The Restaurant Guys
The Restaurant Guys is one of the original food and wine podcasts, launched in 2005 by restaurateurs Mark Pascal and Francis Schott.
With roots as a daily radio show, the podcast features in-depth conversations with chefs, bartenders, winemakers, authors, and hospitality professionals—offering the inside track on food, cocktails, wine, and restaurant culture.
New episodes and vintage conversations because the best stories, like the best bottles, age well. Expect insightful, opinionated, and entertaining conversations about food, wine, and the finer things in life.
Subscribe for ad-free content, bonus episodes and invitations to special events!
https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/
Contact: TheGuys@RestaurantGuysPodcast.com
Episodes
198 episodes
The Jack Rose, Applejack, and America’s First Distilling Family | Lisa Laird
Why This Episode MattersLisa Laird shares the story of America’s oldest distilling family and how Laird’s helped shape the history of Applejack in the United States.This conversation connects cocktails, New Jersey his...
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Episode 184
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57:42
Copper River Salmon, Oysters, and the Science of Better Flavor | Jon Rowley
This is a Vintage episode from 2007Why This Episode MattersIf you’ve ever wondered why some salmon, oysters, or tomatoes taste better than others, this episode gets into the reasons.Jon Rowley explains how better fis...
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Episode 183
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34:36
How Blue Ribbon Changed Late-Night Dining | Eric and Bruce Bromberg
Why This Episode MattersA defining New York restaurant story about how Blue Ribbon helped reshape late-night dining in downtown ManhattanA look at hospitality that lasts through warmth, consistency, personality, and a refus...
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Episode 182
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1:02:39
How Great Sommeliers Guide a Table | Roger Dagorn
This is a Vintage episode from 2005Why This Episode MattersMaster Sommelier Roger Dagorn joins Mark Pascal and Francis Schott for a thoughtful conversation about how wine service was evolving in America in the mid-2000s....
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Episode 181
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27:18
Milk Punch, Cocktail Culture, and the Art of Hospitality | Eamon Rockey
Why This Episode MattersEamon Rockey has worked at the highest levels of restaurant service, cocktail culture, beverage education, and spirits production, giving him a rare view across the industry.The conversation looks at...
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Episode 180
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58:21
Bake Smarter, Not Harder | Gail Sokol
This is a Vintage episode from 2007.Why This Episode MattersBaking isn’t magic; it’s chemistry. Gail explains ingredient function so you can so you can bake with intention rather than habitLearn how to subst...
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37:08
Scones & Scaling: Growing The Hungry Gnome | Danielle Sepsy
Why This Episode MattersWhat happens after a reality cooking show and how to convert exposure into growthScaling a wholesale bakery: space, equipment and financingWhy wholesale can be a sustainable alternative to r...
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Episode 178
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37:49
Cool Napa, Serious Wines | Susan Ridley, Hendry Wines
Vintage episode (2006)Why This Episode MattersThe Guys dissect classic “wine gaffes” and the social survival tactics that follow.Susan Ridley explains why Hendry’s vineyard site matters: cool maritime influence, rock...
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Episode 177
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32:54
The Best Meals Tell You Where You Are | Jeffrey Merrihue
Why This Episode MattersWhy food that reflects place matters more than Michelin prestige.How Xtreme Foodies connects global travelers with local culinary experts.Why tasting-menu fine dining is starting to feel for...
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Episode 176
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51:49
The Sex Life of Food: Romance, Ritual & What We Reveal at the Table | Bunny Crumpacker | Preview
This is a Vintage episode from 2006.This is just a teaser from a bonus episode for our subscribers. If you'd like to become a Restaurant Guys' Regular and listen to the entire episode and other commercial-free episodes, subscribe at ...
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Episode 175
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10:10
After Closing: Eggs, Mass Spectrometers & House Rules | Inside Track
Why You Should ListenWhat “closing time” really means — and why restaurants, and their staff, should honor what they promiseAn inside peak at Valentine’s Day operations, ticket flow, and why larger tables can ease pressure ...
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Episode 174
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31:52
Save the Fish (So We Can Eat Them) | Beth Lowell, Oceana
This is a Vintage episode from 2005.Why You Should ListenAn early, still-relevant look at sustainable seafoodWhat “dirty fishing” and bycatch really meanPractical advice for diners and restaurateurs...
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Episode 173
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39:03
Eric Scheffer | Building Restaurants and Community in Asheville
Why You Should ListenFrom television and advertising to building Asheville’s restaurant sceneHow fine dining, farm-to-table thinking, and wine culture shaped a food townThe 2008 crisis and a pivot to neighborhood I...
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Episode 172
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37:35
Neal Rosenthal on Globalization and the Future of Wine
This is a Vintage episode from 2005.Why This Episode MattersHow globalization began reshaping wine style, taste, and production in the early 2000sWhy market pressure and critical consensus can ...
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Episode 171
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38:13
Bartenders Matter: Ryan Foley on Legacy, Craft, and the Future of the Bar
Why This Episode MattersBartenders are central to hospitality cultureIndustry legacy plays a critical role in preserving bar professionalism Non-alcoholic cocktails require intention, balance, and struc...
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Episode 170
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1:03:53
Gabrielle Hamilton | Blood, Bones & Butter and a Life in Food
This is a Vintage episode from 2011.Episode DescriptionMark Pascal and Francis Schott open the show with reflections on family vacations and the waning of independent restaurants where distinctive dishes are still ma...
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Episode 169
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44:13
Noah Rothbaum | The Whiskey Bible and the Real History of Whiskey
The BanterMark Pascal and Francis Schott return to the restaurant floor with stories about hospitality as a lifelong condition—why you never stop working the room, why saying “goodnight” at lunch still feels natural, and how unusu...
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Episode 168
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1:08:48
Community Feasts and Food Culture | Melissa Hamilton, Saveur | Preview
Episode Description This is a Vintage Selection from 2005. Chef, author, and Saveur editor Melissa Hamilton joins the Restaurant Guys to talk about community feasts, food culture, and the role shared meals pla...
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Episode 167
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9:49
Traveling Well: Wine, History, and a Cautionary Tale | Inside Track
Episode DescriptionMark Pascal and Francis Schott share stories from recent travels through Ireland and Austria on this travel food podcast, exploring wine, history, and memorable restaurant experiences along the way. F...
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Episode 166
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42:46
Mary Ann Esposito on Authentic Italian Cooking Before It Was Cool
This is a Vintage Selection from 2005Episode DescriptionMary Ann Esposito, pioneering host of PBS’s Ciao Italia, the longest running cooking show, joins the Restaurant Guys to discuss authentic Italian...
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Episode 165
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36:08
Tim McKirdy on Kitchens, Cocktail Culture, and Cooking with Booze
From kitchens around the world to cocktail media, why it’s time to talk about cooking with boozeThe ConversationIn this episode of The Restaurant Guys Podcast, hosts Mark Pascal and Francis Schott head to B...
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Episode 164
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1:00:24
How Great Wine Programs Get Built — and How They Serve Everyone | Chris Goodhart
This is a Vintage Selection from 2005Ever wonder how great restaurant wine lists actually come together — and why some completely miss the mark?The BanterThe Guys tell stories of their “glamoro...
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Episode 163
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40:28
Why Everyone’s Talking About California Whiskey (Jeff Duckhorn)
California whiskey isn’t just a trend — it’s challenging bourbon’s throne.First, The Guys talk about recent dining experiences including being escorted into a bar, and too much salt. Then, The Restaurant Guys meet up...
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Episode 162
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56:08