Spoon Mob

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats with general manager, wine director, beverage manager, and sommelier Lauren Noel of The Market Italian Village about how she first got started in restaurants, her original intended career path, why she decided on FOH instead of BOH, how she wound up at Watershed Distillery, the nuance of taste between different spirits, the challenges of being a female bartender, the main thing patrons should do at a bar, taking the intro sommelier exam, how she wound up at Coast Wine House, her initial dislike of California wines, what she did when covid happened, taking the WSET exams, her issues with the current state of the Court of Master Sommeliers, where the exams fall short against real world drinking and spending habits, the true cost of sommelier exams, how she landed at The Market IV, building out the restaurants wine program, how she constructs the glass pour section of the beverage list, her thoughts on natural wine and the NA wine movement, the wine region she gravitates towards the most, the current state of Columbus as a beverage town, future plans and aspirations, answers the question left behind from chef Nick Gore of GoreMade Pizza, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on wine director Lauren Noel, visit spoonmob.com/laurennoel and follow her on Instagram @laurennoel42 & @themarket.iv. Visit themarketiv.com for menu details & reservations. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats with executive chef/owner of GoreMade Pizza Nick Gore about how he first got started in restaurants, why he went into advertising for a career, when he realized he was done with corporate America, starting out with "Pizza Sundays", how he found the mobile wood fired oven, becoming a full fledged pop up “pizza gypsy”, transitioning pizza making from hobby to business, cooking in pizza competitions, finding GoreMade’s brick & mortar location, how Italian Village has changed since opening, where his ingredient partnerships originated from, different pizza ovens, keeping things local, the story behind “Christmas on Wednesday”, how they come up with idea's for the chef’s choice pizza, the uniqueness of the pizza dough, making ice cream, what “style” of pizza GoreMade falls into, where they fit in the pizza community, how covid changed the business, the status of the pizza blog, what the future holds for GoreMade, answers the question left behind by wine director Mark Bright, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on chef Nick Gore, visit spoonmob.com/nickgore and follow him on Instagram @goremadepizza. Visit goremadepizza.com for menu details & online ordering. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats with co-founder, co-owner, and wine director Mark Bright of Saison Hospitality about growing up east of Chicago, the trip to Europe that got him hooked on wine, how he got hired at Aqua at the Bellagio with barely any restaurant experience, why he dropped out of medical school, learning from four future Master Sommeliers, how the opportunity to work with sommelier Rajat Parr at Michael Mina’s San Francisco flagship restaurant came to be, finding his own path outside the Court of Master Sommeliers, not passing the advanced sommelier exam, why Local Wine Kitchen & Merchant didn’t work out, how and why he partnered with chef Josh Skenes to open Saison, everything that went into starting Saison as a pop up, getting awarded one, two, and then three Michelin stars, the idea behind the Bright Wine Fund, the misconception he was a partner in Vinyl Wine Bar, starting Partage Winery, the challenges of being a first time winemaker, winning the Wine Spectator Grand Award, installing a new team after chef Josh Skenes stepped away from the kitchen, why Angler was chosen as the concept for expansion for Saison Hospitality, the future of Saison Smokehouse, hosting virtual wine tastings during the covid lockdowns, tasting champagne from a 1907 Baltic Sea shipwreck, where his love for Dunkin’ Donuts comes from, future plans, answers the question left behind by chef Tyler Stemmer of Pleasantry, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on wine director Mark Bright visit spoonmob.com/markbright and follow him on Instagram @markbrightwine, @saisonhospitality, @saisonsf, @anglersanfrancisco, @anglerlosangeles, @saisonsmokehouse, @partagewinery, @saison_winery & @saison_cellar. Visit saisonsf.com, anglerrestaurants.com, saisonsmokehouse.com, partagewinery.com, saisonwines.com & saisoncellar.com for menu details, wine lists, reservations, and online wine ordering. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats with executive chef Tyler Stemmer of Pleasantry about how he got started cooking and working in restaurants, his thoughts on culinary school, why he never moved to a bigger city to cook, balancing a career in music with a career in culinary arts, the similarities between being in a band & being in a kitchen, staging in Chicago at Wherewithall, the benefits of staging & working with other chefs, being promoted to executive chef at Pleasantry, the biggest challenge of being a first time executive chef, staffing challenges in restaurants today, how he came up with parmesan ice cream, wobbly tables, what exactly bike polo is, why Cincinnati has been overlooked as a food destination for so long, future plans, answers the question left behind by sommelier Amanda Moss, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on chef Tyler Stemmer, visit spoonmob.com/tylerstemmer and follow him on Instagram @bad_thai & @pleasantryotr. Visit pleasantryotr.com for menu details, reservations & catering. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage. 

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats with sommelier Amanda Moss about how she first got started in restaurants, falling in love with wine during a trip to Napa Valley, shifting career paths, venturing abroad to London to work at Luminary Bakery, moving to Tucson Arizona, working at Casino Del Sol, getting more involved with building wine lists, her experience with the intro sommelier exam, what working in wine & alcohol sales is really like, the process of wine allocations, Ohio vs Arizona alcohol rules, taking the WSET exams, why she’s done with the Court of Master Sommeliers, where she feels the wine industry headed, future plans, answers the question left behind by Bill Glover the CEO of Ray Ray's Hog Pit, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on sommelier Amanda Moss, visit spoonmob.com/amandamoss and follow her on Instagram @amanda_moss. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage. Photo artwork by @ohmissphotography.

The guys are finally back after a lengthy hiatus and break down the best parts of the Montana episode while discussing what their watching on TV right now, the latest Joe Rogan controversy, Ben's edible bird rankings, who really should have played the sheriff character in Hell or High Water, and try to come up with the plot for the Jodie Foster movie "Nell" before checking off the episode categories and updating their episode rankings. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1).

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats with former executive chef of Gallerie Bar & Bistro, now CEO of Ray Ray's Hog Pit Bill Glover about growing up near Pittsburgh, how he got his start cooking, spending one semester in culinary school before walking out, his time working in private country clubs, opening his own restaurant Sage American Bistro, the biggest challenge with being a first time restaurant owner, working with sommelier Chris Dillman, why Sage closed, how the opportunity with the Hilton came about, what running the food program for a hotel is like, how hotel life is different than restaurant life, how he wound up getting invited to cook at the James Beard House, helping design other Hilton properties, how covid changed his career, undertaking new challenges outside the kitchen, future business endeavors, some of his best recent restaurant experience’s, fish keeping, if he'll ever step back into the kitchen, answers the question left behind by chef Matt Harper of Comune, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on Bill Glover and Ray Ray's Hot Pit, visit spoonmob.com/billglover and follow him on Instagram @chefbillglover & @rayrayshogpit. Visit rayrayshotpit.com for menu details & bulk ordering. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats with Comune's new executive chef Matt Harper about growing up in Arkansas, how he got started cooking during high school at Sonic, spending time on his grandfather’s rice farm as a teenager, changing his career path from journalism to culinary arts, moving to Atlanta for culinary school, starting on the line at Empire State South, moving to Philadelphia, how he got into the kitchen at Zahav, learning new spices and a style of the cuisine, launching his own supper club to find his culinary voice, getting his first executive chef job at Kensington Quarters, his time in Baltimore at the start of the pandemic, how he landed in Columbus Ohio, his time working at Front Axel Farm, how the opportunity with Comune happened, new ideas for the menu, how his experience in Columbus has been so far, future plans, answers the question left behind by chef Jorge Guzman of Sueno, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on chef Matt Harper and Comune, visit spoonmob.com/mattharper and follow him on Instagram @matthewerikharper & @comune_restaurant. Visit comune-restaurant.com for menu details, reservations & online ordering. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats with owner/executive chef Jorge Guzman of Sueno in Dayton, Ohio about growing up in Mexico and St. Louis, the difference between authentic Mexican cuisine and Americanized interpretations, starting work in restaurants while playing college football, when he realized being a chef was his career path, his thoughts on culinary school, all the places he worked after school before landing at Surley Brewing and The Brewers Table, how he wound up in a disastrous situation in La Crosse Wisconsin, when he knew it was time to open his own restaurant, how hard it truly is to secure funding for a restaurant, opening Le Petit Leon, changing how restaurants support the staff, starting his pop up Pollo Pollo, how he got involved with Sueno, why Dayton Ohio, the concept and direction of the menu, dealing with goals and anonymous critics, James Beard Awards, industry staffing challenges, answers the question left behind by chef Josh Habiger of Bastion, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on chef Jorge Guzman, Sueno, Petite Leon & Pollo Pollo, visit spoonmob.com/jorgeguzman and follow him on Instagram @jorgeguzman1, @suenodyt, @petiteleonmpls & @pollopollompls. Visit suenodyt.com & petiteleon.com for menu details, reservations & online ordering. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats chef Josh Habiger of Bastion in Nashville, Tennessee about how he got his start cooking at a diner, where his career was headed before enrolling in culinary school, staging in the U.K., working in New York City with Marco Canora at Craft, becoming a snowboard bum in Vail, heading up to Alaska to work on a salmon fishing boat, hitch hiking from San Francisco to New York City, how he got on the opening team at Alinea, moving to Nashville to help open The Patterson House, how the concept of The Catbird Seat was born, opening Pinewood Social, Bastion’s design and concept, getting nominated for a James Beard Award, how covid affected the restaurant, partnering with chef Edgar Victoria’s taco pop up Alebrije, what he created for Band Box, looking back on 10 years of The Catbird Seat, the food scene in Nashville, how Anthony Bourdain got him into Jiu Jitsu, future plans, answers the question left behind from chef Jason Zygmont of Sassetta, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on chef Josh Habiger & Bastion, visit spoonmob.com/joshhabiger and follow him on Instagram @softarchitect & @bastionnashville. Visit bastionnashville.com for menu details & reservations. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats with the former chef/owner of Setsun in Nashville, Tennessee and the newly announced executive chef of Sassetta in Dallas, Texas chef Jason Zygmont about becoming obsessed with food as a kid, why he passed on a law career, getting his first job in a restaurant kitchen in Chapel Hill, staging in New York City, what working at a Michelin star restaurant as a young cook was like, staging in Barcelona, his experiences cooking in Atlanta, what it’s like to stage at Noma, tells the dill story, moving back to NYC to stage at Per Se, the differences between Noma and Per Se, quitting Per Se and leaving NYC to move back to Atlanta, how the opportunity to run The Treehouse came to be, being named Eater Nashville Chef of the Year, why he started Setsun as a pop up, when he knew it was time to shut down the restaurant, announces where he’ll be cooking next, the current state of the food scene in Dallas, his thoughts on culinary school, answers the questions left behind from chef Stephan Madias of Wario’s Beef And Pork, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on chef Jason Zygmont, Black Cactus & Sassetta, visit spoonmob.com/jasonzygmont and follow him on Instagram @Jason.zygmont, @black_cactus_dal & @sassetta_dallas. Visit blackcactusfood.com for online ordering and whole sale pricing. Visit sassetta-dallas.com for additional restaurant details. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray chats with chef/owner Stephan Madias of Wario's Beef And Pork about growing up in Cleveland, his first job as a dishwasher at a bakery, moving to Columbus to go to Ohio State, his love of butchery, getting his start in kitchen’s at The Crest, bouncing around to all the different A&R Creative restaurants, joining Ray Ray’s Hog Pit to learn from chef James Anderson, returning to A&R Creative and working on No Menu Mondays with chef Tyler Minnis, the challenges with becoming an executive chef for the first time, charcuterie with Brian Polcyn, where the name for Wario’s comes from, almost quitting the restaurant industry entirely, the origin story of Wario’s Beef & Pork, what makes a great cheesesteak, the reasoning for the small menu, the craziness of the Saturday Specials, tinkering with pop up dinners, what the ideal charcuterie board looks like, if he’ll ever do a New Jersey style cheesesteak, the state of the food scene in Columbus, future plans, answers the question left behind from Andrew Smith of Roy's Ave Supper Club, and more before taking on the “burning grill” questions! For more on chef Stephan Madias & Wario's Beef And Pork, visit spoonmob.com/stephanmadias and follow him on Instagram @stephanmadias & @wariosbeefandpork. Visit warios-beef-and-pork.business.site for menu details, call in ordering & catering/bulk orders. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.

On this week's episode of Parts Now Known, the guys try their best to recap The Greek Islands episode which unfortunately is amongst the worst Parts Unknown episodes of the entire season. After extracting as many interesting tid bits as they can, they debate the merits of Ben's current binge watching efforts, Bravo's Below Deck, before checking off the episode categories and updating their episode rankings. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1).

On this very special episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, we've look back on 2021 and cover how Spoon Mob came to be, where its headed, some potential changes down the road, and everything in between! For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.

On this very special episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, we've compiled all the questions & answers from our "Burning Grill" segment at the end of each Chefs & Guests podcast from 2021 into one epic episode. Restaurant recommendations, food highlights, great memories, crazy stories, and more are all highlighted in this final part of a 3-part episode. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage.