Foodie and the Beast

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show:  ·        Kevin Tien, James Beard finalist and the owner of DC’s award-winning Moon Rabbit, is teaming for the second time with Alan Vo to open Chao Ban, bringing Vietnamese street food to Tysons Galleria. Kevin joins us in the studio;                                                                                                                                                                             ·        Whiskey maker Ari Sussman, the man behind the famous Whiskey JYPSI brand and the Whiskey Network’s“2024 Whiskey Maker of the Year,” joins us for tastes and talk of some of the finest bourbons known to mankind;                                                                                                                          ·    The Canton Disco team is in. Owner  Brian Schram, executive chef Timothy Yu, and yet another James Beard Award finalist, beverage director Brent Kroll, give us the 411 on their new Cantonese-inspired café, restaurant and bar opening on 1st Street SE.                                                                                                                        ·        Then we all join in a panel discussion on the future of distilled spirits at a time of rising prices and diminishing interest in alcoholic beverages.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show:  ·        2026 is the 50th Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris, where – for the first time – two Napa Valley American wines bested French wines in a blind tasting. That huge, seismic moment in wine is part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration, and Stephen Velasquez, curator of the  Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History’s Division of Home and Community Life, joins us with all the celebratory details, including the upcoming 2026 Winemaker’s Dinner;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ·        Since the Judgment of Paris is part of today’s conversation, it made sense to also invite Claudia Chamberlain to join us. She’s the U.S. general manager for Berry Bros. & Rudd. Founded in 1698, Berry Bros. & Rudd is the oldest wine and spirits merchant in the United Kingdom and is still family-owned;                                                                                                           ·        Our  buddy, Jarrad Silver, chef/owner of Silver and Sons BBQ in Bethesda, is in with big news -- unless you're a lamb. The Lamb Jam is back as a month-long dine-around in April, where chefs across the country will feature American lamb dishes under $30 and diners are encouraged to explore and vote for their favorites;                                                                                                                                                                                                         ·        Kenia Euceda Canales, Neighborhood Restaurant Group coffee director, ensures that the non-alcoholic program across the group is a cut above the rest. She’s got lots of caffeinated tastes and talk to share, but especially about the one she manages, NRG’s specialty coffee shop, CAMEO in The Roost on Capitol Hill.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show:  ·        We say “Carla Hall” and you say, “ OMG – that’s celebrated chef, author, Top Chef All-Star, co-host of ABC’s The Chew, and former Howard U accounting major!” Then we say, “Micheline Mendelsohn, ” her partner’s name, and you say that she’s deputy CEO at the Sunnyside Restaurant Group, where her brother, celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn, and the rest of the family have the hospitality Midas touch. And then we say, “Bumblebirds on Capitol Hill” and you say, “Thank God we can get Carla’s amazing fried chicken again!” Carla and Micheline join us today;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ·        Erika Polmar, executive director of the  Independent Restaurant Coalition, a national trade association lobbying solely on behalf of independent restaurants and bars – operators working for operators. She’s here to offer the 411 on the coalition’s purpose. But, considering the fragile state of the industry these days across America, Erika also has insights on what the IRC is doing to support restaurant operations today and successful operations tomorrow;                                                                                                                                                                             ·        Emily Brown, owner, Eebee’s Corner Bar, tells her incredible story of building her own business against all odds;·         ·        The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the DMV’s great celebrations of the advent of spring. It commemorates the 1912 gift of cherry trees from the people of Tokyo to Washington, DC. Lillian Iversen is the vice president of the festival, in with info about all things cherry blossom here in town;                                                                    Owen Thompson provides the drinks. He is the beverage director for Unfold Hospitality, the company behind Casa Teresa and The Square.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today’s show:·        You’d have to be living under a rock not to know of Marcus Samuelson, a multiple James Beard Foundation award winner. His restaurant here, Marcus DC, opened and instantly became one of The Washington Post’s top five in the city. But Marcus takes global strides and isn’t there all the time -- and his not-so-secret weapon running the place is a Maryland native, Executive Chef Anthony Jones, an exceptional talent who himself is now a James Beard Award semifinalist for Emerging Chef. Chef Anthony joins us;·        We recently spent four glorious days in Jamaica at a condo resort called The West. And the food there was … the BEST! Thanks to restaurateur Sydney Watson -  the generous hospitality, amazing cuisine, and all-around fun to be had at her restaurant in The West Signature, a premier residential community. Syd’s on the Rocks in Negril is beyond outstanding. Syd is gracious, so talented, and she joins us today from Jamaica;        ·        Mike Friedman of  the All-Purpose Hospitality Group is in. He’s an owner, master chef and the culinary spirit behind a bunch of the area’s most outstanding spots – the Red Hen, All-Purpose, the Boundary Stone, as wells as Bethesda’s Aventino Cucina and A-P Pizza Shop. And now the All-Purpose Hospitality has a new baby – Shaw’s Fossette Focacceria – with killer focaccia sandwiches, gelato, wines, and Italian imported goods (pasta, snacks, etc.) Si mangia bene a Fosette Focacceria. By the way, “fossette” is a French term meaning "dimples" or "small cavities" – like on a kid’s cheek or in the crust of your fave focaccia. ·        Stephen Fortier, owner and winemaker, Domaine Fortier Vineyards joins us. Fortier won two gold medals at the Virginia Governor’s Cup wine competition Thursday evening.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.