Joiners Joiners

This week, we speak to another member of the growing Highland Park mafia — Adam Pollack, a cook turned farmer, responsible for supplying some of the best restaurants in the city. Adam grows his produce right here in the heart of Chicago at Closed Loop Farms. He tells us about his journey, from discovering his passion for food and fresh ingredients, and ultimately expanding his culinary horizons by learning how to grow his own produce. We dig deep into the soil with this one, exploring the art and science of urban farming and how it's reshaping our city's culinary landscape.

Do tropical drinks actually make for gnarly hangovers? What have been the major advancements in distilling in the last century? What happens when a college kid has drink-slinging know-how and unfettered access to booze? In this week’s episode of Joiners, we explore big questions with none other than Kevin Beary, the sagacious beverage director behind River North tiki treasure Three Dots and a Dash. He tells us about his journey from underage bartending in Philadelphia to working towards his master’s degree in distilling science. Listen now for a history of the perennial tiki fascination, a deep dive into what makes good rum, beverage direction wisdom, and much more.

For our latest episode, we sit down with the inimitable Cecily Federighi to explore her fascinating path from the fashion world to the culinary scene. Cecily takes us through her early days being scouted at Six Flags as a teen, globe-trotting adventures in the modeling world, and learning the ins and outs of the restaurant industry from the ground up with Eat Free Pizza. She shares behind-the-scenes stories from opening Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream with Ed Marszewski and Won Kim, the joys and challenges of taking over an old school pizza joint with Kim’s Uncle Pizza in Westmont, and her latest venture -- Pizz’amici in West Town. Along the way, we dive into the nitty gritty of dough hydration, the perfect martini, an impassioned defense of Taco Bell, and as always, so much more.   

For episode 101, we are sitting down for a master class on hospitality with one of its most innovative and fastidious practitioners. Chris Gerber is a front-of-house guru whose attention to detail and commitment to guests at places like Trio, Alinea, and currently Smyth + The Loyalist have helped earn those establishments scores of well-deserved accolades, including a third Michelin star for Smyth. He comes to the studio to tell us all about how he helped manifest such a coveted title, what Jeff Buckley taught him about excellence, going the extra mile to give guests an unforgettable experience, and so much more.

This week, we’re ringing in our 100th episode the only way we know how: exploring the world of hospitality by chatting with its most colorful characters. This week, our tagline is especially appropriate — we sit down with the multitalented, accomplished, and vibrant Stephanie Izard, whose list of accolades is as impressive as it is long. She opened her first restaurant when she was only 27, bested her competition on Top Chef to take home the top prize, and now runs a quartet of celebrated restaurant in the city —Girl & the Goat (which earned her a James Beard award in 2013), Duck Duck Goat, Little Goat and Cabra. She comes to the studio to spill the tea on the Top Chef experience, espouse the value of constructive criticism, reminisce about working at Olive Garden, and — as we’ve made sure of for 100 episodes — so much more.

This week, we’ve brought in an owner who just might handle more covers per night of service than anyone else in town. In this episode, Danny Wirtz, the fourth-generation owner of the Chicago Blackhawks, joins the crew to discuss everything from growing up in the northern suburbs to the evolving landscape of sports and entertainment in the city. Danny shares his passion for music, his experiences working in the industry, and how those lessons have shaped his approach to running the family business. He also dives into the nitty-gritty of brand building, both in the beverage industry with Breakthru Beverage Group and in the world of professional hockey. Tune in for some incredible stories, like: Danny's month-long stay in the Edmonton "bubble" during the 2020 NHL playoffs; the unforgettable Stanley Cup celebrations in Chicago; the time Ministry recorded a Blackhawks team song (that never quite made it to the arena speakers), and so much more.