The Restaurant Guys

This is a Vintage episode from 2006.
Why This Episode Matters
How America’s cocktail golden age flourished from the Gilded Age through Prohibition and how it eventually gave way to highballs and vodka.
Why pre-Prohibition whiskey was stronger, more aromatic and dramatically different from much of what followed.
How cocktail historians reconstruct forgotten drinks using antique bar guides, vintage bottles and nearly vanished ingredients.
Why Ted Haigh believes cocktails should engage an adult palate rather than conceal alcohol beneath sweetness.
Banter
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott explore the emerging trend of beer cocktails, from shandies and Black Velvets to some considerably more questionable corporate creations.
The Conversation
Cocktail historian Ted Haigh, better known as Dr. Cocktail, traces the rise, decline and early revival of the American cocktail. He explains how elaborate Gilded Age drinks survived Prohibition, only to be displaced by blended whiskey, highballs and increasingly neutral spirits.
Ted shares how he uncovers forgotten recipes in antique books and newspapers, then searches for the obscure bottles needed to recreate them. The conversation moves from bonded whiskey and Amer Picon to drinks that deserved to disappear, vodka’s reliance on marketing and the disputed 200th anniversary of the cocktail.
Guest Bio
Ted Haigh, widely known as Dr. Cocktail, is a cocktail historian, author and award-winning graphic designer. His research, writing and extensive collection of historic bar books, bottles and artifacts helped introduce a new generation to overlooked drinks from the pre-Prohibition and Prohibition eras. He was also one of the founders of the Museum of the American Cocktail. 
Timestamps
00:00 Beer cocktails, shandies and pairing beer with food
08:24 The golden age of American cocktails—and the rise of the highball
12:19 Pre-Prohibition whiskey and the value of acquired tastes
16:31 How forgotten cocktails are discovered and reconstructed
20:05 Amer Picon, obscure ingredients and drinks best left behind
25:20 The cocktail’s disputed anniversary, vodka and raw eggs
Info
Ted’s book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: Prohibition Centennial Edition 
Museum of the American Cocktail
Cafe D’Alsace https://www.cafedalsace.com/
If you want a chance to get two tickets to our Bourbon, Beer & Beefsteak and live recording with Sother Teague and Jack McGarry in New Orleans on July 21, 2026,
sign up to be a Restaurant Guys Regular (our paid subscribers) here  https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ 
Then email TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com. Put "beefsteak" in the subject line. 
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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 was recorded on-location at Bar Convent Brooklyn 2026

Why This Episode Matters
How five generations of the Hayman family helped shape London gin and why James Hayman sees himself as a guardian rather than an owner.
Why Old Tom gin is not simply London Dry with extra sugar, and how its robust botanical profile changes classic cocktails.
How authentic sloe gin is made with wild blackthorn fruit, months of infusion and considerably more patience than its neon-red reputation suggests.
Why rising costs may tempt spirits companies to compromise and why James believes tradition and quality are the family business’s best protection.
Banter
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott reflect on Bar Convent Brooklyn and Tales of the Cocktail as places where bartenders, producers and increasingly knowledgeable consumers come together to exchange ideas, discover new spirits and renew old friendships. They also observe that cocktail culture has spread far beyond major cities and debate whether anyone attending an afternoon spirits convention is realistically going to work afterward
The Conversation
Recorded at Bar Convent Brooklyn, Mark and Francis sit down with fifth-generation gin distiller James Hayman to explore more than 160 years of family history of Hayman’s Gin.
James recalls growing up around the family distillery, where the aromas of botanicals made an early impression and visits to bottle shops became part of family vacations. He explains the responsibility of protecting recipes and methods developed generations earlier while still allowing the business to evolve.
The conversation traces gin’s transformation from the rough, inconsistent spirit of eighteenth-century London to the more refined styles that emerged during the nineteenth century. James explains the origins of Old Tom gin, why Hayman’s helped revive it for modern bartenders.
They then turn to sloe gin: wild blackthorn berries, high-proof gin, several months of extraction and the British tradition of carrying a flask to cold-weather sporting events. Francis contrasts real sloe gin with the syrupy versions that once appeared in drinks such as the Red Death and makes the case for restoring the good stuff to the modern cocktail bar.
James also discusses Navy Strength gin, the wonderfully questionable gunpowder story behind its proof and the family’s determination to keep making gin in London without cheapening its process. The episode closes with a frozen Martinez so good that Mark and Francis briefly consider the practical limitations of employing a frozen bartender.
Guest Bio
James Hayman is a fifth-generation gin distiller and co-owner of Hayman’s Gin, which he runs with his sister, Miranda Hayman, and their father, Christopher. The family has distilled gin since 1863 and continues to produce its London Dry, Old Tom, Sloe and Royal Dock gins using longstanding family recipes and methods. 
Timestamps
00:00 Bar Convent Brooklyn, Tales of the Cocktail and the value of cocktail gatherings
07:22 James Hayman joins Mark and Francis at BCB
09:00 Growing up inside a five-generation gin family
13:00 How London gin evolved—and the origins of Old Tom
17:42 Real sloe gin, the Blackthorn cocktail and the Red Death
23:38 Why American and British gin habits are so different
25:00 Protecting quality when costs rise
27:43 The story behind Navy Strength gin
30:10 The freezer Martinez and frozen-bartender logistics
Info
Hayman’s Gin www.haymansgin.com/
Bar Convent Brooklyn: Event information www.barconventbrooklyn.com/

Email TheGuys@RestaurantGuysPodcast.com for cocktail recipes
If you want a chance to get two tickets to our Bourbon, Beer & Beefsteak and live recording with Sother Teague and Jack McGarry in New Orleans on July 21, 2026,
sign up to be a Restaurant Guys Regular (our paid subscribers) here  https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ 
Then email TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com. Put "beefsteak" in the subject line. 
We'll pick the winner and let you
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.
This show was recorded in 2010 and discusses a high fructose corn syrup study in rats. The current human evidence does not support the Princeton rat-study implication that high fructose corn syrup is uniquely more fattening than sucrose, but excess added sugar in our food supply, as well as obesity, are still of concern today. 
Why This Episode Matters
Fred Harvey built one of America’s first national hospitality systems, proving that restaurants could scale without abandoning quality, standards, or service.
The Harvey organization changed railroad dining from a punchline into a disciplined operation built on fresh ingredients, trained staff, speed, and consistency.
Stephen Fried’s story connects restaurants to railroads, tourism, the Grand Canyon, Native American art markets, and the development of the American West.
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott draw clear connections between Harvey’s 19th-century service systems and the invisible cues still used in fine dining today.
Banter
Mark and Francis begin with a discussion of a then-new Princeton study on high fructose corn syrup and weight gain. Francis uses the study to talk about how new food ingredients enter the American marketplace, while Mark argues that the rise of high fructose corn syrup seems difficult to separate from broader changes in the American diet and health.
The Conversation
Stephen Fried joins The Restaurant Guys to discuss Appetite for America, his book about Fred Harvey and the railroad hospitality empire that helped shape dining in the American West. After years of eating terrible food while working around the railroads, Harvey began building trackside restaurants along the Santa Fe Railway. What started as a practical solution for hungry passengers became a national hospitality organization built on fresh ingredients, systems, and service.
Stephen explains how Harvey’s restaurants served high-quality meals during short train stops, using railroad logistics and refrigerator cars to bring fresh fish, steaks, imported ingredients, and regional specialties to places where good dining was rare.
The conversation also explores the Harvey Girls, the trained female workforce that became central to the company’s identity and service model. Their precision, speed, and hospitality helped define the Fred Harvey standard.
Stephen also discusses the company’s role in building American tourism, especially at the Grand Canyon and throughout the Southwest, and addresses its complex relationship with Native American art and culture. 
After the interview, Mark  and Francis reflect on the “magic” of restaurant service: the invisible signals, staff communication, and hospitality systems that make guests feel known without exposing the machinery behind the experience.
Guest Bio
Stephen Fried is an award-winning investigative journalist, essayist, author, and adjunct professor at Columbia University. His book Appetite for America tells the story of Fred Harvey, the entrepreneur whose restaurants, hotels, dining rooms, retail operations, and tourism ventures helped define American hospitality along the Santa Fe Railway and across the West.
Timestamps
00:00 Mark and Francis discuss a Princeton study on high fructose corn syrup.
08:00 Stephen Fried joins the show to talk about Appetite for America and Fred Harvey’s railroad hospitality empire.
13:00 Fresh ingredients, regional cooking, refrigerator cars, and the surprising sophistication of Harvey’s menus.
17:00 How the company expanded into hotels, retail, dining cars, the Grand Canyon, and American tourism.
21:00 Fred Harvey’s relationship with Native American art, commerce, and Southwestern tourism.
25:00 The hidden difficulty of running hospitality businesses and the systems Harvey used to maintain standards.
33:00 The Harvey Girls, women in hospitality, 
37:00 The “cup code,” table signals, fresh coffee, fast service, and the invisible systems behind great hospitality.
46:00 Why the Harvey empire failed to become the next Howard Johnson or Hilton.
50:00 Mark and Francis reflect on restaurant tells, hospitality magic, and America’s contribution to restaurant service.
Info
Stephen’s book
Appetite for America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire That Civilized the Wild West 
Princeton HFCS study & article
https://www.princeton.edu/news/2010/03/22/sweet-problem-princeton-researchers-find-high-fructose-corn-syrup-prompts
https://paw.princeton.edu/article/study-high-fructose-corn-syrup-stirs-critics
Oprah sued
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/why-us-beef-industry-once-213000339.html

If you want a chance to get two tickets to our Bourbon, Beer & Beefsteak and live recording with Sother Teague and Jack McGarry in New Orleans on July 21, 2026,
sign up to be a Restaurant Guys Regular (our paid subscribers) here  https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ 
Then email TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com. Put "beefsteak" in the subject line. 
We'll pick the winner and let you
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

Hotel Jerome general manager Stephane Lacroix shares how Aspen’s historic luxury hotel preserves its soul, builds a culture of service and delivers a guest experience rooted in quiet luxury. 
Why This Episode Matters
Why true luxury is more about attention than flash
How historic hotels stay relevant without losing their sense of place
What leaders can do to build trust before asking employees to perform
Why excellent  service depends on communication and recovery, not perfection
Banter
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott begin their Aspen Food & Wine Classic adventure at Hotel Jerome, where they found what they considered the best cocktail bar in Aspen: Bad Harriet. The clue that someone was paying attention? A bottle of Hans Reisetbauer Carrot Eau de Vie on the back bar, which is not exactly the sort of thing that wanders in by accident.
The Conversation
Stephane Lacroix joins Mark and Francis at Hotel Jerome in Aspen to talk about leadership, luxury and the daily work of making guests feel deeply cared for. He traces his path from French hospitality and sommelier training to roles at some of the world’s most celebrated hotels and restaurants, including Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the Ritz Paris, the Watergate Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air and Baccarat Hotel New York.
The conversation centers on Hotel Jerome, a historic Aspen property that Stephane describes as having real soul. Rather than reinventing the hotel, his work is to protect its character, connect with the community and keep the guest experience current without making it feel generic.
Mark shares a story from Julie’s childhood visit to Hotel Jerome, when a young guest who wanted McDonald’s was served exactly that under a cloche. For Mark and Francis, it becomes a perfect example of hospitality: making someone feel like the most important person in the room.
Stephane also discusses training, trust, service recovery and why great hospitality cannot be scripted. The team is expected to communicate mistakes, recover quickly and quietly watch over guests without overwhelming them. By the end, he defines modern luxury as “quiet luxury”: knowing who your guests are, being there when they need you and letting them be when they do not.

Timestamps
0:00 Mark and Francis introduce Hotel Jerome and Bad Harriet
3:30 Stephane Lacroix joins from Aspen
4:40 From French hospitality school to Ducasse, the Ritz and the Watergate
9:30 Why hospitality people should only text from the car
12:15 The McDonald’s-under-a-cloche story
15:00 Hotel Jerome’s history, soul and sense of place
18:30 Resetting the hotel and the team each spring
25:00 Understated luxury and Aspen’s local culture
30:30 Training, trust and avoiding scripted service
35:30 Mistakes, recovery and treating every guest like a VIP
41:00 Quiet luxury and the power of human connection

Bio
Stephane Lacroix is the general manager of Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado, part of Auberge Resorts Collection. His hospitality career includes work at Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the Ritz Paris, the Watergate Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and Baccarat Hotel New York. At Hotel Jerome, he leads one of Aspen’s most historic luxury hotels with a focus on culture, community and deeply personal service.
Info

Hotel Jerome
Part of Auberge Resorts Collection
Aspen, Colorado
https://aubergeresorts.com/hoteljerome/
Bad Harriet
Hotel Jerome’s speakeasy cocktail bar https://aubergeresorts.com/hoteljerome/dine/bad-harriet/
If you want a chance to get two tickets to our Bourbon, Beer & Beefsteak and live recording with Sother Teague and Jack McGarry in New Orleans on July 21, 2026,
sign up to be a Restaurant Guys Regular (our paid subscribers) here  https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ 
Then email TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com. Put "beefsteak" in the subject line. 
We'll pick the winner and let you
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

Recorded at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Mark Pascal and Francis Schott continue their conversations with three people who know how to make complicated subjects feel immediate: sommelier and wine communicator Amanda McCrossin, Master Sommelier and restaurateur Bobby Stuckey, and chef, author and television host Andrew Zimmern.
Why You Should Listen
Amanda McCrossin
Why wine should feel fun and accessible—not like knowledge you had to inherit.
The case for putting ice in wine, trusting your own taste and keeping “wine-tainment” accurate.
Bobby Stuckey
Why strong restaurant culture still depends on standards, systems and “constant, gentle pressure.”
How growing a restaurant group can create meaningful opportunities for the people who helped build it.
Andrew Zimmern
What convinced him to enter the competition-show world with Food Network’s Pitmasters.
How regional barbecue is evolving through Japanese, South Asian and other cultural influences.
Why great barbecue depends on balance, excellent meat and precise doneness—and why live-fire cooking is not automatically barbecue.

The Guests
Amanda McCrossin
Amanda McCrossin is a certified sommelier, wine personality and creator of SommVivant, where she makes wine approachable across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. A former sommelier and wine director at PRESS Restaurant in Napa Valley, she now hosts the Wine Access Unfiltered Podcast, contributes to Wine Enthusiast and speaks at major food and wine events around the world. 
Amanda’s site
https://www.amandamccrossin.com/

Bobby Stuckey
Bobby Stuckey is a Master Sommelier and founder and partner of Frasca Hospitality Group. After working at The Little Nell and The French Laundry, he co-founded Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, inspired by the hospitality and cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
The group also includes Tavernetta, Sunday Vinyl, Pizzeria Alberico, Osteria Alberico and Tavernetta Vail. Stuckey is also a winemaker, cookbook author and longtime advocate for independent restaurants and hospitality professionals.
Frasca Hospitality Group
https://www.frascahospitalitygroup.com/team-member/bobby-stuckey/

Andrew Zimmern

Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy- and James Beard Award-winning television host, chef, writer, teacher and producer best known for the Bizarre Foods franchise. He is also the host and head judge of Food Network’s Pitmasters, a competition in which teams manage fire, fatigue and continuous barbecue challenges over an extended cook. His other projects include Wild Game Kitchen, books, culinary travel experiences and media companies Food Works and Intuitive Content. 
Andrew’s site
https://andrewzimmern.com/

Timestamps
0:00 The small restaurant world—and the second round of conversations from Aspen
2:10 Amanda McCrossin: Making wine less intimidating and more fun
10:30 Ice in wine, personal taste and the controversy of la piscine
15:30 The ten-year road to becoming an “overnight” wine-media success
22:30 Bobby Stuckey: Building destination restaurants outside major dining capitals
29:30 Growth, restaurant culture and the systems behind great hospitality
37:00 Andrew Zimmern on Pitmasters, open-fire cooking and luxury ice fishing
44:30 Regional barbecue, global influences and what separates great from merely good
56:30 Andrew discovers the unofficial appetizer hiding at the end of the skewer
If you want a chance to get two tickets to our Bourbon, Beer & Beefsteak and live recording with Sother Teague and Jack McGarry in New Orleans on July 21, 2026,
sign up to be a Restaurant Guys Regular (our paid subscribers) here  https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ 
Then email TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com. Put "beefsteak" in the subject line. 
We'll pick the winner and let you
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