The Restaurant Guys

• Neal Bodenheimer: Crafting Culture and Cocktails in New Orleans

  The BanterThe Guys talk about actors being waiters and whether that is a good thing.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys catch up with bar owner and author Neal Bodenheimer. They wax sentimental about their glory days behind the bar, discuss clinging to standards and talk about the trajectory of New Orleans. At some point Mark commits Francis to a whole big thing! The Inside TrackThe Guys, who only briefly met Neal prior to the podcast, were taken by  his commendation.“What an honor to be on with you guys, and thank you so much for what you've done to make my career possible. Because if it's not for you guys doing what you do, there's no way I could have done what I do,” Neal Bodenheimer on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioNeal Bodenheimer is the award-winning New Orleans bartender, bar owner, and hospitality leader best known for founding Cure, the cocktail bar that helped kick off the city’s modern drinks renaissance. A native New Orleanian, he returned home after years in the industry to open CureCo, the group behind Cure, Cane & Table, and other acclaimed projects that blend serious craft with the city’s unmistakable soul.While his bars have won praise and awards, Neal is also a guiding force behind the global cocktail community, serving as a longtime leader of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, where he helped shape education, philanthropy, and industry standards worldwide.InfoNeal’s bookCure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em from the Award-Winning BarBy Neal Bodenheimer,  Emily TimberlakeCure NOLAhttps://www.curenola.com/Enjoy over-decorated restaurants with Christmas cocktails through January 6, 2026https://www.catherinelombardi.com/Check out New Year's Eve in New Brunswick, NJhttps://www.newbrunswicknewyearseve.com/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeMagyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Withum Accounting https://www.withum.com/restaurantOur Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The [email protected]**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

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• Todd Wickstrom on Dining with a Purpose: Sustaining the Family Farm *V*

  This is a Vintage Selection from 2005The BanterThe Guys give you the behind the scenes of the first few days of the opening of their second restaurant Catherine Lombardi and why they have to keep a fork handy.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys speak with Heritage Foods founder Todd Wickstrom about his company’s mission to support family farms by providing high quality products to consumers. He values genetic diversity, transparency and traceability in the food supply. The Guys declare that formula delicious!The Inside TrackThe Guys use Heritage products both personally and in the restaurant. As Todd explains, the way to save some endangered breeds of livestock is to raise them for food.  “What we're trying to really promote, what we are in the end is we are really a conservation movement. We call it conservation by consumption.,” Todd Wickstrom on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005BioTodd Wickstrom is the co-founder of Heritage Foods USA, a pioneering force in reviving rare, pasture-raised livestock breeds and championing small family farms. A longtime advocate for sustainable agriculture, Todd helped build a national distribution network that connects chefs, home cooks, and producers dedicated to responsible, nose-to-tail eating. His leadership has shaped the modern heritage meat movement, bringing transparency, biodiversity, and farm-to-table ethics to the forefront of American food culture.He has worked for several of the most respected Specialty Food companies in America, including his role as the Managing Partner of Zingerman’s Deli, and as the Chief Operating Officer of Rishi Tea.InfoHeritage Foodshttps://heritagefoods.com/The Meatrixhttps://www.themeatrix.com/Enjoy over-decorated restaurants with Christmas cocktails through January 6, 2026https://www.catherinelombardi.com/Check out New Year's Eve in New Brunswick, NJhttps://www.newbrunswicknewyearseve.com/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeMagyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Withum Accounting https://www.withum.com/restaurantOur Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The [email protected]**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

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• Drew Nieporent is Not Trying to be Difficult

  The BanterThe Guys talk about early days of restaurant-ing and how taking reservations over the phone led to scammers as well as long-time patrons. (Francis may even cry.)The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome an icon in their field: Drew Nieporent! Drew has been behind some of the most acclaimed restaurants world-wide. Listen to his experiences and stories from his decades as a restaurateur and a pioneer in hospitality. The Inside TrackThe Guys have followed Drew’s career and methods since they became restaurateurs. Whether it’s dealing with unruly guests and bartenders on the take or nuturing steadfast regulars and devoted employees, they’ve seen it all! The Guys loved the book and feel it reflects the attitude of Drew and his career.Francis: Your book is full of really amazing stories and what I like about you is, and it comes through clearly in your book, there's a lot of insight and there's a little bit of f- you. That's really part of your personality that comes through and I really like it. Drew: That's true.-Drew Nieporent on The Restaurant Guys PodcastBioDrew Nieporent is one of America’s most influential restaurateurs, the force behind Myriad Restaurant Group and the visionary who helped shape New York’s dining scene for more than three decades. Known for creating iconic destinations like Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Corton and Montrachet, he’s partnered with culinary legends and Hollywood heavyweights while championing hospitality at the highest level. His restaurants have earned Michelin stars, James Beard Awards, and global acclaim. In fall 2025 he released a memoir I'm Not Trying To Be Difficult: Stories from the Restaurant Trenches.InfoDrew’s bookI'm Not Trying To Be Difficult: Stories from the Restaurant Trenches.By Drew NieporentEnjoy over-decorated restaurants with Christmas cocktails through January 6, 2026https://www.catherinelombardi.com/Check out New Year's Eve in New Brunswick, NJhttps://www.newbrunswicknewyearseve.com/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeMagyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Withum Accounting https://www.withum.com/restaurantOur Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The [email protected]**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

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• Peter Schleimer: Navigating Flocks, Flavors, and Fine Wines in Austria *V*

  This is a Vintage Selection from 2005The BanterThe Guys tell of an unnecessary battle: it’s curtains!The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys welcome wine and restaurant critic Peter Schleimer from his home in Austria. They talk about grape-loving birds, where to get authentic Austrian food and some wine recommendations that are still good advice today. The Inside ScoopThe Guys have spent time eating and drinking  with Peter both in the U.S. and in Austria. They ask him about the rise in popularity of Austrian wines at the time.“The main reason is that we just have extremely interesting varieties. We have stuff other countries don't have and that's the secret. We have great varieties that are first of all, unique and second of all, interesting,  too. It doesn't help if they're only unique and they and the wines suck,” Peter Schleimer on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2005BioPeter Schleimer worked in the Austrian wine industry, specifically at the Austrian Wine Marketing Board and the Austrian Wine Academy, and as an editor for the Austrian trade journal Vinaria, he was appointed its editor-in-chief in 2006. Peter was also editor-in-chief of the biannual magazine Vinaria Gourmet from 2006 to 2011. Since 2025, Peter Schleimer has run a restaurant in Mödling called Genussatelier Mödling with Doris Bracher. He also operates a wine business focused on international markets and cultivates his own wine on a small scale in the Thermenregion.InfoWine recsSchloss Gobelsburghttps://www.gobelsburg.at/en/*We have some at Stage Left Wine Shop!https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/wines/Schloss-Gobelsburg-Riesling-1er-Cru-OTW-Heiligenstein-2020-w4844439u9Weingut Glatzer https://www.weingutglatzer.at/en/Heidi Shröck & SonEnjoy over-decorated restaurants with Christmas cocktails through January 6, 2026https://www.catherinelombardi.com/Check out New Year's Eve in New Brunswick, NJhttps://www.newbrunswicknewyearseve.com/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeMagyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Withum Accounting https://www.withum.com/restaurantOur Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The [email protected]**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

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• Procera Gin: Bottling the Spirit of Africa

  The BanterThe Guys discuss cultural differences in the best way to leave a party. Expeditious or rude?The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys speak to Procera Gin founders Alan Murungi and Guy Brennan from Kenya. Alan and Guy had a vision to create gin from fresh (not dried) juniper berries that are hand foraged at great heights in the juniper forests of Kenya. They distill locally and use hand-crafted glass bottles for their exceptional libation which is a favorite of Mark and FrancisThe Inside TrackThe Guys heard about Procera gin and wanted to hate it, but it was too tremendous! They got acquainted with Alan & Guy and fully appreciated their motives.“Alan and I were in the backyard drinking a Bombay sapphire gin and tonic, and Alan looked at the bottle and said, 'This is absolute bullshit. Why do we make gin in England with African botanicals that they send to us and we drink every weekend in Kenya? Let's make a gin company.’ It was a sort of an FU to people using African stuff and selling it to us,” Guy Brennan on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025Bio Procera was founded with a vision to share the best of Africa with the world. Distilled in Nairobi, Kenya, their gins are the first to showcase African Juniper. The berries are handpicked from wild forests growing at altitudes above 2,000 metres, across many distinct regions of Kenya. The fresh juniper and other regionally-grown botanicals create a distinctive gin that is among the first distilled in Africa. InfoProcera Ginhttps://www.proceragin.com/Enjoy over-decorated restaurants with Christmas cocktails through January 6, 2026https://www.catherinelombardi.com/Check out New Year's Eve in New Brunswick, NJhttps://www.newbrunswicknewyearseve.com/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribeMagyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Withum Accounting https://www.withum.com/restaurantOur Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The [email protected]**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

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