The Restaurant Guys

This is a Vintage episode from 2007.

Why This Episode Matters
In Valencia, paella is cooked over burning vine cuttings and has as much in common with Southern barbecue as it does with the seafood platter many Americans picture.
Hear about the chef who serves squid paella that looks like Rice Krispies with squid ink broth.
Even French chefs were heading to Spain for new ideas. Anya explains what they found in kitchens where liquid nitrogen met Andalusian gazpacho.

The Conversation
Anya takes Mark Pascal and Francis Schott inside Madrid Fusión, where chefs from around the world were trading ideas. She describes how the exchange worked back in Spanish kitchens, too. Tapas cooks borrowed techniques from the avant-garde, and Ferran Adrià regularly ate at his brother Albert’s traditional Barcelona tapas bar.
In Valencia, Anya explains what rabbit, land snails and a wood fire bring to paella, and why the rice gets top billing. She also tells the Guys about chef Quique Dacosta’s work with rice scientists and shares the Italian risotto rice she uses in her own paella.
Francis compares avant-garde cooking techniques to the Force, which somehow leads to a defense of the deep-fried Twinkie. Anya takes the Guys to a Valencian café for horchata and churros before they revisit a debate from 2007 over sous vide in New York City restaurants.

The Guest Bio
Anya von Bremzen is the author of The New Spanish Table and co-author of the James Beard Award–winning Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook. At the time of the interview, she was a contributing editor at Travel + Leisure and a regular contributor to Food & Wine.
Info
Anya’s book
The New Spanish Table
Timestamps
01:00 — Why French chefs were looking to Spain
04:00 — Liquid nitrogen meets traditional gazpacho
09:00 — Valencia’s paella and its barbecue kinship
13:00 — Quique Dacosta and the science of rice
19:00 — Horchata and churros in Valencia
20:00 — New York City’s sous vide debate

Dinner with Yves Cuilleron on December 9, 2026  StageLeft.com/events
Miracle Christmas Bar at Catherine Lombardi
Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve holiday dinners at Catherine Lombardi

CatherineLombardi.com

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Magyar Bank
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Stage Left Wine Shop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
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TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

Why This Episode Matters
The fishermen were giving the fish away. Bryan Caswell wanted to buy it all. What made him think Houston diners would pay for it?
Bryan had never filleted a halibut. Then one landed in front of him in Rocco DiSpirito’s kitchen.
Would guests pay for bread? At Latuli, it outsells every drink on the menu.

The Banter

Mark and Francis compare the food festivals they’ve been visiting with the old “Taste of” fundraisers. They get into what it costs a restaurant to show up with something it’s proud to serve, and when the charity might be better off with a check.

The Conversation

In Houston, chef Bryan Caswell tells the Guys how growing up fishing the Gulf Coast prepared him for an unexpected test in Rocco DiSpirito’s kitchen. He recalls the precision of Union Pacific and what he learned from Jean-Georges Vongerichten about running a kitchen without yelling.
At Reef, Bryan built a menu around Gulf fish that rarely made it to restaurant tables. He explains how he persuaded fishermen to sell him their bycatch, why he put unfamiliar fish directly on the menu, and how his staff learned to work with whatever came in. He also talks about Hurricane Harvey and why Reef never fully recovered.
Then it’s on to Latuli, the Houston neighborhood restaurant Bryan opened with Allison Knight. The Guys talk about building a dining room people want to come back to, letting regulars have a say in what stays on the menu, and how a bread service Bryan wasn’t sure people would pay for became the restaurant’s biggest seller.

The Guest Bio

Bryan Caswell is the executive chef and co-founder of Latuli in Houston. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he worked in kitchens in New York and abroad before opening Reef, where he showcased Gulf seafood. He also co-founded Little Bigs and El Real Tex-Mex Cafe. Food & Wine named him a Best New Chef in 2009.

Info
Latuli
https://www.latuli.com/

Timestamps
0:00:00 — What restaurants owe a food festival
0:04:00 — Bryan Caswell joins the Guys in Houston
0:07:00 — From Barcelona to the halibut test in Rocco DiSpirito’s kitchen
0:14:00 — How many moves does a dish take?
0:22:00 — Giving overlooked Gulf fish a place on the menu at Reef
0:34:00 — Hurricane Harvey and why Reef never fully recovered
0:41:00 — What Jean-Georges taught Bryan about running a kitchen
0:50:00 — Coming home to Houston and opening Reef
0:54:00 — Building a neighborhood restaurant at Latuli
1:03:00 — How bread service became Latuli’s biggest seller
Dinner with Yves Cuilleron on December 9, 2026  StageLeft.com/events
Miracle Christmas Bar at Catherine Lombardi
Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve holiday dinners at Catherine Lombardi

CatherineLombardi.com

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular
https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Stage Left Wine Shop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

This is a Vintage episode from 2010.
The Banter
A steakhouse offers customers a way to disguise lavish lunches on their expense reports, complete with pre-wrinkled receipts and camouflage doggy bags. Mark and Francis debate whether this steakhouse deserves a marketing award or a visit from the authorities.

The Conversation
Winemaker Randall Grahm joins the Guys for a funny, irreverent conversation about his book, Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology. Between literary parodies and pointed footnotes and why a numerical score can’t tell you what you’ll enjoy drinking tonight.
Randall reflects on the business consequences of poking Robert Parker in the eye, explains why he stopped making Chardonnay, and questions what happens when winemakers chase the same critic’s palate. Along the way, broccoli gets a score, American wine tastes get the chicken-finger treatment, and Randall reveals where to get the best wine buying advice.
Beneath the jokes is a serious pursuit: making original wines that express where they come from. Randall shares his shift from pleasing others to pleasing himself and the unconventional vineyard ideas behind that ambition.

The Guest Bio
Randall Grahm is a California winemaker who founded Bonny Doon Vineyard and helped popularize Rhône grape varieties in the United States. He received the James Beard Foundation’s Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year award in 1994 and published Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology in 2009. He sold Bonny Doon in 2020 and has remained involved as a consultant. His other winemaking projects include The Language of Yes and Popelouchum.

Timestamps
01:00 — Expense-account steaks and camouflage leftovers
07:00 — Randall Grahm and Been Doon So Long
09:00 — What wine scores leave out
19:00 — Finding a wine merchant you trust
22:00 — Robert Parker and the cost of chasing scores
27:00 — Wine, literature, and parody
29:00 — Making original wines that express a place

Info
Randall’s book: Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology
The Language of Yes
https://www.languageofyeswine.com/
Popelouchum
https://www.popelouchum.com/
Dinner with Yves Cuilleron on December 9, 2026  StageLeft.com/events
Miracle Christmas Bar at Catherine Lombardi
Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve holiday dinners at Catherine Lombardi

CatherineLombardi.com

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular
https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Stage Left Wine Shop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

Banter
Can you teach hospitality or are you  just teaching people to fake it? Mark and Francis discuss scripted service, sincerity, and a restaurant’s apparently AI-generated emails that promised a personal welcome the dining room failed to deliver.
The Conversation
Paul MacDonald of the Lovers Bar at Philadelphia’s Friday Saturday Sunday joins the Guys to explain how a cocktail experiment became a decade-long exploration of flavor and proportion. His Fibonacci cocktails use five ingredients in a 1:1:2:3:5 ratio, but he’s quick to clarify that the formula represents just one corner of the bar’s broader cocktail program.
That experiment evolved into the Carousel: 21 bottles arranged in a fixed order, with five consecutive ingredients combined according to the ratio. Guests can spin for a drink or choose a combination that appeals to them (that’s not cheating!). Paul shares a favorite recipe, while the Guys explore why giving guests something to participate in makes a bar experience memorable.
They also discuss keeping regulars’ favorite drinks alongside new creations, a low-alcohol aperitif with the character of a stronger cocktail, and Philadelphia’s particular talent for serving exceptional food at a lively neighborhood bar. After the interview, Mark and Francis recap their Halloween pop-up, complete with a vampire sommelier, an overheated Sasquatch, and a smoke machine that didn’t delight every dinner guest.
Guest Bio
Paul MacDonald is the head bartender at the Lovers Bar at Philadelphia’s Michelin-starred Friday Saturday Sunday. His cocktail program includes the Carousel, an interactive menu built around 21 bottles and Fibonacci proportions. The Lovers Bar was a 2025 James Beard Award finalist for Outstanding Bar; Friday Saturday Sunday received the 2023 award for Outstanding Restaurant. Friday Saturday Sunday
Timestamps
00:00 — Can hospitality be taught—or faked?
12:00 — Paul MacDonald on what Fibonacci cocktails are and are not
14:00 — The five-ingredient experiment behind the formula
20:00 — How the cocktail Carousel works
24:00 — Friday Saturday Sunday and Philadelphia’s dinner-at-the-bar culture
30:00 — Vampires, Sasquatch, and the spooky bar
Paul’s Carousel Pick
Using ¼ ounce as one part:
1¼ ounces Becherovka
¾ ounce Oloroso sherry
½ ounce rhubarb liqueur
¼ ounce Barolo Chinato
¼ ounce Bols Genever
The recipe totals 3 ounces before dilution.
Info
The Lovers Bar and Carousel:
https://www.fridaysaturdaysunday.com/lovers-bar
Friday Saturday Sunday:
https://www.fridaysaturdaysunday.com/
Dinner with Yves Cuilleron on December 9, 2026  StageLeft.com/events
Miracle Christmas Bar at Catherine Lombardi
Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve holiday dinners at Catherine Lombardi

CatherineLombardi.com

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular
https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Stage Left Wine Shop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

This is a Vintage episode from 2006.
Why This Episode Matters
Learn when a shortcut saves effort without sacrificing the finished dish.
Bring restaurant habits home: prepare ahead, clean as you go, and cook with more confidence.
Hear Susan Spungen on finding her own voice after twelve years at Martha Stewart Living.

The Banter
A new restaurant in New Brunswick sends Mark and Francis back to the days when dinner service ended and the disco ball came down. They also explore how old restaurant menus can help researchers trace changes in the oceans by tracking seafood availability, prices, and tastes.

The Conversation
Susan Spungen, the founding food editor of Martha Stewart Living, joins the Guys to discuss her first solo cookbook, Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook. She describes stepping out from behind a major media company and making cooking approachable without stripping away the pleasure of doing it well. Her rule for shortcuts: the result still has to be something you’re proud of.
Organized by technique, her book helps cooks understand what they’re doing rather than simply follow instructions. Susan, Mark, and Francis discuss mise en place, planning ahead, and why getting the cleanup done early can matter as much as getting the chopping done.
They also cover knives, essential cookware, and the advantages of moving a pan from stovetop to oven. Susan recalls a mandoline mishap while filming with Martha; yet the cameras had to keep rolling. Afterward, the Guys remember their 1996 dinner celebrating the bicentennial of Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery.

Guest Bio
Susan Spungen is a cook, food stylist, recipe developer, and cookbook author. She was the founding food editor and editorial director of food at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Her books include Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook and Cookie Queen.

2026 Update
Susan’s new book, Cookie Queen, publishes November 3, 2026, with more than 80 cookie recipes. The book discussed in this 2006 interview is Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook. PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

Timestamps
00:00 — Disco balls and what old menus reveal
07:00 — Susan Spungen steps out on her own
12:00 — Permission to take a shortcut
16:00 — Restaurant preparation for the home kitchen
20:00 — Knife skills and caring for your tools
25:00 — Essential cookware and a mishap with Martha
Links
Susan Spungen:
https://www.susanspungen.com/
Cookie Queen:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/797830/cookie-queen-by-susan-spungen/

Dinner with Yves Cuilleron on December 9, 2026  StageLeft.com/events
Miracle Christmas Bar at Catherine Lombardi
Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve holiday dinners at Catherine Lombardi

CatherineLombardi.com

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular
https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Stage Left Wine Shop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
Reach Out to The Guys!
TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com