Foodie And The Beast

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show: ·        Tahmina Ghaffer, the vice-president of operations and marketing at Paraíso, Capitol Hill’s  Mexican taqueria, has us sipping primo mezcal;        ·        The co-owners of Daru, Executive Chef Suresh Sundas and Beverage Director Dante Datta, are taking us from the traditional Indian cuisine they are serving in Northeast D.C. to their new spot, Tapori, which will offer some of the delicious street food of India;                                                                                                                              ·        The Lunar New Year is upon us Wednesday, Jan. 29.  Joiningus with the inside scoop on how to celebrate it are owner Tuyet-Nhi Le, ChefDaniel Le and Beverage Director Kevin Lim  from Happy Endings Hospitality. Two of their many properties, Nue: Elegantly Vietnamese and Chasin’ Tails, have Lunar New Year’s celebrations teed up that you’ll definitely want to know about;  Driven by rage that Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s p

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.     On today’s show: ·        Clyde Davis, general managerand investor in Housebar, the very cool beer, spirits and wine store dedicatedto elevating the home entertainment experience. Clyde has just opened itssecond location, in Georgetown;                                                                                                                                                                                                   ·        Shawn Townsend is president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. He’s in with a 2025 forecast of new dining experiences,news about Winter Restaurant Week, what to expect across the local dining sceneand … more;                                                                                                                                                                                        ·        In partnership with her husband, Micah Wilder, Johanna Hellrigl, chef/owner at Ama (the Italian informal imperativ

 Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show: ·         When it comes to world-class sparkling, there's a world of choices outside of Champagne. Jill Erber, owner of Cheesetique, the wine and cheese shop and restaurant, leads us through the sparkling landscape of bubbly American wines;                                                                                                                                                          ·        Nobu easily is the most famous sushi restaurant in the world. But, aside from Chef Nobu himself, there are other world talents at their many locations who make Nobu what it is today. For several years here in DC, that was Filipino-born Chef Micheole Anung Datur .We call him Chef Chico. And now he is setting his own world-class standard at Tysons Corner’s new Modan and he’s with us today for a look – and some tastes – behind the scenes;                                                                                                                              ·  

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.    On today’s show:  ·        What happens when dueling “frenemy” bartenders with Michelin-starred resumes finally team up to open a cocktail lounge and vinyl record bar in Dupont Circle? Success! Will Patten and Devin Kennedy are in with tastes and talk of what they’re pouring at their new hit spot, Dupont Circle’s Press Club; ·        James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Ellen Yin is founder and co-owner and Eli Collins is executive chef with the High Street Hospitality Group, which operates some of the country’s most celebrated dining establishments, including Philadelphia’s Fork, a. kitchen + bar and the High Street Restaurant & Bakery -- and is now opening a “kitchen + bar” at D.C.’s Washington Circle;                                                                                                                                             ·        The holidays are fun – and stressful – especially after an election season. Wanna relax and renew? Regina McLinden own

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.    On today’s show:  ·        If America ever needed a stiff drink, it’s now. Fortunately, Prohibition is dead and gone. Celebrating its demise, the D.C. Bar Guild's 15th Annual Repeal Day Ball is Sunday, Dec. 7. Prestige Ledroits’ Wine and Spirits Specialist Vanessa Cominsky is in with Giovanni Maramis from Vagabond and Britt Fox from Cotton & Reed to provide all the details and mix up some of the cocktails they’ll be serving at the event;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ·        The word “makan” means “to eat” in Malay, and Chef James Wozniuk, Makan’s executive chef and co-owner, celebrates his love of Malaysian cuisine and culture with a menu that offers taste bud-boggling treats;                                                                                 

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.    On today’s show:  ·        Alfreda’s pizzas are all about fresh, local ingredients. And we’re gonna talk about that, but … Alfreda chef Russell Blue Smith – you know him from Wolfgang Puck’s Source and the Black Restaurant Group – is joined today by his colleague, Evan Moore, whom you’ll know from Puck’s Cut, for tastes and talk of Alfreda’s cocktail program. Mezcal cocktails and pizza? En espanol and in italiano, we say, “si;”  ·        If you’re in the know, you know that National Pupusa Day is … today! Sunday, Nov. 10. And who better to discuss it than Ana Reyes of Adams-Morgan’s legendary El Tamarindo Salvadoran and Mexican restaurant;                                                                     ·        Jake Endres is co-owner of J&J New York-style pizza and Crooked Run Fermentation. He also does wings you wouldn’t believe – and neither do a lot of chickens running around with no arms (ha, ha). Jake’s in with talk and tastes of his many entrepreneurial unde

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show: ·        The Tabard Inn is the oldest continuously operating inn in Washington D.C. opening its doors in 1922. Old in years but definitely au courant, the Inn is a lively dining destination thanks to Executive Chef Matthew Zafrir, who won Washington City Paper’s 2024 award for best chef in D.C. Joining us today is his beverage director, Dominik Lenikowski, with tastes and talk of the Tabard Inn’s cocktail program; ·        Mitsitam means “let's eat!” in the Native language of the Delaware and Piscataway peoples. At the Mitsitam Native Foods Café at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Chef Alex Strong is leading a new team and menu presenting Native foods in a decidedly delicious way; ·        Founded by Emily Friedberg and Jean-Louise Conaway, D.C.’s Each Peach Market came about when the two friends discovered their mutual love of good food and deep curiosity for where it comes and how it is made. They also love to bring people togethe

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show: ·        Petar Zivkovic, assistant general manager at Nina May, who also contributes to the creation of the bar program, and Maret School alum Colin McClimans, owner/chef of Nina May, Opal and the soon-to-be-opened Elena James in Chevy Chase Lake;                                                                                                                                   ·        The 20th annual Capital Food Fight benefiting the DC Central Kitchen is Nov. 7 at The Anthem. The event is a total foodie fantasy, from great eats and drinks to celeb chef encounters as they battle it out for cooking competition top honors. DCCK’s CEO, Mike Curtin, is in with all the delicious details;                                                                                                                                                                      ·        Across several decades Pizzeria Paradiso’s Ruth Gresser has lifted wood-fired pizzas, craft beers and her f

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   Join us for our 16th anniversary show. We started in October 2008 as “Dishing It Out.”  On today’s show: ·        RAMMY winner, 2018 Food & Wine Sommelier of the Year, the genius entrepreneur behind D.C.’s Maxwell, Pop and Trouble Bird, and the boy wine wonder who became a Continental man about town on this show, wine guy Brent Kroll is with us. He’s pouring bubbly and other good stuff to help us celebrate the start of our 17th year on air; ·        Chefs for Equality founder David Hagedorn and a dedicated steering committee pioneered and still run what has become D.C.’s most delicious chef-driven event. This year it happens Monday, Oct. 21;                                                                                                                                   ·        Next up is the cheesiest guy we know – and love. Brie Salzman is the “supercheesemonger” at the Whole Foods in Rockville. He is our-go-to guy for exploring the best cheeses from the far corners o

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show: ·        Taste of Bethesda is back Saturday, Oct. 5. Stephanie Coppula, The director of marketing and communications for the Bethesda Urban Partnership is in with the details, and she’s brought along Julio Mejia from the Cubanos Restaurant to mix up some tasty cocktails as well as return guest Molly Gibson from Rooted3 with the veggie-based drinks we love;                                                                                                                        ·        Pepe Moncayo is the executive chef at Cranes and the new Arrels. That word  "roots" in Catalan and is Chef Pepe’s latest restaurant concept, set to open at the Arlo Washington DC hotel this fall. Chef is from Barcelona, one of our favorite cities, and his menu will showcase a modern take on classic Spanish cuisine;                                                                                                                                                                         

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show: ·        Jason Murray, winemaker, viticulturist and owner of Arterra Wines. We’re getting tastes of what Jason and his team call true Virginia wines;                                                                                                              ·        It’s ShuckIt time again! Everyone’s favorite beer and oyster festival on the Potomac is coming up again on October 19, 2024 at Tony and Joe’s Seafood. Greg Casten and Dave Pera are in with ShuckIt details. And, Greg has news about a new dining hotspot-to-be, The Strand, coming soon to D.C.’s Deanwood neighborhood;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ·        It’s no secret that more people died from overdose in D.C. than from gun violence. And most of those overdose deaths are the result of fentanyl that

Hosted by David Nellis.  On today’s show: ·        Lou Bernard heads up the cocktail program at Mita, a plant-based Latin American restaurant, and runs Noches del Caribe, a pop-up celebrating Afro-Latin culture;                                                                                                                                  ·        Rosemary Suggs-Evans is director of D.C’s Department of Small and Local Business Development. She spends her days advocating for the small business community looking to support, grow, and retain District-based businesses while promoting economic development in the city's commercial corridors. We peek behind the curtain to learn about her efforts with particular focus on D.C’s ever more bountiful restaurant start-up community;                                                                                                                     ·        Juan Morales is the founder of Despacio Mezcal - a drink that encapsulates the land, the people and the slow, deliberat

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show: ·         Sam Nellis of Silver Lyan, a man who needs no introduction from a cocktail bar that needs no introduction;      ·        Lilani Dunn of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA), a nonprofit organization that represents the 8,000 fishermen who harvest the world's largest wild sockeye salmon run;                                                                                                                                                           ·        Yvette Williams and Chef Troy Williams, respectively, the director and culinary coordinator of the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), a workforce development nonprofit that provides underserved teens with a pathway to success;                                                                                                                                                          ·        Jill Erber of Cheesetique, Del Ray’s favorite cheese shop and neighborhood re

 Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show:   ·        Janon Costley, one of the founders of Shinju Whisky, is with us. Shinju means "pearl" in Japanese and symbolizes something precious and rare, which this, the first Black-founded and -led Japanese whisky company surely is;                                                                                                               ·        Apapacho is the new taqueria at Union Market’s La Cosecha. It’s the brainchild of the husband-and-wife team of Chef Alam Mendez and Pastry Chef Elisa Reyna, who offer their take on a vibrant and authentic taste of Mexican street food;                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ·        Anna Claire Walker is the director of marketing and storytelling for District Bridges, an ecosystem development nonprofit that works in Wards 1, 2 and 3 to build br

 Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show:  ·        Shawn Townsend, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington;·        Jinson Chan, co-owner of the Sojourn Fermentory, opening Aug. 17 in Suffolk, Virginia. The Sojourn Fermentory staff is passionate about two things: beer and relationships. Its mission is to create a place where diverse individuals and families can come together in community to share their stories while enjoying high-quality beer and cider;                                                                                                           ·        Amy Holmwood is the  founder and CEO of the Holistic Spirits Co. It is the world’s first plant-based and -powered holistic spirits company. Its products are made with zero artificial flavors, colors, or GMOs;                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show:  ·        Ryan Cooper, bar director at the spectacular Cucina Morini;                                                                                                                        ·        Julie Verratti, founder and chief brand officer at the Denizens Brewing Company;                                                                                                                                                                      ·        Paolo Dungca, chef/owner of Hiraya, a celebration of the beauty, history and tasty flavors of the Philippines;                                                                                                                             ·        Chef Nadia Ruiz. the culinary arts training program director at D.C.’s Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, which provides tuition-free education, computer skills, culinary arts career training and support for adults, especially those in Washington’s immigrant

  Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show:§ Jack Zarecky is the beverage manager and sommelier at St. Anselm, the American-inspired tavern that’s one of several Stephen Starr restaurants in D.C. The beverage program there is well-loved, and Jack’s in with tastes and talk that help to explain why; § Cate Thurston is co-curator of “I’ll Have What She’s Having,” an hommage to the Jewish deli. It’s at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles through Sept. 18, and a localized version is now on view at the Capital Jewish Museum through Aug. 20;                                                                                                                 § Angel Thompson-Cephas and Teneisha Bell-Thompson are the mother and daughter due that created Bell’s Reines, the first D.C.-based, woman-owned and Black-owned gourmet cookie company that includes gluten-free and vegan options;                                                                                                       § Kathy Voss (owner) J

 Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show: § The team from Residents Café and Bar, including Beverage Director Jon Arroyo, Co-Founder Farid Azouri and Bar Manage Josue Larin;                                                                         § Joe Ragonese, co-founder and managing partner of D.C.’s Balos Estiatorio, serving traditional Greek cuisine. The path Joe followed to Balos is filled with success, so we’ve invited him in to give us the 411 on what we expect to be the same with Balos;                                                                                                                                                                            § Eric Heidenberger is a partner with the DC Restaurant Group – places you know and love, like the Bottom Line, Madhatter, Shaw's Tavern, the 801 Restaurant and Bar, Prost, Heidaway and more -- and with more on the way! He’s in to give us the 411 on the restaurant group’s next moves;                                                          

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show:§ Apero is the delicious little Georgetown champagne and caviar bar -- and a restaurant that’s the brainchild of Advanced Sommelier Elli Benchimol. We love it there. It’s now added La Bohème, an intimate tasting room upstairs. Elli is in with her exec chef, Jenn Castaneda-Jones, formerly of the celebrated and dearly departed Marcel’s. We definitely should mention that the RAMMYS are coming up at the end of July -- and Jenn is a 2024 finalist for the Rising Culinary Star of the Year award, and Apéro is a finalist for Wine Program of the Year. Not too shabby;                                                                                                                       § Silvan Kraemer and David Fritsche owned Stable DC, a traditional Swiss restaurant in the H Street Corridor. Stable closed this spring, and Silvan and David are ready to unveil their new concept, Steak Frites DC. David joins us to treat us to the new restaurant’s signature item, which is… 

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today’s show: ·        Russ Smith and Cecy Linzey, founders of the Mr. & Mrs. Bourbon Co., are in. Theirs is one of only a few Black- and female-owned bourbon companies in the U.S., and they have quite a story to tell -- and a few bourbons to pour;                                                                                                                                                                                        ·        Our old buddy, Chef Matt Adler, late of Caruso’s and now the executive chef at D.C.’s Cucina Morini, serving up Southern Italian and Sicilian delights;                                                                                                                 ·        Aynae Simmons and Leticia Engel-Cobian with Visit Montgomery are with us. You will definitely want to visit the Tastemakers Trail in Montgomery County. It features two dozen craft beverage producers, including wineries, breweries, cideries -- and a meadery;