his radar when he dined there as a guest and was wowed by the sustainable, flexible beverage program featuring keg wines, cocktails, kombucha and even cold-brew coffee—all on tap. That, along with the concept's craveable, shareable food and relaxed vibe, made a lasting impression.

Listen as Carcara describes how Sixty Vines is changing wine culture to make it more approachable and fun, how he’s working to expand the chain around the country and why the brand is finding fans among diners in every generation.

Scott McCurdy earned his culinary chops working as an executive chef in high-end restaurants, hotels and other segments of the industry.

As director of culinary for US Foods since 2005, he’s now on the other side, tapping that experience to help operators, particularly independent restaurants, create smarter, more profitable menus.

Scott McCurdy

McCurdy is a “constant student of restaurants” to stay on top of the trends—a commitment that drives innovation and product development. Listen as he shares how he and his team of 65 US Foods chefs around the country provide culinary and operational expertise to help restaurants succeed.

 Hot honey may be the hottest condiment of the year, infusing restaurant menus across the country with sweet heat.

Mike Kurtz first tasted hot honey on a pizza in Brazil in his early 20s and started making his own chili-infused honey in his Brooklyn apartment. He brought samples to Brooklyn pizzeria Paulie Gee’s and soon turned owner Paul Giannone onto the idea of drizzling his pies with hot honey.

Fast forward 10-plus years, and Mike’s Hot Honey is now a staple on retailer’s shelves and in foodservice kitchens. Paulie Gee’s Hellboy, a pizza topped with soppressata, mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano and hot honey, has long been on the permanent menu, and operators including First Watch, Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza and Madison Square Garden feature the condiment in everything from margaritas to fried chicken, wings, breakfast sandwiches and ice cream sundaes.

Listen as Kurtz and Giannone share share how they put hot honey on the culinary map, why the sweet-heat trend is currently booming and where the next stops on this flavor journey might lead.

Eric Gabrynowicz, vice president of culinary for Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar, fell in love with knives and fire when he worked in a restaurant kitchen as a teenager.

From there, he graduated from the CIA, worked for Danny Meyer at Union Square Cafe and Blue Smoke, and eventually helmed his own kitchen at North Restaurant in Westchester County, N.Y.

But Gabrynowicz has always been obsessed with the flavors and passion that go into Southern food. When he landed at Tupelo Honey, he wanted to preserve the Southern signatures that built the restaurant’s reputation, but reinvigorate both the food and bar menu with elevated ingredients, techniques and presentation, and add his own culinary stamp.

The polished-casual concept now has 23 locations across the U.S., but the menu plays as well in Idaho and Indianapolis as it does in Georgia and North Carolina—the state where it all started. Listen as Chef Gabrynowicz describes how he has brought Tupelo’s Southern menu to new heights but learned not to mess with favorites like the mac and cheese, how the refreshed food and drink lineup has boosted sales and profits, and why he is so committed to bringing an end to childhood hunger.

Spike Mendelsohn is a celebrity chef, entrepreneur, TV personality and food policy activist, all of which come together in his newest ventures—PLNT Burger and Eat the Change.

PLNT Burger, which serves up chef-curated, plant-based versions of burgers, soft-serve, chicken fingers and other fast-food favorites, currently has 10 locations and is on a growth trajectory. Meanwhile, Eat the Change, a healthy snack company Mendelsohn started with partner Seth Goldman, has launched packaged snacks such as mushroom jerky and carrot chews to sell at retail.

Although Mendelsohn started out in Michelin-starred restaurants, he’s now applying his culinary talents to improve America’s healthy eating choices. Listen as he talks about his diverse culinary journey, how he’s infusing the fast- casual segment with his entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ideas, and why advocating for healthy and equitable food systems is so close to his heart.

Matthew Padilla, culinary director for True Food Kitchen, joined the full-service restaurant group last year and quickly started innovating the menu. This spring, he introduced over 30 new dishes, incorporating hyper-seasonal ingredients and inventive global flavors, with an updated summer menu close behind.

To appeal to a broader audience, he transformed comfort-food favorites like burgers, pizza and pasta with healthier twists. Padilla also refreshed menu staples, including bowls, salads and desserts, to be in sync with the seasons—all the while staying true to True Food’s original wellness, sustainability and ethical sourcing mission.

Listen as the chef relates his fine-dining culinary journey, shares his menu innovation strategy and talks about what’s next for 43-location True Food Kitchen.

Fabio Viviani is a native of Florence, Italy, where he started working in restaurant kitchens at the age of 11.

He learned the ropes of the hospitality industry by cooking in and managing Italian trattorias and restaurants, eventually moving to the U.S. when he was 27, where he opened and operated several restaurants in L.A. Over the next 15 or so years, Chef Viviani built a hospitality empire, developing more restaurants and related culinary businesses around the country in hotels, casinos, airports and freestanding locations.

His latest venture is JARS by Fabio Viviani, a fast-casual dessert concept serving more than 100 favorite desserts in single-serve grab-and-go jars.

Listen as Viviani talks about his colorful culinary journey and hospitality empire, his appearances on Top Chef that earned him the title of “fan favorite” and how he’s gearing up to franchise JARS now that the first location in Chicago is going strong.

“Chefwise: Life Lessons from Leading Chefs Around the World” is not a cookbook.

In place of recipes, its pages are filled with insider insights from 117 chefs around the world, collected by author Shari Bayer.

Bayer interviewed both well-known chefs like Tom Colicchio, Sean Brock, Alice Waters and Massimo Bottura, as well as rising stars, owners of Michelin-starred restaurants and operators of casual eateries. They share tips on everything from leadership strategies to team building, purchasing, tech and business tools and work-life balance. The book covers the best practices that are essential to the everyday job, as well as more abstract things, such as inspiration, philosophy and activism.

Listen as Bayer talks about Chefwise and shares anecdotes, insights and expert advice from the pros.

Robert St. John is a restaurateur, chef, writer, philanthropist, international travel guide and TV personality—in short, a modern-day renaissance man.

He opened his first restaurant, Purple Parrot Cafe, more than 30 years ago in Hattiesburg, Miss., turning the small Southern city into a dining destination. While that one closed during Covid, seven other restaurants remain in town and two more in the state capital of Jackson. The Midtowner is the newest, an all-day breakfast place serving St. John’s favorite meal of the day.

The restaurateur has had a strong impact on his community and state through his businesses, books, PBS shows, volunteerism and nonprofit organization, Extra Table, which ships over 200,000 pounds of healthy food to 60 soup kitchens and food pantries across Mississippi every month. He was also an active member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, helping to secure much-needed funds for indies during the pandemic.

Listen as St. John shares his colorful journey as a chef and restaurateur, his prolific work as a writer, how he’s fueled by a mission to give back to his community and where life is taking him next.

Yogurtland has developed more than 200 frozen yogurt flavors that rotate throughout the chain’s 220 locations at different times of the year.

The company employs a team of flavorologists, who combine scientific knowledge, market research and their refined palates to create unique flavor profiles like Thai Tea, Blueberry Pancake, Decadent Dark Chocolate Orange and Irish Mint. Limited-time flavors launch frequently, but the chain’s tart flavor is still one of the best sellers.

President Sam Yoon believes that the time is right for frozen yogurt to experience a second growth spurt and Yogurtland is primed to lead the way. The brand’s product meets consumers’ current demands for health, indulgence and snacking. Listen as he talks about how flavor innovation is driving that growth and how Yogurtland is expanding to new markets both across the country and around the world.

Ford’s Garage is a 1920s gas station-themed burger and craft beer restaurant with a unique vibe.

Chef Jessica Tomlinson landed at the 24-location, full-service concept after working in fine dining, baking and pastry, a farm-to-table restaurant and at Bloomin’ Brands.

In a nostalgic setting filled with vintage vehicles, gas pumps and even a Model T car suspended above the bar, she offers a wide range of classic and creative comfort foods. House-made sauces and condiments, a Burger Hall of Fame and an inventive mac-and-cheese bar differentiate the restaurant.

Tomlinson describes how she focuses on menu optimization and efficiency along with innovation, how she bridges the gap between culinary and the bar, how Ford's Garage's interactive experience and menu draws guests of all ages, and what's next for the brand.

James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer heads up the kitchen at Kindling Downtown Cookout & Cocktails, a new 500-seat restaurant where almost every menu item touches the wood-fueled fire at some point in its culinary journey.

That’s not an easy task, being that Kindling is housed in a soaring two-story space inside Chicago’s iconic Willis Tower, one of the tallest office buildings in the world.

Although Sawyer graduated from culinary school, he previously studied to be an engineer—training that helped him design Kindling’s kitchen and equipment to realize his vision. Listen as he talks about his culinary journey, how the restaurants he created in Cleveland turned that city into a dining destination, why he’s cooking the most authentic expression of his cuisine at Kindling and how he plans to evolve the restaurant going forward.

As VP of culinary innovation at Untamed Brands, the parent company of fast-casual Taim Mediterranean Kitchen and Hot Chicken Takeover, Avi Szapiro brings years of fine-dining experience to the job.

He grew up in Bogota, Colombia, and thought he’d become a lawyer. But he caught the cooking bug as a teenager and never looked back.

Szapiro graduated from the CIA; worked in top restaurants and hotels in Latin America, Europe and California; operated his own highly rated restaurant in New Haven, Conn.; and cooked in volume for a nonprofit in India. Now, he’s excited about playing with the rich, varied flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean in developing craveable menus for 13-unit Taim and creating fresh, bold items for Hot Chicken Takeover.

Sustainability is the three-pillar foundation of both concepts, with environmental, social and economic components all having equal weight in Szapiro’s vision. Listen as he talks about his menu mission, why he’s laser-focused on the guest experience and where Untamed may be going next as the company expands its fast-casual footprint.

Aaron Noveshen, founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Starbird, trained as a French chef and started a company called The Culinary Edge that develops menus for restaurants. After years of helping other operators get successful concepts up and running, he felt it was time to start his own. In 2016, Starbird was hatched.

The fast-casual chicken chain now numbers 12 brick-and-mortar units and a couple of virtual kitchens, but Noveshen plans to open five more company locations this year, and franchising is about to take off. The menu is simple: tenders, sandwiches, salads and wings all made with a proprietary recipe for crispy fried chicken, developed by The Culinary Edge.

Listen as Noveshen shares his culinary secrets, describes plans for growth and hints at a few surprises ahead.

Anna Castellani launched her first food hall in the basement of a building in downtown Brooklyn, N.Y., when the neighborhood was essentially a food desert. Today, the underground space is the thriving DeKalb Market, home to more than 25 local vendors offering a range of cuisines that celebrate Brooklyn’s diverse culture.

“I like to transform unloved spaces into vibrant eating and drinking venues,” Castellani said. Her next project was The Hugh, a space in midtown Manhattan’s Citicorp building that still had a tired 1980s feel. She gave it an exciting vibe with a collection of global New York City eateries and edgy design, creating an all-day dining destination and gathering place.

Listen as Castellani shares how she transitioned from the movie business into a food hall pioneer, describes her mission of connecting and celebrating people through food and how she builds community into each of her hospitality concepts.

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 “Cinco de Mayo is like Super Bowl and New Year’s packed into one,” said Jared Galbut, founder and CEO of Bodega Taqueria y Tequila. As celebrants flock to Mexican restaurants and bars on Friday, he expects record crowds, with a number of revelers partying until 5 a.m.—closing time for some of the seven locations.

Jared Galbut

The newest Bodega is actually opening on May 5 in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, far north of its South Florida roots. More are planned for Nashville and other parts of Florida this year and into 2024. The concept’s menu of Cuban-accented street tacos, frozen cocktails and handcrafted tequila signatures—along with spirited DJs—has proven a winning combination.

Listen as Galbut shares how Bodega’s flexible model can position it as a fast-casual, hybrid or full-service restaurant, how the menu and concept has evolved and his plans for future growth.

Menu innovation is key to differentiating a concept in the crowded and competitive chain restaurant environment.

During Winsight’s annual Restaurant Leadership Conference, which took place this week in Phoenix, Ariz., we caught up with three top execs to find out what innovation looks like at their operations.

Donna Josephson, CMO of Shipley Do-Nuts; Andre Vener, co-founder of Dog Haus; and Frank Paci, CEO of Newk’s Eatery, each share their menu strategies and how they’ve contributed to growth. Listen as they talk about what makes their menus unique, the value of LTOs and seasonality, the impact of tech on menu development and more.

Katy Velazquez, executive chef at Qdoba Mexican Eats, claims that she got her Ph.D in regional Mexican cooking while working with chef Rick Bayless in his celebrated restaurants, on TV shows and throughout his travels in Mexico.

Those experiences influence her menu R&D for 735-unit Qdoba, but she balances that authenticity with a good dose of fast-casual fun.

Although Velazquez has innovated the menu with on-trend items such as birria tacos and breakfast burritos, there’s one item she can never change: the chain’s queso. It has a cult following, and every menu item has to go through one important test before it’s launched: Does it go well with the queso?

Listen as Velazquez talks about her exciting culinary journey, why beverages are now an important focus for menu innovation and where she plans to take Qdoba’s menu in the year ahead.

After graduating from culinary school, Aaron Taylor criss-crossed the country, earning his cred at a number of top resorts and restaurants. But his ultimate ambition was to become a corporate chef for a restaurant group—a goal he reached with The ONE Group, operators of STK and other global concepts. 

Now, Taylor is corporate chef-partner for Atlas Restaurant Group in Baltimore, overseeing 27 restaurants mostly in that city as well as Boca Raton, Fla., and Houston. In this role, he taps into his deep experience executing menus along with his expertise in purchasing, cost control, team building and community outreach. Listen as Taylor shares Atlas Restaurant Group's growth plans as it continues to elevate the fine-dining scene in Baltimore.

The devastation of 9/11 prompted Andrew Pudalov to leave his finance career behind in New York City, move to Boulder, Colorado and launch a healthy bowl concept. That was almost 20 years ago and Rush Bowls has since grown from a single location at the University of Colorado to a 40-unit chain in 21 states.

Although the healthy bowl category is now a crowded one, Pudalov sees Rush Bowls as a differentiator, with its focus on a scratch-made menu of curated bowls featuring diverse flavor profiles. Listen as the CEO shares how the menu is expanding to include more snacks, why healthy bowls continue to trend with consumers and how franchising is bringing Rush Bowls to underserved areas of the country.

“If you’re a broccoli or watermelon, stay away from Planta,” warns Steven Salm, founder and CEO of the veggie-centric restaurant concept. “We can do serious damage.”

Indeed, what Salm calls a “plant-powered” menu offers indulgent, chef-driven items like Bang Bang Broccoli, ahi watermelon sushi and noodles with truffle mushroom cream, all served in a polished-casual setting with a full bar pouring craft cocktails and biodynamic wines.

Planta’s mission is to open diners’ minds and taste buds to the creativity that can be associated with plants, he says. There are now 11 locations in the restaurant's portfolio, and while half of the menu is consistent across them all, dedicated sections may focus on Asian, Pan-Latin or Italian specialties.

Listen as Salm shares how a personal lifestyle shift inspired him to start Planta, why the brand's dining experience and plant-based menu attracts many guests who aren’t vegans, and why a fast-casual spinoff may be in its future.​

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Adenah Bayoh, an IHOP franchisee and passionate entrepreneur, co-founded fast casual Cornbread Farm to Soul to put a spotlight on soul food favorites.

Along with the restaurant’s signature cornbread, its menu features chef-partner Elzadie Smith’s scratch-made fried chicken, catfish, yams, baked mac and cheese, collard greens and peach cobbler.

Three locations are currently open in the New York-New Jersey area, and now, the partners are on a mission to expand Cornbread through franchising. But as a Black woman and first-generation immigrant, Bayoh is finding it challenging to attract investors and get financing.

As executive chef of Parcelle Wine Bar on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Ron Yan has created a menu that balances playfulness with skilled technique. During the pandemic, Yan partnered with seasoned restaurateur and wine retailer Grant Reynolds to launch a popup. The success of that venture evolved into the current brick-and-mortar restaurant, opened in 2022.

Listen as Yan describes his culinary journey from pre-med student to accomplished chef, how he crafts a wine-pairing menu that artfully combines bar snacks and full dinners, and how he is taking Parcelle to its next stage of growth in 2023.

When Jimmy Wang started at Panda Express in 2014, the now executive director of culinary innovation already had many years of experience in top hotel kitchens and operating his own restaurant.

At Panda Express, Wang and his team look to create dishes that tell a story. They apply the chain’s menu mantra—“Chinese Flavors with American Tastes”—to every item they develop, and recent successes include Black Pepper Angus Steak and Plant-Based Orange Chicken.

Lunar New Year, which begins on Jan. 22, has always been a big deal for Panda Express, and this year, the chain is offering special family feasts with symbolic foods, digital games with prizes and an expanded interactive cultural package for educators.

Listen as Wang describes what each of these foods means, shares how he celebrates with his own extended family, describes his R&D process and talks about what’s next—including an exciting culinary exploration trip to Taiwan, where Wang’s family has roots, with some of his team.

​Located on the ground floor of New York City’s landmark Empire State Building, STATE Grill & Bar must appeal to two demographics: tourists visiting the iconic skyscraper and office workers and locals looking for a chef-inspired lunch or dinner.

Executive Chef Morgan Jarrett bridges the two by balancing seasonal dishes geared to adventurous tastes with more familiar steaks, pastas and desserts. Signature cocktails are also a draw, and she works closely with the bar to create happy hour food that reflects her culinary focus.

Award-winning chef Gavin Kaysen has been instrumental in turning Minneapolis into a dining destination, moving back to his hometown after advancing his career in Daniel Boulud’s New York City restaurants.

Eight years ago, he opened Spoon and Stable and has since added three new restaurants to the collection—Demi, Mara and Socca—along with several locations of Bellecour, a French-inspired bakery and cafe. Just last month, he self-published his first cookbook, At Home, plus he hosts a Synergy Series of dinners with guest chefs and initiated a mentorship program.

At Home book cover

Although Kaysen no longer cooks at service, he leads menu R&D at all of his restaurants and considers himself a chef-CEO. Listen as he describes this expanded role, how At Home evolved to become a very personal project and why geography no longer plays a part in the recognition and success of a restaurant.

Mackenzie Gibson traded in her blazer for a chef’s coat when she was promoted to VP of Culinary and Menu Innovation at Sonic Drive-in. Previously in marketing, she now integrates that expertise into developing the menu, prioritizing Sonic as a consumer-driven brand.

She and her team keep the R&D pipeline constantly flowing with new items, balancing indulgence with comfort and innovation.

Listen as she talks about how even dumb ideas can gain traction and turn into successes, and how Sonic wants to grow up to be a burger QSR. She also hints at some amazing new items coming in 2023. (Breakfast, anyone?)

After Popeyes off-the-charts success with its fried chicken sandwich, Amy Alarcon and her culinary team spent four years perfecting the cooking technique and flavor profile of the just-launched Blackened Chicken Sandwich. In between, she developed a new and improved chicken nugget and a number of seasonal LTOs.

Throughout the R&D process, Alarcon taps into New Orleans as her inspiration point. Listen as she shares how her Southern roots have impacted her culinary journey, how Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen does Thanksgiving and what’s in store for 2023.

Customers can order pancakes and eggs all day long at IHOP, but VP of Culinary Scott Randolph is making sure there are plenty of innovative but traditional lunch and dinner options, too. In his four years as head chef, he has worked to expand IHOP’s positioning from the breakfast leader to the all-day leader, adding signature burritos, bowls, melts and more. But he’s also busy elevating breakfast—the latest menu launch is new French toast (NFT), a thicker, fluffier version of the morning favorite.

Listen as Randolph talks about the growth of IHOP’s bubbles and brews beverage program, the success of fast-casual sibling, Flip’d, his TikTok appearances and what’s coming out of the pipeline in early 2023.

Rick Petralia led menu innovation at Fazoli’s for many years before moving over to Wichita, Kan.-based Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers earlier this year, applying his deep culinary experience to a new platform.

Burgers and frozen custard are very different from pasta, he admits, but menu development relies on the same principles. Petralia analyzes consumer research, focuses on seasonality and tries to push the envelope on flavor. He’s also a TikTok fan, saying there’s lots of inspiration out there on social media.

Joe Isidori is chef-owner of Arthur & Sons, an old-school Italian restaurant he opened in New York City this past summer. Isidori comes from a three-generation restaurant family and grew up in his father’s red sauce joint, standing on milk crates to clean shrimp and plate pasta when he was just five.

He went on to hone his skills in culinary school, head up Michelin-starred restaurants and create Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beers, which started as a 15-seat luncheonette and grew to an international chain specializing in great burgers and outrageous milkshakes.

Black Tap was rooted in nostalgia, and that’s the same theme that runs through Arthur & Sons. The menu is filled with Italian-American classics like chicken parm, penne alla vodka and spumoni—all updated with artisan and housemade ingredients and new cooking styles. The cocktails are upgrades of old-school classics, too.

Listen as Isidori describes the twists and turns that led to Arthur and Sons and why this is the first time in his career that he feels like he’s being himself.

Climate change is top of mind right now, with recent heat waves, droughts and wildfires directly affecting food production and the environment. Michael P. Hoffmann, professor emeritus at Cornell University and co-author of the book “Our Changing Menu,” relays how all this directly affects what foodservice operators can put on the menu.

Some favorite foods and beverages, like sushi, salads, coffee and cocktails, are being threatened. And climate change has the potential to impact the taste of wine, gin and tonics, tomatoes and even chicken.

But all is not doom and gloom. Some ingredients may even become more abundant, including squid and octopus. And Hoffmann remains optimistic that taking action can change the dynamic.

Listen as he talks about climate change from a culinary point of view and shares how operators, farmers and scientists can work together to make a difference.

Cristina Suarez is a self-taught “bargirl”—a name she is proud to call herself even as a skilled hospitality professional in her 30s.

At 18, Suarez began her journey behind the bar at Hooters, moving on to several Miami hotels where she polished her cocktail-making expertise and learned valuable management, training and operational techniques.

Listen as Suarez describes how she taps her Cuban-American heritage to create unique drinks, differentiates the bar at each of the eight Kush concepts, spreads her passion for hospitality and never stops learning.

Caribou Coffee is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and menu innovation has shifted from hot drinks to cold in the years since. Gretchen Hashemi-Rad, beverage category manager for the 400-plus chain, says sales of cold coffee and other icy beverages outpace hot coffees and teas—especially among younger consumers and even in the winter.

Listen as she talks about how Caribou is changing up the menu to meet that demand, with equipment upgrades, energy drinks, blended and sparkling mocktails and its own bubble tea, and why the brand is carefully timing the start of pumpkin spice season to build anticipation.

Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis, actual cousins from Maine who founded Cousins Maine Lobster, started with one truck, a simple menu and a commitment to source the best-tasting, best-quality Maine lobster for their lobster rolls.

That caught the attention of Barbara Corcoran when the pair pitched the concept on Shark Tank. She invested and mentored the partners, and 10 years later, Cousins Maine Lobster has close to 50 locations, including nine brick-and-mortar restaurants and an enthusiastic team of franchisees who are driving growth.

Listen as the pair discuss why lobster prices have skyrocketed, the importance of keeping the menu limited to what they do best, how they spread the Maine spirit to both franchisees and customers and how they strive to be the name and face of Maine lobster as they grow.

Marc Forgione was born into a restaurant family, but he wasn’t trained from birth to be a chef, he says.

He worked at An American Place, the restaurant founded by his father Larry Forgione, from the age of 16, but it wasn’t until he cooked big dinners for his college friends that he changed his career path from psychiatry to hospitality.

Next steps included backpacking in Europe, stints in France’s restaurant kitchens and executing the menus for several BLT concepts. He opened his first place, the Michelin-starred Restaurant Marc Forgione, in New York City in 2008 and became the owner of Peasant right before the pandemic. Peasant is a cozy neighborhood restaurant with an Italian-forward menu where most everything is cooked in a wood-burning hearth.

Listen as Forgione talks about his culinary journey, why he believes in karma, how post-pandemic customers are kinder and gentler, and how and he and his dad plan to open an Italian tapas concept in a prime New York City space vacated by Mario Batali.

Sam Polk, founder and CEO of Everytable, launched the social enterprise grab-and-go concept in Los Angeles in 2015. His goal was to provide healthy, affordable meals in neighborhoods that are often classified as food deserts.

The chef-inspired food is prepared at a central commissary to keep pricing low and is delivered to Everytable store locations, refrigerated vending machines and directly to consumers. The customer base includes more affluent diners, too, and Polk follows a variable pricing model, charging according to zip code. But the menu of salads, wraps and warm bowls, which includes best-sellers like Jamaican jerk chicken with coconut rice and salmon adobo, resonates across all locales, he says.

Steve Sturm is senior VP of food and beverage and executive chef of the 55-unit Firebirds Wood-Fired Grill. The namesake wood-fired grill is the focal point of the menu at the polished casual chain, not only for items like shrimp, salmon, beef tenderloin, chicken, blistered vegetables and tuna, but for cocktails that feature charred pineapple and chilies.

Chef Sturm is currently working on revamping the bar food menu, adding more small plates and shareables that deliver a big flavor punch and fit the way people want to dine today. That menu will launch in the fall. He’s also introducing more interactive tableside items, as guests today are looking for dining experiences—not just a straightforward dinner menu.

Listen as he describes how he likes to get in the kitchen and “play” and how he and his team of 150 chefs continue to innovate the Firebirds menu.

Menu analyst Lizzy Freier, director of menu research & insights at Technomic, keeps a close watch on food and drink trends at the Top 500 restaurant chains.

During her recent presentation at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, she recapped the novel trends that are shaping menus as we move into the second half of 2022. Based on Technomic data, four Ps define the current state of menu innovation: Pivots, Preparations, Proteins & Plants, and Personalization.

Matt Weingarten believes in the power of community and of shared meals around the table. As head chef of 30-location DIG, that was his driving force when creating the menu for the brand’s new all-day cafe, DIG on 4th, where guests are encouraged to linger.

Along with the plant-forward, customizable bowls from the original concept, this new fast-casual/full-service hybrid offers all-day happy hour, shareable sheet tray dinners, sandwiches made with local ingredients on housemade focaccia and seasonal market-driven plates.

Weingarten also believes in the power of teaching people to cook and paying the kitchen team a respectable wage. Listen as he shares how he marries this high-touch approach with the latest technology, and why DIG on 4th, which opened just this week, is a restaurant model destined for expansion.

Menu guru Nancy Kruse, who writes the State of the Plate column for Restaurant Business, keeps a close watch on trends in chain and independent restaurants.

She is seeing that several favorites that gained popularity in the last two years—like chicken sandwiches and cauliflower—are still going strong, showing up with global flavor twists. And burgers and pizza will always be platforms for creativity with broad appeal. Kruse believes that the more familiar an item, the more adaptable it is for innovation.

But forward-thinking culinarians are playing around with less familiar ingredients and flavors, taking vegetables to new heights, exploring the potential of food texture and smoke and elevating staples, like butter, with chef-inspired touches. Listen as Kruse talks about the mega trends and emerging trends impacting menus now.

Graze Craze Founder Kerry Sylvester and President Brady Lee are taking the charcuterie trend nationwide through franchising.

The focus of the 12-location chain is the charcuterie board, which became an Instagram sensation as photos of more and more elaborate creations were posted on the social media platform.

Operating out of a small-footprint store, Graze Craze offers several charcuterie variations for takeout and delivery only, ranging from individual snack boxes to large boards for a crowd. The items feature house-baked breads, local ingredients and small-batch condiments.

Barbara Sibley opened La Palapa 20 years ago, bringing authentic regional Mexican cuisine to New Yorkers who thought nachos, fajitas and burritos were what Mexican food was all about. While the menu has evolved over the years, there are many “untouchables” that she will never take off. This became especially apparent during the pandemic, when regulars were comforted by ordering the menu items they had come to love.

The pandemic was just one of several crises La Palapa has endured over two decades. Sibley also navigated the restaurant and her team through 9/11, Hurricane Sandy and hundreds of day-to-day potholes along the way, leading with a blend of compassion, flexibility and resiliency.

Her incomparable operational style and extensive community outreach earned Sibley the 2022 Operator of the Year award from the Bar and Restaurant Show. Listen as she tells La Palapa’s story and shares details about her newest concepts, two taco bars and Holiday Cocktail Lounge.

Molly McGrath is director of culinary and operations for All Day Kitchens, a distribution platform for independent restaurants. Through its satellite kitchens in four cities, All Day puts the finishing touches on menu items and packages them for delivery. Each satellite kitchen houses 20 local brands and Chef McGrath works with every restaurant to curate and optimize their menus for delivery—whether it’s a mom-and-pop Thai spot in Los Angeles or an Ethiopian eatery in Chicago. Listen as she shares how her culinary expertise and the platform’s proprietary tech work together to create a seamless delivery experience for independent restaurants and how the concept is expanding throughout the country.

When 16” on Center opened Revival Food Hall in 2016, the collection of chef-driven eateries was an instant hit with Chicago’s downtown crowd.

Like other urban food halls, the buzz died down during the pandemic as customers stayed close to home. But now Revival is gearing up for its next chapter, infused with fresh ideas and new concepts. Electric Greens, a new-age salad bar, just opened, with Chef Brad Alexander at the helm. Daytime diners are back—and so are many of the signature eateries. An exciting bar program is in the works, too, and 16” on Center partner Tim Wickes has plans to bring entertainment and events back to the venue.

Mawa McQueen grew up in an immigrant family in France and was educated at a leading culinary school in Paris, but was only offered dishwasher jobs once she graduated. She made her way to England to work as a nanny so she could learn English and realize her dream of coming to America—a country she saw portrayed on TV as a place where Black people could excel.

Rohini Dey broke the Indian cuisine mold when she opened Vermilion restaurant in Chicago. The Indian-Latin independent is still going strong 18 years later, and Dey is now on a mission to break through the gastro ceiling, collaborating with other women chefs and restaurateurs to boost their businesses and impact in the industry.

Last year, she launched “Let’s Talk Womxn,” banding operators together to meet the challenges of the pandemic. The initiative evolved into “Let’s Talk and Dine Together,” a series of tasting dinners, live panels and other events that brought in revenue, grew visibility and increased opportunities for women. The program has now expanded to 13 cities and on March 8—International Women’s Day—women restaurateurs around the country will host a mega-culinary event.

Listen as Dey shares her passion and plans for this and other programs coming up in the near future and how “Let’s Talk Womxn” is revolutionizing change in the industry.

Tara Gilad and her husband Roy were pioneers in the now trendy bowl segment, launching their superfoods café 10 years ago, before many consumers even knew how to pronounce acai. Their daughter, who was born with severe allergies, was the inspiration for the healthy concept, and the chain has since grown to 146 locations.

David Burke, the groundbreaking chef and restaurateur who helped pave the way for elevated American restaurant cuisine, is on a roll—despite an ongoing pandemic and several decades in the business.

In the last year alone, he opened three new restaurants, expanded internationally into Saudi Arabia, partnered with Kentucky ranchers to start a Wagyu beef operation and received the 2021 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for New Jersey. “Resting is not for me,” says Burke, who contends that he still has some kick left.

CEO Graham Humphreys and Associate Director of Strategy Nikki Freihofer both stay ahead of the trends in their positions with The Culinary Edge, a food and drink innovation company. Together, they share their insights on the 2021 menu trends that have staying power and what we can expect to see emerging in 2022.

On this episode of "Menu Feed," listen as he describes how to craft well-balanced, flavorful and complex drinks with or without spirits and the importance of seasonality in a beverage menu.

Director of Menu Research and Insights Lizzy Freier reveals how the firm pinpoints the most relevant trends and why operators should pay attention to its forecast.

Anchal Lamda is a master franchisee with Gong Cha, a bubble tea concept that originated in Taiwan and is quickly expanding across the U.S. Lamda is just over 30, but she already operates 69 locations of Gong Cha in states ranging from New York to Texas.

Nate Weir developed his farm-to-table ethos early, growing up in Haiti and watching his mother shop at the local markets and cook with whatever was fresh that day.

As he celebrates one year as head chef at KFC, Chris Scott is poised to put his culinary stamp on new menu items and line extensions.

Scott believes his customers are ready for innovation, but his philosophy is that while you can change flavor or format, you can’t change both at the same time. And you have to give people something familiar to grab onto. He’s eager to explore the wide array of Indian spices, flavors from Africa and plant-based chicken platforms, and to put his varied background in food science, nutrition and the restaurant industry to work.

Francisco Migoya, head chef at Modernist Cuisine in Seattle, spent the last four years traveling the world on a pizza quest.

He and his team visited 250 pizzerias, ate 800 pizzas on the road and baked 12,000 pies in the Modernist Cuisine Labs. The result? A three-volume tome called Modernist Pizza, making its publishing debut on Oct. 5.

Rob Giuliani, along with his business partner and surfing buddy, Abby Taylor, started Playa Bowls as a smoothie stand at the Jersey shore. To operate the blender, they hooked up an extension cord to Giuliani’s apartment above a pizza place. The duo offered smoothies and acai bowls as a healthier alternative to the fried foods, hot dogs and ice cream available to beach goers. They gradually opened a brick-and-mortar location, broadened the menu and generated franchise interest.

As vice president of brand development for Nextbite, food futurist Liz Moskow tracks trends and helps position concepts for future growth. Nextbite specializes in developing virtual restaurant brands by leveraging an operation’s unseen assets while maximizing labor and kitchen space.

But these are challenging times for a food futurist. The unpredictability of COVID is trumping the emergence of major new trends, Moskow says. What she does see ahead is a deeper exploration of the trends that emerged in the last year, including virtual brands and comfort food.

Payal Sharma, owner and managing partner of New York City’s Baar Baar, is on a mission to change Americans’ misconceptions about Indian cuisine. The gastro bar’s menu revolves around small plates and shareables, and post-pandemic guests are embracing the experience.

Baar Baar also has an extensive list of inventive cocktails infused with Indian flavors, which are popular with the dinner crowd and during the Bollywood-style brunch on weekends, when the restaurant’s outdoor patio and indoor seats are filled with celebratory guests.

Jennifer and Michele Kaminski are sisters and cofounders of 2 Korean Girls, a ghost kitchen that opened in Miami during the pandemic. The two had been planning the virtual concept for three years, offering a menu of delivery-friendly Korean-style bowls in an area devoid of Korean restaurants.

Their mom, Sunny, owns a Korean restaurant in Indiana and helped the pair develop the menu, but her daughters added modern, whimsical touches to the recipes, like a heart-shaped egg on top of their best-selling bibimbap. Renowned Florida chef Allen Susser serves as their mentor and consultant—a vital member of the team for novice entrepreneurs, say the Kaminskis.

Listen as they talk about their take on Korean food, cultivating digital hospitality and growing 2 Korean Girls into the future.

Peter Farrand, chief food and beverage innovation officer at Smokey Bones, felt that customers needed a little more variety to complement the restaurant’s signature barbecue items.

So he diversified the menu, creating what he calls a “protein candy store,” where guests have the choice of many different cuts, global flavor profiles and formats. He also added more seafood choices and a veggie burger, as well as helped develop two virtual brands that provide additional platforms for experimentation.

Listen as Farrand describes Smokey Bones’ new culinary direction and shares how he is controlling costs and managing supply, with meat prices and sourcing challenges on the rise.

Passavant Community is a senior-living complex in Zelienople, Pa., managed by Cura Hospitality, an Elior company. General Manager Barbara Ferguson, a former fine-dining chef, oversees Passavant’s dining program, which includes restaurants, retail outlets, catering and Cura’s newest initiative—Fresh at Home meal kits.

Listen as she describes the impact of this initiative and many of the other innovations she’s launched at the retirement community to engage both staff and residents.

Piada Italian Street Food takes its name from the piada, a flatbread dough that’s baked on a stone grill and hand-rolled with a variety of fresh, authentic fillings. But Matthew Harding, senior VP and culinary director for the 38-location fast casual, has taken the menu way beyond its namesake.

Chef Harding trains his teams to make sure every dish leaves the line with a “chef’s touch.” Listen as he shares how Piada is expanding into new markets with a new footprint and how he continues to innovate the menu as the fast-casual concept grows.

The Melt Shop grew from a concept serving best-of-class grilled cheese sandwiches and melts to offer fried chicken, mac and cheese, and wings. Throughout the brand’s growth, new menu extensions had to fit founder and CEO Spencer Rubin’s basic criteria: How do we “Melt Shopify” it with big, bold flavors and other points of differentiation?

Listen as Rubin talks about The Melt Shop’s evolution and how he is growing and positioning the concept for a post-pandemic world.

Chris Simms is founder and CEO of Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, a casual-dining chain with 39 locations. Simms and his team strive to make Lazy Dog the “next generation of casual dining” by delivering a unique experience through its menu mix, ambience and hospitality.

Culver’s has grown from a Wisconsin chain of family-owned quick-service restaurants to an 800-unit brand with locations in 25 states. Director of Menu Development Quinn Adkins joined Culver’s in 2015, helping to drive that growth with slow but steady menu innovation.

Listen as Adkins talks about Culver’s longtime mission of partnering with Wisconsin farmers and how he brings culinary flair to a quick-service menu.

Another Broken Egg, a breakfast, brunch and lunch chain with 75 locations, boasts a seasonally driven menu with a balance of indulgent and healthy dishes.

Vice President of Culinary Jason Knoll shares his strategy for creating crowd-pleasing dishes by listening to guests and incorporating their feedback. He focuses on signatures consumers can’t easily make at home and pays equal attention to the beverage side, crafting cocktails and juices that reflect the flavors and ingredients that drive the food menu.

During the last year, Just Salad continued to prioritize menu innovation by launching warm bowls, introducing marinated chicken thighs as a protein option and creating meal kits for consumers cooking at home.

Jhonny Castro, culinary director of the 42-unit fast casual, describes his culinary journey from the prep line to head chef, collaborating with the Just Salad team to set the health-focused fast casual apart from its competitors.

Bartaco’s Mexican beach vibe attracts a lively crowd drawn by the brand’s fresh, made-to-order drinks and authentic tacos. During the pandemic, Beverage Director Nicole Quist launched a successful cocktails-to-go program—a challenge to put in place across 20 locations in 11 states with different sets of regulations.

Listen as she shares her excitement about the beverage program at Bartaco.

Avec has built a large following with its inspired small plates menu and welcoming vibe, or what chef Perry Hendrix refers to “as the dinner party you’d like to throw in your own home.” Hendrix transitioned the concept into a fast-casual rotisserie during the pandemic, serving up Middle Eastern-influenced roast chickens and sides. Listen as Hendrix talks about the iconic restaurant’s evolution, menu and future.

It’s not easy to offer authentic pit-smoked barbecue in New York City and other urban centers, but Mighty Quinn’s has found a winning formula. During the last year, the restaurants did a brisk off-premise business, and are especially busy when events like the Super Bowl are on the calendar.

Listen as co-founder Christos Gourmos talks about how Mighty Quinn’s differentiates its menu with low-and-slow cooking technique and inspired side dishes, and how he is positioning the fast casual for growth.

The company’s dining programs have a strong focus on regionality, wellness and contemporary culinary trends, with menus that “make the healthy choice, the easy choice.” Listen as Eric Goldberg, corporate executive chef for Cura Hospitality, shares his ideas for successful senior dining and talks about how innovations that came out of the pandemic are powering the program forward. .

Gumption Coffee, an independent coffee shop and roastery in New York City, has its roots in Australia. Cofounder and partner Hazel de los Reyes brought the concept to New York two years ago, first setting up a roasting facility in Brooklyn’s Industry City, then opening a cafe in Manhattan this past fall.
Listen as she talks about her quest to source, roast and brew the best beans, the “gumption” required to open her first U.S. cafe during a global pandemic and how she positions Gumption as an accessible but differentiated coffee experience.

Torchys Tacos began as a food truck, selling elevated street tacos throughout Austin, Texas. The chain has now grown to 83 brick-and-mortar locations, but authenticity, creativity and providing “a damn good experience” are still at the heart of the concept, says CMO Scott Hudler. Listen as he shares how Torchys stays true to its mission while providing the speed, convenience and value of a fast-casual restaurant.

Chef Shane Schaibly initially came to First Watch to push the culinary envelope, elevating the food to meet the brand’s level of service and design. As VP of culinary strategy for the full-service breakfast and brunch chain, he has since evolved the brand and its menu, introducing a fresh juice program across 400 locations, pioneering on-trend items such as avocado toast and elote, and launching a batch cocktail program.

In recent months, Dan Huebschmann has had to adapt to outdoor dining, curbside takeout and more.