The Restaurant Guys

The Restaurant Guys
  • 5.0 (105)
  • Food
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Restaurant Guys is one of the original food and wine podcasts, launched in 2005 by restaurateurs Mark Pascal and Francis Schott. With roots as a daily radio show, the podcast features in-depth conversations with chefs, bartenders, winemakers, authors, and hospitality professionals—offering the inside track on food, cocktails, wine, and restaurant culture. New episodes and vintage conversations because the best stories, like the best bottles, age well. Expect insightful, opinionated, and entertaining conversations about food, wine, and the finer things in life. Subscribe for ad-free content, bonus episodes and invitations to special events!  https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Contact: TheGuys@RestaurantGuysPodcast.com

  1. 3d ago ·  Bonus

    Market-Driven Brooklyn Dining Before the Hype | Liza Queen | Preview

    This is a Vintage episode from 2005. The Restaurant Guys welcome chef-owner Liza Queen of Queen’s Hideaway, a tiny Greenpoint restaurant where the menu changed with the market, the farmers, the smoker, and whatever was left in the kitchen by the end of the week. Why This Episode Matters Liza Queen explains how Queen’s Hideaway built its menu around farmers, Greenmarket shopping, small quantities of meat, and improvisation.The episode captures a very specific moment in Brooklyn dining, before “market-driven neighborhood restaurant” became a polished concept.Liza talks honestly about the chaos of running a small restaurant: tiny kitchen, no air conditioning, long hours, broken equipment, landlord issues, and sudden press attention.The Guys connect Queen’s Hideaway to a larger idea: great food does not need pretense, luxury, or a white-tablecloth.The conversation is a snapshot of a restaurant that became a cult favorite by cooking personally, affordably, and very much in the moment. Banter Mark and Francis begin with a conversation about fine dining, New Jersey, and the complicated blessing of being so close to New York. They talk about what separates true hospitality from restaurant theater: a warm welcome, good service, and the feeling that the experience is being created for the guest. The Conversation The Restaurant Guys welcome Liza Queen, chef-owner of Queen’s Hideaway in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Liza explains that the restaurant does not really have a set menu because the cooking depends on what she can get from farmers, what meats are available, and what shows up at the Greenmarket. What sounds like a concept is, in her telling, mostly survival: if the restaurant runs out of one thing, she cooks the next best thing. Liza talks about moving back east after cooking in Portland, where she felt limited by diners who were less adventurous than she wanted to be. In Brooklyn, she opened what she imagined as a neighborhood place, only to find people coming from Manhattan, upstate, and even New Jersey after early press and word of mouth spread. The restaurant is tiny, informal, and very personal, with a front-of-house and kitchen team made up largely of friends she describes as imported family. The conversation moves through smoked meats, Wonderbread, broken ice cream makers, root vegetables, and the daily anxiety of building a menu from what the market provides. Liza is funny, humble, and matter-of-fact about the work: 8 a.m. to after midnight, six days a week, in a small kitchen with a very big personality. After the interview, Mark and Francis reflect on why Queen’s Hideaway resonated. For them, the point is not trendiness or thrift alone; it is food cooked thoughtfully, with excellent ingredients, without snobbery. The episode becomes a defense of the finer things in life at every price point, from a serious restaurant meal to a great hot dog, a real waffle with ice cream, or a neighborhood place that simply cooks what it has and does it well. Timestamps 0:00 Fine dining, New Jersey, and what makes hospitality feel gracious 6:15  Liza Queen joins the show and explains the no-set-menu approach 8:00 Liza’s experience and desire to open a place on the East Coast 15:00 Smoking meat, winter cooking, Wonderbread, pies, and the tiny kitchen reality 21:30 Why great food does not have to be expensive or pretentious 29:00 Why great food does not have to be expensive or pretentious Bio Liza Queen was the chef-owner of Queen’s Hideaway in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a small, market-driven restaurant known for its changing menu, smoked meats, pies, and fiercely personal cooking. The restaurant became a cult favorite for its informal style, excellent ingredients, and no-pretense approach to neighborhood dining. Info Hell’s Backbone Grill episode (referenced in this episode) https://www.restaurantguyspodcast.com/2390435/episodes/17017079 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

    8 min

  2. 5d ago

    How to Build a Team That Actually Cares | Preston Lee

    Hospitality consultant Preston Lee explains how restaurants can build stronger teams, earn employee trust and create the kind of human connection that keeps guests coming back. Why This Episode Matters Why hospitality begins with genuine care, not a memorized scriptWhat younger employees need from restaurant leaders todayHow daily training creates consistency without overwhelming the staffWhy the employee experience directly shapes the guest experienceHow AI may make real human hospitality even more valuableBanter Mark and Francis take aim at New York City’s new anti-alcohol campaign and its failure to acknowledge the social and cultural role of restaurants and bars. Francis proposes a protest involving drinks, campaign posters and social media…until Mark’s old college beer funnel makes an appearance and immediately weakens the case. The Conversation Preston Lee joins Mark and Francis to discuss why hospitality is ultimately a structured form of kindness and care. He explains how restaurants can motivate younger employees by providing purpose, clarity and consistent expectations rather than assuming earnings alone will create commitment. The conversation explores hands-on training, daily pre-shifts and Preston’s “drip training” approach, which introduces meaningful changes gradually and reinforces them through accountability. They also discuss creating hospitality between employees, recognizing when someone is not right for the organization and developing managers rather than simply promoting them. Finally, Preston considers how AI may support restaurant training while making authentic human interaction an increasingly valuable luxury. Timestamps 0:00 New York City’s anti-alcohol campaign 6:35 Hospitality as kindness, care and purpose 17:00 What Gen Z needs from restaurant leaders 25:00 Drip training, accountability and earning trust 30:30 Building hospitality within the restaurant team 43:30 The 30% Rule, AI and the future of human connection Bio Preston Lee is a hospitality consultant, founder of The 30% Rule and author of The Hospitality Handbook: How Unconditional Hospitality Transforms Teams, Customers, and Companies. He works with restaurant operators to develop stronger leaders, more consistent teams and hospitality systems that can grow with the business. Info Preston’s book  The Hospitality Handbook: How Unconditional Hospitality Transforms Teams, Customers, and Companies Preston’s site  https://30percentrule.com/ 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

    1h 2m

  3. Jun 4

    Jersey Fresh, Local Farmers, and the Flavor of New Jersey | William Walker

    This is a Vintage episode from 2005. William Walker of Jersey Fresh joins Mark Pascal and Francis Schott for a conversation about New Jersey agriculture, local produce, farmers markets, and why fresh food tastes different when it does not have to travel halfway across the country. Why This Episode Matters Jersey Fresh is more than a label. It is a long-running New Jersey Department of Agriculture program built to connect farmers, supermarkets, restaurants, and consumers.William explains why “local” is not just feel-good marketing. Produce picked closer to ripeness often has better flavor, better texture, and a much shorter trip to the plate.The conversation gets into the real economics of small farms: if New Jersey farmers cannot win on volume, they can win on quality.Farmers markets, U-pick farms, and seasonal forecasts all become tools for helping families and restaurants eat better while keeping farmers on the land.Mark and Francis make a strong case for treating Jersey tomatoes, strawberries, peaches, and farm stands like the seasonal treasures they are. Banter Mark and Francis cover stolen car seats in Jersey City, motorcycles with laptops in the saddlebags, and a glowing local newspaper article that names Francis “the mean one” and Mark “the rock.” The real question: after 70 hours a week together, who wouldn’t be? The Conversation William Walker explains how Jersey Fresh grew from a supermarket promotion into a broader effort to connect New Jersey farmers with restaurants, markets, and home cooks. The conversation covers farmers markets, U-pick farms, strawberries, tomatoes, peaches, and the simple reason local produce tastes better: it can be picked closer to ripe. Mark and Francis also dig into the real challenge behind “buy local”: preserving farmland only matters if farmers can still make a living. Along the way, William offers practical advice on storing produce, including the all-important rule that tomatoes do not belong in the refrigerator. Timestamps 0:00 – Jersey City car seats, motorcycle regret, and a local article about The Restaurant Guys 6:45 – Why local ingredients changed fine dining 8:30 – William Walker joins to explain Jersey Fresh 10:00 – Farmers markets, U-pick farms, and connecting people to local agriculture 15:00 – Why local strawberries, tomatoes, and peaches taste different 25:45 – Why tomatoes do not belong in the refrigerator Guest Bio William Walker was part of Jersey Fresh, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture program promoting New Jersey-grown fruits, vegetables, and farm products. In this episode, he discusses the program’s history, its work with supermarkets and restaurants, and its role in supporting local farmers. Info Jersey Fresh New Jersey Department of Agriculture https://www.findjerseyfresh.com/JerseyFresh Link Home News article about RG from 2006 https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/md/prog/jerseyfresh.shtml 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

    37 min

  4. Jun 2

    The Ghost of Jerry Thomas Has Notes | AI, Dale DeGroff & the Future of Cocktails

    The Ghost of Jerry Thomas Has Notes | AI, Dale DeGroff & the Future of Cocktails  Mark and Francis attempt the impossible: an interview with Jerry Thomas, the 19th-century bartending legend who helped write the book on American cocktails. With help from AI and a performance by cocktail icon Dale DeGroff, Jerry returns to judge the modern bar, defend showmanship, and remind bartenders that the guest still comes first. Why This Episode Matters Jerry Thomas is one of the founding figures of American cocktail culture, and his influence still runs through modern bars.This episode uses AI as a creative tool, not a shortcut, pairing the technology with Dale DeGroff’s voice and deep cocktail authority.“Jerry” has strong opinions about today’s bar world: better ice, better vermouth, more care, but also too much ego, smoke, and overcomplication.The conversation lands on a timeless hospitality truth: a great drink is not just what’s in the glass; it’s how the guest feels.It is strange, funny, historically rooted, and exactly the kind of thing that could only happen on The Restaurant Guys. The Conversation Jerry Thomas, imagined through AI and voiced by Dale DeGroff, returns from the great beyond to take a look at the modern cocktail world. He is pleased to see bartenders caring again about ice, vermouth, technique, and classic recipes. He is less impressed by drinks built for cameras, fog machines, and bartender ego. His verdict is sharp: effort is not the same as excellence. The conversation moves through showmanship, simplicity, cocktail books, bottled cocktails, with Jerry drawing a clear line between theater that serves the guest and performance that gets in the way. For all the novelty of the premise, the message is pure hospitality. It’s not just about the drink, but about how someone feels at your bar.  Timestamps 0:00 The Restaurant Guys bring Jerry Thomas back from the great beyond 2:15 Ego, excess, and why “arrogance is not flavor” 3:30 Showmanship, simplicity, and drinks made for the camera 5:00 Bottled cocktails, zero-proof drinks and Jerry’s final word on hospitality Featured Guest Jerry Thomas was one of the most influential figures in American bartending, remembered for his theatrical presence behind the bar and his landmark cocktail books. In this special episode, he is imagined through AI and voiced by Dale DeGroff, one of the modern cocktail world’s most important figures. 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

    8 min

  5. May 29

    Julie & Julia Before the Movie | Julie Powell

    This is a Vintage episode from 2006. Julie Powell joins Mark Pascal and Francis Schott to talk about Julie & Julia, her year cooking 524 Julia Child recipes, and how a personal blog became a book before food blogging was a career path. Why This Episode Matters Julie Powell captured an early moment in food blogging, before the form became mainstream.The interview took place before Julie & Julia became a movie, so the conversation is rooted in the original book and blog.Julie explains why Julia Child’s ambition, late start, and seriousness about cooking spoke to her.Mark and Francis challenge Julie on her controversial New York Times op-ed about greenmarkets, organic food, and privilege.The episode connects cooking to reinvention, marriage, class, and the messy business of trying to change your life.The Conversation Julie Powell explains that the project began as a response to turning 30 and feeling stuck in her job and life. Mark and Francis connect immediately with the vivid, slightly dangerous pleasure in her food writing, especially her description of beef marrow as rich, intense, and “like eating life.” Julia Child appealed to Julie not because the recipes were easy, but because they were hard and worth doing. She also found inspiration in Julia’s own late start, since Child did not become “Julia Child” until well into adulthood. The blog began in 2002 at her husband’s suggestion, when Julie says she barely knew what a blog was. What started as a personal challenge became a memoir about cooking, ambition, marriage, and reinvention. Julie is clear that Julie & Julia is not a cookbook; food is the route into a larger story about choosing something difficult and committing to it. The conversation also digs into Julie’s New York Times op-ed on greenmarkets and organic food. Mark and Francis disagree with parts of her argument, but Julie explains that her real concern was judgment toward people who lack the money, time, or access to buy ideal ingredients. The debate lands on a shared point: good food should not be a privilege reserved for people who can afford it. Timestamps 0:50 - Introducing Julie Powell and Julie & Julia 2:30 - Why she cooked 524 Julia Child recipes in one year 5:00 - Cooking after work, late dinners, and expensive ingredients 6:45 - From personal blog to published book 9:30 - he greenmarket debate and food privilege 16:00 - Marriage, chaos, and life after the project 18:00 - Mark and Francis reflect on Julie, Julia Child, and the op-ed debate  Bio Julie Powell was the author of Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, based on her blog about cooking every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The book was later adapted into the film Julie & Julia. Info Book: Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously Original inspiration: Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking 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

    22 min

  6. May 21

    Hamburger America and the Great American Burger | George Motz

    This is a Vintage episode from 2006 George Motz joins The Restaurant Guys to talk about Hamburger America, his documentary celebrating eight beloved burger institutions and the regional traditions, family pride, old grease, beef, and stubborn conviction that make them more than just places to eat.  Why This Episode Matters Before smashburgers became trendy and before Hamburger America became a restaurant, George Motz was documenting regional burger culture across the United StatesThis episode captures an early moment in America’s burger renaissance, when great roadside burger stands still felt local, handmade, and deeply tied to placeGeorge explains why the hamburger is both a food story and an American storyThe conversation explores butter burgers, steamed cheeseburgers, old grease, grass-fed beef, and the fierce convictions of great burger makersThe Guys debate what makes a real hamburger…and why foie gras burgers might actually be meatloafThe Banter Mark Pascal and Francis Schott discuss New York City’s crackdown on sous vide cooking and debate whether the health department should regulate emerging cooking techniques before banning them outright. On advice of imaginary counsel, Mark will not be offering any home sous vide instructions.  The Conversation George Motz joins The Restaurant Guys to discuss his documentary Hamburger America, a film exploring eight legendary burger restaurants across the United States. What begins as a conversation about hamburgers quickly becomes a broader discussion about regional identity, family businesses, roadside Americana, and the passionate people preserving classic burger traditions. George explains the strict criteria he used to select restaurants for the film, including fresh beef, decades of continuous operation, and a story worth telling. Along the way, the conversation moves through Oklahoma longhorn burgers, Wisconsin butter burgers, steamed cheeseburgers, the legendary grease at Dyer’s in Memphis, Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, which claims to have invented the hamburger sandwich, and Chicago’s Billy Goat Tavern, where burger lore became part of American pop culture.  More than a discussion about hamburgers, the episode becomes a celebration of old-school American food culture and the fiercely independent restaurants that helped define it. Bio George Motz is a filmmaker, burger historian, author, and television personality best known for his documentary Hamburger America. He later became one of the country’s leading authorities on regional American hamburgers and opened the restaurant Hamburger America in New York City. Info Hamburger America documentary George Motz https://www.hamburgeramerica.com/ 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

    39 min

  7. May 19

    David Burke | Jersey Roots and Bold Restaurant Ideas

    Chef David Burke joins Mark and Francis at the New Jersey Wine & Food Festival for a conversation about Jersey dining, restaurant ambition, early kitchen life, and the creative ideas that become a chef’s signature. Why This Episode Matters David Burke’s career runs through New Jersey, New York City, and a national restaurant footprint, but this conversation brings him back to the Jersey roots that shaped him.David, Mark, and Francis dig into the business realities behind restaurant growth, especially real estate, rising costs, payroll, and the value of owning the building.The episode looks at how New Jersey dining has changed, from quiet weeknights and liquor-license hurdles to a stronger local restaurant culture.David’s early kitchen stories capture a version of restaurant life that was chaotic, skilled, rough around the edges, and completely captivating.The conversation shows how a signature dish is born: part imagination, part logistics, part stubbornness, and part “somebody please build me the thing.”Banter Mark and Francis open with lab-grown cocoa, chocolate anxiety, and the future of a world where even dessert may need a science department. Mark then shares a Lower East Side fried chicken quest that very much did not lead to fried chicken — a classic Restaurant Guys situation involving food curiosity, one neon rooster, and the internet saving him from a very different afternoon. The Conversation David Burke joins Mark and Francis at the New Jersey Wine & Food Festival, where they start by noting that after 20 years of the podcast, David is somehow only now making his first appearance. David talks about running ten restaurants, the ambition that keeps chefs saying yes to new opportunities, and why New Jersey became an important part of his restaurant life after years in New York. The conversation turns to real estate, rising costs, early dining, and the business advantage of owning the building, something they all see as central to long-term restaurant survival. David also looks back on his Hazlet beginnings, from dishwashing to being dazzled by club sandwiches, sauté pans, salty line cooks, and rock stars moving through the back door. The final stretch gets into David’s gift for signature dishes, especially the path from a Peking duck idea to clothesline bacon. It is a very David Burke story: big visual concept, practical headaches, custom hardware, and eventually a dish that became so recognizable people copied it around the world. Timestamps 00:00 Mark and Francis open with lab-grown cocoa and a Lower East Side fried chicken misunderstanding06:30 David Burke joins them at the New Jersey Wine & Food Festival09:15 New Jersey restaurants, real estate, and the value of owning the building12:15 David’s Hazlet roots and first kitchen jobs23:00 Signature dishes, clothesline bacon, and big restaurant ideas30:30 Jersey chefs, friendship, and making time outside the work grind 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

    33 min

  8. May 14

    Beer vs. Wine: Which Pairs Better With Food? | Garrett Oliver

    This is a Vintage episode from 2006 Why This Episode Matters Long before craft beer became mainstream, Garrett Oliver was arguing that beer belonged at the fine dining tableThis 2006 conversation captures the early days of American craft brewing before the explosion of brewery culture and IPA dominanceGarrett explains why beer may pair with food better than wine — then challenges Francis to prove him wrongThe episode explores brewing philosophy, Belgian traditions, and the business pressures of growthIncludes a fascinating snapshot of how small Brooklyn Brewery still was in 2006 — despite already becoming influentialThe Banter Mark Pascal and Francis Schott discuss Frank Bruni’s four-star review of Jean-Georges in The New York Times and what happens when great chefs expand into restaurant empires. The conversation explores restaurant identity, and whether excellence can survive scale. The Conversation Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery and author of The Brewmaster’s Table, joins The Restaurant Guys for a spirited conversation about the early days of American craft beer, brewing philosophy, beer aging, Belgian traditions, and pairing beer with food. Things get competitive when Oliver argues beer pairs better with food than wine — prompting Francis to challenge him to a live beer-versus-wine showdown at Stage Left.  Bio Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery and one of the most influential figures in American craft beer. He is the author of The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food and editor of The Oxford Companion to Beer. Oliver has received numerous honors for his contributions to brewing and beverage culture, including a James Beard Award. Info Brooklyn Brewery https://brooklynbrewery.com/ Garrett Oliver http://www.garrettoliver.net/ 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

    38 min
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5
out of 5
105 Ratings

About

The Restaurant Guys is one of the original food and wine podcasts, launched in 2005 by restaurateurs Mark Pascal and Francis Schott. With roots as a daily radio show, the podcast features in-depth conversations with chefs, bartenders, winemakers, authors, and hospitality professionals—offering the inside track on food, cocktails, wine, and restaurant culture. New episodes and vintage conversations because the best stories, like the best bottles, age well. Expect insightful, opinionated, and entertaining conversations about food, wine, and the finer things in life. Subscribe for ad-free content, bonus episodes and invitations to special events!  https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Contact: TheGuys@RestaurantGuysPodcast.com

Information

  • Creator
    The Restaurant Guys
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    220
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Restaurant Guys
  • Show Website
    The Restaurant Guys

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