On this Sunday's Foodie & The Beast, there was a little snafu with one of the guests, but sometimes things just work out. We had such an engaged and exciting group in studio -- the hour just flew:  This coming weekend is the trifecta! Back to school, Labor Day & the Jewish Holidays -- Central Farm Markets is ready for all the action. We didn't sing "Shake It Up" in studio but we might have well had, Jennifer Kiendl, Bar Manager at Magnolia's in the Mill shook up an amazing array of her locally sourced cocktails. Brent Kroll was back and updated us on the latest happenings at his Maxwell Park (Shaw & Navy Yard locations) and brought with him new chef Masako Morishita. Chef Morishita has created a menu that updates the dishes she grew up learning from her family's restaurant.  It's not pizza it's pinsa! The special style of pizza from Rome is catching on in the states and Chef/owner of Via Roma, Biagio Cepollaro, is helping to make that happen. Click to listen to the latest deliciousness. Tune in Sundays at 11AM on 1500AM or subscribe and listen anytime on any podcast channel.

When the pandemic began - 18 months ago - we had no idea what was going to happen with the Foodie & The Beast radio show, until we got a call from our producer (Andy!) who said: The show must go on -- but with a couple of changes. That week we began doing the show from our bedroom and we recorded the show on Saturdays via Zoom. That experience really opened our eyes to all the ways we can better our show and its content. This week is a great example:    -Mitch Berliner of Central Farm Markets always had the latest about what's at the Market: grapes ~ a rarity for local farmer markets - After a year of Popping Up, Cork is Popping Out! Diane Gross & Khalid Pitts are partnering w/ Chef Ruth Gresser to open a new Cork Market in the Pizzeria Paradiso Spring Valley location. Deets and delish wines poured on air. (Rosé was in the mix, natch) - Industry vet, Shane Mayson swung open the doors of his new, Crazy Aunt Helen's on Barrack's Row with Chef Mykie Moll serving Miss Pixie-style and comforting dishes. David may have consumed a large amount of the deviled eggs and bread pudding -- just saying  - Food (media) is my profession but fashion is my passion, and luckily the Design Foundry's, (a DC-based events company known for its artistic event displays) too. Cory Frank joined us to talk the summer activation fashion funhouse,  #InsideTheWardrobe - The Gathering Spot is a curated, membership community, deeply rooted in culture, that serves as a catalyst for collabs, connections, and innovation. Mitchell McCraw & Chef Martel Stone -- see delish dish above -- decide if we can get in (joking!) The show must go on, it did and does every Sunday at 11am on 1500am or click to listen to the latest.

After a week away, it’s always good to be back in the Foodie & The Beast studio with the latest and greatest happening around the region. For this week, we're always happy to head down New Orlean’s way especially when “Growers” Champagne is involved: Deb Moser of Central Farm Market brought the health stats of community stands Industry veteran, Elli Benchimol has popped open her glorious gem of a Champagne Bar, Apero Art curator and promoter, Shane Pomajambo brings art, culture and cuisine to Ballston Chef Darrell Johnson (winner of Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race) transports us to his grandmother’s kitchen and some of the best food in New Orleans  The show ends with a lil’ travel rant from Nycci. What can we say - airline travel is just not what it used to be or what it should be. Regardless — tune in  — and tune in every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. on 1500AM.

Have we mentioned how excited we are to be back in studio? Well, we are! It feels so good to have these interviews face-to-face. The interaction is totally at another level. The plethora of cocktails and platters of sweet treats have nothing to do with it. On this week’s show:  *The Washington Post has called Andy Bixby, creative director of beverage at The Imperial, a “cocktail wizard,” for his uber-creative house cocktail ingredients. Andy’s enthusiasm behind the bar and on-air is infectious.  *Thanks to the pandemic, there’s now a dearth of trained hospitality workers for the front and back of the house. Howard Community College is helping to replenish the pool of skilled workers by offering classes to earn with offers baking and pastries certificates and other culinary arts & hospitality certificates. The man in charge there is Tim Banks, associate professor and department chair for the Center for Hospitality and Culinary Studies. He talked the program and its successes. *Casie Vogel is a lover of all things carbonated, whether it’s a spiked seltzer happy hour or her daily Diet Coke. She loves them so much that she wrote a book: The Hard Seltzer Cocktail Book. She’s a bubbly conversationalist, duh!                             *Gluten-free baked goods ALERT. Nieshia Williams is the Owner/Pastry Chef of the new Golden Flour bakery. Aside from making really delicious gluten-free goods, she has a whole story to tell, but the teaser is that she was invited to audition for The Great British Baking Show but…turned them down. Foodie & The Beast is back and it is really delicious. Listen in to the latest episode~

Being back in studio feels good. Like, we have to pinch ourselves that we are gathering in studio and toasting and tasting and celebrating all that industry folks are doing. On Sunday's #FoodieAndTheBeast David and Nycci chatted with: *Deb Moser called in from Maine to chat keeping your Central Farm Market finds cool in the heat. *Craft Gin from India makes sense since the Gin & Tonic was created there. Megan Coyle poured, stirred, and shook up an array of tastes featuring Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin.  *Very little slows restaurateur Ashok Bajaj down, even a pandemic! Always a delight to have him in studio to talk about his latest projects, including the recently opened La Bise. Ashok and executive chef Tyler Stout walked us through the creation of the newest property.                                                  *Why dry age steak? Scott Kobryn explained the process and why aging creates a better-tasting steak. His Steakager device creates a micro-climate within a refrigerator for dry-aging beef. *The Lyle Washington DC, a new independent hotel from Lore Group, recently opened in Dupont Circle and chef Nick Sharpe is the man behind the stove executing the impressive menu (and he brought orange-scented monkey bread, yee-um)                                                                                        *Dvon Holland Williams is the force behind Sweet Scoops, A Black/Latina woman-owned small business at Union Market serving up a dizzying array of Philly-style water ices. Listen in to the scoop here.

Foodie & The Beast is back baby. Actually, we never left but we have been recording the show out of our bedroom for the last 16 months! What an absolute gift to be back in studio with producer Andy and all of our incredible guests:  *Mitch Berliner of Central Fam Markets chatted Gazpacho  *Georgia Dunn, the woman behind the British West Indies Trading Company, joined us to pour a variety of her family-inspired beverages like ginger beer — as it was originally made — and hard lemon and mango “ades” made with the simplest of ingredients.  *Good friend and one of the area’s beloved chefs and restaurant owners, Kyle Bailey has been very busy during the pandemic opening up one of the sparkliest restaurants - Dauphine’s - to hit DC in a long time.  *Nature’s Path Gardens for Good program recognizes the critical role of community gardens through grants. Samantha Falk talked the program’s mission and efforts while grant recipeint, Truphena Choti, shared how she is bringing gardens and all their goodness to her community. *Not one to sit idly by, restaurateur Hakan Ilhan had to do some twists and turns during the pandemic. Coming soon is his new Il Piatto helmed by chef Christ Lanydrek.  We ate, we drank, and we talked. A lot. It feels so good to be back. Tune in to the latest #FoodieAndTheBeast — it's the closet thing to being there. 

Our last Foodie & The Beast from home. We are going back in studio next week! Hard to believe it’s been a year and a half of doing the show out of Nycci & David's bedroom but we did. And for our (hopefully) last home show, you know we made it good: *Per usual started off the show with Central Farm Market’s Mitch Berliner. Berries, stone fruits and all your Fourth of July needs. *What’s shaking at Tiki Thai? Jeremy Ross, beverage director and general manager chatted Tiki-inspired cocktails and Mai Tai celebrations. *Cara Nicoletti, a fourth generation butcher, winner of The Food Network’s Chopped, television host of VICE Munchies’ The Hangover Show and Open Fire, and author of literary cookbook, Voracious and now the brains behind the veggie-forward sausages, Seemore Meats & Veggies. *He came. He saw. He purchased … locally. Bart Yablonsky of Dawson’s Market Rockville has taken over the Glen’s Garden Market space. Same ethics and commitment to local — a real match made in the market.  *And lastly, but hardly leastly, Michelle Troxell and Joey Olson of Grace Thomas Designs join us to talk about what’s probably the hottest home renovation focus – kitchens, and the latest innovation for them, from built-in coffee bars to special pet areas. You know I want it.  So click to hear the latest episode and when we come back after the holiday, we will be Back. In. Studio.  #WeCantWait

Sometimes we inspire others and sometimes others inspire us. On Saturday as David and Nycci recorded Foodie & The Beast, they were inspired to get in their car and go out for a late lunch ... but more about that in a minute. On this week's show, we chatted... *Bushels of berries and the first summer stone fruits with Mitch Berliner of Central Farm Market.  *Got re-aligned thanks to spiritual herbalist, Deb Schaffer, founder of Enchanted Botanicals. *Grassfed, True Aussie Beef & Lamb helps home cooks and food pros in America achieve culinary success. Catherine Golding and Pam Smith talked about product access and nutrition.  *Cagla Onal’s Mediterranean café counter and market, the Green Almond Pantry, reopened in Georgetown last month following a fire that shuttered its Shaw storefront in December 2020. The new location offers nearly double the seating. We chatted trials, tribulations, and the rebirth of the Green Almond Pantry. *He’s baaaccck! Last time chef/owner of Modern Mexican Restaurants, Richard Sandoval was on air with us I may have used some colorful language when it came to how women order steaks. Now the culinary consultant, television personality, cookbook author, and brand ambassador with 52 restaurants around the world has unveiled his newest, dLeña Wood-Fire Mexican Cocina & Mezcaleria in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. Back to being inspired. David and Nycci finished the show and went down to visit Cagla at Green Almond Pantry. The 7-minute egg sandwich with watermelon radish, pickled mustard seed & anchovies -- seen above -- is making me salivate just thinking about it. We also had the green tomato foccacia, the heirloom tomato salad with feta and heaps of herbs, smoky cabbage, black-eyed pea salad and not one but two desserts: the local raspberry and olive oil cake and the decadent chocolate cake. There's a reason Green Almond Pantry has a cult-like following. Listen in for all of the deliciousness here.

It’s getting hotter on Foodie & The Beast and no, that is not because our AC is on the fritz — the DC food, wine & hospitality scene is roaring back to life and we — as usual — are talking to the people that are making it happen: Cherries and all the berries are back at area Central Farm Markets, Deb Moser always has the latest. Prime Roots is a woman-led, alternative meat company that is re-imagining meat for people and the planet. Founder Kimberlie Le talks fungus and food. Whisked!, the DC-based bakery founded by Jenna Huntsberger is celebrating 10 years of delicious nostalgic-tinged baked goods. Lots of changes at Middleburg’s Salamander Resort. Recently appointed chef Bill Welch takes us on a “virtual tour" of all the culinary changes. We were fortunate enough to enjoy the incredible El Cielo experience a few weeks back and are just as fortunate to learn some of the tricks of the trade from chef Sebastian Moreno Henao. Listen in for all the delicious details here.

We just got word that Foodie & The Beast will be back in studio after the July 4th holiday! David and Nycci are so excited to bring the party back on air. Having said that, this week's still show provided all the delicious fun:    *As we are every week, we were joined by Deb Moser of Central Farm Markets who provided updates on new arrivals at market, and ideas for all that produce like DIY infusions and shrubs. *General manager and corporate beverage director Michael Deery at Nara Ya, the new neo-traditional Japanese concept at the Wharf, chatted celebrated Chef Kaz Okochi culinary director role and the massive Sake program. *Mark Mele, chief development officer at Paris Baguette, popped online for an insider’s view of the thinking behind this explosively successful company that’s expanding all over the world. Originally based in Korea (and still headed by the founding family), Paris Baguette has some 7,000 stores worldwide, but only three so far in the DC area. That’s about to change, with plans for more than 20 not far in the future. *Dejia Harmony now owns Lansdowne Resort in Loudoun County and has rethemed the property with a focus on achieving and maintaining wellness and restfulness. In line with that theme, the first-ever Deija Harmony Wellness Symposium at Lansdowne Resort is set for mid-June, with renowned speakers on everything from acupuncture and yoga to tai chi and nutrition. *And do not miss David and Nycci's discussion about the current turmoil in the local hospitality scene when it comes to staffing shortages and the real reasons why restaurant owners and patrons may have to get used to paying more to get and keep good help. It's all right here for the listening.