The Restaurant Guys

The Restaurant Guys
  • 5.0 (102)
  • 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. 1H AGO

    Scones & Scaling: Growing The Hungry Gnome | Danielle Sepsy

    Why This Episode Matters What happens after a reality cooking show and how to convert exposure into growthScaling a wholesale bakery: space, equipment and financingWhy wholesale can be a sustainable alternative to retail Every entrepreneur underestimates two things: money and time.The Banter Mark Pascal and Francis Schott open the show reflecting on why service still defines the dining experience. They also debate whether good wine tastes the same when enjoyed at the sink while doing dishes as it does at the table. The Conversation Danielle Sepsy, founder of The Hungry Gnome and known as the Scone Queen, shares how she leveraged a reality cooking competition into meaningful wholesale expansion. The conversation explores scaling a wholesale bakery, building long-term retail partnerships, and the discipline required to move from local success to broader commercial reach. Danielle also discusses her new cookbook, where she reveals the secret recipes behind The Hungry Gnome’s signature baked goods, and how the book, along with her social media account, can support both brand growth and customer connection. Timestamps 0:00 – Opening Banter: Service, Hospitality & the River Palm Terrace 6:15 – Why Wine Tastes Better at a Restaurant 10:00 – Danielle Sepsy Joins: The Hungry Gnome & “Scone Queen” 14:45 – Post-Show Growth: 5000% Spike & Expansion 17:03 – Why Wholesale Works: Volume, Sanity & Sustainability 27:35 – The Cookbook: Revealing the Recipes 34:00 – Wrap Up: Capital, Delays & Opening a Business Guest Bio Danielle Sepsy is the founder and chef behind The Hungry Gnome, a wholesale bakery known for its scones and specialty baked goods served in cafés throughout the New York area. She was crowned the “Scone Queen” on The Big Brunch, earning national attention and accelerating the growth of her business. Danielle is also the author of The Scone Queen Bakes, where she shares the recipes behind her most requested creations. Show Info The Scone Queen Bakes: 100 Recipes for Scones, Muffins, Cookies, and Cakes from the Founder of The Hungry Gnome: A Cookbook By Danielle Sepsy Join us on March 12 for a wine dinner with Balletto Click below for more info: https://www.stageleft.com/event/31226-balleto-winemaker-dinner-w-anthony-beckman/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accounting  https://www.withum.com/restaurant Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys Reach Out to The Guys! TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com **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

    39 min

  2. 5D AGO

    Cool Napa, Serious Wines | Susan Ridley, Hendry Wines

    Vintage episode (2006) Why This Episode Matters The Guys dissect classic “wine gaffes” and the social survival tactics that follow.Susan Ridley explains why Hendry’s vineyard site matters: cool maritime influence, rocky soils and foothill elevation A look at vineyard thinking from a grower-driven perspective, where farming stress, decades of experience, and selectivity shape the wine.Wine dinners are the best “real-world” wine education: food changes everything.The Banter Mark Pascal and Francis Schott open with wine-party etiquette wars. How to prevent your “special bottle” from being shelved like an unwanted candle and why perfume at tastings should be a misdemeanor. The Conversation Susan Ridley (Brookside Ranch) joins to tell the accidental origin story of becoming George Hendry’s partner—starting with dinner at the neighbor’s house and ending with a serious winery built on one vineyard, no purchased fruit. The Guys dig into what makes Hendry’s site in Napa’s cooler corner so distinctive, why vineyard stress and rocky soils can produce better wine, and how wine dinners teach pairing in a way tastings never can. Along the way: vineyard tours with a pith-helmeted nuclear physicist, Napa seasonality, legendary blackberry jam, and the screw cap vs. cork debate. Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome + Natalie MacLean’s “Grapes of Gaffe”  2:15 – Having your host ignore your bottle, too much perfume and “off” bottles 9:00 – Guest Introduction: Susan Ridley, Brookside Ranch and Hendry Wines 12:50 – Hendry vineyard location, elevation, and rocky soils 15:45 – George Hendry, farmer and nuclear physicist  20:40 – Wine dinners and lessons they teach 23:13 – Brookside Ranch B&B + Napa seasonality 29:00 – Screw caps vs. cork closures discussion Guest Bio Susan Ridley was a partner in Hendry Wines in Napa Valley and proprietor of Brookside Ranch, a historic bed-and-breakfast neighboring the Hendry estate. She worked closely with grower-winemaker George Hendry on communicating the winery’s vineyard-first philosophy and focus on estate fruit. Susan passed away in 2025. Info Hendry Wines Join us on March 12 for a wine dinner with Balletto Click below for more info: https://www.stageleft.com/event/31226-balleto-winemaker-dinner-w-anthony-beckman/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accounting  https://www.withum.com/restaurant Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys Reach Out to The Guys! TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com **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

    34 min

  3. FEB 24

    The Best Meals Tell You Where You Are | Jeffrey Merrihue

    Why This Episode Matters Why food that reflects place matters more than Michelin prestige.How Xtreme Foodies connects global travelers with local culinary experts.Why tasting-menu fine dining is starting to feel formulaic—and what’s replacing it.From Texas barbecue to Neapolitan pizza, a conversation about food, identity, and memory.The Banter Mark Pascal and Francis Schott open the show debating shepherd’s pie, Irish–Mexican culinary mashups, and a tequila origin story that sounds questionable… until the first sip. The Conversation Jeffrey Merrihue, founder of Xtreme Foodies, joins the Guys to explore why regional food tells a deeper story than luxury dining. From the evolution of barbecue and pizza to overtourism in Japan and the fatigue of modern tasting menus, the conversation challenges how—and why—we travel to eat. Timestamps 0:00 – The Banter: Shepherd’s pie and Irish–Mexican mashups 6:04 – The Conversation: Jeffrey Merrihue and Xtreme Foodies 12:00 – Fine dining and the loss of place 21:15 – Texas barbecue: heritage vs Michelin craft 30:35 – Pizza regionalism: Naples and New York 37:55 – Overtourism and Japan 41:05 – L’Ami Louis and the limits of prestige 47:05 – Wrap Up Guest Bio Jeffrey Merrihue is the founder of Xtreme Foodies, a global culinary community connecting travelers with local food experts in more than 200 cities. A longtime writer and world traveler, he focuses on food that reflects regional identity rather than globalized luxury dining. Guest Info Xtreme Foodies https://www.xtremefoodies.com/ The World’s Tastiest Chicken https://xtremefoodies.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web Join us on March 12 for a wine dinner with Balletto Click below for more info: https://www.stageleft.com/event/31226-balleto-winemaker-dinner-w-anthony-beckman/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accounting  https://www.withum.com/restaurant Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys Reach Out to The Guys! TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com **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

    53 min

  4. FEB 19 · BONUS

    TEASER! The Sex Life of Food: Romance, Ritual & What We Reveal at the Table | Bunny Crumpacker

    This is a Vintage episode from 2006. This is just a teaser from a bonus episode for our subscribers. If you'd like to become a Restaurant Guys' Regular and listen to the entire episode and other commercial-free episodes, subscribe at  https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com Why This Episode Matters The episode examines how food, sexuality, and culture have always been intertwinedIt reframes restaurants not just as places to eat, but as stages where intimacy, power, and identity play out.The conversation challenges assumptions about aphrodisiacs, gendered foods, and the social rituals that shape how we dine.The episode challenges listeners to rethink how memory, status, and convenience foods quietly shape our relationships and our restaurant habits.The Banter A story about a proposal gone painfully wrong sets the tone as Mark Pascal and Francis Schott explore the unpredictable theater of romance in restaurants. From first dates to long-married couples who’ve forgotten how to talk, they reflect on what they've learned about human connection from a lifetime in the dining room. The Conversation Author and food historian Bunny Crumpacker talks about The Sex Life of Food: When Body and Soul Meet to Eat, a wide-ranging exploration of how food symbolism, cultural taboos, and dining rituals intersect with sexuality and identity. The discussion moves from aphrodisiac myths and gendered foods to class signals, fast food culture, and the emotional meaning behind what and how we eat.  Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to The Restaurant Guys 01:50 – Banter: Romance, proposals, and restaurant observations 08:35 – Bunny Crumpacker on the purpose of her book 15:02 – Aphrodisiacs, an-aphrodesiacs and food symbolism 17:43 – Class, culture, and how food defines us 23:06 – Convenience foods, restaurant meals and home cooking 32:22 – Wrap-up and final thoughts Bio Bunny Crumpacker is a columnist, food historian, and the author of 7 books including The Sex Life of Food: When Body and Soul Meet to Eat, a cultural exploration of the relationship between eating, identity, and intimacy. Info Bunny’s book: The Sex Life of Food: When Body and Soul Meet to Eat Join us on March 12 for a wine dinner with Balletto Click below for more info: https://www.stageleft.com/event/31226-balleto-winemaker-dinner-w-anthony-beckman/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys Reach Out to The Guys! TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com **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

    11 min

  5. FEB 17

    After Closing: Eggs, Mass Spectrometers & House Rules | Inside Track

    Why You Should Listen What “closing time” really means — and why restaurants, and their staff, should honor what they promiseAn inside peak at Valentine’s Day operations, ticket flow, and why larger tables can ease pressure on the kitchenThe Guys react to mass spectrometry and a look at tequila additivesEgg price spikes, labeling myths, yolk color tricks, and a smart baking tip when extra-large eggs cost lessThe Banter Mark Pascal and Francis Schott kick things off with post–Valentine’s Day reflections and the realities of running a dining room during peak nights. The Guys pull back the curtain on expediting, ticket management, and the small operational decisions diners rarely see. They share how shifting celebrations beyond February 14th can ease pressure on both restaurants and relationships. The Conversation The Guys dive into a wide-ranging Inside Track discussion sparked by the @MassSpecEverything channel, exploring mass spectrometry and spirits—from alleged additives in tequila to why common hand-rub tests don’t reveal everything. The talk moves to Coca-Cola lore, including what *really makes Mexican Coke special. Eggs take center stage as they unpack price spikes linked to bird flu, pasture-raised labeling, feed-driven nutritional differences, and how yolk color can be manipulated. They share a practical tip for bakers: extra-large eggs sometimes cost less than large, but be sure to adjust your recipe! Finally, Mark and Francis debate what a restaurant’s posted closing time should actually mean and that clear communication and consistent standards define the guest experience long after the meal ends. Time Stamps 0:00 – The Banter: Valentine’s Day Reflections 6:03 – Tequila Meets the Mass Spectrometer 9:53 – Coca-Cola: Regional Differences & Taste Myths 12:50 – Eggs: Scandal, Prices, Labels & Bargains 23:06 – What “Closing Time” Means to the Restaurant 28:02 – What “Closing Time” Means to the Diner Info Mass Spec Everything https://linktr.ee/mymassspecworld You Don’t Want Dessert, Do You? by Frank L Join us on March 12 for a wine dinner with Balletto Click below for more info: https://www.stageleft.com/event/31226-balleto-winemaker-dinner-w-anthony-beckman/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accounting  https://www.withum.com/restaurant Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys Reach Out to The Guys! TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com **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

    33 min

  6. FEB 12

    Save the Fish (So We Can Eat Them) | Beth Lowell, Oceana

    This is a Vintage episode from 2005. Why You Should Listen An early, still-relevant look at sustainable seafoodWhat “dirty fishing” and bycatch really meanPractical advice for diners and restaurateursA snapshot of the 2005 Endangered Species Act debate The Banter Mark Pascal and Francis Schott react to a “health study” revealing that water is still king. The Guys spiral into soda culture, marketing myths, and one of the strangest beverage ideas of the era: nicotine beer. The Conversation Beth Lowell of Oceana joins The Restaurant Guys to ask the big question: can we keep eating fish the way we do now? She breaks down bycatch, sea turtles, and the hidden cost of industrial fishing — and explains how simple gear changes can reduce harm without shutting fishermen down. The Guys bring a restaurateur’s perspective to overfishing, mercury contamination, and the future of seafood. The Inside Track The Guys argue for common-sense conservation: not less seafood — smarter sourcing so there’s still fish worth serving years from now. Time Stamps 3:00 Water vs. soda6:00 Nicotine beer8:00 Beth Lowell joins9:20 Bycatch explained18:09 How Oceana helps25:41 What fish to eat or avoid28:28 Endangered Species Act (2005)34:05 Wrap-up Guest Bio Beth Lowell is an Ocean Wildlife Advocate with Oceana, an international organization focused on science-based ocean conservation and sustainable fishing practices. From the Show Oceana – oceana.orgMonterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guides –  seafoodwatch.org Join us on March 12 for a wine dinner with Balletto Click below for more info: https://www.stageleft.com/event/31226-balleto-winemaker-dinner-w-anthony-beckman/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accounting  https://www.withum.com/restaurant Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys Reach Out to The Guys! TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com **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

    40 min

  7. FEB 10

    Eric Scheffer | Building Restaurants and Community in Asheville

    Why You Should Listen From television and advertising to building Asheville’s restaurant sceneHow fine dining, farm-to-table thinking, and wine culture shaped a food townThe 2008 crisis and a pivot to neighborhood Italian that lastedWhat Hurricane Helene revealed about restaurants as community lifelinesThe Banter Restaurateurs Mark Pascal and Francis Schott set the table with stories starting with Mark’s Uber Eats account taking a hit when his kids order Papa John’s. The banter detours into “taste credit scores,” childhood jobs, and practical tips on chopping onions without the tears. The Conversation Eric Scheffer, a defining voice in Asheville’s food scene, shares how he left Los Angeles for a then-sleepy mountain town with few restaurants, buying a modest space and transforming it into The Savoy—white tablecloths, a serious wine program, and a dining scene energized by transplants and early farm-to-table momentum. The Guys explore what made Asheville fertile ground prior to the 2008 financial crisis and Eric’s pivot toward affordable, nostalgic Italian-American comfort that resonated deeply, along the way touching on Cindy Lauper, a makeover for a bank loan, and why collaboration beats competition. The Inside Track Hurricane Helene becomes the proof point: restaurant people feed people. Eric describes coordinating water, reopening kitchens, helping operators get online, and leaning on relationships to mobilize quickly. The Guys connect this to their core belief that independent restaurants aren’t food dispensaries; they’re community infrastructure. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to The Restaurant Guys  02:00 – Uber Eats scandal & childhood hustles  08:00 – Introducing Eric Scheffer: from Brooklyn and LA to Asheville  17:45 – Cindy Lauper and fitting in North Carolina  20:25 – Hurricane Helene: restaurants feeding the community  32:21 – Wrap-up and the Guys’ take on “B markets” Guest Bio Eric Scheffer is a restaurateur and hospitality leader based in Asheville, North Carolina. Originally from Brooklyn, he left a career in television and advertising to build The Savoy into a nationally recognized fine-dining destination Join us on March 12 for a wine dinner with Balletto Click below for more info: https://www.stageleft.com/event/31226-balleto-winemaker-dinner-w-anthony-beckman/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accounting  https://www.withum.com/restaurant Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys Reach Out to The Guys! TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com **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

    39 min

  8. FEB 5

    Neal Rosenthal on Globalization and the Future of Wine

    This is a Vintage episode from 2005. Why This Episode Matters How globalization began reshaping wine style, taste, and production in the early 2000sWhy market pressure and critical consensus can lead to homogenized winesThe tension between wines made for place versus wines made for approvalWhat is lost when tradition and restraint give way to international samenessA timeless argument for authenticity, terroir, and consumer responsibilityThe Banter Mark Pascal and Francis Schott open the show reflecting on recent dining experiences and a private screening of Mondo Vino as a lens into the changing wine world. The Conversation Neal Rosenthal, one of America’s most influential wine importers, joins Mark and Francis to examine the impact of globalization on the wine industry. The conversation explores how powerful markets and critics shape production decisions, often at the expense of regional character. Rosenthal celebrates wines that express place, and challenges consumers to protect them. Timestamps 02:13 – Mondo Vino and the globalization debate 11:01 – Globalization’s impact on wine style 14:00 – Consumer responsibility in the wine market 15:44 – The homogenization of wine 21:22 – Sustainable agriculture and authenticity 28:40 – Ageability and identifying quality wines 35:54 – Wrap-up Bio Neal Rosenthal is an American wine importer and founder of Neal Rosenthal Selections, known for championing small, family-run producers and wines that express terroir. Info Neal's company www.rosenthalwinemerchant.com/ Mondovino (2004) on Tubi https://tubitv.com/movies/506270/mondovino?start=true&tracking=google-feed&utm_source=google-feed Join us on March 12 for a wine dinner with Balletto Click below for more info: https://www.stageleft.com/event/31226-balleto-winemaker-dinner-w-anthony-beckman/ Become a Restaurant Guys' Regular! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accounting  https://www.withum.com/restaurant Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguys Reach Out to The Guys! TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com **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

    39 min
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5
out of 5
102 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
    192
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Restaurant Guys
  • Show Website
    The Restaurant Guys

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