Maggie Hennessy, a writer known for whimsical and observational stories about food, joins the pod to discuss her career and experiences on the literary side of the Chicago culinary scene. Maggie details her journey from business writing to becoming a freelance food journalist, and the importance of relentlessly practicing writing every day. She shares thoughts on the current state of food media, including the rise of social platforms and AI-generated content, and the role writers play in shaping the landscape. She offers a behind-the-scenes look at pitching stories, dealing with online comments, and tailoring pieces for a range of publications. Plus: glassware preferences, (more) damage control for MSG, and movies where kids run the show.

This week, we're joined by acclaimed chef Doug Psaltis, who has worked in some of the world's most prestigious kitchens alongside legendary chefs. As a partner at Lettuce Entertain You, Doug opened some of Chicago's hottest restaurants, including RPM Italian, Bub City Chicago, Three Dots & A Dash tiki lounge, and more. Now at Eat Well Hospitality, he brings decades of experience combined with an infectious enthusiasm for hospitality. Doug reflects on lessons learned from mentors like Keller and Ducasse, the importance of culture and team, and a back-to-basics approach he champions today. He shares insights into his latest projects like Andros Taverna and Asador Bastion, staying true to his ethos of impeccable sourcing and heartfelt service. Join us for a wide-ranging exploration of a life richly lived in restaurants.

This week, we're treated to an effervescent conversation with Instagram's Urban Bourbonist, Chris Blatner. Chris, who started his journey into the world of bourbon in 2019, regales us with his boundless passion for all things whiskey, inviting everyone along on his voyage of discovery. He tells us all about his initiation into the world of whiskey, schools us on bourbon mash bills and barrel aging, digs deep into the fascinating lore and stories behind heritage distilleries, and much more.

This week, we sit down with one of Chicago's preeminent beer insiders. Samantha Lee of Hopewell Brewing Co. takes us through the origin story of how she, her husband Stephen Bossu, and their friend Jonathan Fritz turned their college dream of launching their own brewery into a reality. We get a behind-the-scenes peek into scouting locations, securing loans, and creating an inclusive vibe. Her passion for ethical business practices shines through as Hopewell aims to perfect its craft while making positive change in the community. Pull up a chair, crack open a fresh can of Ride Or Die, and see what lessons this homegrown Chicago brewer has to share.

If you need anything grocery-related, just give this week’s guest a call. Whether it’s fielding over 400 text messages at the dawn of Covid, surveying the neighborhood for interest in new products, or doing some personal shopping for Tim’s mom, Kosta Drosos is a model of hospitality in the grocery lane, and Fresh Market Place, the independent store he manages in Bucktown, is a community institution. We go deep on process and procedure this episode: the tricky margins of grocery, surpassing customer expectations, and the invaluable — if often overlooked — role of grocers in the culinary scene. Plus: we suss out Tim’s dad’s suspiciously meager yield of goat meat.

This one has been a long time coming. We are immensely delighted to share some quality time with none other than Chef Jason Hammel, the executive chef and owner of Logan Square’s acclaimed Lula Cafe. With humility and an eye trained on constant improvement, he’s a tour de force in Chicago’s culinary landscape, a man whose restaurants engender fierce loyalty amongst guests and staff alike. He joins us to discuss his long-awaited book, The Lula Cafe Cookbook: Collected Recipes and Stories, which is available for preorder for an October 4th release. We talk Italy, David Foster Wallace, cookbook photography, the Lula labyrinth, and of course, tennis.

It’s all things chocolate on Joiners this week as we sit down with the one and only Katherine Duncan. You know her from her Irving Park based company, Katherine Anne Confections, where she has been delighting patrons since 2006 with inventive treats and a community focus. In an episode that will certainly pique your sweet tooth, Katherine joins us to dispel myths about truffles, provide insight into Chicago’s small but mighty chocolate scene, tell us all about her business and craft, and (as always) so much more.

This week, we’ve got Brad Bolt on the show. Brad stands as a trailblazer of Chicago's cocktail movement, and his resume is rich with time spent at the helm of some of the city's most iconic bars. We talk about the opening of Bar Deville, whether or not bartending is a young person's game, what happened to that beautiful Chartreuse sign, and as always, so much more. Plus: Brad provides an updated recipe for his signature Hard Sell cocktail.

This week, we're treated to a delightful series of framings and meanderings by sommelier Derrick Westbrook. Derrick, who served as the Cellar Manager of Alinea Group's NEXT and Beverage Director for Elizabeth, harbors a profound passion for wine that is crystal clear and infectious. With spirited storytelling and an inclusive attitude, he is generous with his knowledge, inviting everyone to discover their voice by trusting their senses. He tells us all about his journey into the world of enology, schools us on wine textures, digs deep into the sociology of hospitality, and much more.

David Manilow understands the magic of bringing people together with an unforgettable meal. In fact, he made a whole television show about it, one of this very podcast’s spiritual progenitors: Check, Please! Hundreds of episodes later, his passion for people, places, and food is undoubtable, and he has stories galore to back it up. He stops by the Joiners studio to tell us all about his inspiration for the show, some of its more notable guests, and what he’s working on now. Plus: a deep dive into the avant-garde, a reflection on the “hidden gem” category, chef tattoos, and so much more.

This week, we're joined by the founder of Heisler Hospitality (and half of its portmanteau namesake), Matt Eisler. With the uncanny ability to impliment a signature vision, Eisler is one of the most respected names in the industry -- and along with his partner Kevin Heisner, he's responsible for some of the city's most enduring and innovative establishments, from Estereo to Sportsman's Club to Lone Wolf. He tells about transitioning from playing Hockey in Calgary to buying Spike's Rat Bar, reminisces about opening a bar in Wicker Park during its salad days, walks us through the many phases of Heisler, and as always, so much more.

Don’t let her down-to-earth approach and genial humility fool you: Bridget Albert is an absolute legend of the craft cocktail scene, a powerhouse of creativity and raw performance whose keen sensibility and passion for education helped make the scene what it is today. With a raucous story that spans 19th century small-town taverns, airplane rescues, and riverboat casinos, she walks us through her storied career, and what inspired her to create one of the most influential and innovative mixology courses of all time (of which Danny is a proud alumnus.) This episode is rich with classic yarns and invaluable insights from an industry titan — we can't wait to have her back for a second round.

This week, we’re joined by Chicago’s preeminent bread head, the wheat wizard of West Town, Greg Wade. Greg runs Publican Quality Bread and cut his bread-making teeth all over the city — his knowledge of the rising staple is vast, and he conveys it all in a low-key and relatable way, made evident on this episode and in his new book, Bread Head: Baking For the Road Less Traveled. We talk the history of flour, how to assess a loaf of bread, the intricacies of gluten, and so much more. Plus: Grateful Dead trivia in honor of Dead & Company’s last show.

This week, we have the multi-talented Elise Bergman on the pod. A musician and apparel designer, she is also one of the creative powerhouses behind Judson & Moore, an award-winning whiskey distillery based in Chicago that she founded alongside her husband, Collin Moore. We go deep into the spirit distilling process, with an insightful conversation about barrels and proof, as well as the puzzle of branding whiskey (a thing they’ve clearly solved.) Plus: Tim reveals an old tennis rivalry, we discuss the intersections between parenthood and running a business, and so much more.

For our longest episode yet, we are talking with prolific food writer and critic Michael Nagrant. A long-time champion and observer of Chicago’s food scene, he takes us through his storied career, from his pioneering podcasting days to covering the scene in an independent fashion on his Substack, The Hunger. In a sprawling and delightful interview, we talk the ethics of food criticism, taking precautions to ensure an authentic dining experience, breaking the Publican story, and lots more.

Our guest this week is more than just a bartender (though there's no questioning his bonafides in that arena) -- he's a glorified YouTube sensation who's managed to successfully marry his love of making craft drinks with his panache for storytelling and performance. Anders Erickson stops by the Joiners studio to tell us all about getting his start as a soda jerk in Door County Wisconsin, his thespian roots in Chicago, and the unintended consequences of running a drink-making YouTube channel. Plus: the curious seasonality of online engagement, the challenges of working with pals, and Danny's questionable pants.

This week, we dive deep into a big cup of joe with none other than Xavier Alexander of Metric Coffee. His dogged persistence and commitment to independence have earned him one of the top spots the city’s coffee upper echelon, and his knowledge of and passion for every part of the process are both crystal clear and inspiring. He tells us about buying his first coffee machine with credit cards and student loans from a notorious grifter, his mission of incentivizing producers to stay in the business, and how to brew a perfect cup (which, it turns out, is defined by the person drinking it.)

This week's guest's body of work is rivaled only by his low-key demeanor and genial humility about it all. From working under Charlie Trotter and Grant Achatz, to taking a chance with Town House in Virginia's countryside, to opening the much-lauded pairing of Smyth and The Loyalist in the West Loop (with so much more in between), John Shields is a true gem of the Chicago culinary scene, and it was a pleasure to have him on the podcast. In addition to a laundry list of casual shout-outs to previous and future Joiners guests, we're talking the butterfly effect of dial-up internet, the hierarchy of Trotter's kitchen, developing a menu that reflects the pastoral qualities of a restaurant's location -- and plenty more.

As the Director of Sustainability and School Food for the Academy for Global Citizenship, this week’s guest is piloting a revolutionary new way of thinking about food in schools, with a holistic system that integrates environmental justice, urban farming, and equity into the school’s curriculum and structure — right in the heart of Chicago. With a master’s degree in Human Development and Education from Harvard, a true passion for complexity, and a diverse body of experience in food and hospitality, Kris De La Torre’s vision for a better food future is as convincing as it is utopian. She sits down with us to tell us all about her unconventional trajectory, give us a crash course on the cheesemaking process, provide some nuanced perspective on the Blue Hill controversy, and so much more. 

For our fiftieth episode, we're lucky to be joined by none other than R.J. Melman: he's the president of Lettuce Entertain You, one of the finest restaurant groups in the country, a family enterprise renowned for its imaginative spirit and commitment to quality. He tells us all about growing up immersed in restaurant openings, how Lettuce settles on new concepts (it always starts with the food), and what it's like working alongside his brother and sister.