The Dine One Six

Josh Milholm joins the Dine One Six to discuss his food upbringing, moving from Denver to Sacramento, and early restaurant work from dishwashing to making pizza dough. He recounts serving at Spaghetti Factory and spending 10 years at the Hard Rock Cafe, then attending law school before leaving because he was miserable and returning fully to hospitality, including Harlow’s, Red Rabbit and ultimately The Golden Bear. Josh describes The Golden Bear’s tiny kitchen, creative food and cocktails, its role as an inclusive neighborhood space, and his philosophy of hospitality as leadership that helps diverse people connect and feel seen.

Mandy Hwang started taking photos of her food and writing about her experiences simply for her own enjoyment and memory making. Little did she know that her personal food journal would eventually turn into an influential Sacramento food instagram page. We talk about Mandy’s deep love of food and Sacramento, the great friends she has met through her instagram page, and the best way to eat cheetos. email us: [email protected] or [email protected] Instagram: @dineonesix Mandy's instagram: @eatswithmandy

We’re back!! It’s been a long road back to the podcast for us (Max and Neill) but we are so excited to get going again. WE already have a bunch of interviews recorded and will get back to posting them every two weeks. This week we re-launch with an interview with Molly Dennis. Molly has worked all over Sacramento (and the country) and know works for Diageo, a liquor distributor which is responsible for putting some of the most interesting and tasty spirits behind all your favorite bars in the city. We talk about her history in hospitality, including her start at Red Robin, her favorite liquor brand stories and watching the craft cocktail boom come to Sacramento. Email us: [email protected] [email protected] IG: @dineonesix

Mecha Mucho roughly translates to “lots and lots.” For Chef and Owner Ryan Ota that means lots and lots of smiles, lots and lots of people saying, “Damn this is good!” and lots and lots of sandwiches sold. If you haven’t discovered it, Mecha Mucho is cranking out amazing egg salad sandwiches on Shokupan (Japanese milk bread) with additional protein options from chicken katsu, to spam to sometimes even wagyu beef, out of the little street side window at Osaka-Ya on 10th street. Ryan tells us about how he knew at a young age that his heart lied with food and after years of trying to work a corporate job he retreated to learning how to cook working at the famed Shack in east Sacramento, to cooking at Track 7 Brewery for several years to opening his own sandwich spot out of the window where he would line up as a kid in summer for a giant snow cone. Listen to hear how Ryan took Mecha Mucho from an idea to a reality in just a few short weeks and how their success has exploded in just over 6 months. Links: Mecha Mucho Instagram Visit the Dine One Six website Dine One Six Instagram Watch James Beard Awards here

To say Oliver Ridgeway is well traveled is a gross understatement. After getting his start washing dishes in his dad’s restaurant, at 20 years old he got a job cooking on the Queen Elizabeth II cruise liner, which traveled from England to New York city. That ship took him all over the world over two years, and taught him how to cook and how to organize. That organization would be vital as he went on to cook for Athletes and VIP sponsors at the Olympic Games in Sydney Australia 2000 and the Winter Games in Utah in 2002. But his cooking travels didn’t stop there, New Orleans, the Caribbean, New York at one of it’s finest hotels, Santa Fe, Oliver honed his skills and his management cooking for the rich and famous in high pressure environments. Now he is the Chef/Owner of the upscale but welcoming to all Sacramento haberdashery, Camden Spit & Larder, which serves as a place where you can have a beautiful anniversary dinner just as easily as you can grab a burger and a salad before a Kings game. Listen to Oliver’s amazing journey across the globe and how he ended up settling down in Sacramento, making a name for himself as one of the most respected chefs in town. Visit Camden Spit & Larder's website and Instagram Follow Dine One Six on Instagram Email us: [email protected] or [email protected] Visit our website dineonesix.com

Amanda Bridger started cooking food at home during COVID as a way to pass the time and to comfort herself, her partner Chris and friends. Little did she know that in going back to the Hawaiian flavors of her childhood evenings visiting her grandmother, she would stumble upon a new found talent and passion for cooking Hawaiian cuisine. She and her partner Chris Tocchini moved to Sacramento and started a pop up with the recipes she developed and it was such a success that they ultimately opened Kau Kau in East Sacramento. Amanda runs the kitchen and Chris manages the front of the house. They tell us how they got their start in the industry, what it’s like working together as a couple and the trials and triumphs of owning and running a restaurant. Visit our website at www.dineonesix.com. Follow us on Instagram @dineonesix Email us [email protected] or [email protected]

Billy Ngo of Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine got his start at an old-school Japanese restaurant on Broadway in Sacramento, spending hours washing dishes and painstakingly preparing shrimp for the week’s service. After a stint at Mikuni he understood how sushi could become something that mixed his passion for creativity and attention to detail. Billy headed to culinary school in San Francisco and came back to work at The Kitchen for a year, where he learned the importance of good ingredients and good relationships with purveyors of fish and produce. Then, at just 23 years old, Billy opened Kru on J street, which quickly became recognized as one of the best and most creative sushi spots in town. A decade later Billy moved Kru into its current, much larger home on Folsom Blvd. and it remains one of the hottest restaurant reservations in town. Billy fills us in on sushi eating etiquette, talks about his early attempts at a Michelin star, why he loves cooking japanese and french cuisine, how he seeks to let the ingredients speak for themselves and how a burger permanently ended up on the menu at one of Sacramento’s most acclaimed sushi restaurants. Recently, his high level of skill and execution, matched with his creativity and drive to please his guests has garnered Billy a finalist nomination for the James Beard Awards “Best Chef in California.” Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

It all started when a disastrous failed potato crop led Jody Bogle’s grandfather, Warren Bogle to try planting wine grapes on the acreage he purchased on Merritt Island. In 1968 he planted 10 acres of Petite Syrah and 10 acres of Chenin Blanc. He got the Chenin Blanc clippings from a guy named Skinny in Lodi! Today, Bogle has grown to become the Bogle Family Wine Collection, a brand that stretches worldwide, which includes several different labels, styles and price points of wine. We talk to Jody about how the unexpected death of her father led her to leave her job as an English teacher to come back home to Sacramento and take on a new role with the family business, how she and her two brothers have grown the business into the massive and respected brand it is today, and how family values, small lot wine making and sustainable growing practices are the fuel that still power Bogle’s business today. So grab a glass of one of Bogle’s award winning wines and listen to the history of one of Sacramento’s great business success stories. Visit the Bogle website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

Greg Gearhart and Victor Mihalchuk were sipping coffee and having lunch with their colleague Cameron Tyler of Moonracer films when they thought, “the food scene in Sacramento is so amazing…what if we filmed it.” That nugget of an idea launched what is now one of the most beautiful celebrations of Sacramento and its food you will ever see called Breaking Bread. On Tuesday September 5 there was a very special premiere of the amazing limited series and the next day we sat down with Greg and Victor to talk about how the project came together, their experiences filming it and the amazing food they got to eat. Breaking Bread gives you wonderful, open conversations with some of Sacramento’s best chefs and takes you behind the scenes of what makes the culinary scene in Sacramento so special. You will laugh, cry, get goosebumps and get that warm feeling of awe and appreciation when you watch this series. It is absolutely stunning, and we are proud to bring you a conversation with two of the gentlemen who made it happen. The first episode aired last night. You can watch Breaking Bread on KCRA 3 the next two episodes air: Sunday September 10, at 9 p.m. Sunday September 17, at 9 p.m. You can also watch on the Very Local app. Download it for free on your phone or streaming device. Visit Moonracer films website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow The Dine One Six on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

Before Robert Masullo became a Sacramento pizza icon, he was the son of a Sac Bee journalist and a stay at-home mom. His mom was a major influence on his life as she taught him the values in hard work and making recipes from scratch. His Sacramento food orgin story is epic, with him riding a Vespa to Biba to wash dishes when he was 16. His love of food took him to the CIA in New York and then a little over a decade stop in Minnesota. He worked as a baker, learning the art and craft dough and how to perfect it. With dough still on his mind, he found his way back home to family and Sacramento, met his future wife and luckily for us, opened up Masullo Pizzeria. With many awards and much recognition, Robert has crafted his place in Sacramento history. Take a listen to hear this masterclass on pizza. Visit Masullo's website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

Ben Roberts grew up in Grass Valley where he loved skateboarding and punk rock. He dreamed of getting out of the small town but had no real plan, but after he met his future wife at a record shop, he followed her to Sacramento as she went to UC Davis and he looked to take any job he could find. That is the perfect recipe (pun intended) for a young kid to make his way into a kitchen. He got his start at R15 and then Shady Lady where a mentor showed him the right books to buy and Ben dove in head first. He soon realized that he wanted to cook beautiful, amazing food, and he knew that The Sellands group was a great place to do that. He made his way to Ella, where he worked for several years and became a jack of all trades, including making woodfired pizza for family meals. Eventually, he left to start his own mobile pizza business with a trailer and woodfire oven. He grinded in the heat of Sacramento for more than 4 years before he got an opportunity to open the storefront he occupies today. His pizza manages to be both classic and unique at the same time, but it’s without a doubt one of the best slices you’ll find anywhere in Sacramento. Visit Pizza Supreme Being's website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]

Chloe Booth got a taste for interesting food at a young age when her mom went to culinary school. But it was years later as a teenager when her grandmother bulldozed a job path for Chloe at Del’s Pizza in Fair Oaks. There she learned the ins and outs of the pizza business, from interacting with the regulars to managing 20 pizzas at a time in the ovens. After a break from restaurants Chloe saw a Facebook post about a new pizza place opening in Midtown. She went in for a stage shift and has never left. Today she is responsible for making most of the dough on a daily basis, sometimes for up to 170 pizzas in a single day. Listen to this episode to hear Chloe talk about the unique style of Pizza at Pizzasaurus Rex, the famed “dino sauce” and her hopes that one day there could be a horror themed bakery in Sacramento. Links: Pizzasaurus Rex website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram

Alison Clevenger moved from Arizona to Oregon to go to culinary school without ever checking out the campus, her mom just signed her up, drove her up there and dropped her off. That move set her life on a course where she would land in Sacramento and ultimately help build one of the premiere sweet treat destinations in the city, Ginger Elizabeth’s. Alison talks about taking naps on giant bags of flour, the growth of Ginger Elizabeth, perfecting the perfect ice cream sandwich (in Max’s opinion,) what it was like to leave her best friend and venture out into the more male dominated culinary world, making pastries for Ella, Sellands and The Kitchen and ultimately how she helped to relaunch a Sacramento culinary cult icon Doughbot donuts. Alison has since moved on to her next culinary adventure and we can’t wait to see what she does next but rest assured wherever she lands the creations will be stellar and we will drop whatever we are doing to try them. Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at [email protected]

Matt Brown loves to cook. That may seem obvious given he’s spent the last 20 years as a chef. But many chefs don’t cook between shifts…not Matt. He loves nothing more than cracking open a cookbook, a bottle of wine and spending a day off grilling in the summer or roasting in the winter. Matt got his start at pizzeria as a teenager and spent time at several other spots in Sacramento that are no longer in existence (Matt swore their closing wasn’t his fault.) After moving to Idaho for five years to work as a chef and a stint in Napa he returned to Sacramento to work at 58 Holding Co. and then The Golden Bear where he made a name for himself cooking some of the best food in town at the unassuming Sacramento favorite. Today Matt is a part owner and head chef at Bodega Kitchen and Cocktails where he has dived deep into research and cookbooks to find all sorts of Puerto Rican and Caribbean inspired recipes that he and his team could put their own spin on. They have termed it “California Pan Caribbean” cuisine, and it’s delicious. Check out Boega’s website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

Taylor Lovelace is the head chef at J.J. Pfister Distilling Company but her love affair with cooking started when she interned at The Kitchen while in culinary school. It was actually years before when she would chauffeur her parents to the famed restaurant that she got to try the food when the staff would feed her the menu in the back of the restaurant while her parents dined. Taylor went on to hit Sacramento hot-spots like Localis, Echo and Rig and Camden Spit and Larder before landing at J.J. Pfister as the head chef. Now she spends her time elevating sandwiches and salads into saucy flavor bombs. We answer many important questions in the episode from which is better: waffles or pancakes? What does M.C.B. stand for? And what makes a good sandwich? Check out JJ Pfister’s website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

In place of a usual episode, Max and Neill take turns asking each other food questions to give you insight into the minds of your favorite local food podcasters! What food are you embarrassed to say they don't like? What's the one meal you would make to impress someone? If you could only eat one cuisine for the rest of your life what would it be? And more!! This episode is in place of an episode that was supposed to be with Polo Adamo of Adamo's Kitchen but the audio was lost during a computer crash. Please go and try Adamo's for some of the best Italian food Sacramento has to offer! Adamo's kitchen Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

Eddie Torres learned the power of food connecting families at an early age when he would have Sunday dinners with more than 20 members of his extended family, most of whom lived in the same apartment complex. But it wasn’t until the great recession, which buckled the car industry where he was working, that he decided to go to culinary school. After school he bounced around town until making his way to Ella pretty quickly, starting at the bottom and working his way up to the line. Then, he heard from his boss that Kelly McCown was taking over at The Kitchen and looking to build his team. Eddie tried out and ended up working at The Kitchen for 6 years, working his way up to sous chef. Eddie talks about the intensity, the craft, the precision and the joy that it took to work at one of Sacramento’s most prestigious restaurants. Today he is back working with his good friend Ben Roberts who owns Pizza Supreme Being helping put out some of the best pizza in Sacramento, while he works on his own concept of a Puerto Rican inspired restaurant. Photo courtesy of @jamiecardenasphotographer Eddie’s instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

Dennis Sydnor first fell in love with cooking in his family home, smelling bbq and parker house rolls that his dad made. Then when he got his first kitchen job back in Cleveland at 17 he realized that his ability to cook impressed the girls and gave him some juice as the new kid in town. Soon he moved to the front of the house and fell in love with hospitality and being front and center watching people experience what he knew would become lifelong memories. Eventually, he longed to get back into the kitchen and moved back to Sacramento and went to culinary school to prove he was serious about getting behind the line. He has worked all over town including Grange, Red Rabbit, JB’s Lounge, Smokey Oaks, 1022 and even Golden One Center before setting out on his own during COVID doing pop ups and catering under the name Renegade Dining while also serving the students at a beauty school in Natomas. We get into his whole past and his hope for the future, as well as his amazing experience as the winner of an episode of Cutthroat Kitchen on Food Network which you’ll have to see to believe. And now you can on the Discovery+ app! Follow Dennis on Instagram @dennissydnorjr and Renegade Dining @renegade_dining Dennis’ episode of Cutthroat Kitchen is on Discovery Plus in season 13 titled “Mission Impastable” Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

Max and Neill sit down with Rebecca Campbell, owner and chef of Sac City Brews in Tahoe Park. They talk about Rebecca’s unconventional and even accidental move to running a kitchen. It’s not often you find someone with two Masters degrees running a kitchen, but she has taken her background in community development to create an amazing spot for the neighborhood of Tahoe Park and frankly for all of Sacramento. She talks about how growing up on a small farm in the foothills gave her an appreciation for the small farmers she works with today and how it took her years to realize that she is actually not just analytically minded but also a very creative person and it shows in her food. And we talk a lot about the creative twists on classics like: tater tots, nachos, wings, paninis and more. Visit Sac City Brews website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

Greg Desmangles got his start as so many do, in the dish pit of a family owned restaurant. But from his first weekend working on his feet all day bussing tables and washing dishes during beer week, Greg knew he wanted to be in a kitchen. Greg went on to stage at Taylor's kitchen soaking up all he could before going back to his uncle's restaurant Pangaea Beir Cafe and working prep. Today Greg has helped the family business grow to four restaurants, including Pangaea, Urban Roots Brewing and Smokehouse, Bawk! and Cerveceria at The Shack. Greg oversees all four operations and he tells Max and Neill how he got deep into the world of BBQ and hopes to plant a flag as nationally recognized BBQ spot right here in Sacramento. Resources from episode: Greg's Instagram Bawk Pangaea Beir Cafe Urban Roots Cerveceria at The Shack Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at [email protected] or [email protected] Listen to Bondolio episode about olive oil