Pan Con Podcast
142 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 60 ratingsOn Pan Con Podcast, we take on big ideas in conversation with Miami chef Michael Beltran (Ariete, Chug's, Leña, etc.). We'll also bring on guests — many, but not all, from the world of food and beverage. It's a behind-the-curtain look at restaurants, craft, creativity, entrepreneurship and more.It's an opportunity for DADE (DADEmag.com) to bring you a new voice in service of the same old goal: great stories, fresh perspective, from DADE, for all.
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Episodes
Boxer Robeisy "El Tren" Ramírez on fighting to regain the WBO featherweight title and antagonizing Cuba's dictatorship
June 06, 2024 19:05 - 1 hour - 126 MBRobeisy “El Tren” Ramírez is an elite boxer by any measure. He has two Olympic gold medals (which he won with the Cuban national team) and was the WBO featherweight champion between April and December 2023. But it wasn’t until his title defense in July 2023 (in Japan against Satoshi Shimizu) that he became known even to casual fans, especially Cubans in exile. He’d been outspoken a long time about his opposition to Cuba’s dictatorship, but when that government intervened halfway around the ...
Shari Bayer, author of "Chefwise: Life Lessons From Leading Chefs Around The World"
April 13, 2024 19:58 - 1 hour - 160 MBShari Bayer is the author of “Chefwise: Life Lessons from Leading Chefs Around the World” (Phaidon Press), a book in which she’s compiled insights, quotes and anecdotes from exchanges with world class chefs like Massimo Bottura, Jeremy Chan, Tom Colicchio, Nina Compton, Wylie Dufresne, Suzanne Goin, Enrique Olvera, Eric Ripert, Clare Smyth, Alice Waters, and past Pan Con podcast guests Jean-Georges Vongerichten and José Mendín. She’s also a hospitality industry publicist and the host of the...
Ariete Hospitality wine director Adrian López on the beverage industry in Miami, his career in restaurants, wine trends
March 09, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 144 MBAdrian López is the wine director at Ariete Hospitality and is a partner at the Miami restaurant group’s Coconut Grove bar/retail concept, The Allocation Room. In 2023, with Adrian at the helm, the wine program at the company’s Michelin-starred flagship restaurant Ariete won an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator. In this conversation, Mike Beltrán talks with Adrian about his development as a sommelier in South Florida, how he’s put his own personal stamp on wine offerings at AHG, how h...
Lucy López on how cancer impacts families and turning pain into action (like Cars & Croquetas)
February 24, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 156 MBWe last had Lucy López on Pan Con Podcast in 2021. Since then, the former Power 96 radio personality has refashioned her career with (among other things) roles hosting two podcasts — Slate’s Care and Feeding podcast and her own Mamacita Rica podcast. She also had a role in #Graced, a play written by past podcast guest Vanessa García and co-directed by past guest Victoria Collado. In this episode, Lucy and Mike open up about their experiences helping care for each of their mothers in the wak...
South Florida fine dining blogger & podcaster Brenda Popritkin of The Whet Palette
November 21, 2023 16:21 - 1 hour - 118 MBNow in its second year with Michelin-Starred restaurants, Miami’s fine dining scene is well into maturity, participating fully on the global restaurant stage. Miami food media, on the other hand, has some catching up to do. Among those doing the work of filling the void is Brenda Popritkin, whose blog, The Whet Palette and podcast by the same name — along with her serious approach to restaurant reviews that are written for diners rather than publicists — have made her Miami’s premier food b...
Author and podcaster Andrew Friedman on making a career of interviewing and writing about chefs
October 31, 2023 02:18 - 2 hours - 222 MBAndrew Friedman’s “big break” came in 1997, when he collaborated with chef Alfred Portale on the “Gotham Bar and Grille Cookbook. It won the IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Award for “Best Chef or Restaurant Cookbook,” and got a James Beard Award nomination for “Best General Cookbook.” Though he’s worked on loads of cookbooks since, it’s been a while since Andrew last wrote a recipe. Instead, his attention has been focused on his work as a chef writer (a phrase he thinks more aptly describes th...
Kush Hospitality founder Matt Kuscher on leadership, slow season, urinal ice
October 11, 2023 16:40 - 1 hour - 126 MBKush Hospitality founder Matt Kuscher joined Mike Beltrán at El Vecino Cigars & Cocktails in downtown Miami for a smoke and a discussion about his restaurant business, burger toppings, urinal ice, and his work with the Pace Center for Girls. 02:35: Matt Kuscher on the Washington Commanders 07:40: Sebastian Strong Foundation (children's cancer research) 11:52: Abre Camino Collective working with Kush Hospitality on a theater project about Hialeah 13:57: Miami's summer slow season 18:00: ...
Eva, El Vecino, and a new dog — Catching up with Mike
September 22, 2023 00:23 - 42 minutes - 59.5 MBMike and Nick got together to catch up on what's new at Ariete Hospitality Group. 02:00: Mike has a new dog. 03:30: Eva, Ariete Hospitality Group's new Mediterranean restaurant, is set to open soon. 10:55: El Vecino Cigars & Cocktails is now open. 22:33: The Miami restaurant industry is going through the first real summer slowdown in years. 28:45: Let's talk sports (and Sinead O'Connor). 28:00: Parting recommendations This episode was sponsored by Per'La Specialty Roasters. Support P...
Co-founder of Per'La Specialty Roasters Chris Nolte on the coffee industry and starting a small business
June 30, 2023 17:26 - 1 hour - 128 MBChris Nolte is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Per’La Specialty Roasters. He specializes in developing, branding and marketing of the company in order to aid in its growth. In this conversation with Michael Beltran, Chris talks about the origins of the brand, the coffee industry, struggles in starting a small business in places like farmer’s markets, and adjusting to Miami Latin culture. Plus, a special appearance from Brittany Rothwell (who also teases her new podcast, A Tale of Two ...
"The Walls Have Ears" is playwright Robby Ramos' reflection on the Castro revolution's impact on the Cuban nation and families like his
April 03, 2023 02:48 - 1 hour - 97.8 MBThe first time Robby Ramos was on Pan Con Podcast, he told us about a play he’d written. The script (his first) took its inspiration from stories about Cuba that he’d been told by people like his grandfather, who did time as a political prisoner in three different Cuban prisons before going into exile in the United States. That play, titled “The Walls Have Ears,” is now gearing up for its April 7 premiere at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center in Miami (in English for three weeks, then ano...
World Series champ Jon Jay on baseball in Miami, life in the majors and the transition to coaching
March 15, 2023 13:37 - 2 hours - 220 MBWhen Mike Beltrán saw his high school friend Jon Jay on the cover of Sports Illustrated, his reaction, as he notes in this episode, was something like, “That’s my fuckin’ dog.” Jon Jay played 12 seasons of baseball in the majors and won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. Now he’s back in his hometown as the Miami Marlins’ first base coach. In this conversation, Mike and Jon talk through the whole baseball journey — from little league to coaching pros — stopping along the w...
Cars and Croquetas for cancer research, Noma closes, Laurel, El Vecino, Ed Reed, and more
February 24, 2023 22:19 - 1 hour - 57 MBMike and Nick set up for a podcast at the Pig Pen, which is what Mike calls the warehouse where he and his car club keep their vintage cars, ATVs, golf carts and electric scooters. We get caught up on a variety of things, from a cancer research benefit car show happening behind Chug's Diner to the coming-sometime-soon opening of El Vecino Cigars & Cocktails to Ed Reed's butting heads with the administration at Bethune Cookman University. We also get stealthy moonshine service from the pres...
Pan Con Podcast Live: screening of "Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter" and discussion with Norman Van Aken
February 24, 2023 05:40 - 1 hour - 71.4 MBOn January 15, we hosted a screening of the documentary “Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter.” Guests saw the film while they enjoyed a Charlie Trotter-inspired meal and cocktail pairings created by the culinary team at Ariete Hospitality Group. After the film, we had a discussion with chef Norman Van Aken, who was one of Charlie Trotter’s best friends and who was interviewed at length for the film about his friend’s life. That Q&A is what you’ll hear in this episode of ...
Chef Andres Kaifer of Customshop in Charlotte on taking over and changing a longstanding restaurant
January 14, 2023 01:40 - 1 hour - 96.2 MBChef Andrés Kaifer recently took over Charlotte, North Carolina's Customshop. The restaurant had been around for about 15 years — a feat, to be sure. But Andrés has helped make it one of the best — if not the best — restaurants in Charlotte. In this conversation with Mike Beltrán, Andrés talks about what it's been like to adapt to North Carolina's food culture as a Miami native, how North Carolina's cities are distinct from one another, and the challenges he's faced while implementing major ...
Ariete Hospitality beverage director Tom Lasher-Walker on bartending, mixology, Michelin Stars
December 30, 2022 11:00 - 2 hours - 153 MBTom Lasher-Walker has played an integral role in the growth and refinement of Ariete Hospitality Group’s beverage programs. In this conversation with Mike Beltrán, the two talk about classic cocktails, why Mike thought Tom was a good for for Ariete’s company culture, the role of cocktail competition in the growth of cocktail culture, and the differences between bartending and mixology, among many other things. He also recalls the experience of being a part of the team that won Ariete its Mic...
Chef Karla Hoyos on World Central Kitchen, her grandmother's Mexican cooking, Tacotomía
December 09, 2022 20:20 - 1 hour - 96.1 MBVeracruz, Mexico native chef Karla Hoyos made an impression on José Andrés when took time from her job in Indiana to volunteer with World Central Kitchen in Puerto Rico, where the organization was feeding victims of Hurricane Maria. Not long after she was back at her job in Indiana, she was being recruited to join the team at The Bazaar in Miami Beach. What she’d told herself would be a two-year stint in South Florida has gone on considerably longer, and she’s preparing to put down roots in ...
LIVE with Jorge Mas — highs and lows of MasTec, Major League Soccer, building a stadium, advocating for a free Cuba
November 22, 2022 23:15 - 2 hours - 133 MBIn our third ever Pan Con Podcast Live event, host Mike Beltran sits with guest Jorge Mas (and 15 guests in the audience) for a conversation about business, leadership, legacy and culture. Jorge Mas is chairman at MasTec, an infrastructure engineering and construction company founded by his late father, Jorge Mas Canosa. He talks about the highs of growing that business into the largest Hispanic-owned company in the United States and the lows of seeing its stock price tank. More recently, ...
Talking Cuba, human rights and activism with author Vanessa García
November 09, 2022 16:08 - 1 hour - 92.2 MBThis episode was recorded on the same night as our previous release with guest Vanessa García. In that last episode, Vanessa and Mike discussed her new children’s book, “What the Bread Says: Baking with Love, History, and Papan.” In this recording, the two discuss Cuba, human rights, and the whirlwind of protests, human rights campaigns and activism that followed Cuba’s July 11, 2021 protests. By that summer, Vanessa had studied and written about Cuba’s history and the resistance movement o...
Vanessa García's children's book "What The Bread Says" merges family, history, and kitchen tradition
October 31, 2022 21:02 - 43 minutes - 40.6 MBThe last time Vanessa García was on the podcast in 2019, we talked about Amparo, the immersive play she had created together with director Victoria Collado, her partner at Abre Camino Collective (also on that episode). This time around, Vanessa joins us to talk about her brand new children’s book, “What The Bread Says, Baking with Love, History, and Papan,” which draws on her childhood memories of making bread with her grandfather to tell kids his story of flight from war in Spain, Nazism in...
JoJo Tea founder Michael Ortiz on the growth of his business, Kanye West, Miami food
October 23, 2022 19:37 - 1 hour - 93.4 MBIt’s been more than two years since JoJo Tea founder and American Tea Master’s Cup winner Mike Ortiz joined us on the pod. Since then, JoJo has grown its business and broadened its goals. Whereas Mike had once been focused more narrowly on bringing tea to Miami’s restaurant culture, he’s now looking to make tea a part of his customers’ home lives. In this episode, he talks with Mike Beltrán about tea, Kanye West, Miami dining and what it might take to change how more people think about thei...
Laurel executive chef Ashley Moncada on building teams, a new restaurant menu, feeling at home in Miami
September 26, 2022 23:54 - 1 hour - 109 MBU.K. native Ashley Moncada studied law before making plans to adopt a globe-trotting lifestyle. She and her wife lived in Australia, New Zealand, France, Barbados and North Carolina. But, as Ashley notes in this interview, “you can’t travel doing law.” She was a good cook, though. So she lied about having professional experience to get her first kitchen job in Australia and was off to the races from there. A careen that began with a fake résumé led Ashley to a place on the Ariete team that w...
Eddie Zamora (The Yum Yum Foodie) on social media, food TV, Los Angeles, Miami
September 15, 2022 18:42 - 1 hour - 101 MBWhen Eddie Zamora moved from Miami to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, it was because — at the time — there wasn’t much opportunity for him in South Florida. Over time, twists of fate (including a well timed tweet about Lance Armstrong and some “douchey duck lip” coffee selfies) led him to a career in food media. He’s built an audience of followers (they know him as The Yum Yum Foodie) who trust him for everything from recipes to restaurant recommendations. He’s also managed to parley...
Alexys Hernández on his Cuban pastry and bagel sandwich pop up in Cambridge, Massachusetts
September 11, 2022 18:17 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBGrowing up in Texas, Alexys Hernández’s restaurant environment was made up largely of chains and Mexican joints. The mom-and-pop-heavy landscape of Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts (or Camberville, as they say in those parts) was something new. What wasn’t was a dearth of great Cuban food, which is what Alexys was raised on at home in a Cuban-American family. In this conversation with chef Michael Beltrán, Alexys talks about Ensueño Cubano, the Cuban pastry and sandwich pop up he lau...
FIU professor and church pastor Eric Isaac on Christianity, spiritual abuse (with guest host John Falco)
August 21, 2022 20:18 - 1 hour - 83.5 MBIn this episode of Pan Con Podcast, guest host John Falco (co-owner of Fire Pit Hospitality and first-ballot Pan Con Podcast hall of famer) interviews Eric Isaac. Eric is an FIU professor and the pastor of Neighborhood Church Miami, a Presbyterian church that meets every Sunday for services at Lincoln’s Beard Brewery, where this interview was recorded. John and Eric talk about Neighborhood, why it was formed, why it meets at a brewery, and how it’s different from (and similar to) other, mor...
Chef Kris Huseby of The Gibson Room on revamping a restaurant menu, leading young chefs, passing on kitchen wisdom
August 05, 2022 15:43 - 1 hour - 107 MBKris Huseby was one of our first guests on Pan Con Podcast back in 2019. His second appearance comes just after the opening of Ariete Hospitality Group’s newest concept, The Gibson Room, where Kris is the executive chef. In this conversation with Mike Beltrán, the two talk about taking over a restaurant and overhauling it (a first for Ariete Hospitality Group), Kris’ experience settling into his first executive chef role, leading young talent, the fulfillment that comes from teaching skills...
Henry Gómez on the ad industry, winning a Cannes Lion for a Burger King campaign
July 22, 2022 18:19 - 2 hours - 137 MBHenry Gómez is the VP of strategic planning at Zubi Advertising Services, a Miami based firm founded by the late Tere Zubizarreta, a pioneer of Hispanic advertising and an Advertising Hall of Fame inductee. In this conversation with chef Mike Beltrán, Henry talks about his own career trajectory, his role on the team that won a Cannes Lion for bold Burger King campaign, and the parallels between the advertising business and the restaurant business. Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/D...
Phillip Frankland Lee on Omakase, leaving L.A., Michelin Stars, the Joe Rogan bump
July 02, 2022 17:15 - 2 hours - 139 MBWhen the pressure of COVID restrictions in Los Angeles pushed chef Phillip Frankland Lee to set up shop in Austin, Texas, it didn’t take long for the gamble to pay off. Sushi by Scratch Bar was a hit. But it was a push from an early Austin guest — Joe Rogan — that sent things into another stratosphere for Phillip’s company. In this conversation, Phillip tells Mike Beltrán about how his career in food began, the experience of earning his first Michelin Star, the impact of a social media post ...
Florida's Michelin Guide arrives, Ariete's "sweep," listener questions for Mike Beltrán
June 24, 2022 15:10 - 1 hour - 74.7 MBFlorida has its first Michelin Guide, with eleven Miami restaurants taking Stars and a number of others being awarded Bib Gourmands and recommendations. In this episode, chef Michael Beltrán recaps the inaugural Florida ceremony, recalls what it was like for him and his team at Ariete Hospitality Group to win a star at Ariete and a Bib at Chug’ s Diner, and talks about the significance of the Guide’s official arrival to Florida chefs and restaurateurs. In the second half of the podcast, Mike...
Lee Schrager on his career in food & beverage and Mike's beefs with SOBEWFF
June 13, 2022 20:28 - 2 hours - 128 MBLee Schrager is the senior vice president of communications and corporate social responsibility for Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirit of America. He’s also the founder of the New York City Wine & Food Festival and the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Mike Beltrán’s criticisms of SOBEWFF are no secret. In fact, if you’ve hear enough other episodes of this podcast, you’ve heard a lot of them. Mike invited Lee on as a guest for this episode of Pan Con Podcast. In this conversation, the two tal...
Lee Schrager on his career in food & beverage and Mike's beefs with SOBEWFF [Pan Con Podcast]er
June 13, 2022 20:28 - 2 hours - 128 MBLee Schrager is the senior vice president of communications and corporate social responsibility for Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirit of America. He’s also the founder of the New York City Wine & Food Festival and the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Mike Beltrán’s criticisms of SOBEWFF are no secret. In fact, if you’ve hear enough other episodes of this podcast, you’ve heard a lot of them. Mike invited Lee on as a guest for this episode of Pan Con Podcast. In this conversation, the two tal...
Val Chang on Peruvian cooking and being part of one of Miami's favorite food families
June 02, 2022 00:56 - 1 hour - 106 MBVal Chang is a member of what Miami diners affectionately call “the Chang gang.” She, her father Fernando and her brother Nando are the engine that drives Itamae (which began as a stall and recently opened as a standalone restaruant), B-Side Sushi, and Raya. Like our host Michael Beltrán, Val and Nando were named 2021 StarChefs Rising Stars. In this episode of Pan Con Podcast, Val and Mike talk about her childhood, family recipes, working with family, and navigating the waters of an evolving...
Chef Danny Serfer returns to talk addiction, relapse and recovery
May 15, 2022 03:50 - 1 hour - 92.1 MBDanny Serfer is the chef behind two of Miami’s favorite restaurants: Mignonette and Blue Collar. In his first appearance on Pan Con Podcast, Danny told Mike about his experience with addiction and getting clean. In this latest episode, Danny opens up about his having relapsed during the early stages of the pandemic and what it took to get clean all over again. Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/DADEmag Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere: Facebook: www.facebook.com/panconpodcast/ In...
Recapping a tasting menu with chef Manny Arredondo
April 19, 2022 19:48 - 1 hour - 91.5 MBChef Manny Arredondo has been referenced a lot on Pan Con Podcast. The Ariete chef was walking by when Mike Beltrán and Nick Jiménez were recording this episode. So he was pulled in to recap a recent dinner that the Ariete team executed with a crew from Washington, D.C.’s Bresca (including chef-owner Ryan Ratino, who was our guest on the last episode of the podcast). Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/DADEmag Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere: Facebook: www.facebook.com/panconpodca...
Chef Ryan Ratino of Washington D.C.'s Michelin-starred Jônt and Bresca on Pan Con Podcast
March 27, 2022 22:08 - 1 hour - 82.1 MBRyan Ratino is the chef-owner or Washington, D.C. restaurants Jônt (two Michelin Stars) and Bresca (one Michelin Star). Ryan and Pan Con Podcast host Michael Beltrán became fast friends when they met — spurred largely by the fact that they're in a very small group of American chefs running restaurants with duck press programs. In this episode of the podcast, Ryan talks with Mike about his career, his leadership style, the dinner the two executed together art Bresca and the dinner the two wou...
On the Café Habana restaurant controversy and Cuban Miami's reaction
March 25, 2022 17:37 - 1 hour - 67.7 MBWhen a Miami social media personality went South-Florida-viral for posts about New York-based Café Habana’s plans to open a Miami location, the news of that brand’s story — namely, its having taken inspiration from Fidel Castro’s revolution and its using images of figures like Che Guevara — felt like a punch to the guts of many Cuban exiles and their descendants. How did Cuban Miami respond? How should it have reacted? Are efforts to keep the restaurant from opening actually productive? Can ...
Martha Bueno on local politics, small business, and making government work better
March 11, 2022 22:02 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBMartha Bueno is an entrepreneur, activist and candidate for a seat on The Miami-Dade County Commission. Though she’s running without party affiliation, she calls herself a libertarian and had previously worked on Hispanic voter outreach for Libertarian Party presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen’s 2020 campaign. Martha joined Michael Beltrán at Ariete for a discussion on why she’s involved in local politics, its relationship to small business, COVID relief spending, and more.Martha Bueno is an...
Ali Noorani of National Immigration Forum on politics, changing minds and building coalitions
February 12, 2022 21:31 - 1 hour - 93 MBAli Noorani is the CEO of National Immigration Forum. After dinner at Ariete, he joined Mike Beltrán for a conversation about food, culture, and immigration policy. The two also discuss Ali’s upcoming book, Crossing Borders: The Reconciliation of a Nation of Immigrants. In the Patreon-only extended cut, you’ll find out where Ali goes for his favorite doughnuts (hint: it’s in California and it is not Krispy Kreme), how he likes his eggs, and other food preference things. Follow Ali Noorani ...
Mike on cooking for the JBF with Itamae's Val Chang, nightclub-restaurants, Miami Dolphins
February 01, 2022 21:32 - 1 hour - 62.5 MBIn this episode of Pan Con Podcast, chef Michael Beltrán get together to recap a James Beard Foundation dinner built around food created by the Ariete team in collaboration with Itamae chef Valerie Chang, lament the Miami Dolphins’ failure to make the playoffs, and wonder whether Nick will somehow screw up this episode since it was recorded with new gear. [Spoiler, Nick only screwed it up a little.] Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/DADEmag Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere: Faceb...
Drinking Pig BBQ's chef Raheem Sealey hasn't "been so pumped about food in a long time."
January 15, 2022 02:05 - 2 hours - 131 MBMiami chef Raheem Sealey has an impressive résumé, with his most recent restaurant gig as the executive chef at Kyu being the one he’s best known for. Raheem parted ways with Kyu — which he’d helped open about six years ago — a month before this recording. These days, he says he’s as excited about food as he’s ever been. He’s got projects in the works that he wasn’t ready to talk about publicly. One thing he did say, though: he’s on the hunt for permanent home for Drinking Pig BBQ, the unass...
Screenwriter Nick Zayas on Star Trek, grinding in Hollywood, meeting your heroes
January 07, 2022 15:58 - 2 hours - 124 MBThis episode was a long time coming; screenwriter Nick Zayas and eighth grade basketball MVP Mike Beltrán have been friends since kindergarten. Nick has been living in L.A. for the last 16 years or so, where he spent years working for movie producer Scott Rudin before making a tansition to writing for TV, including series like Major Crimes and Star Trek: Picard (to name just some of the work that comes up in this conversation). Nick and Mike also talk about how Miami is portrayed in movies a...
Refreshing the Chug's Diner menu, Mario Cristobal's Miami homecoming, and gold chicken wings
December 18, 2021 14:54 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBMike and Nick didn’t do any planning for this episode, so it’s all over the place. We talk about changes that are coming to the Chug’s Diner menu, Mario Cristobal’s being hired as the University of Miami’s football coach, boxing’s renaissance, golden chicken wings, what kind of lettuce belongs on sandwiches, and more. In the Patreon-only extended cut: Mike takes lightning round questions and we talk monsters, pizza chains, hot PB&J, and Jacques Pepin’s fried eggs. Become a patron: https://...
Mike on the Culinary Institute of America, The French Laundry, Napa, Michelin Stars
December 09, 2021 16:08 - 1 hour - 104 MBWe’ve mentioned on the podcast that Mike was invited to travel to Napa to speak and demo his food at the Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Festival at the Culinary Institute of America. In this episode that we recorded in an awkward new set up in Mike’s house, Mike recaps his experience with the conference along with some of the meals he had and people he met while in California — including a bucket-list dinner at chef Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry. We also talk about the impa...
Psychologist and musician Carlos Escanilla on mental health, playing covers and finding a tribe
November 25, 2021 04:49 - 3 hours - 172 MBCarlos Escanilla is a psychologist and a musician; we delve into both mental health and music — along with his and Mike Beltran’s experiences with weight loss — in this episode of Pan Con Podcast. Along the way, the podcast is crashed by past guest John Falco, whose restaurants and brewery also serve as a frequent venue for Carlos’ gigs. In the Patreon-only extended cut, Carlos answers lightning round questions about food and we learn about some of his preferences and his unusual Wendy’s ham...
Tattoo artist Jessica "Pooka" Suárez on creativity, apprenticeship and palos
November 13, 2021 16:46 - 1 hour - 104 MBTattoo artist Jessica Suárez — better known as Pooka, a nickname whose origin she explains in this interview — has some of her work on our host, Mike Beltrán, including a pine cone that Mike admits he got for the sake of getting in Pooka’s good graces and a mamey hanging from a branch on his arm. In this episode, Pooka talks about her creative process and what it’s been like for her to strike out on her own — she just opened Great Oak Tattoo — and create a tattoo shop culture that reflects h...
Live at Maxwell Bros. Clothing Co. with John Falco and Peter Santa-Maria
November 04, 2021 00:51 - 1 hour - 109 MBThis episode was recorded Sept. 22, 2021 at Maxwell Bros. Clothing Co. in front of a live audience, whose members were also enjoying a special menu born out of a collaboration among the teams at Maxwell Bros., Crybaby Creamery (both owned by John Falco’s Firepit Hospitality) and Ariete (which is, of course, our host Michael Beltrán’s flagship restaurant). This absolute shit show of a podcast is a conversation with chef Michael Beltrán, restaurateur John Falco, and printmaking artist Peter Sa...
Actor Robby Ramos on finding his creative voice and his tribe
October 29, 2021 15:24 - 2 hours - 133 MBMike Beltrán first saw Robby Ramos in New York, where the actor was playing a chef in an early iteration of Amparo, the play written and directed by past guests Vanessa García and Vicky Collado. Now, Robby is a member of the cast of Heels, a Starz drama about professional wrestlers, where he plays Diego Cottonmouth. He also hosts his own podcast called Dropping Character. In this episode of Pan Con Podcast, Robby and Mike discuss their respective evolutions as creatives, the distinction betw...
Cura Market founder José Manuel Perrone on his health-driven business
October 20, 2021 15:20 - 1 hour - 80.6 MBHealth issues in his family led José Manuel Perrone to ditch a job at a major tech company and look for a way to put his career in service of combating disease and giving people the tools they need to lead healthier lives. Eventually, that motivation inspired Cura Market, the company he cofounded as a way to give people more control of their nutrition and the quality of their food. For now, Cura gives creators a way to simplify the process of bringing their food products to market. For insta...
Louie Estrada of My Cuban Spot on bringing real Cuban cooking to Brooklyn
October 05, 2021 15:28 - 1 hour - 105 MBLouie Estrada left Miami for New York knowing that he wanted to make his mark by starting a business of his own. After years picking up experience working in restaurants, bars and clubs, he planted his flag in a tiny corner of Brooklyn. From the roughly 150-square-foot kitchen at My Cuban Spot, Louie’s been cranking out Cuban classics the city’s Cubans were sorely missing at a level of quality that’s earned him a following even in lechón-saturated South Florida. Louie joined Mike at Ariete t...
Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli on Italian cooking, stoner food, his plans to revive Eating House in Miami
September 14, 2021 13:56 - 1 hour - 101 MBMiami native chef Giorgio Rapicavoli (known for Eating House and, most recently, Luca Osteria) has been a James Beard Award semifinalist, a Chopped winner, and a perennial favorite of Miami diners. In this episode, Giorgio joins Mike Beltran to talk about the maturation of his cooking, moving beyond “stoner food,” their mutual admiration for the precision and consistency of restaurants like Hillstone, and his plans for the revival of Eating House. Also, in the Patreon-only extended cut, Gior...
Michael Beltrán on the reopening of Chug's Diner
September 11, 2021 15:38 - 1 hour - 75 MBWe recorded this episode of Pan Con Podcast at Chug’s Diner shortly before its Sept. 8 reopening. In this conversation at a booth in the Chug’s dining room, Mike Beltrán talks about the restaurant’s new space, team and menu, along with some of the challenges he faced in designing a restaurant from scratch for the first time. Also, the new Suicide Squad movie was pretty good, Mike did a thing with Ludacris, and Pan Con Podcast’s next live episode dinner is right round the corner. Become a pa...