Cheftimony

If you’re going to stare out over the ocean beyond the horizon and into the infinite, you’re well advised to have a great cup of coffee while you do it. And there is a place for coffee unlike any you’ve ever been to, unless you’re lucky enough to have been to Haida Gwaii. And to Jags. At the end of June, I sat down after-hours with family team members Khataya and with Jags himself (the shop’s namesake and Khataya’s father), to learn just how their family created this wonderfully special place. Join us for a talk that starts in the shop pouring coffee and baking scones, but quickly winds down logging roads, hikes a trail, and flies to Vancouver for a coffee expo. We also take the scenic route through a business-funding story that is the closest I’ve come in real life to Willy Wonka’s golden tickets! Haida Gwaii is a special place. Jags is a fantastic spot for coffee and food and conversation. Episode 077 gives you a glimpse.

We recently lost the wonderful Mark Wojtowicz Jr., driving force behind the 360 Vegas Podcast. In today’s short episode, I share some memories of great times with Mark and thank him for all the Vegas history lessons, for sharing some delicious meals, and most especially for building a terrific community of Las Vegas nerds I am lucky to call friends.

My guest today is Megan O’Neill, a Vancouver-based lawyer who focuses on the wine industry. Megan shares how she found her way into “wine law,” how she supports clients in the space, and the creative ways younger people are finding to break into a traditionally expensive industry. We explore tariff and interprovincial trade issues, the work of industry organizations, and the impact of shifting demographics—particularly the challenge facing winery owners as their core customer base of boomers ages, while younger consumers show more interest in lower-alcohol or no-alcohol options - the world of “nolo”. Megan also offers some great career advice for those starting out (in any field!), along with a few of her current favourite food and wine picks. Think high-acid pinot noir and some delicious rosés, perfect for summer. Join us!

In an outcome I’m really glad I didn’t bet on happening… I just cancelled my trip to Las Vegas scheduled for later this month. I can’t say when I’ll be ready to go again. Thanks to my friends Sonja Cho Swanson and Dayvid Figler at the fantastic City Cast Las Vegas Podcast for inviting me to share my thoughts on just what led me to pull the plug and to give up all that glorious food and gambling. In today’s episode, I’m sharing an interview with City Cast co-host Dayvid, from a recent City Cast Las Vegas episode. You can hear that full episode (and subscribe to that fantastic show) right over here. Stay great, Las Vegas, I do hope to see you again!

Today, my guest is Chef Thompson Tran of The Wooden Boat Food Company. Long-time listeners to Cheftimony have heard from Thompson in the past. He’s an old friend, and we met way back in the day when I was a stagiaire at Bishop’s restaurant in Vancouver. You can hear more on Chef’s background on Episode 009 of the show and on a Snapshot episode in the summer of 2021. In today’s episode, Thompson and I dive right on into the joys of middle age, cooking for children and – of all things – boxing. Chef is taking part in a charity boxing match on Friday, April 4th, and we discuss the charity the event is supporting (McMaster Children’s Hospital) and the training regime Thompson is currently working his way through. We also touch on the latest in Chef’s business and a couple of his recent favourite dining experiences. Join me in supporting this great charity boxing match! You can donate to Chef Thompson Tran at this link. And more information about the event (and the opportunity to purchase a livestream link) is available right here.

Today, points-and-miles expert Julia Menez of Geobreeze Travel joins me to talk delicious food around the world. We also dive into some of the techniques Julia uses to significantly reduce the cost of luxury travel and the outstanding food and drink that goes along with it. From her current home base in Las Vegas where Julia loves off-Strip dining, to a steakhouse in Buenos Aires, to some great (and not-so-great) food options when flying business or first class, Julia takes us to some of her favourite food-friendly destinations around the globe. If you’ve ever boarded a flight and wondered what the folks in first class are enjoying for lunch (and just how to get there without spending a fortune), Julia’s is a voice you should hear. Join us for some points, and some miles, but most importantly, for the food!

All right, it’s more like 45 minutes than fifteen, but the point is you’re going to hear from the wonderful Chef Anjula Devi. I had the enviable job of speaking with Chef about her long-standing interest in food, her experiences growing up in the UK in a first-generation immigrant family that used food to forge community, and about Anjula’s soon-to-be-released new cookbook, 15-Minute Indian. Surprisingly for Cheftimony, we also talk a little sports! Or at least about the most important aspect of sports – the food available on game day. Join us for the talk! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I’m taking you inside the Chairman’s Room at Sinatra Restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas. You’ll hear from several of the lucky dinner guests with their thoughts on the private, Frank Sinatra-inspired menu that Michael of TravelZork and ZorkFest, Keren from the 360 Vegas Podcast, and I planned way back on Episode 070 of Cheftimony. Join us in the Chairman’s Room at Sinatra, and head to the Cheftimony website for detailed show notes, including the exact menu from which our twenty diners had to make their choices for each course.

Today my friend Tania Tomaszewska and I dive deep into the world of NOLO and “zebra”-ing. And yes, those terms were new to me too! Our topic is no- and low-alcohol drinks (hence “NOLO”), and Tania and I discuss the increasingly popular choice to reduce alcohol consumption by alternating between drinks with and without alcohol: zebra-ing. Today on Cheftimony, I’m sharing the latest episode of the excellent TT Wine Explorer Podcast in full. You’re about to hear Episode 19: The Rise of NOLO. Join us for our talk, and head to the Cheftimony website for detailed show notes.

Today’s snack-sized episode answers a seemingly simple question: “Just what goes into making a great burger?” My guest is Chef Robert Belcham who shares the goods on his iconic Dirty Burger. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me and my friends Keren and Michael for a behind-the-scenes discussion as we plan two beautiful menus for an extravagant dinner for twenty in fabulous Las Vegas. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

The second and final part of Episode 069 is here! Keren and I complete our talk about fantastic Vegas restaurants - past and present - and we welcome two new Vegas-based guests to share their thoughts too. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Here is the first installment of a two-part season-ending episode, all about great restaurants in Las Vegas – past and present. My co-host is Keren from the 360 Vegas Podcast, and together we welcome Las Vegas food enthusiasts to discuss the great restaurants we’ve lost and the ones we should visit now. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Here’s a quick update from Las Vegas, with a focus on fabulous food from a middle-of-the-night steak dinner to amazing brunches on-Strip and off. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today is a snapshot of food, friends and fun on the garden island. Order the Ahi Au Poivre! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Today I sit down with Chef Hilary Prince and Chef Jack Chen to talk everything from the business realities of running a restaurant to the importance of taking your staff to the farm to a story so hilariously tragic - or tragically hilarious - that it is literally A Knife to the Tart. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me on Sardinia and meet three characters who have left lives of stress behind and chosen to “downshift” on this idyllic island. We’ll dive into pasta making, pizza, gelato, coffee, and the wonderful Sardinian pasta, culurgiones. Detailed notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me in Venice for delightful breakfasts, one stand-out lunch, and an important life lesson from an elderly waiter who calmed me as I tried to rush dinner to make it to a jazz show. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me for quick thoughts on food in Bologna, captured through the lens of one special meal at Osteria del Mirasole. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.

Join me in Piedmont for a tour through lunch, coffee, family-style dinner and the second visit to my absolute favourite restaurant in Italy. If you have not been to the village of Roddino, you might consider booking a trip when you hear about the food… Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website.