Another Foodie & The Beast episode live … well, not really live, it was recorded … but it sounds like it’s live and it’s from Nycci and David's bedroom. Over the past several months every show has featured a RAMMY nominee and since the RAMMYs are coming up this Sunday, September 20th, this was our very last opportunity so we packed them in! And that’s not it, we also talked franchise speak, got an education on Indo-Chinese cuisine and caught up with old friends who are in it to win it. This show’s guests inlcuded:  * Not one but two RAMMY beer programs nominees: 1) Joe Schineller, Jonathan Blake, & Aaron Emery, — brewers at area Sweet Water Taverns. 2) Dave Delaplane, General Manager & Beer Director at Roofers Union  * Ashok Tamang and his partners have opened the Indo-Chinese concept, Indochen in Cameron Station * Cofounder and CEO of Famous Toastery, Robert Maynard chatted the pros & cons of franchising in the time of Covid * Remember the great movie Fight Club? Well, now there’s s a restaurant with a menu of the same name and food packing a similar punch, Fight Club by Chef/Owner Andrew Markert and punch director, Mackenzie Conway. Listen to the full episode here.

Hard to believe that summer is winding down and here Nycci & David are continuing to do Foodie & The Beast from their bedroom. It should be sexier than it is, but what's important is the content and there we Do. Not. Disappoint.  * This week's show brought back Mitch Berliner for Central Farm Market's weekly "What's at Market" and you know we still have a few really good weeks of summer produce, so stay in the know.  * All Summer long we have been featuring Rammy nominees and this week was no exception. Caboose Brewing co-owner, Jennifer McLaughlin, talked beer production during a pandemic and the RAMMY Nominee for Beer Program of the Year. The Rammy's are on September 20.  * The Nellises love BBQ. I mean like, love it. So, how happy were we to have Pit Master himself, Shawn McWhirter, to walk us through all the BBQ styles he is serving up at his brand new Smokin' Pig.   * Try not to shed tears of jealousy as we talk with Linda & George Meyers who are "stuck" in Italy. The founders of Cook in Tuscany have an immersive cooking school that hosts week-long culinary vacations from their 19-room boutique hotel, La Chiusa, located in the hills of Montefollonico in the Italian countryside.  * Appioo African Bar and Grill, on 9th Street NW, features West African cuisine. Chef/owner Prince Matey discussed his upbringing and how what he learned growing up is executed in his dishes at Appioo Bar and Grill. Foodie & The Beast are not ready for summer to end -- you will have to take it from us kicking and screaming -- or maybe you could placate us with BBQ.  Listen in for all the details here.

Believe it or not, David and Nycci are slowly getting used to doing their show, Foodie & The Beast, from home. At first, it seemed so strange! I mean, we have been doing the show for almost 12 years and we (and our guests) have been spoiled rotten by the lively party that happened in studio every Sunday. Cocktails got shook, corks were pulled, dishes were plated, people in all different facets of the hospitality community either finally met or reconnected. We all miss it. But, what we have realized is that while all of “that" was great (and it was ... really, really great), every week we are still bringing together incredible people who are riding this wave the best they can and sharing their story. We are truly grateful to be a small part in being a platform for that message. This week's show included:  Greg Engert, Beverage Director & Partner at Neighborhood Restaurant Group was back on air discussing the rapid/Covid change in the beer canning biz and their RAMMY nomination for Beer Program of the Year If you haven't had a chance to visit the glorious RdV Vineyards, maybe now is the time to make that happen. Proprietor and CEO, Rutger de Vink (RdV!) caught us up on what was happening on location and with the wines.  Butterfly Spirits is an all-natural product line of spirits that is handcrafted in small batches in Frederick. Bartenders Against Racism was founded to combat racism in the hospitality industry through awareness and education and leadership initiatives. The two have joined forces with four prominent area restaurants in a special promotion. Allison Lane, founder of Bartenders Against Racism, and Josh & Alyssa Ammerman provided all the details Ethiopian born and French-trained Chef Elias Taddesse will open his first full-service restaurant, Mélange, in Mt. Vernon Triangle. The restaurant was in development well before March, and Chef Taddesse has persevered with his plans, albeit with a few adjustments, despite the pandemic.  And as always, Deb Moser of Central Farm Markets kicks off the show to update us on what you're buying at your local Central Farm Market this week.  Listen in to the full episode here.

Live From Our Bedroom iiiiiiiiiiiiit’s Foodie & The Beast. This week David and Nycci had the opportunity to chat with people who are really making a difference in the DC food and hospitality landscape:  Chef/owner Jon Krinn’s Vienna, VA restaurant, Clarity, is a huge hit. So’s their wine program. Clarity’s General Manager Sam Schnoebelen joined us to talk about their wine line-up and RAMMY nomination for Wine Program of the Year Finalist. Last week, a massive explosion devastated central Beirut, maiming and killing countless numbers of residents and workers. Marcelle Afram, the chef at Maydan and Compass Rose whose mother was born in Beirut, quickly worked with chef Roro Asmar of Asmar’s Mediterranean Foods to organize a fundraising effort for disaster relief. Chef Marcelle and Chef Roro give details of how you can contribute. Victura Park is a family-friendly outdoor pop-up & wine garden located in the River Pavilion at the Reach, the new addition to the Kennedy Center complex. It’s collaboration between the culinary creative team of The Hilton Brothers and Chef Erik Bruner-Yang. Ian Hilton had the 411. Black business owners in America face unique challenges, including a lack of access to credit and capital, a situation only exacerbated by the COVID-19 disaster. To support Black-owned restaurants throughout the District, prominent blogger and activist Anela Malik pulled together a promotion to support them. In partnership with Half Smoke and Raise Nation, Feed the Malik has mounted the DC Black-Owned Restaurant Sweepstakes. Anela gave us with all the details. Listen to the full episode here.

It’s not live in studio …. still, but Foodie & The Beast continues to serve up the important interviews and information for all the #FoodNewsYouShouldUse. So, instead of saying "Live, In Studio” we’ll say “Recorded From Nycci & David's Bedroom” this week with:  Deb Moser of Central Farm Markets was back this week talking the importance of National Farmers Market Week RAMMY nominee for best wine program, Field & Main's Chef/Owner Neal Wavra and Sommelier Tony Ruffo discussed their favorite wines of the moment and their Covid-cabanas.  It is grill-season and everyone can use a little inspiration before they throw another shrimp on the …. well, you know. Cookbook author Matt Moore just releases his book Serial Griller and dropped some crispy tidbits.  Chef Jerome Grant, veteran of the Sweet Home Cafe at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, is bringing the culinary  influences that have shaped his cooking to the menu at the new Jackie located a few feet from Nationals Park.  Small businesses and restaurants have been hit hard by this pandemic. Understatement of the century, but listen to Thamee’s Simone Jacobson, who thinks outside of the box and continues to serve Burmese hospitality even in these Covid-times.  Times may be different but there is still so much happening in the DC food, wine & hospitality scene. Listen to the full epsiode here.

It’s not live in studio, but Foodie & The Beast is still serving up all the necessary interviews to keep you in the know. So, instead of saying "Live, In Studio” we’ll say “Recorded From My Bedroom” with:   - The RAMMY-nominated Wine Kitchen had their very own Justin Langley join us to talk about their nomination for wine program of the year and his favorite wine for sticky summer days.       - Racism in the wine industry? Nationally known wine writer and educator, Julia Coney, had a thing or two to say about it and her recently launched Black Wine Professionals database that features Black wine talent – somms, winemakers, and more - for gatekeepers who say they want to diversify their wine business. - DC’s Ward 5 has some exciting economic development and jobs news. City-State Brewing Company, a DC-centric craft microbrewery, taproom, and community gathering space broke ground on July 22 for its future site. Owner James Warner joined us to chat what’s coming soon and announced the creation of an Opportunity Zone Fund that will leverage the investments to create an array of jobs and apprenticeships at the brewery.  - Top Chef alum, DC’s Chef Eric Adjepong (a finalist on Season 16 of Bravo's Top Chef and a contestant on Season 17 of Top Chef All Stars), recently launched a series of virtual, interactive cooking classes where he teaches some of his signature dishes to a Zoom audience of up to 30 students. A first-generation Ghanaian-American, Chef Eric brings West African cuisine to the mainstream as a way of teaching Black history and the influence of West African cuisine and culture on the dishes we love here. Tune in here for all the tasty tid-bits.

Is it hot in here or is it just us? The only thing that is normal right now, is it's July in the city and that means it is hazy, hot, and humid. What is not normal (other than everything), is that #FoodieAndTheaBeast does not come to you live on Sundays from our food-filled and drink-swilled studio, it comes to you recorded on Saturdays from Nycci and David's bedroom. While we may not all be together in the studio elating and drinking and chatting, thanks to amazing technology we are able to still “gather" amazing guests with incredible information to share. This week we chatted with:  -Vanessa Cominsky, St. Anselm’s beverage manager and Rammy Nominee for Wine Program of the Year -Bruce Pike, CEO of Temperature Check and Red Hen Owner/Chef Mikey Friedman discuss healthy business practices in the time of Covid with Temperature Check.   -School closures, coupled with the economic pressures of the COVID- crisis, are causing children to experience food insecurity at unprecedented rates. Adam Lustig of the Trust for America’s Health joins us with insights into the problems and some solutions. -The Cane Collective is an innovative consulting agency helping spirit companies develop marketing opportunities in the Washington metropolitan area. Aaron Joseph, one of the Cane Collective’s founders, joins us to recount its fascinating journey to success and tell us about the unique cocktail mixers now available. Listen to the full episode here.

We’re starting COVID 19 quarantine month number five, but Foodie and the Beast still are punching out great shows and pithy content for all to hear. This week we’re joined by wine expert and restaurateur Sebastian Zutant of Primrose, A RAMMY nominee for Wine Program of the Year; William Asiedu, founder and CEO of the Distant Relatives Project, a prominent, local nonprofit working with underserved communities to create opportunity with and access to resources, such as free food prepared by local celebrity chefs, grooming services (haircuts), free clothing, access to health insurance, and mental health sessions; Becca Katz, founder of Cook Kitz, offering all-inclusive weekly “culinary adventure” projects delivered to kids and their families running out of good ideas for stuff to do now that most summer camps are closed, and sisters Lisa and Melissa Gerben of the DC area’s Rako Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee collective focused on sustainably sourced single origin coffees, environmentally friendly roasting practices, and advanced brewing methods.

Foodie & the Beast is on air, recorded from Nycci and David's bedroom (not as sexy as it sounds), safely talking to people who are making a difference in the food space.  Since we’re not in studio, we don’t have someone shaking up cocktails for us (and our guests) during the show. We now have a cocktail created for each show by a RAMMY Cocktail Program of the Year nominee.  This week, Alonzo Freeman from The Royal virtually made us an Aji cocktail —  a Colombian riff on the classic daiquiri, incorporating Royal’s house aji sauce made with cilantro, scallions, tomato, peppers and vinegar, with white rum, fresh lime and cane sugar — tune in to make your own. While sipping on this week’s cocktail, listen to David and Nycci talk to Chef Michael Rafidi, whose Albi restaurant opened near the Navy Yard just two weeks prior to the lockdown, but managed to  pivot quickly to carryout and delivery and whose  morning and daytime café, Yellow, opened adjacent to the Albi dining room during the pandemic shutdown. This is a real case of Coronovirus survival you’ll want to hear. We chatted with Chef Johanna Hellrigl from the West End’s new Mercy Me. She loves to bake, especially sourdough as an homage to her chef dad, and has been “seeding” friends’ kitchens with giveaways of sourdough starters. Pastry chef & owner of Petite Soeur, Ashleigh Pearson, seemed destined to succeed when she won a $10,000 Les Dames de Escoffier scholarship and headed off to Paris for classes at Le Cordon Blue (without speaking a word of French, mind you!). She’s back, running her operation out of Robert Weidmaier’s Marcels and creating “Wow!” pastries and desserts. Lastly,  an old and good friend of the show, 3 Stars Brewing’s Dave Coleman, joined us to discuss his brewery’s worldwide participation in “Black is Beautiful”, a beer project supporting Black Lives Matter, and 3 Stars’ new CSB – Community Supported Beer” – promotion. So much deliciousness for your ears. Listen to the entire episode here.  

On repeat, the curtain continues to rise and spotlight the horrific impact that systemic racism has on our city and our county. David and Nycci stand in solidarity against racism and oppression of all Black, Indigenous and People of Color. We have the platform of Foodie & The Beast and will continue to use it to amplify the BIPOC voices in the restaurant and hospitality space, not just now but always. On Saturday, we were joined by celebrated pastry chef Paola Valez, who one minute was the James Beard-finalist, Rising Star Chef wowing patrons at Kith/Kin, and the next was furloughed due to the pandemic. She launched what started as a local movement, Bakers Against Racism, that soon went global, and you’ll hear how. Also with us, Central Farm Markets’ cofounder Debbie Moser with updates on safe shopping for all your fresh produce, meats and more at area CFM locations. Returning guest, Andra “A.J.” Johnson, is managing partner and bartender at Serenata in La Cosecha near Union Market and cofounder of DC’s Black Restaurant Week and recently launched the Back to Black Pop-Up. She’s a passionate advocate of diversity and across-the-board fairness for restaurant industry workers, and is on to tell us about upcoming events supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and discuss her powerful, City Paper article and book under development, both dealing with cultural neglect of African-Americans in the restaurant industry. When the COVID 19 crisis hit, Chef Javier Arze of Huntsman was selling premium, specialty foods to top restaurants across the Mid-Atlantic. Teaming with suddenly furloughed, local chefs, Chef Javier then pivoted on a dime, delivering Furloughed Chefs gourmet food boxes directly to consumers. And, because drinking while listening is just more fun, Ismael Barreto, lead bartender at Nick Stefanelli’s Officina (Rammy nom for Cocktail Program of The Year), whips up his super-delicious, honey lavender cocktail that you can/should make at home. Listen to the full episode here.