The Restaurant Guys

This is a Vintage episode from 2005.
Why This Episode Matters
Earning three Michelin stars is a triumph. Keeping them brings financial commitments, public scrutiny, and relentless pressure.
Rudolph Chelminski knew Bernard Loiseau for decades and offers a personal view of the ambition behind his extraordinary career.
As they prepare to open Catherine Lombardi, Mark and Francis share their own concerns about expansion and protecting an established restaurant’s reputation.
Recorded before Michelin’s first NYC guide, this conversation captures the Guys debating whether any New York restaurant would earn three stars.

The Banter
Francis catches jazz singer Jacqui Naylor at the Blue Note, and the Guys explain why they love going out during the week. Charlie Trotter’s canceled New York restaurant prompts a discussion about expansion, expense, scrutiny, and their own preparations to open Catherine Lombardi while maintaining standards at Stage Left.
The Conversation
What does it take to earn three Michelin stars and what does keeping them demand? Journalist Rudolph Chelminski joins Mark and Francis to discuss The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine, his biography of French chef Bernard Loiseau. Having known Loiseau for decades, Chelminski shares the ambition, energy, and self-doubt behind his rise to the pinnacle of French dining.
From an apprenticeship with the Troisgros brothers to taking his restaurant company public, Loiseau built a remarkable career. The conversation explores exhaustion, public scrutiny, and the financial and personal pressures surrounding him before his death in 2003. 
There’s also a discussion of professional service, finding value at lunch in great French restaurants, and the expense of maintaining an exceptional dining experience. Afterward, Mark and Francis make competing predictions about whether any New York restaurant will receive three stars when Michelin’s first NYC guide arrives. Mark’s prediction proves correct: Per Se receives three stars in Michelin’s inaugural New York City guide.

Guest Bio
Rudolph Chelminski is a journalist and author whose work has appeared in Life, Time, and The Atlantic Monthly. His books include The French at Table and The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine.
Timestamps
00:00 — Jazz, Manhattans, and going out during the week
05:00 — Charlie Trotter, expansion, and opening Catherine Lombardi
07:00 — Bernard Loiseau and the pressure of public scrutiny
12:00 — Understanding Michelin’s star system
18:00 — Apprenticeship and the ambition to earn three stars
23:00 — Professional service, lunch bargains, and three-star expenses
29:00 — Michelin’s influence and predictions for New York City
Info
Rudolph’s book
The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine

The Michelin Guide
https://guide.michelin.com/

Jacqui Naylor
https://jacquinaylor.com/wp/

Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party
More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/
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

Why This Episode Matters
What it takes to reopen a restaurant after a fire shuts it down just three days into business.
How a shared-space kitchen becomes a lesson in building one restaurant team.
What went into training Jeremy Allen White for The Bear and that restaurant professionals find the show almost too real.
Why the smallest service and design decisions can shape an entire dining experience.
Banter
Can airport pizza outperform a Chicago pizza restaurant? Francis and Mark compare deep-dish disappointments, Detroit-style discoveries, and a dropped cleaning rag that should have prompted more than an apology.
The Conversation
Recorded inside Gingie in Chicago, this conversation begins with the kitchen fire that closed Brian Lockwood’s new restaurant after just three days. Five months later, he reopened with a redesigned kitchen and a team that had weathered the interruption together. Brian explains how he approached the shutdown as a second chance, retained his leadership team, and reconsidered how a small kitchen could work better.
The discussion turns to Chicago’s restaurant community and Brian’s priorities: delicious food, a comfortable room, and guests having fun. With bartenders and cooks sharing tight quarters, Gingie puts its “one team one dream” philosophy into practice. Mark and Francis explore how that approach carries into leadership, accountability, and leaving the pot-throwing chef behind.
Brian also shares how a call from Will Guidara led to training Jeremy Allen White and consulting on The Bear, from cooking techniques and mannerisms to developing dishes. Back in the dining room, the Guys examine the details that make hospitality feel effortless: red order books that match the servers’ jackets, thoughtfully designed seating, and discreetly placed screens. Great service, they agree, should leave guests knowing they had a wonderful evening even if they can’t explain every reason why.

Guest Bio
Brian Lockwood is a chef partner with Boka Restaurant Group and the chef behind Gingie in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. His career includes The French Laundry, Frasca Food and Wine, NoMad New York, and Eleven Madison Park, where he served as chef de cuisine. He also worked as a culinary consultant on The Bear.

Timestamps
00:00 — Chicago pizza, Detroit-style discoveries, and a service mishap
04:30 — Brian Lockwood and Gingie’s opening-week fire
10:00 — Rethinking the kitchen and keeping the team together
13:00 — Delicious first: hospitality and Chicago’s restaurant community
19:00 — One team: cooks, bartenders, and better leadership
21:00 — Consulting on The Bear and training Jeremy Allen White
25:00 — The small details behind seemingly effortless service

Info
Gingie; Chicago, IL
https://www.gingiechicago.com/
Brian Lockwood
https://www.bokagrp.com/brian-lockwood
Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party
More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/
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

Why This Episode Matters
Kyle Knall explains why Milwaukee offers the community support to build ambitious restaurants—and a life outside them.
Jason Ryczek takes us inside Caviar Camp, from getting into tanks with sturgeon to selecting roe and serving it at Little’s Oyster Bar.
Leonard Botello IV reveals what separates exceptional brisket from disappointing barbecue, including the importance of fire management, resting and learning to listen.
These conversations celebrate the craft and hospitality behind memorable meals, all in support of Southern Smoke Foundation’s work helping food and beverage workers.
The Conversation
Back at Southern Smoke Festival in Houston, Mark and Francis welcome returning guest Kyle Knall of Milwaukee’s Birch and newly opened Cassis. Kyle describes his vision for an all-day French brasserie and the community enthusiasm that makes Milwaukee such a rewarding place to cook. They also discuss the city’s cocktail culture and its newest residents, drinks writer Robert Simonson and his wife, Mary Kate Murray.
Jason Ryczek of Little’s Oyster Bar offers a remarkably hands-on look at caviar production, including his annual visits to Caviar Camp with mentor Deborah Keane. He discusses selecting roe, using the rest of the sturgeon and developments in no-kill caviar. Back at the table, Jason explains his Southern approach to caviar service, complemented by hush puppies and potato dumplings.
Leonard Botello IV of Truth BBQ gets into the details that make great Texas barbecue: quality beef, steady fires, humidity and the crucial resting period. He describes the quiet overnight hours when the sounds of the pit tell him what needs attention, and why experience matters more than a rigid formula. Mark and Francis also share what made their visit to Truth so memorable, from the welcome their luggage received to outstanding brisket, warm hospitality and banana cake with an Old Fashioned.
The Guests
Kyle Knall — Chef and co-owner of Birch and Cassis in Milwaukee, where he and his wife and business partner, Meghan Knall, combine ambitious cooking with neighborhood hospitality.
Jason Ryczek — Chef of Little’s Oyster Bar in Houston, bringing a West Coast perspective to Gulf Coast seafood and a hands-on approach to caviar selection and service.
Leonard Botello IV — Owner and pitmaster of Truth BBQ in Brenham and Houston, known for his meticulous approach to Central Texas barbecue.
Timestamps
00:00 — Back in Houston for Southern Smoke
01:00 — Kyle Knall: Birch, Cassis and Milwaukee’s dining scene
05:00 — An all-day brasserie and the power of community support
10:00 — Jason Ryczek: Inside Caviar Camp
15:00 — Selecting roe and using the whole sturgeon
17:00 — Developments in no-kill caviar
19:00 — Caviar service with a Southern accent
20:00 — Oysters, Gulf seafood and a taste of place
25:00 — Leonard Botello IV: The welcome at Truth BBQ
30:00 — What makes Texas barbecue distinctive
32:00 — Listening to the pit and learning through experience
38:00 — Great brisket, proper resting and managing the fire

Info
Southern Smoke Foundation: https://www.southernsmoke.org/
Birch: https://www.birchonpleasant.com/
Cassis: https://www.cassismke.com/
Little’s Oyster Bar: https://littlesoysterbar.com/
Truth BBQ: https://truthbbq.com/
Stage Left events, including the Robert Simonson book signing: https://www.stageleft.com/events/

Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party
More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/
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

Why This Episode Matters
Can restaurants offer exceptional food and hospitality while giving their employees a better life? These owners explain how they’re doing it.
Birdie’s challenges the traditional fine dining model with counter service, a serious wine program and meaningful employee benefits.
Shuai Wang shares how Top Chef helped him rediscover his inspiration through collaboration with other chefs.
Ayu Bakehouse teaches employees the business skills to pursue their own ideas—and pays them to learn.
The Conversation
Recorded at Southern Smoke Festival in Houston, these conversations explore what makes a restaurant worth working in, visiting and keeping alive. Benjy Mason discusses his journey from nonprofit founder to Houston hospitality operator, building neighborhood gathering places and earning employees’ trust. Arjav Ezekiel and Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel explain how Birdie’s in Austin combines counter service with thoughtful hospitality, seasonal tasting menus and a business model that supports both its owners and its team.
Shuai and Corrie Wang talk about weathering a pandemic, a restaurant fire and the pressures of ownership while continuing to find joy in their work. Shuai describes how Top Chef renewed his enthusiasm for cooking, and they share the inspiration behind King BBQ’s blend of Chinatown and Carolina barbecue. There’s also the amaro shakerato that stopped Mark and Francis in their tracks. Lastly they touch on Corrie’s other life as a novelist.
Samantha Weiss of New Orleans’ Ayu Bakehouse brings croissant king cakes, savory Boudin Boys and the unforgettable “challigator” to the conversation. She explains how Ayu Schoolhouse helps employees develop business plans and test their concepts through pop-ups, along with the practical reasons for using Goldbelly to ship king cakes. Throughout the episode, Southern Smoke’s mission gives these conversations a shared purpose: taking care of the people who make hospitality possible.

The Guests
Benjy Mason — Houston hospitality entrepreneur behind neighborhood destinations including Johnny’s Gold Brick, Winnie’s, Starduster Lounge and Shredders Pizza.
Arjav Ezekiel and Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel — Married co-owners of Birdie’s in Austin, combining Arjav’s wine and hospitality expertise with Tracy’s seasonal cooking.
Shuai and Corrie Wang — Married restaurateurs behind Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ in North Charleston. Shuai is a chef and Top Chef alumnus; Corrie is also the author of The Takedown and City of Beasts.
Samantha Weiss — Co-owner of Ayu Bakehouse in New Orleans with Kelly Jacques, bringing a background in financial services and pastry to the bakery and its employee education program.

Timestamps
0:00:00 — Southern Smoke and an industry taking care of its own
0:03:00 — Benjy Mason: Neighborhood places and community
0:06:00 — From nonprofit work to restaurant kitchens
0:13:00 — Building a workplace based on trust
0:18:00 — Arjav and Tracy: Rethinking restaurants at Birdie’s
0:21:00 — Counter service, wine in line and real hospitality
0:33:00 — Seasonal menus and a different kind of tasting menu
0:38:00 — Shuai and Corrie Wang: Restaurants, resilience and shakeratos
0:41:00 — Finding fresh inspiration on Top Chef
0:45:00 — Chinatown meets Carolina barbecue at King BBQ
0:48:00 — Samantha Weiss: King cakes, Boudin Boys and challigators
0:54:00 — Ayu Schoolhouse and helping employees become entrepreneurs
0:58:00 — Shipping king cakes with Goldbelly
1:00:00 — What’s coming in Vol. 2

Info
Southern Smoke Foundation: https://www.southernsmoke.org/
Benjy Mason’s Houston restaurants: https://www.southernsmoke.org/chef/benjy-mason/
Birdie’s: https://www.birdiesaustin.com/
Jackrabbit Filly: https://www.jackrabbitfilly.com/
King BBQ: https://eatkingbbq.com/
Corrie Wang’s books: https://www.corriewang.com/
Ayu Bakehouse: https://www.ayubakehouse.com/
Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party
More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/
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.
Why This Episode Matters
Greg Boehm explains how obscure pre-Prohibition cocktail books became useful again as ingredients and serious bartending returned.
He shares how Mud Puddle Books reproduced historic cocktail books in painstaking detail — right down to the paper, binding and gold stamping.  
The conversation captures an important moment in the rise of Japanese bartending in the U.S., including Kazuo Uyeda, the Hard Shake and the English-language release of Cocktail Technique.  
Boehm also opens up his remarkable 2,800-volume cocktail collection to bartenders, writers and researchers.  

Banter
Mark and Francis make the case that if you're going to eat a doughnut or a donut, it had better be worth it.  

The Conversation
Greg Boehm joins The Restaurant Guys to discuss Mud Puddle Books and the revival of historic cocktail literature. He explains how once-obscure bartending manuals became valuable resources during the cocktail renaissance and why he began reproducing classics by Jerry Thomas and Harry Johnson.
The conversation turns to Japanese bartending traditions, from specialized bar tools to precise stirring, shaking and ice techniques. Boehm also previews the English-language release of Kazuo Uyeda’s Cocktail Technique and its potential influence on American bartenders.  

Guest Bio
Greg Boehm is a publisher, cocktail-book collector and the founder of Mud Puddle Books and Cocktail Kingdom. His collection of thousands of historic cocktail books became both the source for meticulously reproduced editions and a working research library for bartenders, writers and cocktail historians.    

Timestamps
00:00 — Donuts worth the calories
07:55 — Greg Boehm and the lost literature of cocktails
10:30 — When antique cocktail books became useful again
12:00 — Choosing which of 2,800 books to reproduce
16:00 — Japanese bar tools and Cocktail Kingdom
18:00 — Angel's Share, Kazuo Uyeda and the Hard Shake
20:35 — Preserving and sharing cocktail history

Info
Cocktail Kingdom
https://cocktailkingdom.com/
Oct 23, Friday - Winemaker Dinner w/ Neri Capponi of Villa Calcinaia Winery

Oct 26-31 - Spooky Bar

Oct 27, Tuesday - Robert Simonson book signing cocktail party
More info - https://www.stageleft.com/events/
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