The Restaurant Guys

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Martini Expo 2026 | Vol. 2: Colin Asare-Appiah, François Monti & Ryan Maybee

Recorded on location at the Martini Expo in Chicago. Why This Episode Matters Colin Asare-Appiah takes The Guys inside Ajabu, the cocktail and spirits festival connecti

Oct 1
58 min

Martini Expo 2026 | Vol. 1: Toby Maloney, Jackson Cannon, Federico Lombardi & Dan Smith

Recorded on location at the Martini Expo in Chicago. Why This Episode Matters Toby Maloney looks back at the first wave of the modern cocktail renaissance from Milk & H

Sep 29
1 h 01 min

Hospitality Should Be Fun | Rick Tramonto

This is a Vintage episode from 2006. Why This Episode Matters Rick Tramonto makes the case for fine dining that is polished and precise without being stiff or intimidat

Sep 24
29 min

Pasta, Balsamic & Calm Chaos: Inside Monteverde | Sarah Grueneberg

Recorded on location at Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago Why This Episode Matters Grueneberg explains why being willing to step down in title to keep lear

Sep 22
48 min

Nothing Stops a Bullet Like a Job | Father Greg Boyle

This is a Vintage episode from 2007. Why This Episode Matters Father Greg Boyle explains how Homeboy Industries uses jobs, training and support to help former gang memb

Sep 17
27 min

Last Call at the Funeral Home: Inside a Secret Speakeasy | Andrew Loos & Phil Worden

Why This Episode Matters Til Death The Speakeasy is literally hidden beneath a working funeral home outside Kansas City and unlike most modern “speakeasies,” it really i

Sep 15
44 min

Are We Loving Seafood to Death? | Rick Moonen

This is a Vintage episode from 2006. Why This Episode Matters Long before sustainable seafood became a mainstream restaurant conversation, Rick Moonen was pushing chefs

Sep 10
29 min

Preserving the Seasons: Canning, Pickling & Seasonal Cooking | Paul Virant

This is a Vintage episode from 2012. Why This Episode Matters Chef Paul Virant explains how preservation can extend truly seasonal cooking well beyond the growing seaso

Sep 3
36 min

Knowing When to Change: Ice Cream, Fine Dining & Reinvention | Nicholas Harary

Why This Episode Matters Nicholas Harary explains why he chose to reinvent one of New Jersey’s most acclaimed fine-dining restaurants before the business forced him to.A

Sep 1
49 min

The Mystique, Money and Madness of Truffles | Jane Black | Preview

You’re hearing a preview of this subscriber bonus episode. Restaurant Guys’ Regulars can hear the full episode, plus other commercial-free bonus episodes, at restaurantg

Aug 27
11 min

Stripper Food, Bachelor Parties & Other Bad Ideas | Inside Track

This is a Vintage compilation from 2010. Why This Episode Matters A Real Housewives of New Jersey cookbook introduces one particularly memorable piece of dietary advice

Aug 25
17 min

Can Local Food Save a Town? | Ben Hewitt

This is a Vintage episode from 2010. Why This Episode Matters Hardwick, Vermont became an early test case for whether local food and small agricultural businesses could

Aug 20
47 min

How Do We Get a New Generation Into Wine? | Tony Margiotta

Why This Episode Matters Why wine may not be losing younger drinkers so much as failing to introduce itself to them wellHow small, independent producers can offer someth

Aug 18
50 min

Heirloom Seeds, Local Farms & Better Food | Erica Renaud

This is a Vintage episode from 2006. Why This Episode Matters Erica Renaud explains why heirloom, traditional and open-pollinated seeds matter to agricultural biodivers

Aug 13
29 min

Authentic Italian Food vs. the Algorithm | Vincenzo Prosperi

Why This Episode Matters Italian food isn’t one cuisine. Vincenzo Prosperi explains why Italy’s regional traditions matter—and what gets lost when everything is reduced

Aug 11
52 min

Non-Alcoholic Pairings at Thomas Keller’s Restaurants | Paul Roberts

This is a Vintage episode from 2006. Why This Episode Matters Why guests who are not drinking deserve a beverage experience equal to the food, not simply still or spark

Aug 6
30 min

Farm-to-Table Was Only the Beginning | Spike Gjerde

Why This Episode Matters What local sourcing looked like before restaurants had reliable farm-to-kitchen distribution.Why supporting local agriculture is an economic com

Aug 4
53 min

Can Wine Unlock Creativity? | Michael Gelb

This is a Vintage episode from 2010. Why This Episode Matters Discover how wine can encourage creativity, conversation and more mindful experiences.Learn why comparativ

Jul 30
27 min

The American Beefsteak: Politics and Excess | Sother Teague

Recorded live at the House of Suze during Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans 2026. Why This Episode Matters Discover how the American beefsteak became a tool for poli

Jul 28
32 min

How Prohibition Backfired on America | Daniel Okrent

This is a Vintage episode from 2010. Why This Episode Matters How a freedom-loving nation came to outlaw the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcohol through a c

Jul 23
46 min

Chart trend

Position in the Food chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#101#200JulAugSepOct

#34

all-time peak

days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where The Restaurant Guys ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 2, 2026).

#100 ▲ 22 Food US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Listening to The Restaurant Guys is the next best thing to hanging out with Francis and Mark at their restaurants in New Brunswick (Stage Left Steak and Catherine Lombardi. Francis Schott and Mark Pascal, partners for 30 years, are two of the brightest and most genuine human beings I know and amongst the best proprietors in this industry. Their total ease and lively conversation bring out the best stories from the top chefs, bartenders and owners in the hospitality business. Their passion for their work and respect for their employees, translates to an amazing experience for their guests. The conversation starts with food and drink and often ends with the world and where we wish to go as human beings. The Restaurant Guys started their careers with a passion for fine food and drink and an insatiable desire to learn. Their endless curiosity ignites that passion in their guests. So, make yourself a drink, pull up a chair and have a listen. Dale DeGroff, Bartender, Author and Bon Vivant

kingcocktail · Aug 2024

People who visit restaurants, may think they know how restaurants tick, but Francis and Pascal take us behind the veneer on a wide range of topics. Some of the new (2024) podcasts are nicely paired with ones from the archive, consisting of quaffable segments, which shows a now and then contrast very well. The interviews also take us through the back story of some of the interviewees too, and adds color to what we know and how we might understand the industry better Well worth spending the time on the podcast, they’re bite sized, so you won’t put on weight, but you will drool from time to time with the descriptions!

davork · Jul 2024

The best way to learn about something is through someone who is passionate about the things they’re teaching you. Few people are better teachers, especially when it comes to spirits, wine and hospitality, than these two gentlemen. Keep up the awesome work.

TheMightyOiBaF · Jul 2024

I enjoyed listening to Mark and Francis years ago on the radio and on the web (were they even called podcasts yet?). Great guests and interesting interviews from the perspective of two guys with a restaurant. And now they're back, with more great guests (Jacques Pepin!!) and the same perspective, just with an additional decade of wisdom. They're producing new episodes and re-running some of the best ones from before. Don't miss out!

Kevin Kretz · Jul 2024

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.