Walk-In Talk Podcast

Dinner Collaboration: Walk-In Talk Media and The Porch Meatery & Market

April 25, 2024 Carl Fiadini
Dinner Collaboration: Walk-In Talk Media and The Porch Meatery & Market
Walk-In Talk Podcast
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Walk-In Talk Podcast
Dinner Collaboration: Walk-In Talk Media and The Porch Meatery & Market
Apr 25, 2024
Carl Fiadini

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Hey there, Food Fam! Carl Fiadini here, and I've just wrapped up a kitchen-table session that's sure to make your taste buds tango. Imagine the burst of flavors from a kimchi watermelon salsa atop a pretzel bun—just one of the many culinary adventures we embarked on in our latest podcast episode. We're talking competition meets creativity, and let me tell you, it's an electrifying mix. Our good pals, the talented Chef Josh Bernstein and Chef Stephen Hicks from The Porch, joined us to spill the beans on their sandwich masterpieces like the Italian Stallion and the Meatballer Shotcaller that are making waves in the Winter Park food scene

Turning the spotlight on behind-the-scenes action, our conversation ventured through the highs and lows of the food industry. From managing a fleet of JetBlue's culinary delights to the nerve-wracking excitement of event hosting, we've covered the full spectrum. Picture preparing charcuterie for a c

Get ready to innovate your space with Metro! As the industry leader in organization and efficiency, Metro is here to transform your kitchen into a well-oiled machine.

With their premium solutions, you'll experience the Metro difference. Metro's sturdy and versatile shelving units, workstations, holding cabinets, and utility carts are designed to streamline operations and maximize your productivity.

 Metro: Your partner in organization and efficiency.

Walk-In Talk Podcast now sweetened by Noble Citrus! Bite into a Juicy Crunch tangerine, 40 years perfected; seedless and oh-so-tasty. Or savor a Starburst Pummelo, the giant citrus with a unique zing. Don't miss Autumn Honey tangerines, big and easy to peel. Noble - generations of citrus expertise, delivering exceptional flavor year-round. Taste the difference with Noble Citrus!

Here is a word about our partners:

Citrus America revolutionizes the retail and hospitality sectors with profitable solutions:
- Our juicing machines excel in taste, hygiene, and efficiency.
- Experience fresh, natural, and exciting juices as an affordable luxury.
- We promote a healthier lifestyle by making it effortless to enjoy fresh, natural ingredients.
- Join us in transforming the way people enjoy juices.

Elevate your beverage game to new heights! 

Stop Wasting Your Wine
Sip and smile along with hosts Aaron, Colin, and Joel as they explore the world of wine!

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the Show.

Thank you for listening to the Walk-In Talk Podcast, hosted by Carl Fiadini and Company. Our show not only explores the exciting and chaotic world of the restaurant business and amazing eateries but also advocates for mental health awareness in the food industry.

Our podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at the industry. Don't miss out on upcoming episodes where we'll continue to cook up thought-provoking discussions on important topics, including mental health awareness.

Be sure to visit our website for more food industry-related content, including our very own TV show called Restaurant Recipes where we feature Chefs cooking up their dishes and also The Dirty Dash Cocktail Hour; the focus is mixology and amazing drinks!


Thank you for tuning in, and we'll catch you next time on the Walk-In Talk Podcast.
https://www.TheWalkInTalk.com


Also rate and review us on IMDb:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27766644/reference/

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Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Send us a Text Message.

Hey there, Food Fam! Carl Fiadini here, and I've just wrapped up a kitchen-table session that's sure to make your taste buds tango. Imagine the burst of flavors from a kimchi watermelon salsa atop a pretzel bun—just one of the many culinary adventures we embarked on in our latest podcast episode. We're talking competition meets creativity, and let me tell you, it's an electrifying mix. Our good pals, the talented Chef Josh Bernstein and Chef Stephen Hicks from The Porch, joined us to spill the beans on their sandwich masterpieces like the Italian Stallion and the Meatballer Shotcaller that are making waves in the Winter Park food scene

Turning the spotlight on behind-the-scenes action, our conversation ventured through the highs and lows of the food industry. From managing a fleet of JetBlue's culinary delights to the nerve-wracking excitement of event hosting, we've covered the full spectrum. Picture preparing charcuterie for a c

Get ready to innovate your space with Metro! As the industry leader in organization and efficiency, Metro is here to transform your kitchen into a well-oiled machine.

With their premium solutions, you'll experience the Metro difference. Metro's sturdy and versatile shelving units, workstations, holding cabinets, and utility carts are designed to streamline operations and maximize your productivity.

 Metro: Your partner in organization and efficiency.

Walk-In Talk Podcast now sweetened by Noble Citrus! Bite into a Juicy Crunch tangerine, 40 years perfected; seedless and oh-so-tasty. Or savor a Starburst Pummelo, the giant citrus with a unique zing. Don't miss Autumn Honey tangerines, big and easy to peel. Noble - generations of citrus expertise, delivering exceptional flavor year-round. Taste the difference with Noble Citrus!

Here is a word about our partners:

Citrus America revolutionizes the retail and hospitality sectors with profitable solutions:
- Our juicing machines excel in taste, hygiene, and efficiency.
- Experience fresh, natural, and exciting juices as an affordable luxury.
- We promote a healthier lifestyle by making it effortless to enjoy fresh, natural ingredients.
- Join us in transforming the way people enjoy juices.

Elevate your beverage game to new heights! 

Stop Wasting Your Wine
Sip and smile along with hosts Aaron, Colin, and Joel as they explore the world of wine!

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the Show.

Thank you for listening to the Walk-In Talk Podcast, hosted by Carl Fiadini and Company. Our show not only explores the exciting and chaotic world of the restaurant business and amazing eateries but also advocates for mental health awareness in the food industry.

Our podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at the industry. Don't miss out on upcoming episodes where we'll continue to cook up thought-provoking discussions on important topics, including mental health awareness.

Be sure to visit our website for more food industry-related content, including our very own TV show called Restaurant Recipes where we feature Chefs cooking up their dishes and also The Dirty Dash Cocktail Hour; the focus is mixology and amazing drinks!


Thank you for tuning in, and we'll catch you next time on the Walk-In Talk Podcast.
https://www.TheWalkInTalk.com


Also rate and review us on IMDb:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27766644/reference/

Speaker 1:

Hello Food Fam. This is the Walk Talk podcast where you'll find the perfect blend of food fun and cooking knowledge. I'm your host, carl Fiatini. Welcome to the number one food podcast in the country. We're podcasting on site at Ibis Images Studios, where food photography comes alive and I get to eat it. First things first. Last week we published two action-packed episodes. We covered restaurateur chef Jennifer H Booker and baking cookbook author and pastry chef Robert Gonzalez, who is in the finals on the Food Network's Spring Baking Championship. Be sure to follow along, tune in and support our boy.

Speaker 1:

Thank you Peninsula Food Service for supplying the proteins for today's production Chefs in the Central Florida area. Peninsula is the largest distributive Creekstone farm beef in the Southeast USA, complete with a fully staffed butcher shop to help you solve all of your kitchen inconsistencies. Check out their dry age program too. Okay, so our guests this week. I mean I have a whole house full of chefs here. We have chefs Josh Bernstein and Stephen Hicks from the Porch Meadery and Market in Winter Park, orlando. From the Porch Meadery and Market in Winter Park, orlando, walk and Talk Media and the Porch threw a beautiful dinner event this past weekend. Oh my God. More on that later. Stay tuned. Chef, josh and Steven are on deck. Jeff, you dirty dirty dog, it's pre-shift time and you know what to do. Pop the clutch, baby. You know what I mean? There's a gas pedal. Smash it, let's go, let's go, let's go drifting.

Speaker 2:

Go yeah, today was awesome. I loved today, especially because I had to do double shifts, because we've got that competition Hastings finally coming around the corner. This Sunday I've got a nice text that was dropped from Jason Lynn telling me they both Lance and Jason have to beat me.

Speaker 1:

So it the Jason has been relentless. I get texts, texts about you constantly and you know I'm going to beat your boy right. I'm going to beat your boy right. I'm going to beat your boy right. I'm like, listen, man. I said walk and talk's in the house.

Speaker 2:

Watch out. Well, it's going to be a good competition, it's going to be a lot of fun. So today, what we do, we threw down, wanted to pay homage for national days, so there's natural pretzel day coming up, so I did a pretzel bun with a kimchi watermelon kind of salsa and then I took the chicken meat grounded and then infused that with gogu rang and some black garlic. And the shots that john took today were just spectacular. Did the double patty? I wanted to go a little extra further get that nice, almost smash burger kind of that crunch on the outside. So I smashed it down as it was cooking to get those crispy bits that are really yummy. Um, then we did your favorite because you did that on the behind the scenes which was the chicken scampi raviolis. Did the ravioli um?

Speaker 1:

pasta dough. Wait, stop, I.

Speaker 2:

I don't know that it's my favorite, yet sorry, today was today was like well, yeah, then we had two other sandwiches coming out of the mix. Today too, too.

Speaker 1:

Honestly, like you know, I'm thinking about that as you're going.

Speaker 2:

Forgive me, I shouldn't have interrupted it's okay, you heard Cabo Cole and Motadello and Meatball. It's getting all nostalgic and stuff. Yeah, the Italian and you got the fat kid.

Speaker 1:

The.

Speaker 2:

Italian fat kid went yeah. So then we also did a coffee-rubbed steak that sat in the refrigerator for about three days, just sitting there, he was soaking everything in. And then we did cabbage and braised bacon braised cabbage, that's what it was. And then we did some little diced potatoes and then onion like petals that I kind of torched with a torch, and then I did make sense yeah, right, um. And then we did what's the last? Oh, blueberry pie the duck.

Speaker 1:

Okay, all right, let me just put it out there like this everything was really good, everything, um, oh gosh, I don't know if it's the steak or the duck, it's all good man. Okay, let me back up. John's photography is sick, sick this week, yeah, and that chicken the chicken burger, I think is going to win on the photos if you ask me. Yeah, second is going to be coming in. Is that steak Taste?

Speaker 3:

I think so, so I don't care what you just said.

Speaker 2:

Ravioli, he just mouthed.

Speaker 1:

I don't care what he said it doesn't matter, I love you baby, but here's the thing um. That steak was out of this world. That steak was bonkers. It really was amazing. It really was bonkers, but then again, like I wasn't expecting much from the that duck pop tart man, like I really wasn't. I wasn't, I was looking like man, all right this is gonna be.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I wanted to push the boundary so I had some uh yuzu marmalade in it. The blueberry, I had brie, I had herbs, shredded duck but here's the thing I didn't want to leave off.

Speaker 1:

On a negative I I thought that was fantastic. It really exceeded any. It's not just like oh, it was good and a little better than I thought it was really really good. I actually want to do that again. Yeah, I mean now I want to do a pop tart well, I mean I been asking you for I don't know how long a month.

Speaker 2:

It had to be longer than that well, I, after this week we're game back on yeah I have.

Speaker 1:

My focus is competition I don't want to hear about your. You know you, just you get it done and you hear him. What's he's been saying to hear?

Speaker 2:

about your. You know you just get it done. You hear him. What's he been saying to me? The whole week. You got to win. You got to win. You got to take gold. You have to take gold. Yeah, you can't come back if you don't take gold. Don't come home. The porch lights are off.

Speaker 1:

It's my second father and speaking of porch, all right, so here's the thing man, what's John drawing? What are you doing Can?

Speaker 2:

we all focus here. What is it he's doodling? It doesn't matter, it's between you and me, and the other two gentlemen still are left.

Speaker 1:

He's doing it Like back in the 80s. We would just draw like the square and then make it three-dimensional. That's what he's doing over there.

Speaker 2:

Ooh, put as the pop tart flavor. What's his favorite thing I've made that he keeps on asking me to make?

Speaker 1:

noble citrus. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, he just put orange marmalade pop tart.

Speaker 2:

Oh hell yeah, dude that's all right, right, yeah, you can actually put duck in there, because it'd be the color orange, duck orange, and you know what?

Speaker 1:

croissant croissant um all right that's john, I think that's brilliant and um can we make it happen?

Speaker 2:

duly noted, yes, we can make that, definitely sooner than later next week oh yeah, I can drop that next week.

Speaker 1:

Wow man, good job john. Yeah, don't keep this guy mike anymore. How?

Speaker 2:

about guava and cheese pop tart. Oh, you don't like the cheese guava. Oh yeah, we'll make guava and cheese pop tart. Oh you don't like the cheese guava.

Speaker 3:

Well, make guava and cheese for you.

Speaker 2:

They can come back and I'll make guava and cheese for them.

Speaker 1:

Oh man I, you know, I'm just so. I'm trying to put myself in the seat of the audience, right, and I just hear a bunch of fat asses talking about food like this what I tell everybody.

Speaker 3:

By the way, it's what it is right oh god.

Speaker 1:

By the way, everybody, thank you for listening. We're we've busted past 2 million uh downloads and uh, we're on like 2.5. We're close to 2.5. Uh, we're knocking on the door. Um, it's just ridiculous.

Speaker 2:

I can't even think of 85 countries, 1500 cities.

Speaker 1:

Uh-huh yeah, 85 countries, 1500 cities.

Speaker 2:

Didn't we move on the arts closer?

Speaker 1:

We were Highest was number seven, which is great. So how that works. So everybody knows the arts is a main category. Under arts, you have food right is one of the categories, the subcategories, and we've been in the number one position for quite a while, or top three, but always coming back to number one. You know it changes every day. With that said, the arts main category, we're usually in the top 10. You know, like, with Paul McCartney, Sir Paul McCartney, his podcast is usually in, like, you know, top three.

Speaker 2:

So you know we're're and I'm not making any comparison, by the way, um, but yeah, it's pretty cool, it's mind-blowing, yeah, to have the same thing that we're in the top 10 and sir paul mccartney's right there.

Speaker 1:

Yes, that's kind of like wow, correct so it's an amazing thing, and whoever's listening, I don't know who the hell you are, but thank you no it can't be just family. At this point I'm just saying yes, all right. So, speaking of porch, uh, you know, we got these guys here. They're like I can see they're sweating off their brow, they're nervous, they're I'm only kidding um chef josh, chef steven, welcome to the program.

Speaker 3:

Thanks, thanks for having us Appreciate you, carl. Thank you, chef.

Speaker 4:

Jeffrey, our pleasure, my man.

Speaker 1:

So, by the way, along with the four dishes that you know, jefferson here went into in the opening monologue, Steven or Josh are going to have to go through that. Those two Right. Well, I just wanted to prep it. Like this was a big food day For you. Yeah, like I'm like really, oh man, and I was doing good too, man, I got down to like 209 or whatever. I'm pretty sure that I haven't checked. You're 215 right now.

Speaker 1:

I must be 217, maybe I'm doing it, doing it myself. See what I just did there. Don't do that, don't you do it? All right, why don't you talk about the delicious sandwiches plural that you brought?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, sure, we brought two that are on our sandwich menu there at the porch. The first one we shot was the Italian Stallion, which is on a locally baked focaccia sheet. All your Italian meats, some sharp provolone cheese and iceberg lettuce with some delicious vine ripened tomatoes. It's. It's such a huge sandwich that I was telling Jeffrey and Carl that I've only seen two people consume the whole thing in one sitting, and Carl assured me that he could be the third. Yes, wait, wait you forgot one ingredient.

Speaker 4:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, go ahead, the major ingredient. Go ahead and tell what that was.

Speaker 3:

The carpaccio.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes.

Speaker 3:

So we put a prime carpaccio on there from Creekstone Farms, shave it in-house and add it on. It just gives it kind of a point of difference and puts it over the top. Hello, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4:

Carpaccio. We didn't want to be the normal Italian sandwich you can go, get anywhere. We wanted to set ourselves apart and we knew that putting that carpaccio on there From Creekstone and a prime filet it's amazing.

Speaker 1:

You didn't want some sort of Italian sandwich, you wanted a nice Italiano.

Speaker 2:

This is serious. That's why we call it the Stallion, the Mambo. That's what they wanted to do Mambo Italiano serious.

Speaker 1:

That's why we call it the stallion, the mambo. This is what they wanted to do.

Speaker 2:

I've been, I've been smiling all day I think it was the one you just got done, eating though the next sandwich. Yeah right, that's right, right.

Speaker 1:

So I had both, by the way, of course, you know. But what was number two?

Speaker 3:

it was the meatballer shot collar. So yeah, we make our own uh meatballs in house. A nice fresh bread sauce, arugula. I think the thing that sets it over the top is that flown bread. It eats really well, holds up to the meatball uh, keeps the sauce in there and off your lapel, um and um delicious. It's got some whipped ricotta on it, herb aioli as well, and probably one of our uh, those two are our biggest sellers there in the shop you had me.

Speaker 1:

You had me at uh, focaccia earlier. I mean, I'm just, I'm with you. Yeah, we're all about it, um, yeah, well, I think maybe, um, there's so much talk right now between you know, walk and talk, media and and the porch brand at large, and I feel like we're going to, we're going to do some more stuff together, of course, and and as we go through it, because I want to try one of the poke bowl. You guys do poke bowls out of there too right, yeah we do poke as well.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

I am. This is the language that I understand and speak.

Speaker 2:

Okay, Food is the language you should understand and speak. Okay, food is the language you should understand and speak.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah. Who are you kidding? I know.

Speaker 2:

It's not just poke.

Speaker 1:

Yeah Right, everybody, stop and don't go wherever you were going to go with that Um. But yeah we'll, we'll do more together, we'll focus on some of the other dishes and um and, and we're going to have some fun.

Speaker 3:

Sure, we're excited to work with you guys and you know I've known you for for for a long time. My friend and we've carried this relationship through through all those years.

Speaker 1:

So I look forward to it A hundred percent and I appreciate that as well. I mean speaking of winter park and the meadery and you the whole thing. We did a super badass event over the weekend and it was a really good collaboration, especially that super, super, super collaboration.

Speaker 1:

Um, you know, we we took a course. Um, it was a six course. Six course, uh, walk and talk. Uh, you know, our yours truly. Uh, you know, chef jefferson starship over here came through with, came through with a course. I'm going to let you guys talk all the food, but like I'm just setting it up, like what you guys did and what you did and there was like 50 something people that showed up the atmosphere was fantastic. What you guys did to in terms of atmosphere, like how you turned, like you just powered down and all of a sudden the throttle. And here we are having this wonderful experience with a giant butcher block, the grazing table, grazing table with the fire on it, live fire, and the charcuterie, and oh man, it was so, so wonderful. So I'm going to stop talking about it, jump in and kind of go into detail.

Speaker 3:

Let's talk food. You popped the the clutch, you got the first two. Yeah, um, you know, on top of that grazing table, you know, chef jeffrey and I and josh probably took about an hour, hour and a half to assemble it, it was. It was massive. Um had a great little communal fire in the middle of it. That kind of set the tone for you know the elegance of the evening. And, like Carl had said, it's amazing how it went from a butcher shop and it transformed into what it was. You know, we kicked it off. I had a smoked salmon dish or a cured salmon dish that I cured in beets to give it a really cool kind of a tie-dyed look to it. I made some buckwheat bellinis, some creme fraiche and topped that off with some Hasselback caviar. And then I think, jeffrey, you went second, didn't you? Oh, josh, yeah, I don't know that would have been me.

Speaker 4:

But I want to go back and talk about that charcuterie boy real quick because it was amazing and, stephen, I got to give you credit for that because it set the tone when everybody walked in of the expectation of what they were going to get. That thing was beautifully done, sir. It was really nice. I had the opportunity to work with Creekstone and their prime filet and what I did was I created a beef tartare with that. We served that on a grilled focaccia toast point and then we made a frog rye aioli. It's a little horseradish was the sauce for that one. We did a quail egg yolk and some local microgreens that we tossed in a little olive oil and salt and pepper and we topped that off. That was a really good dish. I really enjoyed that one. I probably had three or four of those while I was making them, uh. But yeah, it was great. And creed stone's product is absolutely amazing and that would be uh kahaba club uh with our boy marvin on the greens.

Speaker 2:

Yep, yep, absolutely, and he had a good uh helper during the whole thing too yes, my wife was with me my beautiful wife.

Speaker 4:

Wife really was with me and she really enjoyed that. She was a chef as well. She used to work at one of the hotels here World Center, marriott, orlando. Just that one, yeah, just that one. Her and I met at the Grand Bohemian when she came over there and, yeah, the rest is history Two chefs in the same kitchen man. It's kind of unheard of you. Same kitchen man, it's kind of unheard of.

Speaker 1:

You broke the cardinal rule.

Speaker 4:

I did, but you know what, edit it out.

Speaker 2:

I don't know. No, you married the person you worked with. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I thought maybe I wasn't allowed to say something. No, you're allowed.

Speaker 1:

No man. Yeah, we don't need no stinkin' in there.

Speaker 2:

Right, yeah.

Speaker 3:

And then he had the third round on that one right yeah, yeah, it was the cane can uh playing on cane camp for pork belly that we brined in uh char siu, goji jung um and sweet tea. Um got a really cool vibrant red color to it from the char siu um. We smoked it in-house for about uh 10 hours. Um made a korean style barbecue sauce and then a pineapple relish to go with that, with some bird beet chilies, and it was almost like we were joking around about it being like a king cake where you won the prize if you got the bird beet chili in there, because it was just evenly dispersed in different spots and some people were saying, hey, it had some heat, and some people were saying, wow, had some heat, and some people were saying, wow, you just blew my head off with that. So, um, great dish. Um, it ate well, it photoed well. Um got a lot of really good feedback on it, so you had a sponsor, though, on that one too.

Speaker 3:

I certainly did that.

Speaker 2:

Let me tell you something that was not easy to put on there this one last thing that he put on.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, petal honey. We had petal honey, which is a local beehive. We're a hub for them. We have three different varietals. We have sawgrass, wildflower and orange blossom in the 8 and 16-ounce jars. So shout out to the petal guys. They hooked us up with some honeycomb and uh, which really kind of added that dish definitely.

Speaker 2:

And then, uh, I had one with a chicken spring roll that we did. It was smoked, uh, pecan smoked burrata, and I use the product from the cheese company selene selena. I did that one and I had pesto. The chicken was actually smoked with a char wrapped it up. We did a deep fry on that one. We served that withesto. The chicken was actually smoked with a char wrapped it up. We did a deep fry on that one. We served that with a PTSD, which is put that stuff on anything sauce.

Speaker 2:

And then the last one I did was I took the riff of the panipuri, the fried semolina puff, and I stuffed that with, because they have the poke. Lombardi seafood was able to give us the tuna loin. So I used the toro, the belly, and I kind of scraped that all off, chopped that up and then used a brine of citrus zest from Noble Citrus. So I zessed it, juiced it and then put unfiltered sake in there, black garlic, togarashi and a couple other different, and then we poured it and let it sit and then topped it off with Topiko caviar and the wasabi greens from Marvin and I made sure the wasabi greens were on the side because there's a lot of times people think the wasabi you get in a normal Japanese restaurant is what wasabi is.

Speaker 2:

It's not. It's actually horseradish dyed green. So when you have too much and it goes right to your nose, that's horseradish. Was almost like the linda blair split pea soup color, um, but the flavor profile's earthy. It's almost like a spicy, like rocket arugula or, uh, beet, with a little bit of spice to it. That's how, that the best way to describe it, and I really wanted to showcase that from marvin. And then they had you did you dirty, dirty man?

Speaker 4:

those cookie sandwiches yeah, I know I destroyed everybody's diet that night, for sure.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we did.

Speaker 4:

The last dish was the Nightingale ice cream bars. Cool story behind that Husband and wife duo that were pastry chefs, from what I understand, live up north and decided they were going to go and do this and they're still handmade cookie and hand-turned ice cream. The flavor profiles on them are absolutely amazing. You can tell everything's fresh. They definitely do a great job and I think that that was a really nice way to end that evening. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed them. People were coming and asking where in the world can we get those? We sell them at the market.

Speaker 2:

We do really well with those and people come back for them. And, by the way, I just want to let everyone know when we had them I didn't know, because I saw the pictures this morning or this afternoon from john, I didn't know. It was like a almost like a cold block of cookie. It was like that long. It was like, oh my god it's not your normal.

Speaker 4:

No ice cream sandwich mean, we're talking and these things have got to be what? Nine, ten ounces at least yeah. So you know, definitely a shareable product, but definitely worth every penny you spend on them. Absolutely amazing.

Speaker 2:

And you know what? The best part of my night was having the SOM try to figure out what to pair. That was awesome.

Speaker 1:

What was his name? Trey Trey.

Speaker 3:

Trey Trey.

Speaker 1:

Trey did a fantastic job.

Speaker 3:

Unbelievable yeah from Breakthrough that was another one of our sponsors that took the time to pair up these wines with these great dishes and I think that they did a really great job.

Speaker 1:

That orange wine was ridiculous, yeah. So, speaking of orange, and you mentioned Noble Quinton, the owner uh of noble citrus was in house yes he was he came with patrick. Yep, patrick kelly, yep, yeah, it was good to see him there too.

Speaker 2:

I'm I'm so happy he came out um, did you know he's actually a foodie? He was actually part of the chancellor program, or, yeah, chancellor program for the cia. They used to have, it's like fly around for 10 years and they would have these dinners by master chefs or recently grads, and quentin would go there with his wife to have these dinners. I did not know that, yeah, so it was pretty cool to find out that that little backstory for quentin very cool.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so quentin was a sponsor for our event in january, a farmer's craveable event that we did over at kahaba club farms and, um, uh, super, super nice guy and I'm glad he got to experience this one, because he didn't come out to the last one and I have a feeling mr quinton will be, uh, participating a little bit more I?

Speaker 2:

yeah, I think so too. Yeah, he was totally blown away. I think everybody was.

Speaker 4:

He seemed very happy. Everybody was absolutely blown away. Like you guys said in the beginning, we turned that place into something that is amazing. It was a really great event and we really appreciate you guys helping us out with that for sure.

Speaker 1:

I mean. So there's four.

Speaker 1:

I can mention how many are ownership, or many ownership or whatever, I have no problem with there's four owners, uh, that are involved with the porch and, um, you know, jay, frankie, you guys, uh, mike, I think everybody was really happy with the turnout, with the vibe. I, I think they were, I think everybody was super excited with our Tasty Cam, you know. So, just just to kind of back up on this, for these events we're doing what's called, and you know what I hate to say that you coined this. I really do, but props to you, I really am. I'm like man, that's such a bad-ass name is cam and, uh, you know, we bring guests over and and people who are, you know, staff, guests, chefs, whoever they sit down, and they kind of, you know, give their opinion of the even evening. But this is like 4k video, like badass set, like the whole thing. Just evan goes all. Yeah, evan, evan Stout does a fantastic job.

Speaker 2:

Who was the woman, the couple that went like four times? Was that each one? Was it the farmer babe that went? Farm babe Could be. Yeah, I believe it was her Right.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, they're like what was this? Yeah?

Speaker 2:

Because we're going to go on camera right now. And I turned around and went what?

Speaker 1:

I think that's Michelle Miller. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

That's awesome. Yeah, they're all amped up about that, cause I only did the one and I was. You know it's. It was go time for me, so I wouldn't. I couldn't see anything else that was going on you know, I don't know that I did it.

Speaker 1:

You know, at these events.

Speaker 2:

I really need a handler.

Speaker 1:

You did Not. A handler, that is not my handler. He's not going to admit it. No, no, I don't get down like that. That's not how we do it at our house. Alright, anyway, but I need an actual, like somebody who says Okay, hey, you know what you got to do, this, this, this and this. Oh, kylie, you need Kylie there, I need Kylie. I reached out to her actually yesterday.

Speaker 2:

You remember Kylie? Yeah, that's, that's the one that put him in his place in the January one.

Speaker 1:

So this phenomenal, phenomenal woman. Kylie Larson is her name and she's a farmer. Farmer advocate food safety.

Speaker 1:

She does a lot of stuff in the, in the community and business and she's a consultant for farmers in the water right primarily water so what, what ends up happening is, uh, at our farmers craveable dinner, uh, in january, I'm, I'm bouncing around being a social butterfly that's, that's my role, right, for the most part and uh, I, she comes up behind me and she's just like, okay, what you need to do now is that, that, that, and I'm kind of like, I, I stand up, that's what that mirror, because I didn't know who it was.

Speaker 1:

I kind of like look to my left and it's her and we had just met. So I, you know, I'm like like okay, that's good, I just I just run in and then all of a sudden she was like my angel for the whole entire evening. Nice, yeah, and she guided me and all everything that she says is like sage, um, you know, digital media, like just magic, right, and uh, thank you, um, by the way, all right, uh, yeah, man, like she's, she's awesome. Anyway, it's good to have people like that. I need, but I need that in my life all the time. Like, all the time you're a busy man, carl, you were everywhere that night.

Speaker 4:

I was everywhere.

Speaker 1:

Everybody was wanting to talk to you no, I don't want to say it like that but I mean I. I hit every table I know I did. I think I got probably 45 of the 50 people that were there I know I didn't we were busy.

Speaker 4:

I was a little busy, we were running.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we were doing different. We were running around like chicken with the head cut off.

Speaker 1:

No, you guys weren't even breaking a sweat, we hit it. Well, amy says to me Amy E Family Farms. She says so are you worried about people showing up at these things anymore? Because I have a phobia on parties and things like that, um, where I just feel like nobody's gonna go. You know, it's a thing, it's a thing I have and, um, I know that you're gonna execute and you're gonna execute guys are gonna execute, but I don't know.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's like everybody's gonna do great, yeah, but I just like, who's coming? Are they coming, you know? And then um, 53 people getting to this yeah, man this is so amazing not to worry about that.

Speaker 2:

I will say, jay at the end of the night was like this was absolutely phenomenal. Yeah, he pointed you two out, he goes. I knew, without a doubt, that this is going to be. I had the two greatest guys in charge, with the rest of the group executing this out, so he didn't have to worry about a thing.

Speaker 4:

So I just want to make sure I say that, yeah, no, the plan was to have the other partners show up and enjoy themselves. You know, Frank and Jay really enjoyed themselves out there with their friends and family. And myself and Steven and Mike and Chef Jeffrey, we worked the floor and you know it's a good team. We have a really good team. We've got a great thing going.

Speaker 2:

There were the two couples that was over by us. Every dish they were like I only got one and then the next dish was oh, I had four of those.

Speaker 1:

You could tell which ones they liked, so we'll be posting. So we have the video coming out. I got to get with Eben, but very soon we'll have some sizzle reels ready from the event. The photography is done. Did you see the actual food pictures, or just some of them? I have not yet, oh, okay, okay, we'll show you before you split, but the food pictures are super awesome. Ibis images John Hernandez, the man, the myth, the legend. I mean chefs, people out there. If you're not contacting Ibis images to do your his Instagram Ibis Images, or Walk and Talk and just look at the beauty that is his work and he makes Jeffrey's dishes look good.

Speaker 2:

I'm just saying yeah 100% Right 100%.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I've done a lot of photo shoots in the past and I will tell you that was the most intense. I mean, your setup was amazing, man, so I can only imagine what pictures are going to look like which one?

Speaker 2:

here or there? No, there, and that was the mobile that was the mobile Like over here is even half of it.

Speaker 4:

I know, when I walked in today I went, wow, okay, this is big boy stuff here. It's serious, yeah, yeah, don't mess around.

Speaker 1:

They don't mess around. No, all right. So anyway, with that said, the pictures are going to be great. We're going to start releasing some of those images soon, but I'm really excited about the video too. It's you know, it's going to be great.

Speaker 2:

I can't. I just want to hear what the guest reaction I guess that's what we all want is what the guest reactions are Exactly Because we don't know either.

Speaker 1:

I mean, I, I, I suspect it won't be. This sucks, I don't see that happening right. So it should be some good fun. Funny. Usually people have had a few cocktails already and you know it's the liquid courage sends it in Liquid courage comes out in full force and I think we're going to bring karaoke next time. No, I'm kidding.

Speaker 3:

We're not going to do that no, no, why not?

Speaker 2:

No For you, that no, no, why not? No for you, for the chefs, no, what was really interesting? Because the market itself. Not only does it have the butcher shop, but I didn't saw chef, uh, steven, breaking down lobster tails. Yeah, so you don't, you can get whatever you want when you go in there what we try to be is a one-stop shop.

Speaker 4:

In winter park. You know you've got various places you can go to, but we know you know it's important that people you are able to go and get what they need from one source. And so we have fresh seafood, we have fresh chicken and we make our own sausage in house. We butcher down our own primals in house and you know we can cut to spec anything anybody needs. But yeah, our pokey is amazing. I mean we do everything fresh in house. We make our own sauces in house. We make our own sauces in-house. We make our own pickled vegetables in-house, our sandwiches. You know we try to do as much in-house as we can. There we use Boar's Head meat as well. But you know we just try to be that one-stop shop that people can go and get really cool stuff and they can't find it at your regular grocery stores, the big box stores. We are, you know, very different and that's what we want to be. And you can get some really high end items at our store.

Speaker 1:

I think if you're in the Orlando area winter park area, greater air, you know, or greater Orlando area you find the porch, metering and market and you go there and you don't question me, you just go, All right, I don't want to hear any back talk. He's smart.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I will say this. When I walked in there and Chef took me on a tour, chef Steven took me on a tour and I went into the cooler where they actually have the butcher room in there, and they have the tables already set and I'm like, oh my God, it's literally a real butcher shop, not like a box cut and let's throw it on the shelf.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, so for me it was great because I got to play with tuna, and it's been a while since I got to play with breaking down a tuna and the way I was doing it I was like, oh, this is the sushi way of doing it. I'm sitting in it. By the time I got done I didn't have any feeling in my fingers because it was so cold, but it was great to be in a shop. That's you know, it's meticulous and how it was designed. Even when you look at the hotline and the separation between the hotline where you do your subs and sandwiches and then they go over and then you have the restaurant that's right behind the nickname of the jungle, One of the funniest things.

Speaker 2:

I will tell you this. You guys said you had a sign on the door that said closing at four private event. John walks in, he starts setting up and he goes. I thought they were closing at four. I'm like, oh what? Because there's people walking in and he goes. Yeah, I go, welcome to the restaurant industry.

Speaker 1:

They're not going to turn anyone not going to turn a dollar away.

Speaker 3:

I think it's seven o'clock.

Speaker 4:

That was when they finally were like we're done, yeah, well, we get so many locals that come in and you know we can't turn, you can't you know?

Speaker 2:

that is like, uh, pull the plug out on yourself, you can't you that I don't know if you guys heard, but the one dude came in, he was addressed kind of nice, he didn't have, he was balding and he goes. Frank goes I'm sorry we're closed and he starts to walk away and goes. Frank goes. Oh what, what sandwiches you want? We can make it for you.

Speaker 1:

And and, speaking of restaurant tour, and actually before I get to that, you're talking butcher shops. Right, I don't want to glaze over Peninsula, because they donated the, so Creekstone actually kicked in for the event and then Peninsula donated the fillets for the event, the Creekstone fillets. So I just wanted to, you know, throw that out there. And speaking of restaurant tour, this Josh guy, uh, yeah, you know restaurant, but then, dude, you gotta you have another whole nother life, a whole nother gig. I do, yeah, and, uh, you know.

Speaker 2:

The secret life of Josh Bernstein Seriously but you know?

Speaker 1:

so, uh, I I found out like just casually that you're like the end-all, be-all in culinary for JetBlue.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, so I took a gig about 10 years ago with JetBlue and it's been an amazing flight. I was going to say ride, it's been an amazing flight. See what I did there Unbelievable Such an amazing company. We actually manage their asset form. I work for a company out of Boston called benchmark pyramid. Uh, but, uh, I have been a business partner with JetBlue for 10 years now and and uh, it's been an amazing ride. We get to do a lot of really great cool stuff there.

Speaker 2:

What was? What was the thing? That when I came in and I said what 400. What Charcuterie for 400. Oh yeah.

Speaker 4:

Who knows 400 people and uh, it was.

Speaker 1:

It was pretty cool see, that's like something I want to just dive in the middle of it and y'all just leave me alone, go away.

Speaker 2:

You'd be like sheldon cooper and those little balls like a bazinga, popping up every once in a while eating capicola I'm thinking more like scrooge mcduck when he dives into the money and just starts backstroking in it.

Speaker 1:

That would be me. Yeah, it was awesome.

Speaker 4:

I think we went through two slicer blades that day. My team was just slicing away at all the meats and cheeses it was awesome we did for 53 people and I'm like oh, my God, I hate this 400?

Speaker 2:

I couldn't imagine.

Speaker 3:

And to put some context to that. It was a full speed rack. Each tray had full of meat. That's how much we had on ours.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, and I was just rolling them up because I was so sick and tired Trying to lay them out. I was rolling them up and putting them in rosettes and then Chef Steven was walking around and folding them down so people can grab and go. So they were little like meat roses.

Speaker 1:

Hey, this is awesome. This is the life that we've chosen here. Yes, in our respective food places, in, you know, in this thing.

Speaker 2:

Right, yeah, he's the eater, he's the photographer and we're the cook. Hey, dude, I got.

Speaker 1:

I have almost 30 years in eating, in dealing with y'all right there. Okay, and let me tell you food distribution and sales and running sales teams with you know it's brutal, brutal dealing with chefs, even though we love you, but damn, like you know Well.

Speaker 4:

Carl, I did two years. I did two years with Chaney Brothers. When I left the Grand Bohemian, I said let me try something different. See if I still want to be a chef. And I did. And you're right. The reason I got out of it was because I didn't want to be a chef. And I did, and you're right. The reason I got out of it was because I I didn't want to deal with the chefs anymore. Yeah, it's, it's, it's a it takes a special.

Speaker 1:

It's a special breed of individual to want to be in a kitchen for, you know, 12 hours a day or more, uh, and then it's another different breed of people who wants to deal with those people you know what I mean it's you know it's really a dance, yeah, and you know everybody needs each other and in the end, you know magic happens on the plate and that's what counts right.

Speaker 4:

A thousand percent, right?

Speaker 1:

So while you guys have your burns and scars to you know, we have ours, and now I just get to eat, so I'm really happy about that. This is your payment, then yeah, yeah, so everybody has an like chef's exit strategy from the kitchen is typically getting into sales, right, um, and then a sales exit is, you know, like I don't know what that happens. I don't really don't know where people go after.

Speaker 2:

But I I.

Speaker 1:

Recruiter. They go to the recruiting, but for me, I end up I'm eating for a living now and I freaking. I love it.

Speaker 4:

Well, that's great, man. I feel bad for you.

Speaker 1:

That's horrible Ask him how much weight he lost or gained. I gained 25 pounds this past year. Good for you. Happy pounds. There there's smiles.

Speaker 3:

All smiles.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, past year good for you happy pounds there. There's smiles, all smiles, yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, you're eating well, I am eating happy. There you go. Yeah, my okay. So just to be very clear, what jeff does here is very special. Okay, it really is. You know, this is like, um, this is very, this is a very fun, um, relaxing, even if it's like it is a lot of work and a lot of stress. And I'm doing all this stuff. I don't do any of the cooking, dude, this gets set up from me. Okay, you guys cook and you shoot, but this happens because of moi, all right, so does everybody slow their rolls and the foot off the gas? So what ends up happening is what ends up happening is I. I find that this is like a happy place, uh, but when I get home, my, my, I, I, I get fed there too.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And, and you have to eat, I have to eat? I would never, or my mother-in-law for that matter.

Speaker 2:

I'm not going to do that. I'm you're, a smart man, I am. It's brilliance at its best. It's actually rolled over now, for the last three weeks, on wednesdays, that I'm actually cooking for him too, and I don't know, how this happened? The last three well, no, the last two wednesdays I've been cooking for you. What in the hell are you talking about? You don't remember a taste test, oh well uh, what am I talking about?

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay, so you know when you're talking about, like you know, blessings and things like that. I am. I'm incredibly so.

Speaker 1:

One of our largest at the time still really vendor partners for the show is Peninsula Food Service, and the opportunity came up in short notice where you know their prior VP of sales had some family stuff, had to leave and my history is that running sales teams for distribution firms, and so they offered me a gig. But it's in a way it was put together in a way where I can still have, walk and talk from a distance, manage and operate the sales team over at Peninsula. So I hired a sales manager, hired salespeople we're you know we're we're doing great and Jeffrey is, and John, for that matter, are part of Peninsula in their capacities. So what Jeffrey's talking about and I'm sorry for the long winded explanation, but I want people to understand what bird brain here is talking about I love you, man, cause I called him out. You did, you did, man, I'm sweating, I'm unhappy, meat sweats, meat sweats.

Speaker 1:

So the last two weeks he's been coming to the we have, we had these meetings and he's been cooking steaks. I'm talking like I'm not talking like a steak or two, like one day he cooked 24 steaks, another day he cooked like 12 steaks. Another day was a Yesterday's was good, because I didn't cook. No, but you got to, but you still got to stand by the grill.

Speaker 2:

I mean, yeah, well, I couldn't let that happen to Ben. There's no way I would let that happen to him.

Speaker 1:

Ben's a good dude, by the way. Yeah, my calendar wednesday. What time? It seems to be at 11, 10, 30 on wednesdays. It is, it really is, but but this is what we've been doing, I, oh, yeah, so we had, we had this one meeting a couple of weeks ago and he cooked up, uh, 12 steaks this is for the, the sales meeting.

Speaker 1:

Oh, this was two weeks ago, yeah, a couple weeks ago cooks up I don't know how many, how many steaks there were six on each three trays, 18 steaks 18 steaks and we're doing, uh, it's like a training, uh, you know, with the sales team and everything, and you know, I obviously I had my, my fill right, um, and then, uh, you know, went home and ate again, ate again. I cooked up a. I cooked up a, uh, an eight ounce Creekstone filet.

Speaker 4:

Nice.

Speaker 1:

It was just a day of meat and a happy day it was For him.

Speaker 2:

Very nice, I had to smell like steak for two days, but it's okay.

Speaker 1:

So that's the reason why I left that part of the industry. I didn't want to go home. I don't want to go home, just I didn't like. I don't want to come home and smell like the the line the cooler, the any of it. I didn't want I didn't want that anymore yeah, I didn't want.

Speaker 4:

That's part of it, I know 100.

Speaker 1:

I got out when I was, when I left the industry, I was living in a condo in uh in aventura, down in south florida, miami, and I would get in the elevator and everybody would be like dressed nice and I reek, like like a kitchen, and I hated it and I was like you know what I had enough and that's how I got into the produce distribution is my. The guy who was calling on me from the company you know we were talking one day and he's like why are you so unhappy? And I'm like I don't want to do this anymore. He goes well, why don't you come in? That's never happened to a chef.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, sorry, was that my eyes rolling Well?

Speaker 1:

listen, you know, uh, we, it's the same mental health challenges. Uh, from you know on the on the um, you know the restaurant side as it is for you know distribution.

Speaker 2:

I was sales support for almost nine years with a major company and I'll tell you I worked harder and longer for sales support than I did in the kitchens. It's a different sort of work and you know it's funny. Chef, you mentioned this when you switched to the dark side, which is the sales side of things.

Speaker 4:

You were never perceived as a chef again, even though you were a chef no, and nobody wanted to talk and I thought I was more of a yeah. I do.

Speaker 2:

Don't, seriously, they don't. When you, when you put off the, when you take off the jacket, you put on that nice shirt, the button-down shirt, you're going as a salesperson, you're? You got the bubonic plague you, you're absolutely right.

Speaker 4:

I actually started dressing down. To be honest with with you, I refused to wear the Cheney polo. I'm just going in a regular t-shirt. But no, you're right, you go in and me, coming from a four-diamond background, I considered myself more of a consultant than a sales rep and I tried to explain to these guys listen, I can help you with your labor, I can help you with your food costs. Just listen to me.

Speaker 4:

Me and they knew way more than I did, you know tried to beat you up on everything and the phone calls late at night. You did this, you did that and you just there comes a certain point where you go okay, here's the towel, it's going in and you get back to doing what you love and your passion, and that's that's what I did. You know, I got back into cooking and I love it. You know I'll never leave it for sure. But but, uh, it's been great to have this opportunity to work with jay and frank and the porch uh brand and, and you know, bringing steven on board has been great and uh, you know, just, it's the life we live, man, it's a seven day a week job.

Speaker 1:

Either way, you like it, slice it or dice it you gotta be in it to win it part of the. If you're part of the circle of food service, it's. It's a.

Speaker 4:

It's a seven day, you know every day gig you get out, you get out of it what you put into it.

Speaker 2:

I would love I would love for a law to be passed. Everyone would have to spend a year in the restaurant industry so people could understand the different world would be different it would because we wouldn't have karen's and ken's, and that's why we're trying to do is shed that light on what goes on in the industry. Like you, chef steven, you blipped out and that's why I mentioned, uh, the recruiting. What why'd you get out? Because the same reasons that josh was talking about, or?

Speaker 3:

well, yeah, I was, uh, I was a regional chef for quite some time, um, and I was on the road, probably close to 200 days a year. And I've got, uh, three kids and a granddaughter um, really wasn't seeing any of them and my youngest one's about to graduate high school and plays varsity baseball and I really decided I wanted to start being a part of their lives and being around instead of being on the road, and so I made that leap and you know I'm back in the game again because you know I found Jay and Frank and Josh and Mike good quality of life, great ownership group to work with. They pretty much trust what I'm doing and they let me be me as a chef and entrepreneur to help them run that business, and they're very supportive. So it's probably my favorite job I've ever had in my my career.

Speaker 1:

Well, number one. Like you said earlier, we've done a lot of work together over the years Yep and I appreciate the fact that when you jump back into the kitchen you know that you did connect us with such a great group. You know the just at large for sure, jay frank and the gang obviously.

Speaker 2:

josh, you're sitting here, um, so thank you I think if more restaurant tours would have the mindset of the four owners of the porch, I think things would be different. Like what I said in in the uh and I meant this when I said if, if chefs can cook craveable meals day in and day out at the restaurant, and not somebody for somebody else that they're cooking for which they're not going to have that passion for, think about how great this restaurant industry would be as a whole. And, on top of that, if you're working with people that, like your group, that support you and that have the work-life balance, it's you're unstoppable and that's the key that we need. You told me. You told me like what? 45 hours.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, right around 45. I mean, you know, the big thing with with Jane Frank and the other two, josh and Mike, is they really focus on our people and and you know, jay and I were talking to an employee yesterday and we were talking about how much we value them and where it all starts with taking care of the team, and then the team takes care of the guest, and all that synergy gets going and you know the money ends up in the cash register at the end and it's quite harmonious when you start with the nucleus and take care of that. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

But that's the whole circle of food service. That's what we should have.

Speaker 1:

Well so there's a lot of micro environments with that relationships because, like if, if, for example, when, when I work with a chef and I'm pointing at steven, you know, when I work with a chef that understands, you know the fact that I'm a 365 day accessible person that you rely on for product, there's going to be hiccups, there's going going to be a short, a mispick, a poor quality, a late truck, whatever.

Speaker 1:

You're going to have all of those things. And when you have the relationship and the trust factor that you know that, okay, it may have hit the fan. Today they're doing the corrective act, they're taking whatever corrective actions are available. Okay, cool, cause in the long game, we, as a distribution and sales, always take care of the of the restaurants or chefs or GMs or whomever we're dealing with, that take care of us or respect what we're doing. Now, with that said, there are so many knuckle dragging salespeople out there that I understand the negative connotation when it comes to how kitchen, um and you know, looks at salespeople. And I get it, and I have been on the other side in purchasing. Uh, you know scenarios before. Absolutely, I get it, and that's where, that's where these little relationships go a very, very long way.

Speaker 2:

Well, it's not just relationships. I think the mindset of the chefs when I said 45 hours. I guarantee you 95, 5% of the chefs that are listening to this one oh, banker hours, yeah.

Speaker 4:

No, yeah, we've got to remember my first part-time job, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Right, right, exactly We've. That's what we need to stop. We need to stop glorifying the, the, the EDC that we do as far as working with them we do. We got to stop that. We have to find that work-life balance, the reason why you have your kid. Now you're saying, well, I got my last one before he goes off or she goes off to college. I got to spend time because you weren't there and there's that's a huge, you know gap that a lot of chefs in these, in this industry, that have to deal with it. How do they do it? There's a lot that don't and they get out and there's a lot that do and stay in it. It's all about that camaraderie with the ownership, you know, and then building and building up that whole synergy.

Speaker 1:

Obviously, work-life balance is is tremendous, but I think I don't want to get you know emails or whatever. But I think I don't. I don't want to get you know emails or whatever, but I think that when you're starting off and you're young in your career, I think you, you, I think you have to like crawl through the charcoal a little bit. You need to go through the fire, and that's how you're going to learn how to be a better adult. I don't think, I think you know, I don't know if I would be, or any of us would be, where we are today, as if we were just kind of like, you know, skating through it. You know what I mean. And what I mean is a little bit further um, I mean, I, I never had a vacations or, uh, I never took off time on, uh, holidays. I didn't have any of that.

Speaker 2:

What's that V word?

Speaker 3:

I heard yeah, what is?

Speaker 1:

that Seriously. But the truth is I mean I look back at that, I don't feel bad that I did the work that I did. I don't feel bad that I put myself out there. I mean I learned who I am, I became who I am by doing those jobs and putting in that effort. And if somebody in their twenties and they have I've had these conversations where they say, well, that you're just, you're stupid for doing it no man, you don't know what you're talking about, because you're never going to sharpen, you're never going to be a sharp knife, you're going to be dull, and that's what people don't realize. Now, with that said, don't get taken advantage of, you know, don't be abused, don't accept abuse, don't do any of those things. But you got to put in the effort.

Speaker 4:

You got to expect to do the work. Yeah, the work comes first, and then you get noticed. You know you become an asset for any company. They're going to take care of you. Yeah, you know, we found Steven and we were excited to let him take the reins, and one of the things that we all for discuss was we're going to let Stephen be the voice. Stephen's going to let us know what he's doing, because we believe in him, you know, and it's worked out great for us so far.

Speaker 1:

So I don't want and yes, yes to that Embrace that, agree with that, and I don't want to. I don't want it to be like I'm going against what you said.

Speaker 2:

I agree with you. Not, you're not going to get it. You're not going to be on Tik TOK and then you're going to be able to put and produce, like, I've watched guys and gals that are on Tik TOK and producing phenomenal things. But I guarantee you, I want to see you do it 20 times. Yeah, it's not happening. No, oh yeah, I want to see it during service. Yeah, going to be handling that stress when that server comes over and this and that. The other thing I think we, we all have to treat people with the kindness that we need to. Even that we were getting into the, the weeds, but we have to maintain that structure. And then, chef, and I think one of the best things is some of the chef's mentors that I've had in my career. I remember one of my mentors. He was not a mentor in the good way, but he was the things not to do throwing the knives, the pots, pots, the pans, you know, ducking because we were closed at 10 o'clock. That's not. That's not where we need to do.

Speaker 2:

I mean at that level where I was at at that point, that did not need to happen, and it still does today.

Speaker 1:

Those are stupid things, right, um like, and I've had, and I've been a party to to that, you know I've been a party to that and party to to that, you know I've been a party to that and and I've gotten into the fist of cups with, you know, people in the back of the house and all sorts of stuff, right. But but again, as stupid as those things are and bad like, not acceptable, but those are, those are the things that kind of carve you up and and turn you into uh, that's how you learn and you grow to. Way I see it, even though some of those things are so juvenile and bone headed and they do show a lack of maturity, that's how you learn 1000%, but you also learn how to not be like that correct.

Speaker 4:

I have a team of 28 that jump with me and 6 of them have been with me for 10 years. You know I've you know sends a lot.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know we also talked about what's the difference between a boss and a leader. Yeah, you know that's the. That's a leader. You know a boss is someone that you walk away from because they know everything and there's nothing you could do to to break that mold from them, to learn from them. You're not and they're not going to learn from you.

Speaker 4:

A thousand percent. I've learned you're only as good as your weakest link. So you want your team to be as good, if not better, than you. You want to be able to enjoy your life and have that quality of life. So you want to be able to walk away and know your team's got your back. So it's in your best interest to make sure they're knowledgeable and they know how to do the right things.

Speaker 1:

Well, I'm always happy to get into this subject. We are, you know, Jeff, John, this is something that we talk about fairly regularly and it's important, and I feel like if us older guys and gals Much, much older? Not really not yet, but you know, we're getting there.

Speaker 3:

We're not there yet.

Speaker 1:

But if we're not talking about it, then who is it? Certainly isn't the 20-something. They're certainly not talking about it.

Speaker 2:

I will tell you this. I just had this discussion. My daughter did a paper and it was like a run-on sentence and she a little bit down because the way my cousin, my nephews, had talked to her and I walked into her room I'm like are you okay? She's like, yeah. I said just remember, you were never good when you picked up a bike for the first time. You were never good at work walking. When you first learned how to walk, you failed. You had no always said to you. So I told her no, it means next opportunity.

Speaker 2:

Failure means his first attempt in learning. Always remember that, always going life being your biggest cheerleader. I didn't have a father that told me that and I didn't have mentors that told me that. When I was going through school I had to tell myself that. So I preach that now because the next generation needs to know that you can still mess up, but you have to learn from those mistakes. And I still mess up. Who beats you up more than anyone yourself? I'm still waiting for you to learn how to cook a steak.

Speaker 1:

Man, that's not that new zealand a9. No, that was yeah, it was something. I was just like what did we miss that? Yeah? Yeah, I can't get into it on air, but yeah, you, you, you did, thanks, thanks, guys now.

Speaker 2:

The next time I'll get some, so don't worry, I'll bring it to you. I know a guy, I know a guy, we'll talk about it.

Speaker 1:

I know a guy already. All right, what's the? I should know off the top of my head by now. But what's the social media?

Speaker 3:

At the Porch Winter Park or Porch Market.

Speaker 2:

WP yeah. Yeah, I'll put that in the uh what's your social media to get in touch with you, chef Sure?

Speaker 3:

Um it's at Stephen Hicks 94, 64.

Speaker 4:

Um chef, life forever 19,. Uh, 75. Oh yeah, you have to be the chef.

Speaker 2:

Chef, life forever, oh gee.

Speaker 1:

I got you All right. Listen, fellas. First of all, thanks for coming out today, awesome.

Speaker 4:

Our pleasure yeah, Carl thanks so much, man, jeffrey, thanks.

Speaker 1:

Secondly, thank you for the sandwiches. Loved it. We're going to do more. I want to do the Poke Bowl. I want to try the Poke, all right.

Speaker 4:

Love to have you out.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's going to happen and we're going to talk about more of these Dinners and events. I feel like it's a thing.

Speaker 4:

Let's do it. It was successful. We have to.

Speaker 1:

Jay, Frank, Mike, I know you're going to hear this. Thank you, guys. We love you. Appreciate what y'all are doing With us Steven Josh, Jeff John, what y'all are doing with us, Steven Josh, Jeff John and, by the way, Peninsula Food Service Chef, Chef, Chef's out there, you guys gotta I mean listen. If you're not doing it now, I don't know who the hell are. You right, Get in touch, let's make it happen. We are out.

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