What’s the latest line up on Foodie & The Beast? We’re back on air with a stacked show:Dr. David Nutt, GABA Labs & SENTIA Spirits - The world-renowned neuropsychopharmacologist explains how targeting the brain’s GABA system can deliver alcohol’s social ease—without the alcohol. Yes, we’re tasting SENTIA and seeing just how sociable we get.RIMTANG & YUME Hospitality Group - The newest concept from Culinary Director Saran “Peter” Kannasute and his mother, Executive Chef Prapit “Mama” La Femina. Thai street-food spirit, family roots, big flavors—we’re talking origin story and sampling the hits.Song Dog Farm Distillery Co-founders David Harris & Megan Draheim on turning 29 acres into a grain-to-glass spirits destination. What’s growing, what’s distilling, and what’s next.Michelle Lim Warner, DCANTER - The Capitol Hill wine pro who makes drinkers (not collectors) pours approachable bottles and pairs them with cooler-weather cravings.Tune in, turn it up, and come hungry. Every Sunday at 11am on 1500am or here

We’re leaning into Year 18 with a lineup that covers plant-based living, bourbon craft, sweet strolls, and autumn rum to warm you. Let’s get into it on today’s Foodie & The BeastAngela Yvonne — Vegan Pop EatsVegan 101 without the overwhelm: what “eating vegan” really means, plus the lifestyle side (beauty, skincare, clothing) what’s in, what’s out, and easy ways to start.Viyas Sundaram — Middleburg Barrel Company (1787 Provenance Bourbon)Tradition meets innovation: how 1787 Provenance is rethinking bourbon. We talk grain, barrels, blend philosophy and yes, we sip.Iesha Holy — Georgetown Main StreetThe 5th Annual Georgetown Cookie Tour (“The Sweetest Tour of Georgetown”): how it works, how to score the best bites, and why it’s become a neighborhood must.Jordan Cotton, — Cotton & ReedDC’s first rum distillery brings a tasting through an autumn-friendly lineup, rum styles demystified, and cocktail moves for sweater weather.Plant-based clarity, a fresh bourbon lens, cookies on the move, and rum for the win we call that a balanced diet. Catch the replay wherever you get your podcasts or here.

A celebration in the studio, 17 years of Foodie & The Beast! David and Nycci are endlessly grateful to the hospitality pros who join us, and to all of you who tune in live or download every week. We packed the mics with an all-star lineup:-Tom Sietsema — The Reveal & The GuideAfter 25 years as The Washington Post’s mystery man, Tom Sietsema has announced he’s stepping out of the shadows. He joined us to talk about his swan song tradition, the Fall Dining Guide: 40 Best in DC and what comes next when you no longer have to dine in disguise.-Irena Stein — Alma Cocina LatinaFrom Baltimore’s beloved Alma Cocina Latina, Irena Stein shared how photography, anthropology, and hospitality meet at Alma. With famed Venezuelan chef Héctor Romero, each plate maps a country —> Amazon to Andes, Caribbean to the plains —> in a room that feels like a lush Venezuelan home.-David Hagedorn — Chefs for Equality (Oct 27)Writer, critic, and dear friend David Hagedorn previewed the most delicious fundraiser of the season, Chefs for Equality. This year: five chef-collab dinners with cocktail receptions and multi-course pairings atCUT by Wolfgang Puck (with Wolfgang himself), Moon Rabbit, The Duck & The Peach, Acqua Bistecca, plus Perry’s presenting “Drag Brunch for Dinner”—a lavish buffet curated by James Beard Award–winner Masako Morishita with performances by top DC drag superstars.-Richard Hanauer — RPM Italian PoursRichard Hanauer, Beverage Partner & Sommelier at RPM Italian, poured from RPM’s new single-vineyard, house-exclusive blends. We sniffed, sipped, and swirled through the lineup and yes, we found pairings we’re still thinking about.!!But wait!! There’s more: stick around for the end of the show, where two of the area’s leading food critics, Tom and David, dig into the state of restaurant reviews and food journalism today.Thanks for celebrating with us. Here’s to the next chapter: more stories, more chefs, more glasses raised. Catch the replay here.

Today on Foodie & The Beast: We’re sharing stories, feeding the city & launching festivals:-Alyssa Taylor of Penguin Random House breaks down Banned Books Week. The wagon is in DC, Oct 5–11. Time to take action and get free banned books into readers’ hands.-Mike Curtin, CEO of DC Central Kitchen, previews Capital Food Fight (Thu, Nov 6 @ The Anthem) and why DCCK’s mission—feeding our neighbors while creating living-wage careers through culinary job training and social enterprise—matters now more than ever. Expect an all-star lineup: Amanda Freitag, Roy Yamaguchi, Eric Adjepong, Rocco DiSpirito, Ryan Zimmerman, hosted by Spike Mendelsohn & Tommy McFly.-Meghan Trossen is in to unveil Celebration of the Arts—a two-day, immersive arts-and-culinary festival taking over Capital One Center, Oct 4–5. Think installations, performances, chef-driven bites, tastings, and community programming—two days of culture you can see, hear, and taste.-Chef Daniel Perron—ex Charlie Palmer, Trummer’s on Main, and Fabio Trabocchi—leaves the big city to craft his own dining experience in  Fredericksburg with Locavore, a seasonal New American restaurant.And our drink segment? Sam Nellis (SAM!) from Silver Lyan at the Riggs Hotel—RAMMY winner and North America’s 50 Best Bars honoree—pours from their brand-new menu, The Butterfly Effect: nine months of R&D distilled into an immersive cocktail narrative.Buckle up buttercups, DC let’s and dive in. Listen to the episode here. 

Today we’re kicking off with Victoria Wu of Cakes by Happy Eatery, she brought magnificent mooncakes ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Then, what’s cooking at Selva? Chef Giovanni Orellana shares how his Salvadoran roots show up on the plate at his little gem inside the Mayflower Nightclub. “Sustainable seafood” isn’t just a buzzword, Chef Louie Jocson from California Fish Grill is here as the fast-casual lands in the DMV, proving stewardship can be seriously delicious. And she’s back: Stephanie Coppula, Marketing & Comms Director at Bethesda Urban Partnership, because that Bethesda events calendar is jam-packed and she’s got the tasty scoop on Taste of Bethesda. Joining her, Ruslan Falkov, co-founder of Ruta Ukrainian Restaurant on Cordell Avenue, shaking up cocktails, including one that mirrors the Ukrainian flag.All that and more on Foodie & The Beast. Listen to the episode here. 

Renato “Tato” Giovannoni – one of the world’s most celebrated bartenders (named by his peers as the figure advancing the art of bartending) – and his longtime friend Alex Resnik, formerly of Wolfgang Puck’s Fine Dining Group, have brought two spectacular Argentine concepts to DC: Florería Atlántico & Brasero Atlántico. Straight from Buenos Aires, Barcelona, and Bahrain to the heart of DC. Special guests include Rikka Johnson and Chef Manuela Cabone.Werten Bellamy – of Great Oak Manor, a 12-room boutique hotel in Chestertown, MD, that Nycci and her daughter Tessa recently visited on a mother/daughter getaway. He’s here to talk Chesapeake charm, culinary escapes, and hidden gems on the Bay.Chef Christian Irabién – of Amparo Fondita, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15) and Mexico’s Independence Day (Sept 16) with special menus, cocktails, collaborations, and a fundraiser that highlight Mexican culture and flavors.Ashley McPherson – hospitality & spirits consultant and founder of the McFierce Experience is in shaking up cocktails and giving us the scoop on the 9th annual the Black Owned Wine & Spirits Festival, happening October 4th.Tune in for great conversations, and lots of delicious inspiration, every Sunday at 11am on 1500am or here 

We’re still in the delicious glow of Summer Restaurant Week,  and with the extension just announced, there’s no better time to get out, dine out, and show your support for our local restaurants. Every forkful helps keep the DMV’s dining scene thriving.This week, we’re serving up stories that mix memory, advocacy & new beginnings:A Trip Down Memory Lane: Mary Quillian, owner of Capitol Hill’s legendary Mr. Henry’s, takes us back in time, when the neighborhood institution first opened its doors and when a then-unknown Roberta Flack was discovered. The music and community vibes still pulse strong at Mr. Henry’s today.From Alaska’s Bristol Bay: Home to the world’s most abundant wild sockeye salmon fishery, more than 30 million salmon spawn there annually. But the region has been under threat for decades from the proposed Pebble Mine. Casey Coupchiak, a Yup’ik commercial salmon fisher from Togiak who has worked these waters for 16 years, calls in to share news about Bristol Bay Salmon Week, a nationwide celebration of this vital, unique ecosystem.Buenos Aires Meets Georgetown: Florencia (Flor) Agrazo introduces us to Flor. Coffee + Books, her brand-new café channeling Buenos Aires coffee culture. Expect incredible coffee, bites, and a calm corner to discover great reads.Clarendon Goes Veggie-Forward: Jay Strauss, founder of Westville in New York, brings his 20+ year legacy of seasonal veggie-forward dining to the DMV. Expect a menu that balances vibrant vegetable dishes with comfort favorites like burgers and mac & cheese.Cocktails with Culinary Edge: Devin Felli, new lead bartender at Bresca, joins us to talk about his creative, chef-driven approach to cocktails,  including a summer tomato margarita you’ll want in your glass right now.That’s Foodie & The Beast, every Sunday at 11am on 1500 am or here. 

Washington, D.C. is our home powered by an extraordinary hospitality community. Recent federal escalations (National Guard deployments, increased enforcement activity, and heightened visibility of multiple agencies) have created unnecessary intimidation that’s impacting residents, restaurant workers, and small businesses. Today’s show is about support: knowing our rights, showing up for local restaurants (hello, Summer Restaurant Week), and spotlighting the people making this city delicious.Know Your Rights + How To Support Restaurant WeekShawn Townsend, President & CEO, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), joins us to break down what diners, workers, and operators should know right now and how to show up for Summer Restaurant Week across the DMV.Memoir: “Slanted Juice”Zed Wondemu, former restaurateur, shares the inside story of her first memoir, Slanted Juice, and the personal journey behind it.Georgetown Is So Back: Koryouri UraraUrara Iwasaki, Chef-Owner of Koryouri Urara, on her intimate, frequently changing omakase rooted in homestyle Japanese cookingA 1783 Tavern, Reborn: The Fountain InnGreg Heitzig, Executive Chef & General Manager, on The Fountain Inn’s rare & vintage spirits tasting room, whiskey bar, and restaurant, honoring history with a modern palate.National Rum Day, History, Myths, and a TeaseTodd Thrasher of Tiki TNT and Thrasher’s Rum schools us on rum’s real story, dispels a few myths, and drops breaking news on a new activation.Foodie & The Beast airs Sundays at 11AM on 1500 AM. Listen and support DC’s independent restaurants, now more than ever. Listen to the full episode here. 

We’re serving up a show full of flavor, innovation, and inspiration.– Cheetie Kumar, Chef/Owner of award-winning Ajja in Raleigh, NC, and Vice President of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, joins us to talk about two first-of-their-kind grant programs just launched by the IRC:  *A Disaster Relief Fund designed by and for independent restaurants.  *The “Innovator Awards,” celebrating independent restaurants and bars making bold moves to support their teams and communities. It’s an important and timely conversation for our industry.– Chef Kitima Boonmala of Birdsong is in the house—and yes, we’re going to coax out her secrets for creating those buzzworthy, inventive Thai dishes everyone’s talking about.– Victoria Simmerling brings us into the world of Casamara, a Mediterranean-influenced restaurant blending old-world European glamour with relaxed coastal chic—plus its Reynolds Bar, an Americana-inspired cocktail spot with vintage sophistication and a playful twist.– And from Gaia Supperclub, lead bartender Lily Heredia shakes things up. Gaia offers Mediterranean and Latin fusion cuisine alongside immersive entertainment inspired by the nightlife vibes of Mykonos, Dubai, and Saint-Tropez.Pull up a chair, it’s a delicious mix of ideas, talent, and stories you won’t want to miss. Listen to the full episode here. 

It’s Rammy Gala Sunday, and as one of this evening’s co-chairs and presenters, I’m buzzing with excitement. The nominees? All winners in my book.So to set the tone for a night of celebration, Foodie & The Beast is serving up a show that’s as full of flavor as it is fun:-Erin Hildreth, VP of Communications for Responsibility.org shares the latest on their mission to eliminate underage drinking, prevent drunk driving, and promote mindful alcohol consumption. Perfect timing, especially with the Rammy Gala tonight! She also walks us through their very cool (and very handy) Virtual Bar app, a tool to help you plan your drinking before that first sip.-We jet to the Amalfi Coast, without leaving DC. Francesco Amodeo, founder of acclaimed liqueur distillery Don Ciccio & Figli, is here to talk about Tarì Trattoria, a new concept in Union Market. Francesco brings the bold, simple flavors of his hometown, Furore, Italy, to life and we’re talking and eating aged fish.-Then, it’s fried chicken, but make it fancy. Reid Shilling and Sarah Quinteros of Shilling Canning Company introduce us to their delicious new Union Market pop up: Fancy Ranch Amish Fried Chicken. It’s crispy, juicy, and there’s a caviar waffle involved.-We’re joined by two stars from Marcus Samuelsson’s team at Marcus DC: Executive Chef Anthony Jones and Pastry Chef Rachel Sherriffe. They came in hot with blue cornbread + yassa butter and praline coconut cream cake, because how else should you pregame the Rammys? (Rachel is a nominee)-And finally, AJ Irawan, GM of Nobu DC, returns with Andre Bastien, Nobu’s Bar Director. This month’s featured cocktail is Ocean Bloom, a light and breezy sip perfect for August. They brought samples. We sipped.-Special Trend Report Roundtable —> discussion between Chef Anthony & Francesco about the dry-aged fish trend that is showing up on menus around the DMV and all over country.Another Foodie & the Beast is celebrating great food, great people, and a safe (but spirited) Rammy night! Listen to the full episode here.