Foodie And The Beast

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show:·        Celebrated for its mouth-watering, slow-smoked meats, Latin-inspired sides, and a no-shortcuts approach to craft, 2Fifty Barbecue is touted by many as the DMV’s best, including Washingtonian’s Top 100 Very Best Restaurants, where it comes in ranked at #22 overall. Not too shabby – so we invited chef/co-owner Fernando Gonzalez in to make him give up all his best-kept culinary secrets;                                                                                        

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show:Geraldine Mendoza is the founder of Taquería Xochi, which just opened a fourth location in the Navy Yard. Not bad for a place that started out as a pandemic-era ghost kitchen. Known for Mexican favorites including tacos, cemitas, tlayudas, and aguas frescas, Taqueria Xochi gets universal praise – even from the hard-to-please Tom Sietsema;  • Back on Foodie and the Beast after years away and years of immense success and growth are Robb Duncan and Violeta Edelman, co-owners of Dolcezza Gelato and Coffee. Dolcezza has a creative lineup of Valentine’s Day-inspired flavors, including the sweet and spicy passionfruit Szechuan pepper matcha, at all 6 DMV shops;  • Downtown Bethesda offers a diverse selection of restaurants ranging from international flavors to American favorites like barbecue, continental cuisine, delicious desserts and more. “Savor Bethesda” Restaurant Week (Thursday, Feb. 19 – Sunday, March 1) is a great opportunity to try som

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show: ·        Scott Drewno, partnered with Danny Lee in the Fried Rice Collective, here to take about food for the Big Game and the Upstate New York foods he grew up with that he’s now able to offer;                                                                                                                       &nb

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show: ·  Diane Gross, chair of the board, RAMW, She and her husband, Khalid Pitts, have also opened a Cork in Cleveland Park;·         Stephanos Andreou and Constandina Andreou, cofounders of D.C.’s hit, new make-your-own-pasta place, Gigi’s, in the Western Market near The George Washington University. How good is it? They did so well on opening day that they had to go out and buy a second noodle-making machine to keep up with demand;                                                                             &

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.We’re closing out 2025 with a show we’re calling State of the Plate, because if there’s one thing this year demanded from the hospitality industry, it was honesty. So today, we’re setting the table for an honest, forward-looking conversation:What actually happened in 2025? What’s broken? What’s changing? And what does it take for restaurants not just to survive — but to thrive — in 2026?Our guests are:Shawn Townsend — President & CEO, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW)Greg Casten — ProFish & Fish & Fire GroupDaniella Senior — Co-Founder, Colada ShopMichael Babin — CEO, Neighborhood Restaurant GroupChris Schmid — Prestige Ledroit See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show: ·        Monica Evans, beverage director, the Coquito Bar, a tropical holiday cocktail oasis inside La Cosecha in the Union Market District;                                                                                                                                  &n

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show:·        The SNAP mess created during the recent government shutdown threatened 40 million Americans – among them, 16 million kids – with the loss of desperately needed funding for food. Food they count on for survival. Hunger across America – and across the DC area – remains a challenge. Radha Muthiah is the president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank. She joins us for an update on the ongoing problem;                                                                                 ·    &

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show:·        He’s a true Renaissance man in the food world. You’ve seen him on PBS and all sorts of national media … and now Chef Gregorio Fierro is here on Foodie and the Beast. He is a certified master Instructor for the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli, an authority on Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine, and co-owner of Wagyu Sommelier, a Florida-based purveyor of authentic Japanese Wagyu beef;                                                                                         

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show: ·        One of the hottest new restaurants in D.C. is K Street’s Barbouzzard, French for “secret agent”. Inspired by the French Riviera, this place is just as hot. Barbouzzard’s creator and principal managing partner, Nasr El Hage, and executive chef and partner – and one of our favorite guys in the world - Cedric Maupillier – join us;                                                                                               &nb

Hosted by David Nellis.   On today’s show: ·        So timely a guest and a subject. Brian Mulholland, chairman of the John S. Mulholland Family Foundation, whose mission is very straightforward -- to ensure local food pantries have the resources they need to support food-insecure families with dignity and respect. He is joined by Christianne Ricchi; ·        Chef Tadayoshi Motoa of the Omakase Room by Tadayoshi. Chef Tadayoshi has held leadership roles in cities such as Madrid, London, Jakarta, Osaka and Copenhagen. As executive chef at Toki in Madrid he earned a Michelin star within six months of opening. This is Chef’s first U.S. venture;        ·        Moxies is a premium casual restaurant whose menu focuses on house-made ingredients with a "global inspiration." Brandon Thordarson is Moxies’ Washington D.C. franchise owner and

  Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.On today’s show: ·        A grecophile is someone with a strong affinity for Greek culture. Well, no one has a stronger affinity for Greece -- and Greek and Mediterranean cuisine -- than chef, cookbook author and beloved PBS TV host Diane Kochilas. She has a lot to share -- a new book just out titled “Athens: Food, Stories, Love.” And she just ushered in a new season – Season 5!! - of her beloved PBS show, “My Greek Table;”                                                                                    &nb

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show: ·        Dr. David Nutt is the chief scientific officer of both GABA Labs and SENTIA Spirits. A world-renowned neuropsychopharmacologist, he founded GABA Labs in 2016 to develop scientifically validated alternatives to alcohol by targeting the GABA system, the brain’s natural mechanism for relaxation and sociability. And we try some to see just how sociable we can get;                                                                                           

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show: ·        Confused about “eating vegan” or what a vegan lifestyle – like beauty, skincare, or clothing - includes and excludes? Not to worry. Joining us is Angela Yvonne, host of Vegan Pop Eats; ·        Viyas Sundaram is the founder of the Middleburg Barrel Company, makers of 1787 Provenance Bourbon, a new brand blending tradition and innovation;                                                                                       &

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show: ·        The mystery man who for 25 years has been The Washington Post’s celebrated food critic, Tom Siestema. He recently announced his impending departure to so he can spend the rest of his life not hiding out… or something like that. You’ll get the whole story when Tom joins us;                                                                                          •      Irena Stein of Baltimore’s celebrated Alma Cocina Latina.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show:·        Alyssa Taylor, Director, Brand + Consumer Marketing at Penguin / Random House Publishing. She’s with us to discuss the upcoming Banned Books Week national celebration Oct. 5-11. The goal is to take action, save our stories, and preserve First Amendment rights by giving away free banned books to these communities and beyond;                                                                                                  

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show: ·        Victoria Wu of Cakes by Happy Eatery;·        Selva Chef Giovanni Orellana;·        Louie Jocson of California Fish Grill;·        And, to celebrate the Taste of Bethesda, Stephanie Coppula, director of marketing and communications, Bethesda Urban Partnership, along with Ruslan Falkov, co-founder, and Victoria Bespalchuk, from the award-winning Ruta Ukrainian Restaurant on Cordell Avenue.      See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

• Talk about the Dynamic Argentinian Duo! - Renato “Tato” Giovannoni is one of the world’s most celebrated bartenders. In fact, not long ago, when all lead bartenders from the prestigious, World’s 50 Best Bars were asked to name the one person who has done more to further the art of bartending than any Tato’s name topped the list. • And his partner is Alex Resnik, former senior partner at Wolfgang Puck’s globally acclaimed Fine Dining Group by any measure one of the world’s leading creators of exciting dining experiences – They have joined to bring two spectacular, Argentine hospitality concepts -- Florería & Brasero Atlántico – to DC by way of Buenos Aires, Barcelona, and Bahrain.  Joining them is their chef, Manuela Carbone;      • Werten Bellamy of Great Oak Manor, a delightful, 12-room boutique hotel located in Chestertown, Maryland, overlooking the Bay        • Christian Irabién, chef/owner of DC’s Ampa

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show: ·        A trip down memory lane - Mary Quillian, owner of Capitol Hill’s legendary Mr. Henry’s, which opened in 1966. It’s where Robert Flack was discovered and there’s a lot still going on there;                                                                                                        ·        Alaska’s Bristol Bay has the world’s most abund

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show: ·        Shawn Townsend of RAMW on the evolving policing situation in D.C.;                                                                                                                                            &

 Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show: ·         Cheetie Kumar, chef/owner of award-winning Ajja, in Raleigh, N.C.; Board Member and Vice President, Independent Restaurant Coalition, which is launching two first-of-their-kind grant programs:                               o   The first Disaster Relief Fund designed by and for independent restaurants and;o   An “Innovator Awards” for independent restaurants and bars doing innovative things to help their teams and communities;