Handling the Heat

Zach Sherman
  • 5.0 (5)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Handling the Heat takes you behind the line and into the heart of the food service industry. Each episode dishes up real stories of operators facing the fire—navigating challenges, making tough calls, and finding a way to keep service going strong. It’s about grit, grace under pressure, and what it really takes to run a kitchen (or a whole operation) when the heat is on.

  1. 12/16/2025

    Mighty Meals

    Stefano Marzano, co-founder of Mighty Meals, shares his journey growing up in a multi-generation restaurant family and building a meal prep business from the ground up. The conversation covers the early grind, scaling challenges, product-first thinking, and how Mighty Meals evolved into a national brand with an increasing focus on purpose and impact. Chapters (00:00:12) - Handling The Heat(00:01:05) - Stephonano on His Food(00:01:35) - Stephano on Working in the Family Restaurant(00:06:08) - Starting a Business at 14(00:07:00) - Stefano on Starting a Business at 19(00:11:25) - Vita Fitness's Transition From Line Cook to Head Chef(00:16:38) - Vegetable Meals: The Business of Food(00:20:15) - Teams Eat at Trader Joe's(00:21:13) - Mighty Meals: The Process of Menu and Development(00:26:45) - How Digital Marketing Helped My Business Grow(00:31:47) - Mighty Meals: 10 Years of Service

    34 min

  2. 12/02/2025

    GreeneFood

    Graham and Ali Greene join Zach for a conversation about their path from meeting at the CIA to working inside some of the most respected restaurants in San Francisco. They talk about what originally drew them to cooking, the realities of learning in high end kitchens, and how those early experiences shaped the way they think about craft, creativity, and building a life around food. Along the way, they share stories from the walk-in, moments that pushed them, and the point where they began rethinking what success in the industry actually looked like for them. Today, Graham and Ali run GreeneFood, their Bay Area based private dining and corporate meal service, and Ali’s Jensen Ceramics studio, whose dinnerware appears in Michelin starred restaurants across the country and abroad. They dig into what it means to create work on their own terms, how they balance artistry with scalability, and why building something small, thoughtful, and sustainable has become more fulfilling than chasing the traditional restaurant path. Chapters (00:00:12) - Handling The Heat(00:01:44) - Top Chefs: In and Out(00:03:33) - Both of You Started Cooking at a Young Age(00:07:38) - Chef James Beard on Developing a Craft(00:11:23) - Graham and James(00:21:52) - Both Graham and Allison Make Their Money in Ceramics(00:28:50) - Green Foods and Working in Tech(00:35:03) - Private Dinner and Corporate Meal Service(00:41:02) - Thanksgiving with Ellen Jensen and Jeff Jensen

    42 min

  3. 11/18/2025

    Cafe Little Armenia

    From growing up in an Armenian household surrounded by food to working in some of New York’s most respected kitchens, Ararat El-Rawi’s journey to opening Café Little Armenia is a story of culture, grit, and craft. We talk about how a small COVID pop-up outside his Brooklyn apartment evolved into one of Greenpoint’s most soulful neighborhood restaurants, driven by a deep respect for hospitality and the belief in getting “better today than yesterday.” In this episode, Ararat reflects on building a restaurant that feels like home, the realities of turning passion into a business, and why success is measured not just in revenue but in the people who sit at your tables. It’s a conversation about authenticity, community, and the long road toward finding your place in the food world. Chapters (00:00:12) - Handling The Heat(00:01:26) - Local cuisine in the Greenpoint neighborhood(00:02:56) - As a child, food was central to my life(00:09:07) - Celebrating food in the family(00:10:35) - Interview(00:11:54) - Andrew Zimmer on Working At New York's Top Restaurants(00:16:22) - Waiter on Starting His Career in Minneapolis(00:20:37) - Guys Training for the Job(00:23:52) - Learning From Chef Dave(00:24:55) - Chef Aramat Armenian's Pop Up(00:29:15) - Three Restaurants Leased From the Landlord(00:33:32) - The Comfort of Being a Waitress(00:35:44) - What Does Our Success Mean To You?

    40 min

  4. 10/21/2025

    Renfro Foods

    From sweeping factory floors as a sixth grader to leading product innovation, finance, and marketing, Doug Renfro’s story with Renfro Foods and Mrs. Renfro’s Salsa is one of heritage, reinvention, and scale. After years in corporate finance, Doug returned to the family business - founded by his grandparents in Fort Worth over 85 years ago - and helped guide it into a new era of flavor development and operational sophistication. Known for their bold varieties like Mango Habanero, Ghost Pepper, and the new Spicy Pickle collaboration, Renfro Foods now produces 195 jars of salsa per minute while still holding tight to a family ethos of integrity, quality, and service. Doug shares how he “cooks with Excel” before he cooks in the lab, the balancing act of R&D creativity with supply chain reality, and how he navigated the chaos of 2022’s ingredient and packaging cost spikes. He opens up about running a business with family, maintaining legacy while pushing innovation, and building lasting private-label and co-pack partnerships with national retailers. Between pomegranate chipotle misfires and viral Taylor Swift–inspired campaigns, Renfro Foods has grown through adaptability and authenticity - anchored by a grandmother on every label and a story that still resonates three generations later. Chapters (00:00:12) - Handling The Heat: Doug Renfro, President of Ren(00:01:21) - Doug Baldwin on Eating Well(00:02:03) - Doug Renfro Returns to the Family Business(00:07:16) - Mrs. Renfro Foods: Legacy of Innovation(00:09:44) - Rebuilding Renfro's R&D Process(00:14:08) - Covid Salsa(00:16:05) - What's been your like Doug in the Lab Thinking? Cooking up(00:17:11) - Food and Beverage: Handling the Heat(00:18:05) - In the Elevator With YPO(00:22:10) - Renfro Foods' Private Label Salsa(00:23:58) - How Much Creativity Is Involved in Renfro Foods S(00:25:05) - Renfro's Salsa: On a Competitors' Scale(00:27:14) - Favorite Renfro's Pepper Flavor(00:29:58) - Doug Renfro on His 80th Birthday

    32 min

  5. 10/07/2025

    Tipsy & Baked

    From a childhood “baking cabinet” and self-taught experiments to fashion-week brand moments, Amanda’s path with Tipsy and Baked is equal parts hustle and design. After starting an Instagram during COVID to document bakes, a nudge from friends turned into her first paid private-chef gig. The real ignition came with Everything But The Dress, a West Village bridal pop-up where she showcased sculptural display cakes and ran daily tastings. That week of long hours and sheet cakes set off a chain reaction of inbound orders, new relationships, and a growing network of female founders. Today she juggles brand activations, weddings, and highly designed birthday commissions, often produced in a 200-square-foot studio without a dishwasher. Her process is context driven and trend aware, pulling from interiors, fashion, and bridal publications to create pieces that feel both fresh and timeless. That mindset led to viral moments like a four-tier “gem” prop cake for Pickle’s NYFW dinner and custom cookies for Charli D’Amelio’s closing show for & Juliet, plus work with fitness brands like Solidcore. Looking ahead, Amanda is weighing a future storefront or experiential studio while doubling down on social media, bridal, and large-scale brand work. Chapters (00:00:12) - Interviewing Amanda Clark(00:01:13) - What's Been Your Favorite Meal?(00:01:36) - Tipsy and Baked: Amanda's Cake(00:02:43) - Baker and Mixologist on Tipsy and Baked(00:06:05) - The Cakes of Amanda's(00:09:02) - The Cake Designer on Her Wedding(00:11:14) - How to Make a Wedding Cake(00:12:55) - Baking in A Small Studio Apartment(00:15:08) - Bake Your Own Cake(00:19:59) - Charli DuVernay on Working With Charli(00:20:38) - Baking for A Brand Cake(00:22:05) - The Pickle and the Hem Cake(00:25:09) - TIPSY and Baked: Going Viral(00:27:26) - Where Do You See Your Cakes Going In The Next Year?

    31 min

  6. 09/23/2025

    Carmella's Wine Bar

    Joseph Lapi’s path to the glass runs through family, hustle, and hospitality. Raised in a tight-knit Sicilian household outside Buffalo, Joseph grew up around nightly dinners, clinking glasses, and stories that made food and wine feel like home. A chance correction over Chianti sent him down the rabbit hole, trading a planned legal career for the sommelier track. In Chicago he joined Lettuce Entertain You, opening RPM Steak before moving onto the wine team and, eventually, directing the beverage programs for RPM Seafood and Pizzeria Portofino. When COVID hit, he helped pivot a unicorn cellar into a lifeline for staff, reinforcing his belief that hospitality is about people first. Today, Joseph is the owner-operator of Carmella’s, a welcoming wine bar along the Erie Canal in Pittsford, NY, named for his daughter and fueled by his mother’s Sunday sauce. We talk about building a list that’s approachable and world-class at once, why service is the true “height of hospitality,” and what he learned pouring for members and players as a guest sommelier at Augusta National during the Masters. From big-city polish to small-town heart, Joseph shares how to create a space where everyone has a seat, whether they’re sipping NA spritzes, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, or a celebratory bottle of Champagne. Chapters (00:00:12) - Handling The Heat(00:01:24) - Joseph Lapi on His Journey From Guest Chef to Owner(00:04:35) - Working as a lawyer and then turning to wine(00:06:43) - Joseph Barton on Becoming a Sommelier at RPM(00:08:23) - Richard Feynman on His Sommelier Training(00:09:06) - The Transition from Bartender to Sommelier(00:10:26) - RPM Steak and Pizzeria Portofino(00:13:53) - Joseph Grossman on Becoming a People Manager(00:15:27) - Pittsford dentist on the transition back to Western New York(00:17:33) - Moving from Pittsford to Rochester(00:19:02) - Having a sommelier at the Masters(00:20:54) - The Best Wine For High Performance(00:21:56) - Rochester's first Wine Bar(00:27:07) - Carmela's Weinbach opens in Pittsford

    30 min

  7. 09/09/2025

    Partnerships - Table22

    Dannah Strauss, Partnership Lead at Table 22, joins us to share her winding path through the food world - from consulting in Washington, D.C. and writing for a local food blog, to staging at Michelin-starred restaurants, attending culinary school, and building innovative ready-to-eat meals at Territory Foods. Along the way, she’s navigated the realities of startups, the intersection of food and tech, and the challenge of aligning passion with sustainability. In our conversation, Dannah reflects on the lessons learned at each stage of her career, from plating dishes in fine dining to scaling recipes in food tech. We dive into how technology both connects and distances us from food, and how her work at Table 22 helps award-winning restaurants and specialty shops strengthen loyalty through curated subscription programs. Her story is full of insights for anyone curious about the future of food - and for those looking to find their own place in a fast-changing industry. Chapters (00:00:11) - Handling The Heat(00:01:22) - Dana Price on Eating Like a Pro(00:02:42) - Dana on Working Through Two Jobs(00:08:33) - Was the desire to work in a restaurant driven by the content itself(00:10:17) - Between Working at a Restaurant and Working in Consulting(00:14:18) - David Chang on Developing the BAAM(00:15:58) - Post-Part 6: The Top of the Mountain(00:20:43) - How Technology Affects Food Culture(00:26:05) - Food Technology: The Loyalty Programs(00:30:49) - What Makes a Good Subscription Program?(00:32:42) - Meredith's Advice for Working in the Food World

    35 min

  8. 08/26/2025

    TAGeX Brands

    Neal Sherman, Founder and President of TAGeX Brands, joins us to share his journey from frozen yogurt machines in supermarkets to building one of the nation’s most trusted marketplaces for surplus and pre-owned restaurant equipment - a business that has thrived for nearly four decades through relentless adaptability and focus. We talk about how a side service of removing displaced equipment grew into a full-fledged industry solution, the early days of selling through postcards and phone calls before the internet, and how the rise of eBay helped scale TAGeX into a national player. Neal reflects on the importance of testing, failing, and refocusing; the dangers of distraction outside your core expertise; and the leadership mindset required to sustain a company for nearly 40 years. He shares lessons from projects like Red Lobster’s bankruptcy closures, how to build a culture that lasts, and how the business continues to evolve at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and the circular economy. Chapters (00:00:11) - Handling The Heat(00:01:27) - Heard the Heat(00:01:55) - Asparagus with chickpea paste and eggplant(00:02:44) - Timothy Cook on Starting Tag X Brands(00:04:50) - How to Handle the Heat(00:08:44) - Tim Ferriss: Test and Learn(00:11:51) - What's Been the Biggest Challenge of Tag X's 38 Years(00:14:07) - What Is Your Drive to Win?(00:19:23) - Tagex provides the most dynamic aftermarket for restaurant and food(00:22:06) - Have the trends of the business impacted the restaurant equipment market?(00:24:53) - Projects 360: The Red Lobster Project(00:26:39) - Helping Communities During an Economic Recession(00:28:48) - What excites you the most about the future of tagx?(00:30:32) - A Taste of Success: Restaurants' 35-Year Story

    33 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Handling the Heat takes you behind the line and into the heart of the food service industry. Each episode dishes up real stories of operators facing the fire—navigating challenges, making tough calls, and finding a way to keep service going strong. It’s about grit, grace under pressure, and what it really takes to run a kitchen (or a whole operation) when the heat is on.

Information

  • Creator
    Zach Sherman
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Handling the Heat