Category: Restaurateurs
Sicilian street food hits Chicago streets. Meet Sfera owners Steven and Daniela (Episode 552)
What is ‘Sicilian street food?’ The answer’s being cranked out nightly by Sfera, operating out of a ghost kitchen on the northwest side. Steven and Daniela of Sfera Sicilian Street Food join me tonight to talk about bringing those flavors…
Let’s drink Soju and bring on the new year! Miki’s Park in River North (Episode 526)
Miki’s Park opened in River North in March, 2020… mere days before it would be forced to close for a couple weeks. Miki’s Park’s story isn’t unique or special, but it is emblematic of what a challenging year it’s been…
From ‘The Last Dance’ specials to ‘Pizza and Parm’: The year in dining innovations from Cornerstone Restaurant Group (Episode 524)
What keeps Cornerstone Restaurant Group COO Danny McGowan hopeful for the service industry? What types of innovation and creativity kept restaurants moving forward this year? What can independent restaurant owners do and think about, heading into 2021? Danny’s one of…
Wine, Andersonville and community: A visit with Lindsey Anderson-Perez of Uvae (Episode 519)
Christmas is 10 days away. Log off Amazon and shop local! Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar is hosting a holiday pop-up retail market that features premade gift baskets as well as DIY “gift baskets” you can create with products from…
The Goddess and Grocer’s Debbie Sharpe (Episode 502)
Well, here we go… home stretch before Thanksgiving. To talk about Thanksgiving food, Fall food… food, in general… I’ve invited Debbie Sharpe, owner of the Goddess and Grocer, to join me for a rare Saturday night Car Con Carne recording!…
Hot Doug talks about life after Hot Doug’s (Episode 495)
Legendary Chicago restaurateur and sausage man Hot Doug returns to the show to talk about the future of his meat, life after Hot Doug’s, his new-ish podcast, Taylor Swift and the pandemic’s impact on independent restaurant owners. “There are no…
‘Abe doesn’t deserve to eat here’ – Abe Kanan and Dan “Bass” Levy at the phenomenal Chicago Culinary Kitchen (Episode 170)
This is a glorious episode, as returning guests/friends Abe Kanan and Dan “Bass” Levy meet me at Chicago Culinary Kitchen (773 N Quentin Rd, Palatine, IL 60067) to try the restaurant’s Baltimore Pit Beef special. Returning guests/CCK co-owners Greg and…
Best of the Restaurateurs (Volume One) (Episode 154)
This week, we look back on memorable moments with restaurateurs who jumped in the Mazda 3. http://traffic.libsyn.com/carconcarnepodcast/CCC_best_of_restaurateurs.mp3 On this Boost Mobile-sponsored episode, you’ll hear highlights from: The Budlong’s Jared Leonard, revealing the philandering, sordid history of “Nashville Hot” chicken Manny’s…
The Atlas Moth at Epic Deli: This could ‘very well be the death of us’ (Episode 120)
Stavros from Chicago metal band The Atlas Moth joins me for hedonistic, belly-stretching, food-challenge-worthy indulgence at one of Car Con Carne’s favorite places on earth: EPIC DELI. http://traffic.libsyn.com/carconcarnepodcast/CCC_Atlas_Moth_Epic_Deli.mp3 In this fine episode (brought to you by Boost Mobile), Stavros and…
Sweating out ‘hot chicken’ with the Budlong’s Jared Leonard (Episode 48)
“Someone’s going to walk by and think we’re having a fight, like Jared said something that hurt my feelings. I’m bawling in here.” What is ‘Nashville Hot’ chicken? In simplest terms, it’s fried chicken with a level of cayenne spiciness…