Nc F&b Podcast

Learn how to plan your life. Coleen Speaks has it all mapped out. Coleen knew that she wanted to live in New Orleans after high school so she found a university in New Orleans that would accept her and fit her needs. She knew accounting would be a major part of running a business so she decided to major in it in college. While in college she strategically decided that working front of the house at for would be more knowledge she could bank for her own future business.  After New Orleans, Coleen intentionally went to a city that was on the rise as a culinary destination. Not only did Coleen move to Raleigh but also when she got here she worked for none other then , waiting tables at the cutting edge . While working at Enoteca she also began her catering business, oh and by the way she was five months pregnant! Mrs. Speaks is the ultimate juggler however it’s evident that when you love what you do, and you know where you want to go, you grow extra hands to juggle with. Coleen grew from a small kitchen in her

doesn’t stop. After Blake regained consciousness from a heroin overdose to find himself in his mother’s arms and alive he regained control of his life. His near death experience was the catalyst for him to be able to juggle so many businesses and activities. Whether Blake is curing meat to end up at your next dinner party or perhaps on your sandwich order from , he doesn’t stop. Blake might be pickling vegetables picked from his own garden so that he can use that in a future dish. It doesn’t end there as Blake might be helping his expecting wife Megan create a new icing for her business or he might be reaching out to colleagues to help him out in a charity dinner. At this juncture of the story you get the point, Blake Gotliffe is not only a tenacious worker but a talented and resourceful chef. Hear how darkness turns to light in this story of an addict revived!

“Cheap seafood ain’t good & good seafood ain’t cheap!” Listen to the silky tones of the Steward of North Carolina Aquaculture aka our original fan, contestant Keith Rhodes explain that statement. Chef Keith walks the walk and talks the talk. He literally eats, breathes and sleeps (in that order by the way) the North Carolina food culture. Rare is it to find such humility, passion and sincere zeal for others’ success, in such an accomplished chef. Chef Keith Rhodes is a 3 time best chef Wilmington award winner and a nominee for best chef in the Southeast. Keith discuses the high level of work, dedication and focus it takes to be successful in the restaurant business. We delve into how a prospective chef should build their resume. We come to understand how the culinary culture has ethnically evolved in this country; thanks to television minorities can see chefs of the same ethnic background become successful in the culinary world, it becomes a “if you can see, I can be” mentality. There are so many valuab

The future Mayor of must be Billy Mellon. Billy is a driving force behind putting Wilmington on the culinary map. is one of the culinary beacons of North Carolina, east of interstate 95. Thanks to his stick-to-itiveness, resiliency, innate sense of hospitality and his attention to detail, Manna is thriving. In addition to building a restaurant, Billy shakes hands, kisses babies, finds up-and-coming musical acts and also directs the . He literally does it all from helping to raise his son, curate the wine list, oh and now he’s writing a book. Billy is not only the future mayor of Wilmington but he is also the angel feeding the people “Manna” from heaven. Fascinating does not even begin to describe Billy; you will have to listen for the whole story. On top of everything, we learn what Ronnie James Dio means and the origin of Devil Horns. When I tell you this episode has it all, believe me.

Walk up the down staircase a few times in your life. Going in the opposite direction will give you perspective and give you insight into the minds of Dean Neff and Lydia Clopton. Dean and Lydia’s journey took them from Athens, GA to Atlanta through Asheville, NC to finally settle on the coast in Wilmington, NC. Some Chef’s come in with pre-conceived notions of what a restaurant in going to be but not Dean and Lydia, they let the place and space dictate the menu. Some might say they listened to the waves. Pinpoint takes fresh and local ingredients and turns them into sophisticated yet crowd pleasing food. We learn how local catfish can be elevated into an ethereal dish and how roasted dandelion root can turn into delicious ice cream. Dean Neff learned from the best such as and , after fifteen plus years of world class tutelage Dean was ready for his own restaurant. With Lydia Clopton providing desserts to equal Dean’s savory menu a gem of a restaurant was born right near the water in downtown Wilmington, NC.

Would you like to be wealthy? Listen closely to Chef Ben Barker's wisdom and you will be rich with stories of humility, North Carolina history and family values. Chef Ben Barker is literally a living legend of NC, he has won the for best chef in the southeast and has been nominated six times. His restaurant Magnolia Grill was the epicenter of North Carolina Cuisine for decades. The coolest part of Ben’s story goes beyond the man. Ben’s wife is also a James Beard award winner for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2003. On top of all their success, the Barkers are still in the game as they are intimately involved in their son Gabe’s restaurant . Join us in Carrboro, NC where we sat down to chat with the Godfather of North Carolina fine dining.

Charlie is quite a big Deal! Learn how one man, who could at times be perceived as curmudgeonly, is in fact a gregarious restaurateur. is a chef, sommelier and innovator all wrapped up into one. We covered everything in this episode. We learned why Charlie left the Golden State behind to move to North Carolina. Hear how he changes food to match the wine. Why there is too much sugar in most Asian food. We learned the art of the short list and how to cleverly buy close out wine deals. Listen to why Charlie is in love with Gamay. Oh yeah we also talked about virginity.  

is a woman possessed with success. Whether the task is staging at for or working harvest in Burgundy for she will achieve. Get this woman to a spin class in the morning and watch her run the world for the rest of the day.   Jordan joined us at in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Jordan was in NC to raise awareness for her creations and . While Jordan was here we took the opportunity to chat about what it’s like to work for and be the Director of Wine and Special Projects for . We also got behind the scenes of what it’s like to sit for the , be a mom and a somm and finally what High-Low means.   Listen to this episode to be inspired, awed and entertained. Jordan’s story is one of endless energy and drive plus intelligence and charm. Forget TED Talks, sit down with Jordan for about an hour.

Say yes, that is the motto that Sunny Lin lives by and how Sophia Woo gets her to join in on the Pho-King fun. These girls turned their lives upside down and literally took a wild ride in creating the Within a year of beginning the Vietnamese food truck they were approached by to compete in . Despite almost crashing the truck and many other potential disasters, the newly named won the Competition. The winnings from the television show gave the ladies a small nest egg, Sophia had an idea, Sunny said yes and soon enough opened in downtown Raleigh, NC. This episode takes you on a grand journey. You will learn how a biomedical engineer and a accountant upheave their lives and follow their passion into the culinary realm. From food truck wars to battling the restaurant scene in downtown Raleigh, these ladies are warriors!  

Out to the coast we traveled, (that’s right, Wilmington, North Carolina) to find out what’s new with Co- Tar heel of the Year Mrs. Vivian “High Rent/Big Time/The Viver” Howard & her man at arms Mr. Ben aka Benny “Big Time” Knight. Max and Matt vetted Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria and made sure the coast was clear for you to visit. https://www.facebook.com/bennysbigtime/ This Pizzeria is appropriately named; everything about it is truly Big Time! We found out this project was a Ben does and Vivian ask questions later scenario. In the end, sometimes the husbands do know best and this place is proof. Find out about their neopolitanesque pizza, the wood fired ovens and how they came to put their trust in Chef James Diecchio aka “we love Dim.” One final tidbit, a little birdie told me you might see this episode on season 6 of A Chef’s Life. (http://www.pbs.org/food/shows/a-chefs-life/) Director Cynthia Hill and crew had the cameras rolling! Oh and I almost forgot we find out more about Vivian’s rock star reading w

Creating with your hands is almost as sexy as that scene from Ghost with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. Who knew that local North Carolina clay, a stove on steroids (aka a kiln) and one brain researcher could be so damn cool? I’ll tell you who did, TV’s John May and bad ass chef Mike Lee of M Sushi, M Koko and soon to be M Taco. Those two culinary titans recognized that the dinnerware of Matt Hallyburton could showcase their food in a fervently stylish but useful way that no other plates had done. John and Mike are not the only one’s to have recognized Matt’s talents, his lore has stretched south as he has caught the eye of chef Sean Brock and collaborated with him to create plate ware for the new Husk restaurant in Georgia. Matt explains pottery from the digging of the clay to the firing of the glaze. In this episode you will learn about “throwing a piece,” temperature use on clay, North Carolina potting history and why some glazes are better than others. When you listen to this episode you will understand t

Rich molasses and sweet unrefined sugar is how you make rum, a new lifestyle and a fortune. Well, maybe not the fortune part at least not financially but spiritually, scientifically and flavorfully the Lassiter’s are building a fortune! Rebecca and Gentry Lassiter have a fresh and intellectual spin on how to build a business and market a spirit. Artistic latitude, “Distill My Heart,” from Redboot Stills, Iowa and the white oak from Blackwater barrel in South Carolina is what differentiates Lassiter Rum from the rest. In this episode you will hear how a corporate couple transitions into the world of distilling and sometimes more importantly the marketing of spirits. This episode has it all, family, tears, laughter, nerd rum speak and legal malarkey. Gobble gobble ladies and gents, listen while you baste your turkey!

Fascinating is not often a word you associate with a butcher, but that's Meredith Leigh. http://www.mereleighfood.com Meredith is not only fascinating, she’s a bad ass butcher, a writer and most importantly a thoughtful human being. This is the story of how a vegetarian ends up seeing the other side of meat, or in other words ethical meat. In this episode we learned how you can DIY butchering at home with sub primal meats such as the “Chuck Eye Roll,” “The Craft and Poetry of Curing Meat at Home,” bit.ly/2A1OtuI why “I’m Right and You’re an Idiot,” and finally why Max has an adolescent brain. Rarely in life do we meet people who are so considerate of not only the environment and every thing in it but, also aware of adverse perspectives. Whether you are a carnivore or a vegetarian this is a must listen. Thank you Meredith for your awareness and for your literary works.

These spoken words will take you higher as you understand the inner thoughts from the host of https://orderfire.tv. Learn how chefs elevate and create, whether it’s on television or in a kitchen, Marc Jacksina is always thinkin’.  Marc dishes on slam poetry, Charlotte and work life balance, with this man’s work ethic, he could probably do as many push-ups as Jack Palance. The city slick is in him but he sure knows how to pick em’, produce, veggies, meat or fish listen up because Marc has all the ingredients to serve the best dish.  Peter Taylor films and produces the story so Marc can bring all the culinary talent their due glory. Listen to this man and learn, between drama, family and food, if there’s a concern in this episode an answer will be discerned.

The secret to great bread making is fermentation. Master baker Lionel Vatinet of La Farm bakery in Cary divulged that secret and many others in the latest episode. We get the skinny on why and how Lionel became a master baker. Also, Matt finally gets a legitimate answer as to why French bread is superior to all others. Why does a French Master Baker end up in Cary, North Carolina? Lionel honed his craft from the age of 16 in the bread guild (aka Les Compagnon des Devoir) and one of the key tenets of the guild is travel. Lionel’s journey has literally taken him all over the world. Lionel has done everything from coaching Lebanese on how to perfect pita bread to teaching bakers in San Francisco how to improve their sourdough. Ever the suave Frenchmen, Lionel met his wife Missy on a work project in Chicago. After a cross-country love affair Lionel and his wife decided that north Carolina would be the ideal location to begin a sophisticated bakery. Today La Farm is opening up their third location and this time it

Episode 66 - Birdsong Brewing with Chris Goulet Quit your job, open up a neighborhood brewery and completely geek out on beer! That’s what Tara and Chris Goulet did. If you accept this mission and are as smart and enthusiastic as Chris, you too within 5 years will have a 17,000 square foot facility and 30 barrel brewhouse to make any damn beer you please! Especially beers named after the band Rush. Chris brews up all kinds of knowledge and thought on #craftbeer. Birdsong is based on a simple American Style Pale Ale and this strong base allows them to experiment with many other concoctions. The creativity of Birdsong created a cult following that literally has beer aficionados foaming at the mouth while waiting for the “Thirsty Thursday” release. Our adventure in beer began in episode 44 with Bond brothers when we learned a lot scientifically about beer. With Birdsong we go further into the business side of a craft brewery. Whether it’s fresh cut jalapeños in the Jalapeño Pale ale or the considerate low water

Episode 65 - Maximilian Kast of Broadbent Selections Journey from Montana to Pittsboro North Carolina with Advanced Sommelier Maximillian Kast. Max enlightens the NC F&B Pod on what it’s like to work at the 5 diamond Forbes award winning property, the Fearrington House. Max also shared why he chose to leave the Fearrington house after 10 years and go to the “dark side,” AKA sales and marketing side of wines with Broadbent Selections. http://www.broadbent.com We also get a glimpse of what it’s like to sit for the Master Sommelier exam as we blind taste through six wines with Max. In the tasting we find out how a Master Sommelier candidate dissects a glass of wine and uses deductive reasoning to “suss” out its origins. Finally, Max and Matt are also put to the test in this episode in order to find out their blind tasting prowess. Listen and taste with us while we schmooze and sip with Max Kast.

Episode 67 - Grand Tasting TerraVita 2017 Were you unable to make it to Terra Vita this year? No worries, Max & Matt have you covered. We did everything, including eat for you. Take a listen to hear highlights from the “premier culinary event in the Southeast.” We help “spread the gospel of sustainable food and drink,” through the stories of award-winning chefs, authors, educators, producers and farmers. The line up went like this: Jamie Swofford- “I grow, forage, and find ingredients for chefs in the piedmont and foothills of NC” He’s also the Maker of @oldnorthshrub Botanical Beverages. www.thechefsfarmer.com Chef Ricky Moore- Proprietor- Seasonal Seafood Freshly Cooked, Good Fish That's The Hook. www.saltboxseafoodjoint.com and find out why #rickysgotshittodo Chef Isaiah Allen- of http://theeddypub.com in Saxapahaw, NC and Rocky Run Farm dishes about farms, pubs and food. Chef Sarah Cuni gets to the root of the problem of food, wine and politics at https://rootcellarchapelhill.com Chef’s Jeff Seizer &a

We #GetSmashed with the gents from Smash Waffle! Justin Cox waffles biggest hero and Hunter Harrison waffles biggest “fanboi” are teeming with entrepreneurial enthusiasm. We riffed on the origin of the “Belgian Liege Waffle,” and why their recipe is crisp on the outside and pleasantly doughy on the inside. Waffles are not just for breakfast anymore, they are for lunch, dinner, dessert and a late night snack. This episode will make you hungry at anytime of the day. Pretty soon you will be able to cure that hunger as Smash Waffle is opening up brick and mortar locations near you. The First Smash Waffle café will be in Raleigh, NC. Justin and Hunter are precise, enthusiastic and sincere. You will hear about how they conceived smash waffles, the grass roots marketing campaign that launched it and finally how Justin despite being a non-written recipe believer is able to translate his recipe into a repeatable, franchise creating formula. Listen to an adventure in business, friendship, and creating a food group. And

Episode 62 - euphoria Greenville, SC 2017 Max & Matt hightailed it to euphoria in Greenvile, South Carolina to catch up with legends and rising stars of the culinary world. The conversations had there were not only euphoric, they were historic. Leading off was a 2009 James Beard Award nominee for best chef in the southeast, Mr. Bruce Moffett. Bruce has three restaurants in Charlotte, Barrington, Good Food on Montford & Stagoni. We talked about his upcoming book “South by North,” his influence on elevating the Charlotte food scene, which oh by the way he won a Pegasus award for! We did have to end the conversation when Chef Bruce began professing his love for the New England Patriots all while explaining why his son was a Carolina Panthers fan. Then, Matt & Max knelt at the feet of BBQ royalty Sam Jones as he joined us with Matthew Register of Southern Smoke BBQ. Sam and Matt dug deep into the pit of BBQ, we discussed regional differences, wood preference and of course vinegar versus tomato based s