The Restaurant Guys – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

Magyar Bank

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://cocteleriamixteca.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

Jeff Bell: Raising the Bar in NYC

Episode 147

mardi 11 novembre 2025 • Duration 01:00:20

The Banter

The Guys discuss a restaurant experience that let the rabbit out the hat.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys catch up with buddy Jeff Bell to discuss the bar scene in New York. From humble beginnings as a barback at PDT to owning it and several other of the coolest places in NYC, Jeff tells about his experiences of becoming a business owner, including (the requisite) major disaster during his first year.

The Inside Track

The Guys have known Jeff for years and were taken by his wisdom of bartending preparing him for fatherhood.

“ Being a bartender for years is just absolutely great training for parenthood. There is this volatility you get from people drinking [of] the highs and lows where they can just start laughing for no reason or crying for no reason… or have a bodily fluid mistake,” Jeff Bell on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Jeff Bell has been bartending and running bars for over 15 years. At Please Don’t Tell (commonly known as PDT) in the East Village of NYC, he started as a bar-back, worked his way up to head bartender and, eventually, owner. He is also a managing partner in PDT Hong Kong.

In 2025, Jeff co-launched a new venture: a bar concept called Mixteca, an agave-forward cocktail bar in the West Village. The concept is rooted in tequila and mezcal. He will be opening Kees bar, a different concept in the same location, later this year.

He also was in charge of restoring Peacock Alley in the Waldorf Astoria to “its original grandeur” reviving the space and cocktail offerings from the hotel’s rich history

Throughout his tenure at PDT Jeff has earned numerous accolades including Spirited Award: American Bartender of the Year 2017.

Info

Mixteca bar, NYC

On Friday, May 22 we'll be celebrating our 34th Anniversary with a 34 Bottle Walk Around Tasting. Join us!

https://www.stageleft.com/event/52226-34th-anniversary-party-ft-34-bottle-wine-spirits-tasting/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

Magyar Bank

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.barrelandroost.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

The Culinary School Promise — And the Kitchen Reality | Nicholas Harary

Episode 138

jeudi 9 octobre 2025 • Duration 37:28

Vintage episode (2007)

The Banter

The Guys kick off the show discussing date night plans that don’t involve food. Spoiler, there aren’t many.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys welcome back Nicholas Harary, owner of Restaurant Nicholas. The Guys quip that newborn Nicholas Jr. may start work in the kitchen immediately then they discuss the balance of family and work in a life of hospitality. The conversation moves Harary's passionate tirade against the state of culinary education and what he’s doing at his place to improve the experience for everyone.

The Inside Track

The Guys have known fellow New Jersey restaurateur Nicholas for years. While he is a culinary school graduate, he speaks out against the current institution and says this about its students.

“They’re going to the best schools in the world to learn their craft. They’re getting charged ridiculous amounts of money, but they’re not being prepared to do anything,” Nicholas Harary on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007

Bio

Nicholas Harary is an award-winning chef and restaurateur best known for founding Restaurant Nicholas, one of New Jersey’s most acclaimed fine-dining destinations. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Harary earned top honors from The New York Times and Zagat before reimagining his concept into Barrel & Roost, a modern, chef-driven comfort food restaurant in Red Bank. Alongside his wife Melissa, he also runs Nicholas Creamery, offering artisanal small-batch ice cream. Harary is a published cookbook author and passionate about food, family, and hospitality.

Info

Nicholas’ current restaurant

Nicholas Creamery

https://www.nicholascreamery.com/

On Friday, May 22 we'll be celebrating our 34th Anniversary with a 34 Bottle Walk Around Tasting. Join us!

https://www.stageleft.com/event/52226-34th-anniversary-party-ft-34-bottle-wine-spirits-tasting/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

Magyar Bank

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleft.com/event/52226-34th-anniversary-party-ft-34-bottle-wine-spirits-tasting/

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

Patrick O'Connell, Self-Taught Chef - 3 Michelin Stars

Episode 60

jeudi 9 janvier 2025 • Duration 36:52

The Banter

The Guys find humor in the imitation Twinkie kit marketed to families. Just let ‘em eat cake!

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys hear all about chef Patrick O’Connell’s extreme measures to heighten the guest experience at The Inn at Little Washington. He tries to view everything from the arrival to the meal to how they will speak about the visit through the eyes of the patron and crafts an unparalleled sojourn in his oasis in Virginia.

The Inside Track

The Guys have stayed at Patrick O’Connell’s Inn at Little Washington and couldn’t have enjoyed it more. It is a thrill to get a peek behind the curtain of how he creates an individualized ultimate dining fantasy for each guest.

“And you find that you can't just create one fantasy. You have to intuit what the guest's fantasy is and deliver that and even raise the bar give them something beyond which they imagined could happen,” Patrick O’Connell on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2006

Bio

Along with Reinhardt Lynch, he began a catering business in 1972 in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. In 1978, O'Connell and Lynch opened the Inn at Little Washington in an abandoned gas station.

O'Connell was one of the first American chefs courted by the France-based Relais & Chateaux. He is recognized as one of their "Grands Chefs" (formerly the designation was "Relais Gourmands" referring to establishments of two Michelin Star quality or better).

He has won numerous awards including Outstanding Chef in America in 2001 and Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region in 1993, both awarded by the James Beard Foundation. In 2019, he was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a member of the American Culinary Federation and was inducted into the ACF Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2019, O'Connell was awarded the National Humanities Medal.

Info

Inn at Little Washington
https://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/

Patrick’s book
Patrick O’Connell’s Refined American Cuisine

True Imitations of the Real McCoy
Brendan L. Corner
NYT 12 Feb 2006

On Friday, May 22 we'll be celebrating our 34th Anniversary with a 34 Bottle Walk Around Tasting. Join us!

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

Magyar Bank

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleft.com/event/52226-34th-anniversary-party-ft-34-bottle-wine-spirits-tasting/

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

Giorgio Bargiani: Behind The Connaught Bar

mardi 7 janvier 2025 • Duration 40:57

The Banter

The Guys talk about their meals at home and, unsurprisingly, they are persnickety.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys reconnect with award-winning Head Mixologist of The Bar at the Connaught Hotel in London, Giorgio Bargiani. Giorgio describes some of the specialties Connaught Bar is known for, but it’s difficult to capture what makes it so magical. They discuss Giorgio’s path to the Connaught Bar and how rewarding creating memories can be.

The Inside Track

The Guys have been to Connaught Bar many times and have had the pleasure of being hosted by Giorgio.

Giorgio believes that the road to being excellent is consistency.

“ Excellent is very much related to consistency. If you do something well you are doing something extraordinary for one day, because life goes on, people tend to forget, but when you are consistent. We provide an experience that is always unique for our guests, and we never compromise on who we are. We never compromise on what we do. We have a style of doing things that never sells out to others,” Giorgio Bargiani on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024

Bio

Giorgio Bargiani is a celebrated mixologist who has risen to international acclaim as the Head Mixologist at The Connaught Bar in London. In 2014, Giorgio joined The Connaught Bar team under the mentorship of master mixologist Agostino Perrone, he began as a bar back and was promoted to head mixologist in 2019. The Connaught Bar has been repeatedly recognized as one of the world’s best bars.

Among many other awards and recognition, Giorgio won the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best International Bar Team (with Agostino Perrone) in 2020 and International Bartender of the Year in 2023.

Along with Perrone and Maura Millia have written a Cocktail Recipe book The Connaught Bar, Recipes and Iconic Creations.

Info

Giorgio’s Book
The Connaught Bar: Cocktail Recipes and Iconic Creations

London Bar Recommendations
Connaught Bar, Kwant, Swift

On Friday, May 22 we'll be celebrating our 34th Anniversary with a 34 Bottle Walk Around Tasting. Join us!

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

Floyd Cardoz Spices Up New York

Episode 58

jeudi 2 janvier 2025 • Duration 30:42

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys finally meet chef Floyd Cardoz of the acclaimed Tabla restaurant in New York City. Floyd talks about his experiences that brought him to where he is today and how he melded cuisines of India and the ingredients available in the New York region to create the first New York Times three-star Indian-fusion restaurant.

The Inside Track

The Guys are huge fans of Floyd and later they became friends. Floyd’s passing in 2020 was a loss to them both professionally and personally. He left a legacy of passion for his craft and his heritage.

“Everything I put on my menu is not created from my head. It's all created from my heart. It's related to an experience I've had in the past, something I've eaten in the past, something I've seen in India. So everything I do has a story attached to it,” Floyd Cardoz on The Restaurant Guys 2005

Bio

Floyd Cardoz was born in India and received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry before exploring culinary school and moving to New York City in 1988. After working with chef Gray Kunz at Lespinasse he began working for Union Square Hospitality Group. He collaborated with Danny Myer to open Tabla in 1998.

Cardoz was a four-time James Beard Award nominee and the author of two cookbooks. He is winner of season 3 of Top Chef Masters. He was named among the "Top 50 Most Influential Global Indians" by GQ Magazine in 2011.

Info

Cardoz Legacy
https://cardozlegacy.com/floyds-restaurants/tabla

On Friday, May 22 we'll be celebrating our 34th Anniversary with a 34 Bottle Walk Around Tasting. Join us!

https://www.stageleft.com/event/52226-34th-anniversary-party-ft-34-bottle-wine-spirits-tasting/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

Magyar Bank

Stage Left Wine Shop

https://www.stageleft.com/event/52226-34th-anniversary-party-ft-34-bottle-wine-spirits-tasting/

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

The Restaurant Guys: An Incendiary Episode

Episode 57

mardi 31 décembre 2024 • Duration 13:52

The Banter

The Guys talk about elevating their town’s New Year’s Eve celebration and mishaps of New Year’s Eves past.

We are grateful for your support of the re-launch of The Restaurant Guys Podcast and wish you wonderful things in 2025! Happy New Year!

On Friday, May 22 we'll be celebrating our 34th Anniversary with a 34 Bottle Walk Around Tasting. Join us!

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

TEASER! Restaurant Guys Radio: The Last Call-in Show

samedi 28 décembre 2024 • Duration 09:07

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 here

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

This is a Vintage Selection from 2008

The Banter

The Guys host their last terrestrial radio show in 2008 by taking calls from their audience, revisiting meaningful topics and giving away things! Hear what the long-time listeners have to say about The Restaurant Guys.

On Friday, May 22 we'll be celebrating our 34th Anniversary with a 34 Bottle Walk Around Tasting. Join us!

https://www.stageleft.com/event/52226-34th-anniversary-party-ft-34-bottle-wine-spirits-tasting/

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

Robert Tinnell and His Feast of the Seven Fishes

Episode 56

jeudi 26 décembre 2024 • Duration 31:57

This is a Vintage Selection from 2011

The Banter

The Guys discuss a New York Times Review from their newly opened Catherine Lombardi restaurant. They are pleased because they met their expectations, if not their aspirations.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys welcome author Robert Tinnell to talk about his graphic novel The Feast of the Seven Fishes. It’s a tale of an Italian-American hosting Christmas Eve and bringing a newcomer to the spectacular dinner. Robert shares the impetus for writing this book and his dream (that came to fruition in 2018).

The Inside Track

The Guys have attended many Italian-American Christmas eves. Mark has experienced them his entire life and Francis joined in once he saw the magic. Robert and Mark compare notes on their varied experiences with big Italian-American families and the feast of the seven fishes.

“There's a growing disconnect when you get three, four, five generations, removed from the original immigrants, who themselves were just gung ho about becoming Americans. I'm happy to be a good American, but there's just a lot of wonderful things about my Italian heritage I'd like not to lose,” Robert Tinnell on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2011

Bio

Robert Tinnell is a director, producer, and graphic novelist. Robert directed such films as Feast of the Seven Fishes (2019), Frankenstein and Me (1996), and Kids of the Round Table (1995). His producer credits include Back Fork (2019), The Hunted (2013) and Surf Nazis Must Die (1987).

His graphic novel writing includes Flesh and Blood, The Living and The Dead, The Black Forest, The Wicked West, and the Eisner Award Nominee Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Info

Graphic Novel
Feast of the Seven Fishes

Movie
Feast of the Seven Fishes (2018)

On Friday, May 22 we'll be celebrating our 34th Anniversary with a 34 Bottle Walk Around Tasting. Join us!

https://www.stageleft.com/event/52226-34th-anniversary-party-ft-34-bottle-wine-spirits-tasting/

Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular

Magyar Bank

Stage Left Wine Shop