116. Debby Soo: OpenTable Reimagines Reservations
On The Pass
Our next guest is on a mission to support restaurants and reclaim market share in a sector her company helped revolutionize 26 years ago. Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable, the pioneering platform for restaurant reservations, founded in 1998 in San Francisco. Today, OpenTable remains the leader in online reservations as part of Booking Holdings Inc., but being the first and largest doesn’t automatically mean it’s the best. Debby took the helm in 2020 during an extraordinarily challenging time for the restaurant industry, facing stiff competition and an evolving dining landscape. Over the...
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115. Mauro Colagreco: The Next Era for Chefs
On The Pass
Chef Mauro Colagreco has famously said, “We aren’t a restaurant with a garden, we are a garden with a restaurant.” He and his team are deeply committed to safeguarding the world’s culinary heritage, particularly through the preservation of biodiversity in both flora and fauna. This dedication has extended his role far beyond the kitchen and his numerous restaurants, positioning him as a global leader in sustainable gastronomy. An Argentine-born chef, Mauro has embraced a philosophy of circular gastronomy that honors the natural cycles of the environment. He constantly challenges...
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114. Hot Spot: Jon Yao + Ryan Bailey of Kato
On The Pass
On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Chef Jon Yao and Sommelier Ryan Bailey, co-owners of Kato, an Asian American restaurant that artfully explores the intersection of Los Angeles culture and the Asian diaspora. Kato originally opened in a small Westside strip mall, operating in a space just one-quarter the size of its current location in Downtown LA. At that time, Jon was just 25 years old. Despite its modest beginnings, the team’s innovative approach earned them widespread recognition, including a Michelin star in 2019. Two years ago, Kato...
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113. David Leventhal: Living Playa Viva
On The Pass
In January 2023, Gabriel traveled to the southern Pacific Coast of Mexico, in the state of Guerrero, to experience Playa Viva, an eco-luxury and regenerative boutique hotel founded by our next guest, David Leventhal, and his then-wife shortly after purchasing the land in 2006. Playa Viva is situated at the base of the Sierra Madre Mountains, just forty minutes from Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa International Airport (ZIH). This unique hotel embodies the concept "where your vacation meets your values™," dedicated to a triple-bottom-line approach that benefits the planet, people, and prosperity....
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112. High Tea: Clay Williams
On The Pass
On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Clay Williams, Brooklyn-based James Beard Award-winning photographer. Clay has been capturing and helping tell stories about food, hospitality, and the people and places that define our culture for more than 15 years. His work has appeared in the pages of Food & Wine, The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Travel + Leisure, as well as in cookbooks by Chef Kwame Onwuachi and Atlanta chef Todd Richards. In this episode, we discuss: ☑️New stage in where hospitality is going ☑️Storytelling through...
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111. High Tea: Adam Teeter
On The Pass
On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Adam Teeter, New York-based Co-founder and CEO of VinePair. Adam and Josh Malin Co-founded VinePair ten years ago and together they’ve grown the platform into the largest multi-media publication about wine, beer and spirits in America, reaching almost 40 million people a month. In this episode, we discuss: ☑️Remake the industry in a new image ☑️Journalism through the lens of the glass ☑️Educating the next generation ☑️How drinks culture has shifted over the past 10 years ☑️Cocktail...
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110. Hot Spot: Ian Burrell + Aaisha Dadral of Equiano Rum
On The Pass
Our next guests are Ian Burrell and Aaisha Dadral, Co-founders of The Equiano Rum Company, creators of the world’s first African and Caribbean rums. This pioneering venture not only celebrates the rich heritage of rum but also champions the values of freedom and equality, inspired by the legendary figure Olaudah Equiano. Ian, known globally as the Rum Ambassador, has spent decades entertaining and educating audiences about the diverse and exhilarating world of rum. He is the visionary behind The UK RumFest, which has inspired a wave of similar festivals worldwide. Ian is one of the...
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109. High Tea: Matthew Kaner
On The Pass
On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Matthew Kaner, Los Angeles-based sommelier, wine educator, correspondent and consultant. Matthew is the wine correspondent for Men's Journal which garners 12,000,000 unique monthly views. He’s also the Owner of “Will Travel For Wine Consulting” and literally will travel anywhere and everywhere on the globe for wine and food experiences. Matthew was named one of the Sommeliers of the Year by Food & Wine Magazine and in 2019 Wine Enthusiast named him on the 40 Under 40 Tastemakers list among numerous other...
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108. High Tea: Rita Jammet
On The Pass
On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Rita Jammet, New York-based restaurateur, hospitality advisor and Founder of La Caravelle Champagne. Rita and her husband André owned and operated the iconic New York French restaurant, La Caravelle. The New York Times described La Caravelle as a “French Legend and a Paris in Manhattan experience to food enthusiasts and the A-list of American society.” After closing La Caravelle restaurant in 2004, Rita started to market and distribute La Caravelle Champagne available in a number of distinguished...
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107. Jhonatan Cano: Adventures Of A Gourmand
On The Pass
Our next guest bathes throughout the year in an energy of potential and is constantly on a journey of exploration and discovery. Meet Jhonatan Cano, restaurateur, travel enthusiast, and global citizen. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Jhonatan always had a deep yearning to discover the world. He began his career in award-winning hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, and Conrad Hotel. Later, he joined José Andrés and the ThinkFoodGroup as an integral team member of the flagship Minibar and Barmini. Jhonatan is now a Partner and Director of Operations for Hive...
info_outlineOn this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Kayla Stewart, Houston-and-NY-based food and travel journalist, cookbook author and Editor of Eater Houston.
Kayla’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Eater, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and others. Her piece, “The Sweetest Harvest,” won the 2023 James Beard Foundation Profile Award, and her story, “Teach a Man to Fish,” will be anthologized in the 2023 edition of Best American Food Writing. She’s currently working on a cookbook with Chef Christopher Williams about Black cuisine in Texas for Ten Speed Press.
In this episode, we discuss:
☑️Cultural applications to timeless American classics
☑️Cultural convergence in the dining scene
☑️Food and dining is changing. Tastes are changing
☑️American food has always been impacted by immigrants
☑️Generation of diners who want to know where their food is from
☑️Eater Houston working on coverage with Latino and Asian communities
☑️Cookbook about w/ Chef Christopher Williams
☑️Thoughts on future of storytelling in food
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