Foodie And The Beast

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Zachary Patterson, founder of the Umbrella Hospitality Group as well as the Melrose Umbrella Co. bar in L.A. and Genever Category Ambassador, talking about the fine differences between gin and genever. It can get confusing. No wonder genever producers often describe it as a cross between gin and whiskey; • You know the myth, now meet the man – celebrated chef Kevin Tien, late of Humitsu and hailed by Food & Wine as one of America’s 10 best new chefs, and now executive chef at Moon Rabbit, his modern Vietnamese restaurant at the InterContinental Washington D.C. on The Wharf; • Hollis Wells Silverman joins us to chat about HER recently opened restaurant, The Duck and the Peach. Think laid-back Northern California cuisine with a dose of New England comfort; • And the Neighborhood Restaurant Group – they of Iron Gate, Blue Jacket, Rustico and more – has added to its colection. It’s Leni, an all-day cafe by James Beard-nomin

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Blood Sweat Tears Vodka’s Umberto Luchini, the founder and proprietor of the Wolf Spirit Distillery, located in Eugene, Oregon. On with Umberto will be Ledy VanKavage, senior legislative attorney for the Best Friends Animal Society and current chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s animal law section; • June Blanks, co-founder and head of product, Cooler Supply, with a turnkey solution that redefines how to show your staff appreciation and boost morale during the work-from-home experience; • Rob Bildner and Elisa Spungen Bildner, authors of the “Berkshire Farm Table,” which has won New England Cookbook of the Year; • Joey Jurgielewicz, the Duck Guy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee 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. Today we were joined by Mitch Berliner & Deb Moser of Central Farm Markets who had plenty of good info about last-minute Thanksgiving freshness available. Then, Brandon Bayton of Wunder Garten beer garden in NOMA dropped in with updates on some great pop-ups and special events for the crisp, fall days ahead. Later, Adam Gerson, founder of Near Country Provisions, a subscription-based farm-to-doorstep service that delivers premium, locally-sourced, pasture-raised beef and pork, has great tips for delicious, farm-to-table dining in these otherwise, challenging days of the pandemic. We also heard from Greg Bolton, whose mom and dad founded the now-nationally famous, Bob and Edith’s Diner in Arlington, where 24/7 comfort food keeps its patrons sane and happy. Lastly, we chatted with award-winning paella chef and owner of DC’s Xiquet, the highly-regarded, Valencian restaurant, about some special offerings coming up surviving and prospering in the pandemic. Learn more about y

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • John Snedden, RAMW Board Member and proprietor of Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co., and Alonzo Freeman, bar director of the Royal talk about the RAMW Cocktail Week; • Baltimore’s very cool Ivy is a luxurious hotel in a historic Mount Vernon mansion. The Ivy has reopened after a closure caused by the pandemic and offers a new restaurant concept: Magdalena, a Maryland Bistro. Executive Chef Mark Levy joins us; • The D.C. Central Kitchen’s Mike Curtain is back with us to provide details on the Capital Food Fight 2020. It’s coming up on Nov. 18 and … it’s virtual; • And who doesn’t love the family-owned Lebanese Taverna’s Mediterranean delights? Grace Abi-Najm Shea joins us to talk turkey – uh, Thanksgiving – about her fundraising efforts to aid Beirut after the massive explosion a few months ago and about how they’ve kept keeping on during the pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • As a financial consultant, Umber Ahmad typically spent her days counseling people on how to expand their brands. Chef Tom Colicchio, heard about her baking hobby and asked for a taste. He must’ve liked it, because Umber became the first member of his “Tom Colicchio Discovery” brands group. She opened her bakery, Mazedar, and now is referred to as New York’s busiest baker. With her new location on the Capitol Riverfront, she’s likely to be D.C.’s busiest, too; • Renowned Chef Paul Yellin - also known as “The Rhum Chef" - is best known for being the owner and head chef at the Cane Rhum Bar in Charleston, South Carolina. Yellin describes himself as a “rum drinker with a cooking problem” who aims to bring Caribbean food, culture and rum to the world stage; • Andrew Darneille is the owner and driving force behind Smokecraft Modern Barbecue, an award-winning barbecue restaurant in Clarendon. Smokecraft Modern Barbecue’s award-winning technique

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Grand Cata, recently voted one of America's 50 Best Wine Retailers, has opened its second D.C. location at La Cosecha. It’s a grocery-wine bar concept with a curated selection of classic and sustainable natural wines from Latin America, framed by artisanal gastronomic products from the region. Founders Pedro Rodriguez and Julio Robledo joins us; • Matt Baker is the celebrated chef/owner of Gravitas, his modern American restaurant in Ivy City. He’s just celebrated the birth of his baby girl by opening Baker’s Daughter, a café and market across the street from Gravitas; • When you walk into an area restaurant – from fine dining to fast casual – and think, “wow – this place is so cool,” chances are pretty good that Core Architecture and Design’s Allison Cooke had something to do with it. Core’s client list reads like a who’s who of leading restaurants, including Centrolina, Astoria, Founding Farmers, the Pearl Dive Oyster Palace,

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • D.C.’s Anxo cidery and tasting room is the brainchild of restaurant veterans Sam Fitz, Rachel Fitz and Cooper Sheehan. Apples equal fall deliciousness and fun in lots of ways, and Sam joins us to talk about all that Anxo has going on in the weeks ahead; • The team at D.C.’s Espita kicked off its Ghostburger initiative on August 25 for takeout and delivery, and it’s a smashing success. Executive chef Rob Aikens join us with all the details; • They call this talented cook, former senior food editor at Martha Stewart Living and a cookbook author, “Tara Teaspoon.” She’s Tara Bench, and in her debut cookbook, this seasoned food editor, stylist and recipe developer offers sumptuous but simple dishes that anyone can make; • Brothers Giuseppe and Mario Lanzone founded Peruvian Brothers to share the flavors of the coast of their native Peru. Their first brick-and-mortar location at La Cosecha offers delicious Peruvian-sty

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Sid Dilwari, master distiller at D.C.’s Filibuster Distillery, joins to chat about surviving and prospering during COVID 19; • Stephanie Coppula, director of marketing and communications, Bethesda Urban Partnership, on with news about BUP in times of COVID, the Streetery and the new Savor Bethesda Week; • Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes, co-founders of Manhattan's Levain Bakery. The new Georgetown location, their eighth, is the first outside of New York. Levain has launched a grocery store product, a frozen cookie which is a 2-ounce frozen version of their enormous cookies; • Tea Drunk is known for the finest and most prized teas from China. No two batches are the same. Some tea leaves are picked from ancient tea trees which are 200-600 years old. Joining us today is Shunan Teng, Tea Drunk’s founder and the educator for an upcoming TED-Ed lesson, “The History of Tea.” Learn more about your ad choices.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Two RAMMY Beer Program of the Year nominees, the Roofers’ Union and the Sweetwater Tavern are represented by; o Joe Schineller, head brewer at the Sweetwater Tavern in Centreville, which is one of its three Northern Virginia locations, Jonathan Blake of the Merrifield location and Aaron Emery, who works in Sterling; o Adams Morgan’s Roofers’ Union’s Dave Delaplaine, general manager and beer director; • Indochen’s Indo-Chinese cuisine has patrons lined up in Alexandria’s Cameron Station. One of the partners, Ashok Tamang, joins us; • Been to the Famous Toastery out in Northern Virginia? We have cofounder and CEO Robert Maynard with us to tell you why and how a self-proclaimed “better breakfast” restaurant offers a scratch kitchen and daily specials; • Remember the great movie “ Fight Club?” Well, now there’s a restaurant of the same name, with food packing a similar punch. It’s Fight Club, and c

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Mitch Berliner and Deb Moser of Central Farm Markets; • Co-owner Jennifer McLaughlin of the Caboose Brewing Company, a RAMMY nominee for beer program of the year; • Pit master Shawn McWhirter of a barbecue joint that’s finally opening on the H Street NE corridor, the Smokin’ Pig; • Linda & George Meyers, the founders of Cook in Tuscany, an immersive cooking school that hosts weeklong culinary vacations from their 19-room boutique hotel, La Chiusa, located in the hills of Montefollonico in the Italian countryside; • Prince Matey, of the Appioo African Bar and Grill on 9th Street NW, which features West African food and culture They’ve got real, no-kidding Ghanaian food, which we tried the other night and loved. But watch out for that pepper soup! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Chef/owner Jon Krinn of Clarity in Vienna is an old and good friend. And we’re delighted that Clarity’s General Manager Sam Schnoebelen will be on with is to talk about Clarity’s RAMMY nomination for Wine Program of the Year finalist. We’re also going to get Sam to name his wine of the moment for sultry summer days’ enjoyment; • This week in Beirut a massive explosion shook the city, killing at least 154 peopland injuring thousands. Marcelle Afram, the chef at Maydan and Compass Rose, whose mother was born in Beirut, quickly worked with chef Roro Asmar of Asmar’s Mediterranean Foods to organize a fundraising effort for disaster relief; • Victura Park is a family-friendly outdoor pop-up and wine garden located in the River Pavilion at the REACH. It’s a collaboration between the culinary creative team of The Hilton Brothers and Chef Erik Bruner-Yang. Ian Hilton tells us all about it; • Black business owners in America face unique challenges, inc

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Sebastian Zutant of Primrose, RAMMY Nominee, Wine Program of the Year; • William Asiedu, founder of the Distant Relatives Project, a nonprofit working in underserved communities by creating opportunity and access to resources, including providing free food prepared by local celebrity chefs and personal grooming services (haircuts), free clothing, access to health insurance and mental health sessions; • With camp closed for the summer and an influx of rainy days, Cook Kitz is here to help. Becca Kat is the founder of Cook Kitz, which features all-inclusive weekly cooking projects delivered to families throughout the DMV! The weekly cooking projects are fully curated, scripted and measured out; • Lisa and Melissa Gerben of Rako Coffee Roasters, a specialty collective focused on sustainably sourced single-origin coffees, environment-friendly roasting practices and advanced brewing methods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Alonzo Freeman at The Royal – RAMMY Nominee for Cocktail Program of the Year – is mixing up something special for us today. Check out @nyccinellis on Twitter or Instagram to get the cocktail recipe; • Michael Rafidi (chef/owner, Albi and Yellow) . Albi is in D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood and opened just two weeks prior to the lockdown and pivoted quickly to carryout and delivery through Skip the Line . Yellow, Chef Michael’s morning and daytime café, opened adjacent to the Albi dining room on May 30. We hear how it’s all going as the COVID crisis eases a bit; • Chef Johanna Hellrigl from the West Wnds’ Mercy Me joins us. She loves bread and, when the pandemic hit, she wanted to help feed people. So she started giving away sourdough starters, and now folks from all over are rolling in dough; • Pastry chef Ashleigh Pearson, owner of Petite Soeur, seemed destined to succeed. Winner of a $10,000 scholarship from Les Dames de Escoffier while working for Robert

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • As you listen to this show, go to @nycci nellis on Twitter or Instagram and get the recipe for the Foodie and the Beast Cocktail of the Day. Then join us and RAMMY nominee for lead bartender, Officina’s Ismael Barreto, to make his honey cocktail, the Positano Punch; • One minute pastry chef Paola Velez is the celebrated James Beard finalist for rising star chef, wowing guests at Kith and Kin, and the next coronavirus minute she’s furloughed and out of her kitchen. Did she mope around? Maybe for a second. Then she started baking on her own to feed folks. After that she launched something called Bakers Against Racism. Intended as a local thing, it’s gone international. Paola joins us to provide the 411 on all that; • Farmers markets have been touted as one of the healthiest and safest ways to do your food shopping. Central Farm Markets co-founder Debbie Moser joins us; • Returning guest Andra “A.J.” Johnson

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Chanel Turner, founder of D.C.’s award-winning Fou-Dré spirits distiller, is back with us today. She’s a prominent force in the otherwise male-dominated spirits industry. In fact, Chanel is not only the first woman to own her own spirit, but also the first African American woman, as well as the youngest individual to own and operate a vodka brand. And she’s a commanding voice for black distillers across the country; • Accomplished actor James Henry, a Rockville native, is a strong supporter of representing diversity in the community. He lives his commitment creating content across various platforms such as TikTok, where he reaches over 3 million followers and helped push an initiative to include different races in the program as TikTok became a popular platform. He has a Forbes feature coming out this month showcasing his impact within the black community; • Benjamin Gray is general manager of The Bellmoor Inn &am

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • The Foodie and the Beast COVID Cocktail Hour with Juan Coronado of the Colada Shop, a RAMMY nominee for cocktail program of the year, during which we’re all gonna make a knockout cocktail right along with him (see the list of ingredients @nycci nellis on Twitter or Instagram); • Shawn Townsend, Washington, D.C.’s director of the mayor’s office of nightlife and culture, the central point of contact between the city’s government, the nightlife industry, and District residents, joins us to discuss the city’s reopening plans; • Debbie Shore, cofounder and CEO of Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry joins us to discuss the already enormous challenges of addressing hunger, especially childhood hunger, during the pandemic, when food resources are stretched even further and shortages put low-income families at even greater risk; • Camilla Marcus, chef and owner of New York’s west~bourne and a prominent member of the leadership t

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • The Foodie and the Beast COVID Cocktail Hour, with Alan Grublauskas, GM and cocktail maven at Jose Andres’ China Chilcano, a RAMMY nominee for cocktail program of the year, joins us and we’re all gonna make a knockout cocktail right along with him. Get the recipe @NycciNellis on Twitter or Instagram; • DC Greens melds food education, food access and food policy to advance food justice in the nation’s capital. With so many people unable to access healthy food, and with diet-related chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension increasing mortality rates during the COVID crisis, DC Greens co-founder and executive director, Lauren Shweder Biel, joins us to talk about DC Greens’ exceptional response to addressing food insecurity, helping to feed the food-challenged here in D.C.; • Remember the Matt Damon movie “The Rainmaker,” in which an insurance company is stiffing policy holders even though they’ve paid their premiums? Well, it’s happening he

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. Our guests are: • David Guas, the chef/owner of the Bayou Bakery Coffee Bar and Eatery, has founded the Chefs Feeding Families program, a collaboration with Real Food For Kids, which has been operational since the closure of Arlington County Public Schools on March 13. We talk about Chefs Feeding Families and the challenges facing small business owners during the current pandemic; • Gerard Bertholon. chief strategy officer at Cuisine Solutions, talks about how continued innovations with sous vide cooking and new ways of extracting essential nutrition from what may look like vegetable leftovers can help feed and nurture us during and after the pandemic; • Edward Segal, one of D.C.’s foremost public relations practitioners and crisis management authorities, has just dropped a book, “Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals and Other Emergencies.” The pandemic has had a devastating effect on thousands of

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. Chefs are working on feeding the needy, offering meals to hospital workers and helping to sustain restaurant worker who have lost their jobs. And a local distillery has taken to producing sanitizer. Our guests are: • Nate Mook, CEO of the World Central Kitchen, where he works hand-in-hand with the non-profit’s founder, world-renowned activist and humanitarian Chef José Andrés; • Nicole Marquis, founder and CEO of Hip City Veg, who is leading a response to food shortages during the pandemic, by delivering meals to hospitals battling COVID-19; • Erik Bruner Yang, multi-James Beard finalist, four-time Michelin Bib Gourmand, who has begun an iinitiative called “The Power of 10.” Its mission is to aid independent restaurants across America by re-employing staff, sustaining business operations and providing food to community members who need it the most; • Scott and Becky Harris of Catoctin Creek Distillers, joining us with the

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. The restaurant industry now has two goals: to continue to support and employ staff during this challenging time, and to feed the communities and the people that have embraced them over the years. Our guests are: • Michael Babin, the CEO of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which has rethought its business model to survive the pandemic; • Anna Valero, co-founder of Pirate Ventures, which is now running a relief operation called Hook Hall Helps; • Ruth Gresser of Pizza Paradiso fame, who is now making pizzas for the food-insecure; • and Sam Sgori and Sara Abdel-Rahi,, who operate Tables Without Borders, a non-profit that supports refugee and asylum-seeking chefs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.