It's been a hot minute since we've had an episode pop up on the podcasting airwaves, but we're back at it with esteemed guest Joe Frillman from Daisies (Chicago, IL). Frillman utilizes seasonal, hyper-local ingredients for his restaurant concept in Logan Square, drawing on his brother (Tim Frillman of Frillman Farms) to provide the freshest produce for his delightful array of vegetable-forward dishes and his time spent abroad for his inventive pasta dishes.

In this episode, Ryan and Joe talk about getting started as a chef, travel (notably the difficulty of transporting knives on a plane), cheesemaking, and much more.

Check out Daisies:
daisieschicago.com

Ryan goes deep with pastry chef extraordinaire Andres Lara. The two share a conversation about cooking, working with people above their paygrade while they were getting started, and the memorable, tangible moments that made lasting impressions on them both in and out of the kitchen.

Check out chef Andres Lara here:
instagram.com/andresflara

Longtime food columnist of the Tennessean Jim Myers left the food critic world to become a restaurant proprietor. His latest venture seats him comfortably in a General Management role at Nashville's historic Elliston Place Soda Shop. Originally opened in 1939, the midtown staple was acquired in 2019 by Tony and Lisa Giarratana. While the classic shop has gotten a much needed facelift, most of the elements remain true to the history and culture of the place. Myers and Ryan talk through the history of Nashville as a chili-parlor town (long before becoming synonymous with our friends to the north in Cincinnati), re-opening a historic restaurant, and the difficulties of food journalism in a modern day world which is inundated by click bait and fleeting social media posts.

Check Out Elliston Place Soda Shop:
ellistonplacesodashop.com