Gio Fesser is best known to Miami diners as the Pastelito Papi (though there's an extra i in Papii on social media). A longtime colleague and friend of our intrepid host chef Michael Beltran, Gio has been there every step of the Ariete Hospitality Group journey, and his pastelitos — traditional Cuban pastries that he's gotten more creative with than Miami thought possible — have caught the attention of everyone from local press to world class chefs like Thomas Keller, helping catapult Chug's Diner (the Cuban-American pop-up that is now undergoing renovation to return as a permanent fixture in Miami) into its position as an instant favorite in South Florida. In this episode, Gio and Mike talk about Gio's evolution in professional kitchens, his record collection, and what it means to him to elevate the comfort food he and so many customers grew up on.


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Production and editing: Nicolás Antonio Jiménez

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